Gilbert Sun News; September 2015: Arts by Times Media Group

Hale Centre Theatre crowns downtown Gilbert

BY KENNETH LAFAVE

Hale Centre Theatre opened 12 years ago in downtown Gilbert.

The neighborhood was, to say the least, not what it is today.

“Next door was a trailer park, with broken beer bottles everywhere,” recalled David Hale Dietlein, who owns and runs the theater with his wife, Corrin.

“The town water tower was rusted, with barbed wire around it. An old, beatup gas station was across the street from Joe’s Barbecue, the only restaurant. The gas station always seemed abandoned.”

Today, a Park ‘n’ Ride has replaced the trailer park. And it is much in demand, as downtown Gilbert has become a chic

destination. Joe’s Barbecue remains, but it is now the ﬂagship among a ﬂeet of eateries that feature everything from seafood to tacos. An Oregano’s Restaurant stands where the gas station was. The town water tower glistens white.

Hale Centre Theatre had a role in the transformation. Its sold-out performances of family theater fare has brought thousands of visitors to downtown Gilbert and helped create a demand for the kind of cultural infrastructure the area now enjoys.

The theater’s founding resulted from Dietlein’s casual phone conversation with a relative.

Dietlein’s grandparents, Nathan and Ruth Hale, were the founders of Glendale, California’s Hale Centre Theatre, a thriving family venue since its inception in 1947. He grew up working in the theater, and watched as his grandparents’ operation expanded to additional theaters in California and Utah.

“I worked in L.A. theater professionally from 1982 to about 1999, and I was really wanting to get out of L.A.,” Dietlein said. “The congestion, the trafﬁc—I wanted to ﬁnd another place. I went north with my brother, Tim, who was my partner in the Glendale theater, and we spent a year looking for a different space for a theater.”

Their search came up dry, but one day Dietlein called a cousin who lived in Gilbert and told her about his challenge.

“She said this would be a fabulous place for a theater like Hale, because it was a great family area. I drove out to take a look around.”

Dietlein drove around the Valley and considered Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa as possible locations.

“But when it came down to the line, I went with my gut. Gilbert felt right.”

Then-mayor Cynthia Dunham agreed, encouraging Dietlein to look past the broken beer bottles.

Dunham and her administration “had a great vision for the downtown area,” Dietlein said.

“They kept telling me the area had great potential. Part of the time I agreed, and part of the time I thought, ‘Am I crazy?’”

Nine banks rejected Dietlein’s loan application, but a 10th, the nowshuttered Union Bank, loaned him the money. Dietlein brought the building in right in time for his announced opening night, so narrowly making the budget that he couldn’t even afford to ﬁnish the baseboards in the lobby.

Since that opening night in 2003, the 348-seat house has not known one dark night. There is always a show going on, whether it’s the main series, running Wednesdays through Sundays, or the Monday thought Tuesday night secondary series.

Though Gilbert’s Hale Centre Theatre is

one of ﬁve producing in three states and owned by members of the same family, each is run independently; the group is not a franchise.

“We all live and die on our own. There’s no common decision-making or ﬁnancing,” Dietlein said.

The Dietleins choose the plays and musicals to be produced at their theater by selecting from the range of popular shows. The only restriction is that the script needs to be family-friendly. The Hale just concluded a production of “Tarzan” and opened a production of the detective spoof, “Something’s Afoot.” The upcoming season will also include “Mary Poppins,” “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “West Side Story.” For a complete listing of the season and for ticket information, go to www.haletheatrearizona.com.

Unlike almost all other live theaters in the country, the ﬁve Hale venues rely wholly on ticket sales for revenue, without added income from state or corporate donors.

“We can never sit still and assume it’s always going to be like it has been,” Dietlein concluded. “We have to put our best foot forward every time, and produce the best shows we can on a conservative budget.”

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Hale Centre Theatre’s production of “Something’s Afoot” opens the 2015-2016 season. Submitted photo

With productions like “Something’s Afoot,” Hale Centre Theatre relies solely on ticket sales for revenue. Submitted photo

Dave Dietlein, along with wife, Corrin, opened the Hale Centre Theatre with a vision of producing family shows. Submitted photo

The cast of “Something’s Afoot” rehearses at Hale Centre Theatre. Submitted photo

Highland graduate receives scholarship to Juilliard

BY ALISON STANTON

Highland High School graduate Kolton Krouse dreamed of studying at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City ever since he saw his older sister, Kailee, perform in a dance show.

Recently, 19-year-old Kolton packed up his belongings and moved to the Big Apple to study at Juilliard, thanks to a $25,000 scholarship.

“We both played basketball and soccer and did all kinds of sports when we were kids,” said Kolton about Kailee.

When he was 9, Kolton recalled being mesmerized as he watched Kailee dance on stage. He knew at that moment that he also wanted to learn to dance.

Over the years, Kolton learned and competed in a variety of dance genres, including ballet, hip hop, modern, jazz, contemporary, acrobatics and ballroom.

