Roundup

July

• July 6: Alley Repertory Theater presents Head by local playwright Oliver Russell Stoddard at 7:30 at the Visual Arts Collective behind the Woman of Steel Gallery on Chinden. The show is part of Alley Rep's Plays from the Alley series, in which local playwrights are offered the opportunity to produce their work and get feedback from the audience.
  
• July 10: Stage Coach Theatre opens Absence of a Cello, a comedy about the hilarious lengths a scientist goes to to land a job at a large corporation. The show runs July 10-11, 16-19 and 23-25 at 7:30 Thursdays, 8:15 Friday-Saturday and 2:00 Sunday in the Hillcrest Shopping Center.
  
• July 10: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival opens The Mystery of Edwin Drood, an interactive musical mystery in which the audience gets to decide who killed the title character. The show runs July 10-12, 16-17, 21-22, and 25-26 and Aug. 4-5, 8-9, 13-14, 18-19, 22-23 and 27-28 at 7:00 Sundays and 8:00 Tuesday-Saturday at the theater on Warm Springs in Boise.
• July 13: Alley Repertory Theater presents Catherine by local playwright June Daniels at 7:30 at the Visual Arts Collective behind the Woman of Steel Gallery on Chinden. The show is part of Alley Rep's Plays from the Alley series, in which local playwrights are offered the opportunity to produce their work and get feedback from the audience.
• July 16: Author Mitch Wieland will read from his latest novel, God's Dogs, at 7:30 at the Log Cabin Literary Center next to the Boise Public Library.
  
• July 18: Salsa Celtica, a Scottish group that performs salsa music with bagpipes, fiddles, brass and congas, performs at 7:00 at Hop Porter Park in Hailey.
• July 20: Alley Repertory Theater presents Inflection Point: A Timeless Love Story by local playwright Greg Hampikian at 7:30 at the Visual Arts Collective behind the Woman of Steel Gallery on Chinden. The show is part of Alley Rep's Plays from the Alley series, in which local playwrights are offered the opportunity to produce their work and get feedback from the audience.
• July 23: Boise Little Theater opens Annie, Junior -- an all-children production of the musical Annie, based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The show runs at 7:30 July 23-25 and 30-31 and 2:00 July 26 and Aug. 1 at the theater on Fort Street.
  
• Now through July 24: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival presents The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare's tale of twin brothers who are reunited after 30 years, and the hijinks that ensue due to the mistaken identities. The show runs at 8:00 July 14-15, 18, and 23-24, and 7:00 July 19 at the theater on Warm Springs in Boise.
• July 27: Alley Repertory Theater presents Cocktails at the Fisher's by local playwright Kelly Broich at 7:30 at the Visual Arts Collective behind the Woman of Steel Gallery on Chinden. The show is part of Alley Rep's Plays from the Alley series, in which local playwrights are offered the opportunity to produce their work and get feedback from the audience.
• July 30: Music Theatre of Idaho presents Les Miserables, the musical about petty thief Jean Valjean, who becomes an honest man and the mayor of a town, is pursued relentlessly by Inspector Valjean, participates in an uprising and saves the life of a young man in love with Valjean's daughter. The show runs July 30, 31 and Aug. 1 at 7:30 and Aug. 1 at 1:30.
• July 31: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival opens Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's comedy about Sebastian and Viola, twins who are separated in a storm at sea, and the misplaced affections and mistaken intentions that ensue. The show runs July 31, Aug. 1-2, 6-7, 11-12, 15-16, 20-21, 25-26, and 29-30 at the theater on Warm Springs in Boise.
  
• Now through Aug. 1: Company of Fools presents 110 in the Shade, a musical about a drought-stricken community in the Western U.S. during the 1930s where residents learn to find their own truth and beauty by overcoming fears and misperceptions about one another. The show runs July 9, 14, 23 and 29 at 7:00, July 26 at 2:00 and July 10 and 17 and Aug. 1 at 8:00 at The Liberty Theatre on Main Street in Hailey.
  
