Theatre Arts, Drama Club Students to Present James McLure’s ‘The Day They Shot John Lennon’

The Montgomery County Community College Theatre Arts and Drama Club students will present James McLure’s “The Day They Shot John Lennon” on April 19, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m., and on April 21 and 22 at 2 p.m. in the Black Box Theater, lower level of the Science Center, Central Campus, Blue Bell.

“The Day They Shot John Lennon” is a comedy that follows nine strangers who come together just outside the spot where Lennon died on Dec. 8, 1980. Their lives collide, and they find they are not alone in opening their eyes to “imagine all the people” whom they otherwise might have missed. This play contains adult language and themes.

The cast includes Marissa Gerhart, Khadijah Graves, Vince Fittipaldi, Colin O’Gorman, Khalil Lewis, Micah Nihart, Kevin Akins, David Robbins, and Mike Robinson; the production staff incudes Martin Gentry, Nathan Prellwitz, Lauren Garvey, Jonathan Holness, Serina DeMello, Kevin Blankenship, and  Annie Grabenstein.  Theater Assistant Professor Michael Whistler serves as the advisor of the Drama Club; Theatre Production Workshop is under the direction of Theater Instructor Tim Gallagher.

Whistler, assisted by Eliasaf Addison, directs the play, and Theater Production Workshop students created and built all elements of the production.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. For information and tickets, visit www.mc3.edu/livelyarts or call 215-641-6518.

Students Mike Robinson and Marissa Gerhart will perform as characters Brian and Fran, respectively, in the upcoming production of James McLure’s “The Day They Shot John Lennon." Photo by Tori Brown

Check Out December’s Lively and Visual Arts

by Diane VanDyke

Alumni/Faculty Art

The College is showcasing the work of its art faculty members and selected art alumni at its annual exhibition that opens Nov. 29 and continues through Dec. 17 in the Fine Arts Center Gallery at the Central Campus.

More than 45 art faculty members and about 40 art alumni are invited to participate in the exhibition and sale. A special meet-the-artists reception will be held Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 5-7 p.m. The show and reception are free of charge and are open to the public.

The exhibition includes a full-range of media, including ceramics, sculptures, oil paintings, water colors, drawings, photography, digital arts and mixed media.

Some of the participating alumni artists include:

  • Alumnus Matthew Phillips-Shaw, who won first prize last year during the College’s Student Art Show, and is studying ceramics at Alfred University, NY, where he was awarded The Art Portfolio Scholarship, will have his ceramic pieces on display;
  • Alumna Alicia Mann, who won grand prize during the Student Art Show and is attending the Maryland Institute College of Art on scholarship, will have an interactive sculpture piece on exhibit that will involve visitor participation;
  • Alumnus Paul Gabage, an advocate of the Capital Campaign for the Fine Arts Center, will display “Self-Portrait Vanitas”; and
  • Alumnus Mark Pomilio, an Assistant Professor who teaches Painting and Drawing at Arizona State University in the Fine Arts, is exhibiting a hanging scroll, charcoal on paper, 60 inches high by 30 inches wide.

For more information about the College’s galleries, contact Gallery Director Holly Cairns at 215-619-7349 or hcairns@mc3.edu.

Among the faculty artwork on display is "Gravity" by Walter Plotnick.

A Christmas Carol

Start the holiday season with a free performance of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” on Friday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theater at the Central Campus. Theater Arts faculty member Jared Reed-Biehl will perform the acting version that Dickens created for this tale of redemption in which Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three convincing spirits.

The performance is free but advanced reservations are required. Visit www.mc3.edu/livelyarts or call 215-641-6518.

Choral Society of Montgomery County

Choral Society

The Choral Society of Montgomery County will perform its Holiday Concert on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m. in the Science Center Theater at the Central Campus.

Founded in 1982, the Choral Society has presented concerts and workshops in almost every township and borough in Montgomery County, as well as in the greater Philadelphia area.

The group has also toured internationally in venues located in the former Soviet Union, Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Wales.

This adult ensemble’s repertoire includes an array of styles from the Renaissance to the contemporary, from sacred masses and opera to folksongs and spirituals.

For more information and tickets, visit www.mc3.edu/livelyarts or call 215-641-6518.

Performing Arts Showcase

The community is invited to the Humanities Division’s fall semester Performing Arts Showcase on Dec. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the Science Center Theater at the Central Campus.  The showcase features the work of students in Music, Dance and the Theatre Arts.

A matinee preview will be held on Monday, Dec. 6, at 12:30 p.m. for the college and community. All three performances are free of charge.

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, the show will feature the College choir, which will perform several selections from Handel’s Messiah. The choir will be joined by the brand-new Chamber Strings ensemble.

The show on Thursday, Dec. 9, will be headlined by the College’s Jazz Ensemble performing a wide variety of works.

Both shows will include performances by the Dance Performance Ensemble, the Guitar Ensemble, The Theater Arts Program, and the Chamber Choir. As a special treat, the West Campus Choir will also be featured during the Wednesday evening performance.

The Showcase is presented at the end of every semester. For the Spring Semester, the showcase  will be held April 22, 25, 27 and 28 and will be part of an expanded “Arts Festival.”  In coordination with the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, the showcase will include material inspired by the theme of “Paris at the turn of the Century” and will include a performance of Gabriel Faure’s famous “Pavane” re-imagined for the 21st century.

For more information, contact Andrew Kosciesza at 215-641-6336 or akoscies@mc3.edu.

The Central Campus Jazz Ensemble performed in the spring. Photo by Matt Carlin