September in Lorain County

Just because it's past Labor Day doesn't mean the fun has to end (it just means you probably shouldn't wear white!) September in Lorain County means the Elyria Apple Festival, Harvest of the Arts in Wellington, Pumpkinland at Miller's Apple Hill, the Great Black Backed Gull Watch in Vermilion, Firewalking at Common Ground, the LaGrange Engine Club Show, Matus Winery Mush Crush Festival, I could go on and on. Check out the Lorain County Visitors Bureau Calendar of Events page for more details.

Two unique performances in September that you may not want to miss:

The New Christy Minstrels, under the direction of Randy Sparks. Thursday, September 11, 2008 at 7:30pm at the Stocker Arts Center in Elyria.
It has been more than 46 years since 8 young men and 2 young women made their national television debut on The Andy Williams Show in the fall of 1962. That group, The New Christy Minstrels®, went on to win a Grammy for their debut recording, "Presenting The New Christy Minstrels," earn many gold records and entertain at The White House. While Randy Sparks' original intent was to field an armada of solo singers and players who would be a team and never suffer changes in the roster, evolution intervened and the group has seen many members come and go, including some who went on to greater fame: Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes, and actress Karen Black. Barry McGuire had a huge solo hit, “Eve of Destruction,” after leaving the group, and Larry Ramos became a member of The Association. In February 2007, The New Christy Minstrels® re-recorded all of their old hits: “Green Green,” “This Land is Your Land,” “Today,” and many others, in a collection titled “The NCM's Greatest Hits Revisited.” Now this classic ensemble has embarked on a mission to let everyone know they’re back, singing, playing, and bringing their unique brand of onstage excitement to concert halls and coffeehouses everywhere.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Sept. 19-21, Hall Auditorium, Oberlin College.
Death of a Salesman, the story of Willy Loman, an aging salesman trying to make sense of his unraveling life, has become a classic American tragedy. Arthur Miller’s story explores the struggle to define one’s own identity in a world where a man’s worth is defined by his ability to make money. In this groundbreaking new production, directed by Justin Emeka and starring Oberlin alumnus and acclaimed actor Avery Brooks (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Man Called Hawk, American History X, Paul Robeson [on Broadway]), the play gets a fresh interpretation. Through the use of nontraditional casting and a company of both professional actors and students, the production incorporates African American and Jewish cultural perspectives in reimagining the Lomans as a black family living in a multi-ethnic New York neighborhood in the 1940s, thus revealing new social issues in Miller’s classic text. Death of a Salesman promises to be a highlight of the theater season, in Oberlin and beyond. For ticket information, visit the Oberlin Arts Guide website.

Graphic: Marley Zeno ’11 from Oberlin College Arts Guide