Great Stuff Happening This Weekend, Starting Tonight
Everyone must be trying to squeeze all their events in before an early Thanksgiving, because there's some great stuff happening this weekend, starting tonight. Here's a mini guide:
(forgive me for quoting directly from press releases, but we're all about efficiency at this blog)
Tonight (Thursday)
• Doug Marlette's South: At Levine Museum of the New South, a reception and panel discussion on the themes in Doug Marlette's writings, political cartoons and Kudzu comic strip, and his views on the region he proudly called home. The panel is moderated by Ed Williams, editorial page editor of the Charlotte Observer. Panelists include Mark Ethridge, former managing editor of the Observer; Dr. Tom Hanchett, staff historian and curator of Comic Stripped; Kathleen Parker, nationally syndicated columnist and close friend of Doug's. FREE admission. Space is limited, reservations required. Call 704.333.1887 ext. 501.
• Opening of Pillowman at Actor's Theatre. Set in the darkness of an unnamed totalitarian state, this macabre thriller centers on a writer being interrogated about the content of his short stories and their uncanny similarity to real-life crimes in the community. This drama, with its pitch black comedy, moves seamlessly between the brutalities of the author’s interrogation room to the fantastically grotesque world of his fairytales. The Pillowman explores the dark corners of human imagination and addresses some of today’s most hot-button issues—from censorship and the power of the state, to freedom of speech and the rights of the individual. $23 to $28 for regular general admission. Tickets are now on sale through the Box Office at (704) 342-2251 and online at www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org .
• Heidi Chronicles at Theatre Charlotte. Funny, touching and written with sensitivity, the play is a moving examination of the progress of a generation, from the socially and politically activist sixties to the success-oriented eighties—a time during which the status of American women underwent profound change. Comprised of a series of inter-related scenes, the play traces the coming of age of Heidi Holland, a successful art historian, as she tries to find her bearings in a rapidly changing world. A significant and celebrated play, it was a winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Tickets are $21 for adults, call 704-372-1000 or visit www.carolinatix.org to buy them. SPECIAL OFFER: Gals Night at the Theatre. In honor of a generation of Charlotte women, tickets for groups of 4 or more women only $18, plus a complimentary wine or beer. Promotion Code: charlottewomen.
• River Docs opens at The Light Factory (I previewed this exhibit yesterday, and it is excellent. Expect a blog soon.) The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film and York County’s Culture & Heritage Museums have partnered together to present a comprehensive narrative, a year-long documentation project inspired by the Catawba River. This exhibition will feature fine art photography and fabric installation, interactive digital media and countless community interviews and submissions. The RIVER DOCS exhibit is designed to illuminate the connection of people to the Catawba River; document the changes that have happened and are happening to the River; address the challenge of access to the river; and reenergize activity on and commitment to the river and surrounding land from its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Lake Wateree near Columbia. Opening reception is tonight from 7-9.
The last three exihibits continue through this weekend, and beyond, in the case of Pillowman and River Docs.
