Entries from December 2007 ↓

ExposeKenosha wishes you a festive holiday season.

In this issue:

• “Captivated” Meet Gina Laurenzi
• Fa La La this… a review
• Chicks on Heels
• “WINTER WONDERLAND” @ The KAAleidoscope Gallery
• “The Giver” to be presented in Kenosha
• Retro Radio Holiday Revue
• Audition notice for Move Over, Mrs. Markham:

Click HERE to download ExposeKenosha in PDF format.

by Tammy Peacy

Gina Laurenzi and Kevin Hammond video courtesy of 716: Fine Art

T: You’re a dancer… When did you get started?

T: What’s younger, because I think you’re young now.
Continue reading →

by Franco Tarsitano

Let me begin by telling you that Ron Kelly, who by the way is a great performer, a great humanitarian, and a great personal friend of mine, opened his Holiday Variety Show, “FA LA LA THIS,” on Friday night atop of cozy Carolyn’s Coffee Connection.

The evening line-up of performers: Dove was “hands on” with his/her letters to Santa, Mel Meskimen brought the angst of “giftgasm”. Sweetness Jill Paisted fingered a folksy guitar and carols “Christmas In Jail,” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Wino”. Ron Kelly’s “Top Ten Secret Santa’s Gifts” and “Top Ten Self-Help Books to Give As a Gift” caught me thinking that I might have to make some returns right away.

Ron’s final monologue reveals an astute story-teller who manages to keep the audience compelled with an unexpected twist. We are reminded that the Holidays have their innocence, tragedies and everything in between. “FA LA LA THIS” is a gift to Kenosha.

Francisco Loyola would like to thank everybody that attended the opening of his solo show at 716 this Friday. If you missed it it’s ok, the chickens will be on display until January 6, 2008

Click HERE to see pictures from the show

by Joe Barr

The Kenosha Art Association’s new home at 5615 7th Avenue now features an art gallery showing over twenty pieces with multiple offerings by Barbara Farrell, Sandy Nowicki, Kate Fallucca, and Jayne Mackey among others.
The current show, on display through February 2, offers a variety of media to please the eye and soothe, stir, or challenge the mind.
Open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 PM, the new gallery offers you the opportunity to enjoy and support the efforts of a number of artists.

Please visit and enjoy and applaud the work of our local artists.

Steven Brown and Michael Ullstrup Present

Lois Lowry’s
The Giver

Stage Adaptation by Eric Coble
Originally Commissioned by Oregon Children’s Theatre in March 2006

Starring
Terry Lawler ■ Ryan Farrell ■ Nathan Fosbinder ■ Christopher Leonard ■ Kathy Zuhlke

www.TheGiverPlay.com

Dates:
Thursday, February 28, 2008: 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 2008: 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 2008: 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 6, 2008: 1:00 p.m.
Friday, March 7, 2008: 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 8, 2008 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 8, 2008: 7:30 p.m.

For Tickets and Group Rates:
262-813-0144 Or Email at:
brownullstrup@yahoo.com

Reuther High School Auditorium
913- 57th Street • Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140

Lois Lowry’s Newbery Award Winning Novel “The Giver” is now a play!
Be sure to check out http://www.thegiverplay.com to get information about the late February, early March 2008 Kenosha-Racine area performances, that will take place at the Reuther HS Auditorium. A number of actors from the 91.1 Players will perform in this award-winning story. Jim Blair is the director, and Steve Brown and Michael Ullstrup are the producers. Terry Lawler and Ryan Farrell are just a few of the 91.1 Players who will appear in this award winning story.

WGTD Radio Theatre
Wisconsin’s only LIVE broadcast series of radio dramas and comedies!
WGTD Radio Theatre productions are produced live Saturday mornings at 11:15 in the Bioscience and Information Technology Center on the Kenosha campus of Gateway Technical College. You’re invited to tune in or become part of the studio audience by simply walking in. Admission is free. Cafe 91.1 is open for all live theater broadcasts. This series will be begin its 4th season in 2008, and is Wisconsin’s longest running LIVE broadcast of old time radio, replete with original scripts.

RG Productions presents “Retro Radio Holiday Revue,” with all of your favorite comedies from Old Time Radio: Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Bob Hope! You can watch this standing room only event, which was held on Dec. 8 at the Kenosha Public Museum, on Kenosha Community TV, Channel 14, on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. and Fridays at 1 p.m. throughout the month of December. You can also hear a re-broadcast on WLIP 1050 AM, Sunday morning, December 16 on Lou Rugani’s “Music of the Stars,” between 9 and 11 a.m.