• Now through Aug. 2: Company of Fools presents Welcome Home Jenny Sutter, the story of a wounded Marine Sergeant, just returned from Iraq, who finds herself lost in the California desert but gets the homecoming she needs from a community there. The show runs July 11 and 25 at 8:00, July 16, 19, 22, 28, 31 and Aug. 2 at 7:00, and July 12 at 2:00 atthe Liberty Theatre on Main Street in Hailey.
  
• Now through Aug. 2: Company of Fools presents Steel Magnolias, the story of the lives of six women whose lives intersect in a beauty salon in rural Louisiana. The show runs July 7, 8, 12, 15, 26 and 30 at 7:00, July 19 and Aug. 2 at 2:00, and July 18 and 24 at 8:00 at The Liberty Theatre on Main Street in Hailey.
  
• Now through Aug. 14: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents The Boyfriend, a musical romantic comedy about an heiress who poses as a secretary and falls in love with a delivery boy who happens to be the missing son of the wealthy Lord Brockhurst. The show runs at 8:00 July 6, 9, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30, and Aug. 5, 8, 11 and 14 at Starlight Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
  
• Now through Aug. 15: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents Annie Get Your Gun, Irving Berlin's musical about Annie Oakley and her romance with the trick shooter in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The show runs at 8:00 July 7, 10, 13, 16, 22, 25, 28 and 31, and Aug. 3, 6, 12 and 15 at Starlight Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
• Now through Aug. 22: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents Footloose: The Musical, based on the hit movie from 1984. The show runs July 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23 and 29 and Aug. 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 18, 20 and 22 at 8:00 at Starlight Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
• Now through Aug. 28: Glenns Ferry Theatre presents Let Him Sleep 'til it's Time for His Funeral July 10, 17, 24 and 31 and Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 7:45 (dinner starts at 6:30) at 128 E. Idaho Ave. in Glenns Ferry.
• Now through Aug. 29: Glenns Ferry Theatre presents Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch July 11, 18, and 25 and Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 7:45 (dinner starts at 6:30) at 128 E. Idaho Ave. in Glenns Ferry.
• Now through Sept. 20: Boise Art Museum opens an exhibit called Devorah Sperber: Threads of Perception. Sperber arranges spools of colored thread in such a way that, when viewed through an optical device, recreates a famous work of art.
• Now through Oct. 11: Tying It Together, an exhibition of drawings by Garden Valley artist James Castle, opens at the Boise Art Museum along with a short documentary about Castle, who was born deaf, never learned to read and write, and prefers to make his drawings on discarded scraps of paper and cardboard.
• Now through Nov. 8: Boise Art Museum opens an exhibition of sculpture by Ann Weber called Corrugated. The pieces are made from cardboard, are woven into giant gourd-like spires, and are up to 16 feet tall.
• Now through Nov. 15: Boise Art Museum presents Kid Stuff, an exhibit of art geared toward children by artists Deborah Barrett, Alexander Calder, Michael Corney, Benjamin Jones, Marianne Kolb, Marilyn Lanfear, David Gillhooley, Marilyn Lysohir, Renda Palmer and others.

Annie, Jr.

I apologize for the sporadic posting of late. One reason for that is that I'm taking a five-week summer class at BSU. Another is that I'm broke (although that shouldn't stop me from going to a few free galleries, and I will try to get back to doing that).

But the third reason is that I'm stage managing Annie, Jr., the annual Boise Parks and Rec/Boise Little Theater children's musical. We open July 23. It's been an incredibly demanding schedule -- rehearsals six days a week, and set construction on the seventh (hence the sporadic posting). At this point in the rehearsal process, some stuff still needs a little work, but overall, I'm impressed with the dedication these kids have put into the show -- especially our orphans (including Annie). They've probably put in more rehearsal hours than anyone else. We have given them some very challenging dance numbers, but they haven't flinched, and they never threw in the towel. They just kept working them till they got them, and their routines are looking great. Our director, Allison Remley, has told the kids she wants to do more than just a cute kids' show -- she wants to knock the audience's socks off. It'll take a little more work to get the whole show to that point, but we've got time yet and I think we can do it. I'm optimistic that this will be a show I can be really proud of.

