• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Event Calendar
    • Submit Event
  • About Us
    • Our Contributors
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • On Screen Dayton
    • On Screen Dayton Reviews
    • Road Trippin’
      • Cincinnati
      • Columbus
      • Indianapolis
    • Spectator Sports
    • Street-Level Art
    • Visual Arts
  • Dayton Dining
    • DMM’s Brunch Guide
    • Restaurants with Private Dining Rooms
    • Dayton Food Trucks
    • Quest
    • Ten Questions
  • Dayton Music
    • Music Calendar
  • On Stage Dayton
    • On Stage Dayton Reviews
  • Active Living
    • Canoeing/Kayaking
    • Cycling
    • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Runners
  • How to Support Dayton Businesses, Nonprofits During COVID-19

Dayton Most Metro

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

xact

‘The Glass Menagerie’ Review – Xenia Area Community Theater – Chemistry by Candlelight

January 12, 2020 By Russell Florence, Jr.

Sparks both dramatic and dysfunctional fly profoundly in Tennessee Williams’ landmark 1945 semi-autobiographical memory play The Glass Menagerie. However, in the event those sparks lack pizzazz, two significant safety nets typically make up for any shortcomings, which defines Xenia Area Community Theater’s presentation.

(left to right) Amy Taint (Amanda Wingfield), Kristin Curby (Laura Wingfield) and Ryan Hester (Tom Wingfield) in Xenia Area Community Theater’s production of The Glass Menagerie. (Photo by Mike Taint)

Ben Evory as Jim O’Connor in Xenia Area Community Theater’s production of The Glass Menagerie. (Photo by Mike Taint)

As the centerpieces of Act 2 under the direction of Mike Taint, Kristin Curby and Ben Evory, both delivering XACT debuts, are worth the wait as Laura Wingfield and Jim O’Connor, also known as the Gentleman Caller. The moment a hearty dinner concludes in the dark and Jim is asked to spend some quality time with hopelessly shy Laura by candlelight, this emotionally mild production suddenly finds its footing, enjoyably transitioning into the heartwarming and heartbreaking reunion Williams intended. In high school, the physically challenged Laura pined for All-American Jim, but her deep insecurities and his overwhelming popularity kept them from becoming more than social acquaintances. As if in a dream, after years of wondering what became of Jim, Laura finally has him all to herself, but the unexpected momentousness of the occasion and the hard truth Jim reveals about his relationship status is ultimately too much for her fragile soul to bear.

Kristin Curby as Laura Wingfield in Xenia Area Community Theater’s production of The Glass Menagerie. (Photo by Mike Taint)

Curby, soft-spoken, believably frazzled and nicely costumed by Dee Berdine and Debra Zweber, wonderfully conveys Laura’s expressive arc from reticence (delightfully taking only a pinch of Jim’s chewing gum when offered) to acceptance (energetically recalling Jim’s glory days via her trusty yearbook and lovingly giving him a souvenir from her meaningful glass menagerie). Evory, charismatic, vibrant and sensitive, equally appeals with sharp authenticity recognizing Jim’s delicate balance of attempting to be Laura’s life coach while acknowledging the pitfalls, desires and uncertainty fueling his own topsy-turvy trajectory. In particular, Evory’s effortlessness is an extension of his knack for characterization as a recent graduate of Wright State University’s BFA film program. In fact, his excellent, humorous short film Slushie was featured on opening night of the Dayton LGBT Film Festival last fall.

As for Laura’s overbearing mother Amanda and incredibly disillusioned brother Tom, the central duo driving this landmark drama set in 1937 St. Louis, Amy Taint and Ryan Hester tussle admirably but a fundamental disconnect exists. In his XACT debut, Hester, a notably outstanding George Gibbs in Springfield Stageworks’ Our Town, certainly fares better, giving credence to Jim’s volcanic behavior and overt frustration when pushed to the breaking point and splendidly delivering his quietly reflective and poetic monologues on the deck of the SS Pennwar six years later with great maturity. Conversely, Taint inhabits Amanda with gentle, passive and comedic sensibilities, off-kilter choices diminishing the play’s electricity and Amanda’s inherently dynamic matriarchal strengths. She only rises to an impressive level of domineering authority when Amanda defiantly throws Tom out of her house and her life.