For more information: www.rgaudioproductions.com

If you missed the holiday show: Retro Radio Holiday Revue there are two chances to see it and hear it again:

Channel 14 TV, Kenosha: Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. and Fridays at 1 p.m. throughout December

WLIP, 1050 AM: Sunday, December 16 on Lou Rugani’s “Music of the Stars” 9-11 a.m.

Submitted by Laura Larson

A Lakeside Players, Inc. Production

Move Over, Mrs. Markham - by Ray Cooney & John Chapman

directed by Philip Jaeger

Roles available:
5 women - age 20’s -60’s
4 men - age 20’s - 60’s

Audition dates:
Sunday January 6th, 2008 at 7:00pm
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 at 7:00pm

Where:
The Rhode Center for the Arts
514 56th street
Downtown Kenosha, WI
(262) 657-PLAY

All audition readings will be from the script.

Production synopsis & performance dates:
Move Over, Mrs. Markham
March 7-22, ‘08
by Ray Cooney & John Chapman
Plays are performed on Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m
Move Over, Mrs. Markham is a British farce that will have you rolling in the aisles. Hilarity and chaos ensue when three separate couples all seek illicit liaisons unknowingly at the same time and place, in the Markham’s flat. Add a straight laced children’s author, a sexy au pair girl and a flamboyant interior decorator… stir in misplaced love notes, ringing phones and a full liquor cabinet…and the game is on!

Questions: please call the director, Philip Jaeger at (847) 872-1426

For too long, we in Kenosha’s artistic community have painted ourselves into lonely, individualized corners. If our efforts are only focused on promoting ourselves, that situation will not change. From the start, Expose Kenosha has been such a cooperative, community effort that the new activity can’t be ignored as an indication of changing general attitudes.

For too long, we in Kenosha’s artistic community have dismissed Kenosha as “Racine’s ugly sister” or the even more creative “Kenowhere.” Right. And if the very name suggests negation, how could anyone worth attention possibly emerge from such a place?

Recently, the Racine Journal Times nominated ExposeKenosha for the category of Best Local Indie Media. Beyond that, The New York Times just last week published a full length article on the art happenings in Racine. The artists of the region are exceeding the sub par expectations we have put upon ourselves. What better time than now to let go of our self-deprecating nicknames and start supporting one another?

Thanks to the contributors and supporters of ExposeKenosha for setting such an example of unity. And with so many other area organizations striving towards the same goals, the region’s recent accolades can prove to be just the beginning. The more we collaborate collectively, the more our potential will be stretched individually!

In this issue:

• David HB Drake
• Whatchoo Gonna Do About It?
• Chicks-on-Heels
• Jill Plaisted
• Writers no longer have to go solo

Click HERE to download ExposeKenosha in PDF format.

by Tammy Peacy

Click the arrow to listen to David HB Drake

Don’t tell him that folk music is dead. Saying folk music is dead “is like saying people are dead. Nowadays if you’re washing dishes or mowing the lawn you might listen to and iPod, but when I was a kid we didn’t have that stuff. We had radio; we didn’t have television. We would sing while we were doing that stuff. In African culture everybody sings whatever work they’re doing. The work is lighter when you sing,” says David.

DHBD comes from a strong family tradition of music. His grandmother was a part of the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee. On Friday nights he would go with his brother and parents to a local bar for a fish fry. The boys would sit in a corner and watch as their parents danced. Their father sometimes played the accordion. Brought up during the John Wayne-era of real men don’t sing and dance, DHBD was raised to believe “Music is okay. Poetry is okay. Dancing is okay.” His family used to sing together at night. He remembers the first record they got was Harry Belafonte’s Christmas album.

Continue reading →

Yeah, that’s a threat. We’re threatening you with this: If you don’t get out there and do something about what’s happening right outside your door, we’re going to expose you for what you are (i.e. a bunch of whiners).

A London artist/blogger Katherine Tyrrell recently mentioned ExposeKenosha.com in her blog about the lack of resources available to find out about what’s happening locally in the arts. She then offered a challenge, which we will reiterate here. (Beware: It will require some effort on your part and may cause you to remove yourself from your comfort zone) Get out there and do something for your arts community.

