Ticket $5

High Speed Rail

March 16, 2010  7:00pm  FREE

The first Strand Lecture Series program for the 2010 season will be presented by Dennis Hodges from the Indiana High Speed Rail Association.   Rail fans are everywhere.    This topic is very important to Shelby County since our the rail line from Indianapolis to Cincinnati that dissects Shelby County is a federally designated High Speed Rail Line.

Our Lecturer:  Dennis Hodges

Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, W. Dennis Hodges lived in Chicago, Illinois for 20 years, and Paris, France for five years. He received a degree in English and history from Valparaiso University in 1975, and combined together, his education and residency set the stage for his professional life. From a myriad of experiences, Dennis has practiced the profession of organizing corporate events for, in particular, foreign diplomats visiting the Midwest.

His assignments have come from among the various foreign consulates, the International Press Association and the United States Information Agency. Some of the more notable assignments have been being a host to the president of Macedonia and the Transportation Ministry from the People’s Republic of China, business news editors from 16 international news organizations and leaders of the French Senate and the British Parliament.

For his commitment to improve Sino – American relations, the People’s Republic of China recognized Dennis, in 1994, with a first-ever citation given to a United States citizen.

During his travels, Dennis has ridden the high-speed passenger rail systems of Europe and found them to be an enormous convenience to the traveler. For this reason, he organized, in 1992, the Indiana High Speed Rail Association, which has since served as a formidable advocacy to bring Indiana and the Midwest into a national discussion over high-speed rail and other ground transportation issues. Dennis has since coined the term “synergistic transportation” and advocates for the funding and implementation of the Midwest Regional Passenger Rail System, a nine-state, 3,000-mile 21st century passenger rail system criss-crossing Indiana and the Midwest.

Being a consultant to the former Washington-based High Speed Ground Transportation Association, Dennis has organized an expansive and formidable network of equipment manufacturers, consulting firms, foreign trade offices, and labor and business groups; e.g., chambers of commerce, all committed to bringing about high speed rail to Indiana and the Midwestern United States.  He is now a member of the High Speed Rail & Commuter Train Committee of the American Passenger Transportation Association.

With an early interest in foreign relations, Dennis enjoyed, in 1980, discussions with then Paris mayor Jacques Chirac, who later became the president of France, and with the United States Ambassador to France, Arthur Hartman. In the late 1990’s, Dennis formed a friendship with China’s Ambassador Li Zhaoxing, and who went on to become China’s influential Foreign Affairs Minister. As a result of these associations, Dennis is routinely invited to meet with foreign diplomats and trade counselors.

For recreation, Dennis enjoys architectural and landscape photography, travel, and reading historical accounts. Working with the Bakery House in Gary, Indiana, he teaches basic skills to “street people.” He also a community activist, chairs the Board of Communication Services at his Trinity Lutheran Church & School, mentors students and guest lecturers in communication skills at Valparaiso University. Dennis lives in Merrillville, Indiana.

This week we had a great time at the Strand.  Band Together for Haiti was a great success.   The Strand sent a check to the American Red Cross for $965.  Sara Chappela who put the show together did a great job.  In one small way we, here in Shelby County, are able to help those in need in Haiti.   Thank you to everyone who came out to the concert.

The American Indian Cultural Forum hosted by Shelby County Reads, was this past Sunday.  The Strand is a better place because of their visit.  Since part of their presentation was religious in nature, they had to bless the Strand before they started.   We need all the help we can get, and to have a Native American blessing is a good thing!   The ceremony is called “smudging”.   They did it in private, so we cannot tell you about the details.

We had new volunteers this weekend.  On Saturday night one new volunteer Pam D. was handing out programs.  The theatre phone rang.   This is the same theatre phone (with an excellent phone number 421-ARTS ) that we have had since we have opened.  In the entire time, NO ONE has ever received a phone call at the Strand.  We have plenty of calls asking questions about schedules, bookings, events….but none asking for someone specific.   There is Pam, at the doors to the auditorium, when someone from the concession area says “Pam… you have a phone call”.   She is popular.   Yet again another new thing for the Strand!

Before the concert on Saturday night our volunteers started to get the theatre ready.  The snow in front of the theatre had melted into a solid ice hump.  This ice stretched the entire length of the loading area.   We picked and shoveled all to no avail.  That ice was too solid.  Just then Kevin Black drove by in his pickup truck with a snow blade.  3 minutes later our walk was clear.  Next time you see Kevin at Grandma’s having lunch, tell him thank you from the Strand.

Is everyone busy, or is it just us?   Seems like the more we do, the more we have to do.   This goes for our volunteers as well.  This week our newsletter editor, Cindy Leahy, came to a point she was just too busy.  Cindy is the one who came up with the idea and name for our monthly newsletter.  Many of you have enjoyed your hard copy or electronic copy of the SRO for the past two years.   Cindy also produced the Strand Shorts which is mailed to all Chamber of Commerce members every month.  A big Strand Thank You to Cindy Leahy for these past two years of stewardship with the SRO.    We wish her the best and remind her the Strand stage is ready for her next production!

