Ben Franklin News

Created and produced by Ben Franklin,  Jason Mejias,  Joshua Dean and Mr. Gorgeous, this "All-Male Cirquelesque Revue" is celebrating 4 years of playful and saucy extravaganzas showcasing the arts of circus and burlesque. With a BRAND NEW SHOW EVERY MONTH, "The Boys" entertain packed houses with diverse aerial and ground performances with a wink, a smile and a lot of creativity.  "Boys' Night" is the place to be for both boys and girls looking for a humorous and slightly naughty evening out with some of the best and brightest talents in New York. 

In the seventh presentation of the popular Rep Lab, the short-play festival features the company's Emerging Professional Residents (EPR) in acting, directing and technical theater to showcase their talent. This year, nine one act play along with a devised play written by the Emerging Professionals appeared in the Stiemke Studio for an intriguing evening of theater. Eight actors, seven directors, and four designers comprise the EPR team. In an interesting mix of plays, many examine the angst in relationships: communal, personal and professional within a wide time frame that also embodies considerable emotional range

Grammy-award winning artists The Mavericks will take The Event Center stage at SugarHouse Casino on Saturday, June 10, at 9 p.m., performing some of their greatest hits and songs from their upcoming LP, "Brand New Day."

Echoes of Tattered Tongues: Memory Unfolded (Aquila Polonica Publishing, March 2016) has just been named as a finalist for the 2017 Benjamin Franklin Award in the category of Poetry/Literary Criticism. The winner will be announced in a ceremony held in Portland, Oregon, the evening of April 7, 2017. Now in its 29th year, the Benjamin Franklin Award, sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), is the premier awards competition in independent publishing, recognizing excellence in independent publishing. There were nearly 1,400 entries this year. In this major tour de force, author John Z. Guzlowski traces the arc of one of the millions of immigrant families of America, in this case, survivors of the maelstrom of World War II. Publishers Weekly describes it as 'gut-wrenching, narrative lyric poems,' and Foreword Reviews called the book a 'devastating, one-of-a-kind collection.' 'A searing memoir,' said Shelf Awareness, naming the Echoes of Tattered Tongues book trailer its Book Trailer of the Day. Kelly Cherry, Poet Laureate of Virginia (2010-2012) said about this book: 'Deeply moving. A powerful, lasting, and sometimes shocking book. Superb.' Using an innovative weave of poetry and prose, Guzlowski unfolds the story of his own family backwards through time. His parents, young Christian Poles, were taken by Germans to work as slave laborers in German concentration camps, and barely survived. The author and his sister were born in refugee camps in Germany after the war. The family was finally able to immigrate to the United States in 1951 as Displaced Persons, and settled in an immigrant neighborhood in Chicago. 'It was a tough neighborhood, where I grew up, and our lives were hard,' Guzlowski writes in his Preface. 'America then - like now - didn't much want to see a lot of immigrants coming over and taking American jobs, sharing apartments with two or three other immigrant families, getting into the kinds of trouble immigrants get into. We were regarded as Polacks - dirty, dumb, lazy, dishonest, immoral, licentious, drunken Polacks. I felt hobbled by being a DP, Displaced Person. It was hard karma.' To learn more: www.polww2.com/AboutEchoes. Watch the book trailer: www.polww2.com/EchoesTrailer 'We're excited to learn that Echoes of Tattered Tongues is a finalist in the 2017 Ben Franklin Awards,' said Aquila Polonica president Terry Tegnazian. 'This is a haunting look at a virtually unknown aspect of World War II, with impacts that echo through generations and reflections relevant to today's refugee situation. Guzlowski's writing, with its powerful imagery, will stay with you long after you close the book.' About John Guzlowski: Guzlowski is Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Eastern Illinois University, and currently lives in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Purdue University. Over a writing career that spans more than 40 years, Guzlowski has amassed a significant body of published work in a wide range of genres: poetry, prose, literary criticism, reviews, fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in numerous national journals and anthologies, and in four prior books. Guzlowski's work has garnered high praise, including from Nobel Laureate Czes?aw Mi?osz, who called Guzlowski's poetry 'exceptional.' Aquila Polonica Publishing, www.AquilaPolonica.com, is an award-winning independent publisher based in Los Angeles, specializing in publishing the Polish WWII experience in English. The company is a member of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). Aquila Polonica's titles are distributed to the trade in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Australia and New Zealand by National Book Network, www.nbnbooks.com, and are available from fine bookstores, online retailers, and all major wholesalers.

