Inexcusable Fantasies, written by Susan McCully, theatre, and directed by Eve Muson, theatre, will be part of this year’s New York City International Fringe Festival, Fringe NYC, program. Performances will take place Sunday, August 18 through Saturday, August 24.

About Inexcusable Fantasies (GrrlParts.com):

“Martha Stewart, motorcycles, and Grandma’s Oil of Olay jar. What do they have in common? They are just a few of the often hilarious obsessions Susan McCully visits in Inexcusable Fantasies a show about sexual politics, lust ‘over forty, cloning, eye replacement surgery, and the unmistakably erotic powers of Martha Stewart’s marzipan.”

The production, starring Susan McCully and Rachel Hirshorn ’04, theatre, has been performed at a number of venues, including the Prague Film Festival in 2012, the Strand Theatre Company this year and various other international festivals since 2004. It’s been considered by critics as a comedy with incredible “subtlety”, “intelligence” and “verve,” and that “what makes the script so poignantly hysterical is the idea that the obsessions, the irrational emotions, the painful awkwardness—while hugely hyperbolic—speak to experiences we’ve all shared.”

Learn more about the production at GrrlParts.com; find time and ticketing information at Fringe NYC’s website.

Dr. Kimberly Moffitt, Professor of American Studies, was the guest host for The Marc Steiner Show’s “Weekly News Roundup,” which aired on Friday, July 26.

Dr. Moffitt was joined by panelists E.R. Shipp, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and Journo-in-Residence at Morgan State University, and Dr. Avis A. Jones-DeWeever, President and CEO of Incite Unlimited, LLC., to discuss the decline in the latest Maryland State Assessment scores and the existing achievement gaps based on race. Panelists and callers also commented on the repercussions of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on voting rights and the Justice Department’s role in pursuing legal action against voting rights cases throughout the nation.

Listen to the full segment »

Catonsville is seeing a change in its demographics – and this is nothing new, according to UMBC American Studies professor, Ed Orser. In recent years, the 21228 zip code has seen a noticeable influx of younger single families looking to plant their roots in the quaint Baltimore suburb, leading to a revival in the housing market and increased enrollment in local schools, the article cites.

This isn’t the first time Catonsville has seen a demographic shift that brings a surge of school-age children to the area. The current boost is similar to the one from a century ago, Orser said. “Catonsville has this sort of unique blend. There is sort of an old character, it’s a historic community and people come and they stay.”

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