Ensemble’s THURGOOD is a perfect Black History Month treat

Thurgood Marshall has been called the “greatest lawyer of the 20th Century,” “Mr. Civil Rights,” and is credited with doing “more than any other American to lift the burden of racism from our society.”   

It is only appropriate that his life and judicial story be told during Black History month.  Ensemble is doing exactly that by presenting multi-award winner George Stevens, Jr.’s THURGOOD.

Marshall, who was born in Baltimore, was the great-grandson and grandson of slaves.  Against great odds, including being rejected by the University of Maryland’s law school, he became a lawyer.  He graduated from Howard, an all-black university in Washington, D.C..   After being in private practice, he became active in the National Association for Colored People (NAACP) and went on to plead many cases before the Supreme Court regarding segregation in public schools and universities.   He is best known for pleading and winning Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, the basis for the elimination of the policy of “separate but equal” in public schools.  He won 29 out of the 32 cases he pleaded before the Supreme Court. 

He was appointed by John F. Kennedy to a seat on the US Court of Appeals, by Lyndon B. Johnson to be US Solicitor General, and, in 1967, Johnson selected him for a seat on the Supreme Court.  Marshall was the first African American to hold the position.

Steven’s script encapsulates Marshall’s life into a two-act presentation.  We find Greg White in a one-person audience lecture (with the inserted voices of Kirk Brown as Chief Justice Earl  Warren, and Kyle Huff as the Clerk of the Supreme Court).  It is a lesson about a great American, an important Black American, and the foibles of the political system, especially in the prejudiced South.

Ensemble’s production is well staged by director Sarah May.  She succeeds in creating stage business that holds the audience’s attention.  She also choreographs the use of many props to help in creating the reality of the court cases.

May is greatly aided in developing the story by the projections conceived by Ian Hinz, which not only lead the audience to seeing where each scene is set, or of a place that is being referred to, but aids visualization by use of photos of the people that Marshall mentions.  Without these excellent visuals, the illusions and people would not have been as vivid.  This was the best use of electronics that Ensemble has presented in their productions.

In the opening night presentation, White was properly laid back as Marshall, who was noted for his reasoned use of words, and emotional control as he presented his cases.  At times, however, more physical and verbal dynamics would have enlightened the proceedings.  As White becomes acclimated with the script’s words, and the audience’s reactions, he should find himself more comfortable and real.  He must take on the awing “aura” of Marshall, as well as relaying his words.

One audience reaction tool that White needs to take into consideration is the use of “call outs.”  Traditional in many black churches is the congregation verbally reacting to the sermon.  Shouts of “right on,” “uh-huh,” and “tell ‘em brother,” are common in that setting.  The verbalization carries over when individuals get involved in plays or even movies.  Since THURGOOD is a script and subject matter that will attract African Americans, as evidenced by the almost equal numbers of blacks and whites in the Ensemble audience, the “call outs” should aid in adding the heightening of emotions in the play.   White will need to adjust to those and take them as a tribute to his becoming Marshall.  Those not used to “call outs,” will have to learn that the vocalizations show praise for the actor and the message and are not the “bad manners” of breaking-the-silence-tradition which some think of as the protocol of theatre-goers.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  THURGOOD is a well-conceived script, which receives a solid production.  The message is a lesson well needed for black and whites alike. It should be a “must see” for junior and high school students, their parents and grandparents so that the story of the ever present issue of granting civil rights becomes a cause-célèbre and all people are treated with respect and dignity.

THURGOOD runs Thursdays through Sundays through February 22 at Ensemble Theatre, housed in the former  Coventry School, 2843 Washington Blvd, Cleveland Heights.  For tickets call 216-321-2930 or go online to http://www.ensemble-theatre.org

Of special interest:  Talkbacks are scheduled after the productions of:  2/1 (Judge C. Ellen Connally, Greg White and Sarah May), 2/8 (Peter Lawson Jones), and 2/15 Subodh Chandra). 

