A Different Christmas Carol- NC Arts Everyday

A Different Christmas Carol- NC Arts Everyday

Salisbury native David zum Brunnen stars in Dr. Elliot Engel’s The Night Before Christmas Carol on UNC-TV, Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 10 p.m. The program, filmed on location in the State Library Room of the State Capitol Building in Raleigh brings viewers into Charles Dickens’ study on Friday, Oct. 13, 1843 to reveal his writing process and inspirations for his work. Engel, a scholar, author and playwright combines history and humor to tell the tale. View of a clip of the EbzB production at http://ebzb.org/NBCC/NBCCPromo%20July2010.mp4.

About Dr. Elliot Engel

http://www.authorsink.com/AboutNightXmasCarol.asp

Review: War Bonds

The Citizen Times, Scottsville, Kentucky - November 25, 2010

War Bonds: A DIRECT HIT - The North Carolina based husband-wife professional theatrical team of David zum Brunnen and Serena Ebhardt put on their nationally acclaimed show, "War Bonds," last Thursday at The Center for Courageous Kids. An event sponsored by the Allen County-Scottsville Arts Council in Kentucky.  With Ebhardt's Broadway caliber singing and zum Brunnen's oratory of original wartime letters from World War II veterans, War Bonds features the music and aura of history's greatest conflict.  The county's World War II veterans were admitted free to the dinner theater event.

Compliment: War Bonds

"War Bonds was a "BIG" hit in Scottsville, KY.  We had a sold out house and lots of WWII vets came and were honored.  It was fun for me to know the actors."  

 - Hannah Ryan, Presenter, Allen County-Scottsville Arts Council.

Jefferson Post - ‘Night Before Christmas Carol’ at Civic Center

Jefferson Post - ‘Night Before Christmas Carol’ at Civic Center























The Ashe Civic Center will come alive with the historically accurate and highly humorous theatre production of ‘The Night Before Christmas Carol’ on Friday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Join your family and friends for the one night only performance and get into the holiday spirit.

Join Charles Dickens in his study for a very special night. On an evening in 1843 he creates his ghostly little classic, ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Actor David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens and seventeen familiar characters from the famous Christmas Carol. Renowned Dickens scholar, author, playwright and lecturer, Dr. Elliot Engel has crafted this entertaining work that complements the holiday season.


‘The Night Before Christmas Carol,’ sponsored by the Ashe County Arts Council is presented by EbzB Productions. Founded in 1998 by Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen, EbzB is a North Carolina theatre company that specializes in simple and compelling productions that tells wonderful stories through the magic of theatre. The award-winning husband-wife, actor-manager team of Serena and David bring over forty years of experience to the stage. They have careers that have taken them from Off-Broadway to small regional theatre to schools on the east coast.

Celebrate the holidays with the Arts Council with a twist on a holiday classic! Reserve seating tickets are $12 adult and $5 students and are available at the Ashe Arts Center and by phone with a credit card at 336-846-ARTS.

Beaufort County Now in Washington NC » Upon the Stage » A Dickens of a Time

http://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/705/58/a-dickens-of-a-time.html


A Dickens of a Time



    In just about 60 minutes at the Turnage Theater, Friday night, December 3, 2010, we got a glimpse of who Charles Dickens was, and what possessed him to create his Christmas opus, "A Christmas Carol." I sat transfixed in my seat in the balcony of the renovated former theater, mesmerized by the palpable presentation of the one act, one man play "A Night Before Christmas Carol."

    "A Night Before Christmas Carol" is the brainchild of Elliot Engel, Charles Dickens scholar, who is published extensively on the subject, and this Friday night, through the actor's guise of David Zum Brunnen, we got a certain taste of who the writer was, who he is in message. And with Charles Dickens, it was always about the message.

    This was the night that we got a triple dose of it all: A history / social perspective of England in the early days of the Industrial Age, a personal perspective of the pathos, and alternating joy of the author, and to manifest it all through the living narrative of "A Christmas Carol."

    The actor, David Zum Brunnen, took the direction well of his wife and collaborator, Serena Ebhardt, and manically displayed the ego, laid bare, of the well-remembered author, who, in life, used his well-read-words to effect some measure of change in the grimy, coal dust times of his 19th Century England. “A Christmas Carol” was as much a statement of the social ills of the time in 1843 London, as it was a call to life, love and redemption. In the embodiment of Ebenezer Scrooge, we glimpsed the detached cruelty of London’s established wealthy class, rendered in the caricature of the Scrooge character, and how they might redeem themselves of such an evil burden.

   Ebenezer did redeem himself - "Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more" - and he was the prototypical redeemed soul that is the basis of most uplifting stories. It is the better theme that keeps our hopes of a better world here at Christmas time, as we head into a new year that we always hope will be better than the last. In a time, as it is now, with so many out of work, losing their homes, and experiencing the tough change of a bad economy and bad policy, the story of the transformation of the miser-turned- philanthropist in the span of a night is the most uplifting of all.

That was the purpose of this treatise of the transformational optimism from the despair of the spirit that transcended the desperate human condition of that daunting age. David Zum Brunnen's frenzied approach to Charles Dickens character in the throes of his creative spirit, symbolized the authors' need to break the bonds of the oppressive pessimism of the witnessed poor that dominated many of his long walks along the narrow, cobbled streets throughout London. As stated by the actor's character, "I will write a Christmas story to be bound and published modestly so that the poor families of London can have one book in their home that will bring them a measure of Christmas cheer."


