Category Archives: Literature

Author Delia Owens: Where the Crawdads Sing this afternoon at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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Where the Crawdads Sing is a mystery, a love story and a courtroom drama, but it is primarily a sociobiological drama about self-reliance, survival and how isolation affects human behavior. The #1 best-selling novel has been on the New York Times Best-seller list for 26 weeks.

Delia Owens is the co-author of three internationally best-selling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa – Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna.

She currently lives in Idaho, where she continues her support for the people and wildlife of Zambia.

Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel, inspired by her research on female bonding in the animal kingdom and her own lifelong friendships. It is the 2019 Selection for the “If All Arkansas Read the Same Book” series, sponsored by the Arkansas Center for the Book a the Arkansas State Library. This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This event is currently sold out. But a wait list is being maintained.

2019 Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre season “were done quickly” as the final performance today

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The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre wraps up 2019 by invoking the spirits in presenting THE SCOTTISH PLAY. As the Culture Vulture does not utter nor write the name of that play, one will just have to look at the logo on this entry to see its name.

The final performance of THE SCOTTISH PLAY is at 2pm today at Reynolds Hall on the UCA campus.

Brave warrior the Thane of Cawdor emerges victorious from battle to be greeted by three witches who hail him as the future king of Scotland. What follows is a dizzying descent into political machinations, murder, and madness.  It also contains what may be the Culture Vulture’s favorite exchange of dialogue in Shakespeare’s canon.

Lady M: To bed. To bed. To bed. (She exits)

Doctor: Will she go now to bed?

The cast includes Paige Reynolds, Chad Bradford, Emily Wold, Benjamin Reed, Keith Illidge, Chris Fitzges, Rebecca Brudner, Nick Narcisi, Justin Jones, Ben Grimes, Kevin Alan Brown, Mikala Hicks, Zachary Blair, Jack Hradecky, Regean Allen, Stephanie Craven, and Saxon Whitehead.

The production is directed by Rebekah Scallet, the Producing Artistic Director of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.

Mary Ruth Marotte is the Executive Director.

Learn about “The Scottish Curse” today at 5pm as part of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre enrichment series

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Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, closeupMackers. The Thane of Cawdor. Lady M.

There are many euphemisms used (including by the author of this blog) to avoid saying the name of the character or the given name of The Scottish Play.

What has caused theater companies to close, untimely accidental deaths, and burns to Charlton Heston?

Could it be simply saying the word “Macbeth” while in a theater? Why is this famous play is so cursed? And why do so many actors fear the title?

Actor Nick Narcisi explores both the play and the history books for answers. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3rd, McAlister Hall’s Mirror Room. The lecture starts at 5pm.

It is part of the ongoing series of events sponsored by the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre in conjunction with their season.

Narcisi is a Chicago-based actor who is appearing as Banquo in The Scottish Play as well as Nathan Detroit in GUYS & DOLLS this summer.

Hear Jay Jennings discuss nonfiction writings of Charles Portis today at noon as part of CALS Legacies & Lunch series

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Jay Jennings is the foremost expert on the writings of Charles Portis. (And a very talented writer himself!)  Today (July 3) at noon, he will speak about Portis at the CALS Butler Center Legacies & Lunch series.

Charles Portis is well known for his novels, such as the classic True Grit, but his journalism, travel writing, and other short works—many of them touching on his Arkansas roots—remained largely unknown until the collection Escape Velocity was published by Butler Center Books in 2013. Author/editor Jay Jennings, editor of that tome, will discuss the process of bringing together this miscellany and how it relates to Portis’ career.

The program starts at 12 noon in the Darragh Center of the CALS Main Library Branch.

Legacies & Lunch is a free monthly program of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies about Arkansas related topics. Program are held from noon to 1 pm on the first Wednesday of the month. Attendees are invited to bring a sack lunch; drinks and dessert are provided. A library parking discount is available for attendees.

Final week for 2019 season of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre

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This week is the final week of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre’s 2019 season. And they are encouraging patrons to “Double Down!”

Double trouble – The Comedy of Errors continues to delight audiences outside on the lawn at UCA in front of McAlister Hall. This fast-paced and funny show follows the misadventures of two sets of twins let loose in the same seaport town, and is the perfect way to enjoy a summer night with the family.  Only two performances left — Saturday June 29th and Thursday July 4th! Bring a picnic, your favorite lawn chair, and enjoy this Pay-What-You-Can performance!

Double your fun!  – Two sets of lovelorn couples navigate the ups and downs of 1930s Broadway in the classic musical Guys and Dolls. Audiences are raving about this unique and imaginative production, calling it “absolutely wonderful,” and “amazing.” Full of belly laughs, unforgettable songs, and romance, Guys and Dolls plays through July 6th. Get your tickets now!

