LOST IN YONKERS, by Neil Simon

September 15 – 18 at 8:00 p.m., September 19 at 2:00 p.m.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play, “Lost in Yonkers” is a touching story about finding one’s way through the tangled web of family relationships without losing a sense of self or sense of humor.  Set in Yonkers, N.Y., in 1942, the play focuses on two young brothers, Arty and Jay, left in the care of their feuding relatives, Grandma Kurnitz and Aunt Bella.  “Lost in Yonkers” epitomizes Neil Simon’s trademark mix of comedy and drama.  The New York Post hailed the play as “the best play Simon ever wrote.” 

BLITHE SPIRIT, by Noel Coward

November 17 – 20 at 8:00 p.m., November 21 at 2:00 p.m.

In this comic play, Charles and his second wife, Ruth, are haunted by the ghost of his first wife, Elvira.  To get background for a new book, author Charles and second wife Ruth light-heartedly arrange for local mystic Madame Arcati to give a séance.  Medium Madame Arcati tries to help things out by contacting the ghost.  The unfortunate result is that Charles’ first wife Elvira returns from beyond the grave to make his life something of a misery.  Ruth too gets increasingly irritated with her supernatural rival, but Madame Arcati is at her wit’s end as to how to sort things out.

ART, play by Yasmin Reza, translation by Christopher Hampton

February 16 – 19 at 8:00 p.m., February 20 at 2:00 p.m.

 “Art” is a comedy that raises questions about art and friendship among three-long-time friends.  Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive completely white painting.  Serge’s friend, Marc, is horrified and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes “art”.  Their mutual friend, Yvan, becomes caught in the middle of the conflict and tries to please and mollify both friends. 

TARTUFFE, by Moliére

April 20 – 23 at 8:00 p.m., April 24 at 2:00 p.m.

Moliere’s “Tartuffe” reveals how a religious hypocrite – an imposter – almost succeeds in his plot to jail a naïve friend and his family, thereby cheating them out of their home.  The social comedy, which lampoons false piety and hypocrites, was perennially banned.  Moliére had to use his influence with King Louis IV to get permission for the 17^th century French play to be performed in public. 

TICKETS

Theatre tickets are available for purchase through The Wichita Center for the Arts by calling the Irene Vickers Baker Theatre’s Box Office at    (316) 315-0151   .  Individuals may also purchase tickets on-site at The Wichita Center for the Arts between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or one hour prior to each performance. Single tickets are: $20 for Adults, $18 for Center members and Senior Citizens, $10 for Students. Season Tickets and Flex Season Tickets for all four shows are available for purchase through September 19.  Season ticket holders are assigned the same seat for each performance for each of the four plays.  A Season Flex Ticket allows ticketholders the option to exchange each of their four flex tickets for a reserved seat for the performance of their choice.  Flex ticket seating is assigned on a first-come, first serve seating.  Tickets may be exchanged by bringing their ticket to the performance or by calling the Box Office. Season Tickets and Flex Season Ticket are: $72.00 for Adults, $62.00 for Members and Senior Citizens. Methods of payment accepted include cash, checks, and major credit cards.

For more information, call the Irene Vickers Baker Theatre Box Office at  (316) 3… or The Wichita Center for the Arts at  (316) 6….

Artists sharing gallery space is nothing new, however, finding two artists whose work not only compliments the other but also speaks of a sincere camaraderie is infinitely rarer. Jodi Lightner and Emily Brookover have both just graduated from WSU with their Masters of Fine Arts (for which they both shared a collective sigh of relief) and have just recently been sharing gallery space for their respective MFA Thesis Exhibitions. And never has shared experience translated into such a subtly beautiful display.

Their exhibits have been on display since May 10, but if you haven’t seen it yet, never fear! Closing reception is this Final Friday, May 28, 2010, from 7-10 PM at the Shopkeeper’s Gallery, at 228 North Market Street. Even the names of their individual exhibits evoke a sense of togetherness: Emily’s “pencil me in,” and Jodi’s “Concurrent Lines.” Their friendship was evident from the first moment we spoke; forgiving my tardiness, they explained that they had arrived early simply to gossip. They also confessed that they wished they had thought to write the other’s bio, which, they assured me, would have made the bios much more interesting.

