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 opens July 31 and runs through Aug. 16. A preview performance will take 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 July 30 and 31, and Aug. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m., and Aug. 2, 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

Kent State Employee Appreciation Day at Porthouse Theatre

Kent State University's Employee Appreciation Day at
Porthouse Theatre is Saturday, Aug. 15.

Kent State University’s Division of Human Resources, in conjunction with the School of Theatre and Dance, is sponsoring a Kent State Employee Appreciation Day on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Porthouse Theatre, located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44223 (for GPS directions use: 3143 O’Neil Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44223).

Employees can purchase up to four deeply discounted tickets at $20 each to see Hairspray, a fun-filled, family musical. A complimentary lunch will be served in the picnic pavilion from 12:30-1:45 p.m. (please note that lunch will begin at 12:30 p.m., not noon as was previously communicated via email), and the production will begin at 2 p.m. Parking is free, and guests are encouraged to bring games to play on the lawn. The event is rain or shine. The pavilion and theatre are both covered and safe from the elements. To order tickets, call the Porthouse Theatre Box Office at 330-672-3884. For more information about Hairspray, visit www.porthousetheatre.com.

Kent State University Bookstore Hosts Dr. Seuss Story Time Extravaganza

The Kent State University Bookstore will host an event on
July 28 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the release of Dr. Seuss'
new book What Pet Should I Get.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish...and all you kids big and small-ish. You are welcome to join the Kent State University Bookstore for a story time extravaganza. Dr. Seuss' new book, What Pet Should I Get, comes out on July 28. In celebration, at 1 p.m., the bookstore will have a guest reader share the story. After that, the Portage Animal Protective League will share the process of adopting a pet. As a treat, the bookstore will have yummy-themed snacks. Perhaps even a few furry friends may join for the festivities.

The Kent State University Bookstore is located on the first floor of the Kent Student Center.

For more information about the bookstore, visit http://kent.bncollege.com.

Kent State Invites Community to Final Public Meeting for Airport Master Plan

The final public meeting for the Kent State University
Airport Master Plan will take place Tuesday, July 28, from
6-8 p.m. at the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Auditorium
in Stow, Ohio.

The final public meeting for the Kent State University Airport Master Plan has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Auditorium, located at 3227 Graham Road in Stow, Ohio. The first public meeting was held in 2013 to introduce the project to the community and seek input about the airport’s future. During the second public meeting in November 2014, the public had an opportunity to review and provide comments on the alternatives’ development and evaluation.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the project team will make a presentation on the project including the preferred alternative that will be submitted to the Kent State University Board of Trustees and senior leadership. Following the presentation, there will be a public comment period when attendees will be able to speak or submit comments in writing. Public comments will be summarized and provided to the Board of Trustees and senior leadership for their consideration. This public meeting will present information found in the project’s draft executive summary, which is available at the project website, www.KSUAirportPlan.com. The summary also can be viewed at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, located at 3512 Darrow Road in Stow and at the Kent State University Airport, located at 4020 Kent Road in Stow.

Written comments will be accepted through Aug. 12, 2015, and may be submitted online via the project’s website, www.KSUAirportPlan.com, or sent via mail to Aileen Maguire Meyer, C&S Engineers, Inc., 20445 Emerald Parkway, Suite 100, Cleveland, OH 44135. Those unable to attend the meeting can view the meeting materials via the project website after the meeting has concluded.

In 2004, the airport completed a master plan, which was then updated in 2006. At that time, the university was considering closing the airport and moving operations to another nearby airport. University leaders are now reassessing the recommendations of the previous plan, and a new plan is required to take a fresh look at the airport’s assets and determine its needs.

Kent State has owned the public-use, general aviation airport since 1942 and uses the facility to support its Aeronautics program, one of 32 accredited aviation education programs worldwide. The airport is a critical asset for the Aeronautics Program, which serves students in five areas of concentration under the Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics. Due, in part, to the increase in demand for airline pilots, the forecast for enrollment for Kent State’s Aeronautics Program saw its program grow 150 percent from 2005 to 2012 and now expects enrollment to grow from its current 638 students to more than 1,100 by 2022.

Kent State’s Flight Training Program is the only one of its kind, not only in Ohio but in the Northeastern U.S. region, and the cost to students is affordable when compared to similar programs.

The airport is a significant economic driver locally, supporting not only the university’s Aeronautics Program, but also local businesses, community services and private pilots. The new master plan must take into account how the airport can best serve the needs of all members of the community.

For more information about the development of the master plan, visit www.KSUAirportPlan.com.