 The beauty within this short one act play was its ability to convey the political soul of the author, his aspiration for sweeping societal transformation, while entertaining his audience with segments taken directly from the pages of "A Christmas Carol," and fleshed out by the actor as he interpreted how Dickens would have portrayed them. "A Christmas Carol," which is the best story of Christmas this side of the Apostle Luke's depiction of the birth of the Christ Child, was as much of an examination of the conflict that exists in Men's souls as it expression of the Miracle of Christmas. But isn't that it's all about ... anyway?




 As in all the pictures displayed within this article, the demonstrative actor, David Zum Brunnen, works his Charles Dickens into a near manic state as he hastily occupies separate marks on the stage to produce the story of an author, who had a big story to tell.

Local news briefs | NewsChief.com

Night Before Christmas Carol - Lake Wales, Florida
Local news briefs | NewsChief.com

COMPLIMENT

David,

  Please excuse my tardiness in sending you this message.  The delay in no way reduces the absolute joy that I felt in your presentation of "War Bonds."  People throughout the community still stop me on the street and in the stores to express their gratitude for that evening.  The reporter from the local newspaper summed it up with these words, "Pure class!"  This was, undoubtedly, one of the best received presentations that our arts council has ever sponsored.  So, on behalf of the council and the staff at the Center for Courageous Kids, please accept our deepest gratitude for a magnificent performance.
   On a personal note, I sincerely appreciate your cooperative spirit and warm personalities.  It was a pleasure to work with you.  I hope to do it again. Blessings!

Ken Goforth
P. S.  Our ticket sales allowed us to give the camp over $2,000.00 as their part of the proceeds.

The Night Before Christmas Carol Airs On Stations Across America 2010/12/02

Broadway World: The Night Before Christmas Carol Airs On Stations Across America 2010/12/02

EbzB Productions’ The Night Before Christmas Carol Airing This Month On Public Broadcasting Stations Across America

EbzB Productions’ The Night Before Christmas Carol Airing This Month 
On Public Broadcasting Stations Across America


Apex, NC
  - EbzB Productions is delighted to announce the national distribution and television broadcast of Dr. Elliot Engel’s The Night Before Christmas Carol featuring David zum Brunnen.  The program, distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA), will air this month on public television stations across America. To view the promotional clip, please visit http://ebzb.org/NBCC/NBCCPromo%20July2010.mp4

The Night Before Christmas Carol was filmed on location in the State Library Room of the State Capitol Building in Raleigh, North Carolina. Emmy Award winner, Scott H. Davis directs the film production. Stage Director: Serena Ebhardt; Director of Cinematography & Lighting: Warren Gentry; Production Crew: Jim Haverkamp, Don Mercz, and Marley Toben; Post-production editing: Warren Gentry & Associates, Inc.; Post-production sound mix: Anthony Fedele of Emmy Award winning Concentrix Music & Sound Design.

The Night Before Christmas Carol brings spectators into Charles Dickens’ study on Friday, the thirteenth of October 1843.  History, humor and the holiday come to life as Dickens reveals his writing process, uncloaking the personal inspirations for his work. Renowned scholar, author, and playwright Dr. Elliot Engel, crafts the entertaining character study, which delights holiday audiences of all ages. In this acclaimed performance, actor David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens and 17 familiar characters; giving personal, social, and historical context to the ghostly classic, A Christmas Carol.   The “behind the scenes” discoveries renew the classic tale, bringing a fresh perspective to a family holiday tradition. The stage production is a staple of EbzB Productions’ theatrical touring repertoire.

The Night Before Christmas Carol is available on DVD at www.EbzB.org ($20).

Public Broadcasting Stations nationwide will feature The Night Before Christmas Carol during December 2010.  A partial schedule follows…

    * 11/25 & 11/28 WVPBS, West Virginia
    * 12/4 (8:30PM) and 12/5 (12:30PM) - NHPTV, New Hampshire
    * 12/12 (2PM) - APM, Arizona Public Media
    * 12/12  - KCSM, San Mateo, California (San Fran/Bay Area, California)
    * 12/12 - WSIU, Carbondale, Illiinois
    * 12/12 - 11PM  KMOS-TV (central Missouri)
    * 12/13 (10PM) & 12/24 (10PM) - WQED, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    * 12/13 & 12/24 -  NJN, New Jersey
    * 12/13 - 9PM LPB (Louisiana Public Broadcasting); also 12/20 11AM, & 12/24 8AM
    * 12/13 - KENW - Albequerque NM/Eastern NM Univ., Portales, NM
    * 12/14- WNED-TV, Buffalo, NY
      12/19, 2PM, WPBS - Upstate NY & Ontario, Canada
      12/19, 7PM - UEN-TV, Utah Education Network
    * 12/19 (4PM) (& 12/1, 12/14, 12/21 & 12/22 - 4AM) - KET, Kentucky Educational TV
    * 12/19 (11PM) - MPTV, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    * 12/19 - WQPT 4:30PM, Moline, IL (Eastern IA/Western IL)
    * 12/20 - 8PM, KLCS-TV, Los Angeles, CA
    * 12/20 (7PM) - KTEH, San Jose, California
    * 12/20 (8PM) - KLRU, Texas
    * 12/20 & 12/21 - KQED/KTEH, N. Cal/SF/Bay Area, California
    * 12/22 (10PM) – UNC TV, North Carolina
    * 12/22, 9PM, KTXT - Lubbock, TX/Texas Tech Univ.
    * 12/23, 8PM KAKM - Alaska
    * 12/24, 12Noon - KPTS, Wichita, KS
    * 12/24, 9PM KRWG, Las Cruces, NM/West Texas
    * 12/24 - CPTV, Colorado
    * 12/24 - IPTV, Idaho
    * 12/24 – (9:30 p.m.) WPSU, University Park, Pennsylvania
    * 12/24  - WNMU, Marquette/Northern Michigan
    * 12/25 – SDPB, South Dakota
    * 12/25 – (11PM) Sistema TV, Puerto Rico

    * Please check your local listings for specific dates and times.

