Cleophas and His Own

Main Event: Tragic Inspiration
Marsden Hartley visited a small Nova Scotia fishing village in the fall of 1935. While there, the renowned painter and poet met the Masons, a modest fishing family who left an immediate impact on their visitor. He was a boarder with the close-knit family -- father Francis, mother Martha, sons Alty and Donny and daughter Alice -- for six weeks, a period in which he fell in love with his hosts, Alty in particular.

So impacted by their goodwill and grace, he returned in July of 1936 for another extended stay, a time marked by tragedy: the brothers drowned when their boat capsized during a storm in September 1936. Devastated by the loss, Hartley turned his pain to page, writing Cleophas and His Own, a passionate elegy to the family who touched him so deeply. In the years that followed, he would also bring his despair to bear via vivid, colorful paintings of the family, many of which currently hang in galleries around the world.

Now, 70 years later, Michael Maglaras brings Hartley's text to screen via the film CLEOPHAS AND HIS OWN: A NORTH ATLANTIC TRAGEDY, a moving, often beautiful tribute to the artist and his beloved Masons. Maglaras plays Hartley at the brink of his death in 1943, delivering the artist's text word for word via intimate, face-the-camera monologues. Interspersed throughout are flashbacks to Hartley's Nova Scotia stay, complemented by 24 of Hartley's actual paintings of the Masons, a subject that came to dominate his work in the years following the tragedy.

Photo By Joan Marcus

Wicked

Maglaras ably brings Hartley's incisive, hauntingly descriptive words to life, delivering his dialogue amid a re-creation of the artist's Corea, Maine, studio where he spent his final years. Armed with an ever-present cigarette, Maglaras' voice is deep and distinct, his demeanor rueful yet reverent. It's a penetrating performance of understated intensity, one that would surely do Hartley proud. The same can be said of his film, a passionately rendered ode to a man whose words remain as powerful as the day they came forth.

Maglaras and his wife, Terri Templeton, a former member of local band Over the Rhine who appears in the film, will be on hand for Thursday's 7 p.m., one-time-only screening at the Esquire Theatre. Tickets are $8. http://www.two17films.com/ (See Events.) -- JASON GARGANO

WEDNESDAY 08
Cincinnati will be bewitched for the next two weeks. Based on Gregory Maguire's best-selling novel, WICKED tells the tale of two young witches and the roles they play in the story of The Wizard of Oz. One is Glinda the Good, all frills and ruffles and goodness; the other is Elphaba, better known as the Wicked Witch of the West. She's very bright but lacking in social grace -- and, oh, by the way, she has green skin. It's likely that author L. Frank Baum, who dreamed up The Wizard of Oz stories, closely identified with this misfit character: His initials inspired her name. This popular musical (most of the tickets are already sold for the Cincinnati run) has become a cult favorite, with powerful ballads and cute songs by Stephen Schwartz (he wrote the music for Godspell and Pippin, too) that audiences love. Pay special attention to "Popular," in which Glinda instructs Elphaba on the intricacies of being liked. 513-241-7469. (See Onstage.) -- RICK PENDER

The Hopefuls

THURSDAY 09 FRIDAY 10 SATURDAY 11
You might not know the name David Friedman, but I bet you'll recognize his tunes. He's a prolific composer, vocal arranger and Broadway conductor. And his music has played to audiences worldwide via three Disney films he arranged -- Aladdin, Pocahontas and Beauty and the Beast. But music for cartoon characters is not the limit of his talent: His work for New York's cabaret scene is much admired, and it's been collected into a review called LISTEN TO MY HEART. It was an Off-Broadway hit in 2003, and a cast of musical theater students at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music will bring Friedman's songs about love, loss and self-discovery to life this week in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required. 513-557-4183. (See Onstage.) -- RICK PENDER

FRIDAY 10
Besides providing crisp, world-class Indie Pop for the masses, Minneapolis five-piece THE HOPEFULS also offer a lesson -- don't fuck with the Olympics. Started by Erik Applewick and Darren Jackson as an alternative outlet for songs that didn't fit their other groups (Vicious Vicious and Kid Dakota), the band began life as The Olympic Hopefuls but, after recording and releasing the album The Fuses Refuse to Burn under the name, they received word from the U.S. Olympic Committee that their moniker violated its trademark. Regardless of what you call them, The Hopefuls are an impressive bunch, pumping out tight and timeless melodies fueled by a flawless Rock & Roll machine that is as powerful as the strongest Olympic gold medalist. Oh crap -- please do not give the USOC our phone number! If you're tired of what Weezer and Fountains of Wayne have been doing lately but still need a fix of memorable, bittersweet Pop that actually pops, be sure to be at alchemize this Friday when The Hopefuls play with locals The Green Room. 513-381-2400. (See Music.) -- MIKE BREEN

FRIDAY 10
Both the University of Cincinnati and the Art Academy have played pivotal roles in bringing the Peruvian sculptor Carlos Runcie Tanaka to Cincinnati. He has traveled the world as a visiting artist at institutions in Paraguay, Japan, United States and Venezuela, among others. During his stay in Cincinnati, he has lectured at DAAP and taught at the Academy. Finally, beginning tonight -- and running only a week -- we will be able to see his work in person. The PHILIP M. MEYERS, JR. MEMORIAL GALLERY at UC will hold a small exhibition of Tanaka's sculptures, beautiful and complex figures that delve into the heart of civil violence, while exploring the politics of excavation and geological instability. Don't miss an opportunity to view some internationally renowned work. Opening reception: 5-7 p.m. Through March 17. 513-556-5132. (See Art.) -- LAURA LEFFLER JAMES

Neil Young: Heart of Gold

FRIDAY 10
The hope of American cinema lies with veteran filmmaker Jonathan Demme. He's an artist who refuses to settle down into a routine, and his work continues to be as eclectic as ever. NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD is not Demme's first effort in music documentary -- he directed the Talking Heads in the 1984 film Stop Making Sense -- but it claims the exuberance of someone discovering concert filmmaking for the first time matched with the polish of a longtime moviemaker. Heart of Gold is a classic concert film, a document of Young's two-night concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry. Young performs all 10 songs from his latest album, Prairie Wind, including its standout song "The Painter" and acoustic versions of classics like "Old Man," "The Needle and the Damage Done" and "Heart of Gold." Comparisons to Martin Scorsese's concert documentary The Last Waltz are fair, but Demme's film achieves something higher. It's the new benchmark for concert films, an example of how good music documentaries can be. (See Film.) -- STEVE RAMOS

SUNDAY 12 MONDAY 13 TUESDAY 14
You won't want to miss the bus on this one. Head for the PORT AUTHORITY -- not the one in New York, but Conor McPherson's play being produced at the Mount Adams Bar & Grill by the Know Theatre Tribe. It's the stories of three Irish fellows from different generations, but all at points of transition in their lives. They wander between the tables in the bar's back room -- kind of like guys in the back of a bar spinning yarns. The February run of this production sold out every seat, so Know's organizers brought it back for one more weekend, a bit of a St. Patrick's Day gift to Cincinnati. Don't miss it. 513-621-2787 (See Onstage.) -- RICK PENDER