eInside Events

Porthouse Theatre’s 2015 Season Concludes With Broadway Hit Hairspray

Energetic production will leave audiences dancing in their seats

When Tracy Turnblad (Katey Sheehan)
fights for her chance to dance on the
Corny Collins Show, she meets teen
idol Link Larkin (Jimmy Ferko) and
revolutionizes 1960s Baltimore.

Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University’s outdoor, summer theatre located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center, concludes its 47th season with the Broadway hit Hairspray.

Directed by producing artistic director Terri Kent, Hairspray opened July 31 and runs through Aug. 16. A preview performance took place on July 30. This family-friendly musical will have audiences dancing in their seats. Hairspray follows plus-sized teen Tracy Turnblad as she fights for her dream to dance on the Corny Collins Show and ends up revolutionizing 1960s Baltimore. The book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music is by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics are by Scott Wittman. Performances are Aug. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m., and Aug. 9, 15 and 16 at 2 p.m.

Professor Emeritus Chuck Richie* performs as Edna Turnblad, accompanied by Rohn Thomas* as Wilbur Turnblad and Colleen Longshaw* (M.F.A. ’15) as Motormouth Maybelle. Scenic design is by Nolan O’Dell (B.F.A. ’98), costume design by Sarah Russell (M.F.A. ’09), lighting design by T. C. Kouyeas, Jr. (M.F.A. ’06), technical direction by Ryan T. Patterson and sound design by Brian Chismar (B.F.A. ’13). Choreographer is by College of the Arts Dean and Professor John R. Crawford, and production stage manager is Kristen Boehnlein*.

Tickets can be purchased by phone at 330-672-3884, in person at the Porthouse Box Office, or online at www.porthousetheatre.com. Group tickets can be purchased at the Porthouse Box Office or by phone at 330-672-3884. The Porthouse Box Office is located in the Roe Green Center lobby of Kent State’s Center for the Performing Arts, 1325 Theatre Drive in Kent, and is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Single tickets range in price from $32-$40 for adults, $30-$35 for seniors, $26-$33 for college students and $24-$30 for children 18 and under. Special rates for groups of 20 or more also are available.

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

For more information about Porthouse Theatre, visit www.porthousetheatre.com.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

At Kent State Museum Exhibit, Art Adorns the Walls and Your Mobile Device

Pictured is the art "Red Bridge" by Peter C. Johnson, one
of the works on display at the Kent State University
Museum.

The Kent State University Museum presents @Infinitum, a cross-cultural and technologically enhanced art exhibition, now through Jan. 10, 2016. @Infinitum includes work by Kent State faculty members in art, fashion design and visual communication design, representing both Kent and Regional campuses. The museum will host an opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5-7 p.m.

Curated by Kent State School of Art faculty members Koon-Hwee Kan, Ph.D., (art education) and Janice Lessman-Moss (textile arts), @Infinitum displays work by 18 faculty members from across the university. Juxtaposed alongside these are mounted QR (quick response) codes linked to a virtual exhibition of work by 36 Chinese artists on the @Infinitum website (http://atinfinitum.org/). Visitors to the exhibit can scan the codes on their mobile devices to access artist bios, statements and portfolios. In this way, the exhibit uses ubiquitous technology to transpose artworks from halfway around the world, presenting them in dialogue with the Kent State works.

The collaboration between Kent State artists and artists from Sichuan University and Hebei Normal University in China began in 2014, a year marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the United States. An earlier iteration of @Infinitum at Hebei Normal University Museum housed the Chinese artworks while the American ones were accessible via QR code. A third show will open at Sichuan University in March 2016.

The Kent State University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of E. Main Street and S. Lincoln Street in Kent. The museum is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday. Hours are 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m., Thursday; and noon-4:45 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18. The museum is free with a Kent State ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.

Main Street Kent Planning Fifth Annual International Festival – Seeking Participants!

Main Street Kent will host the fifth annual International Festival in downtown Kent on Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 7 p.m. Admission to the festival is free. Event-goers can purchase a variety of ethnic cuisine and international beers at the event. A “passport excursion” also will be a part of the event, free to all who wish to explore downtown businesses and experience their special international offerings (food samples, art displays and more).

Vendors and informational/cultural display booths will be situated on North Water Street, alongside the Hometown Bank Plaza. North Water Street will be closed from Main Street to Columbus Street for the event. Live music and dance will be featured at the Hometown Bank Plaza. This event is being generously sponsored by PARTA, Kent State University and Hometown Bank.

Celebrate the diversity of Kent – be a part of the event and show off your culture! If you would like to participate in the international festival by having a booth or performing at the event, please submit your application by Aug. 10 (Aug. 3 for food vendors). Applications are available now on the Main Street Kent website at www.mainstreetkent.org/intl-festival or by calling 330-677-8000. All booths must be internationally themed, and the event-planning committee reserves the right to decline applications that do not fit the event theme.

Main Street Kent is a nonprofit organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Kent. It is an affiliate of the national Main Street program and the Heritage Ohio program.