[NEohioPAL]Three Great Reviews of UH, OH, HERE COMES CHRISTMAS at Actors' Summit

[Thackaberr at aol.com]

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=20
Get ready ... Here comes  Christmas
By David Ritchey =20
HUDSON =E2=80=94 Bah,  Humbug! If the blues plague you this time of year, yo=
u may be=20
on your way to  becoming a Scrooge. =20
Don=E2=80=99t worry, being  Scrooge isn=E2=80=99t the worst thing that can h=
appen to you. =20
Actors=E2=80=99 Summit  Theater provides the cure for those holiday-season b=
lues with=20
the production of  =E2=80=9CUh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas.=E2=80=9D The play=20=
is based on=20
books by Robert Fulghum and  was adapted to the stage by Ernest Zulia and Da=
vid=20
Caldwell. =20
The production is  comprised of vignettes or scenes grounded in Fulghum=E2=
=80=99s=20
essays. Some make the  audience laugh, while others may bring a tear to even=
=20
Scrooge=E2=80=99s eye. But,  whether you=E2=80=99re a Scrooge or one of thos=
e people who fills=20
the house with a dozen  or more decorated trees, you=E2=80=99ll find somethi=
ng of merit=20
in =E2=80=9CHere Comes  Christmas.=E2=80=9D=20
The play starts  with Scrooge telling the ghosts to leave him alone, as he=20
likes being a  curmudgeon. The second act opens with a Las Vegas version of=20=
the =E2=80=9C
Scrooge Show,=E2=80=9D  with dancing girls. =20
But, somewhere in  the middle of the play, we find scenes that remind us of=20
our place in the world  and our place on the family tree. A father takes his=
=20
son to ring the bell at the  Salvation Army kettle. The son asks, =E2=80=9CI=
f we have a=20
Salvation Army, do we have a  Salvation Navy, a Salvation Air Force? Who doe=
s=20
the Salvation Army  fight?=E2=80=9D=20
Later, a woman  meditates on bad gifts. =E2=80=9CIf it=E2=80=99s the thought=
 that counts,=20
does a bad gift (a  really bad gift) mean that the giver doesn=E2=80=99t thi=
nk much of=20
you?=E2=80=9D =20
A Christmas  wedding unites an Irish Catholic and a Jew. His side and her=20
side come to the  wedding prepared to do battle. But after his grandmother,=20=
a=20
third-rate opera  singer, sings =E2=80=9CAva Maria=E2=80=9D better than she=20=
has ever sung=20
anything and after his  grandfather, a rabbi, wraps the couple in a Hebrew b=
lessing,=20
both sides declare  that a good thing, a very good thing, was done in this=20
wedding. They realized  that what they had in common outweighed their=20
differences. =20
Another character  reflects on the word =E2=80=9Cponder=E2=80=9D as in the N=
ew Testament=20
story: =E2=80=9CMary kept all of  these things and pondered them in her hear=
t.=E2=80=9D The=20
character notes that if we  think it=E2=80=99s bad in our lives at Christmas=
 time, think=20
of teenage Mary, pondering  in the back stall of a stable. Her husband is=20
muttering about taxes. The  government leader wants to kill children. And, s=
trange=20
people =E2=80=94 shepherds,  kings, wise men and angels =E2=80=94 stop by wi=
th gifts for the=20
baby. =20
In another  section, the cast reflects on the idiosyncrasies of those folks=20
seated at the  Christmas feast. They know the meal is spectacular, and as th=
ey=20
talk about the  food and the recipes, Neil Thackaberry, as Nick, stands in=20
front of a  refrigerator and talks about the leftovers and about the best me=
als=20
he has ever  eaten. His character had eaten most of those meals alone. The=20
meals included  those items in the back, way back of the refrigerator =E2=
=80=94 those=20
things that have  started growing mold, have hardened into something that ne=
eds to=20
be sawed into  bite-size pieces or that are made with Spam and pineapple,=20
covered with  chocolate sauce. =20
=E2=80=9CHere Comes  Christmas=E2=80=9D is filled with gentle humor that=E2=
=80=99s perfect for the=20
whole family.  However, this is not just a funny script. The authors open th=
e=20
door for audience  members to go home and do some serious self-reflection. =20
Director Mary Jo  Alexander leads an excellent cast =E2=80=94 Bob Parenti, S=
ally=20
Groth, MaryJane Nottage,  Peter Voinovich and Thackaberry =E2=80=94 through=20=
this=20
meaningful production. Alexander  deserves a metal of bravery for directing=20=
her husband=20
and her soon-to-be  son-in-law in this show. =20
Actors=E2=80=99 Summit has  floundered for several years in attempts to find=
 the=20
right Christmas play. =E2=80=9CUh,  Oh, Here Comes Christmas=E2=80=9D may be=
 the right script for=20
this theater company. The  script is bright and intelligent. The wit grows=20
out of the human foibles that  pop to the top like a big fruitcake at this =20=
time=20
of year. The performances do not depend on physical humor or jokes forced =20
onto the lines. The script has a simplicity and directness that is charming=20=
