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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 23, 2005 LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT OSW’s ‘Ebenezer Who?’ puts humbug back into the holidays The director (Michael Meyer) rehearses with his cast members in OSW’s “Ebenezer Who?” Photos by Helga Motley “Ebenezer Who?” will open at the Oregon Stage Works on Friday at 8 p.m. The play is a comedy by Emmy-nominated Ashland writer S.S. Schweitzer. “Ebenezer Who?” wants to put the “Bah! Humbug!” back in Christmas,” says the play’s director, Wendy Spurgeon. A volatile New York director takes over a small-town theater’s popular, resolutely inoffensive production of “A Christmas Carol” and tries to remake it for the new millennium. What results, Spurgeon says, is an outrageous, tender and hysterical mix. “Think ‘Christmas Carol’ meets ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ meets ‘Quantum Leap.’” “We can laugh,” Spurgeon says, “as we watch people’s old, comfortable ways keep reasserting themselves, often at odd moments. But change is also hard and sometimes very necessary.” Like Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Spurgeon notes, “Ebenezer Who?” is a story about humanity and redemption. And like “A Christmas Carol,” the play asks its audience to consider what Christmas means. Spurgeon calls “Ebenezer Who?” a tribute to local theater: “not only the behind-the-scenes stuff that everyone likes to hear about, but also the work, the sacrifices, the way people come together from all portions of the community to create this thing together.” For Spurgeon, the labor and love the play talks about are all the more present in this production because its author is working closely with her and the cast. “A Christmas Carol” gets reworked in OSW’s “Ebenezer Who?” Schweitzer is the recipient of a Humanitas Award and numerous Emmy nominations for his work in television and film. He has written over 200 television scripts, including scripts for “Baretta,” “Cannon” and “Mod Squad.” His television movies include “The Amazing Nelly Bly,” “The Deerslayer” and “A Clear and Present Danger.” Noted performer Don Dolan plays the part of the mysterious new actor who appropriates the role of Scrooge. In his 40-year career, Dolan has appeared in 38 television shows (including a seven-year stint on “General Hospital), 39 musicals, 25 plays and 15 feature and television movies. He last appeared at OSW in “The Fantasticks.” Cast member Michael Meyer is also well-known to Rogue Valley audiences. Meyer, who appeared in the film “Indigo,” recently directed works in the “Ten-Minute Play Slam” held by the Ashland New Plays Festival at OSW. Also joining the cast are Rochelle Savitt, who is new to the area but a veteran of Southern California’s South Coast Repertory, Grace Katzmar, Jennifer Koch, Jamison Challeen, Larry Roher, Richard Jensen, Kacie Abercrombie and Jeff Lewis. Director Wendy Spurgeon, who is a choreographer and performer as well, has worked for the the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Rogue Opera, Rogue Music Theatre, Camelot Theatre, Ashland Community Theatre, and the Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts. She teaches dance at Ashland High School and acting at OCPA. The stage manager for “Ebenezer Who?” is Melanie Dahl. Greg Coleman and Ethan Knowles, veterans of numerous OSW productions, are in charge of light design and stage design respectively. Audience members willing to take part in the play’s “cattle call” audition scene will earn special $10 tickets and, says Schweitzer, “the rare chance to put a role in a world premiere on their resumes.” Please mention “cattle call” seats when making reservations. No emoting, singing or dancing required; seats are limited. Spurgeon warns that a few colorful expressions in the play might trouble very young or tender ears. Nonetheless, she says, “Ebenezer Who?” offers the entire family “an exciting, entertaining chance to confront its ‘inner Scrooge’ and celebrate the season together.” “Ebenezer Who?” will run at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 1. Tickets are $17 ($10 for students and for cattle call seats) at Grocery Outlet in Medford and the Music Coop in Ashland. Oregon Stage Works is located in Ashland’s A Street Marketplace. For more information and reservations, call 482-2334. Plannend Parenthood's Teen Theatre group performs at the Unitarian Center Saturday. Submitted photo Teen Theatre show addresses bullying, relationships and respect Planned Parenthood’s Teen Theatre will perform their show "Be Nice To Me!" at the Unitarian Center on November 26 at 7:30 p.m. Focusing on bullying, harassment, relationships and respect, the teens take a close look at the social life of middle school students. Bullying can be emotional, as well as physical, and comes in many forms such as exclusion, rumors and harassment. "Be Nice to Me!" sheds light on some of these issues that often go on unseen by adults. With a blend of heartfelt true-to-life stories, outrageous