Time running out to submit to Gateway to the Rockies art contest

Photo courtesy of the City of Aurora

Local artists have less than a week to submit entries for the 17th annual Gateway to the Rockies exhibit, a show that will feature paintings, photographs and miniatures.
This year's Gateway to the Rockies exhibition will run from Nov. 17 to Dec. 17 at the Aurora History Museum, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway. The annual exhibition features paintings, photos, miniatures and two-dimensional works by local artists — the top entries from each medium will earn "Best of Show," "Aurora's First Lady" and "The Kate Tauer" awards when the show kicks off.
Artists must submit their entries in the form of paintings, photographs and miniatures within the next week. Entries must be sent via e-mail by Oct. 1. The digital files must be submitted as a jpg attachment to gateway.submittal@comcast.net. Images must be in a jpg file format, must be 150 dpi and cannot exceed 900 pixels or 6 inches in measurement on any side.
For more information or to receive a mailed prospectus, call 303-739-6520. To view the prospectus online, visit auroragov.org/visualarts.

Interview with Jeanine Serralles from the DCTC's production of "The Liar"

New York-based actress Jeanine Serralles has made Denver a second home.
As a guest performer in several Denver Center Theatre Company productions in the past several years, Serralles has carved a creative niche for herself outside the confines of the New York theater community. She's bringing her skills back to the Denver Center as Lucrece in the DCTC's current production of David Ives "The Liar," a reimagining of the 17th century comedy by Pierre Corneille. The Sentinel caught up with Serralles to talk about the current show, her fondness for the Mile High City and her upcoming projects.

Actors needed for CCA emergency exercise

Photo by Heather L. Smith / Aurora Sentinel

Once again, the Community College of Aurora is looking for up-and-coming actors to lend a degree of realism to their yearly emergency exercise. The training event scheduled for Friday, Sept. 23 is for emergency responders from across the state. Follow the jump for more details about the auditions from the Colorado Theatre Guild.

"Rashomon" reviewed

Heather L. Smith / Aurora Sentinel

The Aurora Fox’s production of “Rashomon” shows just how tricky it can be to get a story straight.

Without getting too philosophical, it’s fair to say that truth doesn’t exist without perception, and that when it comes to human beings, perception is always steered by biases, backgrounds and contexts. That’s the central truism behind Fay and Michael Kanin’s murder mystery, a thriller that distills a single crime through the lenses of four separate narrators.

While true nature of the play’s central event may be hard to pin down, there’s no enigma about the quality of the Aurora Fox’s production for its 27^th season debut. Director El Armstrong weaves different narrative strands together in a powerful and compelling way, and the medieval Japanese thriller comes to life on a lush set brilliantly mapped out by scenic designer Jen Orf. Combined with nuanced, revelatory performances by Fox veteran Jack Casperson and newcomers Seth Maisel and Enzo Sariñana, the show stands as one of the most creative and affecting season premieres at the Fox in recent memory.

Tickets for inaugural season at PACE Center on sale Friday

Photo courtesy of the PACE Center

Tickets for the inaugural season at a new arts complex in Parker are set to go on sale Friday.

According to officials from the Parker Arts, Culture and Events (PACE) Center, tickets for the facility’s first season will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. The center’s debut season will kick off with the “Luma” light show from Oct. 28 to 29, with performances from the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the Denver Municipal Band to follow in November.

Tickets for all shows will range from $5 to $42.50, according to the center.

The shows will be part of a much wider menu of more than 70 attractions for the PACE Center’s debut season, one that will include classical music concerts, dance exhibitions and theatrical collaborations with the Aurora Fox theater. In addition to its theater space, the PACE Center at 20120 E. Main Street in Parker will include a 250-seat amphitheater, an art gallery, an event room, a dance studio, culinary kitchen and classrooms.

Tickets will be available at www.pacecenteronline.org or by phone at 303-805-6800.

"The Wiz" reviewed

Finding a new way to tell an old story is never easy.

The Afterthought Theatre Company’s production of “The Wiz” tackles the challenge on two fronts, starting with the reimagining of the landmark 1974 Broadway musical.

Of course, the foundation of the musical – and subsequent film – was L. Frank Baum’s 1900 fantasy book, “The Wizard of Oz.” In this telling, a funky soundtrack and a more modern aesthetic become updates to the basic tale of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and a host of witches, fairies and talking flowers.

For all its updates, the story remains frenetically fantastical, as Dorothy makes the journey from her home in Kansas to the magical realm of Oz via a twister. “The Wiz” still centers on the four friends, and the combination of Faith Angelise-Goins as Dorothy, Terence Elison as the Scarecrow, Curshion Jones as the TinMan and TJ Hogle as the cowardly lion offer enough chemistry to carry the tale into a contemporary framework.

The Afterthought’s production adds plenty of energy and musical chops to the source material, boasting strong vocal performances from the principal cast and the supporting players. As the first musical to hit the Dayton Street stage since the Shadow Theatre Company’s production of “Smokey Joe’s Café” in 2009, the show is a welcome reminder of the theater’s acoustic potential.

In addition to strong duets between the principal actors (“Be A Lion” is a particular highlight), the score succeeds on guest performances from Stephanie Hancock as Evillene and Mary Louis Lee as Glinda.

While the show’s soundtrack takes advantage of the theater’s space and dimensions, other elements of the production seem a bit too small. The 135-seat auditorium may be on the smaller end of local houses, but the show’s effects, set design and scope often feels too slight. Glenn Grassi’s set fails to fully convey Dorothy’s journey from the fields of Kansas to the surreal landscape of Oz. Actors clad in yellow stand in for the yellow brick road, and while the creative effort is endearing, any real sense of escape is lacking.

Still, the piece finds its compass in the energy and earnestness of its principal cast. Jones gives the TinMan a fresh sense of swagger, Hogle balances his gargantuan frame with a real sense of vulnerability and Elison’s Scarecrow is thoughtful and pensive about his lack of a brain. Angelise-Goins gives Dorothy a compelling sense of energy. The four friends offer a convincing sense of camaraderie, a chemistry that helps make an old story seem new.

Two and a half stars out of four

The Afterthought Theatre Company’s production of “The Wiz” will run until Sept. 24 at the Dayton Street Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. Tickets start at $20. Information: afterthoughttheatre.com.