Calendar of Events

The play is based on the Newberry Medal-winning novel by Patricia MacLachlan. Ashlee Latimer will direct the play.

The play is set in the western United States during the late 19th century. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years earlier, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. He writes an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order bride. Sarah, from Maine, answers his ad and travels out to the Western Territories to become his wife and begin to become a mother to the children.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 800 Tyson Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com. Reservations: tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com

“If only I could look back on a day when I was fancy free, a real razzle of a day packed with adventure and high jinks, a day to remember…” When their boss goes out of town for the day, two country grocery store clerks close up shop and “escape” to the big city of Vienna for an adventure they won’t soon forget! Based on the play that also inspired Hello Dolly, the production is a fast-paced farce complete with slapstick shenanigans, mistaken identities, misdirected orders and romantic complications all combined with trademark Tom Stoppard wit and wordplay!

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Mystery and Mayhem Dinner Theater is teaming up with Volunteer Princess Cruises to present a memorable dining experience filled with mystery, deception and a delicious meal.
“Murder at the Café Noir” is an interactive murder mystery that will be performed while guests enjoy a three-course plated dinner and cruise the still waters of the Tennessee River. The Knoxville skyline creates the perfect scene for this show that is sure to keep the audience guessing.
This unforgettable evening will take place every Thursday night in April and May, beginning on April 4, 2013. The yacht departs from Volunteer Landing Marina at 7:00 pm. For only $59.95 per person, guests not only receive a fantastic meal on a two hour cruise, but they also experience a chilling show in a fun atmosphere that cannot be beat.
Reservations must be made in advance for the cruises and can be made by calling the yacht’s office at (865) 541-4556 or online at www.volunteerprincess.com.

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African-American Art March 22 through June 16, 2013.

Larry and Brenda Thompson have amassed a remarkable collection of art by African Americans from around the nation. The strength of the Thompson’s collecting process lies in their considered attention to artists who have typically not been recognized in the traditional narratives of African American art.

In addition to acknowledged “masters,” the Thompsons have collected works by artists who have been labeled “emerging,” “unknown,” “outsider,” “eccentric,” “vernacular,” “regional” and more. The result is a collection that redefines the landscape of American art, offering a more in-depth, inclusive understanding of African American artists and their aesthetic and social concerns.

Knoxville Museum of Art is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10 am–5 pm, and Sunday 1 pm-5 pm. Admission and parking are free.

February 1 - July 28 "JAPAN 1945: IMAGES BY U.S. MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER JOE O'DONNELL" is a traveling exhibition organized by the Tennessee State Museum that showcases 22 of the most compelling images to document the aftermath of U.S. bombing raids on the Japanese cities struck by the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Artifacts and explanatory panels complete the exhibition. AMSE Lobby.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM; Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

Becoming the Volunteer State, a traveling exhibition of the Tennessee State Museum, Nashville will be on display in the East Tennessee History Center from January 28, 2013 through May 19, 2013.

There will be a preview for ETHS members from 2:00-4:00PM, Sunday, January 27, 2013 and a Brown Bag Lecture and Gallery Tour with exhibit curator Myers E. Brown II, at noon at the East Tennessee History Center on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville.
More information online at www.eastTNhistory.org.

January 19 - May 12 "Zoom Into Nano" traveling exhibition offers a hands-on, interactive experience on how scientists see and make things that are too small to see. Nanoscale science and engineering is the process through which materials are manipulated on the molecular scale to generate very, very small structures and devices. Exhibit activities include a magnification station, particle progression, shrink a pattern, atom transporter, shaking solids, infinity crystal, carbon nanotubes, stretch a molecule dissolve a crystal and more. AMSE second level

The American Museum of Science and Energy, located at 300 South Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge, is open Monday - Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm and Sunday 1 - 5 pm. AMSE admission is Adults $5, Seniors (65+) $4, Students (6 - 17) $3, Children (5 and under) no charge. AMSE members are free.

Elaborate silver and gilt jewelry, as well as carpets and textiles from the Turkomen tribes of Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan are the focus of the current exhibition. The Turkomen are one of the major ethnic groups of Central Asia who traditionally lived a semi nomadic existence, migrating with the seasons to access pasture and fertile land. Both jewelry and textiles were forms of transportable wealth that often served as markers of social position. While tribal lands and traditions have changed and evolved, Turkomen peoples continue to play an important role in the culture of Central Asia.

Hours are Monday-Saturday 9:00AM-5:00PM and Sunday 1:00-5:00PM. Admission is free. McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Drive, Knoxville, 37996. 865-974-2144 or mcclungmuseum.utk.edu.

It's time for parents to register their students for 2013 Homeschool Friday Programs offered two times a month for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-6 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. Topics for the interactive programs are the same for each of the specific groups; however, the class time varies as does the cost for the Homeschool Friday Programs. The K-2 classes meet at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. The Grade 3 - 6 classes begin at 12:30 pm and continue for two hours with the cost of $12 for non-members and $9 for AMSE members. For more information and to register for the Homeschool Friday Programs go to www.amse.org or come by AMSE.

May 10 HOMESCHOOL FRIDAY PROGRAM features "Geology" for Grades K-2 at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. Grades 3-6 at 12:30 pm for two hours with the cost of $12 non-members and $9 for AMSE members. Students will learn about the layers of the earth, their composition, depth, temperatures, and their relation to minerals. Activities include testing 9 kinds of minerals and observing 15 kinds of rocks. For more information and registration forms, click www.amse.org or get a flyer at AMSE.

May 24 HOMESCHOOL FRIDAY PROGRAM features "Trees" at Freels Bend Cabin in Oak Ridge for Grades K-2 at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. Grades 3-6 at 12:30 pm for two hours with the cost of $12 for non-members and $9 for AMSE members. Which trees are used to make baseball bats, pencils and Popsicle sticks? Learn about the trees of East Tennessee and how they are used in our lives. Students will learn how to measure a tree's height and diameter in this outdoor class. For more information and registration forms, click www.amse.org or get a flyer at AMSE.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM; Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

Contra dancing to live acoustic music. No experience or partner required!

Mondays at 8:00PM, $7, for information call 865-386-6627 or www.knoxvillecontra.org.
Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916.