The Arts:

"Starting the Year on an Artful Note"
Written by Janina Birtolo for N Magazine
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And what better way to celebrate a brand new year than by exploring the wealth of arts offerings available now that season is in full swing. All around, the emphasis is on new, new, new. The von Liebig hosts two new shows; the dinner theater debuts a brand new cabaret program; the Phil hosts the Miami City Ballet – which is presenting several company premieres this season – and new shows are coming to the Players, the Phil and the Barbara Mann. Why, you could celebrate artfully all month long!

AT THE PHIL: DANCE AND COMEDY
When Edward Villella, founding artistic director of the Miami City Ballet, started to build his company, he was determined that it would be a continually evolving troupe able to present new works each season, whether from the traditional ballet repertoire or from freshly created pieces.

Later this season, Naples audiences will be treated to the more modern side of that balance, when the company premieres works by Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. This month, however, Miami City brings Coppelia, a grand old traditional ballet, to the Phil stage.

One of the most famous 19th century full-length ballets, Coppelia tells the story of Dr. Coppelius, his beloved and lifelike doll and the frantic comedy that results when a local villager falls in love with the doll. With its charming score, elaborate costumes and set, whimsical storyline and tantalizing choreography, Coppelia is a ballet sure to enchant the entire family.

Comedy on a more adult scale takes the stage later in the month, when the Phil presents The Full Monty. Based on the 1997 Academy Award-nominated hit film, the show centers on six unemployed steel workers who are looking for a way to raise money to help a friend in need. When the women in town start enthusing about a male strip show at a local club – where the dancers stripped to G-strings – the buddies decide they can make a bundle if they’re willing to go “the full Monty.”

Despite that premise, The Full Monty is less about nudity than it is about friends working together and casting aside traditional notions of themselves. When they start, they’re just ordinary guys, a little rough around the edges. They haven’t the first idea of how to put together a show, let alone how to dance or be alluring. But they persevere, overcoming their own hang-ups and fears, in order to help a troubled friend.

To bring The Full Monty to Broadway, the producers relied on a new book by Tony Award-winning author Terence McNally and music by composer David Yazbek. The collaboration created a musical filled with toe-tapping songs, loopy characters and great high spirits. It has since been presented around the world, always garnering rave reviews.

The Full Monty is recommended for ages 16 and up because of some adult language and mature themes. But the squeamish should be reassured that the brief ending moment of nudity is all but obscured by lighting effects.

Coppelia is performed January 11 and 12. The Full Monty is presented January 28-30 (evenings and matinees). For information on any of the Phil’s programs, call the box office at 597-1900.

AN ENTIRE SEASON OF PREMIERES
You might think you need to travel to a major city like New York or London to see the latest the theater world has to offer. But, this season, Neapolitans only need to drive as far as Fort Myers.

Theatre Conspiracy, the resident company of the Lee County Alliance of the Arts for the past decade, is dedicating this entire season to plays that have never been performed in Southwest Florida before. Three of the plays, in fact, have never been performed anywhere in the world!

Those familiar with Theatre Conspiracy know that world premieres are nothing new for the company. Artistic director Bill Taylor instituted a new play competition in 1998, and the group has had at least one world premiere each season since then. But as the success of the competition grew, drawing more and more entries, Taylor saw the chance to create a season of new plays.

“The shows are just that good,” Taylor explains. “We always look at plays available from Dramatist and Samuel French and the other companies, and they’re okay. But these new playwrights have a fresher, more exciting take on things.”

Theatre Conspiracy began its season with Virgin Tears on Wyoming Avenue, a world premiere play that examined the nature of miracles through the eyes of three estranged sisters. This month, the troupe presents Anton in Show Business (a Southwest Florida premiere), a comedy about three actresses pursuing their dream of performing Chekov in Texas.

That’s followed by Signs of Life (world premiere), all about a magical tattoo and loosely based on the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah; Touch of Rapture (regional premiere), an allegorical fantasy in which the gift of sculpting is passed from person to person; Leap (regional premiere), which looks at the way reality pulls us back from fantasy; and The Exile (world premiere), a humorous story about a man who’s turning into a pigeon.