Speaking of the Strand stage, we are preparing for our next Dinner and a Movie.  Grease will show on March 12th.   We learned quite a bit from Casablanca, and will put some of the ideas into practice for Grease.  One of the biggest changes is that we will seat people on the stage for dinner as well as the Cabaret Area.  This will expand our capacity.  One of the several items that need to be done is changing our stage floor box covers.  Those covers have slots for electrical and sound cables.  We realized those slots would also fit a chair leg quite nicely.  Can’t have that.   We are replacing the covers with solid covers for the dinner event.  Bob S. is also going to make a removable railing for around the stage.   It will be a good addition.

The last dinner and a movie, the Strand was bailed out by our friends at the Parks Department who lent us chairs and another local not-for-profit, who lent us tables.   Anyone out there that would be interested, we could use 8) 60″ round and 4) 96″ rectangle new tables.   We need the plastic variety.  The cost is $100 each for the round tables and $75 each for the rectangle tables.   Just let the Foundation know if you want to help.

This weekend the Strand hosts the Shelby Community Band’s Mid-Winter Concert on Sunday at 2:00pm.   This concert is FREE.   If you haven’t been to a SCB concert, this would be a good time to start.  Music will range from marches, to show tunes.  The band even has a guest singer doing a few Gershwin tunes.

Thank you for all your support.  The Strand is a fun place.   Thank you for making it that way.   See you on Sunday.

American Indians enlighten, entertain crowd at Sunday service

In Native American culture artistic expression is often a form a spiritual communion and this religious, mystical experience was shared Sunday afternoon at the Stand Theatre by the members of the American Indian Center of Indianapolis.

For more than two-hours, audience members were educated, entertained and participated in a cultural forum sponsored by Shelby County Reads which focused on the traditions, history, lore , spiritual beliefs and artistic celebrations of the original caretakers of American soil.

“The drum is the heartbeat of Native Americans,” Doug Poe told the rapt audience gathered in the theater. “Drumming, dancing, singing and playing music are a form of prayer in our culture.”

This eye-opening, often haunting journey opened and closed with a rather fitting   bridge across cultures: a “Veterans Dance,” performed by several dancers in full, “traditional regalia” accompanied by the resonant drums and other-worldly vocals of Four Winds singers and musicians.

This “Veterans Dance” is a celebration and thanks-giving offering to all who served our land, community and country, added Poe, of the American Indian Council. The final performance of this more modern dance included quite a few veterans from the audience who danced on stage after being praised for their service. The crowd, in fact, joined the dancers several timers on stage during “inter-tribal” dances during the afternoon.

In a not so subtle irony, Native American’s dance was outlawed by the United States government in 1883 said Poe, during a Power- Point presentation that highlighted the historic litany of physical and cultural genocide against Indians in the country. This ban, which in effect outlawed a form of religion, was historically inspired by the “Ghost Dance” that swept the Great Plains in the aftermath of Gen. Custer’s disastrous defeat.

While a “Ghost Dance,’ was not performed Sunday, another traditional Plains Indian mystical dance was. The “Grass Dance is the oldest surviving dance of the Plains Indian cultures. It is a spinning dance designed, it seems to me, as a trance- inducing shamanistic communion with the creator.

Another clearly inspired mystical, mythic dance was the “Hoop Dance,” a crowd favorite Sunday afternoon. This “ medicine” dance is a metaphoric allegory of the world, an interwoven series of circles that symbolically come together to both describe and define the Native American vision of the world. It was and is replete with the symbolism of circles uniting and coming together to form into visually complex images and forms that also simultaneously merge to form the world as a series of circles.

Aside from these often spiritually infused dances, the evocative nature of native American  musical traditions was driven home to the crowd by the echoing of the drums and a rather poignant display of flute music by Jeff Roberts.

In American Indian culture the flute was traditionally the instrument of courtship, according to Poe. While it was used to serenade brides, the inspired flute play of Roberts evoked a more emotion laden and lamenting experience. His very haunting, willowy, textured tones of breadth and melodic breaths were again filled with longing and spirit.

In a rather significant ceremony, which highlighted the spirituality of the event several members of the American Indian Center blessed the theater prior to their performance in a ritual sage  burning ceremony.

Following the initial Flag and Veterans Dances which serve as traditional Native American national anthems the crowd rose to its feet. The ceremonies then reconvened with Carolyn Statler of Shelby County Reads addressing the awed crowd.

“Welcome to this wonderful, wonderful event,” she said, “and I would encourage everyone here to also attend our program featuring  James Alexander Thom, author of “Follow the River” and his wife Dark Rain Thom, who will speak Wednesday night at 7 in Breck Auditorium at Shelbyville High School.”

Overall, this American Indian Cultural Forum was a colorful, yet thought provoking journey that once again reminded one of the importance of creativity, celebration and art that spans, informs, influences all cultures across this globe that we call home.

In conclusion, anyone with an abiding interest in Native American culture was well served by the Sunday’s service at the Strand Theatre and should, could and can further educate themselves about this traditional culture at the Shelby County Library, the Grover Museum or by reading any of the books currently being promoted by Shelby County Reads, which can be purchased locally at Three Sisters Books and Gifts on the circle.