and =20
winning. =20
The production runs  through Dec. 23. For ticket information, call the ticke=
t=20
office at (330)  342-0800. =20
`Uh, Oh' captures  spirit of season

Heartwarming stories  are nearly impeccable, but not opening song

Kerry  Clawson

Beacon  Journal

Despite  what the title sounds like, Uh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas does a=20
heartfelt  job of helping audiences capture the holiday spirit at Actors' Su=
mmit=20
in  Hudson.=20
In  this age of rampant commercial-ism, the play based on books by Robert=20
Fulghum is  an attempt to become grounded and enjoy the true spirit of the=20
holidays. Uh,  Oh is beautifully written and performed, often reaching poeti=
c=20
heights.  Actors' Summit's five-person cast, led by director MaryJo Alexande=
r,=20
creates a  wonderful energy and humor, also imparting a sense of magic and w=
onder=20
to the  season.=20
The  only thing marring this show is that the cast had serious problems=20
singing along  to a recorded accompaniment in the opening number. Sebastian=20=
Birch,=20
a professor  at Kent State University's Stark Campus, created the  recording=
.=20
The  cast needs an extra musical rehearsal in order to synchronize: Each=20
singer  seemed to be at a different tempo during the same song Saturday nigh=
t. The=20
 problem occurred to a lesser degree in other songs, too, including a Scroog=
e=20
 Vegas act with two female backup singers. Live musical accompaniment, likel=
y=20
not  employed due to budget limitations, would have worked much  better.=20
At  the other extreme, Sally Groth delivers a beautifully impassioned solo=20
about the  winter solstice later in the show.=20
The  words from the title, ``Uh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas,'' are referred to=
=20
in two  vignettes. In one, it's the title of a snazzy showbiz Vegas number=20
with Scrooge.  The second scene is about a couple simplifying their lives in=
=20
order to avoid  holiday crisis.=20
Here,  Bob Parenti's Phil imparts joy as he recounts a lesson he and his wif=
e=20
learned  from the American Indians of New Mexico: Dec. 15 through Jan. 15 is=
=20
``the time  of being still.''=20
Under  Alexander's direction, none of the 15 vignettes is cloyingly=20
sentimental. We are  reminded of the true spirit of Christmas through heartw=
arming=20
stories including  the pure joy of a child, disastrous church pageants, a ch=
ild's=20
gift of the  heart, and an unwanted doggy addition to the family.=20
For  this piece, writer Fulghum has achieved the insight of someone who has=20
led an  amazingly varied life. He has worked as a singing cowboy, pursued a=20
short career  with IBM and served as a minister. He's also an accomplished v=
isual=20
artist,  sings, plays guitar and mandocello, and founded a rock 'n' roll=20
band. Fulghum  has published seven best-selling books, including All I Reall=
y Need=20
to Know I  Learned in Kindergarten.=20
In  Uh, Oh, several pieces are standouts for their emotion, heart and warmth=
.=20
 Peter Voinovich's character yearns to briefly be a 5-year-old again, to=20
laugh  and cry a lot, and to be ``terribly vulnerable -- to  joy.''=20
Another  Christmas wedding scene begins as a culture clash but ends in love=20
and harmony.  And a church service featuring a juggler has both magic and =20
faith.=20
The  most humorous vignettes include a power struggle over a Christmas pooch=
,=20
where  both Neil Thackaberry and Groth excel. Thackaberry also is especially=
=20
funny in a  scene about the refrigerator -- the most important item in the=20
house for the  holidays. Here, descriptions of delicious holiday delicacies=20
contrast with crazy  combinations of leftovers that Thackaberry's character=20=
creates=20
for a solitary,  middle-of-the-night feast.=20
As  part of that contrasting scene, Mary Jane Nottage has a mischievous=20
sparkle in  her eye during a moment of family confessionals.=20
Uh,  Oh  tries to offer a little something for everyone, including segments=20
about the  winter solstice as well as a couple of religiously based  vignett=
es.=20
When  the audience sang along with the cast in the show's final Silent Night=
,=20
 it was a reverently beautiful moment. After the actors blew out their=20
candles,  we would have liked to bask in that darkness for a moment, before=20=
the=20
lights  came up for the curtain call.=20
Theater critic Kerry  Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail at=
=20
_kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com_ (mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com) . =20
'Uh, Oh,' it's too  much of a good thing=20
Tuesday, December 06,  2005  =20
Linda  Eisenstein=20
Special to The Plain  Dealer  =20
If you're a  fan of inspirational literature, the name Robert Fulghum needs=20