Producing a brand new play isn’t generally more taxing, Taylor says, so long as the script is solid and complete. There are, however, distinct differences. “You do have more communication with the playwrights,” he notes, “and it’s nice to get to bounce ideas off of them. If I’m doing Shakespeare, I obviously can’t call him on the phone to see what he had in mind. More changes are apt to happen with the script, but it’s also more interesting.”

Theatre Conspiracy’s growing reputation for presenting new works has had positive ramifications. The first year, Taylor received 57 entries. This past year, that climbed to 214, and scripts are coming from as far away as Brazil, Japan and Czechoslovakia.

The acting pool is also increasing. Although Theatre Conspiracy is a community theater troupe (which means the actors volunteer their time), the chance to perform in exciting and cutting edge plays is encouraging those who are professional to make the commitment.

“We have an ever expanding pool of actors,” Taylor says. “And we hold open auditions to get fresh blood.”

Each of the world premiere productions includes post-play discussions involving the audience, cast, director and playwright. Taylor’s ultimate goal is to implement what he calls the American Theater Connection, in which companies across the country would coordinate schedules and commit to producing new works.

“So many companies limit their new works to world premieres,” Taylor explains. “This would create more of a circuit for new plays, after that premiere. It’s a very exciting prospect, and I think it would be great for Fort Myers and all of Southwest Florida.”

To find out more about Theatre Conspiracy’s season or for tickets, visit the company’s website at HYPERLINK http://www.theatreconspiracy.org or call (239) 936-3239.

RECAPTURING THE MUSIC AND SPIRIT OF THE '60s
As in past years, the arrival of January brings an original Monday night/Saturday afternoon cabaret show to the Naples Dinner Theatre. Having previously explored the music of Sinatra, Broadway and the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘70s, artistic director Michael Wainstein now turns his attention to the Sexy Sixties.

The 1960s were a pivotal time in American culture and society. The placid innocence of the ‘50s was giving way to an increased interest in politics and calls for more individual freedoms. Naturally, that began to be reflected in the music of the times. But, where much of the ‘60s became a rant, the Sexy Sixties is a celebration of the music that made America smile.

“We wanted our review to celebrate the music that was heard on doorsteps, in dance clubs and at teen parties,” Wainstein explains. “We want to remember the politics, the culture, the fashions, but through the lens of the music.”

In crafting a review like this, selecting which music to feature is the hardest part. “There are so many great songs, it’s hard to keep the show under six hours!” Wainstein notes. “But 90 minutes is all we have, so we narrow down the list. We decided to concentrate on the period between 1960-1968. By 1968, music was changing.”

The Sexy Sixties will highlight music from Motown, including that by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson and his band of Brothers, and the bee-bop that formed the core of pop music of the time.

Sexy Sixties is presented Monday nights and Saturday afternoons, from January 8-April 18. During the week, Victor/Victoria continues through January 23. For tickets or information for either show, call the Naples Dinner Theatre at 514-7827.

THE MATHMATICS OF FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Mathematics might seem a boring topic for the stage, but in the hands of playwright David Ashburn, mathematical proofs become a metaphor for self-validation – as audiences will find out with the Naples Players’ production of Proof.

“Proof is probably one of the strongest new plays that’s been written, as is evident by its Tony and Pulitzer awards,” says artistic director Dallas Dunnagan. “It’s a great opportunity for our actors to sink their teeth into a play that’s both funny and dramatic.”

The story of Proof revolves around Catherine, a brilliant young mathematician who is haunted by the idea that she may have inherited her father’s insanity along with his genius. When one of her father’s former students challenges her to prove her brilliance, at the same time that her sister is urging her to leave math behind, Catherine has to redefine who she is and where her true genius lays.

New York director Steve Ditmyer is directing the Players’ version of the play. “That’s very exciting,” notes Dunnagan. “He brings a lot of experience of working with actors and actor training. That’s a very valuable thing to bring to a play that’s actor-driven.”

