Community Calendar

MEL ZIEGLER: Clear Skies offers equal representation of Ziegler’s current solo practice alongside his decade-long creative partnership with artist Kate Ericson. This is the first exhibition juxtaposing Ziegler’s work with work from the Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler Foundation archive.

As a collaborative duo, Ericson and Ziegler created a substantial body of public projects, site-specific installations, and mixed-media sculptures, all marked by a keen social conscience and understated humor. In 2005, a traveling retrospective exhibition titled America Starts Here, was organized by the Tang Teaching Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As described by their respective curators, Bill Arning and Ian Berry, “Ericson and Ziegler redefined public art in a way that was welcoming to a diverse set of communities. Rather than impose a conspicuous work of art upon a site or situation, the artists devised projects that altered sites subtly, using poetic language and their idiosyncratic wit to illuminate mainstream American contexts and highlight individual community issues.”

The Story: In a provincial English town, a theatre troupe rehearses a touring production of a sex comedy, Nothing On. Unfortunately, almost nothing is going right – the cast can’t remember their lines, they mix up their blocking, misplace props, and they’ve lost sight of why they’re acting! Even the director is certain that the show will be a disaster. Somehow the cast pulls through, but by mid-tour the drama has moved backstage, as cast and crews’ personal lives start to mirror the insanity in the play, with sexual dalliances, jealousies, and chaos reigning overall. By closing night, the play is in complete shambles both onstage and off, with open “warfare” occurring among cast members and everyone simply trying to survive until the final curtain.
Background: Masterfully constructed, Noises Off is the “most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy” (NY Times). Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn devised the concept for Noises Off while watching another one of his plays from backstage. “It was funnier from behind than in front and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” With an ingenious structure that showcased the action both onstage and off, Noises Off premiered in London in 1982, garnering immediate acclaim. NY Times critic Frank Rich, who saw the premiere as well as the Broadway production in 1983, proclaimed the work “The funniest play written in my lifetime.” Join us for an evening of rollicking hilarity and virtuosic timing.
CASTING: Adults, age 18-80; all ethnicities. NOTE: Roles that call for a specific ethnicity or type will be open for consideration of actors of other ethnicities. The ages listed are approximate. Actors cast should be able to "play" these ages. In reference to the character descriptions below – The characters in this show are on the binary and written with he/him or she/her pronouns as you will see in the following descriptions. However, we seek to be as inclusive as possible and ask gender non-conforming, gender queer, transgender and non-binary actors to list on the audition form the roles they most identify with. We also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character, but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities.
CHARACTERS :
Dotty Otley A late-middle-aged actress. Plays Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper for the Brents' home in England in Nothing's On. Age: 40s-60s
Lloyd Dallas He is the director of a play-within-the-play, called Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Garry Lejeune A stuttering actor, easily fired up. Plays Roger, the estate agent looking to let the Brent's house in Nothing's On. Age: 20s-50s
Brooke Ashton A young inexperienced actress from London. Plays Vicki, who works for the tax authorities and is trying to woo Roger in Nothing's On. Age:18-30s
Poppy Norton-Taylor She is the Assistant Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Frederick Fellowes Has a serious fear of violence and blood. Plays Phillip Brent, who lives out of the country with his wife Flavia to avoid paying taxes and is on a secret visit in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Belinda Blair Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress. Plays Flavia, Philip Brent's wife, who is dependable, though not one for household duties in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Tim Allgood He is an over-worked Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Selsdon Mowbray Elderly and with actorly mannerisms. He plays a burglar, in his seventies, breaking into the Brents' house in Nothing's On. Age: 60s-80s

Set in a time-bending, darkly comic world between heaven and hell, THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT reexamines the plight and fate of the New Testament’s most infamous and unexplained sinner. Set in purgatory, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot follows a court case determining if Judas should be forgiven for betraying Jesus, or condemned for all eternity. “It asks whether or not forgiveness is a concept that we can grant other individuals, or whether or not it is an internal idea that has to come from the individual first,” said director Ernest Briggs. Asking larger questions about religion, society, and justice, the play features characters ranging from Jesus, Judas, and Satan to Mother Teresa and Sigmund Freud.