no introduction.  With a gentle sense of humor and an optimistic, homespun=20
philosophy, the former  Unitarian minister's collections of light essays hav=
e=20
landed on best-seller  lists since the 1990 debut of his popular "All I Real=
ly=20
Need to Know I Learned  in Kindergarten." =20
Fulghum's  books have also had several stage adaptations, and a=20
holiday-themed show - "Uh,  Oh, Here Comes Christmas" - is currently running=
 at Actors'=20
Summit in Hudson.  Adaptors Ernest Zulia and David Caldwell have done little=
 to=20
dramatize Fulghum's  stories. Rather, they're essentially performed versions=
 of=20
the essays  themselves, with five actors reciting Fulghum's first-person=20
anecdotes.  =20
The effect is  rather like hearing 15 nostalgic, uplifting holiday sermons b=
y=20
your favorite  pastor, back-to-back. No matter how winning, heartwarming or=20
well-written some  of the anecdotes are, or how well-performed, eventually=20
there's a cloying effect  - like eating a full-course meal of nothing but su=
gary=20
sweets.  =20
The Actors'  Summit cast and director MaryJo Alexander do their best to=20
animate the material.  You can lift a cup of holiday wassail to co-artistic=20
director A. Neil  Thackaberry, the genial presiding spirit who inhabits Fulg=
hum's=20
reminiscences as  comfortably as a well-worn holiday sweater. He's an ideal=20
interpreter, bringing  a mixture of warmth, tartness and rueful recognition=20=
to his=20
portrayals of  exasperated husbands, absent-minded fathers and midnight =20
refrigerator raiders. =20
Peter  Voinovich turns in some lovely work as well, with a monologue about=20
wishing he  were a boy again. Bob Parenti shows some gruff crust in two of t=
he=20
more  dramatized segments, as a rabbi grandfather in a story about a marriag=
e=20
between  a Catholic and a Jew, and as the narrator of a Christmas pageant go=
ne=20
badly  awry, thanks to a live donkey. =20
The women's  material isn't up to the men's, although Mary Jane Nottage has=20
fun with a  running gag about a burgeoning poinsettia that won't die, and=20
fresh-faced Sally  Groth is delightful as a wife who wants a dog for Christm=
as.  =20
The three  songs by David Caldwell stick out like sore thumbs. The two mildl=
y=20
satiric group  numbers that open each act are raggedy and off-kilter, at odd=
s=20
with the rest of  the sentimental material. And poor Groth is saddled with a=
=20
real clunker, an  incongruous second act aria to the winter solstice. =20
Between the  homey set of Christmas trees and fake fireplace, carolers at=20
intermission, and a  singalong "Silent Night" at the end, this show is for t=
hose=20
who want their  Christmas entertainment full of nothing but nostalgia and=20
stories with  moralizing happy endings. =20
At more than  two hours, that's an awful lot of sugarplums. =20
Eisenstein is  a playwright in Cleveland. =20
To reach  Linda Eisenstein: =20
entertainment at plaind.com =20


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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns:o =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:u2 xmlns:s=
t1 =3D   "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD><META http-equiv=
=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8"></HEAD>
<BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
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<DIV>
<H2 style=3D"MARGIN: auto 0in"><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: H=
elvetica">Get ready ... Here comes=20
Christmas<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H2>
<P><FONT size=3D3><SPAN class=3Dtext41><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-F=
AMILY: Helvetica">By David Ritchey=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></=
o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">HUDSON =E2=80=94 Bah,=20
Humbug! If the blues plague you this time of year, you may be on your way to=
=20
becoming a Scrooge. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: b=
lack; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Don=E2=80=99t worry, being=20
Scrooge isn=E2=80=99t the worst thing that can happen to you. </SPAN></SPAN>=
<SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p=
></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Actors=E2=80=99 Summit=20
Theater provides the cure for those holiday-season blues with the production=
 of=20
=E2=80=9CUh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas.=E2=80=9D The play is based on books b=
y Robert Fulghum and=20
was adapted to the stage by Ernest Zulia and David Caldwell. </SPAN></SPAN><=
SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p>=
</o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">The production is=20