You are here. So you’re off to a good start. Here are some other suggestions as to what you can do to support, encourage and facilitate the arts:

1. Expose your fellow artists. Corner your artist friends for an impromptu interview, record a bit of them performing or send us a press release of upcoming events. It’s as simple as that. Send your stuff to info@exposekenosha.com so we can tell the rest of the world (yeah, the World. Did we mention the blog in London?).
2. Talk to your mayoral candidates about what they’re going to do for the community that you care about. You can find more information on the candidates in Kenosha at the Kenosha News HERE
3. Get on board with your local arts organizations. AHA! Kenosha has a comprehensive list of them classified by visual, performing, literary, humanities, and foundations. If your organization is not listed, let them know.
4. Change your attitude to change your community. You’ve been waiting for this your entire life and now we’re saying it- It’s all about you. You are the one who says there’s nothing to do in Kenosha. You are the one saying that the arts community here is fractious. Now you have to do something about it. So, turn that frown upside-down (it’s the best we could do).
5. Talk to everyone you know about the arts in your community. When someone asks what there is to do in Kenosha, tell them. Not sure what’s happening? Check back with us.

The ball is now officially in your court. Leave a comment here to start a dialogue for sharing ideas and then get out there and implement them.

716: Fine Art in Racine presents “Chicks on Heels” a solo show featuring Francisco Loyola.

Continuing with his combined use of technology, traditional media, and unconventional subjects, Francisco Loyola is presenting a humorous series of 12 large format digital collages representing chickens and roosters wearing high heels.

The title of the show “Chicks on Heels” was coined by Carole Crawford from the “Pat Crawford Jazz Quintet” of Kenosha, and was inspired by the blue chicken that decorates the cover of the quintet’s latest CD “Back at the Chicken Shack”.

In addition, Francisco is releasing, in collaboration with Tammy Peacy and S’zanne M’Chel from the Kenosha Writers’ Group, a calendar and a series of postcards with one liners that are sure to make you smile.

The exhibit is going to run from December 13, 2007 through January, 8 2008. The opening reception is Friday December 14, from 6-9pm
716: Fine Art Gallery is located at 401 Main Street in Racine

Contact Info:
716: Fine Art
David Geisler
dgeisler@716fineart.org

Francisco Loyola
Francisco@franciscoloyola.com

The Kenosha Writers’ Group
Tammy Peacy
info@kenoshawritersgroup.com

“Jill Plaisted is that really cool girl next door. That is, she’s the girl next door if your neighbor has a voice soaked in whiskey and honey, exudes charm, class, talent and beauty, hangs and records with Feet of Clay’s Ralph Bruner and Violent Femmes’ Victor DeLorenzo and is ready to be discovered by the masses”

From her myspace page

Click HERE to listen to Jill

Jill’s upcoming performances:

Fa-La-La THIS opens Upstairs @ Carolyn’s, 5706 6th Ave., Downtown Kenosha
December 13, 14, 20, 21, 22 at 8:00 pm
Tickets are $5.00, available at the door

December, 29 2007 at TG’s
4120 7TH AVENUE, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Watch this space where she will be “exposed” soon.

Racine, WI, December 5, 2007

Area writers now have a venue in which to hone their writing skills.
The Eloquent Author, LLC, School of Writing opened this fall, presenting both half-day and full-day workshops covering various genres.
The upcoming winter semester, which begins January 7, 2008, will offer workshops along with multi-week classes in various facilities around Racine, Kenosha, and the Waterford areas. All locations afford students comfortable and quiet learning settings, from some of the areas finest teachers.

The Eloquent Author, LLC is proud of its faculty and the decades of writing and teaching experience we have to offer. Our entire staff has been published in various mediums, including several books through well-regarded publishing houses. Our mission is, “To inspire, inform, and guide individuals on their writing journey.”

The school intends to continually expand to meet the needs of Southeastern Wisconsin authors by holding classes during the day, evening, and weekend hours. We are open to hearing your interests and comments. In the near future, we plan to add a writer’s blog to our website for additional commentary and thoughts on a writer’s life. In addition, a “story quilt” is beginning to form, and we will soon be inviting all to join in to help weave our story.

Visit our website to view all the details on the school; the upcoming winter semester workshops and classes; faculty information, as well as news, and the latest additions. Go to: www.eloquentauthor.com. You may also call (262) 321-0497 or (262) 939-4964 for more information, or E-mail @ kidbks2@gmail.com or info@eloquentauthor.com

If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Marie Boyum, President and Managing Director call (262) 939-4964 or E-mail kidsbks2@gmail.com.