humor and music, Planned Parenthood’s Teen Theatre has earned much acclaim, including state and national awards, and a loyal local following. "Be Nice to Me" is directed by Cil Stengel. The Unitarian Center is located at 4th and C streets in Ashland. Tickets available at the door. The show is free for ages 14 and under, with general admission at $5 and $3 for high students. For more information call 770-3330 Ext. 1013. St. Clair season picks up again in February St. Clair Productions’ 2005-06 concert season will continue in February with songwriter Utah Phillips. Phillips is a songwriter, storyteller, roustabout and political anarchist. He’s 70 years old and still hard at work sharing songs and ideas that make people think. He recently released Starlight on the Rails — a songbook, 4 CD set with 61 songs and a 12-page booklet with introductions and pictures. Phillips plays on Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Celtic fiddler Alisdair Fraser , above will perform with cellist Natalie Haas will perform on March 24. Submitted photo Political anarchist/songwrither Utah Phillips hits Ashland Feb. 2. Submitted photo The season began Nov. 12 with fingerstyle guitarists Alex de Grassi and Sandor Szabo. It continued on Nov. 19 with two female songwriters, Laura Love and Jen Todd. The Sixth Anual Rogue Valley Blues Festival will take place Jan. 13 to 15. Ninety-year-old David “Honeyboy” Edwards will perform his Mississippi Delta music on Friday’s acoustic concert. He’s joined by Michael Frank on harmonica. Walker T. Ryan will open the show, followed by Mary Flower, who performs various styles of acoustic blues. Little Charlie and the Nightcats will perform on Sarurday, along with Ellen Sheeley and the Blues Express. Hands-on workshops and free performances at Standing Stone and Alex’s will be available on Saturday and Sunday. A children’s stage will be available on Saturday (place TBA). The main events will take place at the Historic Ashland Armory. David Roth closes out the St. Clair season on April 7. Submitted photo Celtic harpist and storyteller Patrick Ball will perform Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Carrying on two of the most cherished traditions of Celtic culture, Ball plays the ancient brass-string harp of Ireland and tells tales of wit and enchatment. Vocalist Shabda Khan and friends will perform March 3 at 8 p.m. Kahn is the spiritual director of the Sufi Ruhaniat International Society, director of the Chisti Sabri School of Music and a disciple of the Tibetan Buddhist Master, the 12th Tai Situpa Rinpoche. Kahn sent 24 years developing as a vocalist under the guidance of the late Pandit Pran Nath. On Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Kahn will lead a workshop entitled “Passion for the Goal, Equanimity for What Arises.” Fiddler Alisdair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas will perform March 24 at 8 p.m. This duo’s performances have been featured on nationally-broadcast radio programs, including Thistle & Shamrock and Mountain Stage. They have created a buzz among Celtic music lovers at festivals and concerts across the U.S. and Europe. The final concert will feature David Roth on April 7 at 8 p.m. Roth’s concerts are filled with inspiring songs and stories that celebrate ordinary people who do extraordinary things, the trials and tribulations of living in our crazy and complicated world, personal relationships, psychology and spirituality, ranging from poignant to hilarious, and everything in between. For details on these concerts and to purchase tickets, see www.stclairevents.com or call 535-3562. Ignition Gallery revs up in Talent By Melanie Rutschman For the Tidings “Man’s Best Friend,” exemplifies the spirit of motor-related art at the new gallery. Submitted photo A new addition to Talent’s growing art community just sprouted in the residential community on Talent Avenue. The Ignition Gallery of Car and Motorcycle Art, owned by Pete McCusker and Mark MacDougall opened its doors to the public on Oct. 21. McCusker and MacDougall just hosted the gallery’s grand opening ceremony on Nov. 12. The gallery presents a diverse collection of car and motorcycle paintings, prints, and small sculptures to the community. It is composed of more than 50 works by 16 top artists from across the U.S. and Canada. The work of two local artists, Will Storm and Guy Knorr, is currently on display. The gallery is furnished with chairs designed by Muller, a comfy sofa, and a cushy bench to provide relaxation for the viewers. “One complaint that a lot of people have,” said McCusker, “is that there’s no place to sit in a gallery.” “So we thought, we’re going to put some chairs in here so people can linger a little longer,” said MacDougall. The comfortable seating has inspired the gallery to launch the Second Saturday Gallery Sit for each month. Refreshments will be provided at each Second Saturday Gallery Sit from noon to 6 p.m. Storm is from Ashland and is known for his photrealism. Knorr is from Talent and is recognized for his