Stone Soup Theatre Company's Guys on Ice Is a Fun and Quirky Musical About ... Ice-Fishing
Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of Guys on Ice: An Ice Fishing Musical is a fun and quirky performance that brings together humor, catchy tunes, and a sense of community. Directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with music director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the show presents a day in the life of a couple of guys from Wisconsin, combining ice fishing, friendship, and Green Bay Packers fandom in an intimate look at the upper Midwestern United States.
Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley's The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones Is a Live, Local, Family-Friendly Holiday-Themed Entertainment
The story focuses on Hezekiah Jones, a Chapel Hill toymaker who is losing his joy in Christmas and just about everything else after the recent death of his wife. Hezekiah's daughter Harriet, who is studying at UNC to be an astrophysicist, is worried that her father is going to sell the store, due to rising costs, technology, and declining customers. Dizzle Jollyworth, a North Pole elf who has lost his sense of purpose, has been assigned to revive Hezekiah Jones' Christmas spirit.
Paperhand Puppet Intervention's Earth and Sky Features a Plethora of New Giant Puppets
The Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s performance of Earth and Sky at the historic, outdoor Forest Theater in Chapel Hill is a night to remember—if only to see this year’s plethora of new giant puppets in action.
Durham Students Sparkled in An Evening to Shine on Feb. 21st at DPAC
An Evening to Shine is an annual event, presented at the Durham Performing Arts Center by Durham Public Schools (DPS), in partnership with the Durham Public Schools Foundation, which showcases the talents of dedicated youth from every public school in the county. [Of note, the DPS Scholarship Foundation merged with the DPS Foundation in 2020.] Only a handful of students are selected from each school, and they must commit to five weekly two-hour rehearsals, plus two full days of preparation at DPAC before show time…
The Justice Theater Project's Performance of Mark St. Germain's Best of Enemies Is Transformative
As a young, Afro-Latina woman, Yamila Monge said that she wants the production to demonstrate appreciation for the difficult trailblazing of the previous generation and their glowing, though generally not well-known, examples of the healing transformation that can occur when even the most heated adversaries agree to work together and listen to one another…
Playing Possum a No Win
Three weeks ago, my son spotted a tiny opossum outside our house. The next day, he found the opossum in our garage. An Internet search suggested it was about 13 weeks old – too young for weaning. We put the little guy in a newspaper-lined box with fruit, cat-food and water. Over the next few days, our neighbors and we had rounded up 5 littermates…
Theme Song Today: Sylvan Esso’s Free
When I first heard it, I wasn’t overly impressed by the style of Sylvan Esso’s song Free. But when I read the lyrics, Amelia Meath’s casual humming, sing-song vocals made beautiful sense. It’s easy to imagine that she’s a little girl singing to herself, though with more knowledge than a little girl should have…
Theme Song(s) Today: Jason Isbell and Amanda Shire’s Tiny Desk Concert
If you haven’t heard Jason Isbell’s music, you should. This article contains the link to his Tiny Desk (NPR) performance, which is particularly special because his wife no longer tours with him now that they are raising a family. #ThemeSong
Four-Wheeled Litmus Test
… Pedestrians in Northern Virginia and DC stopped to tell us they liked the van. In New Jersey, drivers in one suburb would smile and wave, while those in an immediately adjacent suburb would grimace with condescension. Massachusetts residents were generally unimpressed; my brother-in-law thought the van looked stupid, and his teenage son preferred it wasn’t parked in front of their house…
Who Pays for Schools?
This article was published by the News and Observer on July 21, 2010. In 2017, Orange County lost the ability to charge impact fees on new development; notably, Chatham County still charges school impact fees. A NC Senate bill enabling NC cities and counties to collect impact fees on new development for schools and other required infrastructure was filed in March 2021, but it appears to have gone nowhere since then (no surprise).
A Blueprint for Finding & Using Arts Funding (and the encouragement it brings)
My webpage redesign is finally complete, and I LOVE it! As promised, I am typing up a summary of how I obtained grant funding to bring this about, so that other local artists (literary and otherwise) can follow suit and get their own webpages, search-engine-optimized and all.
Joshua Thompson and Symoné Spencer Win 2022 Triangle Rising Stars Acting Honors
When I was given the opportunity to review this year's in-person Triangle Rising Stars Showcase and Awards program on Wednesday, May 11th, at the Durham Performing Arts Center, I knew immediately that I had to go. American Idol Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken hosted the event, which featured performances by 2021 TRS Best Actor Joshua Messmore and 2021 TRS Best Actress and 2021 Jimmy® Awards best-actress-award winner Elena Holder.
To Those Who Message(d) Me Privately This Week
After questioning the secretive and non-inclusive proceedings of a racially-based political action committee via Facebook, members of that organization attacked and ultimately removed me from the group. This article is in response to that experience.
Why Millicent Rogers Should Be On Durham’s School Board
For many reasons, I have been out of the political scene for years; but when I was contacted about this young, single mother who was running for Durham School Board and met her, she rekindled my hope. I have written this article to explain why and to endorse her.
Appreciating Earth Day the Easy Way
This Earth Day, I am celebrating the house-finch nest that is outside my side door. I’ve been checking on the eggs for days now; and when I peeked in today, a chick was just breaking out of its shell! #Nature #GreatestShowOnEarth
Thank You, Durham Arts Council!
After receiving a grant from the Durham Arts Council to hire a web-designer to rebuild my author homepage to maximize outreach and marketing, I wrote this blog article to thank the DAC and to share my (often anxious) process.
Grant Opportunities for Educators (April deadlines)
To make grant opportunities I know about available to more than just who I know, this article summarizes the educator grant opportunities I have successfully applied for. The word "grant" is intimidating, but often these grants are quite easy to apply for. Don't let the fear of bureaucracy stop you from at least skimming over what's required.
Petition Against the State's Override of Durham's Nomination for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
Phoebe Gooding is an incredibly qualified BIPOC woman who the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District unanimously nominated for a recently vacated position on the board. In an unprecedented move, the state Soil and Water Conservation Commission chose not to appoint her and instead appointed another old white man with farming roots. This article is an appeal to readers to sign the petition in opposition of the state’s override.
Regarding Durham's Capital Improvement Plans (2021)
We must make more existing outdoor spaces and playgrounds -particularly those at public schools - environmentally sustainable in terms of stormwater management. Too many of them, particularly in underserved schools/communities are being flooded or washed away in ever increasing rain events, polluting our streams, rivers, and lakes, which effects low-income citizens far more than those who can afford to drink bottled water.