Celebrating Dickens


This holiday season, Mid-Continent Public Library is celebrating Charles Dickens with a special series of programs featuring his classic A Chirstmas Carol. The series includes library favorite David zum Brunnen's performance of A Night Before... A Christmas Carol, a lecture from Dickens scholar Dr. Elliot Engel, and a return to the area from Gerald Dickens, the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens. The performances run November 29 - December 15. Registration is required for all events.

Night Before Christmas Carol

Branch: Antioch
November 29, 2010 - 10:00am
Branch: Boardwalk
November 29, 2010 - 7:00pm Branch: Midwest Genealogy Center
November 30, 2010 - 10:00am Branch: Colbern Road
November 30, 2010 - 7:00pm
Join Charles Dickens in his study for a very special night. On this evening in 1843, he creates his holiday classic, "A Christmas Carol". Renowned Dickens scholar, author, playwright and lecturer, Elliot Engel has crafted a work that allows David zum Brunnen to portray the 17 Christmas Carol characters and Charles Dickens himself. Recommended highly by the Dickens family, MCPL is privileged to offer this performance to continue its Dickens' tradition!

Discovering Dickens with Dr. Elliot Engel

Graceland University Auditorium, 1401 W. Truman Road
December 8, 2010 - 7:00pm

Come hear from one of the most engaging Dickens scholars around delve a bit deeper into the man who wrote "A Christmas Carol". Dr. Engel has written ten books published in England, Japan, and the United States. His mini-lecture series on Charles Dickens ran on PBS television stations around the country. His articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and national magazines inducing "Newsweek". He has lectured throughout the United States and on all the continents including Antarctica. Four plays which he has written have been produced during the last ten years. For his thirty years of academic work and service in promoting Charles Dickens, he was nominated and inducted into the Royal Society of Arts in England. Dr. Engel now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he has taught at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. Since 1980, Dr. Engel has been President of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina, the largest branch of this worldwide network of clubs. The sales of Dr. Engel's books, CDs, and DVDs have raised funds for "The Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital" which Dickens helped found in London in 1852.

A Christmas Carol With Gerald Dickens, A Special Engagement

Branch: Raytown
December 15, 2010 - 2:00pm Branch: Blue Springs South
December 15, 2010 - 7:00pm
Returning to MCPL is Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens for a special engagement. A professional actor in England, the energetic Gerald Dickens leaps, laughs, and sobs as he portrays the voices of A Christmas Carol. His striking resemblance to his great-grandfather and his dramatic rendition of A Christmas Carol bring the classic to life.
Refreshments will be served.
These performances are offered in partnership with The Elms Resort in Excelsior Springs. Library performances are free. Gerald is also performing at a special tea or dinner on December 16th. Contact The Elms at (816) 630-5500 for those tickets.

Tags: holiday, event

Dickens event Dec. 9 at arts center - Lake Wales, Florida

http://www.lakewalesnews.com/articles/2010/11/24/entertainment/doc4cec255691ba0232790143.txt

Dickens event Dec. 9 at arts center


Published:
Wednesday, November 24, 2010 10:08 AM EST
The Lake Wales Arts Council, Inc. invitesarea residents to a holiday performance of “The Night Before Christmas Carol” on Dec. 9, at 7:30 pm.


Renowned Dickens scholar, author, playwright and lecturer, Dr. Elliot Engel has crafted this entertaining one-man work that has provided holiday family entertainment for thousands. The performance will be held in Updike Hall, Lake Wales Arts Center, 1099 SR 60 E, Lake Wales.
Alone in his study, facing a deadline, Charles Dickens gets the idea for his famous holiday favorite.
As the story emerges from his imagination, each of the characters comes to life in this witty and entertaining portrait of the writer creating one of the best-loved stories of all time.



Award-winning actor, David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens and seventeen familiar characters from the famous Christmas Carol. Cedric Charles Dickens, great-grandson of Charles Dickens, praised zum Brunnen’s performance, “David absolutely becomes my great-grandfather on stage!”
All are invited after the performance to a wine and cheese reception and the opportunity to meet zum Brunnen.
Tickets are $20 members, $25 non-members; students with ID $5. To reserve seats, call the Lake Wales Arts Center at (863) 676-8426, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This performance is made possible in part by the generosity of Mrs. Bruce Newell and The Ruth V. Marchione Fund.

Compliment: War Bonds, Helena, Arkansas

Dear David,

I don’t think you need me to tell you how much your concert was enjoyed.  I think the audience made their feelings known with their response.  The feedback we have had has been remarkable.  This is a note from one lady

Dear Committee, I noticed the listings of memorials in your program for the wonderful “War Bonds” show.  My husband Lt. Col. Earl J. Bass, died 30 September, 2010, he would have so enjoyed the evening.  Please include this WW11 Veteran in your next listing.  He is also known as a crop duster called Sam.  Please accept this check in gratitude for your wonderful concert.  Sincerely, Clara Bass.

It is so heartwarming to have a couple such as you and Serena, endeavor to bring to life through your show and the letters you have included in it, the bravery and and the soul of the young men and women who fight our wars.  Many of our veterans are old and feeble now, just shadows of their former selves, but your show gives them renewed vigor and a sense of pride that their sacrifice has not been forgotten.  The Warfield Concerts was surely honored by your performance, we thank you and Serena and your orchestra for an unforgettable evening.

