4 • The Beacon April 27 , 2023
Show will reflect on loss of AEP Conesville alling Hours ” was written
“ C to pay tribute to the generations of coal-energy production at AEP Conesville and to give voice to the loss of that way of life .
The show will be performed Friday , May 5 and Saturday , May 6 at 8 p . m . in the artPARK on Main Street . Local actors will deliver a series of eulogies from the point of view of a trucker , management , community , school , employees , clergy and the demolition through a child ’ s eye . There will be full wall projection , sound and music . Bring a chair and settle in for this free presentation . The rain site is Conesville Elementary School .
“ This project is the result of two years of work by Anne Cornell , artistic director and community studio artist with the Pomerene Center for the Arts , and Tom Dugdale of OSU to recognize the long-term effects on the people of our community as plants like AEP have closed ,” said Mickie Galajda , who was part of the casting committee . “ Many people affected by the closing of AEP have been interviewed . Those interviews provided the material for this readers ’ theater production .
“ Artwork by the students of Conesville Elementary School is on display and express their feelings about the closing of the plant . Over the years nearly every family in our community has been affected by the closing of one plant after another . Manufacturing plants in our community have closed in response to economic conditions and environmental changes . The goal of this project is to express our appreciation and offer our condolences to people in our community affected by the closing of AEP . As a member of the board for the Pomerene Center for the Arts , I am honored to be a small part of this project .”
A reception / exhibition will precede the performance at 7:30 p . m . On display will be “ Lumen ,” photographs by Abram Kaplan , and “ Farewell Transmission / Community Resilience Amid End of Coal in Ohio ,” photographs and artifacts documenting the OSU research . Others involved with the event include Cornell ; Dugdale , director / actor with OSU theater department ; Michael Schmidt , visual artist / animator at Mt . Union University ; and OBLSK Interactive LLC .
The cast for “ Calling Hours ” includes Denny Blanford , Dairel Kaiser , Kathy Reid , Russ Fehrman , Peter Wolfgang , Scott Thompson , Ernie Galajda , Bryan Kittner , Andrew Clantz , Audrey Tubbs , Ben McCurdy , Ian McCurdy and Olivia Crouso .
Submitted Artist Mike Schmidt shared this sketch of the AEP Conesville plant .
Submitted
Youth actors are a big part of “ Calling Hours .” The production was written to pay tribute to the generations of coalenergy production at AEP Conesville and to give voice to the loss of that way of life .
“ Kennedy Blakley and I were asked to recruit actors / readers for ‘ Calling Hours ,’” Galajda said . “ Both of us have been involved in Footlight Players ’ productions at our local Triple Locks Theater and knew people who also had acting experience . We also reached out to three ministers in our community . We sent each person a copy of the script and a practice schedule . As it turned out , every person we asked was willing to be part of the production and felt it would be time well spent after reading the script . Haley Evans , the director of theater for Ridgewood Schools , and Kathy Reid were very helpful in recruiting our five amazing young actors .”
“ Calling Hours ” is funded by the Pomerene Center for the Arts Community Arts Fund at the Coshocton Foundation ( established by Robert and Caroline Simpson ), Ohio Arts Council artsNEXT grant , and OSU Barbara and Sheldon Pinchuk Community Engagement Award .
“ The stories are so important because they are the result of the interviews of many people who are former employees of AEP ,” Galajda said . “ The people who lost their jobs are very supportive of each other and have managed to stay in touch with friends from work . These AEP people expressed their feelings very well as they talked about the plant closing and the effects that had on their families . I think every person who comes to see the production and hear the stories will be touched by the effects plant closings have had on our community . It is truly a memorial service for everyone who has been affected by such a loss .”
She hopes each person who comes to the production will be touched by the memories of the many good years AEP gave to the families of the community .
“ May the strong friendships and support for one another be a blessing to those grieving the loss of AEP ,” Galajda said . “ May those strong friendships continue to be a source of comfort and strength . May God bless our community with hope for the future .”
Editor ’ s note : Josie Sellers contributed to this story .
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Many people affected by the closing of AEP have been interviewed . Those interviews provided the material for this readers ’ theater production .”
Mickie Galajda
Submitted Artist Mike Schmidt shared this sketch of an AEP Conesville plant coin .