Proof opens January 12 and runs through February 5, on the main stage in Blackburn Hall, Sugden Community Theatre. For tickets or information, call 263-7990.

On January 29 at 2 p.m., the Players are also holding open auditions for Collected Stories. This show will run from March 30-April 17, in the Tobye Studio. The cast is comprised of two women, one 50s-60s and the other 20s-30s. No appointment is required. To find out more, call 434-7340 ext. 10.

Finally, the Sugden continues its Films on Fifth program with a January 16 showing of King of Masks. This Chinese film follows master mask maker Bian Lian as he seeks an heir to whom he can pass on his secrets. A brief talk precedes the screening. For tickets or information, call 263-7990.

THE ARTISTRY OF DRESSING WELLl
Artists commonly fulfill their visions on canvas or with clay. But for Dot Auchmoody, art is what results when she gets her hands on an interesting swath of fabric.

The resident costume designer for the Naples Players, Auchmoody has developed the reputation of being something of a kind-hearted magician in her two years on staff. She has overseen shows calling for zoot suits and Renaissance doublets, 1940s elegance, 1950s simplicity and everyday contemporary wear, both casual and quirky. Last fall, she and her team of sewers created the turn-of-the-century look so vital to the Players’ production of A Little Night Music. Yet, despite generally having only six weeks to costume a show, she has remained upbeat, approachable and delightfully modest.

“The most important part of what I do isn’t seeing my designs on stage – although that’s thrilling,” Auchmoody says. “The most important part is the nurturing environment at the Players and the teamwork we have. There was a dress in A Little Night Music that seven different women worked on, and they could all take pride in that. That’s what’s wonderful about the Players. You get people from every background, from having sewn costumes on Broadway to just being able to rip out a seam. And every skill level is encouraged.”

While the teamwork is vital, Auchmoody is very much the guiding light. She begins the process of costuming a show by reading the script and, drawing on her psychology degree, jotting down her impressions of the characters. She then meets with the director to determine his or her vision.

“I like to listen and I try to listen really well to what the director is seeing, so that I have a mental image of the overall feeling and mood,” she explains. “Then I kind of do my homework.”

That homework involves researching clothing from the play’s particular period. For modern day, she turns to magazines. For period pieces it might be books or the Internet. All the while, Auchmoody is processing images and considering character, textures and colors, until a complex and clear picture emerges.

For A Little Night Music, artistic director Dallas Dunnagan and Auchmoody decided to key certain characters to particular colors and season. The ingénue was envisioned as spring, all fresh and shades of pink. An older lead took on the hues of autumn and her own fiery personality. An unhappy character in her prime was fitted to summer but in the grey tones of a rainy day, a suitable echo for her sorrow. And the senior woman who naturally evoked winter was outfitted in mauves and lavenders to indicate she was once young but had now become a fading blossom. The male characters were similarly coded to their partners.

That complexity was involving, but the greatest challenge may have been building the costumes. There are no books with patterns for making turn-of the-century clothes. But Auchmoody managed to find an old tome that had scaled tailor’s drawings from the time.

“The tailor would take the measurements of a client and use special rulers in the back of the book to scale up the design,” she explains. “So that’s what we did. We had one volunteer who did nothing but blow these things up for us. None of them had sewing instructions, so you just had to fall back on the skills you learned from basic sewing. It was like putting together a puzzle.”

That combination of creativity and challenge is what drives Auchmoody. Although she became involved in theater as a youngster, she fell into costume design rather by accident when she was named an assistant to the costumer for the Gilbert and Sullivan troupe in Waterbury, Connecticut. When that person left, she inherited the post. Meanwhile, she was continuing to audition for local community theaters – who tapped her costuming talents as soon as they discovered them.

Then it became time for a “real” job and Auchmoody segued into display design for Filene’s. She stayed with them for 16 years, working her way up the corporate ladder, while theater fell to the sidelines. “After I hit my head on the glass ceiling one too many times, I’d had enough,” she recalls.

