Points of View

Mom and daughter collide at Dobama's Amy's View.

Amy's View pits a mother and daughter against each other in both their personal and professional lives. "It juxtaposes a dynamic relationship with a very static setting," says Sonya Robbins, director of the production opening this weekend at Dobama Theatre. "It grapples with really, really big questions, but it doesn't try to answer them. It suggests."

The drama is centered on an aging London actress whose once-flourishing stage career is becoming obsolete. Making matters worse, a visit by daughter Amy and Amy's new boyfriend results in a monumental argument that hangs over all of them 15 years later. "Their relationship is tracked over the years and looks at questions about how love grows, changes, or diminishes over a long time," Robbins says. "What do we do that harms love?"

Ultimately, it's an exploration of theater, film, and their tenacious connection to each other and the characters. "It's complicated," Robbins admits. "It's about mortality and what we do with our lives and how we love." Amy's View is at Dobama Theatre (1846 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights) Friday through March 21. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $11 to $20, available by calling 216-932-3396. -- Michael Gallucci

All in the Family
Mancini sings Mancini at an Akron tribute.

SUN 2/29

You know Henry Mancini's name. You know his music -- the themes from Peter Gunn and The Pink Panther, "Moon River" -- even better. The Cleveland native and four-time Oscar winner (who died a decade ago) will be memorialized Sunday night in Mancini at the Movies. Appropriately, the concert features Mancini's singing daughter Monica, who will perform a tribute that includes an orchestra, her dad's songs, and clips from movies he scored. Monica admits she has more in common with her mother (singer Ginny O'Conner) -- though "I always keep in mind what the composer intended. I believe melodies and lyrics are crafted with a definite purpose." Dad would be glad to hear that. Show time is 7:30 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre, 182 South Main Street in Akron. Tickets are $21 and $26; call 330-972-6842. -- Damian Johnson

Soul Sister
Trip-hoppers take over Twist.

SUN 2/29

Gina Rene, singer for the San Francisco-based electronica quartet Soulstice, has performed in near-empty hole-in-the-wall bars and in front of sold-out crowds. "I get the feeling that the whole band's lyrical ability to be so honest about the struggle of growing into adulthood really brings the listener in," she says. She's backed by DJ Mei-Lwun Yee, who spins a steady mix of downtempo, drum & bass, jazz, and house music. "It's also about healing," Rene says. "It's therapy. I love it, and I know it's healing other people." Soulstice plays at 9 p.m. Sunday at Twist Social Club, 11633 Clifton Boulevard. Admission is $7; call 216-221-2333. -- Cris Glaser

Dancing Machine

FRI 2/27

A foot-happy mix of ballet, jazz, tap, and ethnic dances finds it way into the repertoire of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. It's a spiritual blend, too, as much about divine veneration as it is physical movement. The feet get movin' at 8 p.m. Friday at E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill Street in Akron. Tickets range from $25 to $40, available by calling 330-972-7570. -- Michael Gallucci