downtownsnob

I'm in Columbus Alive

Talking about life in Columbus and my other blog - Advergirl.com

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Is Available Light Theater for you?

To find out, answer these simple questions:

• Are you likely to read "the next great American novel"? (think: Cather in the Rye, The Corrections)


• Do the television shows that you swear are smart, funny and generally perfect always seem to be getting canceled? (think: Freaks and Geeks, Huff)


• Do you affectionately call the Wexner Center the "Wex"?


• Did you attend Craftin' Outlaws, an independent film festival or Comfest last year?


• Did you vote for the winner in the last presidential election?


• Do you subscribe to Good Magazine, AdBusters or the Economist?


• Can you be found at North Market or the Clintonville Farmers Market most summer Saturday mornings?


• Do you think Liz Lessner should be our next mayor?

If you answered yes to at least three of these questions, Available Light Theater is definitely for you.

And, it's great to find out now because there's a new show coming up. (With, I should note, a little happy hour beforehand). Check out the details here.

 

Who to bring: Your sweetie, your best friend, your cool aunt, that guy with too many tattoos from the office

What to expect:

• Tickets are pay what you want
• Some of the shows are cash-only (so, get some)
• They perform known plays, new work and original material
• The sets tend to be pretty pared down
• And, the acting will move you
• They'll be a probably 100 people at any given show and you can mill around with them during a standard intermission
• The material is pretty eclectic, sometimes you might call it weird
• But, it's also fun and leaves you with a feeling you might call an intellectual high

Authors of A Search for Wisdom from Old People and Walking in Circles Before Lying Down to read at Thurber House

Thurber House recently announced its cold weather Evenings with Authors schedule. Over the next five months, they'll host six nationally-known authors for readings around Columbus:

• January 14: Sue Miller, author of The Senators Wife, at the Columbus School for Girls
• January 23: Merrill Markoe, author of Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, at the Columbus Museum of Art
• February 10: Henry Alford, author of How to Live: A Search for Wisdom from Old People, at the Columbus Performing Arts Center
• March 11: Meg Wolitzer, author of The Ten-Year Nap, at the Columbus School for Girls
• April 28: Terri Cheney, author of Manic, at the Columbus Museum of Art
• May 15: Tony Horwitz, author of a Voyage Long and Strange at the Columbus School for Girls

If you've never attended one of these events, no worries - they're very accessible, not overly intellectual or, frankly, snobby. And, brilliantly, they're all at locations with parking.

Who to take: Your book club, your best friend, your sister

What to expect:

• Tickets are $18-$20
• Most events start at 7:30 (so you can actually get there from work, unlike those blasted 6PM yoga sessions offered at nearly every studio around town)
• The authors read from their latest or most popular work
• Then they talk a little bit about what its like to make a career of writing
• There's usually some Q&A
• And, then you get cookies and coffee and mill around for a bit before making a break for martinis with the girls

Secrets of Downtown Columbus: The ghosts of the Arena District

Did you know:

The Arena District was once home to the storied state penitentiary.The Pen was a somewhat-notorious edifice that thousands passed through, but it was one escape that made national news:

On Easter Sunday, April 21, 1930, the cramped cell blocks filled with black smoke. An inmate set a number of fires in hopes of escaping unnoticed in the chaos and confusion. Some have claimed that prison guards purposely allowed the cell doors to stay locked longer than necessary. The only thing we know for sure is that over 300 convicts died that day inside of the prison. Many of them never even made it out of their cells.

The ghosts of some of those inmates are rumored to still haunt the Arena area. Making themselves known in the condos and theaters surrounding the former prison grounds.

5 Downtown Christmas Traditions Not to Miss

1. Buy a Christmas tree from the good people of St. Marys on Third Street in German Village. Sure, they can be a little on the Charlie Brown side, but where else can you find a smokey fire barrel keeping people warm next to a busy sidewalk crowded with holiday shoppers and coffee shop goers.


2. While you're there, head two streets east to Fifth where you'll find the nearly-hidden home of Bierberg Christmas Cookies. This fourth-generation Old-World enterprise is open only three months of the year (October - December). Duck into their tiny front office for some tasty samples and memorable holiday treats.


3. It wouldn't be Christmas in the capital city without a little gawking at the statehouse Christmas tree. Then cross the street to the Riffe Center for some holiday theater. Sure, it's campy and native to many cities, but CATCO's performance of The Santaland Diaries is nothing short of delightful.


4. Give something back through Bethlehem on Broad. This multi-church holiday effort feeds 1200 families in our city and includes a big Christmas-day feast and a free call  home for anyone who needs it.


5. Since you're downtown, there's a good chance you are without a proper garage. So, it's also the time of year to spend a few minutes every morning with your neighbors. All cussing angrily at frozen over cars, banging about with flimsy plastic ice scrapers and lining up at bumpers to push one another out of the snow.