July 9, 2014 - Page 2 of 2 - ChaddsFordLive.com

Bach at Leipzig opens at People’s Light

swords bach — Jabari Brisport, Danny Gardner & Stephen Novelli, Photo: Mark Garvin

People’s Light & Theatre presents the regional premiere of Itamar Moses’ acclaimed comedy Bach at Leipzig running July 9-August 10, 2014 on the Steinbright Stage. Associate Artistic Director Pete Pryor directs. People’s Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.

Itamar Moses (Boardwalk Empire) sets his historical romp in 1722 Leipzig, Germany, where the world’s greatest organist, Johann Kuhnau, has just died in the middle of a frenzied fugue. Seven men, all claiming to be Kuhnau’s worthy successor, flock to the famous Thomaskirche (or St. Thomas Church), where Kuhnau presided over the music for Church services and the adjacent school. Blackmail and back-stabbing mix with debates on religion, philosophy, and politics as the men attempt to outdo each other in order to win Kuhnau’s prestigious position.

“Whether you are a Bach buff or prefer Lady Gaga, I think you will laugh in unison at this ingenious and hilarious tale of history’s underdogs” asserts People’s Light’s Producing Director, Zak Berkman. Director Pete Pryor adds, “One of the most delightful aspects of the work is how Itamar has purposefully set the piece up as a fugue. Each character needs the other to complete the piece. Themes are represented and then repeated with variations. Each of the characters is barreling desperately to his own inevitable outcome.”

All of Moses’ characters were contemporaries of J.S. Bach and each of them did, in fact, audition to be Kuhnau’s replacement. Beyond that, the play is fictional. To play Moses’ comic take on these historic figures, long-time People’s Light company member Kevin Bergen portrays Georg Balthasar Schott, David Ingram plays Johann Christoph Graupner, and Stephen Novelli takes on Georg Friedrich Kaufmann. They are joined by Greg Wood as Johann Friedrich Fasch. Making their People’s Light debuts are Danny Gardner as Johann Martin Steindorff and Jabari Brisport as Georg Lenck.

ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT PEOPLE’S LIGHT

People’s Light continues its program called Scoop on Sundays: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every Sunday 7 pm performance (July 13, 20, 27, & August 3, 10). Resident Dramaturg Gina Pisasale will host an artist from the production and get the inside scoop about such things as the rehearsal and production process, design choices, and the world of the play. The program begins at 5:30 in The Farmhouse Bistro. Cost of $15 includes light fare. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

Enjoy a prix fixe dinner and a show package for $70 (Wed, Thurs, Sat matinee, Sun eve) and $80 (Fri, Sat eve, Sun matinee) at The Farmhouse Bistro prior to Wed-Sun evening performances. That’s a savings of up to 15% off the single ticket price! If you already have tickets, you can add dinner for just $35. Dinner and a show packages are available through the box office or online at PeoplesLight.org.

TICKET INFORMATION

Bach at Leipzig previews on Wednesday, July 9 and Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 pm and Friday, July 11 at 8 pm. The play opens on Saturday, July 12 and runs through Sunday, August 10. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists for a conversation about the production after the Thursday performances on July 17, 24, 31 and August 7.

Single tickets: $26 – $46. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x111 or email wright@peopleslight.org.

ABOUT PEOPLE’S LIGHT

Now in its 39th season, People’s Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. Founded in 1974, we produce seven to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 340 and 160 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts for our 7-Play and Discovery Series.

BIOS

Pete Pryor

Director
Pete is the Associate Artistic Director and proud company member at People’s Light. He is the co-founder and former Producing Artistic Director of 1812 Productions in Philadelphia. For the past seven years he has been the resident artist/drama instructor at the Pathway School. His play Beautiful Boy was part of our Community Matters reading series and was produced at People’s Light. Pete is a Lunt-Fontanne fellow and Independence Fellowship Artist and winner of four Barrymore Awards. He directed last season’s Noises Off as well as the last six holiday pantos and will co-author and direct next season’s panto, Arthur & The Tale of the Red Dragon.

Kevin Bergen

Georg Balthasar Schott
Kevin is thrilled to be back at People’s Light where he last appeared as Noah Curry in The Rainmaker. Other Philadelphia region credits include: The Walnut Street Theatre, The Wilma Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Bristol Riverside Theatre, and InterAct Theatre Company. Kevin has acted at numerous other regional theatres including The Shakespeare Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, Commonwealth Shakespeare, The Studio Theatre (D.C.), the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, and Shenandoah Shakespeare. He is a graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard.