Nevertheless, thanks primarily to Mike Taint’s effective projections and delicately staging one of the greatest scenes in American playwrighting with affection and surprise bolstered by Curby and Evory’s chemistry, this Menagerie still manages to shine.

The Glass Menagerie continues through January 19 at Xenia Area Community Theater, 45 E. Second St., Xenia. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Act One: 75 minutes; Act Two: 75 minutes. Tickets are $17. For tickets or more information, call (937) 372-0516 or visit xeniaact.org.

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton Reviews, The Featured Articles Tagged With: Ben Evory, Kristin Curby, Mike Taint, The Glass Menagerie, xact

Coming up in Dayton theatre, 12/14 – 12/23

December 13, 2012 By Sarah Caplan Leave a Comment

Hello again, one and all. I can’t believe that this edition will bring us right up to the edge of Christmas and, ergo, nearly to the dawn of 2013. Things do tend to slow down a bit as we coast into the Holiday Season, most shows are done with their runs before Christmas and new ones don’t really start up again until we get into January. But there are still several offerings out here for you to sample. For starts!

Closing This Weekend!

12 Dancing Princess

Xenia Area Community Theatre (X*ACT)

The Skinny:X*ACT bills this production as a “Holiday family show,” and indeed this story is one that will please the youngest among us. Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, it follows the 12 daughters of a king who are locked in their bedroom each night, and yet appear each morning with shoes worn out from dancing.

Dates: Closing on the 16th.

Tickets: Tickets are available at the door, for more information please visit the X*ACT website, here.

A Christmas Carol

Zoot Theatre Company

The Skinny: Dayton’s puppet theatre company takes on Dickens seasonal classic, delightfully retelling this classic morality play as only Zoot can.

Dates: Closing this weekend, on the 15th.

Tickets: Tickets are available at the Dayton Art Institute website, here.

Scrooge

The Dayton Playhouse

The Skinny: Adapted from the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” this musical closely follows the classic story with the miserly Ebenezer undergoing a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night, after being visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Christmas past, present and future.

Dates: Three performances left, closing on 12/16.

Tickets: Tickets are available at the Dayton Playhouse website, here.

Annie

Troy Civic Theatre

The Skinny: The famous musical version of Lil’ Orphan Annie is,indeed, a Christmas-set offering. This show is a heart-warming favorite, sure to please families with kids, or without.

Dates: One more weekend, closing on the 15th.

Tickets: Tickets are available for reservation by calling 937-339-7700. Pricing information can be found at the Troy Civic Theatre website, here.

Continuing!

Oliver!

The Human Race Theatre Company

The Skinny: Christmas Eve in London, 1838. A small group of working-class, wayward souls gather in a tavern to celebrate when a small, unexpected guest prompts a spontaneous telling of the popular Oliver Twist. With traditional music-hall flair, they delve into Charles Dickens’ haunting moral tale as the lines between story and reality blur. Sized perfectly for The Loft Theatre, this reimagining of the classic Tony Award®-winning musical will touch your heart and challenge your spirit. It’s Oliver with a twist, indeed! Dayton Most Metro’s Russell Florence reviewed Oliver! Click here to read it!

Dates: You’ve got several more chances to catch this wonderful production, which runs through the 22nd.

Tickets: Tickets are available through the Human Race Theatre Company website, here.

One Weekend Only!

In The Spotlight!

Playhouse South

The Skinny: Playhouse Souths annual revue-style evening of musical theatre selections, this year entitled “At The Movies” and featuring numbers from musicals, TV shows and movies.

Dates: Two performances only, December 2oth and 21st.

Tickets: Tickets are available at the Playhouse South website, here.

 

So, that all gives you plenty to see up to Christmas eve eve eve (12/22)!  Remember, a night at the theatre is not only a wonderful date, it’s also a splendid holiday gift! There’s 9 days til Christmas and 2 nights of Hanukkah left…head to your favorite theatre box office and buy tickets!