Auchmoody left Filene’s and accepted a position with Mettler’s, which brought her to Naples. When Mettler’s decided to close, Auchmoody found herself unemployed – just as the Players were seeking a costume designer.

“I had no professional training, but Dallas took a chance on me,” she says. “She has given me tremendous freedom in being creative. That was something I looked for in my career.

“My father is a vocational counselor,” Auchmoody continues. “He always said, ‘Do what you love to do and get paid well for it.’ I’m finally doing what my dad told me to do. The show I’ve just finished is the one I’m proudest of. But my favorite show is the one I haven’t built yet. The next challenge is always my favorite thing to do.”

To view Dot Auchmoody’s artistry you only need attend a Naples Players performance. To volunteer to help bring these visions to the stage, contact Becky Troop, volunteer coordinator for the Players, at 434-7340 extension 14.

A FULL MONTH OF ARTS
The Art League of Bonita Springs is nothing if not ambitious. This month, the group opens three exhibitions, organizes its annual National Arts Festival, offers a family day and hosts its fund-raising ball. That hefty schedule translates into lots of arts opportunities for all sorts of differing tastes.

First up is the Annual Members Juried Exhibition, which features works by artists from throughout Southwest Florida. Included are various 2- and 3-D media. Toward the end of the month, the group presents tandem exhibits of works from the Southwest Florida Pastel Society and the News-Press Photographers. As always, all exhibitions begin with receptions from 6-8 p.m. on opening night.

Mid-month, the group brings its annual Bonita Springs National Arts Festival to the Promenade. This popular show and sale (which repeats in March) features works by 199 artists from throughout the world, working in a wide range of media.

On January 23, the league’s center hosts Sunday Afternoon 1-3, a monthly opportunity for families to view artist demonstrations and try their own hands at creating art together. The month wraps up with another special annual event – the Beaux Arts Masque Ball. This Mardi Gras-like evening will be held at the Registry Resort and features dinner, dancing and silent and live auctions. Don’t forget your mask!

The Annual Members Juried Exhibition runs from January 7-20. The Southwest Florida Pastel Society and the News-Press Photographers exhibitions are set for January 27-February 3. The Bonita Springs National Arts Festival takes place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on January 15 & 16. The Beaux Arts Masque Ball takes place January 28. For information on any of the events, call the Art League of Bonita Springs/Center for the Arts at 495-8989.

THE ART OF PORTRAITURE
In 1962, the U.S. Congress mandated that the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s mission should be to collect portraits of “men and women who have made significant contributions to the history, development and culture of the people of the United States.” Finding portraits of men who fit that description proved fairly easy. Locating portraits of groundbreaking women, however, was a greater challenge.

Despite the difficulty, the gallery was determined to compile a collection that would truly reflect the contributions of women to this country. Dogged searches eventually discovered portraits of such notables as Marian Anderson at her 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert (arranged after she had been denied the right to sing in Constitution Hall), social activist Margaret Sanger, author Harriet Beecher Stowe and 19th century actress Charlotte Cushman.

Now Neapolitans have a chance to see 68 of the gallery’s portraits in American Women: A Selection from the National Portrait Gallery, at the Naples Museum of Art. Rendered in various media, the exhibition ranges from Susan B. Anthony to Sandra Day O’Connor and from Rosa Parks to Marilyn Monroe.

American Women: A Selection from the National Portrait Gallery opens January 7 and runs through April 3. Also featured are Amazing Men. Courage, Insight, Endurance: Photographs by Joyce Tenneson of Men 60 and Over (through January 30); Victor Vasarely: Founder of Op Art (through April 3) and permanent exhibitions Correalism: Modern Art and Architectural Design; Masters of Miniature; and Modern Mexican Masters. The Phil Galleries, meanwhile, present The Grand Tour in Miniature—British Royalty. For information on any of the Naples Museum of Art or Phil exhibitions, call 597-1900.

LATIN RHYTHMS
This month, the Art League of Marco Island turns to artists whose work is influenced by their Latin American roots. South of the Border features works by Lina Amashta, Christina Lyon, Dania Sierra and Oswaldo Ventura.