Jabari Brisport

Georg Lenck

Jabari is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Recent credits include These! Paper! Bullets! (Yale Rep), Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe (Classical Theatre of Harlem), Macbeth (New York Classical Theatre), Political Subversities (The PIT), and Funnyhouse of a Negro (Yale Cabaret). Jabari also holds a BFA with honors from New York University. And if he gives you a reason to smile tonight, then he’s done his job.

Danny Gardner
Johann Martin Steindorff

People’s Light Debut! Most Recent credits include Dragons at The York Theatre in NYC, Noah Racey’s Pulse at the Asolo Repertory Theatre, The world premiere of Neurosis – A New Musical at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, National tours of 42^nd Street and Here To Stay – The Gershwin Experience, Room 17B at 59E59 Street Theatres (Drama Desk Nom.), and four shows at the two-time Tony award winning Goodspeed Opera House. www.dannyjgardner.com

David Ingram
Johann Christoph Graupner

David joined People’s Light in 1989, and has appeared in many shows since including Noises Off, End Days, Young Woman From Rwanda, Tuesdays with Morrie, and others. He has also appeared in Some Other Kind of Person (Interact), Cybourne Park (Arden), Laughter on the 23rd Floor and Our Show of Shows (1812 Productions), The Tempest (Act II Playhouse) and Tartuffe, Three Sisters and Measure for Measure (Temple Rep). David is on the Theater faculty of Temple University.

Stephen Novelli
Georg Friedrich Kaufmann
Recently: Camillo in The Winter’s Tale at People’s Light, Judge in Inherit the Wind at Bristol Riverside Theatre, Roy Cohn in Angels in America at The Wilma Theater. Other roles at People’s Light include Halvard Solness in The Master Builder, Gloucester in King Lear and Saladin in Nathan the Wise. Directed The Secret of Sherlock Holmes and Tuesdays with Morrie for People’s Light. A member of the company since 1974, he now serves as Artistic Associate.
Greg Wood
Johann Friedrich Fasch
Greg is thrilled to be doing this show after being part of one of the original readings of the play in 2004. Recent credits include: The Winter’s Tale at People’s Light, The History of Invulnerability at Milwaukee Rep, Other Desert Cities at Walnut St. Theatre, Tom Jones for Actors Theatre Louisville, Absurd Person Singular at Peterborough Players, and Measure for Measure with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Film & Television credits include: How To Get Away With Murder (ABC TV pilot), The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Happening, The Lovely Bones, Killing Emmett Young, Law & Order, Ed, Hack, and Homicide.

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Mind Matters: Beach reading and otherwise

Health

How about when you go to sea, you take two books with you on how to see? “And There Was Light” might be your first read. This is the extraordinary memoir of Jacques Lusseyran, who, although blinded at the age of eight, became a hero of the French Resistance during World War II.

After the accident which destroyed his eyes, Lusseyran discovered that he had new sight. He says, “I began to look more closely, not at things, but at a world closer to myself, looking from an inner place to one further within, instead of clinging to the movement of sight toward the world outside.” He describes experiencing a radiance within, and this radiant light would fade when he was afraid. As a child, he became aware that if he were jealous or unfriendly, a darkness descended in which he felt helpless. When happy and serene, Lusseyran could approach others with confidence and kindness, and he says, “I was rewarded with light. So is it surprising that I love friendship and harmony when I was very young?”

While reading Lusseyran’s account, I kept recalling Sabriye Tenberken’s story in her book, “My Path Leads to Tibet.” Tenberken was also blinded at a young age and also describes seeing colors and light. Like Lusseyran, Tenberken was a courageous activist: She founded a school for the blind in Tibet after she discovered how many children there were ostracized for their loss of sight. (See wwww.braillewithoutborders.org.)

Lusseyran’s courage led him to become a leader in the French underground resistance. His story unfolds with his group being sent to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. It was there too that his acute sensibility of an inner light carried him through the fearful hell of the prison camp. (After World War II, Lusseyran went on to become a college professor in the United States.)

