The nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards were announced this morning. Local-boy-done-very-very-good George Clooney, as expected, is up for this year's Actor in a Leading Role trophy for his work in The Descendants, while The Ides of March scored Clooney another nod for best Adapted Screenplay (the only nomination for the largely-locally-filmed flick). Below is the full list of noms. So — who's winning an Oscar this year?

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There are lots of good choices for theatergoing this weekend. Enjoy these newly opened productions and your last chance to see an excellent production at the Playhouse.

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That headline might sound like a new TV sitcom, but it’s actually a rundown of three shows you might consider seeing this weekend. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Henry VIII: All Is True, the Cincinnati Playhouse’s Always, Patsy Cline and a presentation at Know Theatre of a one-man hit show from the 2011 Cincinnati Fringe, Miss Magnolia Beaumont Goes to Provincetown.

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Brian Harmon, an artist and educator from Taylor Mill, Ky., delights eyes with his photographic and installation artwork. Harmon uses his artwork as a means to communicate themes such as memory, memory loss and archiving. He took time out of his schedule to speak with ArtSeen about his artwork and his artistic methods.

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While most local theaters are cranking up rehearsals for shows to open later this month, the Cincinnati Playhouse's production of Always, Patsy Cline is still going strong. (It runs until Jan. 22.) That means this weekend is a good time to catch this recreation of the iconic Country singer.

Her story is told from the point of view of Louise, a devoted fan (played with comic zest by Kathleen M. Brady), a good old gal from Texas who first saw Cline singing on television and then coaxed some friends to go to her appearance in a Houston club. They met, became friends and pen pals. As Louise recounts the path of their friendship, Carter Calvert sings more than two dozen of Cline's greatest hits — "Anytime," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "San Antonio Rose" and of course, "Crazy." Calvert, a graduate of Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts, remarkably reproduces Cline's vocal stylings. You'll feel as if you've gone back in time and heard the real McCoy.

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I'm not the only one reporting on the advent of — and consternation surrounding — the phenomenon of tweeting (that is, sending 140-character e-messages) during performing arts events including theater. A CityBeat reader said "Amen and amen" to my Dec. 28 Curtain Call column in which I expressed concern that this would both distract other theatergoers and diminish the experience for anyone who's dividing their attention between action onstage and sending messages via his or her smart phone.

Here's another report, this one from today's issue of The Boston Globe. This feature suggests that some theaters might select a few "tweeters" with some theatrical knowledge to send messages during a show. That's an interesting wrinkle, creating 21st-century critics on a narrow scale.

I'd be grateful to hear more opinions on this topic.

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This is the final weekend for performances by New Edgeclif Theatre of an unusual double-bill. Part one is a delightful one-man performance by local actor Joshua Steele of David Sedaris's The Santaland Diaries, an account of working as a Christmas elf — named "Crumpet" — at Macy's in New York City. Steele was great in this a year ago, and he's even better this time around.

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If you’re thinking of submitting a production for the 2012 Cincy Fringe Festival, now is the time to solidify your thoughts and get your application in to Know Theatre, the Fringe’s organizer. Friday Dec. 16 is the absolutely final day to do so. Follow this link for details, but don’t dally — this is a firm deadline.

The Fringe typically offers about 35 productions during its two-week run, May 30-June 9, 2012, this year. The Fringe is a juried festival that employs a selection committee composed of local artistic directors, actors, writers and producers to select which acts will be included. They study the sample material submitted with applications, then make recommendations based on several key factors: 

• Will this work be unique to our region?
• Can the proposed project be produced within the Fringe structure?
• How does the proposed project fulfill the goal of the Fringe to present diversity, creativity, innovation, inspiration, and passion? 
• How will a specific production benefit by being included in the Fringe?

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Among the eight winners announced for the 2012 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio are several Cincinnatians. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Producing Artistic Director Ed Stern, who retires at the end of the current theater season, and Executive Director Buzz Ward have been named the recipient of the year’s recognition in the field of Arts Administration. Louise D. Nippert will be honored in the category of Arts Patron.

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