Maureen Jones
Warfield Concerts
Helena, Arkansas

Victorian England comes to life in ‘Christmas Carol’ at Lawrence Public Library

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/nov/21/victorian-england-comes-life-christmas-carol-lawre/

Victorian England comes to life in ‘Christmas Carol’ at Lawrence Public Library

November 21, 2010
Upcoming Event
The Night Before Christmas Carol
  • When: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Where: Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., Lawrence
  • Cost: Free
  • More on this event....
The spirits of the holiday season will be in the air when EbzB Productions presents “The Night Before Christmas Carol” at 3 p.m. Nov. 28 at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.
Victorian England comes to life In this acclaimed one-man performance when the audience joins Charles Dickens in his study on Friday the 13th, 1843. David zum Brunnen portrays Dickens and 17 familiar characters as he re-enacts Dickens’ creation of the classic “A Christmas Carol.” Written by renowned Dickens scholar and author Eliot Engel, the performance provides personal, social and historical context to the ghostly classic.
“David (zum Brunnen) — absolutely becomes my great-grandfather on stage,” says Cedric Charles Dickens, great-grandson of the author.
EbzB Productions Inc. was founded in 1998 by Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen. This award-winning husband-wife team brings more than 40 years of experience to the stage.
The program is free and open to the public, but it is not suitable for very young children.

UNC-TV ONLINE: What's On

UNC-TV ONLINE: What's On: "12/22 10:00 pm Night Before Christmas Carol UNC-TV
12/22 10:00 pm"

Night Before Christmas Carol - Ashe County Arts Council, NC

Night Before Christmas Carol
Friday, December 10, 2010
7:30 pm Ashe Civic Center

The Night Before Christmas Carol - Join Charles Dickens in his study for a very special night. On this evening in 1843 he creates his ghostly little classic,  A Christmas Carol. David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens and seventeen familiar characters from the famous Christmas carol  Renowned Dickens scholar, author, playwright, and lecturer, Elliot Engel has crafted a work that is historically accurate, highly humorous. and full of Happy Holiday fun!

Night Before Christmas Carol - Turnage Theatre, Washington, NC

Night Before Christmas Carol - Turnage Theatre, Washington, NC
http://turnagetheater.com/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=224&year=2010&month=12&day=03&Itemid=28 

Night Before Christmas Carol

Dates From Friday, December 03 2010, 8:00 PM
To Friday, December 03 2010, 10:00 PM
"David [zum Brunnen] --  absolutely becomes my great-grandfather on stage!"
  -- Cedric Charles Dickens

The Night Before Christmas Carol is a historically accurate and highly humorous holiday production by renowned Dickens Scholar, Elliot Engel.  It takes place in 1843 on the night that Charles Dickens dreams up his idea for a ghostly little Christmas book that becomes world famous.  As he composes his winter morality tale, the audience gets a glimpse into the life of the real Dickens and his true inspirations.  
David zum Brunnen cleverly performs the role of Dickens and over seventeen Dickensian characters in this 90-minute performance.  His performance has been described as lively, physical and energetic, and director Serena Ebhardt has honed this production into a spirited holiday present that is just right for ages 8 to 88.
Tickets for this December 3rd production are $25 downstairs and mezzanine ($22 for seniors 62+ and children 12 and under) and $15 in the balcony. 


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Night Before Christmas Carol - Smithville Library, MO

The Night Before Christmas Carol at the Smithville Library, MO
http://eventful.com/smithville_mo/events/night-before-christmas-carol-/E0-001-007159774-5

Night Before Christmas Carol Airs On Idaho Public Television

Night Before Christmas Carol Airs On Idaho Public Television
http://idptv.state.id.us/schedules/listingDetails.cfm?TZ=MT&SeriesID=16995&thisChannel=KAID&VersionID=217904&ThisDate=12-24-2010&thisTime=21:00:00

Night Before Christmas Carol - Milwaukee Public Television

Night Before Christmas Carol - Milwaukee Public Television
http://www.mptv.org/schedule/a-z/program/?id=18901644

The Night Before Christmas Carol Airs On Kentucky Educational Television

The Night Before Christmas Carol  

Kentucky Educational Television



Details

Episode description: Renowned Dickens scholar and author Dr. Eliot Engel, crafts this entertaining study of A Christmas Carol. Actor David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens - and 17 other familiar characters from the ghostly classic. [cc]
Rating: [TV-G] (General Audience)

TV Schedule

Upcoming Airdates:
  • KETKY: Wednesday, December 1 at 4:00 am EST
  • KETKY: Tuesday, December 14 at 4:00 am EST
  • KET2: Sunday, December 19 at 4:00 pm EST
  • KET: Tuesday, December 21 at 4:00 am EST
  • KETKY: Wednesday, December 22 at 4:00 am EST
You can select your time zone if it's not EST. First aired: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 (excluding any air dates prior to June 1999)

Products

DVD:
   $20.00 plus shipping and handling.
   EBZB Productions
   ebzb@earthlink.net

The Night Before Christmas Carol Airs on KQED San Francisco, CA

The Night Before Christmas Carol Airs on KQED San Francisco, CA

http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=19459

Upcoming Broadcasts:


Duration: 57:29 CC STEREO TVG
Renowned Dickens scholar and author Dr. Eliot Engel, crafts this entertaining study that complements every holiday schedule. Filmed in the spirit of a classic BBC-style presentation, actor David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens -- and seventeen other familiar characters from the ghostly classic, A Christmas Carol.