IN THE OJAC CELLS SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS

The subjects of Willie Binnie’s paintings and objects are familiar to us and often unremarkable. Yet the manner in which the artist depicts them makes the mundane mysterious, encouraging us to re-evaluate them while engaging our curiosity. In short, Binnie has a knack for making the familiar, unfamiliar. Using a limited or monochromatic palette and source images derived from films, photography, and historical imagery, he provides an enigmatic narrative simply by isolating a single object in his compositions—a fully-suited astronaut lounges in a lawn chair, an entrance to a brutalist-style bank facade beckons us, a depiction of a snowman innocently smiles back at us.

For his Cell Series exhibition, Binnie constructs a life size wishing well in one gallery—standing in stark contrast to the prison cells that likely heard a fair share of wishes and regrets. Within the other cell gallery, a series of his signature black and white paintings depict “objects of desire” that a past inmate might wish for—a plate of enchiladas, the palm trees near a beach, and other objects we routinely take for granted in our lives.
Willie Binnie was born in Dallas, TX in 1985, and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Williamstown, MA. He has had solo exhibitions at Keijers Koning, Dallas; LMAKgallery, NY; Paul Loya Gallery, LA; Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA; as well as participated in numerous group exhibitions at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA; Wilding Crane Gallery, LA; HVW8 Gallery, LA; the Rachofsky House, Dallas; The Public Trust, Dallas; Dallas Contemporary, Dallas.

Generously sponsored by The Charles E. Jacobs Foundation, McGinnis Family Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas, and Dr. Larry Wolz

The Story: In a provincial English town, a theatre troupe rehearses a touring production of a sex comedy, Nothing On. Unfortunately, almost nothing is going right – the cast can’t remember their lines, they mix up their blocking, misplace props, and they’ve lost sight of why they’re acting! Even the director is certain that the show will be a disaster. Somehow the cast pulls through, but by mid-tour the drama has moved backstage, as cast and crews’ personal lives start to mirror the insanity in the play, with sexual dalliances, jealousies, and chaos reigning overall. By closing night, the play is in complete shambles both onstage and off, with open “warfare” occurring among cast members and everyone simply trying to survive until the final curtain.
Background: Masterfully constructed, Noises Off is the “most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy” (NY Times). Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn devised the concept for Noises Off while watching another one of his plays from backstage. “It was funnier from behind than in front and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” With an ingenious structure that showcased the action both onstage and off, Noises Off premiered in London in 1982, garnering immediate acclaim. NY Times critic Frank Rich, who saw the premiere as well as the Broadway production in 1983, proclaimed the work “The funniest play written in my lifetime.” Join us for an evening of rollicking hilarity and virtuosic timing.
CASTING: Adults, age 18-80; all ethnicities. NOTE: Roles that call for a specific ethnicity or type will be open for consideration of actors of other ethnicities. The ages listed are approximate. Actors cast should be able to "play" these ages. In reference to the character descriptions below – The characters in this show are on the binary and written with he/him or she/her pronouns as you will see in the following descriptions. However, we seek to be as inclusive as possible and ask gender non-conforming, gender queer, transgender and non-binary actors to list on the audition form the roles they most identify with. We also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character, but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities.
CHARACTERS :
Dotty Otley A late-middle-aged actress. Plays Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper for the Brents' home in England in Nothing's On. Age: 40s-60s
Lloyd Dallas He is the director of a play-within-the-play, called Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Garry Lejeune A stuttering actor, easily fired up. Plays Roger, the estate agent looking to let the Brent's house in Nothing's On. Age: 20s-50s
Brooke Ashton A young inexperienced actress from London. Plays Vicki, who works for the tax authorities and is trying to woo Roger in Nothing's On. Age:18-30s
Poppy Norton-Taylor She is the Assistant Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Frederick Fellowes Has a serious fear of violence and blood. Plays Phillip Brent, who lives out of the country with his wife Flavia to avoid paying taxes and is on a secret visit in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Belinda Blair Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress. Plays Flavia, Philip Brent's wife, who is dependable, though not one for household duties in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Tim Allgood He is an over-worked Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Selsdon Mowbray Elderly and with actorly mannerisms. He plays a burglar, in his seventies, breaking into the Brents' house in Nothing's On. Age: 60s-80s

