Category Archives: Theatre

While downtown for Race & Foodtrucks – Stop by Rep for Costume sale

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Rep Costume saleA lot is happening downtown this Saturday. Race for the Cure, Food Truck Festival, and also the Arkansas Rep’s annual costume sale.

This is a chance to pick up a well-made, hand-crafted costume or prop or decoration for prices as low as $2.  You’ve seen it on stage at the Rep, and now you can wear it.

Halloween is around the corner.  Mardi Gras will be here in a few months.  Or maybe you just like escaping the woes of everyday life by throwing on a costume.  The Rep doesn’t question or judge.  Just be sure to stop by.  Among the shows whose clothes will be up for sale are Avenue Q, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line and White Christmas.  (And since Christmas will be here soon, this is a good chance to pick up things for holiday entertaining!)

All proceeds benefit the Rep’s production office.

So stop by the Rep from 10am to 1pm.  You’ll be in the neighborhood anyway enjoying post-race foodtruck food!

Arkansas Arts Council to honor 9 Individual Artist Fellowship recipients tonight

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Arkansas_Arts_Council_logo_2Tonight, the Arkansas Arts Council honors the nine recipients of its 2014 Individual Artist Fellowship awards. The artists will be recognized at a reception, co-sponsored by Historic Arkansas Museum, from 5:00-8 p.m. at the museum on 200 E. Third St. in Little Rock. The reception is free and open to the public. Seating is limited; reservations are required. For reservations, call (501) 324-9766.

Fellowships are awarded annually in the amount of $4,000 each to Arkansas artists in recognition of their individual artistic abilities. These fellowships enable artists to set aside time for creating their art and improving their skills. Three artistic disciplines are selected each year as categories for the awards.

The three categories for this year are Literary Arts: Short Story Writing; Performing Arts: Directing of Theater Productions; and Visual Arts: Works on Paper.

The following recipients were selected by a jury of professional artists, writers, performers and art administrators:

Literary Arts: Short Story Writing

  • Marla Cantrell, Alma
  • Alice Otto, Fayetteville
  • Hung Pham, Fayetteville

Performing Arts: Directing of Theater Productions

  • Amy Herzberg, Fayetteville
  • Kassie Misiewicz, Bentonville
  • Rebekah Scallet, Little Rock

Visual Arts: Works on Paper

  • Sheila Cantrell, Batesville
  • Delita S. Martin, Little Rock
  • Kathryn (Kat) Wilson, Fayetteville

 

The Arkansas Arts Council advances the arts in Arkansas by providing services and grants-in-aid supporting arts endeavors that encourage and assist literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. In addition, the Arkansas Arts Council provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all seven Department of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. The agencies are: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Old State House Museum. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Opening night on Broadway for LR native Will Trice as a producer of revival of YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

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YCTIWY bwayThree time Tony winner (and Little Rock native) Will Trice is heading back to Broadway this fall as a producer of an all-star revival of the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy You Can’t Take It with You.  The show opens tonight

The cast will be led by two time Tony winner James Earl Jones.  The production will mark a reunion from the recent revival of The Best Man for Jones with actress Elizabeth Ashley and producers Jeffrey Richards and Trice.

The Little Rock Central alum has won a Tony for each of the past three seasons. This marks the first project for the Trice for the 2014-2015 season.

First performed on Broadway at the height of the Great Depression (in a Pulitzer Prize winning run), it has not been revived on Broadway since 1983.  You Can’t Take It with You, by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, celebrates the American spirit as well as spirited family life.  Others in the cast, which is to be directed by multiple Tony nominee Scott Ellis, are Tony nominee Kristine Nielsen, Tony nominee Reg Rogers, Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford, Theatre World winner Crystal A. Dickinson and stage veterans Byron Jennings and Julie Halston.

Trice at the 2014 Tony Awards

Trice at the 2014 Tony Awards

Mark Linn-Baker, who has cut his teeth on both stage and TV, is also in the cast. Others in the show include Marc Damon Johnson and Patrick Kerr. Three time Tony winner Jason Robert Brown is composing music for the play.

Performances started at New York’s Longacre Theatre on August 26.

Trice’s Tony Awards came for the 2014 Best Play All the Way, 2013 Best Play Revival Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the 2012 Best Musical Revival Porgy and Bess.  He also received a nomination for 2012 Best Play Revival for The Best Man.  This past year, of the 26 Tony Awards presented, seven went to shows produced by Jeffrey Richards and Will Trice.

Kathakali, South Indian Classical Dance-Drama today at 3 as part of UALR Artspree

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Kathakali is an Indian dance drama by V. Kaladharan, K. Shanmukhan and K. Sukumaran showcasing India’s highly stylized classical dance and drama. Kathakali combines dancing, acting, vocal music, percussion and costumes in one art form dating back to 17th century India. Kaladharan and Shanmukhan will present selected scenes from prominent Kathakali plays. Kaladharan will explain the story and context, and then Shanmukhan will perform each scene. Sukumaran will present the costuming and makeup for the performance.

The performance will begin at 3pm today in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on the campus of UALR.  The program is the first of four Artspree programs during the 2014-2015 school year.