Channels and Airdates:

KTEH
Mon, Dec 20, 2010 -- 7:00pm email reminder
Tue, Dec 21, 2010 -- 1:00am email reminder

EbzB's The Night Before Christmas Carol airs on Colorado Public Television

http://www.cpt12.org/tv_schedule/program_details.cfm?series_id=37243898

Night Before Christmas Carol, The

Colorado Public Television

Saturday, December 18 at 11:30 pm on Channel 12.1
Renowned Dickens scholar and author Dr. Eliot Engel, crafts this entertaining study that complements every holiday schedule. Filmed in the spirit of a classic BBC-style presentation, actor David zum ... [See more]

Repeats

Friday, December 24 at 6:00 pm   on Channel  12.2
Monday, December 27 at 1:00 am   on Channel  12.2

NETA Educational Services

EbzB's The Night Before Christmas Carol on Public Television: NETA Educational Services

War Bonds: Scottsville, KY

War Bonds: Scottsville, KY

http://www.facebook.com/pages/War-Bonds-presented-by-Allen-County-Scottsville-Arts-Council/153218164702905?ref=mf

Sanford Herald Article

Chatham arts council aims for more creativity in classrooms
by Alexa Milan
13 hrs ago | 0  |  | 0  |  |


PITTSBORO — For some students, a lecture about the Civil Rights Movement or mathematical formulas isn’t enough to make the information stick. In honor of National Arts and Humanities Month, the Chatham County Arts Council hopes to show the community that creativity and innovation in the classroom are keys to success.

ChathamArts, the Northwood Arts Education Foundation, the Northwood High School Arts Education Department and Americans for the Arts are partnering to host a Creative Conversation at 7 p.m. tonight. The organizations encourage arts leaders and community members to gather at Northwood High School’s Benjamin J. Lee Auditorium to discuss the importance of the arts in the community and in schools.

“Art is more than something that just hangs on the wall,” said Molly Matlock, executive director of ChathamArts. “It can challenge us to think and see in new ways.”

To kick off last year’s National Arts and Humanities Month, Americans for the Arts coordinated 43 Creative Conversations throughout the country. Tonight’s discussion in Pittsboro will feature Serena Ebhardt and David zum Brunnen of EbzB Productions, an organization specializing in student workshops, residencies, professional development seminars and touring theatrical productions that promote integrity and self-discovery.

Ebhardt and zum Brunnen will discuss with attendees the idea of arts integration, which involves incorporating the arts into other subjects such as math, English, science and history.

“They may use music to teach (students) about sound waves, mathematical formulas and the history and social context of the music,” Matlock said.

Ebhardt and zum Brunnen were both trained to teach arts in education workshops at the Lincoln Center Institute and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. In addition to speaking at the Creative Conversation, Ebhardt and zum Brunnen will conduct residencies through ChathamArts at Jordan-Matthews High School and Northwood High School.

Their residencies will focus on integrating the arts into other areas to enhance the learning process. At a past residency, Ebhardt and zum Brunnen had students conduct interviews about desegregation in Columbus County and use that information to write their own production about the topic.

“It’s not a situation when you stop the learning that’s going on,” said Gina Harrison, chair of the ChathamArts arts in education committee and president of the Northwood Arts Education Foundation. “The teaching artists are enhancing the lessons. It’s trying to bring that holistic approach that arts educators use intrinsically into other disciplines.”

Chatham County is no stranger to artist residencies. In years past, ChathamArts has brought residencies to schools that focused on everything from language arts and social studies to science and math.

“In the past three years, we’ve served more than 5,000 students through residencies,” Matlock said. “We’re kind of revamping this year and really letting David and Serena guide how we strengthen our programming.”

Matlock said she hopes National Arts and Humanities Month will bring studies to the forefront that demonstrate the benefits of arts education. For example, The Center for Educational Policy conducted a 2008 study that revealed 93 percent of Americans believe the arts are important to education, but 22 percent of school districts cut arts-related instructional time.

“We are now finding lots of research that the cuts that have often been made are detrimental not only to the arts but also to other core subjects,” Harrison said. “As arts integration points out, all of these activities contribute to a well-rounded student.”

Harrison said she hopes National Arts and Humanities Month, the Creative Conversation and the upcoming artist residencies will reinforce the power of the arts to teach students critical skills such as innovation, critical thinking and problem solving.

“(At the Creative Conversation), we hope we have not only arts educators but anyone in the community who is interested in how arts integration works,” Harrison said. “The arts are always one of those factors that contribute to children’s interest, their motivation, their creativity and their ability to think outside the box.”


Read more: Sanford Herald - Chatham arts council aims for more creativity.

NorthwoodArts


EbzB on NCTC

Click Here for EbzB on NCTC

Moving Right Along with EbzB

Moving Right Along...

Moving Right Along…
For our next act, we’ve got an exciting program planned for October, National Arts and Humanities Month. It’s a collaborative effort and we hope to attract broad spectrum of the community …




Pittsboro, NC—NHS Arts Education Foundation, ChathamArts, and the NHS Arts Education department are partnering with Americans for the Arts to host an Emerging Leader Creative Conversation in Pittsboro on Tuesday, October 5, 2010. Creative Conversations bring together local emerging arts leaders and community members to discuss issues regarding the arts in their communities. Creative Conversations are part of National Arts and Humanities Month programs coordinated by Americans for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public. To attend, register online at http://bit.ly/bh5BnP
The local Creative Conversation features an interactive discussion with special guests EbzB Productions’ Serena Ebhardt & David zum Brunnen. Teachers, parents, students and artists are invited to learn about Arts Integration—What it is, how it works, and how it benefits students and teachers in multiple disciplines. Recognized in the North Carolina Arts Council Touring Artist Directory and in the South Carolina Arts Commission AIE Roster of Approved Artists, EbzB artists have been trained by The Lincoln Center Institute and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to teach Arts in Education Workshops.