To see the views of other Cleveland area theatre reviewers go to:  clevelandtheaterreviews.com

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, story light, musically big at Cleveland Play House

Cleveland Play House has in its recent history included small cast musicals in its offerings. Those shows included TAPPIN’ THROUGH LIFE (Maurice Hines), BREATH AND IMAGINATION (Roland Hayes), WOODY SEZ;  LIFE AND MUSIC OF WOODY GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie), THE DEVIL’S MUSIC:  THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BESSIE SMITH (Bessie Smith), and ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN (Janis Joplin).  Each told a story about the person through their own words, their music, or from the mouths of those who knew them.  Often they have been tied to Black History Month.

Do not expect any personal or history patterns in FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE, a musical by Clarke Peters, which features the great hits of Louis Jordan,  but does not deal with Jordan’s history or life tale.   Nor is there a direct tie to Black History month.

Jordan is noted as the 1940’s bandleader who pioneered a blend of jazz and blues, which centered on swinging shuffle rhythms, sometimes referred to as “jump blues” or “jumpin’ jive.”  His music appealed to both blacks and whites, thus he become the first successful crossover artist of American popular music.  He is sometimes referred to as the “Grandfather of Rock n’ Roll.”

What could be better than an evening of the music of Louis Jordan and his influential “jumpin’ jive” that paved the road through the blues to hard R&B and rock ’n’ roll?  Nothing if you love that style or music.  A lot if you wanted to know about the man who wrote and played the tunes or the derivation of some of the songs.

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE is a jukebox musical.  It’s a review, with a razor thin plot that mainly serves as a device to bridge the songs together.  The little bit of dialogue does not develop a real story line, such as is found in PIPPIN, KINKY BOOTS or DIRTY DANCING, which will soon appear on Playhouse Square stages.  It is basically irrelevant as can be spotlighted by deviances from the script, which take place during the ad lib and audience inclusion segments of the staging.

The present version of the show is an update of the 1992 Broadway musical written by Clarke Peters which ran 445 performances and was nominated as Best Book of a Musical.  It lost to FALSETTOS.

The audience enters the Allen Theatre to find the proscenium curtain closed, music playing, supposedly from an old tube model radio placed center stage.  Nomax (Kevin McAllister) wanders on stage, in what proves to be a drunken stupor, sings “Early in the Morning,” relating how his “woman” has rejected him due to his drinking and irresponsibility.  As he wallows in his self-pity, the Moes: Big Moe, Little Moe, Four Eyed Moe, No Moe, and Eat Moe, “jump” out of the radio.  Actually the curtain opens to reveal the singers, orchestra, and an eye appealing set consisting of two lighted staircases with a bridge between them, and a large electronic “MOE” sign.

The quintet try to convince Nomax to, “Beware, Brother, Beware,”or he will permanently lose his lady.  Songs such as “I Like ‘Em Fat Like That” and “Messy Bessy” don’t do the convincing, but they are entertaining.  Other songs include, “Knock Me A Kiss,” “Push Ka Pi Shi Pie (with a Calypso beat and a Congo line of audience volunteers), “Safe, Sane and Single” (a definite audience favorite), “Let the Good Times Roll” (featuring tap dancing), and “Caldonia (more audience participation).

The cast was universally good.  The individual singing of Sheldon Henry (Big Moe), Jobari Parker-Namdar (No Moe), Travis Porchia (Four-Eyed Moe), Clinton Roane (Little Moe) and Paris Nix (Eat Moe) was on key and the quintet’s vocal blends were excellent.  Nix excelled in his song styling and dancing, and his splits awed the audience.

Kevin McAllister, he of bloodshot eyes, drooping lips, and stumbling step was delightful and in consistent character as Nomax.  He probably has the best voice of the singers.

Robert O’Hara directed, Darryl G. Ivey was the musical director, Byron Easley choreographed, Clint Ramos conceived the set, Dede Ayite designed the costumes, Alex Jainchill created the lighting plan and Lindsay Jones was the sound designer.

To keep with the era, the cast wears classic clothing and sings into old time microphones.