comprised of vignettes or scenes grounded in Fulghum=E2=80=99s essays. Some=20=
make the=20
audience laugh, while others may bring a tear to even Scrooge=E2=80=99s eye.=
 But,=20
whether you=E2=80=99re a Scrooge or one of those people who fills the house=20=
with a dozen=20
or more decorated trees, you=E2=80=99ll find something of merit in =E2=80=
=9CHere Comes=20
Christmas.=E2=80=9D</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: bl=
ack; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">The play starts=20
with Scrooge telling the ghosts to leave him alone, as he likes being a=20
curmudgeon. The second act opens with a Las Vegas version of the =E2=80=9CSc=
rooge Show,=E2=80=9D=20
with dancing girls. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: b=
lack; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">But, somewhere in=20
the middle of the play, we find scenes that remind us of our place in the wo=
rld=20
and our place on the family tree. A father takes his son to ring the bell at=
 the=20
Salvation Army kettle. The son asks, =E2=80=9CIf we have a Salvation Army, d=
o we have a=20
Salvation Navy, a Salvation Air Force? Who does the Salvation Army=20
fight?=E2=80=9D</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black;=
 FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Later, a woman=20
meditates on bad gifts. =E2=80=9CIf it=E2=80=99s the thought that counts, do=
es a bad gift (a=20
really bad gift) mean that the giver doesn=E2=80=99t think much of you?=E2=
=80=9D=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: H=
elvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">A Christmas=20
wedding unites an Irish Catholic and a Jew. His side and her side come to th=
e=20
wedding prepared to do battle. But after his grandmother, a third-rate opera=
=20
singer, sings =E2=80=9CAva Maria=E2=80=9D better than she has ever sung anyt=
hing and after his=20
grandfather, a rabbi, wraps the couple in a Hebrew blessing, both sides decl=
are=20
that a good thing, a very good thing, was done in this wedding. They realize=
d=20
that what they had in common outweighed their differences. </SPAN></SPAN><SP=
AN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></=
o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Another character=20
reflects on the word =E2=80=9Cponder=E2=80=9D as in the New Testament story:=
 =E2=80=9CMary kept all of=20
these things and pondered them in her heart.=E2=80=9D The character notes th=
at if we=20
think it=E2=80=99s bad in our lives at Christmas time, think of teenage Mary=
, pondering=20
in the back stall of a stable. Her husband is muttering about taxes. The=20
government leader wants to kill children. And, strange people =E2=80=94 shep=
herds,=20
kings, wise men and angels =E2=80=94 stop by with gifts for the baby.=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: H=
elvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">In another=20
section, the cast reflects on the idiosyncrasies of those folks seated at th=
e=20
Christmas feast. They know the meal is spectacular, and as they talk about t=
he=20
food and the recipes, Neil Thackaberry, as Nick, stands in front of a=20
refrigerator and talks about the leftovers and about the best meals he has e=
ver=20
eaten. His character had eaten most of those meals alone. The meals included=
=20
those items in the back, way back of the refrigerator =E2=80=94 those things=
 that have=20
started growing mold, have hardened into something that needs to be sawed in=
to=20
bite-size pieces or that are made with Spam and pineapple, covered with=20
chocolate sauce. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blac=
k; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">=E2=80=9CHere Comes=20
Christmas=E2=80=9D is filled with gentle humor that=E2=80=99s perfect for th=
e whole family.=20
However, this is not just a funny script. The authors open the door for audi=
ence=20
members to go home and do some serious self-reflection. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN=20=
  style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p=
></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Director Mary Jo=20
Alexander leads an excellent cast =E2=80=94 Bob Parenti, Sally Groth, MaryJa=
ne Nottage,=20
Peter Voinovich and Thackaberry =E2=80=94 through this meaningful production=
. Alexander=20
deserves a metal of bravery for directing her husband and her soon-to-be=20
son-in-law in this show. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COL=
OR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Helvetica">Actors=E2=80=99 Summit has=20
floundered for several years in attempts to find the right Christmas play.=20=
=E2=80=9CUh,=20
Oh, Here Comes Christmas=E2=80=9D may be the right script for this theater c=
ompany. The=20
