Dennler, Stump inducted into Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame

By Burt Saidel

Can you name all of the theaters in the greater Dayton area?  I certainly can’t and I consider myself a regular theater patron.

Once a year, my mind is boggled by the realization that we are living in a maelstrom of theater activity. The annual DayTonys and Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame induction dinner is a dose of theatrical overload.  There are 14 participating theaters and, it was announced that two more are affiliating for next year.

The gamut runs from the professional Human Race series through university based theaters such as UD and Sinclair (WSU’s outstanding program chooses not to participate.) to regional groups such as Dayton Theatre Guild.  

Each mounts a full season of plays.  Legions of actors and stage technicians shift from theater to theater.  Each has a loyal audience and each produces a share of fine dramatic and musical offerings.

Dayton theater icon Greg Smith founded the DayTonys and the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame along with a cadre of supporters and activists in 2002.  Now on a roll, the gala dinner and induction ceremony is an annual highlight.  This year, the two inductees into the Hall of Fame, a great actor and director and a devoted magician of stage craft well deserved the honors.  

For many decades actor/director Ralph Dennler has been involved in hundreds of plays.   He is central to the success of   The Dayton Theatre Guild and  has appeared with the Human Race and Victoria companies.  Terry Stump, of Sinclair Community College, continues a thirty year career of creating       the sets and staging for hundreds of shows.  His venues stretch   over the entire area.  

To view the many winners of the coveted DayTonys and to read more about Ralph and Terry, I invite you to go to www.daytonys.org.  There, you will join me in amazement over the theatrical riches abounding in our area.

“Voice of the Arts”

Dayton Public Radio is a frequent presence at Philharmonic Concerts. Dayton Public Radio, WDPR and WDPG, are the “Voice of the Arts.”  Not only do we have a prime 24 hour a day classical music station but we have an active supporter of all of the arts over the airwaves. Annually, Georgie Woessner and her devoted staff, actually take Dayton Public Radio to an arts venue.  This year, the Maestro Circle dinner which recognizes those who have made legacy gifts to DPR, was held at The Dayton Visual Arts Center.

This was an ideal opportunity for the supporters of DPR to have a private showing of this year’s Personal Best: DVAC’s 16th Open Members’ Show.  The arts center is now elegantly housed at its 116 North Ludlow Street venue.  There, art exhibitions, lectures and classes take place regularly.

The Personal Best show is interesting in that the artist members of DVAC are permitted to enter one piece each, displayed during the month-long exhibit which ended August 18th.   Viewing such a collection is interesting in many ways.   Since it is open to all but limited to only one selection per artist, the choices by the artist provide much of the interest.  

Many of the exhibitors are among Dayton’s major artists, Jud Yalkut, John Emery, Virginia Burroughs, Anne Hubler, Homer Hacker, Aka Pereyma and John Koenick join more than 200 others, many of whom are entering their works for the first time.  It is a highly varied and exciting display.  

I am sorry that it has closed by the time you will be reading this.  

Let this be an alert to look for the exhibitions at DVAC.

Caravan to Colorado Festival Sept. 20-30

When discussing Dayton’s theater greats, Suzy Bassani would lead any list.  Her frenetic activity in every venue has enriched the arts in Dayton from Dayton Opera, the Human Race, The Muse Machine and the countless times a phone call from Suzy meant that you would be working hard on one of her many projects.

Suzy and Pino now live in the splendor of Colorado Springs.  Never able to remain static, Suzy is President and Producing Artistic Director of the Colorado Festival of World Theatre.

This impressive festival takes place September 20 – 30 in Colorado Springs.  Suzy tells me that there are now 14 of Dayton’s Suzy and theater lovers making the trip.   If Suzy does it – it has to be great.  Check out the festival at www.cfwt.org.  If you can make the trip, contact Suzy at suzypinob@msn.com.