Art and Roses

I totally forgot about this until my mom mentioned she was going to it, but today is Art and Roses in Julia Davis Park in Boise. It goes from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 75 local artists will be there. I don't think I'll make it today, but thought I'd mention it in case you have the chance to go enjoy it.

Roundup

June

• June 4: Encore Theatre Co., Etc., opens Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The show runs at 7:30 June 4-6 and 11-13 at the Nampa Civic Center and 6:30 June 20 at the Ashley Inn on Main Street in Cascade.
• June 5: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival presents The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare's tale of twin brothers who are reunited after 30 years, and the hijinks that ensue due to the mistaken identities. The show runs at 8:00 June 5-6, 16-17, 20, 25-26, 30, July 1, 4, 14-15, 18, and 23-24, and 7:00 June 7 and 21 and July 5 and 19 at the theater on Warm Springs.
  
• Now through June 6: Boise Little Theater opens Bleacher Bums, a play about die-hard Cubs fans rooting for their team at Wrigley Field. The show runs June 4-6 at 8:00 and June 3 at 7:30.
• June 6: Boise Art Museum opens Kid Stuff, an exhibit of art geared toward children by artists Deborah Barrett, Alexander Calder, Michael Corney, Benjamin Jones, Marianne Kolb, Marilyn Lanfear, David Gillhooley, Marilyn Lysohir, Renda Palmer and others.
• June 12: Music Theatre of Idaho presents their fundraising gala, Some Enchanted Evening, a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein, at 6:00 at the Nampa Civic Center.
• June 12 and 14: Opera Idaho presents Opera Under the Stars, a selection of songs from operas and Disney movies, at 7:00 June 12 and 5:00 June 14 at the Idaho Botanical Garden on Old Penitentiary Road in Boise.
  
• June 12: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival presents The Seagull, a drama by Anton Chekhov about a young ingenue, an fading actress, a famous author and a symbolist playwright. The play runs at 8:00 June 12-13, 18-19, 23-24 and 27 and July 2-3, and 7:00 June 14 and 28 at the theater on Warm Springs.
  
• Now through June 13: Knock 'Em Dead Dinner Theatre opens Oscar Wilde's comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, about two men who become engaged to women while claiming to be the same man, named Ernest. The show runs June 4-6 and 11-13 at the theater on 9th Street between Front and Myrtle. Show times are 7:00 on Thursdays and 8:00 Fridays and Saturdays; dinner is served at 7:00 Fridays and Saturdays.
• Now through June 13: Stage Coach Theatre opens Leading Ladies, a farce about two down-on-their-luck Shakespearian actors who attempt to pass themselves off as a dying woman's nieces in order to inherit her fortune. The show runs June 4-7 and 11-13 at 7:30 Thursdays, 8:15 Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:00 Sunday.
• June 13: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents The Boyfriend, a musical romantic comedy about an heiress who poses as a secretary and falls in love with a delivery boy who happens to be the missing son of the wealthy Lord Brockhurst. The show runs at 8:00 June 13, 18, 22 and 27, July 1, 6, 9, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30, and Aug. 5, 8, 11 and 14 at Starlight Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
  
