“LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – When a young military wife found herself moving to Fort Knox, she wondered what the area was all about.
And since she is also a travel writer, Jessica Eturralde went to work.
That work has resulted in an online video show called Louisville Rediscovered.
Jessica joins WHAS11’s Johnny Archer in the studio.”
The seats were full Tuesday evening as Louisville locals strolled in to view the Actors Theatre’s third annual production of A Christmas Story. This popular motion picture classic traditionally watched in homes to summon Christmastime was brought to life before our very eyes, thanks to Philip Grecian’s adaptation.
The set design was one of the best I have seen at Actors, with Act 1 resulting in a two-tiered set and a dramatic change in Act 2 for the mall scene. A backdrop of blue-favored-snow-laden houses paired with a techno-color Christmas tree complimented the golden light of the famous “leg lamp” in front of the window. The set alone could easily transport us to Hohman, Indiana, circa 1940.
There were some notable differences with Grecian’s adaptation: without the gift of motion picture special effects, there is a consistent execution of creative props and comic relief sewn into the dialogue causing the audience to use their imagination even through distinct moments of realism. For example, this version included hilarious elves who introduced the play, were responsible for scene changes amid amusing dance scenes, and who had creative interaction with cast members to create scenes similar to the movie.
The narration was audible as well as physically viewable as the present-time (now grown) Ralph Parker (Larry Bull) reminisced aloud while circumnavigating each scene.
There were several stars of this production. Henry Miller (Ralphie Parker) of course, with the right pair of glasses really took on the personification of Ralpie, but what indubiously got the crowd in a consistent uproar of laughter (aside from the elves) were The Old Man (Justin R. G. Holcomb) and Mother (Jessica Wortham). Holcomb’s animated voice and dramatic gestures were well supported by Wortham’s whimsical light-heartedness, and together collided into an explosion of histrionic hilarity.
Add to that an Andrea-Martin-like Miss Shields (Katie Blackerby) and a supporting cast of surprisingly look-alike characters to the movie, and a fuzzy sweater — you have an evening guaranteed to make you laugh for years to come! This production was so entertaining that I am bundling up my children and bringing them to see it. Perhaps they will learn a lesson…a Red Rider BB Gun might “Shoot your eye out”.
A Christmas Story will be showing at Actors Theatre Nov. 8 – Nov. 27. For tickets and more information visit: http://actorstheatre.org/shows/a-christmas-story-2011-2012
Written By: Jessica Eturralde for City Concierge Louisville
A group of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery in India are visiting as guests of Louisville's Drepung Gomang Institute. The original monastery in Amdo, Tibet was destroyed in 1958 during the Chinese cultural revolution and occupation of Tibet. In 1967, a group of exiled monks rebuilt the monastery in Clement Town, Dehra Dun, India. The seven monks that gave a cultural performance last night at DGI are traveling in the area to teach Dharma, educate the public about the culture and religion of Tibet, and to raise money for much-needed improvements to their monastery.
We were so fortunate to visit Opening Night for the Kentucky Opera‘s “Carmen” and follow-up with the cast after party at the Marketplace Restaurant at Theater Square. The cast members were not only smashing in this Georges Bizet’s original work, but equally engaging in person! The production of Carmen has left Louisville for now, but be sure to catch Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in November 18th and 20th. For more information and tickets visit: www.kyopera.org
Here are the interviews and reactions for “Carmen”:
Hello everyone, Jessica here. As you may be aware of, I am on the market for a new PC. Us being a nonprofit, I have choose to stick it out with my little cracked-wired gremlin for as long as it will run. Here is an idea of what it’s like. Please help!
The Zombie’s had just a little to say at Louisville’s Zombie Attack 2011. Don’t worry, if you didn’t catch it this year, there is always next August: the Zombie Walk occurs every 8/29 at exactly 8:29pm, meeting at the Qdoba on Bardstown Rd. and Eastern Parkway, and the walk ending at Bearno’s Pizza.
In the meantime, get your zombie fix and contribute to a Guinness World Record attempt and shake your zombie booty at the Thriller Flash Mob Dance in front of 21c Museum Hotel on October 29. …but hey, if you are going to participate, learn the dance, ok?
The air is cool and crisp, a nice invitation considering the 102 degree weather outside. “You will be seated in seat number 10,” the friendly usher states with a broad smile. I shuffle down the 2nd Isle in the balcony of the Pamela Brown Theatre, one of 3 theatres located within the Actors Theatre estate.
Yes, I am 20 minutes early to see the 48th season’s first performance of Sense and Sensibility. However, I do not mind because it is cool, quiet, and I am sipping on the sweet tartness of the celebrity cocktail of the evening, “The Dashwood”.
“In this witty comedy of manners, two sisters who are alike only in their pursuit of romance find themselves without fortune, and facing difficult marriage prospects. Will Elinor’s common sense or Marianne’s impulsive passion offer up the key to living “happily ever after”? Austen’s classic tale of flirtation and folly graces Actors Theatre’s stage in a delightful new adaptation by Jon Jory,” I read from my program guide.
The stage area is beautifully lit in shades of blue, gray, and mixing with a tease of filtered red. In the middle stands a colonial-style double door. Behind the door is a large reflective circle, resembling a golden sun.
The lights dim and our play begins.
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first and most beloved novel; is wittingly sewn together. There is a consistent tango of empathy and comic relief. Nancy Lemenager (Elinor) and Helen Sadler (Marianne) skillfully embody the sister’s contrasting personalities.
“This is a story that pits passion against rationality,” says John Jory, adapter and director. “These two facets of human nature are commingled in every personality, but in varying proportions. Jane Austen had great affection for passion, but she knew that in order to live a life not constantly endangered by excesses of passion, one needs common sense.”
So I observe the unwinding of these two sisters coping with their circumstances, searching for love within or beyond their means. Each character seems to carry their own identity about themselves. One of my favorites, Sir John Middleton (wellfully played by David Pichette) has a character full of excitable energy. I look around. The crowd looks anxious, anticipating him in wonderment. Almost all of us in the back rows are seated forward to appease our curiosity. And I… watch in amusement even through the lingering hair follicles of the man slouching in front of me.
The story ends with the bowing of characters to a full standing ovation; a clear statement of satisfaction of the night’s performance. I gracefully shimmy out of my aisle and follow the chattery crowd down the carpeted stairs into the gallery area. As I make my way around the art displays under the ornate lobby dome, I can only think of the quirkiness of love.
“Love: the byproduct and/or the means of any intentional action that we take,” I conclude.
I ride the elevator to the 3rd level to return to my car. While opening the door, I am greeted by the night’s lingering humidity and a smell that only a car garage can emit. I smile. “It was a good night,” I think to myself.
“In the end only love is worth writing about, the rest is simply a matter of detail.” –Jane Austen
*Sense and Sensibility will be playing at the Actors Theatre through Sept. 24th. For more info on The Actors Theatre visit:www.actorstheatre.org
**This article is featured on City Concierge Louisville.
Jessica is a travel writer and a member of the Louisville Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She is the founder and host for "Louisville Rediscovered,” a video project that is shedding light on the people and community of the City of Possibilities. A military wife, she fell in love with Louisville when she and her family relocated from Atlanta in 2009.
You are likely to catch her all over Louisville, chatting with the locals, enjoying the copious varieties of food, and occasionally running in heels.
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