Creative Conversations are free and open to the public. Last year, more than 1,500 emerging arts leaders participated in 43 locally hosted Creative Conversations held throughout the country. An interactive Google map is available online at http://artsactionfund.org/events/creative_conversations detailing where Creative Conversations are taking place. Visit the website after October to read summary reports of the events and learn what next steps to take in your community.

National Arts and Humanities Month is coordinated by Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. The month-long celebration has become the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. With 50 years of service, Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. More information about Americans for the Arts, Creative Conversations, and National Arts and Humanities Month is available atwww.AmericansForTheArts.org.

EbzB Productions, Inc. develops original, touring, theatrical productions to promote integrity, self-discovery and positive transformation of individuals, artists, audiences, and communities. They believe that the performing arts encourages positive transformation through discoveries unveiled immediately and upon reflection. EbzB artists are dedicated to the promotion of dramatic art as a valuable educational tool. They are trained by The John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts “Artists as Educators:  Planning Effective Workshops”, and The Lincoln Center Institute’s International Educator Program. EbzB Is also endorsed by the North Carolina Arts Council’s Touring Artists Directory. In addition to performances, EbzB Productions, Inc. is available for student workshops, residencies, and professional development seminars.  EbzB Productions – Your World Is Our Stage!   www.EbzB.org.

ChathamArts, the Chatham County Arts Council, is a not for profit organization that supports and presents the arts and artists in our community. They encourage community participation in the arts to enrich the quality of life of the county’s residents. ChathamArts fosters arts awareness and education, and encourages the use of arts as a tool for economic development. www.Chathamarts.org

The Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation (NHSAEF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization, is a community initiative dedicated to ensuring excellence in arts education by identfying, creating, and supporting programs that enrich learning, foster student achievement, and increase community involvement. Visit NHSAEF at www.NHSAEF.org

War Bonds: Park Forest, Illinois. November 9, 2010

You are invited to attend "Arts Integration: An InterACTive Discussion with EbzB Productions"

You are invited to attend "Arts Integration: An InterACTive Discussion with EbzB
Productions"

Go to http://artsactionfund.org/page/event/detail/jt5#rsvp to RSVP

Event Name Arts Integration: A Discussion with EbzB Productions

Description Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation and
ChathamArts will present a discussion about Arts Integration--What it
is, How it works, and How it can benefit students and teachers in
multiple disciplines, with special guests from EbzB Productions. EbzB
(theatre professionals and teaching artists Serena Ebhardt and David
zum Brunnen) "develop theatrical works that promote integrity, self-
discovery and positive transformation of individuals, artists,
audiences, and communities." They are recognized by the North Carolina
Arts Council Touring Artist Directory and in the South Carolina Arts
Commission AIE Roster of Approved Artists. Additionally, EbzB artists
have been trained by The Lincoln Center Institute and The John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to teach AIE Workshops. Learn
more about their school residencies and professional development
workshops here: http://www.ebzb.org/workshop.shtml Visit NHSAEF at
http://www.NHSAEF.org Visit ChathamArts at http://www.chathamarts.org/

Time Tuesday, October 5, 2010 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT

Host Gina Harrison

Phone 919.593.7541

Location Benjamin J. Lee Auditorium, Northwood High School , 310
Northwood High School Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312

NETA selects EbzB's Night Before Christmas Carol for distribution to Public Television

The National Educational Telecommunications Association, an organization connecting public television people and ideas since 1967, has selected EbzB Productions'film "The Night Before Christmas Carol" for distribution to Public Television.

The National Educational Telecommunications Association is a professional association
that serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. NETA connects people and ideas, by providing quality programming,educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation.

The NETA Program Service wants to enrich public television by delivering one-of-kind documentaries and diverse informational series to every PTV station in the country.

EbzB Productions is honored to be selected for representation and distribution of the film version of The Night Before Christmas Carol by NETA.

EbzB Teaching Artist attends Lincoln Center Institute International Educator Workshop

Serena Ebhardt completed the Lincoln Center Institute International Educator Workshop in August 2010. This professional development for Teaching Artists benefits students whenever EbzB Productions leads workshops and residencies in schools. The training promotes teaching core curriculum through works of art. 

Photo Shoot: In One Era and Out The Other

Lady Liberty

See the rest of the photos from today's photo shoot at
http://picasaweb.google.com/ebzbebzb/EbzBInOneEraAndOutTheOther?feat=directlink

Photo Credit: Jodi Neely Wiley

EbzB works with Warren Gentry & Associates on The Night Before Christmas Carol Film

EbzB is delighted with the filming, editing and post production work by Warren Gentry & Associates of Elliot Engel's "The Night Before Christmas Carol."  If you have an opportunity to work with these fine film artists, do it!

EbzB filmed in the State Library Room of the Capitol building in Raleigh, NC.
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol/stat_cap/tour.htm#3floor   Built in 1842 - just one year before Charles Dickens composed his ghostly classic, "A Christmas Carol", this room provided the perfect film location for "The Night Before Christmas Carol."

EbzB spends the day at Concentrix Studios

EbzB Productions works with Concentrix Studios (in their super-swell, new location) doing post-production sound for the upcoming film version of Elliot Engel's "The Night Before Christmas Carol."  Visit http://www.concentrixmusic.com/studio.php to see this amazing facility.