Before moving to New York City, Kolton trained four days a week at Tempe Dance Academy, where he focused mainly on ballet, jazz and acrobatics.

During the past decade, Kolton has won numerous awards and received many accolades for his talent.

Kolton is the only dancer in 20 years to have won all four titles for the New York City Dance Alliance, he said, and in 2013, he won the Young Artists competition in dance at the Herberger Theater Center.

Kolton also auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” and made it to the round held in Las Vegas, but had to bow out of the competition after ﬁnding out he was accepted to Juilliard.

He said it is difﬁcult to pick out which style of dance he likes best, but he narrowed in on classical ballet.

“It’s very pretty and so technical. I also think that jazz is very empowering, when you hit the notes really hard,” he said.

Kolton said he especially loves the challenges of dancing.

“It’s not that other sports are not challenging, but there are new ways to approach dancing each time you do it and make it mean something more,” he said.

Jennifer Duxbury, a dance educator at One Image Dance Company, the highest level of dance at Highland High School, has known Kolton for ﬁve years.

In addition to being impressed by his “phenomenal” technique, lines and turns,

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Duxbury said Kolton has a strong work ethic and can do any style of dance.

“Kolton also knows how to command a stage. He has such a presence and comfort up there,” she said.

“He truly understands how to captivate and connect to an audience.”

Duxbury is proud of how humble Kolton has remained, despite his many awards.

“He never acts above anyone else and he utilizes every opportunity to keep growing as a dancer.”

In January, Kolton auditioned for Juilliard in San Francisco. He made it to the ﬁnal round and found out a few weeks later

that he was one of just two dozen students who were accepted to the school.

“I was in shock when they called and told me I had been accepted. I thought they were joking,” he said.

Looking ahead, Kolton said he hopes to be on Broadway. In addition to dancing, he enjoys singing and acting.

Although he said he was a “little nervous and sad” to leave his family and friends in Gilbert, Kolton said he is excited to start training at Juilliard.

“I’m excited to see what the world has in store for me.”

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Kolton Krouse, 19, a graduate of Highland High School, has been dancing since he was 9. He recently left home to begin training at Juilliard in New York City. Submitted photo

Art Intersection shows ‘depth’ in the arts community

BY LAUREN MARSHALL

For Alan Fitzgerald, founding Art Intersection in Gilbert has been bittersweet. It’s attracted attention from around the world with its latest exhibit “Depth of Perception,” drawing artists from as far as Australia, Germany and France.

But Art Intersection was created not long after Fitzgerald’s son, a photographer, died after graduating college.

“I was inspired by the work he was doing,” Fitzgerald said. “It became clear, though, that doing art is expensive and difﬁcult.”

In response to that, Fitzgerald offers a reasonably priced membership. There are four levels: Student ($35), Friend ($60), Photographer ($135) and Patron ($300 shared, two people).

Students have become a big part of Art Intersection.

“After ﬁnishing their work at ASU as photographers and art students, they didn’t have anywhere to make work anymore,” Fitzgerald said. They got jobs, but they didn’t have a working space.

The space features three galleries along with labs that are open to the public. Anyone is welcome to come and use the workspace and equipment that spans a

wide range of photography techniques.

Fitzgerald explained that Art Intersection is not meant to function as a museum to preserve these historical photography techniques, but rather to bring these procedures into a modern context.

Gallery Director Gina DeGideo echoed this sentiment.

DeGideo had been involved with Art Intersection before stepping into the role of gallery director. She came to the gallery when she was still an art student, and explained that she was always interested in the exhibits because they offer a component that technology cannot.

“They think they get the same experience by viewing art online, and it’s a completely different experience when you walk into a gallery and you actually look at something and look at that artwork versus something 2-D on your screen,” DeGideo said.

According to Fitzgerald, the gallery is looking to expand its artist-in-residence program. He is looking for students from Arizona’s universities, particularly MFA students.

Along with connecting with students, Fitzgerald explained that Art Intersection is looking to serve Arizona’s art community

and bring Arizona more regional recognition.

“I wish it was stronger, but I’m not attempting to serve that,” Fitzgerald said about the Gilbert art community. “I’m really attempting to serve the state of Arizona and be part of the large art-photography business in Arizona.”

DeGideo added that Art Intersection’s workshop teaching rare photography techniques is one of the things that bring the gallery recognition.

“We are one of the few places in Gilbert that actually brings tourism to Gilbert,” DeGideo said. “There’s people who ﬂy in here to do workshops because...they are only offered in certain states at certain times.”

The new “Depth of Field” exhibition is also upping the reputation of Art Intersection in the national and global

scene. This is the gallery’s ﬁrst exhibit it has not curated.

Art Intersection’s team has worked with Rfotofolio, a nonproﬁt, digital photography platform that is based out of Houston, which interviewed and selected the more than 70 artists featured in the exhibit.

