Local
Friday, July 7, 7pm; Saturday, July 8, 4pm and 7pm; Sunday, July 9, 4pm; Columbus Performing Arts Center [Van Fleet Theater], 549 Franklin Ave.
Join us for the 11th year at the Columbus Black Theatre Festival this July in Central Ohio, downtown Columbus. The three-day theatre festival of short one-act plays returns this year with the theme “The Right to Choose.”
Our readers have selected seven plays:
(1.): “Daidy or Daddy with an I,” by Louis DeVaughn Nelson and directed by Julie Whitney Scott.
(2.): “Cowboy Chuck,” by Robb Willoughby and directed by Stephen Woosley.
(3.): “The Flash,” by Jasmyn Green and directed by Jasmyn Green.
(4.): “Mrs. Dunn,” by Marj O’Neill-Butler and directed by Alan Tyson
(5.): “I’m Not Buying It,” by Vickie G. Hampton and directed by Ariel Wiles.
(6.): “Bed of Rose Thorns,” by Julie Whitney Scott and directed by Julie Whitney Scott.
(7.): “The Wedding Ceremony,” by Marjorie Conn and directed by Ariel Wiles.
RSVP for this event by using this link.
Of no interest to anyone in City Hall, any of Columbus’ daily “media” outlets, and any of its Congressional representative except Sen. Sherrod Brown, the United States Postal Service in Columbus ranks as one of the three or four worst in the entire United States. They break the federal postal code daily. In so doing, they knowingly and purposefully violate the legal and civil rights of all persons affected. Both postmasters and “inspectors” who do no inspection lie to Brown’s office, their own regional and national coordinators, and residents who depend on regular postal service six days per week excepting legal holidays.
The Supreme Court struck a huge blow to the future of higher education in America.
SCOTUS has gutted affirmative action and stopped President Biden’s student debt relief plan in its tracks.
Higher education was meant to be the great equalizer in America, but thanks to rulings like these, our institutions will become more costly, more exclusive, and more out of touch with the general public.
The Supreme Court may be legislating from the bench when it comes to the future of higher education, but legislators have the power to make college accessible for all by passing the College for All Act.
The College for All Act of 2023 would address the growing issue of skyrocketing college tuition and student loan debt, make higher education accessible and affordable to all, and uplift students of all backgrounds.
Several major Columbus news media reported this past week that Greyhound buses are leaving their central location from downtown Columbus and are opening a new terminal at 845 North Wilson Road in the Hilltop neighborhood.
A June 27 Dispatch story stated, “Greyhound’s new terminal, in the site of a former Shell station, features indoor and outdoor seating, ADA accessible restrooms, a ticket kiosk, and round-the-clock live ticket sales. The new site doesn’t offer food but is within walking distance of a Waffle House, Wendy's and McDonald’s…The Greyhound station Downtown has moved nearly 10 miles west of the city’s center.”
The decision to move the Greyhound terminal drew harsh criticism from numerous transit advocates. One stated, “Columbus is a joke of a city. The new location is wildly inaccessible without a car. Just getting to the new station via COTA will add an hour to any trip I take.”
Wednesday, July 5, 2023, 6:30 PM
Indivisible Central Ohio and Grandview Ignite are offering a voter registration training and refresher course open to all! Learn voter registration tips and get info about the new voter ID laws in Ohio.
Register here.
There’s a special election coming up this August. The voter registration deadline is Monday, July 10th. Are you registered to vote yet?
If you’re not, it’s totally understandable: discussion of a need for an active and conscientious electorate can be quite insulting when you work more than two jobs to keep a roof over your head and food on the table; it can seem totally irrelevant. It’s also true that many of our elected officials tend to become aloof for all but the most intense portion of their re-election campaigns, so why bother?
Getting out the vote is the reason I entered into community organizing work, which brought me to Columbus over a decade ago. It was 2011, and Gov. John Kasich’s Senate Bill 5 sought to marginalize the collective bargaining powers of public workers.
Those opposed to the legislation saw it for what it was: an attempt to hoodwink the public into gutting worker protections while privatizing public sector jobs. We knew the Right would exploit their base’s resentments against unions. But we fought back and won with one of the largest mobilizations in Ohio history.
Tuesday, July 4, 1pm, beginning and ending at Goodale Park [Park St. side], 120 W. Goodale St.
The Doo Dah Parade is celebrating 40 Years so prepare to be blown away! The Good Witch of the [Short] North would look kindly on you by either watching or being in the parade. There’s no entry fee, no pre-registration, you just show up!
Celebrate Liberty and Lunacy with traditional weird costumes and customs and funny opinions in the Short North Arts District. In Goodale Park, hang in the shade near the gazebo for the live music after-glow party, 11am-8pm.
The Ruby Jubilee 40th Annual Doo Dah Parade, Tuesday, July 4, 1pm. Rain Date: July 3. No entry fee. There’s no place like Doo Dah!
If you feel it, belt out the National Anthem at 1pm. The parade then stumbles out at 1:01pm.
Line-up begins at 12noon on Park St. Political Satire at Its Worst!
There’s free live music at the gazebo near the pond from 11am to 7pm. Use this link to view the 2023 band list.
Watch or march in the craziest parade in history! No entry fee! Just show up!
"Past Lives" is a masterpiece about deep, genuine human emotion. In her directorial debut, Celine Song demonstrates a self-assured confidence and delivers immense emotional impact through a film that explores the rich, layered connections between characters and their past and present experiences.
It delves into the deep concept of 'In Yun,' a Korean term, suggesting that anyone we interact with in this life is someone we've connected with in a past life.
Twelve years after Nora (Greta Lee) and her family immigrated to North America from South Korea, she rekindles an old connection with her childhood best friend, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo). The duo picks up right where they left off, and their connection remains as strong as their childhood bond.
Despite their lives taking different paths, another 12 years pass, and a vacation reunites them, leading to introspective contemplations about love and fate. Their story, set against our modern, technology-driven world, is infused with elements of romance and melancholy, exploring the notion of past lives and multiple soulmates.
Mine 4 God Productions (M4GP) is proud and excited to announce its 11th Annual Columbus Black Theatre Festival (CBTF) held this year July 7th – 9th at the Columbus Performing Arts Center in the Van Fleet Theatre.
Our theme this year is “The Right to Choose” and the seven plays that were selected meet our theme touching on mixed marriages, gender identities, sexual lifestyles, educational choices, racial biases, abortion and “coming out” to parents. These plays, written by playwrights from across America, come to life on stage under the direction of local and New York Directors and by the performances of actors from central Ohio.
This year we also brought back our six-week summer Youth Writing and Acting Workshop. The youth will perform their original monologues at the Columbus Metropolitan Main Library on July 1st and also at the theatre festival. We thank the Greater Columbus Arts Council for their generous Project Support Grant, Wild Goose Creatives our fiscal sponsor and Lady Butterflies of Ohio for their continued support.