Review/Compliment - Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till

Raleigh News & Observer

Apex-based actor-playwright weaves facts, questions
By Roy C. Dicks, Correspondent

CHAPEL HILL -- The basic facts of the Emmett Till case are well known. The 14 year-old African-American was brutally beaten and murdered in 1955 on a visit to relatives in Mississippi. His white assailants deemed this appropriate punishment for Till's whistling at a white girl. The assailants, who admitted in court to kidnapping the boy but denied the murder, were acquitted of all charges.
The recent re-examinations of the case, including documentary films and the exhumation of Till's body for DNA testing, have shed new light on the incident, while still leaving unanswered questions. Apex-based actor-playwright Mike Wiley has woven these facts and questions into a riveting evening of theater, "Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till." The cryptic main title becomes devastatingly clear within the show.
Describing the production as a one-man show is misleading, for Wiley portrays nearly two dozen characters during the 90-minute piece: black, white, male, female, young, old, city slicker, farm worker. The distinct differentiations of accent, voice range, body language and characters' mindset would be impressive enough if played one after another, but Wiley changes back and forth in an instant, often creating the illusion that two people are conversing. The barrage of characters is a little overwhelming at first, but the audience adjusts as they become familiar.
Wiley avoids caricature portraying the female characters, morphing easily into the giggling store clerk, the gregarious old aunt, the unapologetic mother of the murderers. He also finds enough genuine humor to give the horror some respite.
Wiley employs no changes of costume or makeup. His sole prop is a white cloth that can become a handkerchief, a whiskey bottle, even a headless chicken. Cigarettes, money, a bottle of Coke, a steering wheel -- all are mimed with skilled accuracy.
All of this could draw attention to the actor, the tour-de-force aspect overshadowing the subject matter. It is to Wiley's great credit that he focuses his formidable talents on the gut-wrenching story, allowing the audience to clearly understand each character's strengths and foibles. His portrayal of the white assailants is chilling, that of Till's grieving mother heart-rending.
This production is extremely confident and polished, thanks to the experienced eye of director Serena Ebhardt. There is no wasted gesture, no extra padding. The pacing of the first act is forceful and compelling as it leads up to the murder; the second act less so only because the courtroom and funeral scenes are innately less intense. Ben Davis' multimedia design enhances Wiley's projections of photos from the period and integrates the various sound effects, from gospel choirs to gunshots.
The piece is hard-hitting and unsparing, the depiction of the beating and mutilated body especially disturbing. But that should stop no one from attending this painful but necessary reminder of how far we've come -- and how far we still need to go -- in race relations in this country.

Review/Compliment - Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till

Chapel Hill NewsAngles of the Truth

By JESSICA ROCHA, STAFF WRITER


Fifty years ago, a black woman in Chicago put her 14-year-old son on a train to rural Mississippi to visit family. "Bo Till, you didn't even kiss me goodbye," Mamie Till Mobley tells her son, Emmett. "How do you know I'll ever see you again?"
Mamie told her son to mind his business, to "put a handle on those yeses and nos" with "ma'ams" and "sirs," and not to talk back to any white folks.
And when his stutter gets the best of him, Mamie said, just whistle it out.
But Bobo's whistle got directed at Carolyn Bryant, the wife of Roy Bryant Jr., who owned the local feed store.
A few days later the boy -- Emmett "Bobo" Till -- was kidnapped, beaten, killed and then thrown into the Tallahatchie River, where the body was found a few days later.
Till's death, his mother's decision to have an open-casket funeral, and a trial that acquitted two white men on murder charges shed new light on the country's legacy of racism.
Later, those same two men admitted they killed Till in an interview with Look magazine.
The story is now dissected in a play at Deep Dish Theater called "Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till," produced by EbzB Productions and Mike Wiley Productions.
The play isn't so much a condemnation of Till's murder as it is an attempt to come to terms with the tragedy by exploring what took place that day from different perspectives.
That's about 22 perspectives in all, said Mike Wiley, who wrote and stars in the one-man play.
"I wanted it to be a play where we see different camera angles," Wiley said. "We see different angles of the perceived truth."
Wiley plays every character in the 90-minute, one-man performance.
That includes Roy Bryant Jr., and J.W. Milam, the two men who later confessed to killing Till.
Wiley said that in order to make the characters believable, he had to try to understand the perspectives of Bryant and Milam.
Just as Till's Aunt Lizzie explains to the family that sometimes, in order to eat, one has to kill a chicken, Roy and J.W. say that in order to protect their way of life, Emmett had to be killed to protect white heritage.
"It ain't that we want to kill him (the chicken), it's that we had to," Aunt Lizzie says in the play.
Playing 22 characters requires strict choreography so the characters can fold into each other, but with enough physical cues that the audience can identify the changes. In a dance scene, Wiley switches characters between two people who are dancing with each other.
During Till's murder, the audience sees Roy and J.W. beat Till. It also sees Till take the beating. The audience also sees different versions of what may have happened at Bryant's store that led up to the whistling: Was Bo Till just working out his stutter? Was he acting on a dare to make a pass at a white woman? Was there some innocent flirtation between the two?
To prepare for the physically demanding performance, Wiley read lines while running on a treadmill.
"During some of the more physical parts, I would up the speed and push myself...to make sure I have the breath support," he said.
A white handkerchief serves as Wiley's primary prop: It serves as a chicken that he chases, he dabs sweat with it to show the heat, and he drapes it as an apron when he's playing a woman.
Wiley said he started writing the play in the fall of 2004.
Soon after, Till's body was exhumed to see whether any traces of evidence remained that would link anyone else to his death.
Music and photos projected onto a screen set each scene, from Bryant's store to the courtroom and then Till's funeral with an open casket so that people could see Till's mutilated face, which his mother displayed to show the disfigured face and cruelty of racism.
Though the play and its story have many dark moments, director and co-producer Serena Ebhardt said it's also "deeply hopeful.
"It's not about brutality so much as about the opportunity," she said. Ebhardt hopes civic organizations, church and university groups come out to see the play in an effort to start a dialogue, especially in light of the Duke lacrosse team rape allegations and racial violence that continues today around the country.
"This stuff is happening every single day," Ebhardt said. "This piece has the opportunity to do some healing."

