Artists Talk with LVA: February 6, 2025

Pandora Productions opens "She Kills Monsters" on Feb. 7 and Gil Reyes & Kate Holland Ballowe came to the studio to talk about it this week. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM/Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Artists Talk with LVA.

For more than 25 years, Pandora Productions has been the only theatre company in the Louisville Metro area and most of Kentucky exclusively dedicated and most trusted to tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ communities.

Gil Reyes is the current Artistic Director of Pandora Productions and has directed several productions there in the last 2 years. Previously he was a co-founder of Theatre [502], worked with Stage One Family Theatre and Jon Yarmuth and was the winner of the Moth Story Slam in 2013.

Kate Holland Ballowe has been an important behind-the-scenes presence in Louisville theatre for years, primarily as a stage manager. But has also been featured onstage in Godspell and Little Shop of Horrors for Pandora.

She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen opens February 7 and runs through February 23  at The Henry Clay Theatre  An epic D&D campaign brings Agnes closer to her sister. Fantasy meets dramatic comedy in this homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Artebella On The Radio: December 17

Is Jesse Alford the busiest lighting person in Louisville? Fortunately, his skills as a circus artist help him juggle a schedule this full: Lighting Designer at Big Apple Circus, Lighting Designer at Louisville Ballet and Resident Lighting Designer at Pandora Productions. He'll answer this and other questions in our interview airing this Thursday morning. Tune into WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10:00 am.

Jesse Alford is originally from Redlands, CA and earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Washington State University. His lighting work can be seen with a variety of groups in Louisville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, New York, and other places. Collaborators include The Louisville Ballet, The Louisville Orchestra, The Big Apple Circus, The Kentucky Opera, Stage One Family Theatre, Circus Flora, Pandora Productions, Acting Against Cancer, Kentucky Shakespeare, The Va Va Vixens, The Mary Shelly Electric Company, Theatre [502], The Liminal Playhouse, Circus Culture, Suspend Performing Arts, and many more.

Jesse also works as a circus coach, teaching unicycle, juggling, partner acrobatics, and much more. He is the Head Coach for My Nose Turns Red Youth Circus, and serves as the Board President of the American Youth Circus Organization and American Circus Educators.

Artebella On The Radio: October 22

Creatives of Color Collective is about to open in the Artspace on West Broadway and Alonzo Ramont, Rheonna Nicole, Morgan Younge, & Ashley Cathey join us to talk about this new, interdisciplinary space for BIPOC artists. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com each Thursday at 10 am to hear Keith Waits speak with artists.

Alonzo Ramont - actor, director, educator, founder of Redline Performing Arts

Rheonna Nicole - writer, spoken word artist and founder of Lipstick Wars Poetry.

Morgan Younge - actress, writer, director, costume designer, teacher, currently working with Looking for Lilith Theatre Company

Ashley Cathey - artist, curator, activist, founder of the Healing Walls Initiative

Artebella On The Radio: January 9, 2020

Alonzo Ramont, Shaquille Towns & Marcus Fischer joined Keith in the studio to talk and sing about Choir Boy from Pandora Productions, which opens January 10. The result was an insightful discussion of inclusion in Louisville and Southern Indiana theatre. Tune in to WXOX 97.1 FM, or stream on Artxfm.com at 10am each Thursday to hear Keith Waits talk to to artists about their work.

Alonzo Ramont is Owner and Artistic Director of Redline Performing Arts. He is also the Executive Pastor of All Nations Worship Assembly Louisville. Alonzo's experience as Spotlight Theatre Camp Director, Asst. Director of Early Childhood Education at the Jewish Community Center of Louisville, Artistic Director at SC Theatre and New Albany Riverstage Productions. He recently appeared in Beauty and the Beast and directed Dreamgirls, both at CenterStage at JCC.

Shaquille Towns studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. he has appeared in Hairspray, A Raisin In The Sun, and in Dreamgirls at CenterStage at JCC.

Marcus Fischer has worked with CenterStage at JCC, TheaterWorks of Southern Indiana, Kentucky Black Repertory Theatre, and Faithworks Studios.

Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney with Guest Director: Alonzo Ramont

Race and sexuality collide with the gravity of history at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys is dedicated to the creation of strong, ethical black men. The sweet harmonies of spirituals and gospel unite the fractious voices of the young men but when they raise their voices in unison, they offer a glimpse of a world in which the cruelty that can divide and destroy is dissolved in a graceful order.

January 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 @ 7:30 pm; 12 @ 2:30 & 19 @ 5:30 pm