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE     is a co-Cleveland Play House and Washington, DC’s Arena Stage production.  According to Laura Kepley, CPH’s Artistic Director, CPH personnel, including her, went to DC to work on the staging and design of the production.  The band at the local staging, with the exception of the musical director, is made up of Cleveland performers.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  If you like the jazz and blues musical stylings of Louis Jordan, you’ll enjoy FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE.  If, on the other hand, you desire a musical with a storyline, with songs and productions numbers that develop that tale, then you will probably join those who left at intermission.  Me, I’m a storyline kind of guy! 

FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE runs through February 15, 2015, at the Allen Theatre in PlayhouseSquare.  For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE helps celebrate 100th anniversary of Karamu

On June 15, 2015, Karamu, the country’s oldest continuously performing Black Theatre, will celebrate its 100th birthday. 

As part of the celebration year, the theatre is reviving some of its most notable productions.  Therefore, it is entirely appropriate that August Wilson’s personal favorite play in his “The Pittsburgh Cycle,”  JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, be performed.

Wilson was one of America’s best known African-American playwrights and is well remembered for writing 10 plays about blacks in Pittsburgh, his hometown.  He wrote one play for each decade.  Two of the scripts received Pulitzer Prizes for Drama.

JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE takes place in Seth Holly’s boarding house in 1911.  It provides a glance into African American patterns of the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century of  blacks trying to find “their song.”  They were attempting, after many years of slavery where they were controlled by the “massa,” to identify where to live, what to do with their freedom, and what family structure they should form. 

Many blacks, as they wandered around seeking of their “song,” and to avoid the continued discrimination of the South, came North, and stayed for short periods of time in boarding houses.  The Holly House was an example where they claimed as a short term home.  It was a place to have a bed to sleep in, breakfast and dinner, for about $2 a week.

The play’s title is based on the popular blues song, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” a W. C. Handy tune, which tells the tale of Joe Turner, a plantation owner, who illegally enslaved blacks for a period of seven years in order to physically and psychologically beat them down, destroy their families, and continue the patterns of slavery. 

Herald Loomis was one of those captured by a “Joe Turner.”  When he returned after his “sentence,” his wife and child were gone.  Loomis starts a search for them. He locates his daughter at his mother-in-law’s home.  Unable to find his wife, Martha, he continues his tracking to the North.  He arrives in Pittsburgh, one of the border line cities, to which the ex-slaves fled.

The plot follows a liner line, exposing each of the characters who populate or visit the Holly House.  We meet Seth and Bertha Holly who run the establishment.  There is Bynum Walker, a practitioner of voodoo and conjuring, who shares a tale of meeting a “Shiny Man” who taught him his “song.” 

Selig, a white peddler who travels the countryside, brings Seth Holly metal to be made into pots and pans, stops in to share gossip and pick up his products. 

Others come and go, including Jeremy, a young “playah’” who strums the guitar and jumps from job to job and from woman to woman.  There is Herald Loomis, a menacing looking man in a long black coat and lifeless eyes, Zonia, his pre-tween daughter, and Mattie Campbell who needs Bynum’s help to find the man who has run out on her. 

We also meet Reuben Scott, a teenager who befriends Zonia, and Molly Cunnigham, who has missed her train, needs a place to stay, and hints of making money by befriending men.

Each of the characters is in search of identity. They must learn to be human beings, rather than objects to be sold, traded, or controlled by others.

Playwright Wilson is a master at creating dialogue which clearly defines each character.  Their use of language and dialect clearly sets them apart.  Loomis is a man of the south as his Southern words and dialect illustrate, while Seth Holly has a twang of Pennsylvania, the symbol of a free man of several generations in the north.

The Karamu production is basically well conceived by director Terrance Spivey.  The massive set fills the arena theatre.  The pacing is well done, with lots of physical action interspersed to keep the action moving along.  

Several things distract.  Why are all the meals a biscuit and a partially filled cup of coffee?  Even when grits are referred to, a biscuit is served.  Why are some of the windows void of glass panes?  No programs were given out, robbing the audience of such necessary information as the play’s date, setting and the background of the performers.

The cast is exceptional.  There is not a weak performer on the stage.  Michael May excels as Herald Loomis, a frustrated man who has been beaten into submission and voided of his manhood.  His eyes change from flatness to flashing anger and back again, his powerful body writhes in pain and explodes in powerful attack, then retreats.  The last scene, when he threatens himself and the others, is mesmerizing. 