Double, double, toil and trouble!  – Get your tickets now for Shakespeare’s Scottish tragedy, a tale of passion, murder, and madness.  This chilling and thrilling production is set in the 11th century, when the historical Thane of Cawdor ruled the lands of Scotland, and Viking raids were a common occurrence. It runs through July 7th — don’t miss it!

Double dueling households – Get your tickets now for AST’s Family Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet. This one-hour adaptation features music, dancing, and romance in its unique telling of the tragic tale. You can catch it on the road across Arkansas, or at home in Reynolds Performance Hall!

Sensory-Friendly Performance – AST is proud to offer a special sensory-friendly performance of Romeo and Juliet on Tuesday, July 2 at 2 pm. It is designed to provide an experience of our family Shakespeare production that’s inviting to all individuals with sensory processing deficits, including (but not limited to) those on the autism disorder spectrum and their families. We welcome our audiences to relax and be who they are. Get your tickets to this unique performance here.

 

Stephen King Rules! Book Club presents 1983’s CUJO tonight on CALS Ron Robinson Theater screen

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Cujo (1983)The “Stephen King Rules!” Book Club is presenting one of the films based on a King novel tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater. The screening will start at 7pm; admission is $5.

Cujo, a 1983 American horror film directed by Lewis Teague, was based on the 1981 psychological horror novel by American writer Stephen King.

In this tale of a killer canine, man’s best friend turns into his worst enemy. When sweet St. Bernard Cujo is bitten by a bat, he starts behaving oddly and becomes very aggressive. As Cujo morphs into a dangerous beast, he goes on a rampage in a small town.

The cast includes Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Ed Lauter, Christopher Stone, and Daniel Hugh Kelly. Five St. Bernards, one mechanical head, and a person in a dog costume were used to play the title character. The dogs enjoyed the filming so much that their tails often had to be tied down to keep them from wagging with excitement.

CALS announces new name, new focus for Literary Festival

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The Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) is announcing a new name for the Arkansas Literary Festival: Six Bridges Book Festival. Named for the iconic six bridges that cross the Arkansas River, the festival will have a new focus, bridging communities and bringing people together. The library will actively solicit input from a variety of demographic groups with the goal of offering a more widely appealing festival.

“We want to involve many people from our community in the selection of presenters and activities, so they know their reading interests and the stories that fascinate them are central to the festival and they are an integral part of shaping the content of the Six Bridges Book Festival each year,” said Nate Coulter, CALS executive director.

“The Six Bridges Book Festival is a diverse, energetic celebration of all kinds of stories and topics, both literary and mainstream, and we feel the new name reflects the festival’s nature more accurately. Our goal is to draw a wider audience by removing any barriers of perception that this event is only for highbrow tastes.”

Previously known for 16 years as the Arkansas Literary Festival, the four-day event in April celebrates reading, literacy, stories, and wordsmithing. Scores of nationally known authors converge on the city to offer panels on a wide variety of topics, from cooking demonstrations to award-winning comedy.

A slate of programming for children and teens includes hands-on crafts and music, animal visits, poetry contests, and more. Authors also venture out into the community for efforts such as Writers in the Schools (WITS), bringing the joy of writing to hundreds of students in the Little Rock area. Concerts, films, readings, and author parties enhance the festive atmosphere across venues in downtown Little Rock, where events are held in museums, restaurants, the Clinton Presidential Library, and the CALS Ron Robinson Theater as well as in many library buildings.

Brad Mooy, the coordinator of the festival, looks forward to making the variety of the festival’s offerings and presenters more widely known to the community. “The diversity of presenters has greatly expanded over the years,” said Mooy. “We want to let people know that everyone is represented here, with topics and interactive activities that appeal to all age levels, cultural backgrounds, and reading tastes.”

Since the festival’s inception, the event has always been an important showcase for writers known nationally and internationally as well as locally based talent. Presenters from past festivals include 5-time James Beard Award winner Dorie Greenspan, Sebastian Junger, Catherine Coulter, Congressman John Lewis, Issa Rae, and critically acclaimed Arkansas authors such as Kevin Brockmeier and Trenton Lee Stewart.

The 17th annual festival now known as the Six Bridges Book Festival will take place April 23-26, 2020. The festival will feature author Tim O’Brien (The Things They Carried) as part of the NEA Big Read: CALS.

For more information about the Six Bridges Book Festival, please contact Brad Mooy at bmooy@cals.org or (501) 918-3098, or see the website at sixbridgesbookfestival.org.