Latest news with #Brecht
Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mother Courage and Her Children review — intense and intimate Brecht
This new production of Bertolt Brecht's classic brings together disparate elements to create a wondrous feat of theatrical alchemy. The only marquee name among the credits is Lee Hall, the playwright and Billy Elliot screenwriter, here returning to his native northeast with a bespoke 90-minute version of Brecht's play. Ensemble '84, which forms the bulk of the 20-strong company, is made up of Co Durham residents, assembled after a county-wide casting call, who have been rehearsing together since October. Rounding out the collaboration is the Isango Ensemble, from Cape Town, which offers artistic opportunities to people from deprived backgrounds. Hall has whittled Brecht's tale of a woman profiteering from the inflated market of a 17th-century European war down to its essence, and
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Meow Meow review – kamikaze cabaret combines clownish comedy and crooning
'I do think in 90 mins,' says the kamikaze cabaret performer Meow Meow, 'we can really make a difference.' It's a joke, clearly: in the face of encroaching tyranny and freedoms everywhere circumscribed, this blithering and eccentric diva seems unlikely to be much use. It's all she can do to get her show started, wheeling a piano effortfully onstage, replaying the whoops and cheers of bygone gigs and glories on a feeble Walkman. And yet, by the end of It's Come to This, Meow Meow – AKA Melissa Madden Gray – seems really to want to ask: what, in such ominous times, should the artist do? You can see why the question might concern her, engaged as she is with the songs of the Weimar era (Brecht and Weill's Ballad of the Soldier's Wife gets an outing here). Elsewhere, our big-haired, boundaries-free host twins chanson with clownish comedy in unique combination, now crooning Jacques Brel, now crawling cleavage-first over the shoulders of her crowd. As audience members are press-ganged on stage to fondle and manhandle its star, the show (with piano by Ben Dawson) can seem like an experiment to see how battily you can behave before the song you're singing is eclipsed entirely. The answer is: quite a lot, if your voice is as ravishing an instrument as Meow Meow. Occasionally, the shtick subsides and we get to really savour it. Equally often, that voice seeks attention for itself at the expense of the song. Latterly, the show devolves into worrisome political inquiry, as our host frets about the rise of nazism and Walter Benjamin's thoughts on the angel of history. Knowing what we know of the 1930s, what should we do now similar storm clouds are gathering? Her words 'I don't know' resounding like a siren, Meow Meow raises the alarm, but offers few answers. At Soho Theatre, London, until 24 May.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business returning to Conneaut building
CONNEAUT — Business has been returning to the building on 216 Main St. after it was vacated for two to three months. Businesses in the building were ordered to vacate Jan. 10, after discovery of roof damage and sagging showed possible dangers for building tenants Owned by Amayah Investors LLC, the building had four tenants: Cricket Wireless, Blackheart Tattoo, Community Counseling Center and a State Farm office. Roof sagging was first noticed by CCC, who alerted the Conneaut Fire Department and Ashtabula County Building Department to the damage. The damage likely came from snow accumulated over the Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm and winter. Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said the building's owner communicated well with the city when the issue was brought up. 'The owner has been extremely responsive, which is absolutely appreciated,' he said. County Building Department Commercial Building Official Thomas Congdon said the owner was given permission to shore up the building. Sanford said the building's owner went to Smolen Engineering, of Jefferson, 'to develop a plan to stabilize and rehabilitate damage from the November storm.' State Farm Insurance Agent Chris Brecht, who oversees the Main Street office, said he and his employees worked remotely for around three months. Brecht said in-person meetings were arranged with many older customers, who preferred them. State Farm returned to servicing customers at the building around the end of March and beginning of April, Brecht said. Customers are happy to see the State Farm running from its office again, he said. Brecht said his employees are generally happy with the return too. 'They're excited to be back and meeting customers face to face as well,' he said. Brecht said he has seen the tattoo parlor operating again at the building, but has not seen Cricket Wireless and CCC operating at the building. Blackheart Tattoo, CCC and Cricket Wireless could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Conneaut remembers Bob Marcy