Arts in Park and on Stages with ACANSA today

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acansaThe ACANSA Arts Festival moves into the weekend with a full day of activities.

ARTISTS IN THE PARK
12:00pm to 6:00 pm
MacArthur Park
FREE

The Arkansas Arts Center will host a visual artist day at MacArthur Park from noon to 6:00 p.m.   This event is free and open to the public.  The first two hours are dedicated to children with a variety of art activities, and entertainment by Brian Kinder, a singer/ songwriter who performs rollicking goodtime concerts for kids.

Family entertainment by a variety of musical groups will begin at 2 p.m. Bands include the Clark Family Trio, the Greasy Greens, and SOULution.  Local food trucks will offer refreshments for purchase.

Artists will produce and sell art throughout the afternoon and will have the option to participate in a friendly Quick Draw Competition during the event.  Artists will be paired off to draw each other and the winner will receive a $500 prize!

The Quick Draw competition is open to anyone.  Know an artist who would like to participate?   Please have them contact Linda Newbern at lnewbern@ACANSAartsFestival.org.

Sponsored by: Arkansas Children’s Hospital, City of Little Rock & Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau

 

Acansa PuppetSUSPENDED ANIMATION
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Temple
$20 to $50

In a cabaret presentation distinctly adult in its sophistication and artistry, internationally acclaimed marionette artist Phillip Huber is in full view of the audience as he controls incredibly compelling characters through a series of variety vignettes revealing humor, pathos, drama and grace.

Phillip Huber is most widely known for his work in the 3-time Academy Award nominated film “Being John Malkovich” and his work in the Disney film “Oz the Great and Powerful,” starring James Franco, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. Shimmering with nuance, sophistication and imagination, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to experience a world of sophisticated puppetry designed for entertaining discerning tastes.

 

Acansa DallasDALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
NLR High School East Campus Auditorium
$10 to $50

Dallas Black Dance Theatre celebrates its 36th season as the oldest, continuously operating professional dance company out of Dallas, Texas. The ensemble, a contemporary modern dance company, consists of 12 professional, full-time dancers performing a mixed repertory of modern jazz, ethnic and spiritual works by nationally and internationally known choreographers.

Sponsored by: Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, City of North Little Rock, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, North Little Rock Economic Development Corporation, North Little Rock Visitors Bureau

 

acansa Mike Disfarmer 3DISFARMER
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Argenta Community Theatre
$30

Don’t miss this production of Disfarmer, written by award-winning Arkansas playwright Werner Trieschmann and directed by Bob Hupp of The Rep.  Disfarmer is a comedic portrait which tells the story of Mike Disfarmer, an eccentric photographer from Heber Springs, Arkansas who charged townsfolk and visitors a quarter to have their picture taken in the early forties—and caused a minor speculative mania decades later as New York gallery owners “discovered” his work and descended on the small Arkansas town.

Nothing speaks louder about Mike Disfarmer than his photographs.  Before the play, stop by  Argenta Gallery at 413 Main Street to enjoy an exhibit of Disfarmer photographs. In 1974, Peter Miller purchased the collection of Disfarmer glass negatives from Joe Albright. The Disfarmer prints in this exhibit have been archivally printed from the original Disfarmer glass negatives

Sponsored by: Peter Miller

 

Acansa St PaulACANSA Late Night II – St. Paul and the Broken Bones
9:00 pm to 11:00 pm
South on Main
SOLD OUT

This Birmingham, Alabama based soul band harkens back to the region’s classic soul roots while extending the form with electrifying potency.  Lead singer, Paul Janeway, takes the soul revival to an equally outrageous place with a voice that hovers between sexy sweet and flat-out dirty.  The horn-fueled Broken Bones re-create one funky groove after another, sounding more like the truth than any band since the Seventies.

Sponsored by:  DOWNSTREAM Casino Resort with staff provided by Oxford American

Fun on Friday with ACANSA

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acansaLUNCH AND LEARN
12:00 pm to 1:00pm
William F. Laman Library
Free

Thomas E. Kaiser, Professor of History at UALR, will discuss the exhibit: “The Wartime Escape: Margret and H.A. Rey’s Journey from France.” This exhibit tells the story of the Rey’s (creators of Curious George) journey to escape the Nazi invasion of Paris at the start of World War II.

Sponsored by: Anita Davis, Delta Trust and Bank, and JPMS Cox, PLLC

 

acansa Mike Disfarmer 3DISFARMER
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Argenta Community Theatre
$30 to $50

Don’t miss this production of Disfarmer, written by award-winning Arkansas playwright Werner Trieschmann and directed by Bob Hupp of The Rep.  Disfarmer is a comedic portrait which tells the story of Mike Disfarmer, an eccentric photographer from Heber Springs, Arkansas who charged townsfolk and visitors a quarter to have their picture taken in the early forties—and caused a minor speculative mania decades later as New York gallery owners “discovered” his work and descended on the small Arkansas town.

Head over to Argenta Theatre before the play and pick up a signed copy of Kim O. Davis’ Disfarmer biography titled Disfarmer:  The Man Behind the Camera.