script is bright and intelligent. The wit grows out of the human foibles tha=
t=20
pop to the top like a big</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"=
COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica"><FONT size=3D3>=20
</FONT></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; C=
OLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">fruitcake at this=20
time of year. The performances do not depend on physical humor or jokes forc=
ed=20
onto the lines. The script has a simplicity and directness that is charming=20=
and=20
winning. </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica=
"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-=
FAMILY: Arial">The production runs=20
through Dec. 23. For ticket information, call the ticket office at (330)=20
342-0800.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class=3Dtext1><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt;=
 COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica">=20
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: A=
rial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">&nbsp=
;<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<H1 style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 3pt"><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; COLOR:=
 black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">`Uh, Oh' captures=20
spirit of season<o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZ=
E: 13.5pt; COLOR: black"><IMG SRC=3D"cid:X.MA1.1134146858 at aol.com"  height=
=3D5 width=3D1   v:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1025" DATASIZE=3D"73" ID=3D"MA1.1134146=
858"   u1:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1025"><BR></SPAN><SPAN class=3Ddeck1><B><SPAN  =20=
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: #666666; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Heartwarming st=
ories=20
are nearly impeccable, but not opening song</SPAN></B></SPAN><BR><IMG SRC=
=3D"cid:X.MA2.1134146858 at aol.com"  height=3D10   width=3D1 v:shapes=3D"_x000=
0_i1026" DATASIZE=3D"73" ID=3D"MA2.1134146858"   u1:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1026">=
<BR><SPAN class=3Dbyline1><B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #666666=
; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kerry=20
Clawson</SPAN></B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: black"><BR></SPAN><IMG SRC=
=3D"cid:X.MA3.1134146858 at aol.com"  height=3D1   width=3D1 v:shapes=3D"_x0000=
_i1027" DATASIZE=3D"73" ID=3D"MA3.1134146858"   u1:shapes=3D"_x0000_i1027"><=
BR><SPAN class=3Dcreditline1><B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #666=
666; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Beacon=20
Journal</SPAN></B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: black"><BR   style=3D"mso-spe=
cial-character: line-break"><BR   style=3D"mso-special-character: line-break=
"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZ=
E: 10pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Despite=20
what the title sounds like, <I>Uh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas</I> does a heart=
felt=20
job of helping audiences capture the holiday spirit at Actors' Summit in=20
Hudson.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">In=20
this age of rampant commercial-ism, the play based on books by Robert Fulghu=
m is=20
an attempt to become grounded and enjoy the true spirit of the holidays. <I>=
Uh,=20
Oh</I> is beautifully written and performed, often reaching poetic heights.=20
Actors' Summit's five-person cast, led by director MaryJo Alexander, creates=
 a=20
wonderful energy and humor, also imparting a sense of magic and wonder to th=
e=20
season.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">The=20
only thing marring this show is that the cast had serious problems singing a=
long=20
to a recorded accompaniment in the opening number. Sebastian Birch, a profes=
sor=20
at Kent State University's Stark Campus, created the=20
recording.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">The=20
cast needs an extra musical rehearsal in order to synchronize: Each singer=20
seemed to be at a different tempo during the same song Saturday night. The=20
problem occurred to a lesser degree in other songs, too, including a Scrooge=
=20
Vegas act with two female backup singers. Live musical accompaniment, likely=
 not=20
employed due to budget limitations, would have worked much=20
better.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">At=20
the other extreme, Sally Groth delivers a beautifully impassioned solo about=
 the=20
winter solstice later in the show.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">The=20
words from the title, ``Uh, Oh, Here Comes Christmas,'' are referred to in t=
wo=20
