Arts picks: 'Say It Loud' at Knight Stage, Firestone in Dazzle Awards at Connor Palace

'Wit' at WRP

Western Reserve Playhouse will perform Margaret Edson's drama "Wit," winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Friday through June 4 at 3326 Everett Road, Bath. Shows run 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. May 29.

Shani Ferry stars as Vivian Bearing, a renowned English professor with terminal ovarian cancer who's in an experimental chemotherapy program. Cost is $20. See www.thewrp.org or call 330-620-7314.

'Say It Loud'

The Millennial Theatre Project will give a free performance of "Say It Loud," an original theatrical piece by Akron-based Black theater artists Francine Parr and Maya Nicholson, at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Knight Stage at the Akron Civic Theatre.

The show, performed on the second anniversary of George Floyd's murder, consists of monologues scripted directly from narratives by community members from all walks of life about their feelings, frustrations, fears and suffering. Six Black actors speak in the voices of community members. A town hall-style discussion will follow.

The free performance is supported by a $15,000 Ohio Arts Council grant. See https://akroncivic.com.

Dazzles

Folks can cheer their favorite high school students on as 29 Northeast Ohio schools compete in the Dazzle Awards at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the first time in two years on Playhouse Square's Connor Palace stage. Among area schools, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC received six nominations for Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George."

They include three supporting actor and actress nominations for Jackson Bird as Franz/Dennis, Max Smith as Boatman/Charles Redmond and Fiona Coughlin as Old Lady/Blair Daniels. ASA also was nominated for best student orchestra, best ensemble/chorus and best musical for a Tier 2 school with a musical budget greater than $12,000.

Also nominated for best student orchestra were local schools Walsh Jesuit High School for "Cinderella" and Hudson High School for "Chicago." Rounding out Hudson's seven nominations are best Tier 2 musical, best technical execution, best scenic design, best costume design, best choreography execution and best ensemble/chorus.

Archbishop Hoban High School was nominated for best choreography execution for "Shrek," best ensemble/chorus and best supporting actress Julia Martin. Gabi Ilg of Medina High School was nominated for best actress as Wednesday in "The Addams Family."

Wadsworth High School was nominated for best choreography execution for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and best Tier 1 musical for schools with a budget of less than $12,000. Finally, Bennett Mulvaney of Aurora High School was nominated for best supporting actor as Andre in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

For $25 tickets, see playhousesquare.org or call 216-241-6000.

Spine-tingling 'Otello'

Jealousy, betrayal and murder will come to the Cleveland Orchestra stage with performances of the Verdi opera "Otello" at 8 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. May 26 and 3 p.m. May 20 at Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. The complete opera will be performed in concert, starring Limmie Pulliam as the Moorish general Otello. 

Brunswick native and bass Raymond Aceto portrays Lodovico, ambassador of the Venetian Republic. The concert, sung in Italian with English subtitles, will also feature the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Children's Chorus.

Cost is $31-$122. See https://www.clevelandorchestra.com or call 216-231-1111.

Variety show

The Center for Applied Drama and Autism will host a virtual Variety Performance Spectacular at 7:30 p.m. Saturday featuring clowning, Bollywood dancing, an original Elvis poem, ventriloquism and stand-up comedy. Cost is $10. See centerforada.org/upcoming-events/p/tickets. A talkback with performers will follow.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.