The Story: In a provincial English town, a theatre troupe rehearses a touring production of a sex comedy, Nothing On. Unfortunately, almost nothing is going right – the cast can’t remember their lines, they mix up their blocking, misplace props, and they’ve lost sight of why they’re acting! Even the director is certain that the show will be a disaster. Somehow the cast pulls through, but by mid-tour the drama has moved backstage, as cast and crews’ personal lives start to mirror the insanity in the play, with sexual dalliances, jealousies, and chaos reigning overall. By closing night, the play is in complete shambles both onstage and off, with open “warfare” occurring among cast members and everyone simply trying to survive until the final curtain.
Background: Masterfully constructed, Noises Off is the “most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy” (NY Times). Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn devised the concept for Noises Off while watching another one of his plays from backstage. “It was funnier from behind than in front and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” With an ingenious structure that showcased the action both onstage and off, Noises Off premiered in London in 1982, garnering immediate acclaim. NY Times critic Frank Rich, who saw the premiere as well as the Broadway production in 1983, proclaimed the work “The funniest play written in my lifetime.” Join us for an evening of rollicking hilarity and virtuosic timing.
CASTING: Adults, age 18-80; all ethnicities. NOTE: Roles that call for a specific ethnicity or type will be open for consideration of actors of other ethnicities. The ages listed are approximate. Actors cast should be able to "play" these ages. In reference to the character descriptions below – The characters in this show are on the binary and written with he/him or she/her pronouns as you will see in the following descriptions. However, we seek to be as inclusive as possible and ask gender non-conforming, gender queer, transgender and non-binary actors to list on the audition form the roles they most identify with. We also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character, but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities.
CHARACTERS :
Dotty Otley A late-middle-aged actress. Plays Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper for the Brents' home in England in Nothing's On. Age: 40s-60s
Lloyd Dallas He is the director of a play-within-the-play, called Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Garry Lejeune A stuttering actor, easily fired up. Plays Roger, the estate agent looking to let the Brent's house in Nothing's On. Age: 20s-50s
Brooke Ashton A young inexperienced actress from London. Plays Vicki, who works for the tax authorities and is trying to woo Roger in Nothing's On. Age:18-30s
Poppy Norton-Taylor She is the Assistant Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Frederick Fellowes Has a serious fear of violence and blood. Plays Phillip Brent, who lives out of the country with his wife Flavia to avoid paying taxes and is on a secret visit in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Belinda Blair Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress. Plays Flavia, Philip Brent's wife, who is dependable, though not one for household duties in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Tim Allgood He is an over-worked Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Selsdon Mowbray Elderly and with actorly mannerisms. He plays a burglar, in his seventies, breaking into the Brents' house in Nothing's On. Age: 60s-80s

MEL ZIEGLER: Clear Skies offers equal representation of Ziegler’s current solo practice alongside his decade-long creative partnership with artist Kate Ericson. This is the first exhibition juxtaposing Ziegler’s work with work from the Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler Foundation archive.

As a collaborative duo, Ericson and Ziegler created a substantial body of public projects, site-specific installations, and mixed-media sculptures, all marked by a keen social conscience and understated humor. In 2005, a traveling retrospective exhibition titled America Starts Here, was organized by the Tang Teaching Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As described by their respective curators, Bill Arning and Ian Berry, “Ericson and Ziegler redefined public art in a way that was welcoming to a diverse set of communities. Rather than impose a conspicuous work of art upon a site or situation, the artists devised projects that altered sites subtly, using poetic language and their idiosyncratic wit to illuminate mainstream American contexts and highlight individual community issues.”