Tonya Davis shows a depth of restraint and character as Bertha Holly.  Butch Terry is delightful as Bynum.  Prophet D. Seay portrays Jeremy with a devilish charm.  Zamani Munashe is lovely as Zonia.  Both Kennetha Martin and Phillia Thomas create real people as Mattie and Molly. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE is a perfect script choice for both Karamu’s 100th anniversary and Black History month.  The script is a classic and the production is one of Karamu’s better offerings.  For those who want a good history lesson, to be exposed to the writing of one of America’s greatest playwrights, and see a well performed show, JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE is a good choice!
JOE TURNERS COME AND GONE continues through February 15, 2015 at Karamu, 2355 East 89th Street, which has a fenced, guarded and lighted parking lot adjacent to the theatre, and provides free parking.  For ticket information call 216-795-7077.

Compelling, well-written, well acted SLOWGIRL at Dobama

On the surface, Greg Pierce’s SLOWGIRL, which is now on stage at Dobama, is the tale of a teenager who finds herself living a real-life nightmare and her confronting the issues with her reclusive uncle, who has problems of his own.

The tale begins as 17-year old Becky arrives at her Uncle Sterling’s Costa Rican isolated jungle home.  The duo has had little contact since she was a child.  We quickly become aware that she is uninhibited, somewhat rebellious and a nonstop talker.   He is inhibited and reclusive. Why is she there?  Why is he living alone in the jungle? 

As their interactions roll out, it is revealed that Becky’s classmate has fallen from a second story window while attending a party.  The teenager was nicknamed “Slowgirl” by her classmates.  Was this moniker an act of bullying? Was the reason Slowgirl invited to the party an act of bad-girl cruelty?  Was the fall an accident?  Are the stories told to the police honest revelations?  Were the visual images captured on a cell phone video real?  Did Becky have a role in the fall?

As the duo gets better acquainted, incidents from Sterling’s past unfold and questions arise. He is divorced, but why?  What was the basis for conflicts with his law school friend and business partner?  Why is that friend now in jail? Did Sterling have any connection to the incarceration?   How did Sterling, who was involved in low-pay, non-profit work, get the money to buy the Puerto Rican property?  Is he “on the run” from US authorities? 

Pierce is a fine storyteller.  He reveals one layer of information, then another, in a slow psychological striptease that allows for constant surprises.  He is the Gypsy Rose Lee of writers….revealing only enough at any one time to keep us interested and wanting more. 

The dialogue is real.  It is not forced, stylized nor theatrical.  These are two conflicted people talking, learning about each other, showing their fault-lines and vulnerabilities.

The Dobama production, under the focused direction of Leighann Delorenzo, is compelling.  She has paced the show well.  In spite of the play being basically dialogue, with little physical action, there is no wavering of attention during the ninety-minute intermissionless production.

The two person cast is character-perfect.  Miranda Leann Scholl, a Baldwin Wallace psychology and theater student, physically fits the teenager roll.  She is Becky.  This is not a performance, this is a presentation of reality.  No acting here, just a series of reactions to ideas and the portrayal of a real person.  Scholl is impressive!

Christopher Bohan, a theatre professor at Case Western Reserve, is completely believable as the reclusive Sterling.  He quickly gives the impression of someone uncomfortable in his own skin, opening up the basis for his character development.  His performance is completely authentic, leaving little doubt that he is experiencing Sterling, not portraying him.

Scenic designer Laura Carlson Tarantowski has been placed in the position of creating two different performance areas in a small space.  She basically succeeds.  The jungle house is very effective, complete with the metal roof on which iguana’s romp, much to Becky’s angst.  The necessary realistic labyrinth, however, is not as successful.  The drawings of the path work well when they are on the theatre’s floor, but when they extend onto the deck of the house, the effect is somewhat lost due to overlapping of the spaces.