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton Tagged With: a christmas carol, annie, Chris Shea, christmas musicals, christmas theatre, Dayton Playhouse, Kevin Moore, oliver, Playhouse South, Scott Stoney, scrooge, the human race theatre company, The Loft Theatre, tristan cupp, troy civic theatre, xact, Zoot Theatre Company

Coming up in Dayton Theatre, November 2nd – 11th

November 2, 2012 By Sarah Caplan 1 Comment

Happy All Hallow’s day! November already. Hope you got out to see some of the spooky, Halloween-y themed offerings that Dayton served up. What’s next? Well, there are a few things closing this weekend, but enough opening to hopefully keep you busy!

Closing This Weekend!

Coming Back To Jersey

West Milton Players

The Skinny: Dayton theatre audiences may remember this script as a FutureFest finalist in 2008, when it was voted “Audience Favorite.” A comedy set in New Jersey in 1965.It is a story of Howard Karchmer, a middle-aged tailor who indulges in daydreams to escape his humdrum existence. Norma, his suspicious wife, believes he is fantasizing about Dorothy, a sexy widow friend. Norma schemes to have Dorothy flirt with Howard to test his fidelity, but Norma’s plan backfires when Howard connives with Dorothy to turn the trick around.

Dates: Last performance is Saturday, November 3rd.

Tickets: For all production and ticketing information, please visit the Facebook Event page; here.

A Few Good Men

Xenia Area Community Theatre (X*ACT)

The Skinny: Fans of Aaron Sorkin’s TV and movie work will be delighted to take in his well-known military courtroom drama. Famously brought to the screen by, among others, Tom Cruise and Jack “You Can’t Handle The Truth” Nicholson, this is a gripping tale of whether or not something can be wrong, if your job is to do as you’re told.

Dates: Finishing this weekend, with the last performance on Sunday November 4th

Tickets: Please visit the X*ACT website, here.

Funny Girl

Wright State University, Theatre Department

The Skinny: Funny Girl is the semi-biographical musical based on the life and career of Broadway and film star, the comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein. Audiences may be familiar with the movie starring Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif. It is from this musical that we get such musical theatre classics as “People” and “Don’t Rain On My Parade”.

Dates: Closing this Sunday, November 4th at the Festival Playhouse.

Tickets: For tickets, please call 937-775-2500

 

Sugar Bean Sisters

Beavercreek Community Theatre

The Skinny: A Southern gothic comedy of romance, murder and alien abduction, Sugar Bean Sisters takes us back to the sticky, humid environs of Sugar Bean, Florida, where audiences last visited in its companion piece, The Sugar Witch, at Dayton Theatre Guild. Sugar Bean Sisters is a lighter, more comedic piece, dripping with the same spanish moss and thrum of supernaturalism.

Dates: Closing this Sunday, November 4th.

Full Disclosure: I’m in this, and in my (naturally, entirely unbiased!) opinion, it’s awesome

Tickets: Please visit the Beavercreek Community Theatre website, here.

 

Opening This Weekend!

Legally Blonde

Playhouse South

The Skinny: Pink-loving sorority princess Elle Woods follows her boyfriend, and her heart, to Harvard Law School. She makes friends, makes enemies and make decisions she never thought she’d have to, all the while, her beloved Delta Nus see her through.

Dates: Opening Friday, 11/2 and running through 11/17.

Tickets: For all ticketing information, please visit the Playhouse South website, here.

Coming Soon!

A Plague of Angels

Sinclair Community College

The Skinny:This drama is based on the actual account of Mary Mallon, better known as “Typhoid Mary” and her struggle with the Public Health system of New York City in 1907. It’s Mary’s rights versus the “public good” which submerges us into medical ethics in our society then and perhaps even now.

Dates: ONE WEEKEND ONLY; Friday, 11/8-Sunday, 11/10.

Tickets: All ticketing information can be found on Sinclair’s website, here.