CONNEAUT — City residents are remembering Bob Marcy, who died Tuesday. Marcy was a fourth-generation owner of Marcy Funeral Home, and a major part of the Conneaut community for decades. Marcy was a member of the Conneaut Rotary Club, where he served as a board member and president, according to his obituary. The Rotary Club was notified the morning he passed, club secretary Wendy DuBey said. 'Everybody was really shook up,' she said. Rotary Club board member Chris Brecht knew Marcy all his life, he said. 'Professionally, I've known him probably for the last 30 years, and worked with him closely,' he said. Brecht remembered working with Marcy at First Congregational United Church of Christ, which they both attended. 'He had continued all the way up until last week, being involved in various activities throughout the community,' Brecht said. Brecht said Marcy was involved in fundraising for the local fire and ambulance services, and starting the Band-O-Rama fundraiser for the Conneaut Music Boosters through the Rotary Club. 'There isn't a project in Conneaut that Bob Marcy wasn't involved in, in some way, shape or form,' he said. According to the Rotary Club's announcement of Marcy's passing, he also started the Friends of Conneaut Creek, the Lakeview Christmas Card Project and the Project Pride Award. 'Bob is someone who has brought numerous ideas and suggestions to the community and made sure they happened,' Brecht said. 'Many of those things were before I was even born, much less old enough to be involved in.' Marcy started a Conneaut Newspaper called HomeTown News around 1985 with future Conneaut Mayor Lew Shiley. Patrick Williams worked as a reporter and editor at the paper, saying it lasted for around five years and focused only on Conneaut, having no wire content. Williams first met Marcy when he worked for the News Herald in 1968, he said. 'Over the years, we got to be really good friends,' he said. Williams said Marcy was a very compassionate person. 'I've never seen a man work so hard to try to please the people of his community,' he said. Williams was surprised to hear of Marcy's passing, he said. 'He's going to be missed,' he said. Rotary Club President-elect and Conneaut Area City Schools Superintendent Lori Riley said Marcy's death is a loss to the community and the school district. 'I know him as a grandpa, who'd come in and watch sports,' she said. 'When we redid the gym, he was very happy that we had put the new rails up, so he could get up and down the bleachers.' Riley recounted the last time she talked to Marcy. 'I had a great conversation with him at the Rotary,' Riley said. 'He just expressed gratitude in the band and how well the program's grown.' Riley will miss seeing Marcy at district events, she said. CACS board member Penny Armeni gave condolences to Marcy's family at a Wednesday board meeting. '[He] will definitely be missed in the community for everything that he's done,' Armeni said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials waiting on engineer's report on vacated building
Jan. 28—CONNEAUT — Local officials are still waiting on a final engineers report on a Main Street building vacated earlier this month, according to Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford and Ashtabula County Building Safety Inspector Thomas Congdon. The building had been ordered vacated after the county and city found roof damage, which could have spread to the whole building. The Main Street building houses a State Farm Office, Cricket Wireless and Community Counseling Center. Those businesses have either had to shut down, operate remotely or move locations since the vacate order. The CCC was where the roof damage was first noticed. Amayah Investors LLC, the contractors the building owners' brought in, worried about the damage. From there, local officials also came in and put out the order. There was major sagging in CCC's ceiling, Conneaut Fire Chief Steve Lee said at the time. Congdon said he had speculated the damage came from snowmelt, especially from the Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm. The engineer's report will establish a cause for the damage, and how dangerous it is to the rest of the building. Congdon said whatever the next steps are depends on what the engineer's report says. What the engineer's report finds will affect when the businesses will reopen. The CCC directed Conneaut residents to call or reach out to its Ashtabula office if they needed help. At the time, the CCC looked for a temporary headquarters in Conneaut as well. The State Farm Office is headed by insurance agent Chris Brecht, who said he and his employees have adapted to working remotely. "We're getting by just fine, until they can come up with a plan for what to do," he said. Brecht said employees have also been able to take calls out just fine. The State Farm office is relying on a secure night box for its payments and mail, he said. "People can drop payments off," Brecht said. The Cricket Wireless shut its doors because of the order.