Marcus Dana’s lighting design sets just the right moods.  Jeremy Dobbins’ sound design, complete with parrot squawks and iguanas scurrying on the roof, are meaningful and realistic.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: SLOWGIRL is a well-written script that keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for what surprising revelation will reveal itself next.  Dobama’s production values enhance the text, resulting in a must-see evening of theatre.
SLOWGIRL runs through February 15, 2015 at Dobama Theatre.  Call 216-932-3396 or http://www.dobama.org for tickets.

Hey, Clevelanders…it’s almost Shaw Festival time!

-->

Yes, the snow is on the ground, the weather is miserable, but soon the cold winds will subside and Clevelanders will start their flow to the land of the maple leaves and cross the many bridges in their treks to the major theatre festivals of Canada.
 


The Shaw Festival is one of two major theatre celebrations, the other being The Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario.  Both are professional high quality venues.
 


The Shaw Festival is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries. 



Many Clevelanders take the four-hour drive up to The Shaw, as it is called by locals, to participate in theatre, tour the “most beautiful little city in Canada,” shop, and eat at the wonderful restaurants.  

It’s a good idea to make both theatre and lodging reservations early, especially for weekends.  

Our home away from home is the beautiful and well-placed Wellington House (http://www.wellington.house@sympatico.ca), directly across the street from The Festival Theatre, within easy walking distance of all the theatres and the home of Karen’s individually prepared breakfasts.  


 
For information on other B&Bs go to www.niagaraonthelake.com/showbedandbreakfasts




There are some wonderful restaurants.  My in-town favorites are The Grill on King Street (905-468-7222, 233 King Street) and Ginger (905-468-3871, 390 Mary Street).  Reservations are encouraged, even during the week.
 


This year’s theatre offerings include:
 


SWEET CHARITY (April 17-October 31)  Experience the world of 1960s New York through the eyes of a dance hall hostess who dreams of a brighter future but she can’t help giving her heart to all the wrong guys. The book is by Neil Simon, the score by, Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, includes “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now.”
 


PYGMALION (May 31-October 24)  G. B. Shaw’s tale of a London flower-seller and a linguistics professor’s unlikely pairing. Yes. MY FAIR LADY without the music. 
 


LIGHT UP THE SKY (June 25-October 11).  Moss Hart’s comic love story to and about Broadway.
 
THE LADY FROM THE SEA (April 30-September 13).  A new version of Henrik Ibsen’s tale of a claustrophobic, restless woman, who is haunted by her past.
 


TOP GIRLS (May 23-September 12).   Caryl Churchill’s drama about the role of women in society and what being a successful woman means.
 


THE TWELVE-POUND LOOK (June 11-September 12)  J. M. Barrie, the author of PETER PAN,  writes a one-act tale which has been called, “a feminist battle cry.”  Match this with Shaw’s PETER AND THE STARCATCHER and you have a  Barrie-experience.
 


PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (April 8-November 1).  This five time 2012 Tony Award winner, through music and story-telling, chronicles the adventures of an orphan soon to be known to the world as Peter Pan!
 


YOU NEVER CAN TELL (April 26-October 25).  One of Shaw’s most light-hearted plays, the tale is filled with family mishaps, romantic skirmishes and the battle of the sexes.
 


THE DIVINE:  A PLAY FOR SARAH BERNHARDT (July 5-October 11).   A world premiere production about the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt and her controversial performances in Quebec City at the turn of the 20^th century, when she was told she was not welcomed in the city by the Catholic Church!



THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL'S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES (July 11-October 10).  Tony Kushner's tale of an intervention which results in 21st century political and personal values being wrestled to the ground.



THE NEXT WHISKEY BAR:  A KURT WEILL CABARET (August 21, 22, 28, 29, September 4 and 5).  It's Germany, 1923.  Through the distinctive, raucous music    of composer Kurt Weill, we get to know some of the hopes, hurts and dreams of the lost souls of the Fatherland.  The score includes "Mack the Knife" and "September Song."


For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com. Ask about packages that include lodging, meals and tickets. Also be aware that the festival offers day-of-the-show rush tickets and senior matinee prices.



Go to the Shaw Festival!  Oh, don’t forget your passport as it’s the only form of identification that will be accepted for re-entry into the US.