Review/Compliment - Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till

Dar He Chronicles the Mississippi Murder
in 1955 of Chicago Teenager Emmett Till

By Robert W. McDowell
Triangle Theater Review
E-mail: RobertM748@aol.com

            EbzB Productions and Mike Wiley Productions will stage a joint presentation of Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till, a one-man show for mature audiences written and performed by critically acclaimed African-American actor Mike Wiley, June 8-11, 15-18, and 22-25 in the Deep Dish Theater at the Dillard's end of University Mall in Chapel Hill, NC. Serena Ebhardt of EbzB will direct this powerful play, which chronicles the true story of the August 1955 murder of 14-year-old Chicago teenager.
            Not knowing the cruel customs ofthe Jim Crow South, while visiting his uncle down south, Emmett Till whistled ata white woman named Carolyn Bryant at a grocery store in Money, Mississippi.Bryantâââââ€Å¡¬Ã…¡¬Ã¢Ã¢Ã¢Ã¢€Å¡¬Ã…¾¢s husband, Roy, and hishalf-brother, J.W. Milam, dragged Till out of his bed in the middle of the night; brutally beat him; shot him in thehead; and then dumped his horribly mangled body in the Tallahatchie River,horrifying the nation, inspiring a biting ballad by Bob Dylan (The Death of Emmett Till), and providing a spark for the nascent Civil Rights Movement in the Deep South.
            Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam were tried and acquitted in 67 minutes by an all-white, all-male jury, but later confessed to the murder during a paid interview with Look Magazine. Both men are now dead, and recent efforts to reopen the case and prove that Bryant and Milam had help in murdering Till and disposing of his body have yet to generate any indictments.
            Apex actress/director Serena Ebhardt recalls, "Mike Wiley brought this play to me in December of 2005. He had written it to perform himself. Mike asked me if I would consider directing it. We had collaborated on a production before, and we work very well together."
            Ebhardt says, "Actor Mike Wiley plays all the characters as we experience the lead-up [to the murder], different versions of the event from witnesses and the accused, the trial, and the aftermath. The play presents the historical facts of the event as well as exploring the unsolved mysteries of the case that remain to this day.
            She adds, "The play is a challenge. It's a challenge to perform, a challenge to direct, and a challenge to audiences. Mike has written a cinematic piece that seems as if it would only be doable in the medium of film. We had to work together to discover how to stage this story with a single actor, to represent many different voices and locations, while keeping everything clear for the audience. I also like all the potential morals of the story. I wanted to direct the play primarily because I admire Mike Wiley-- his work ethic, his mission, his talent, and his attitude. He is a dream to direct. He's an invested actor who does his homework. I knew that we would inspire each other to discovery."
            Ebhardt says, "Dar He premiered in February 2006 in a single performance booked at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia. The show was created to be part of Mike Wiley Productions repertoire. Mike has several other one-man performances that he tours throughout the United States. After mutual investment in the production, Mike invited EbzB Productions (my production company) to share co-producer credit and continue to help develop and promote the show. We were honored!"
            In addition to director Serena Ebhardt, the show's production team includes multimedia designer Ben Davis and stage manager Ramona Traynor.
            "We had to work very hard on specific movement, transitions, and creating spaces on an empty stage" recalls Ebhardt, "In addition to tackling the cinematic quality of the script in a theatrical medium, the next biggest challenge was to create a show that can tour easily. This production will continue to be booked in different venues across the country. We even have a revised student version of the show that can be taken into schools to enhance civil rights studies.
           "As we created the show," Ebhardt explains, "we kept in mind that every aspect of the set needed to be portable. We have solid production values, but they are minimalist and fit neatly into Mike's SUV. Additionally, Mike and I put the burden of proof on the actor. The success of this play does not depend on production values at all. It depends solely on Mike Wiley's performance ability."
            Ebhardt says, the show's set is minimalist," with a [Microsoft] Power Point presentation on screen, a single office chair, and a reel-to-reel recorder"; the lighting is general lighting"; and the costumes are sepia toned."
            "Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till has a message that is important to revisit," claims Serena Ebhardt. In a time when race relations and hate crimes still occur, this play-- about an event that happened 50 years ago-- gives us some distance and a safe environment to think about and discuss issues that still confront us today. Additionally, the Emmett Till case was reopened by the FBI in 2004, Till's body was exhumed from the grave in 2005 to acquire DNA evidence. Recently, the FBI handed the case over to the D.A. in Mississippi to decide if the surviving remaining suspects in the case should be brought to trial. The result of the D.A.'s decision is pending this very day."

            EbzB Productions and Mike Wiley Productions present Dar He: The Lynching of Emmett Till Thursday-Saturday, June 8-10, 15-17, and 22-24, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 11, 18, and 25 at 3 p.m. at the Deep Dish Theater in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. $15 ($10 students and $13 seniors). 919/968-1515.

@newhopefilm April 2024: The Problem of the Hero at New Hope Film Festival, New Hope, PA.

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