The Boys are all back together again! Starring in this edition of Boys Night will be Ben Franklin, Jason Mejias, Joshua Dean, Mr. Gorgeous, Eve Starr and Cunio! It's going to be EPIC!

BWW Reviews: A Must-See SPAMILTON

Frostburg State University will present its 35th Annual Spring Festival of Children's Literature on Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29. An impressive group of award-winning authors and illustrators - Loren Long, Greg Pizzoli, Mara Rockliff and Jordan Sonnenblick - headline the educational and inspiring event presented by the FSU Children's Literature Centre.

Spend Your Summer on the Crystal Theatre Stage! One Week and Two Week Musical Theatre Camps For Students in Preschool - High School are Available!

Created and produced by Ben Franklin,  Jason Mejias,  Joshua Dean and Mr. Gorgeous, this 'All-Male Cirquelesque Revue' is celebrating 4 years of playful and saucy extravaganzas showcasing the arts of circus and burlesque. With a BRAND NEW SHOW EVERY MONTH, 'The Boys' entertain packed houses with diverse aerial and ground performances with a wink, a smile and a lot of creativity.  'Boys' Night' is the place to be for both boys and girls looking for a humorous and slightly naughty evening out with some of the best and brightest talents in New York. 

BWW Interviews Cast of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at Fulton Theatre now through February 19, 2017, under the direction of Marc Robin.

The Year's Most Inspiring Music Show!

The 2017 Matthew Chiappetta Memorial Scholarship is for students in Grades 5th - 8th. The winner receives 2 Crystal Theatre classes and 1 Crystal Theatre Camp!

The nationally regarded Fulton Theatre is excited to continue its record breaking season with Irving Berlin's classic musical comedy, Annie Get Your Gun.   Prepare to be dazzled as Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show returns to the Fulton Theatre after 100 years and the theatre is transformed into a big top, surrounding the audience with all the action. 

Set in New York City, 1907,  follow the lives of immigrants Kate & Colleen, Timothy & Daniel, Ludmilla, and Americans Brigitte Anderson, Mrs. Elsworth, Mrs. MacArthur and a host of new characters living in the new century- The Age of Innocence. Success and happiness for some, disillusionment and death for others in this action-packed award-winning sequel to Cheryl Kemeny's 'Ellis Island'.

Created and produced by Ben Franklin,  Jason Mejias,  Joshua Dean and Mr. Gorgeous, this "All-Male Cirquelesque Revue" is celebrating 4 years of playful and saucy extravaganzas showcasing the arts of circus and burlesque. With a BRAND NEW SHOW EVERY MONTH, "The Boys" entertain packed houses with diverse aerial and ground performances with a wink, a smile and a lot of creativity.  "Boys' Night" is the place to be for both boys and girls looking for a humorous and slightly naughty evening out with some of the best and brightest talents in New York. 

Benjamin Franklin: one of America's Founding Fathers and man on the $100 bill comes to life in Ray Flynt's BEN FRANKLIN: AN INGENIOUS LIFE. Known as a philosopher, inventor, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the guy with the kite and key in thunderstorm, Ben Franklin is the stuff of legend, but a real person nonetheless. Ray Flynt takes on the iconic figure in the one-man-show, which he wrote, directs and performs.

Start the new year right and come have some fun with us! We have a brand new show and some brand new man meat for you! Performing in this January 5th edition of Boys' Night will be Mr. Gorgeous, Jason Mejias, Devon Aire, Michael Karas and your amazing host Cunio!

Start the new year right and come have some fun with us! We have a brand new show and some brand new man meat for you! Performing in this January 5th edition of Boys' Night will be Mr. Gorgeous, Jason Mejias, Devon Aire, Michael Karas and your amazing host Cunio!

Walk Off The Earth, the five-piece musical phenomenon that rocked the internet, will bring their unique and innovative music stylings to The Event Center at SugarHouse Casino on Friday, March 24 at 9 p.m.