Amanda Etchison - Page 4

The Ohio State Department of Theatre's final main-stage production of the 2015-16 season invites audiences into a world of literary creativity.

In a variety of pieces ranging from intimate dances performed to a still, silent room to contemporary choreography paired with unconventional soundtracks and grooving rhythms, the Ohio State Department of Dance's "Spring Dance Concert" explored the connection that binds movement and sound.

Featuring a lively cast of characters thrust into comedic situations, Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is a lighthearted exploration of familial bonds and hometown roots.

A chill in the air in Ohio State's Mershon Auditorium Friday evening was not entirely due to the unseasonable snowflakes that fell from the sky outside. Rather, a hair-raising performance of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" by the Ohio State University Opera and Lyric Theatre greatly contributed to the spooky atmosphere, sending shivers up the spines of those who dared to delve into the world of this dark musical thriller.

Stephanie Harter Gilmore, who plays Madame de la Grande Bouche in NETworks Presentations' traveling production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast,' talks about what inspires her performances and what makes this tour so special and unique.

CATCO's upcoming production of "Hansel and Gretel" is using puppetry to tell the story of the Grimm brothers' classic tale of teamwork.

In many ways, the Ohio State Department of Theatre's latest production, "Stupid F---ing Bird," resembles the stage on which it is presented - an intimate performance space bordered by jagged-edged support beams, backed by planks of overlapping wooden boards and strewn with overturned paint buckets, plastic sheeting and stacked chairs. Indeed, this "lovingly deconstructed" version of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" has the feeling of a work in progress, like something built right before one's very eyes.

The lecture auditorium in Hitchcock Hall, normally the venue in which engineering presentations are given, was transformed into a brightly colored, wildly patterned scene straight out of the '60s when Ohio State's Off the Lake Productions took to the stage Friday to perform "Hairspray." From the opening number that brought a taste of morning in Baltimore to the campus of OSU to the cast's final bows, "Hairspray" created an atmosphere bursting with energy and exuding undeniable passion.

For Chester Gregory, the opportunity to portray the founder of the Motown record label, Berry Gordy, was the logical next step in his personal musical journey. "A lot of work has led me to this role. So, it is like a full circle moment for me," said Gregory, who plays Gordy in "Motown the Musical," set to be performed in Columbus Tuesday through Sunday at the Ohio Theatre.

Love was in the air this weekend at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus when the Ohio State Department of Theatre presented its reimagined version of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." A sense of magic and unpredictable mischief, paired with energetic performances from the student actors in the production, defined OSU's take on this romantic classic.

Walking into the Vern Riffe Center's Studio One Theatre Friday night, one felt less like an audience member settling into a seat in a performance hall and more like a guest stepping into a stranger's living room. It was in this environment, a New York City apartment overlooking Central Park, that Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Terrence McNally's 'Mothers and Sons' made its regional premiere.

The translation of art from the stage to the screen is often viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. Yet an annual event by the Ohio State Department of Dance proves that the fusion of dance and film is far from two-dimensional. "Dance@30FPS," a presentation of dance films from around the world, was hosted on OSU's campus in the Wexner Center for the Arts' Film/Video Theater on Feb. 11.

Upon first glance, the sterile, white sets that greet the audience once the curtain rises on BalletMet's "Carmen.maquia" might have many theatergoers double-checking their programs. Indeed, the barren stage, interrupted by amorphous masses that appear to be constructed from thin layers of crepe paper, in no way resembles the streets of Seville, Spain. Yet it is on this blank canvas that the dancers of BalletMet create color through movement and emotion, effectively painting a vibrant, Pablo Picasso-esque portrait of humanity.

From the stomping of rhythmic footsteps reverberating unaccompanied through the darkness to the lyrical interpretation of biblical verses that merged multimedia art with movement, the Ohio State Department of Dance's "Winter Concert" showcased nine works laced together by the common threads of intensity and emotion.

Hundreds of Columbus-area dancers are set to take the stage this weekend at the Open Call dance competition, showcasing a variety of styles in hopes of making connections with national talent agencies and winning scholarships.

The wooden deck and porthole windows that adorn the Vern Riffe Center's Studio One Theatre might cause landlubbers' legs to wobble a bit while finding their seats, but audience members need not fear seasickness when they come to watch CATCO's regional premiere of "Peter and the Starcatcher."

Students from Ohio State University's Department of Dance took to the Capitol Theatre stage Saturday night for the annual Dance Downtown event, performing pieces that touched upon myriad topics from climate change to the infusion of art and movement.

The issue of sanitation in a Norwegian town might not seem like the most interesting subject for a play presented to an audience of college students, but the Ohio State Department of Theatre's production of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" surprisingly touches on contemporary questions still prevalent in our modern world.

Halloween isn't always just about candy and kids in costumes -- it also often calls to mind the supernatural fantasies that haunt our nightmares. Last weekend, BalletMet delved into the spine-chilling story of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," just in time for the ghoulish holiday.

From its Broadway debut in 1979 to its revival starring Bradley Cooper just last year, Bernard Pomerance's Tony Award-winning play "The Elephant Man" has challenged audiences through the decades to think beyond physical appearances and sympathize with others' plights. Now, this message comes to the Columbus stage with CATCO's production -- the first of its 2015-16 season -- of this dramatic classic.