“‘Depth of ﬁeld’ is also a term we use in lenses and cameras, and it has to do with what’s in focus,” Fitzgerald said. “But depth of ﬁeld also means, you know, how deep are we looking and what are we looking at, so there’s a wide range of photography and artists.”

Art Intersection is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is located at 207 N. Gilbert Rd., Suite 201, Gilbert. For more information, call (480) 361-1118 or visit www.artintersection.com.

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Internationally known artist, David Emitt Adams, will make a tintype portrait during a special portrait session event at Art Intersection. Individuals can sit for a unique, handcrafted portrait, made using the historic tintype process originally invented in the 1850s.

A session lasts between 30 to 45 minutes and individuals take away a fresh tintype portrait that will make a perfect keepsake or gift. The tintype image is captured on a 4 inch by 5 inch aluminum plate. Allow an additional 30-minutes after the session for the plate to dry, or individuals can pick it up the next business day.

Schedule a portrait session at Art Intersection this November. Submitted photo

The session price includes only one tintype and does not include retakes unless there are clear issues with the image. Retakes are done at the discretion of the photographer. They can easily photograph one to two people and may be able to add a third person maximum. The exposure time may be as long as 5-seconds, so the subjects must be able to hold a pose, without moving for the exposure duration. No pets.

Since tintypes are unique and cannot be

produced, if individuals want two tintype portraits for the same session, another plate may be purchased for an additional $45. A high resolution scan of the portrait for $25 can be emailed to an individual. Individuals can pay for the options when they arrive for their scheduled session.

For more information, call (480) 3611118, or email info@artintersection.com.

Coming soon: “Depth of Field” exhibition. Submitted photo

ON STAGE

“Crimes of the Heart,” through Sunday, Sept. 20, TAS. In Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the three Magrath sisters have gathered to await news of their grandfather, who is living out his ﬁnal hours in the local hospital.

Heartbeat City: Tribute to the Music of the Cars, Saturday, Sept. 5, WHP. Named for one of the Cars biggest selling albums, “Heartbeat City” faithfully recreates the look and sound of the Cars.

Latin Comedy Jam, Fri., Sept. 11, WHP. Dillion Garcia, Javi Luna, Frankie Quinones, Roberto Rodriguez and Steve Trevino are featured in the Latin Comedy Jam.

Plugged In, Saturday, Sept. 12, CCA. The Chandler Center for the Arts, along with Rock ‘n’ Roll High School select the top nine bands to perform at the center’s signature youth concert, Plugged In.

Vietnamese Music Concert, Sat., Sept. 12, WHP. Truong Giang is hosting the concert that will feature many performers.

“Heaven Can Wait,” Monday, Sept. 14, through Tuesday, Nov. 17, HCT. Before departing for the afterlife, Joe Pendleton discovers that, despite being in limbo, he is not scheduled to die for another 60 years.

Ballet Hispanico, Wednesday, Sept. 16, and Friday, Sept. 18, MAC. Ballet Hispanico will perform an evening-length masterpiece of “CARMEN.maquia.”

Dana Carvey, Saturday, Sept. 19, WHP. Dana Carvey is a master of impersonations, costar of the “Wayne’s World”

movies, and one of the most versatile players from “Saturday Night Live.”

“Ode to Peace,” Sunday, Sept. 20, CCA. A music, dance and martial arts extravaganza from cultures around the world celebrating 70 years of peace commemorating the end of WWII.

Bowling for Soup, Monday, Sept. 21, LW. The Texas-based band Bowling for Soup is known for such hits as “Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” “Almost,” “High School Never Ends” and “1985.” It is touring with special guests Dolly Rots and Ivory Tribe.

“Carnival of Illusion,” Saturday, Sept. 26, MAC. This top-rated attraction is “revitalizing magic” by blending its international theme with all the charms of a Vaudeville-inspired road show.

“Peking Dreams,” Thursday, Oct. 1, MAC. The National Circus and Acrobats of The People’s Republic of China were founded in 1958, and since that time the company has been dedicated to the innovation of and excellence in the circus and acrobatic art.

“Swan Lake,” Friday, Oct. 2, CCA. The Russian Grand Ballet will present the fulllength classic production of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.”

“Zoltan Maga, From Budapest with Love,” Wednesday, Oct. 14, MAC. Experience ﬁery music and Hungarian folk dance brought to life by a case of hand-picked singers, costumed ballroom dancers and chamber orchestra.

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Adios Tour, Thursday, Oct. 15, MAC. This is the last time individuals will be able to experience this live spirited celebration of Cuban sound and culture.

Cazzette, Friday, Oct. 16, MDNC. Alexander Björklund and Sebastian Furrer, better known by their stage name Cazzette, are a dance music duo from Sweden.

Flip Orley, Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18, IMP. He has singlehandedly reshaped the image of hypnosis from its vaudeville image, to an act that is hip and edgy.

Taylor Davis, Sunday, Oct. 18, MAC. She is a classically trained American violinist, arranger and composer, whose passion for video games and ﬁlm music led her to launcher her widely popular YouTube Channel “ViolinTay” in 2010.