Tag Archives: THEA Foundation

ARKANSAS GIVES today!

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Arkansans have a heart for giving. On April 2, 2015, let’s join together to grow the love for our state’s nonprofit organizations. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., we’re challenging all Arkansans to give to the charities of their choice.

During this one-day event, each donation you give will help your favorite nonprofit organizations qualify for additional bonus dollars from Arkansas Community Foundation. All participating nonprofits will receive a portion of a $250,000 match pool; the more a nonprofit raises, the more of the bonus dollars it will receive.

There are many worthwhile non-profits participating.  But since this is a Little Rock culture blog, here is a listing of cultural non-profits serving Little Rock which are participating.

A Mary Birthday

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MarySteenburgenDec09It is Oscar month, so it is fitting to highlight at Arkansas’ own Academy Award winning actress, Mary Steenburgen on her birthday.  She was born on February 8, 1953 in Newport, Arkansas.  After moving to North Little Rock as a schoolgirl, she had her first starring role as Emily in the 1971 Northeast High School production of Our Town, which was the new school’s first play.

After moving the start of a successful film career, she started returning to the stage in a London production of Holiday in 1987.  In 1993, she made her Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Candida (during Roundabout’s initial season with a Broadway house).  Her costars included Robert Foxworth and Robert Sean Leonard.

The next year, she starred in Marvin’s Room in Los Angeles.  She returned to the New York City stage with 2000′s The Beginning of August at the Atlantic Theater Company.  Steenburgen has remained an active supporter and is now a member of Atlantic.  In 2007, she and husband Ted Danson were honored by the Atlantic Theater Company.

Throughout her career, Mary Steenburgen has been a champion of the arts in Central Arkansas.  She has long been a supporter of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, where she and Danson served as honorary chairs of the Rep’s recent successful capital campaign.  In addition, she has been very involved in two other Central Arkansas arts endeavors.  Steenburgen has spoken at acting workshops and lent her support in many other ways for The THEA Foundation (which encourages arts education in Arkansas).

Steenburgen has also been an active supporter of the Oxford American magazine as well as South on Main restaurant and performance venue.

LR Film Fest: Youth Filmmaker Awards

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lrff_mp_hdr_logoThe Little Rock Film Festival values promotion of the next generation of filmmakers.  Partnering with AETN and the THEA Foundation, LRFFYOUTH! features workshops, screenings and awards.

The Best Youth Film award went to Robert Crisp for his film “Saturday.”

The THEA Foundation presented four scholarships to youth filmmakers.  A scholarship for cinematography went to Zak Heald, Crisp earned a scholarship for his editing, Joseph Largent won a scholarship for screenwriting, and the scholarship for directing went to Anna Thompson.

Mary Birthday

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It is Oscar month, so it is fitting to highlight at Arkansas’ own Academy Award winning actress, Mary Steenburgen on her birthday.  She was born on February 8, 1953 in Newport, Arkansas.  After moving to North Little Rock as a schoolgirl, she attended North Little Rock public schools and had her first starring role as Emily in the 1971 North Little Rock Northeast High School production of Our Town, which was the new school’s first play.

After moving the start of a successful film career, she started returning to the stage in a London production of Holiday in 1987.  In 1993, she made her Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Candida (during Roundabout’s initial season with a Broadway house).  Her costars included Robert Foxworth and Robert Sean Leonard.

The next year, she starred in Marvin’s Room in Los Angeles.  She returned to the New York City stage with 2000′s The Beginning of August at the Atlantic Theatre Company.  Steenburgen has remained an active supporter and is now a member of Atlantic.  In 2007 she and husband Ted Danson were honored by the Atlantic Theatre Company.

Throughout her career, Mary Steenburgen has been a champion of the arts in Central Arkansas.  She has long been a supporter of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, where she and Danson served as honorary chairs of the Rep’s recent successful capital campaign.  In addition, she has been very involved in two other Central Arkansas arts endeavors.  Steenburgen has spoken at acting workshops and lent her support in many other ways for The THEA Foundation (which encourages arts education in Arkansas).

Steenburgen has also been a supporter of theOxford American magazine as well as the new Argenta Community Theatre in North Little Rock.  She and another Arkansan, President Bill Clinton, headlined the grand opening of this complex in 2011.

