Entertainment

Mansfield art exhibit, Pride event and Renaissance musical praised – Mansfield News Journal

Mellencamp art exhibit shines light on key issues

A big thank you to John Mellencamp for putting his talent and fame on a huge platform in Mansfield, Ohio. He used simple cardboard and housepaint to plaster the walls of the Mansfield Art Center with controversial issues that span time from the birth of this country to present day. Issues from slavery to racial equality to gun control are on the walls.

Wake up America; our children are dying! How hard is it to stop putting assault rifles, capable of killing many children and adults in minutes, in the hands of murderers?

Let your voices be heard. Contact your congressmen and women. Please help stop this madness. Vote like your children’s lives depend on it.

Colleen Zody, Perrysville

Speaker’s trip to Taiwan a mistake

Nancy Pelosi should be removed from Congress. Her priorities are her opinions and decisions.

She went to Taiwan despite being warned by our military and others not to go there as it could put our country’s and armed forces’ safety at risk. Is this the type of egotistical person you want deciding the fate/future of America?

Toni Richards, Lexington

A salute to Mansfield’s Pride event

Regarding the Aug. 10 MNJ article, ”Mansfield’s Pride event taking place Saturday,” and the Aug. 11 article, ”Love on a Mission to debut mosaic mural at Saturday’s Pride event,” I was very happy to read these two articles and to attend Mansfield Pride with family and to support local LGBTQ+ groups. The Mansfield Drag show was inspiring, fun and entertaining to see the drag queens and king. I strongly applaud the Mansfield Gay Pride Association for putting on such an exciting and wonderful family-friendly event that supports the local LGBTQ+ community along with their allies and corporate sponsors. 

The beautiful mosaic mural that LGBTQ+ youth displayed with the group, “Love on a Mission,” had the perfect theme, ”Rooted in Equality.” LGBTQ+ people are just asking for equal treatment and respect in all aspects of public life, and have a right to push back against transphobic and homophobic hate speech and those supporting the abusive and cruel ”don’t say gay” bills. In the interest of informing the public about LGBTQ+ civil rights, it would be helpful to continue featuring interviews from local LGBTQ+ people in the Mansfield News Journal and to also include photos from the event.

Hopefully, everyone reading this will realize that they may know someone who is gay and will want to support them because LGBTQ+ people are our neighbors, friends, family members and co-workers and deserve our love and support. 

Nancy Dollard, Uniontown

Renaissance musical gets a big thumbs up

I’m not a professional when it comes to reviewing, but I know when I see talent and professionalism and “The Music Man” production I experienced Aug. 7 at the Renaissance Theatre was loaded with innate talent. Yes siree, right here in the city of Mansfield, Ohio. Imagine that!

The entire cast and crew showed off their God-given talents and creativity and we, the audience, enjoyed live entertainment on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. Thank you all for sharing your time, talent and creativity with those of us beneficiaries who witnessed this production. Cheers!

Marian Blahnik, Mansfield