The Story: In a provincial English town, a theatre troupe rehearses a touring production of a sex comedy, Nothing On. Unfortunately, almost nothing is going right – the cast can’t remember their lines, they mix up their blocking, misplace props, and they’ve lost sight of why they’re acting! Even the director is certain that the show will be a disaster. Somehow the cast pulls through, but by mid-tour the drama has moved backstage, as cast and crews’ personal lives start to mirror the insanity in the play, with sexual dalliances, jealousies, and chaos reigning overall. By closing night, the play is in complete shambles both onstage and off, with open “warfare” occurring among cast members and everyone simply trying to survive until the final curtain.
Background: Masterfully constructed, Noises Off is the “most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy” (NY Times). Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn devised the concept for Noises Off while watching another one of his plays from backstage. “It was funnier from behind than in front and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” With an ingenious structure that showcased the action both onstage and off, Noises Off premiered in London in 1982, garnering immediate acclaim. NY Times critic Frank Rich, who saw the premiere as well as the Broadway production in 1983, proclaimed the work “The funniest play written in my lifetime.” Join us for an evening of rollicking hilarity and virtuosic timing.
CASTING: Adults, age 18-80; all ethnicities. NOTE: Roles that call for a specific ethnicity or type will be open for consideration of actors of other ethnicities. The ages listed are approximate. Actors cast should be able to "play" these ages. In reference to the character descriptions below – The characters in this show are on the binary and written with he/him or she/her pronouns as you will see in the following descriptions. However, we seek to be as inclusive as possible and ask gender non-conforming, gender queer, transgender and non-binary actors to list on the audition form the roles they most identify with. We also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character, but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities.
CHARACTERS :
Dotty Otley A late-middle-aged actress. Plays Mrs. Clackett, the housekeeper for the Brents' home in England in Nothing's On. Age: 40s-60s
Lloyd Dallas He is the director of a play-within-the-play, called Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Garry Lejeune A stuttering actor, easily fired up. Plays Roger, the estate agent looking to let the Brent's house in Nothing's On. Age: 20s-50s
Brooke Ashton A young inexperienced actress from London. Plays Vicki, who works for the tax authorities and is trying to woo Roger in Nothing's On. Age:18-30s
Poppy Norton-Taylor She is the Assistant Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Frederick Fellowes Has a serious fear of violence and blood. Plays Phillip Brent, who lives out of the country with his wife Flavia to avoid paying taxes and is on a secret visit in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Belinda Blair Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress. Plays Flavia, Philip Brent's wife, who is dependable, though not one for household duties in Nothing's On. Age: 30s-50s
Tim Allgood He is an over-worked Stage Manager. Age: 18-30s
Selsdon Mowbray Elderly and with actorly mannerisms. He plays a burglar, in his seventies, breaking into the Brents' house in Nothing's On. Age: 60s-80s

IN THE OJAC CELLS SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS

The subjects of Willie Binnie’s paintings and objects are familiar to us and often unremarkable. Yet the manner in which the artist depicts them makes the mundane mysterious, encouraging us to re-evaluate them while engaging our curiosity. In short, Binnie has a knack for making the familiar, unfamiliar. Using a limited or monochromatic palette and source images derived from films, photography, and historical imagery, he provides an enigmatic narrative simply by isolating a single object in his compositions—a fully-suited astronaut lounges in a lawn chair, an entrance to a brutalist-style bank facade beckons us, a depiction of a snowman innocently smiles back at us.

For his Cell Series exhibition, Binnie constructs a life size wishing well in one gallery—standing in stark contrast to the prison cells that likely heard a fair share of wishes and regrets. Within the other cell gallery, a series of his signature black and white paintings depict “objects of desire” that a past inmate might wish for—a plate of enchiladas, the palm trees near a beach, and other objects we routinely take for granted in our lives.
Willie Binnie was born in Dallas, TX in 1985, and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Williamstown, MA. He has had solo exhibitions at Keijers Koning, Dallas; LMAKgallery, NY; Paul Loya Gallery, LA; Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA; as well as participated in numerous group exhibitions at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA; Wilding Crane Gallery, LA; HVW8 Gallery, LA; the Rachofsky House, Dallas; The Public Trust, Dallas; Dallas Contemporary, Dallas.

Generously sponsored by The Charles E. Jacobs Foundation, McGinnis Family Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas, and Dr. Larry Wolz

MEL ZIEGLER: Clear Skies offers equal representation of Ziegler’s current solo practice alongside his decade-long creative partnership with artist Kate Ericson. This is the first exhibition juxtaposing Ziegler’s work with work from the Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler Foundation archive.

As a collaborative duo, Ericson and Ziegler created a substantial body of public projects, site-specific installations, and mixed-media sculptures, all marked by a keen social conscience and understated humor. In 2005, a traveling retrospective exhibition titled America Starts Here, was organized by the Tang Teaching Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As described by their respective curators, Bill Arning and Ian Berry, “Ericson and Ziegler redefined public art in a way that was welcoming to a diverse set of communities. Rather than impose a conspicuous work of art upon a site or situation, the artists devised projects that altered sites subtly, using poetic language and their idiosyncratic wit to illuminate mainstream American contexts and highlight individual community issues.”