Force of nature

Saturday, May 23

Posted
Ixion Theatre is preparing for its upcoming premiere of "Mother’s Nature," a collection of three original one-act plays penned by Lansing writers. The womencentric theme will be portrayed through O.G. Ueberroth’s “Family Tradition,” Terry Palczewski’s “Enough is Enough” and Andy Head’s “Generations.”

Ixion Theatre is a relatively new, Lansing-based theater ensemble that performs most of its productions at REO Town’s AA Creative Corridor. The group launched in 2012 with a mission to encourage creative collaboration and to produce stories for diverse audiences. Ixion asked for submissions from the Lansing community for Mother’s Nature, and three storytellers stepped up to the plate.

“Family Tradition” is the story of a young woman who brings her fianc home to meet the family, but she soon finds out about a dark family tradition. “Enough is Enough,” set in Greece, presents a meeting between a clueless tourist and the Oracle of Delphi. “Generations” explores the aftermath of a tornado and how it uproots the lives of three women: a grandmother, a mother and her daughter.

Head, an Illinois native, recently received his master’s degree in theatre and acting from MSU. He also holds a degree in theater arts from Bradley University.

While Head wrote “Generations,” his primary theater experience is in acting. His interest in theater began when he was a sophomore in high school, he said, and his interest has grown throughout his college career. When he saw the call for submissions, he decided to try his hand at writing for Ixion Theatre.

“I’ve done playwrighting here and there, so why not see what I can come up with?” Head said. “If I like it then I can go ahead and send it to him. And so I did.”

Head is well-rounded in many aspects of theater, and Jeff Croff, artistic director of Ixion Theatre, incorporated his ideas for that very reason. Head’s take of the theme is a fantasy-twisted struggle.

The original theme for this project, Head said, was Goddesses. After Ixion selected the three writers, however, the shared maternal themes of their work evolved into the idea of Mother’s Nature.

Head was able to incorporate aspects of both themes into “Generations.”

“Mother Nature is maybe starting to fight back a little bit against us, whether that be a drought or earthquakes or tsunamis, all of these really massive ways,” Head said. “In itself, Mother Nature is an act of a goddess.”

Each writer incorporates their personal relationships with the women in their lives into their work. Though Mother Nature’s features three separate productions, the writers still worked together.

“One of the things that this theater company really exercises is collaboration, which is such a huge part of theater as an art form,” Head said.

Ixion is actively recruiting storytellers of all forms, such as actors, writers, directors, choreographers, filmmakers and musicians, for its 2015-16 theater season.

"Mother’s Nature"

Ixion Theatre May 23-31 8 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday $15 AA Creative Corridor 1133 S. Washington Ave., Lansing (517) 775-4246, ixiontheatre.com


THURSDAY, MAY 21 >> BEER AND GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PAIRING

I’m a Beer Hound continues its mission to prove that beer goes well with pretty much everything with its Beer and Girl Scout Cookie Pairing event. For the first of two Lansing-area beer/cookie pairing events, the festivities will be held at Front 43 Pub and will feature brews from Cranker’s Brewery. The price of admission includes five pairings which features Bulldog Red Irish Red paired with Samoas, Big In Japan IPA paired with Trefoils, Fifth Voyage Coconut Porter paired with Do-Si- Dos, Irish Breakfast Oatmeal Stout paired with Thin Mints and Esteban the Terrible Russian imperial stout paired with Tagalongs. 7 p.m. $25. Front 43 Pub, 3415 E. Saginaw St., Lansing. imabeerhound.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 21 >> WINE & STEIN AT POTTER PARK ZOO

A sommelier may be able to tell you what wine goes best with a steak, but do you think they could tell you what wine pairs best with viewing a Chinese Muntjac? While the evening won’t provide answers to such ridiculous questions, you can still enjoy a glass of wine while hanging out with Potter Park Zoo’s residents at its annual Wine & Stein event. The adults-only fundraiser not only features wine, but also beer, a selection of tasty hors d´oeuvres from local restaurants and live music. Prospective attendees should be aware that Wine & Stein will take place rain or shine. 6-9 p.m. $35/$30 members. Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Lansing. potterparkzoo.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 21 >> WKAR COMMUNITY CINEMA: ‘LIMITED PARTNERSHIP’

MSU’s Project 60/50 and WKAR present a screening and panel discussion of the film “Limited Partnership.” The film tells the story of Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan, possibly the first same-sex couple to be legally married in the United States. “Limited Partnership” details how Australian-born Sullivan was denied a request for legal U.S. citizenship status, which he tried to gain through the marriage, and how federal officials met his request for citizenship with hostility and derogatory language. The evening will begin with the screening, followed immediately by a discussion lead by panelists Susan Reed, supervising attorney with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center; Penny Gardner, president of the Lansing Association for Human Rights and Doak Bloss, health equity and social justice coordinator for Ingham County Health Department. Reservations required. 7 p.m. FREE. WKAR Studio, 404 Wilson Rd., Rm. 212, East Lansing. wkar.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 22 >> CONCERT ON THE GRAND

The summer outdoor concert season is upon us! The Grand Ledge Opera House hosts its annual Memorial Day Summer on the Grand Friday. Guests are invited to listen to an evening full of local musicians, all performed on the commons of the historic Grand River Opera House on the banks of the Grand River. The evening’s entertainment will feature the Grand Ledge High School Band and the Grand Ledge Community Band. To round out the “summery” atmosphere, there will be concessions available to purchase, including a hot dog supper. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair to sit on. 6 p.m. FREE. Grand Ledge Opera House, 121 S. Bridge St., Grand Ledge. (517) 627-1443, gloperahouse.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 23 >> WORLD GOTH DAY

The creatures of the night are encouraged to come spend a little time in the daylight with the fourth annual World Goth Day. The celebration starts with a potluck and cemetery crawl through the Mt. Hope Cemetery. Though the daytime component of the celebration ends at 5 p.m., the party continues well into the night at Old Town’s Spiral Dance Bar. The terrace at Spiral will feature vendors, Goth music and a performance by the Lunatic Vagabonds, a dance troupe that blends traditional Middle Eastern dance with modern alternative music. While it’s hard to imagine there will be a dress code enforced for World Goth Day, it’s safe to assume you’ll be fine wearing black. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mt. Hope Cemetery, 1709 E. Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing. 6:30 p.m., Spiral Dance Bar, 1247 Center St., Lansing. facebook.com/ worldgothdaymidmichigan.

THURSDAY, MAY 28 >> BOOK SIGNING/COOKING DEMO WITH VERONICA BOSGRAAF

Schuler Books in Eastwood Towne Center welcomes Veronica Bosgraaf, a healthfood cook and author of “Pure Food.” Bosgraaf made a name for herself in the food world with her line of Pure Bars, a healthy alternative snack bar she originally created for her daughter. With the help of local health-food store Foods For Living, Bosgraaf will give an in-store cooking demo featuring one of her easy vegetarian/ vegan/gluten-free recipes. Bosgraaf’s recipes are developed to nurture a healthier lifestyle free of processed foods. 7 p.m. FREE. Schuler Books & Music in Eastwood Towne Center, 2820 Towne Centre Blvd., Lansing. (517) 316-7495, schulerbooks.com.

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