mini-chopper sculptures. Storm is the main featured artist, and a reception will be held for him on Dec. 10. He will also exhibit more of his originals and limited edition prints, along with demonstrating some of his drawing and painting techniques. Talent’s new Ignition Gallery also honors vintage sensibilities. Submitted photo McCusker and MacDougall found artists for their gallery through Internet searches. McCusker said that it would have been nearly impossible to put the collection together without the Internet. One artist that they found, Ed Golden, is a designer of cars for the Ford Motor Company. He currently lives in Detroit, Mich., but had graduated from Grants Pass High School. “We found Ed Golden and Will Storm on an Internet search, without even knowing they were local,” said McCusker. McCusker and MacDougall have lived in the Medford area for 17 years. “We wanted to try and start a business of some kind and we’ve always enjoyed art of different styles,” McCusker said. It only took them three months to completely set up the gallery. “There’s a lack of car and motorcycle art around here, despite having dealerships for both,” he said, “we thought it might be appealing to the public.” “We’re trying to get car and motorcycle art recognized to be just as worthy as other forms of art,” McCusker said. He also said that this type of art might appeal to people who may be a little less comfortable about being in an art gallery, but could relate to something basic like a car or motorcycle. “Looking for a niche for the gallery, plenty of galleries do excellent landscapes and still scenes,” said MacDougall, “we wanted to do something different.” McCusker and MacDougall have always enjoyed motorcycles and classic cars. They enjoy going to car and motorcycle shows, even though they can’t afford to buy the cars or motorcycles. “We still enjoy looking at them,” said MacDougall. “You find more modern type art designs, more abstract ones, nostalgic ones, and modern scenes, like mountain scenes,” said McClusker, “it isn’t just a vehicle you’re seeing, you’re seeing the setting that it’s in, too.” “Car and motorcycle art isn’t just a poster for your basement, it can be very fine art,” said MacDougall. All of the artists on display at the gallery are men. “We would like to get some female artists in here, if we could,” said McCusker. “We haven’t been able to find any.” McCusker and MacDougall noticed that about half of the people who came to the grand opening ceremony were women. “We thought for our opening that the artwork would appeal more to the men,” said MacDougall. “A lot of couples have been coming in here looking at the art together,” said McCusker. Teenagers have been coming into the gallery too, fascinated by the art. “We just opened, but it’s nice to see a couple kids come in, on their own,” said McCusker. “You may be surprised by what you see,” said MacDougall. Some people came in with their friends, not expecting to see anything they liked, and by the end they were impressed. “If you think you don’t like car and motorcycle art,” MacDougall said, “check it out first.” “We really appreciate what other people have done and we’re trying to share that with the rest of the valley,” said McCusker. All of the art in the gallery is either original or limited edition. There are no posters of any kind. Talent is a growing art community. Art in Talent creates a continuation of Ashland’s large art community to Medford and Jacksonville. “Get the whole Valley into it,” McCusker said. McCusker and MacDougall think that in the future, Talent can support more art. The Ignition Gallery is located at 324 Talent Ave. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ignitiongallery.com or call 535-7209. David Jacobs-Strain plays post-Thanksgiving show Jacobs-Strain MOJO Rising Workshop and Even Studio presents acoustic blues musician David Jacobs-Strain on November 26 at 8 p.m. With five recorded albums under his belt, 22-year-old Jacobs-Strain is sharing the stage nationwide with stellar performers including Joe Craven, David Lindley, John Hiatt, Richard Shindell, and Geoff Muldaur. His acclaimed style of Mississippi Delta Blues has earned him national and regional broadcast spots, including Sedge Thomas’ Westcoast Live, David Dye’s World Café, and locally, Jeff Golden’s Jefferson Exchange. His latest album, Ocean or a Teardrop, produced by Kenny Passerelli and released by Canadian label NorthernBlues, demonstrates just why Jacobs-Strain is compared favorably with blues monsters Stevie Ray-Vaughn and Leo Kottke. Online reviews are abundant, with most writers trying to dispel the focus on his age and shine a light on the incongruously mature talent he showcases regularly. Tickets are $15 advance at Ashland’s Music Coop, 181 A Street, and will be available in limited quantities at the door. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Seating is on a first come basis. The MOJO Rising Workshop and Event Studio is located at140 Lithia Way. 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