Annette Bening moved by her current film
In 1979, Annette Bening was 21 years old. A year earlier, she had moved from San Diego to San Francisco to study classical drama. She remembers it as a time of tremendous change and uncertainty — and big moments, like the day Harvey Milk and George Mascone were killed. But for the most part, her head was in Chekov and Shakespeare and Shaw and Arthur Miller.So when she read the... READ MORE
A top-notch Show Boat cruises at Toby’s
With its the soaring score, complicated love stories and realistic portrayal of racism, Show Boat, now on stage at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, treats the audience to an epic story that is both fun and dynamic, but also serious.Show Boat tells the story of those living aboard the Cotton Blossom, a 19th century show boat travelling the Mississippi River. The musical follows the... READ MORE
Women named to Hall of Fame
Without exception, the five women who will be inducted into Howard County’s Women’s Hall of Fame in March credit others for the support and encouragement that led to their success.The county’s Commission on Women has inducted its honorees each year as part of Women’s History Month since 1996. The women are heralded for their community service. “Once again, I am so impressed by... READ MORE
Sykesville couple design an artistic life
Julie and Ken Girardini are married not only to each other, but to their art as well. The husband and wife design team have been creating contemporary metalwork pieces since 1990, working out of a studio on their 3½ -acre property in Sykesville.The Girardinis met when both were living in Colorado. They’ve been married for 30 years, and designing and crafting together for... READ MORE
Shall we dance? Absolutely!
Christine and Lee Gedansky began ballroom dancing lessons in 1991 in preparation for their wedding. Unlike most couples, though, they never stopped dancing.In 2002, they decided to establish their own dance studio, Beginning Ballroom, “to bring real dancing to real people,” said Lee, who will soon turn 50.Throughout their marriage, the Gedanskys have continued dancing, taking... READ MORE
Nominations sought for volunteer awards
Montgomery County’s Montgomery Serves Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday, April 24 at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Md. The annual event will honor some of Montgomery County’s most outstanding community leaders and dedicated volunteers.“Montgomery County is the very special place it is today in large part because many extraordinary public citizens work every day to ... READ MORE
Stoppard at Studio: intellectual acrobatics
A 30-ish male tutor and his 22-year-old female student at an English university are debating the prosaically labeled “hard problem,” which concerns how biological brain tissue creates complex feelings, thought and action.Of course, it’s obvious they’re lovers, too. He’s all ego, much less id. She’s a believer that absolute morality is the innate quality... READ MORE
Exhibit looks at Howard’s Jewish settlers
For the Howard County history books: Even before early Israeli settlers established collective agricultural communities (kibbutzim) there in 1909, Russian Jews attempted something similar in the early 1900s along the Patapsco River outside of Ellicott City.The evidence is in the exhibit being put together at the Howard County Historical Society museum by Dustin Linz, the museum manager,... READ MORE
Baltimore celebrates Black History Month
Black History Month — created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a renowned African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher — began as “Negro History Week.” It became a month-long celebration in 1976, and the month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Baltimore actually began its Black History Month... READ MORE
A titanic, yet intimate triumph at Signature
Signature Theatre has packed a big experience into a small space with their stunning production of Titanic, in performance at their 330-seat MAX Theatre through Jan. 29. The effect is to concentrate the impact of the familiar encounter with historic tragedy, to make it richer and dazzlingly vibrant.The focus here is on the human dimension of this tale of hubris, hope and heartbreak. The... READ MORE
