March 2021
Reif Dance Company is made up of the most dedicated and talented dancers who commit to extra rehearsal time for a place in the company, or for younger students, the Jr. Company. The Company Show brings together original, classical, contemporary, and modern dance, presenting works by professional choreographers as well as student choreography. It also features solos from our senior students who have been with us many years and are going off to college next year.
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Christopher David Hanson is an artist who transcends mediums. As a musician: Old Rock & Roll, Kickin' Country, Swing & Soul sums up his style. His music has a long list of notable accomplishments including 5 songs placed in Motion Pictures, numerous PBS TV specials, and a host of opening slots with some of nations top groups including; Gin Blossoms, Black Oak Arkansas, Live, Kid Rock's Shannon Curfman, Cory Chisel, Sister Hazel, and more. Hanson is also a Nashville recording artist that has worked with many members of Wynonna Judd's band, and Carrie Underwood's group.
Inspired by the famous Canadian troupe “Cirque du Soleil”, the show is rich in various stage effects using the latest laser technologies, snow cannons, soap bubble tornadoes, theatrical fog, gigantic smoke rings, smoke-filled soap bubble machines, optical illusions and many other surprises. All the performance is enriched by a live video shooting connected to a large LED screen (35 sq. meters – 380 sq. Feet) that acts as a background and allows for better visibility even in the largest of auditoriums. Adults and children alike will enjoy the show, thanks to the high interactivity and audience participation, the extremely visual content (there are no spoken words as all the show is musical) and the different level of interpretations that that will make adults and children smile.
Grades K – 4
$7 per student | Tickets: boxoffice@reifcenter.org
(218) 327-5780
This show is part of the 2019-2020 Reif Education Class Acts Series and is not open to the general public.
THANK YOU SPONSORS
This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Crane Group.
April 2021
VIDEO ON-DEMAND THROUGH MAY 31
Hello, my name is Larry Yazzie a proud member of the Meskwaki Nation near Tama, Iowa. We are of the Algonquin speaking dialect of the eastern woodland region. We are centrally located in the great state of Iowa. Back in 1857 our forefathers snuck up to Iowa from Oklahoma and Kansas and purchased our first 80 acres. With the help of local farmers and the Governor of Iowa at the time granted us the Meskwaki citizens of Iowa
I’m honored to share my stories and culture with you through music and dance. We are made up of several tribes and promise to bring you the best experience possible!
As I play my flute I play in prayer for all who are going through hard times especially during this pandemic we will get through this together. We all need to pray together I too have experienced hardships in my life, especially in my community on the Meskwaki Indian Settlement near Tama, Iowa. Earlier this summer we were hit with a Derecho storm a land hurricane with winds up to 130 mph with devastation everywhere! But we prevailed and came together through prayers and help pouring in from everywhere! So thank you! ...”
VIDEO ON DEMAND THROUGH MAY, 31
RUNNING TIME 1.5 HOURS
FOR HIGH SCHOOL AGED STUDENTS AND OLDER
CONTAINS ADULT THEMES & LANGUAGE
The subject of Tom Dugan’s new new play Tell Him It’s Jackie is Jackie Kennedy. The narrative takes place on June 5, 1968, the date of her brother-in-law Robert’s assassination. Jackie invites us inside her life: her growing up, college, her courtship with the dashing young future President, the birth of her children, her own becoming a beloved icon, her hobnobbing with the rich and famous, her husband’s death, her spiraling into depression and substance abuse, and the subsequent death of a treasured ally. With her world crumbling around her, she decides on a course of action which will decisively change her and her children’s future.
Kait Haire, who bears an astonishing resemblance to the young Jackie Kennedy, portrays the former First Lady in a solo performance. Ms. Haire’s previous stage appearances include In My Mind’s Eye and Otherwise Engaged at Group Rep, and she appeared in the films Ballet of Balance and Flicker. Prior to her move to Los Angeles, she attended George Washington University, where she was a Presidential Scholar of the Arts.
Tom Dugan is playwright and director. His previous plays include Wiesenthal (for which he received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award), The Ghosts of Mary Lincoln, Oscar to Oscar and Frederick Douglass- In the Shadow of Slavery. He is also an actor with numerous stage, screen and television credits.
Dugan asserts that Tell Him It’s Jackie is “loosely based” on one of his earlier plays from a couple of seasons ago, Jackie Unveiled. Since then, he decided to revisit his subject matter, do a complete rewrite, and come up with a new show. The result is a new one-act, tight and concise with a running time that’s thirty-five minutes shorter than the earlier play.