A different seeing is also the theme of Tina Wlling’s book “Writing Wild: Forming A Creative Partnership with Nature.” As does Lusseyran, Welling invites the reader to an awareness of our interconnections to the world around us, especially nature. She too notes how seeing comes from within and suggests ways in which we can become more aware of ourselves through our interaction with nature.

On a recent day in Cape May, and then on a ferry ride from there to Lewes, I saw dolphins leaping high. Their playfulness gave me great pleasure. Welling suggests pretending to exchange energy with an animal and make a connection. Well, when I saw the dolphins so close to the keel of the ferry, I clapped my hands in joy! Lusseyran would probably have had an inner sense of their presence and been joyful too.

* Kayta Curzie Gajdos holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and is in private practice in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. She welcomes comments at MindMatters@DrGajdos.com or (610)388-2888. Past columns are posted to www.drgajdos.com.

About Kayta Gajdos

Dr. Kathleen Curzie Gajdos ("Kayta") is a licensed psychologist (Pennsylvania and Delaware) who has worked with individuals, couples, and families with a spectrum of problems. She has experience and training in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions, hypnosis, family therapy, Jungian theory, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and bereavement. Dr. Gajdos developed a private practice in the Pittsburgh area, and was affiliated with the Family Therapy Institute of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, having written numerous articles for the Family Therapy Newsletter there. She has published in the American Psychological Association Bulletin, the Family Psychologist, and in the Swedenborgian publications, Chrysalis and The Messenger. Dr. Gajdos has taught at the college level, most recently for West Chester University and Wilmington College, and has served as field faculty for Vermont College of Norwich University the Union Institute's Center for Distance Learning, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also served as consulting psychologist to the Irene Stacy Community MH/MR Center in Western Pennsylvania where she supervised psychologists in training. Currently active in disaster relief, Dr. Gajdos serves with the American Red Cross and participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as a member of teams from the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Now living in Chadds Ford, in the Brandywine Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Gajdos combines her private practice working with individuals, couples and families, with leading workshops on such topics as grief and healing, the impact of multigenerational grief and trauma shame, the shadow and self, Women Who Run with the Wolves, motherless daughters, and mediation and relaxation. Each year at Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA she leads a griefs of birthing ritual for those who have suffered losses of procreation (abortions, miscarriages, infertility, etc.); she also holds yearly A Day of Re-Collection at Temenos.Dr. Gajdos holds Master's degrees in both philosophy and clinical psychology and received her Ph.D. in counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. Among her professional affiliations, she includes having been a founding member and board member of the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Pittsburgh, as well as being listed in Who's Who of American Women. Currently, she is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Delaware Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Delaware County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. Woven into her professional career are Dr. Gajdos' pursuits of dancing, singing, and writing poetry.

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Boost Your Business: The art and science of team building

Business

Teams have become the latest management obsession. They’re the corporate equivalent of a Visa card: they’re everywhere you want to be.

Trouble is that despite their vast presence, teams rarely achieve breakthrough results. Instead, they sink to the level of the weakest performer. The fault lies not with the team or its members, but with those who took a group of individuals, charged them with improbable goals, staffed them with uninspired leadership and expected them to function as a team. Such companies succeed only in putting the “fun” back into dysfunctional.

Contrast that to a well-oiled and disciplined team, one in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Such groups allow members to achieve results far beyond their individual abilities. The irony is that when the needs of the group take priority, the needs of the individual actually are enhanced.

High performance teams do not result from spontaneous combustion. They are grown, nurtured and exercised. It takes a lot of hard work and skill to blend the different personalities, abilities and agendas into a cohesive unit willing to work for a common goal.

Define the need. What is the large, desired outcome? What do you want to improve? Eliminate? Change? Don’t be afraid to dream big. But resist the temptation to handcuff the team by writing a detailed prescription in advance of the diagnosis. The vision, properly articulated, will be the engine that drives and inspires the team. It will determine who should be on the team, what resources are needed, how quickly a conclusion must be reached, what falls within the scope of the team and how success will be measured and rewarded.

Recruit the right people. Now you have to find the talent that is willing to commit to your vision with missionary-like zeal. Choose members who represent a wide range of backgrounds, skills and abilities. Try to limit participation to three to five members. Any more and each individual’s contribution will be compromised. Also, look to imbue your team with a wide mix of cultural and professional viewpoints. Such diversity should give life to ideas and opinions that might not otherwise have been aired.

