Take the Ohio City Home Tour, and someone's bound to come up with this gem: Is this place haunted?
The neighborhood has its ghostly legends, for sure, but the chances are slim that a haunted house is among the six renovated 19th-century homes and condominiums on Sunday's tour. The stops include a loft-style condo in the old Fries & Schuele department store, a frame home boasting trendy Asian artwork, and a brick-and-stucco house with decor that none too subtly reveals the owner's Irish heritage. "Many people use this tour to get a behind-the-scenes look at the neighborhood," explains Bernie Thiel, chairman of the tour committee.
Because the dwellings are spaced throughout the neighborhood, the tour can take most of the day to complete on foot. So, Lolly the Trolley will be on hand to transport sightseers. Once inside a house, tourists can wander from room to room and ask the owners questions. "In my opinion," says Thiel, "there's not a neighborhood or suburb in Northeast Ohio that compares to Ohio City in the sheer breadth and depth of architectural styles." See for yourself, starting at 10 a.m. throughout Ohio City. Tickets are $15, available at Market Square Park at West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue; call 216-781-3222. -- Cris Glaser
Matriarchs: Evolutions
Family matters to the five women in Jar the Floor.
5/14-6/13
A 90th-birthday party for a senile woman turns into a foul-mouthed family feud in Cheryl L. West's Jar the Floor, opening Friday at Karamu. From abortion to homosexuality, no topic is taboo for this feisty African American family. Daughter Lola is a sex-driven, sharp-tongued sixtysomething who still dances to the music on Soul Train. Granddaughter MayDee is a lady of restraint and refinement, scarred from childhood sexual molestation. And great-granddaughter Vennie is a frustrated lesbian who accuses her mother of being a control freak. When her white lover, Raisa, enters the room, the five women explode in hysterical, heartbreaking battles over the effect one generation has on the next. Jar the Floor is at Karamu House (2355 East 89th Street) Friday through June 13. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 to $15; call 216-795-7070. -- Cris Glaser
Old's Cool
Photo display takes a look at the inevitable.
5/13-6/11
Getting old sucks. HealthSpace Cleveland's Aging in America: The Years Ahead both confirms and dispels this. "Parts of the exhibit are depressing, because it's real life," admits spokesperson Christopher Abood. "At the same time, parts of it are terrifically uplifting." Artists Julie Winokur and Ed Kashi spent seven years traveling the country, photographing and filming senior citizens along the way. The result is 75 black-and-white photos that show old folks dancing, working, and dying. It runs through June 11 at HealthSpace Cleveland, 8911 Euclid Avenue. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7, $3 for kids; call 216-231-5010. -- Diane Sofranec
Glittering Gold
THU 5/13 Towana Gold doesn't do drag for the money. "My shows are all about a form of enjoyment to bring pleasure to people," she says. The Detroit native has performed Patti LaBelle and Billie Holiday impersonations for 18 years. She's also co-hosting a weekly Star Search-like competition, happening through October at Belinda's Nightclub, 9613 Madison Avenue. Gold goes on at midnight Thursday. Tickets are $5; call 216-651-1968. -- Cris Glaser