Little Rock Film Festival Awards

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This past Sunday, the Arkansas Times Closing Night Awards Gala took place at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The Audience Award went to Wolf, directed and written by Ya’Ke Smith.

The Made in Arkansas Awards were:
Charles B. Pierce Award Best Film Short Film — “The Man in the Moon” (directed by Kim Risi)
Best Director — Edmond Prince (Imraan Ismail) “Shattered”
Best Actor — Sam Pettit “Cain and Abel”

The World Shorts Award went to “The God Phone,” directed by DC Marcial

The LRFF Youth! Awards were:
Youth Film Award — “Colors in White” Fayetteville High School
Youth Spirit Award — Har-Ber High School
THEA Foundation Scholarships — “Ratical” Hot Springs High School; “Colors in White” Fayetteville High School

The Music Video Awards:
Arkansas Music Video — Swimming
Music Video — The Memory Tapes

The Diamond Award went to filmmakers Jay Russell and Jeff Nichols.

Oxford American Best Southern Film — Pilgrim Song, directed by Martha Stephens

Golden Rock Award for Best Documentary Film — High Tech Low Life, directed by Steohen Maing

Golden Rock Award for Best Narrative Film — Beasts of the Southern Wild, directed Benh Zeitlin

THEA Foundation

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On this day of giving thanks and expressing appreciation, the entry focuses on The THEA Foundation, which gives so much throughout the state.

The mission of the THEA Foundation is to advocate the importance of the arts in the development of our youth.

The THEA Foundation is was founded in 2001 by Paul and Linda Leopoulos, parents of Thea Leopoulos, who was tragically killed in her junior year of high school. Thea had blossomed after discovering her artistic gifts in painting, writing, dance, speech, and drama. The THEA Foundation was created soon after Thea’s untimely death as a way to provide other young people the opportunity to find their confidence through involvement in the arts.

Thea Leopoulos

Thea’s interest in the arts required hard work, focus, and concentration, and she accomplished wonderful things. The harder she worked the better and more satisfying the results. It was exciting to watch her evolve into a whole person who believed she could challenge herself in any area of study.

Programs of the Foundation are designed to provide opportunities for student involvement in the arts. Research into the implementation and results of successful arts-infused programs in schools around the country have led us to become an advocate for improving our schools curriculum through arts administration. This advocacy points to a better curriculum delivery process that motivates all students. When students are engaged and having fun learning, test scores rise, discipline problems diminish, and schools become a place for growth for all students.

The THEA Foundation sponsors scholarships in visual and performing arts, as well as filmmaking. In addition, the THEA Foundation sponsors workshops, the Art Closet (which provides supplies for art teachers to use in classroom instruction), and Art Across Arkansas – in partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation.

The THEA Foundation’s advocacy is based on schools that have successfully motivated and engaged students through an arts-infused delivery system of instruction for the curriculum. An arts-infused delivery system means teaching math, science, social studies, history, spelling, writing, speech, and literature using art, drama, music, and rhyme to enhance the learning process.

The THEA Foundation reaches all corners of the state.  This work emanates from the THEA Foundation Center for the Arts on Main Street in North Little Rock.  Dedicated in 2008, it features the Judy Kohn Tenenbaum Gallery.

Precipice Theatre’s FOOL FOR LOVE

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Little Rock’s newest theatre company, Precipice Theatre, presents its inaugural production — Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love.

There are six performances over four days later this week.  The schedule is:

Thursday, November 10th at 8 p.m.
Friday, November 11th at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Saturday, November 12th at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Sunday, November 13th at 2:00 p.m.

On opening night, November 10th at 7p.m. there will be a complimentary California wine tasting sponsored by Lulav Restaurant in the lobby of the Public Theatre.

Tickets: $13 Adults, $10 Students and Seniors (cash or check at the door)

$3 of each ticket purchase will be donated to the THEA Foundation, supporting the importance of the arts in the development of our youth.

Reservations:Please send an email to LRprecipicetheatre@gmail.com with your party’s name, number of seats required, and a contact phone number. Any reservations that are still unclaimed 15 minutes prior to the start of the performance will be released to the general public.

Cast:
Old Man – Jerry Rice
Eddie – Ricco Ardemagni
May- Heather D. Smith
Martin – Terry Harrison

Directors:
Paul Seminara
Aaron Berg

Producers:
Ricco Ardemagni
Evan Tanner
Heather D. Smith