Must see, thought provoking, entertaining, EINSTEIN, at Actors’ Summit

Brian Zoldessy, one of the area’s most awarded actors, seems to be making a career of bringing real people to life.  He was Ned Weeks, the AIDS activist in Ensemble’s THE NORMAL HEART, Sigmund Freud, the recognized father of Psychoanalysis in Actors’ Summit’s FREUD’S LAST SESSION, and now he’s reincarnating the renowned physicist, Albert Einstein.  He won both Cleveland Critics Circle and Times Tribute Theatre awards for the former two roles, and the odds are he’ll be receiving similar recognition for his most recent portrayal.

EINSTEIN, now on stage at Actors’ Summit, is a one-performer snapshot of the personal life and scientific revelations of the German Jewish scientist who changed the understanding of the world of science. 

We observe as Einstein tells the tale of his going from gymnasium (high school) drop-out to one of the most revered men on the planet.  We see him argue with peers, teachers, professors and other men of letters, as he rejects teaching methods which discourage creative thinking and stress rote learning.

This is the man who seems to be a typical absent minded professor, losing his pipe, glasses, letters and papers of importance, even forgetting where he lives, but, in reality, living in a world where he is overwhelmed with internal thoughts that get in the way of his traveling through life with organization and clarity.  He is a man who is less than an acceptable husband and father because his world is consumed with probing theoretical thoughts.  He is always in the office located in his mind.

We become aware that, at age 26, Einstein had a miracle year.  In a short period in he published 4 groundbreaking academic papers, established the building blocks of quantum theory, proved the existence of atoms,  conceived the theory of relativity, including the equation of the matter-energy conversion rate, E = mc2, often dubbed the world’s most famous equation.

He is the pioneer who explored new frontiers in science, opposed quantum mechanics and the Big Bang Theory, while becoming a fighter who brought refugees from Hitler’s Germany and was proposed as the President of Israel.
 
Potential audience members may fear seeing a play of deep scientific matters that will be boring and hard to understand.  Fear not!  Writer Willard Simms has overcome those issues by using “a conversation with the audience” format.  Einstein wanders the stage, talking to the audience, clarifying his ideas with stories, jokes, absent minded forgetfulness, and written and drawn examples.  He keeps the ideas on the shallow side, which may be frustrating to scientists, but works well for the rest of us. 

Praise for this production’s staging was heard from a large number of MENSA members, people who score in the 98th percentile or higher on standardized IQ tests, who attended the opening night performance as a group, as well as Kent State University advanced science students, and the “regular” members of the audience.

The script is light on some details of Einstein’s life, his theories, and motivations which developed his acceptance/rejection of God and organized religion, his skepticism, and the causes of family conflicts, but the general concepts are there.

Simms does help open the doors to understanding why Einstein was perceived as arrogant, his belief that only musical composers and scientists express the unknown and the power of the universe, his strong stand against injustice, acceptance of Zionism, and beliefs in morality.

The winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in the 1940s about Germany’s potential development of “extremely powerful bombs of a new type.”  His action helped develop  the Manhattan Project which gave birth to the atomic bomb.  In an about face, when he discovered that the Nazis could not develop a similar weapon, ironically because they had either killed or expelled their Jewish scientists, Einstein denounced the idea of using the newly discovered nuclear fission as a weapon in the now famous “Russell-Einstein Manifesto.”

Actors’ Summit’s production, is excellent.  A. Neil Thackaberry directs the show with precision and Brian Zoldessy is brilliant in his portrayal of Einstein.

On stage, alone for an hour-and-a- half, Zoldessy become the great scientist.  Rather than portraying Einstein, Zoldessy becomes the hair flying, unkempt genius.  He does not allow the audience’s attention to wander.  His is not a good performance, it’s a great performance.  Wow!  Standing “O!”

Capsule judgement:  EINSTEIN is a must see production that offers an opportunity to access the man and his myths.  It also allows for a showcasing of Brian Zoldessy becoming Einstein!

There are after-production discussions by science educators following some performances.  Check the theatre’s website for dates and panel members!

For tickets to EINSTEIN, which runs through February 1, 2015, call 330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org