Shared values. Not only must team members embrace your mission, they must share your values. Effective teams demand close collaboration, trust, honesty, passion and genuine appreciation for each member’s contributions. To develop that value system, challenge the team to learn more independently. Develop common goals. Goals should be formalized through a written charter – an agreement that clearly states what the team wants to accomplish, why its goals are important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired outcome. Consider an off-site retreat, free from the routine pressures of the office, to set the goals. Or consider a third-party administrator whose sole purpose is to guide and lead the team with no other agenda.

Set ground rules. Make sure team members understand why the team exists and know the roles each member plays. They need to know how decisions will be made, how to deal with conflict, how to communicate and how results will be measured. The success of the team depends upon creating an environment in which team members openly contribute ideas while recognizing and respecting the differences in others. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Communication is more than talking; it’s about listening intently, and asking questions to get clarification.

Keep score. A team can’t perform if it doesn’t know what it’s doing. There must be a commitment to constant improvement. To accomplish that, you have to measure performance. Don’t wait until the end of the year to address performance. Feedback should be immediate.

Reward. Even though their contributions may not be exactly equal, it’s important to recognize the team’s efforts. Acknowledge individual achievement during group meetings and compliment the team as a whole on working well together. People repeat performance that garners reward and recognition. When you focus on the positive, you develop the habit of doing things right.

Trust the team process. Nothing undermines a team faster than for their moves to be trumped. Teams must be empowered to achieve the results, without fear of being overridden by the “boss”

Follow these guidelines and you’re well on your way to creating a high performance team. Develop the basic skills and a game plan and stick to it.

For more information on Team Building and Sales Coaching, please feel free to contact Maria Novak, owner of Marketing Solutions & Business Development. Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm in West Chester, PA, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small & medium sized businesses. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or MariaNovak001@yahoo.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com

About Maria Novak Dugan

Maria L. Novak Dugan is president of Marketing Solutions & Business Development, a firm serving Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, offering creative marketing services and goal implementation for small businesses. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the Marketing & Sales Industry ... 13 of those as the sole sales representative for a Pennsylvania payroll company growing their client base by over 500%. Maria Novak Dugan is also the former Managing Director of the Delaware Chapter of eWomenNetwork. Creating, developing, and conducting this division of a national organization strengthened her knowledge of networking, event planning, fundraising, and small-business development. For more information, contact Maria at 610-405-0633 or Maria@Maria-L-Novak.com or visit www.Maria-L-Novak.com

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Graduates and deans’ lists

School & Education

• Jordan H. Gowen, of Chadds Ford, graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, on May 25. Gowen, the son of George and Karen Gowen, majored in history and earned a bachelor of arts degree. He was also named to the Dean’s List.

• Markbradley Kitay, of Chadds Ford, received a bachelor of business administration from the Goizueta Business School of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., at its 169th commencement ceremony on May 12.

• Blaise Taylor from Chadds Ford graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

• Michael Leff, of Chadds Ford, has been named to the 2014 spring semester Dean’s List at Lafayette College for outstanding academic achievement. To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must achieve at least a 3.60 semester grade point average on a scale of 4.0.

• Shannon Crowley, of Chadds Ford, was named to Widener Law dean’s list

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Local software provider launches new products for small businesses

Business

Mobile apps are not just for big business anymore. Small and mid-size businesses are building apps to engage customers and increase visibility in the market place. Kennett Systems, a local software and database developer, is proud to announce their newest product, LazrApp™, an affordable customized mobile app for small businesses.

LazrApp connects customers to your business with one-click phone calls, ordering and emails, store hours, GPS mapping and directions, menus, product and service information, special deals and coupons – – whatever your business needs.

“In the current economic environment, many small businesses are working harder than ever to meet their budgets and grow their business. There is no more affordable way to build your customized app than our product,” notes Darren Talham, president of Kennett Systems.

Kennett Systems in conjunction with the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, built the platform for SCC Local which launched April 1, 2014. This app offers easy navigation through Home Page buttons: Restaurants, Shopping, Personal Services, Lodging, Events, and Browse Members. Southern Chester County (SCC) has this mobile app to connect residents, visitors, tourists, and businesses with restaurants, shopping, hotels, events and much more. Called “SCC Local” the mobile app is a free download from the Apple or Android app stores.

“We want it to be very convenient for local residents and people visiting our area to find out what’s available and connect them with the businesses that meet their needs,” notes Talham.

