SPREE INSIDER Celebrating twelve years of DIVAdom By Christopher Schobert There are WNY artistic traditions, and then there is O’Connell & Company’s DIVA by DIVA: A Celebration of Women!—the area’s longest-running theatrical production. Originally scheduled for a two-week run, DIVA’s cabaret-style format of songs, readings, poetry, and humor, all by and for women, has been delighting locals for twelve years. DIVA is the latest Spree Theater Night show, at 8 p.m. on October 13, and there is a very special two-for-one ticket offer for Spree readers—if, that is, you mention “Spree” when calling 848-0800 to purchase tickets. The show will be followed by refreshments and a meet-and-greet with the cast at O’Connell & Company’s home, Erie Community College’s North Campus on Main Street in Williamsville. Directed by local icon Mary Kate O’Connell, the artistic and executive director for O’Connell & Company, the show is known for the “DIVA experience,” which ensures that no two performances are alike. No two shows have ever had exactly the same cast or the same script. Performers arrive an hour before the show all dressed in black and sparkly jewelry, and then gather, talk to each other, receive their scripts and some director’s notes, and hit the stage on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at Gleasner Hall. Last year was O’Connell & Company’s first in residence at ECC, and it was one she says “was filled with exciting opportunities, as well as expected growing pains. We made some amazing strides this year. We connected with so many areas of the Erie Community College community, and together we’ve transformed a space into a theatrical venue. I’m thrilled with the shows we presented, and the impact we have made.” This space, she says, now feels like home. “One of my favorite quotes from DIVA by DIVA is, ‘Home is where your story begins.’ I feel that we truly are home at ECC, and the story of this part of our journey unfolds each day. We have [a truly] innovative arts partnership because of ECC president Jack Quinn. He’s a true visionary, [someone] who realized the immeasurable value of having a professional theater company housed in his college community. It has allowed us to triple our space, as well as increase our opportunities to reach out to more of WNY.” The 2010–11 lineup features some returning favorites like DIVA, as well as some new shows. O’Connell says this was certainly by design. “We carefully designed the season to find just the right combination. Our mantra for selecting shows was, ‘You can go home again.’ With that in mind, we welcome some familiar characters—the fun nuns from Nunsense, our Buffalo Zings personalities. Tom Dudzick has given his hometown favorite Over the Tavern a twist. Over the Pub holds all the charm and humor as the original story but is set in Ireland. Another Buffalo favorite, Jon Summers, has written an award-winning screenplay that we’re presenting a staged reading of—Story of Daniel. We also have familiar shows like Mame.” Other highlights include Gentlemen’s Gentlemen, Hooray for Hollywood and Once Upon a Celtic Christmas, while the opening show of the season, Working, is described by O’Connell as an “homage to our hardworking WNY community.” For more information, call 848-0800 or visit www.oconnellandcompany.com. Christopher Schobert is an associate editor of Buffalo Spree. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top