Although the influence of heritage can often be subtle, for some artists it is a dominant theme. Ventura, for instance, fills his canvasses with the colors and images of his native Peru. Even in his more abstract works, the shades and hues of his childhood dominate.

South of the Border opens with a reception, January 9, from 4-5:30 p.m. As an adjunct to the exhibition, Juan Munera from the Studio Fine Art Gallery, will present a lecture on Styles of Latin Art & Artists, at 3 p.m. on that date. The exhibition continues through January 26.

In addition, the league hosts its 17th Annual Winter Art & Craft Show on January 22 & 23. This non-juried show features works in various media, created by member artists. For more information on any of the programs, call the Art League of Marco Island at 394-4221.

SEEING AND DOING
This month and into the next, the Naples Art Association not only offers the chance to view stunning works by two established artists; the group also presents opportunities to try your hand at creating similar works.

Hugh O’Donnell: New Drawings from the Body Echo Series features recent drawings inspired by growth and movement in nature and the physiological processes of the human body. O’Donnell reinterprets such commonplace processes as blood pumping through the heart or a swimmer’s coordinated rhythms in large scale works on paper.

In conjunction with this exhibit, the NAA is presenting Hugh O’Donnell: The Growing Things Workshop. Participants will be given fruit and vegetables and asked, through their art, to take a closer look at the dynamic structure and design.

A similar approach will be taken with the exhibition Josette Urso: Circle Collage and the artist’s workshop, Collage to Painting/Minimal to Maximal. The exhibit will feature Urso’s dynamic collages, comprised of clipped images relating to the complexities of human experience and cycles of life. The workshop will focus on using collage as a means of sketching and as a springboard to painting.

Hugh O’Donnell: The Growing Things Workshop runs from January 8-29. His workshop is presented on January 21 and 22. Josette Urso: Circle Collage opens January 8 and continues through February 27. Her workshop is set for February 14-18.

This month, the von Liebig Art Center also hosts several lectures. The Frank Cooper series (January 4, 11 & 18) focuses on The Golden Ages of Art in Rome. On January 20, Roger Dell explores Cultural Dead End or Scaling New Heights: Have Museums Lost Their Way? And the January 10 brown bag lecture features Jim Chamberlain and The Art of Travel Photography. For information on any of the programs or exhibits, contact the von Liebig Art Center at 262-6517.

MUSIC- IN ALL ITS VARIATIONSThere’s little doubt season is upon us in full. All month, the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall will be hopping with concerts and shows.

While there are numerous classical and orchestral concerts to delight serious music aficionados, three scheduled shows promise something a little bit different. First up is a concert by Neil Sedaka. Baby boomers will recall such 1960s Sedaka hits as “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” and “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” But less well known are the performer’s classical roots and his prolific songwriting. This concert is a chance to experience them both.

Sedaka is followed by Smokey Joe’s Café, the longest running Broadway review in history. Set in an idealized ‘50s environment, the show is built around the songs of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, the songwriting duo known as “the Rodgers and Hammerstein of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Among the golden oldies featured are “Jail House Rock,” “Yakety Yak” and “Hound Dog.”

Toward the end of the month, the Mann hosts another unique and rocking musical – Movin’ Out. A happy collaboration between Grammy winner Billy Joel and cutting edge choreographer Twyla Tharp, this show follows five friends through the course of two turbulent decades.

Neil Sedaka performs in concert on January 13. Smokey Joe’s Café takes the stage for one night only on January 14. Movin’ Out moves in on January 18 and runs through January 23. For tickets or more information, call the Mann box office at (239) 481-4849 or visit the hall’s website at HYPERLINK http://www.bbmannpah.com.

CELEBRATING CHRISTIAN MUSIC
This month Germain Arena hosts a concert sure to appeal to Christian music devotees: the Gaithers’ Homecoming Concert. Part of the Gaithers’ Sunshine Tour 2005, the concert will feature musical performances by 14 different groups. For tickets, call Germain Arena at 948-7825 or visit the website at HYPERLINK http://www.tecoarena.com.

© January 2005
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