A recent study by The Mobile Movement showed that 72 percent of consumers are multitasking with their smartphones. Just look around to see people using their phone while watching TV, listening to music, and even while they are on another computer.

There is no better time than now for local businesses to take advantage of the mobile app revolution.

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Chester County commissioners approve grants

Along the Ford

The Chester County Commissioners approved $2.9 million in Community Revitalization Program (CRP) grants on Tuesday, July 8.

Area recipients include the Borough of Kennett Square, which received $280,000 for West Cypress Street water mains, and the Borough of Avondale, which was awarded more than $620,000 for water system improvements.

“Over the years, CRP grants have helped to improve communities across Chester County, focusing on urban areas,” said Commissioners’ Chair Ryan Costello. “In addition to improving the public health and safety of our community, these funds have encouraged more commercial and residential growth, and have spurred significant increases in taxable assessments in the urban centers.

Commissioner Kathi Cozzone added that the “CRP grants have contributed greatly to the success of community revitalization in Chester County, helping to focus economic development along our main streets.” Commissioner Terence Farrell explained that the grants are structured to help the county’s 16 urban centers undertake infrastructure improvements “that have, over the years, leveraged millions more in investment.”

Elsewhere in the county, the beneficiaries include Honey Brook Borough, more than $200,000 for its business district streetscape improvements; Phoenixville, nearly $400,000 for its water treatment plant flood wall improvements; South Coatesville Borough, $700,000 for sanitary sewer line extensions and storm water improvements; and the City of Coatesville, $700,000 for Lincoln Highway and 1^st Avenue intersection improvements, according to a county news release.

Since the Community Revitalization Program began in 2002, the county has awarded more than $54.4 million in Community Revitalization program and Community Development Block Grant program grants to the sixteen urban centers (City of Coatesville and 15 boroughs) for infrastructure improvements, according to Pat Bokovitz, director of the Chester County Department of Community Development.

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Centreville, Layton Prep to merge

School & Education

The Centreville School and Layton Preparatory School will merge on Aug. 1, creating a unified program to serve children with learning differences from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, the boards of directors of both schools have announced.

The merged institution — an outcome that has been in the works for nearly two years— will be known as Centreville Layton School and will be located on the Centreville School’s 23-acre campus on Kennett Pike, where Layton Prep has shared space. With the merger, Centreville Layton becomes the only independent school in Delaware or southeastern Pennsylvania offering a comprehensive K-12 program for students with learning differences.

Barton Reese, currently head of Layton Prep, has been named head of Centreville Layton School. Deborah Maguire, currently acting head of Centreville, will become assistant head of the merged institution.

Founded in 1974 as the Delaware Learning Center, a formative play program for children with learning differences, the Centreville School gradually expanded into a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade program and moved to its Kennett Pike location in 1984. Layton Prep opened in 2005 with a class consisting primarily of ninth-grade students and expanded to serve all high school grades. Originally located in the New Castle Corporate Commons, it moved onto the Centreville School campus in 2012.

The two schools enrolled 120 students during the 2013-14 school year, 85 at Centreville and 35 at Layton Prep. While most are residents of New Castle County, students also come from southeastern Pennsylvania and nearby areas in Maryland and New Jersey.

About the same time as Layton moved onto the Centreville campus, the two schools began exploring ways of sharing resources. “Students can now benefit from a continuum of education on a single campus, with the elementary, middle and high school programs being able to draw on each other’s strengths to provide an exceptional overall experience. By combining resources, we will be able to do more,” said Paul F. McConnell, chairman of the Layton Prep board of trustees.

Reese said the opportunity to capitalize on the offerings of the entire campus, such as the outdoor classroom and the barn, which houses two goats, two ponies, two dwarf pigs and four sheep, will enrich students’ experiences. Maguire noted that having a pre-kindergarten through high school program housed on one campus will “a learning community … that can serve students with learning difficulties from the start of their education through high school graduation.”

When the merger takes effect, the Centreville Layton School will continue as one institution and will launch a new web site on Aug. 1, www.centrevillelayton.org. Until then, information about the schools is available at www.centrevilleschool.org and www.laytonprep.org. Anyone seeking information about admissions or academic programs at Centreville Layton or the Learning Center may contact Reese at 302-655-3280 or Maguire at 302-571-0230.

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