Tell Him It’s Jackie will be a must-see for all those who have adored this iconic First Lady who still fascinates us today.
THIS EVENT IS FREE, TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED.
Face coverings and social distancing required.
Featuring a Q&A with Benny the Cabdriver, Mel Johnson Jr.
Johnson will be performing a one-person production called Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery at the Reif on Friday, April 16.
Mel Johnson Jr.
MEL JOHNSON JR. - Actor | Director | Producer - Though easily recognizable from his TOTAL RECALL co-starring role opposite ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Mel is equally comfortable these days discussing the production of his new one man show "Frederick Douglass In The Shadow Of Slavery" which recently had its extremely successful world premiere in California at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, and he is discussing his work with such companies as Goldman Sachs, American Express and Credit Suisse as a corporate councilor.
While living in Los Angeles, Mel was the Executive Producer of Shadow Entertainment's Urban Horror label "Big City Pictures," he produced four feature films "Ragdoll," "The Horrible Dr. Bones," "Killjoy" and "The Vault" - All of which can be found on video. Mel was also the Artistic Director of The Imagination Workshop, a group of actors, writers, and directors who work within the psychiatric community and with kids at risk. He's extremely proud of the fact that during his tenure as Artistic Director, The Imagination workshop won the first Ovation Award given to a company for "Outstanding Community Outreach."
Mel has countless credits from a resume that reflects his work on stage, screen and television. As a theater director, his work is best embodied by the award-winning "Give'em Hell Harry" starring JASON ALEXANDER, "Oscar To Oscar," "The Me Nobody Knows," "The Ballad of Lizard Gulch" and the critically acclaimed "The Last White Man in the World." Most recently, he directed the World Premiere of Tom Dugan's one man show "Robert E Lee, Shades of Gray" at the Carpenter Center in Richmond, Virginia.
When his acting career is mentioned, Mel finds it difficult to point to his most significant work, but can quickly identify the roles that gave him the most pleasure. In addition to his film work, the list includes Broadway stints in "On The Twentieth Century," "Eubie!" with Maurice and Gregory Hines, "The Rink" with Liza Minnelli, and Chita Rivera. Bob Fosse's "Big Deal," Mufasa in "The Lion King" and most recently starring in the new Earth, Wind and Fire musical, "Hot Feet!" Mel would be remiss if he didn't mention his long-standing relationship with The New York Shakespeare Festival, where he most recently starred in the revival of the musical "Two Gentleman Of Verona" for the festival's, Shakespeare In The Park. On television, he was a regular on David Lynch's "On The Air" and guest starred on numerous other T.V. shows from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" to "The Pratice."
Mel has always found it extremely rewarding sharing with others what he has learned from his education, at the High School of Performing Arts and Hofstra University and his vast life experience. He has taught classes in both New York and Los Angeles, coached individually and spoken with numerous schools, colleges and community organizations around the country. MEL JOHNSON JR. is as excited about his future as he is proud of his past accomplishments.
Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery
Available on-demand through May, 31 2021
Starring: Mel Johnson Jr. | Written & Directed by: Tom Dugan
Running time 1.5 hours
Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery is a one-man theatrical journey that chronicles Douglass' remarkable life; from his childhood in slavery to his perilous escape to freedom, from his intense friendships with Susan B. Anthony, John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln to his crucial work on behalf of former slaves following the Civil War. Incorporating gripping plantation songs, lush lighting and sound design, the story of Frederick Douglass' struggle for African American freedom, as performed by Mel Johnson, Jr., star of Broadway and film, is a fascinating evening of theatre that will inspire, educate and entertain.
MEL JOHNSON JR. - Actor | Director | Producer - Though easily recognizable from his TOTAL RECALL co-starring role opposite ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Mel is equally comfortable these days discussing the production of his new one man show "Frederick Douglass In The Shadow Of Slavery" which recently had its extremely successful world premiere in California at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, and he is discussing his work with such companies as Goldman Sachs, American Express and Credit Suisse as a corporate councilor.
While living in Los Angeles, Mel was the Executive Producer of Shadow Entertainment's Urban Horror label "Big City Pictures," he produced four feature films "Ragdoll," "The Horrible Dr. Bones," "Killjoy" and "The Vault" - All of which can be found on video. Mel was also the Artistic Director of The Imagination Workshop, a group of actors, writers, and directors who work within the psychiatric community and with kids at risk. He's extremely proud of the fact that during his tenure as Artistic Director, The Imagination workshop won the first Ovation Award given to a company for "Outstanding Community Outreach."
