[NEohioPAL]High culture critic expands role to theater @ ABJ

[Brooke Willis]

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High culture critic expands role to theater
Guregian will write previews, news, reviews

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/performing_arts/15570940.htm

As the fall season begins, I'll be transitioning into an expanded role 
at the Beacon Journal. I'll be adding theater to the beat of classical 
music and dance that I've covered for 16 years. Kerry Clawson, the 
Beacon's current theater critic, will be moving to cover retail 
business and shopping. As the arts and culture critic, I'll write 
previews, news, reviews and other stories about classical music, dance 
and theater. Dorothy Shinn, our longtime visual art critic, will 
continue providing reviews.

I lived in Chicago, a great theater town, for a number of years before 
moving to Akron. While I was there, I took advantage of the chance to 
see productions at Steppenwolf Theatre and the Goodman Theatre. One of 
my best theater memories from Chicago is of seeing Wisdom Bridge 
Theater (now defunct) perform David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, with a cast 
including William Peterson. The performance venue was one of the 
smallest spaces I've ever had the pleasure of sharing with people other 
than my immediate family, and it was thrilling.

Monday night, I was excited to get that adventurous feeling back when I 
visited The Bang and the Clatter at Summit Artspace just to take a peek 
before I start officially. You know it's a start-up operation when the 
director (that night, co-founder Sean Derry) is also out front, 
collecting money for tickets. I knew I was onto something fun when 
Derry came onstage before the show, offering free beer and popping the 
bottles open for patrons. (It was Blackout Monday, a performance the 
company does especially for theater people who can't get to shows on 
the other nights.)

And after I laughed myself silly from the actors' rampaging humor in 
Mamet's Romance, I knew I would want to return as soon as possible.

The price was cheap ($7 on Blackout Monday; $15 regular nights), 
quality was high, and the atmosphere was laid-back. I'm excited that we 
have this company so available downtown, and I'm looking forward to 
covering a variety of theater stories, along with classical music and 
dance topics, in my new role.

I'll be talking soon with many of you in the theater community, but in 
the meantime, go ahead and e-mail me press releases or story ideas at 
the address at the end of this column.

If you'd like your performances printed in our free weekly listing in 
Enjoy magazine, send complete information -- time, date, name of the 
group and the production, location with street address, ticket prices 
and phone number for information -- c/o Enjoy Calendar, Akron Beacon 
Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44328. The e-mail address for 
calendar listings islistings at thebeaconjournal.com.

Keep in touch.

Elaine Guregian can be reached at 330-996-3574 or 
eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com

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<bold>High culture critic expands role to theater

</bold>Guregian will write previews, news, reviews


http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/performing_arts/15570940.htm 


As the fall season begins, I'll be transitioning into an expanded role
at the Beacon Journal. I'll be adding theater to the beat of classical
music and dance that I've covered for 16 years. Kerry Clawson, the
Beacon's current theater critic, will be moving to cover retail
business and shopping. As the arts and culture critic, I'll write
previews, news, reviews and other stories about classical music, dance
and theater. Dorothy Shinn, our longtime visual art critic, will
continue providing reviews.


I lived in Chicago, a great theater town, for a number of years before
moving to Akron. While I was there, I took advantage of the chance to
see productions at Steppenwolf Theatre and the Goodman Theatre. One of
my best theater memories from Chicago is of seeing Wisdom Bridge
Theater (now defunct) perform David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, with a
cast including William Peterson. The performance venue was one of the
smallest spaces I've ever had the pleasure of sharing with people
other than my immediate family, and it was thrilling.


Monday night, I was excited to get that adventurous feeling back when
I visited The Bang and the Clatter at Summit Artspace just to take a
peek before I start officially. You know it's a start-up operation
when the director (that night, co-founder Sean Derry) is also out
front, collecting money for tickets. I knew I was onto something fun
when Derry came onstage before the show, offering free beer and
popping the bottles open for patrons. (It was Blackout Monday, a
performance the company does especially for theater people who can't
get to shows on the other nights.)


And after I laughed myself silly from the actors' rampaging humor in
Mamet's Romance, I knew I would want to return as soon as possible.


The price was cheap ($7 on Blackout Monday; $15 regular nights),
quality was high, and the atmosphere was laid-back. I'm excited that
we have this company so available downtown, and I'm looking forward to
covering a variety of theater stories, along with classical music and
dance topics, in my new role.


I'll be talking soon with many of you in the theater community, but in
the meantime, go ahead and e-mail me press releases or story ideas at
the address at the end of this column.


If you'd like your performances printed in our free weekly listing in
Enjoy magazine, send complete information -- time, date, name of the
group and the production, location with street address, ticket prices
and phone number for information -- c/o Enjoy Calendar, Akron Beacon
Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44328. The e-mail address for
calendar listings islistings at thebeaconjournal.com.


Keep in touch.


Elaine Guregian can be reached at 330-996-3574 or
eguregian at thebeaconjournal.com 


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