Jodi has wanted to be an artist since third grade, but she struggled with a little bit of doubt: “I thought maybe I should be a doctor or something important, but I realized in grad school that this was what I wanted to do; I also decided that I wanted to teach art in order to share what I loved.” Jodi draws and paints on pieces of mylar, creating luminous, multi-layered works of art that lend to their overal ethereal, almost eerie feel. Jodi describes her process as “using a lot of linear elements to talk about place and our experiences within a place.” The layers that I love so much in her art, which work together to create a very deceptive sense of light, are there for a deeper reason than to simply produce a particular design: “I like how layers can represent the way we perceive places, as one whole experience. There are many layers, but you can’t tell them apart, just like in our lives: the emotional, the mental…it all bleeds together.” And the underlying structure, the architecture of her work, truly blends effortlessly with the delicate colors, bringing to mind the transcendent connections hidden just behind our experiences with the physical world.

The delicacy of Jodi’s work is mirrored just as significantly in Emily’s, although her medium of choice is graphite on paper. While Jodi’s work focuses on our relationship to place, Emily has chosen to concentrate on our relationships with our things; she explained: “My work is about the things that we love to have around, and the things that we detest: the things that we connect with experiences and other people. I really draw from the personal relationships that I have with my objects.”  Her deceptively simple illustrations, and drastic use of negative space is almost a subterfuge for the weighty musings behind her art. She considers that “no object, space, or body is significant on its own.” “Most objects gain their power because of a particular moment or circumstance in which they come into a person’s life.”  And the emptiness, the almost starkness of her work, places the focus of the piece entirely on the objects. The captivating pieces catch your eye and beckon you closer; and the closer you get, the more you come to realize that her pieces truly bloom when you examine the details. While it may be “less familiar to consider objects as companions to our emotional lives,” you’ll certainly feel connected to the objects on exhibit after seeing them.

Emily and Jodi are both Kansas natives; Emily received her bachelors from KU and Jodi from Sterling. Their friendship blossomed during their MFA program at WSU, and they have definitely impacted and influenced each other during the course of their relationship. Jodi told me a little about grad school: “We had a great group of grads. Even though we all use different mediums, we throw things around and bounce ideas off of each other; we really have this great community. And Emily agreed: “Unless you’re in grad school, it’s hard to understand what it’s about. We couldn’t go to our friends or family to talk about our experiences; the only ones that really understood what it was like were our friends there.”  Their friendship sparkled as Emily finished Jodi’s sentence. “As we moved through the experience with our grads, we helped to prep each other and teach each other,” Jodi said; Emily cut in with, “and hug each other after critiques!”

Head out to the Shopkeeper’s Gallery this Final Friday to experience an exhibit with a delightful blend of symmetry and individual distinction.

Check out www.emilybrookover.com and www.jodilightner.com to check out more of their work, or shopkeepersgallery.blogspot.com for more information.

History began on the glamorous opening night of December 7th 1960. With valet parking, tuxedo doormen, and dancing to the enticing tunes of the Ted Weems orchestra, guests were welcomed like royalty. As time went on, so did the well-rounded Cotillion, which effortlessly rolled into a new generation of Rock n Roll fans with such acts as Ted Nugent and Bonnie Raitt. Followed by various Country artists in the likes of Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr and Willie Nelson (who’s still known to make appearances along with many modern artist from diverse genres today at The Cotillion). Though The famous Cotillion is more than well known in Wichita, its reputation doesn’t stop at the local level when attracting guests. Its not uncommon for many in the outskirts of western Kansas, Oklahoma and even as far as Texas to drive hours to take in a show at the historical hot-spot. But The Cotillion is not only famous for the stars and memories it holds, its also known for its unique fun shape.

Thanks to Jad Wolf, local Realtor, the concept of building The Cotillion was thrust into motion after he connected a group of 21 investors. Built in 1960, The Cotillion stands 28,500 square feet with a maximum concert capacity of 2000 persons. The unique circular design of the building is supported by large wooden beams which hold a 24 foot high domed ceiling over an 11,000 square foot floating hard-wood, dance-floor and a stage that features a distinctive neon lit band shell.

The Cotillion offers a full and fast service bar which serves mixed drinks, beer and wine. All ages are more than welcome at various events, (unless otherwise stated. Also all persons purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages must be 21 & older). Snack items such as hot dogs, nachos, pizza & popcorn are also sold at the concession stands. After all, you just might want to keep up with the high energy of an entertaining night. Depending on the size of the event, most doors open to the public 1 to 1 1/2 hours prior to the start of the show. (Handicapped persons are welcome to enter the building a few minutes prior to the opening of the doors to the general public. Also, Handicapped parking is available adjacent to the front door). Obviously, The Cotillion has a little something for everyone.

If you’re curious about upcoming acts and events or even renting The famous Cotillion for your own special event go to

http://www.thecotillion.com/