Submitted by:  Terrance Aldridge

This independent review does not express the opinion of the Strand Theatre.

On Sunday February 21, 2010 the American Indian Cultural Forum came to the Strand stage.  This was presented by The American Indian Center of Indiana, Inc. This group aspires to promote a sense of unification among the American Indian people of Indiana. They are based in Indianapolis and have been operating since 1992.

SHELBY COUNTY READS

Follow the River by James Alexander Thom has been selected as the main adult 2010 selection. Shelby County Reads has a series of events this February  that focus on Native American history and culture.    The event at the Strand is part of this series.

Local bands Rock for Relief

A trio of local bands jammed out for charity and entertained an energetic all- ages crowd Friday night at the Strand Theatre during an exhilarating evening of eclectic music and inspired performances.

The benefit concert “Band Together for Haiti,” was organized by Sara Chappella and all proceeds from the show were donated to the American Red Cross.

“I decided to get this together after seeing the faces of those affected by the devastating earthquakes in January on television and seeing pictures on the internet,” Chapella said. “As human beings it is our duty to help out those in need, and it should give us hope that we will receive help when we, too, are in need.”

Each of the 15 musicians on stage during the benefit exuded passion in their performances and joyous revelry in their inspired, often extended jams.

“All three bands came out for a good cause and treated the audience to a wide variety of music from the blues to funk to punk,” said bassist Jim “Biscuit” Wisker, one of many local musicians in the audience during Friday‘s charity extravaganza.

The opening act “The Jugbusters,” is a self-styled “barn –band” whose opening song was filled with fluid intonations which recalled jamming out on the back porch on a lazy summer afternoon.

After this rather mellow intro, the band jumped full-fledged into blues, southern rock and rockabilly inspired music that had many small children jumping and dancing in the aisles. It is not everyday that one sees a band led by dual harmonicas accompanied by thumping bass and slow-hand style blues guitar work. This harmonica- infused music was only intensified as the band invited special guest, Carson Diersing, on stage for three songs.

In three songs this 12-year-old prodigy stole the stage and thunder first with a soaring harmonica and then on guitar in a rockabilly romp through Chuck Berry’s classic “Johnny B. Good.” Later in the night, Diersing joined the final act, “Sub* Mission,” to display his musical range in a punk take of Johnny Cash tune.

If “The Jugbusters” is, indeed, a “barn-band” then that is one rocking barn and surely all the animals would be grooving and dancing ecstatically, especially during this band’s raucous version of the blues classic: “Little Red Rooster.”

The second act of this eclectic night expanded the evening’s musical horizons in a high-energy, funkified set filled with popping guitars and the full, fat sounds of screaming and wailing horns.

The members of “Day Job Blues,” literally jumped, bounced and bounded with unbridled energy, especially trombonist and lead singer Eric Kendall, during an intense set that rang out with excitable, popping funk to the hard-core down and dirty grit of the blues.

The fat, full, brick wall of sound conjured up by this 5-piece band was driven by the inspired horn play, both saxophone and flute, of Cathy Hurt. This woman, in point of fact, is a one-person horn ensemble whose emotional range is exceptional.  From the trilling flute of “Jethro Tull” through saxophones of “The Average White Band” to “Michael Jackson” and James Brown tunes, her horns wailed, screamed and reigned supreme. The godfather of soul was a natural for this band’s funky, tremulous barrage of robust and ripping sounds.

After this ribald romp through the big sounds of 1970’s Motown, the evening’s final band, “Sub* Mission” launched into a raw, fast, avalanching cavalcade of old-school punk.

Led by Scot Schrader’s vocals and guitar work this band’s highly energetic and frenetic tour of alternative musical vistas hits one like a rush of adrenaline.

From drummer Dave Fannin’s  growling lyrics on “Thunderkiss 5000” to bassist Mark Dietrich’s  vigorous take on  “Plowed” by “Sponge ,” this hard-core  trio live up to  the amphetamine aesthetic of punk style.

I have seen “Sub*Mission” many many times and they are a band that continues to musically grow and expand their vision.  During Friday’s set, for example, of the first 12 songs the trio performed I had only heard one performed by this band before. Several musicians in the audience, in fact, ask me which punk band ever before covered either “Johnny Cash” or “The Everly Brothers” before. Thrash takes on Cash I have heard, never, however, do I recall anyone punking –up “The Everly Brothers.”

In retrospect, “Band Together for Haiti” was an exciting, energetic and exhilarating evening that proved to me once again that art fused with passion can and should make a difference in the world both abroad and at home. The evening, in fact, was best summed up best by another local musician enjoying the night from the comfort of the crowd.

“It was night of great music by fantastic musicians and all for a good cause,” said drummer Jim Whitaker.” A good time was had by all.”

Local advocate Sara Chappela produced a concert for Haitian Relief at the Strand Theatre on February 20, 2010.   The proceeds from this concert were sent to the American Red Cross on East 10th Street in Indianapolis.  The funds were directed to their Haitian Relief Effort.

Three bands volunteered their talents for the effort.