• June 19: Music Theatre of Idaho presents The King and I, a musical about a king of Siam who hires an English woman to tutor his children and help reform his image in the West. The show runs at 7:30 June 19-20 and 25-27 and 1:30 June 20 at the Nampa Civic Center.
• June 20: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents Annie Get Your Gun, Irving Berlin's musical about Annie Oakley and her romance with the trick shooter in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The show runs at 8:00 June 20, 26 and 29, July 2, 7, 10, 13, 16, 22, 25, 28 and 31, and Aug. 3, 6, 12 and 15 at Starlight Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
• June 20: Boise Art Museum opens an exhibit called Devorah Sperber: Threads of Perception. Sperber arranges spools of colored thread in such a way that, when viewed through an optical device, recreates a famous work of art.
• Now through June 21: Prairie Dog Productions presents My School Musical!, a spoof of High School Musical. The show runs at 7:15 June 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20 and 2:00 June 7, 14 and 21.
• Now through July 4: Starlight Mountain Theatre presents the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the story of Joseph's coat of many colors. The show runs at 8:00 June 5-6, 12, 15, 19, 25 and 30, and July 4 at Starlight Mountain Amphitheater in Garden Valley.
• Now through Oct. 11: Tying It Together, an exhibition of drawings by Garden Valley artist James Castle, opens at the Boise Art Museum along with a short documentary about Castle, who was born deaf, never learned to read and write, and prefers to make his drawings on discarded scraps of paper and cardboard.
• Now through Nov. 8: Boise Art Museum opens an exhibition of sculpture by Ann Weber called Corrugated. The pieces are made from cardboard, are woven into giant gourd-like spires, and are up to 16 feet tall.

Leading Ladies

Not one, but two guys in drag. Need I say more?

Probably not, but I will anyway. Leading Ladies is a scream. I didn't take many notes because I was too busy laughing. But it's got everything a great farce should -- lots of slapstick, great one-liners, quick changes, mistaken intentions, perfect timing and a superb cast.

The play revolves around two penniless Shakespearean actors, Leo Clark and Jack Gable, who decide to impersonate the nieces of a wealthy old woman in order to claim the inheritance. Kevin Kimsey and Jeff Thomson are perfect counterpoints to each other: Kevin Kimsey as the brash, scheming Leo, and Thomson as his reluctant accomplice, Jack.

Becky Kimsey plays vivacious Meg, and Sarah Hull stars as dim-witted and busty Audrey -- the women Leo and Jack fall for and attempt to woo, despite the fact that they must frequently appear in female form. Becky Kimsey created some wonderful chemistry between her character and Leo Clark/Maxine. Hull delivered her one-liners and her Brando impersonation with gusto. Both women had marvelous reactions during the scene where Leo and Jack unintentionally reveal themselves to be men, and their reactions help make it one of the funniest scenes in the play.

Sean McBride was every inch the sanctimonious, stick-in-the-mud Southern preacher. I loved Bonnie Peacher as Florence Snyder, the ailing yet spunky aunt whose search for her nieces (and heirs) sets the plot in motion. Although Patrick Schow stumbled on a few lines the night I saw the show, he and theater newcomer Owen Havey had some wonderful moments of physical comedy, and their attempts to woo Stephanie (Thomson) had the audience in stitches.

The play runs May 29-31 and June 4-7 and 11-13 at Stage Coach Theatre. Check it out if you're ready for a good laugh.

Artist blogs

I've been meaning to call attention to Luma Jasim, one of the bloggers for The Grip, Boise Weekly's new blog by and about refugees from around the world who have settled in Boise. Jasim is a graphic artist originally from Baghdad. She says she will be illustrating her blog posts. Her first post, The Mesopotamian Treasure Valley, includes a striking piece called Lonely Soul.

I'm curious whether there are other visual artists in the Treasure Valley who post art on their blogs. I know there's David R. Day's BoiSee photo blog. And there's photographer Thomas Lea's blog Boise Style. But I really wish I knew of more. If you know of a local artist who puts art on their blog, drop the link in the comments section. Thanks!

Update: We've also got Blue Planet Photography, by Mike Shipman.
Update 2: Just remembered my friend Zach Hagadone's moderately clever cartoon art.

Alex Vega

This awesome monkey-brain-robot thing was created by Alex Vega, who calls it Zinj. I scanned it in in black and white before I remembered he'd painted it with a color gradient, so I think I'll post both versions:


Alex was at the Modern Hotel for Modern Art at the Modern Hotel. When he saw me sketching, he said, "I take it as a great compliment that you're doing that."