vignettes. In one, it's the title of a snazzy showbiz Vegas number with Scro=
oge.=20
The second scene is about a couple simplifying their lives in order to avoid=
=20
holiday crisis.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">Here,=20
Bob Parenti's Phil imparts joy as he recounts a lesson he and his wife learn=
ed=20
from the American Indians of New Mexico: Dec. 15 through Jan. 15 is ``the ti=
me=20
of being still.''<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">Under=20
Alexander's direction, none of the 15 vignettes is cloyingly sentimental. We=
 are=20
reminded of the true spirit of Christmas through heartwarming stories includ=
ing=20
the pure joy of a child, disastrous church pageants, a child's gift of the=20
heart, and an unwanted doggy addition to the family.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">For=20
this piece, writer Fulghum has achieved the insight of someone who has led a=
n=20
amazingly varied life. He has worked as a singing cowboy, pursued a short ca=
reer=20
with IBM and served as a minister. He's also an accomplished visual artist,=20
sings, plays guitar and mandocello, and founded a rock 'n' roll band. Fulghu=
m=20
has published seven best-selling books, including <I>All I Really Need to Kn=
ow I=20
Learned in Kindergarten</I>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">In=20
<I>Uh, Oh,</I> several pieces are standouts for their emotion, heart and war=
mth.=20
Peter Voinovich's character yearns to briefly be a 5-year-old again, to laug=
h=20
and cry a lot, and to be ``terribly vulnerable -- to=20
joy.''<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">Another=20
Christmas wedding scene begins as a culture clash but ends in love and harmo=
ny.=20
And a church service featuring a juggler has both magic and=20
faith.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">The=20
most humorous vignettes include a power struggle over a Christmas pooch, whe=
re=20
both Neil Thackaberry and Groth excel. Thackaberry also is especially funny=20=
in a=20
scene about the refrigerator -- the most important item in the house for the=
=20
holidays. Here, descriptions of delicious holiday delicacies contrast with c=
razy=20
combinations of leftovers that Thackaberry's character creates for a solitar=
y,=20
middle-of-the-night feast.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">As=20
part of that contrasting scene, Mary Jane Nottage has a mischievous sparkle=20=
in=20
her eye during a moment of family confessionals.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><I><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT=
-FAMILY: Arial">Uh,=20
Oh</SPAN></I><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: blac=
k; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=20
tries to offer a little something for everyone, including segments about the=
=20
winter solstice as well as a couple of religiously based=20
vignettes.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 9pt; BACKGROUND: white; COLOR: black; FONT-FA=
MILY: Arial">When=20
the audience sang along with the cast in the show's final <I>Silent Night</I=
>,=20
it was a reverently beautiful moment. After the actors blew out their candle=
s,=20
we would have liked to bask in that darkness for a moment, before the lights=
=20
came up for the curtain call.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><EM><SPAN   style=3D"FONT=
-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Theater critic Kerry=20
Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or by e-mail at </SPAN></EM><SPAN   s=
tyle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A   href=3D"mailt=
o:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com"><EM><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: #0027b4; FONT-F=
AMILY: Arial">kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com</SPAN></EM></A><EM><SPAN   style=
=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">.</SPAN></EM></SPAN><EM><FONT size=3D3><FONT   face=
=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: black">=20
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></EM></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT   fa=
ce=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN   style=3D"COLOR: black"> </SPAN><o:p></o:=
p></FONT></FONT></P>
<H1 style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #=
d20000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'Uh, Oh,' it's too=20
much of a good thing <o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><u2:date Month=3D"12" Day=
=3D"6"   Year=3D"2005"><st1:date Month=3D"12" Day=3D"6" Year=3D"2005"><SPAN=20=
  style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tuesday, Dece=
mber 06,=20
2005</SPAN></u2:date></st1:date><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt; COLOR: bl=
