theater
“Raisins in the Sun”
In Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” three generations of a family on Chicago’s South Side struggle to maintain dignity in a harsh and ever-changing world. Fayetteville’s TheatreSquared (477 W. Spring St.) begins performances Wednesday in its West Theater. Shows run Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. through September 15. Tickets are $30-68. Call (479) 777-7477 or visit theater2.org/raisin-in-the-sun.
The cast includes Dominic Daniel as Walter Lee Younger, Jaquai Wade as Beneatha Younger, Cathy Tyree as Lena Younger, Vanessa R. Butler as Ruth Younger, Judah Asher as Travis Younger, Tony King as Joseph Assagai, Jordan Williams as George Murchison, Justin Fletcher as Carl Lindner and Justin Stewart as Bobo.
Marie’s “Steel Magnolias”
Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock, opens Wednesday with Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias.” Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Wednesday matinees only Aug. 21, 28, and Sept. 4) and Sunday at 12:45 and 6:45 p.m. Starring Emory Tyson Molitor as Truby, Lexi Brooks as Annelle, Velda Davenport Booher as Claire, Sarah Ring Nichols as Shelby, LeAnn Ralston as M’Lynn, and Natalie Canarday as Ouiser. The buffet opens 90 minutes before showtime. Tickets (includes meal and show): $42-44, $30 for children 15 and under, $30 for show only. Call (501) 562-3131 or visit murrysdp.com.
The black-and-white photographs “Balcony View,” “Dora’s Hand” and “Mister Jones” by Valaida Fullwood and Charles W. Thomas are part of the exhibit “Giving Back: Reimagining the Soul of Philanthropy,” which opens Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Mosaic Templar Cultural Center in Little Rock. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Art & Exhibitions
“Giving back”
“Giving Back: Reconstructing the Soul of Philanthropy,” a traveling exhibit of stories and black-and-white photographs by Valaida Fullwood and Charles W. Thomas that “explores the Black American experience in philanthropy and elevates a tradition of giving grounded in faith, mutuality, responsibility and social justice,” according to a news release, opens Thursday at the Mosaic Templar Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St. in Little Rock. The exhibit is a partnership with the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative. August is Black Philanthropy Month.
The grand opening event will begin with a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a Soul Kitchen tasting event featuring samples from Arkansas’ Black-owned restaurants and caterers at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
According to the announcement, the exhibit is a “reinterpretation” of the book “Giving Back” and highlights Black philanthropy through “innovative, interactive presentations” including “digital apps featuring metal prints, music, animation, poetry, photography and film.”
The exhibit will run through Dec. 3. Admission is free, and the center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors can share their giving stories and help “reimagine philanthropy,” and during the exhibition, the cooperative and cultural center will host a “Soul Series” of educational and social programs. Visit theabpc.org/tsop .
White ink, black paper
“Draw (Verb): New Work by Clark Valentine,” about a dozen drawings done in white ink on black paper by Valentine, an assistant professor of drawing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Art and Design, opens Monday at the Ann Manners & Alex Pappas Gallery in the Windgate Art and Design Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Art and Design, 2801 S. University Ave. in Little Rock.
The exhibition will run through September 15th, with a reception on August 29th from 5-7pm in the Windgate Center. Admission to the exhibition and reception is free. Gallery hours are 9am-5pm Monday through Friday and 11am-2pm Saturday and Sunday. Call (501) 916-5117 or email byoung2@ualr.edu.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate Courtney Wilson is part of the newest cohort of the university’s artLAUNCH program. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Courtney Wilson)
“artLAUNCH” Graduates
UALR has selected five graduates as the 2024-25 recipients of artLAUNCH, a program that helps launch graduating artists’ artistic careers.
◼️ Emma Chambers, Class of 2023, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, taught by Nate Willever.
◼️ Bailey Holly, Class of 2024, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics, mentored by Amanda Saroff.
◼️ Courtney Wilson, Class of 2024, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics, mentored by Tip Toland
◼️ Emily Reynolds, Class of 2024, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, mentored by Shane McDermott.
◼️ Annika Shunn, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration in 2022, will be mentored by Jamie Wolfe.
They plan to present their work in an exhibition at UALR in the spring 2025 semester.
The program is funded by a grant from the Windgate Foundation and is open to UALR College of Art and Design students who have graduated within the past five years. Recipients receive an $11,200 stipend that can be used for equipment, materials, travel, artist residencies, workshop fees and any other expenses needed to focus on creating work in the studio.
film
War Horse Documentary
The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock, will be screening “The Wellers: Australia’s Great War Horses” as part of its “MacArthur Films” series on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The documentary focuses on the more than 130,000 Australian horses known as “wellers” that served in World War I from 1914 to 1918. Admission, popcorn and soft drinks are free. Call (501) 376-4602.
Karin Slaughter will be speaking about “This Is Why We Lied,” the latest thriller in the Will Trent series, at the Ron Robinson Theatre, 100 River Market Ave. in Little Rock, sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System. (Specially provided by the Democrat-Gazette)
On the podium
Thriller writer
Author Karin Slaughter will speak about her latest thriller in the Will Trent series, “This Is Why We Lied,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ron Robinson Theatre, 100 River Market Ave. in Little Rock, sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System.
Slaughter has written more than 20 bestselling novels, including the Edgar Award-nominated “Cop Town.” Will Trent’s novels have been adapted into ABC television series (available on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally).
In “This Is Why We Lied,” the 12th book in the series, GBI Agent Will Trent and Coroner Sarah Linton are newlyweds on honeymoon at a secluded lodge “until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night,” according to a news release. “With a storm outside and a killer on the loose, (they) are on high alert. As they begin to investigate, they realize everyone here is lying.”
Admission is free. The first 250 people to attend the discussion will receive a book, but registration does not guarantee a book. Register at tinyurl.com/yafmvxmh.
Rutherford explains
James L. “Skip” Rutherford III, political “guru” and dean emeritus of the Clinton School of Public Service, will share stories and experiences about Arkansas and Arkansas/national politics at Potluck and Poison Ivy on Thursday at The Joint, 301 Main St. in North Little Rock. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 and include a boxed dinner. Visit potluckandpoisonivy.org.
etc.
National Registration Training
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will host a training session on the National Register of Historic Places. The session will provide information about the registration and how to complete a nomination form. The session will be held at 9 a.m. on September 14 at the Arkansas Heritage Headquarters, 1100 North St., Little Rock. Attendance at this session is limited to 20 people. To register, contact Ralph S. Wilcox, National Registration and Research Coordinator and Deputy State Director for Historic Preservation for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, at (501) 324-9787 or by email at ralph.wilcox@arkansas.gov. For more information about the National Register of Historic Places, visit arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-preservation/properties/national-registry.