Mel has countless credits from a resume that reflects his work on stage, screen and television. As a theater director, his work is best embodied by the award-winning "Give'em Hell Harry" starring JASON ALEXANDER, "Oscar To Oscar," "The Me Nobody Knows," "The Ballad of Lizard Gulch" and the critically acclaimed "The Last White Man in the World." Most recently, he directed the World Premiere of Tom Dugan's one man show "Robert E Lee, Shades of Gray" at the Carpenter Center in Richmond, Virginia.
When his acting career is mentioned, Mel finds it difficult to point to his most significant work, but can quickly identify the roles that gave him the most pleasure. In addition to his film work, the list includes Broadway stints in "On The Twentieth Century," "Eubie!" with Maurice and Gregory Hines, "The Rink" with Liza Minnelli, and Chita Rivera. Bob Fosse's "Big Deal," Mufasa in "The Lion King" and most recently starring in the new Earth, Wind and Fire musical, "Hot Feet!" Mel would be remiss if he didn't mention his long-standing relationship with The New York Shakespeare Festival, where he most recently starred in the revival of the musical "Two Gentleman Of Verona" for the festival's, Shakespeare In The Park. On television, he was a regular on David Lynch's "On The Air" and guest starred on numerous other T.V. shows from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" to "The Pratice."
Mel has always found it extremely rewarding sharing with others what he has learned from his education, at the High School of Performing Arts and Hofstra University and his vast life experience. He has taught classes in both New York and Los Angeles, coached individually and spoken with numerous schools, colleges and community organizations around the country. MEL JOHNSON JR. is as excited about his future as he is proud of his past accomplishments.
. . . Being a celebration of the Life, the acts
and the exuberant excellence of THEODORE ROOSEVELT!
The Man In The Arena is a celebration of Theodore Roosevelt – the essential American. Owen Wister, who knew him well, called him “the most American American who ever lived!”
He is famous for what was supposedly his favorite saying: “Speak softly and carry a Big Stick!” In fact, his favorite saying was “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.” He loved power, and he used power like no president before or since, not even Lincoln in wartime – but always with a profound sense of responsibility. He fought hard for regular people, he held out for high ideals, and he never preached anything he didn’t practice. That was the example he left us with. His courage, his honesty, his character, his energy and his profound vision for America are beacons shining through the ages. At his best, he showed us what we can be at our best, and taught us what it means to be Americans.
Our debt to him in this is almost beyond calculation. But even more than that, his attraction lasts as one of the most interesting men who ever lived – a man who was interesting because he was interested. There is no subject about which he did not thirst for knowledge: history, politics, philosophy, nature, linguistics, taxidermy, poetry – the list is endless. He loved books – he read in seven languages, including Portuguese. He wrote books – thirty-six books in all on a bewildering variety of subjects. He was a man who loved to talk philology with Harvard professors and bug collections with six-year-olds. His colossal and kaleidoscopic passion for life and learning is just another of the many layers of his personality and another cause for our admiration.
In the words of Derek Evans, who so aptly portrays President Theodore Roosevelt, To bring this astonishing man alive…is the purpose of The Man In The Arena.
Derek Evans is a professional actor and scholar who has spent a career of almost 40 years engaged in educational presentations for schools, colleges, museums and libraries. He has conservatory training at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and at New York University and holds bachelors and masters degrees from Northwestern University. He is a veteran of over 40 stage productions in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco.
In addition to his legitimate theatre career, from 1969 to 1988 he wrote, produced and performed in educational programs in association with Chicago’s Urban Gateways. These totaled almost seven thousand performances for more than two million students over a period of twenty years and included Shakespeare, opera and American and British literary adaptations.
Since 1995 he has concentrated on living history presentations on Theodore Roosevelt, which have now totaled over 500 performances.
May 2021
VIDEO ON DEMAND THROUGH MAY 31, 2021
Grades 4 – 12
Jack London’s classic tale comes to life on stage. This multi-media adventure mixes performance and storytelling with projected illustrations to tell the story of Buck, the magnificent offspring of a St. Bernard and Scottish Collie.
THANK YOU TO SPONSOR
For In-Person tickets, please contact the Reif Box Office.
M,W,F Noon - 5PM
(218) 327-5780
boxoffice@reifcenter.org
The spring Reif Education Theater Arts production is here! The show is made of area student in grades 3-12.
Hermes and Cupid stir up trouble of Olympic proportions in this “myth-guided” tale. A beautiful young maiden named Phoebe and her shepherd suitor, Bastian, fall victim to the mischief of the gods. Chaos lurks around every corner in this comedic retelling of the events which lead to the Trojan War . . . almost.