March fine arts

By Sean-Edward Hall

March is certainly coming in like a Lion in regards to Fine Arts Activities! The Imagine Foundation is bringing Shakespeare Festival St. Louis for an Education Tour of the local schools and two separate performances on Saturday March 7 at Playhouse On The Square. At 1 p.m., they will perform a condensed one hour version of Shakespeare’s comedy, Two Gentlemen Of Verona. Antony and Cleopatra, a play better suited for those children and adults that are able to sit for an hour, is at 4 p.m. On March 17, the group is hosting a Young Person’s St. Patrick’s Day 3 Course Dinner Party from 5:30-7. Closing out the month, their annual 18 and ove only event, “Dark Gypsy Spring Equinox”, will fill the Asa Talcott House with live music, live artists, belly dancers, tarot card readings and more. For more info and pricing on any or all of these events, contact The Imagine Foundation at 217-473-2126 or by visiting their website: http://www.imaginearts.org.

The Jacksonville Theatre Guild is producing Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. The play is set in the fictional St. Nicholas Church School, in the Bronx, during the fall of 1964 during the third year of Vatican Two when clergy and congregants were still dealing with the new changes in worship and as it admits it’s first African-American student. Right away, the audience meets Father Flynn, the parish priest, who tells his parishoners that: “”Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty.” When we first meet the rigidly conservative Sister Aloyisus talking to the young Sister James, we quickly see how in her voracious attempts to keep her order, the “Sisters of Charity”, within their usual rigidness, we discover how she has become extremely untrustworthy of society, her students, and even her fellow colleagues. It isn’t long before she suspects misconduct between Father Flynn and the new student, Donald Muller. Rumor and gossip begin to fly and Sister Aloyisus tries to involve Donald’s mother with unsatisfactory results. Director Sean VanAusdall-Rose says that as the curtain falls, “Lives are changed as accusations are made, suspicions are confronted, and gossip flies like many feathers in the wind.” The cast is made up of JTG veterans: Lynette Cervi, John Steckel, Katie Phelps, and newcomer Regina Nichols. Performances will be March 13-15 and 20-22 in the Studio Theatre at 400 W College. All tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and tickets may be purchased by calling 217-245-1402 or visiting jaxtg.weebly.com.

Playhouse On The Square is jam-packed with activities this month. Just in time for St. Paddy’s Day, is the Celtic Band Skibbereen for one night only, March 6 at 7:30. March 13-15, they will be producing a Staged Reading of the drama, The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project. Closing out the month, they will be hosting AUDITIONS for their Summer Musical, The Sound Of Music on Saturday, March 28. The roles of Maria Von Trapp and The Mother Abbess have already been cast. Girls 5-16 and boys 11-18 will be seen at 10:00 a.m. and adults will be seen at 1 p.m. For any questions or more info, contact director Sean-Edward Hall at seanedward2@gmail.com. For more info on the other activities visit playhouseonthesquare.net or call 217-491-3977 and tickets may be purchased next door at Our Town Books.