|
Attic Theatre Hires New Executive Director
by Bob
Lowe
April 30, 2004
C. J. Washington, 45, from the Columbia Theatre for the Performing
Arts in Longview, Washington, has been appointed the new executive
director of Attic Theatre in Appleton. She begins on June
1. Washington succeeds Sue Dorsch, who resigned in January
to accept another position in the Minneapolis area. Dorsch
had been with Attic since 1994.
Washington
has a master’s degree in theater management/arts administration
from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a bachelor’s
degree in mass communications from Texas Woman’s University
in Denton. She also holds an associate of arts degree in performing
arts from Fort Smith (Ark.) Community College. Among her previous
experiences are stints with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival
in Montgomery, Ala., and the College of Santa Fe in Santa
Fe, N.M.
Attic’s
2004 schedule includes "The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare (Abridged)," June 10-19; "There's A
Boy in the Girl's Bathroom June 24-July 2 (not part of season
ticket package.); "Proof," July 8-17; "The
Spitfire Grill," July 22-Aug. 1; "Over the River
and Through the Woods," Aug. 12-22.
***
The
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton has released
its 2004-2005 education series, which covers a range of traditional
ballets, plays and music and programs directly related to
school curriculum.
The
PAC also unveiled plans for the Fox Cities Choral Music Festival
in October featuring 250 students from Appleton West, Freedom,
Kaukauna, Menasha and Winneconne high schools.
Although
not receiving the kind of splashy publicity given to its Broadway
shows, the PAC’s education series remains central to
the their mission statement of making the PAC more attractive
as a scholastic tool. More than 50,000 students have taken
part in PAC events since it opened nearly two years ago and
the goal is to get every child in the Fox River Valley (another
45,000 students) involved in the next three years.
Programming
gets underway on Oct. 15 with a presentation of Shakespeare’s
"Twelfth Night"; "Charlotte’;s Web"
will be presented on Oct. 18, followed by "The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe" On Nov 1. "Cyrano"
is slated for Nov. 3, "Sadako and the Thousand Cranes"
for Nov. 12, "Hans B Brinker’s Christmas"
for Dec. 1 and the Dallas Brass on Dec. 6. The new year will
open with "Romeo and Juliet" Jan. 6-7, followed
by "Tap Kids" on Jan. 28. "The Arabian Nights"
will be staged on Feb. 18 and the National Acrobats of Taiwan
will perform on Feb. 22. The Soweto Gospel Choir from South
Africa will appear in concert on Feb. 24. "Corduroy"
is scheduled for March 15 and "The Velveteen Rabbit"
is set for April 4. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
will perform on April 6, "Everybody" Hero: The Jackie
Robinson Story" will be presented on April 12. "Curious
George" is set for May 3 and "Sound Stage: Paul
Dresher with Zeitgeist" will round out the series on
May 11.
***
Among
the acts slated to appear at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh
are internationally acclaimed harpist, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz,
booked for 7:30 p.m. Saturday May 1. He has recorded 30 albums
and played before 1,000 harpists at the World Harp Congress
in the Czech Republic. Ortiz, whose multicultural musical
repertoire covers folk, classical and popular music of many
countries, will play such favorites like La Paloma, Besame
Mucho and Moliendo Café. Tickets
are $13.50 to $20.50.
The
Waifs, a musical trio from Western Australia known for its
blues and roots music, will appear at 7:30 p.m. Thursday May
6 as part of the Oshkosh Friends of the Folk Music Series.
Tickets range from $17.50 to $24.50.
Janet
Planet & Friends are booked for 7:30 p.m. Friday May 14.
Planet recently won the Wisconsin Area Music Industry award
for Best Traditional Jazz Group or Artist, tied with the Milwaukee-based
Paul Spencer Band. Joining Planet on stage will be pianist/composer
John Harmon, guitarist Tom Theabo, bassist John Gibson, percussionist
Dane Richeson, saxophonist Tom Washatka and cellist Matt Turner.
Tickets range from $17.50 to $24.50.
The
Four Freshmen, of whom the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson
said, "They were our inspiration," are scheduled
to perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday May 21. The group’s most
recent awards include Downbeat Magazine’s Best Vocal
Group of the Year for 2000 and 2001, as well as the 2003 Jazz
Times Reader poll winner for Best Vocal Group. Tickets are
$17.50 to $24.50 and can be obtained by calling the Grand’s
box office at 920-424-2350.
***
The
Lawrence University Performing Arts Series will present baritone
Jubilant Sykes at 8 p.m. Friday May 14 at the Lawrence Memorial
Chapel on campus in downtown Appleton. Tickets are $20-$22
for adults, $17-$19 for senior citizens and $15-$17 for students.
Other
events at Lawrence in May include the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra,
under the direction of Bridget-Michaele Reischl, in concert
8 p.m. May 1; the Wind Ensemble, conducted by Robert Levy,
8 p.m. May 15, the Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble
at 8 p.m. May 22 at the Chapel and "Earth Works II"
at 8 p.m. May 28 at the Lawrence Chapel, featuring the Lawrence
University Jazz Ensemble, the Jazz Singers, the Lawrence University
Percussion Ensemble.
|