You Better Watch Out

Brookville Community Theatre

The Skinny: It’s Christmas Eve at the Willow Inn. The hosts Jenny and Tom are having Art, (Jenny’s father who’s still mourning the passing of his wife) see their bed and breakfast for the first time. There’s a snowstorm raging outside and three travelers are forced to lodge at the inn and wait it out. Rudy and Marsha who run a costume business together and a mysterious but cheerful man who claims to be in the delivery business named Mr. Smith. Only the Inn’s handyperson Andy sees who Mr. Smith really is, the spirit of Christmas. Andy must help him make Art, who’s been in a dark place for a very long time, see the joy of Christmas and who Mr. Smith really is!

The Dates: Ring in the Christmas spirit early! This show opens 11/8 and closes 11/18

Tickets: Reservations in advance are highly recommended as shows do sell out. To reserve tickets, please call the Brookville Flower Show at 937.833.3531

Filed Under: On Stage Dayton Tagged With: a few good men, a plague of angels, aaron sorkin, Beavercreek Community Theatre, blair hall theatre, don hodgins, legally blonde the musical, nathan sanders, Playhouse South, sinclair community college, sugar bean sisters, west milton players, wright state university, xact

Primary Sidebar

Featured Events

  • Tue
    09
  • Wed
    10
  • Thu
    11
  • Fri
    12
  • Sat
    13
  • Sun
    14
  • Mon
    15

Grand Opening

7:00 am | Nutmeg Cafe

Grand Opening

11:00 am | Thai Table

Trivia Tuesday

7:00 pm | The Brick Tap & Tavern

9to5: The Story of a Movement – Virtual Event with the Filmmakers

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

Live Trivia- In Person or Virtually

7:00 pm | Star City Brewing Company

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Get to Know Your Machine – Sewing Basics

5:30 pm | Needle, Ink and Thread

Trivia w/ DagaTrivia

6:00 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

Trivia Night

6:30 pm | Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse

Spring Wine Tasting

6:30 pm | Hidden Valley Orchards

Film Connections: How to Land a Talent Agent

7:00 pm | ZOOM

5 course Wine Dinner

6:00 pm | Salar

Tom Helbig presents Pedaling Good Vibes Around America

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

Carry Out Fish Fry

11:00 am | St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church

Xenia Food Truck Rally

4:00 pm | Xenia Station

Knights of Columbus Council 3754 Fish Dinner

5:00 pm | Marian Manor Hall

Paddy’s Day Party

5:00 pm | Buckeye Harley Davidson

Post 776 Fish Plate Sale

5:00 pm | American Legion Post 776

Carroll St. Pat’s Fest Irish Fish Fry Carry Out

6:00 pm | Carroll High School

Antioch Shrine Center Fish Fry

6:00 pm | Antioch Shrine Center

Karaoke!

6:30 pm | Yellow Cab Tavern

Murder Mystery Dinner

7:00 pm | Spaghetti Warehouse

3rd Annual Sweet Spring Marketplace

8:00 am | Montgomery County Fair & Fairgrounds, Dayton OH

Maple Syrup & Pancake Brunch

9:00 am | Caesar Creek Nature Center

Chicken Noodle Dinner Fundraiser

11:00 am | Miamisburg Middle School

Summer Highway Live

6:00 pm | The Phone Booth Lounge

The Paddywhackers

7:00 pm | A Taste of Wine

Cabin Fever Sip n’ Smokes

7:00 pm | Indian Creek Distillery

Maple Syrup & Pancake Brunch

9:00 am | Caesar Creek Nature Center

Sunday Brunch

11:00 am | El Meson

St. Patrick’s Day Pop-Up Shop

12:00 pm | Oinkadoodlemoo & Brew

CHEERS TO 4 YEARS!! ANNIVERSARY PARTY!

2:00 pm | Mr Boro’s Tavern

Free Boot Camp Workout

5:30 am | The Park at Austin Landing Miamisburg OH

Call for Entry: Riverscape MetroPark Storm Sewer Riser

10:00 am |

25% Off Pizza Monday

11:30 am | Oregon Express

$2 burger night

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

More Events…

DMM E-Newsletter


Give us your email address and we'll send you our DMM E-Newsletters
Email:  
For Email Marketing you can trust
Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Dayton Most Metro · Terms & Conditions · Log in