Play about Peary trek available to theaters

Play about Peary trek available to theaters

MERCER, Pa. — A play commissioned by the Mercer County Historical Society has been completed and is being made available for free to schools and theater groups to perform.

“Polarities: Honor and Dishonor in the Arctic,” was written by Cliff Brown, production manager of the Grove City College drama department. The play was commissioned by the MCHS earlier this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Admiral Robert Peary’s trip to the North Pole. Of primary interest to the Society is the role played by Dr. John Goodsell, who was the surgeon on that expedition. Goodsell was born near Pittsburgh and spent his later years at Sandy Lake, in Mercer County. His diaries, memorabilia and photographs were donated to the Society by his wife, Nancy, and can be seen at the MCHS in Mercer. A number of photographs were woven into the production.

Brown is a retired history teacher with a background in North Atlantic history. He was born in Newfoundland and has an interest in polar quests.

The MCHS will provide a review copy of the play, as well as the digital images needed to produce the show, to any interested theater group. For more information contact MCHS at info@mchspa.org or (724) 662-3490.

Ron Chick’s jazz trio, big band set dates

POLAND — Ron Chick, John Battaglia and Dave Kana have formed a jazz trio that will perform Sept. 30, and every other Tuesday night thereafter through October, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Fireplace, 2075 E. Western Reserve Road.

The trio will also perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at Selah, 130 S. Bridge St., Struthers. It’s an open-microphone event, said Chick, who welcomed other musicians to join the trio.

Ron Chick’s Friends, the big band orchestra, will hold its annual fall concert/dance at Lucianno’s Banquet Center, Wedgewood Plaza in Austintown, on Oct. 19. The 22-piece band will be joined by vocalists Bobby Remp and Rachel Joy. Call (330) 788-0494 for more information and reservations. Tables of eight are available.

Regional beers on tap at Hoyt fundraiser

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts will have its annual Brew-fest on Oct. 4 with an expanded array of more than 20 beers from a variety of regional breweries, including Great Lakes (Cleveland), East End Brewing (Pittsburgh), Rock Bottom (Homestead), Penn Brewery (Pittsburgh), and Blue Canoe (Titusville).

The ethnic menu will include stuffed cabbage, pork and sauerkraut, sausage with peppers and onions, haluski, German potato salad, rotkohl (red cabbage cole slaw), pirogis, cherry kuchen, pumpkin bread and apple strudel. Music will be provided by Dan McIltrot and Loren DiGiorgi. A stainless steel grill packed with beer and tailgating accessories will be raffled.

The event will benefit the museum’s programs. Tickets are $35 ($30 for members), and reservations are requested. Call (724) 652-2882.

Family fun at Fellows

YOUNGSTOWN — On Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mill Creek MetroParks Fellows Riverside Gardens will usher in the fall season with Fall Into Fun — A Family Celebration. Families and friends are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Crafts by local artisans, as well as mums, plants and bulbs, will be available in the Garden marketplace. Autumn displays, entertainment, food and activities will be on the schedule, and gardening experts will answer questions. Admission is free.

Jazz workshops offered

YOUNGSTOWN — Billy Siegenfeld, founder and artistic director of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, will conduct two free workshops Thursday in Beeghly Physical Education Center at Youngstown State University: 1 p.m. in Room 329 and 4:15 p.m. in Room 119. Both workshops are free and open to the public to anyone 14 and up. No advance registration is necessary and participants need not have dance experience.

The Jump Rhythm Jazz Project is a dance company that celebrates jazz performance — dancing and singing in high-energy bursts of rhythm to the beat-driven sounds of swinging, funk-based music.

In 2007, Siegenfeld received an Emmy Award for his work in the documentary “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There,” produced for PBS.