ack; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-=
SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P=
>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-=
SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Linda=20
Eisenstein<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-=
SIZE: 6.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Special to The Plain=20
Dealer</SPAN></B><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMIL=
Y: Arial">=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">If you'=
re a=20
fan of inspirational literature, the name Robert Fulghum needs no introducti=
on.=20
With a gentle sense of humor and an optimistic, homespun philosophy, the for=
mer=20
Unitarian minister's collections of light essays have landed on best-seller=20
lists since the 1990 debut of his popular "All I Really Need to Know I Learn=
ed=20
in Kindergarten." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Fulghum=
's=20
books have also had several stage adaptations, and a holiday-themed show - "=
Uh,=20
Oh, Here Comes Christmas" - is currently running at Actors' Summit in Hudson=
.=20
Adaptors Ernest Zulia and David Caldwell have done little to dramatize Fulgh=
um's=20
stories. Rather, they're essentially performed versions of the essays=20
themselves, with five actors reciting Fulghum's first-person anecdotes.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The eff=
ect is=20
rather like hearing 15 nostalgic, uplifting holiday sermons by your favorite=
=20
pastor, back-to-back. No matter how winning, heartwarming or well-written so=
me=20
of the anecdotes are, or how well-performed, eventually there's a cloying ef=
fect=20
- like eating a full-course meal of nothing but sugary sweets.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Act=
ors'=20
Summit cast and director MaryJo Alexander do their best to animate the mater=
ial.=20
You can lift a cup of holiday wassail to co-artistic director A. Neil=20
Thackaberry, the genial presiding spirit who inhabits Fulghum's reminiscence=
s as=20
comfortably as a well-worn holiday sweater. He's an ideal interpreter, bring=
ing=20
a mixture of warmth, tartness and rueful recognition to his portrayals of=20
exasperated husbands, absent-minded fathers and </SPAN><st1:time Hour=3D"0"=20=
  Minute=3D"0"><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial"><u2:time Hour=3D"0"   Minute=3D"0">midnight</SPAN></st1:time><SPAN  =20=
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></u2:time>=20
refrigerator raiders. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peter=20
Voinovich turns in some lovely work as well, with a monologue about wishing=20=
he=20
were a boy again. Bob Parenti shows some gruff crust in two of the more=20
dramatized segments, as a rabbi grandfather in a story about a marriage betw=
een=20
a Catholic and a Jew, and as the narrator of a Christmas pageant gone badly=20
awry, thanks to a live donkey. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The wom=
en's=20
material isn't up to the men's, although Mary Jane Nottage has fun with a=20
running gag about a burgeoning poinsettia that won't die, and fresh-faced Sa=
lly=20
Groth is delightful as a wife who wants a dog for Christmas.=20
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The thr=
ee=20
songs by David Caldwell stick out like sore thumbs. The two mildly satiric g=
roup=20
numbers that open each act are raggedy and off-kilter, at odds with the rest=
 of=20
the sentimental material. And poor Groth is saddled with a real clunker, an=20
incongruous second act aria to the winter solstice. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Between=
 the=20
homey set of Christmas trees and fake fireplace, carolers at intermission, a=
nd a=20
singalong "Silent Night" at the end, this show is for those who want their=20
Christmas entertainment full of nothing but nostalgia and stories with=20
moralizing happy endings. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">At more=
 than=20
two hours, that's an awful lot of sugarplums. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Eisenst=
ein is=20
a playwright in Cleveland. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To reac=
h=20
Linda Eisenstein: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">enter=
tainment at plaind.com</SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: black; FON=
T-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">&nbsp=
;</SPAN><SPAN   style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Helveti=
ca"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times=20=
New Roman"   size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></P></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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