Columbus’
Wexner Center for the Arts makes a bold statement in its current
retrospective of David Smith’s work: He’s the greatest American sculptor
of the 20th century. If Smith, who died in an auto accident in
1965 at age 59, is ahead of Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi or Richard
Serra, I’m not sure the general public knows it.
Sense & Sensibility (Review)
Reason and romance are the foundation of Cincy Shakes production
0 Comments · Monday, February 20, 2012
The popularity of Jane Austen continues unabated. A sparkling adaptation of Pride & Prejudice
was an audience favorite a year ago for Cincinnati Shakespeare, and
another Jon Jory adaptation of the 19th-century author’s stylish novels
of romance and domestic intrigue, Sense & Sensibility, is likely to repeat that box-office bonanza.
Reassessing a Master
Landscapes of Reflection offers Monet on an intimate scale
4 Comments · Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection
at the Cincinnati Art Museum is a stunning collection of 12 works —
many painted after 1910 — that offers something for art lovers of all
stripes. Your granny will be happy to gaze at utterly inoffensive
subject matter, while aficionados can sink their teeth into the artist’s
assertive paint handling.
 amy warner, henny russell, bruce cromer (seated), r. ward duffy - photo sandy underwood.t2.jpg)
Speaking in Tongues (Review)
Cincinnati Playhouse production challenges viewers with complex narrative
0 Comments · Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Speaking in Tongues is a fascinating piece of theater. But it takes work to watch, follow
and absorb. Casual theatergoers might be put off,
but those who like challenging drama and multi-layered acting will leave the
theater with their gears still spinning.
Jim Williams’ Landscapes Suggest a State in Flux
0 Comments · Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Printmaker Jim Williams sets himself
strict limitations of size and color range but proceeds to produce a
diverse, intellectually stimulating group of mono-prints for his current
Clay Street Press exhibition. His artist’s statement describes the new
work in Hybrid Structures as his “search for a visual equivalent
to the daily dynamic interplay that occurs between the man-made and the
natural environment.”
Connections and Disruptions
0 Comments · Tuesday, February 14, 2012
When I read Andrew Bovell’s play Speaking in Tongues,
the current Shelterhouse production at the Cincinnati Playhouse
(through March 4), I have to admit I was mystified as to what it would
become on the stage.
Daydream Nation
0 Comments · Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Dan Chaon grew up in rural Nebraska. Lonely and bored, he took refuge in his uncommonly active imagination. “It was one of those small elevator towns
where there were like 15 people who lived there, and I was the only kid
even close to my age,” Chaon says by phone from his current home in
Cleveland.
Saving a Modernist Cincinnati Kitchen
0 Comments · Wednesday, February 8, 2012
When Chuck Lohre and Janet Groeber
learned the innovative kitchen at Hyde Park’s landmark 1960 Corbett
House was being replaced by new owners, they shifted into action to save
it. They offered to take it and the owners agreed. They acquired the kitchen in 2010. Now,
no longer wanting to store the disassembled kitchen, they are trying to
find a new home for it.
Cincinnati Ballet Production Makes High Art More Human
0 Comments · Wednesday, February 8, 2012
At heart, Carmen is a sensual
story of passion. Putting a daring new spin on one of the best-known and
beloved stories of opera repertoire sounds like a tall order. But internationally renowned
choreographer Amedeo Amodio is perfectly suited to create a
contemporary-infused dance version.
Carmen (Preview)
Cincinnati Ballet interpretation of classic adds fiery enthusiasm
0 Comments · Wednesday, February 8, 2012
At heart, Carmen is a sensual
story of passion. Putting a daring new spin on one of the best-known and
beloved stories of opera repertoire sounds like a tall order. But internationally renowned
choreographer Amedeo Amodio is perfectly suited to create a
contemporary-infused dance version. Expect fiery dancing filled with
feeling and meaning.
Experimental Investigations
The Love Boat (abandoned) and Out of the Gray demonstrate quirky interest in the artist’s craft
0 Comments · Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center’s latest exhibition is the work of Travis Townsend in The Love Boat (abandoned), which is presented in conjunction with Out of the Gray, a group showing of works made using graphite.
 stephen barker turner as jack - photo sandy underwood.t2.jpg)
Dead Accounts (Review)
Playhouse world premiere takes a loving look at hometown life
0 Comments · Monday, February 6, 2012
Playwright Theresa Rebeck knows Cincinnati (she grew up here), so her world premiere play takes dead aim by putting a very recognizable image our town onstage. You will know these people — your neighbors and people you grew up with if you’re from Cincinnati.
Collapse (Review)
Know Theatre production has heart and humor
1 Comment · Monday, February 6, 2012
Allison Moore’s new play is quite literally
a play for our anxious times. Its four characters are each driven by some form
of anxiety unlikely in previous generations. Moore has tapped into the contemporary
zeitgeist to write a story that, while full of zany, improbably humor,
nevertheless hits a sensitive nerve that you’re likely to recognize and perhaps
feel.
The Beauty and The Sorrow by Peter Englund
0 Comments · Tuesday, January 31, 2012
In his compelling new history, The Beauty and The Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War,
historian Peter Englund has chosen firsthand accounts from 20 very
different and disparate individuals who either fought in the war or were
touched in some fashion by “The Great War,” as it has been called.
The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell
0 Comments · Tuesday, January 31, 2012
He calls his own prose “country noir” and
writes about a very unique kind of American: people living their lives
with nothing left to lose and operating on a level that many have
described as “desperate.” Now, with the publication of 12 devastatingly
gritty and somewhat surreal short stories in The Outlaw Album, 57-year-old Daniel Woodrell is finally getting the attention and respect that he deserves.