Nothing speaks louder about Mike Disfarmer than his photographs.  Before the play, stop by  Argenta Gallery at 413 Main Street to enjoy an exhibit of Disfarmer photographs. In 1974, Peter Miller purchased the collection of Disfarmer glass negatives from Joe Albright. The Disfarmer prints in this exhibit have been archivally printed from the original Disfarmer glass negatives

Sponsored by: Peter Miller

 

Acansa StreetSTREETCORNER SYMPHONY
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Connor Performing Arts Center, Pulaski Academy Campus
$10 to $20

Street Corner Symphony is an internationally known a cappella group based out of Nashville, Tennessee. These six southern gents were contestants on the second season of NBC’s reality show The Sing-Off, claiming the second place title. They have a unique, laid-back-yet-dynamic style of a cappella, with expertise in a wide variety of music ranging from gospel and barbershop to rock and pop. 

Sponsored by: Arkansas Health and Wellness Solutions

 

Acansa BatorkaloACANSA Late Night I – Bat-or-KALO Trio
9:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Vinos
$20

Bat-or-Kalo Trio is a rock and R&B tinged blues band fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Bat-Or Kalo with bassist Mack McKinney (from Little Rock, Arkansas) and drummer Erick Worrell.  The lead singer Bat-Or Kalo was born/raised in Haifa, Israel, and came to the U.S. to further her studies in classical and jazz music.  Kalo’s music has been compared to the sounds of Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash and the White Stripes.

Sponsored by:  Richard F. Tripodi/Jane E. McKinney

More theatre, music and art on tap today at ACANSA

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acansaThe second full day of ACANSA Arts Festival promises another wide variety of choices.

 

LUNCH AND LEARN
12:00 pm to 1:00pm
Bernice Garden
Free

Anita Davis will discuss art displayed at the Bernice Garden, which features permanent and temporary sculptures created by Arkansas artists. Mosaics, rock formations, hand-crafted signage and additional art installations add to the development plan for the space.

Sponsored by: Anita Davis, Delta Trust and Bank, and JPMS Cox, PLLC

 

GALLERY HOP
5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Various
$20 to $50

Starting at the Arkansas Arts Center, participants may hop on and off trolleys to visit various local galleries in Little Rock and North Little Rock.

Enjoy refreshments while visiting with gallery owners and participating artists about their paintings.

Participating galleries include:   The Art Group Gallery,  Cantrell Gallery,  Greg Thompson Fine Art,  Hearne Fine Art Gallery,  M2 Gallery,  Gallery 221, L & L Beck Art Gallery,  Local Colour Gallery,  Matt McLeod Fine Art,  Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery,  The Edge Gallery, The Hot Springs Art Group, Argenta Gallery and Boswell Mourot Fine Art.

Sponsored by: Stuart Cobb

 

acansa Mike Disfarmer 3DISFARMER
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Argenta Community Theatre
$30 to $50

Don’t miss this production of Disfarmer, written by award-winning Arkansas playwright Werner Trieschmann and directed by Bob Hupp of The Rep.  Disfarmer is a comedic portrait which tells the story of Mike Disfarmer, an eccentric photographer from Heber Springs, Arkansas who charged townsfolk and visitors a quarter to have their picture taken in the early forties—and caused a minor speculative mania decades later as New York gallery owners “discovered” his work and descended on the small Arkansas town.

Head over to Argenta Theatre before the play and pick up a signed copy of Kim O. Davis’ Disfarmer biography titled Disfarmer:  The Man Behind the Camera.

Nothing speaks louder about Mike Disfarmer than his photographs.  Before the play, stop by  Argenta Gallery at 413 Main Street to enjoy an exhibit of Disfarmer photographs. In 1974, Peter Miller purchased the collection of Disfarmer glass negatives from Joe Albright. The Disfarmer prints in this exhibit have been archivally printed from the original Disfarmer glass negatives

Sponsored by: Peter Miller

 

acansa Hector Oliver 3HECTOR OLIVERA
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Trinity United Methodist Church
$10 to $20

Hector Olivera is one of the most sought after international concert organists of the present time. He is a passionate, gifted and unique musician, whose personal interpretations of both classical and popular music have amazed and delighted audiences around the world.

Maestro Hector Olivera travels with his Rodgers touring organ, “The King,” a black four manual organ featuring a custom French specification.  This internationally acclaimed concert organist will perform at Trinity United Methodist Church.  During rehearsal, Maestro Olivera will uniquely customize his eclectic program from the chancel.

 

ACANSA BowersIT GOES WITHOUT SAYING
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Scottish Rite Masonic Temple
$10 to $20

Compared to the work of David Sedaris, Claudia Shear and Augustin Burroughs, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING is a uniquely crafted autobiographical tour-de-force in which Bill Bowers shares funny, heartbreaking, and unbelievable true stories from his career as an actor and mime, and his life-long exploration of the role silence plays in all our lives.

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING takes you on a scenic tour of Bill’s life thus far; from his childhood in the wilds of Montana, to outrageous jobs as a performer across the country, to the whirlwind of Broadway and studying with the legendary Marcel Marceau.

Sponsored by:  Legacy Termite and Pest Control, Inc.