Calendar of Events

MASSKUS PRODUCTIONS proudly announces a Tennessee Premiere of a new Musical-Comedy Show for the Greater Knoxville Region.

“ASSISTED LIVING: The Musical,” was created by the team of Betsy Bennett and Rick Compton both members of The Dramatist Guild of America. Based in Naples, Florida and active with a variety of different venues there; they have delighted audiences with their original material for over 16 years. “Assisted Living,” has played across the U.S., including San Francisco and Las Vegas, but will be making its Tennessee premiere on April 3rd at The Historic Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge.

“Assisted Living: The Musical” is a fast-paced 75 minute show with two performers and a pianist appearing as 18 characters. It is a good-hearted look at getting older with side splitting humor and catchy tunes. It’s a show for those of a certain age, those that have parents and friends entering this phase, and for everyone that hopes to grow old with humor and dignity. It tells the story from inside the “process” by being funny yet without being insulting or sarcastic.

“ASSISTED LIVING: The Musical” will perform 5 times at The Historic GROVE Theater, (now celebrating 75 years), 123 Randolph Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Performances are scheduled for;
Thursday, April 3 – 7:30pm
Friday, April 4 – 7:30pm
Sat., April 5 – 3pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, April 6 – 3pm

Tickets for these performances are available through www.KnoxvilleTickets.com, by phone 865-656-4444 or toll free 877-995-9961, and in person at Knoxville Tickets outlets or at the door.

The Tennessee Mountain Writers' 26th Annual Conference is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, April 3-5, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge. Conference workshop presenters will include novelist Crystal Wilkinson, fiction and conference banquet speaker; Joseph Bathanti, poetry; Helen Hemphill, writing for young people; Scott Huler, nonfiction; and Kate Larken, editing/publishing; in addition to special sessions to be conducted by Darnell Arnoult, memoir; Kate Larken, songwriting; Lisa Soland, playwriting; Kory Wells, blogging; and Kathy Womack, marketing your self-published work. Additional information and a conference registration form can be found on the Tennessee Mountain Writers' web site, www.tmwi.org.

Reception: Friday, March 28, 5:30-9 p.m.
The District Gallery is pleased to present Terra Madre: Women in Clay, a group show featuring the work of more than twenty female artists with diverse approaches to clay. Terra Madre was formed in 2000 by a small group of artists from East Tennessee. The group’s members are as distinct as their creative work. Each woman comes to the group with her own artistic experience and unique expressive style. “Our mission is to support one another in our clay work, to advance the appreciation of ceramics in East Tennessee, and to encourage each other in the pursuit of our dreams as artists and as women,” said Jackie Mirzadeh, a functional potter and teacher at the Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center. President Patricia Herzog says, “We all need encouragement at times, and I find that talking to women with similar interests and experiences helps me to continue my artistic endeavors with renewed energy.”

The exhibit will include both functional and sculptural ceramics as well as jewelry. Participants are: Elaine Barnes, Gray Bearden, Judy Brater, Jane Cartwright, June Crowe, Tina Curry, Valerie Eiler, Annamaria Gundlach, Candy Finley-Brooks, Amy Hand, Janet Harper, Patricia Herzog, Liz Howell, Lisa Kurtz, Karyn Kyte, Stephanie Levy, LeAnn Lewis, Patty Lewis, Jane Longendorfer, Wendie Love, Sandra McEntire, Jackie Mirzadeh, Shauna Stevens, Linda Sullivan and Belinda Woodiel-Bril.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-4. Information: 865-200-4452, www.TheDistrictGallery.com

Based on the gripping science-fiction thriller by Lois Lowry. The play will be presented March 28 through April 13, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM & 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

The Giver won the 1994 Newbery-Medal for the Best Children's Novel, and the book has sold more than 5.3 million copies. In the not-too-distant future, Jonas is nervous about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, in which every person in The Community is assigned a lifelong occupation. Jonas is singled out to become The Receiver of Memories, an Elder position who alone holds memories of the world's past... memories of all that humans have experienced, no matter how pleasant or painful. At the ceremony of Twelve, Jonas will receive the Truth. And there will be no turning back.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com. Reservations: tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com

The Creative Arts Co-op is proud to present the 8th annual high school level musical... 'CHICAGO!'

Fifteen high school students representing four high schools and the home school community will take the stage this season. Represented schools include: Harriman High School, Oliver Springs High School, Rockwood High School, Roane County High School, and the home school community. The annual events offers local students the opportunity to participate in a musical production - a daunting endeavor for smaller high schools.

Join us at the Creative Arts Co-op Visual & Performing Arts Center, 426 Ruritan Road, Harriman on March 28, 29, April 4, 11 & 12, 2014 at 8:00pm. Tickets are $10.00 at the door.

Need more information? Call the Co-op at 865/765-1129 or visit www.creativeartsco-op.com.

Come see why the '20's Roared...!

Anne V. McGravie’s semi-autobiographical story about Navy servicewomen during World War II will play in the Clarence Brown Theatre’s Lab Theatre March 27-April 13, 2014. The corporate sponsor for this production is Stowers Machinery. Due to popularity, seating is extremely limited. A first-come-first served waiting list will begin forty-five minutes prior to curtain for sold out performances. Should seating become available through ticket donations, release of house seats, or other means, these seats will be released to patrons based on the order of the waiting list.

McGravie said that the thought of “going away and being on my own” was the main draw of joining the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS). “It was a different life in every way and opened my mind and the whole world to me. I enjoyed everything about it, and when the war was over I didn’t know what to do with myself,” she said.

Tracey Copeland Halter (Director) will make her directorial debut with this production. She received her MFA in Theatre from New York University and served on the UT Theatre faculty from 2005-2013. Her CBT acting credits include: “Black Pearl Sings!”, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” “Charley’s Aunt,” The Who’s Tommy,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Intimate Apparel,” “Fences,” and “A Christmas Carol.” She also has performed on Broadway, at the NY Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center, the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and others.

“There are so many universal themes for women in this play. Who am I? What role do I play in history? What's my legacy? What happens to a life that has been compartmentalized (inside and out) in such a small space for so many years?” Copeland-Halter said about the production. The cast is comprised on graduate and undergraduate Theatre actors.

Ticket prices range from $5 to $15. As a participating member of the Blue Star Theater family, the CBT welcomes U.S. military personnel, spouses and children as well as U.S. veterans and offers discounted tickets to active-duty military and immediate families, as well as returning veterans for our productions. Tickets are limited to two per household and are based on availability.

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

The Crucible by Arthur Miller will be presented by the Tennessee Wesleyan Theatre Department. It will be held at the Townsend Auditorium on our Athens, Tennessee campus.

Dates and times are:
March 27, 28, 29 at 7:00 p.m.
March 30 at 3:00 p.m.
April 3, 4, 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Ticket info: twctheatre.com

The last Wednesday of every month, 5:30-7:30PM, join friends of historic preservation for a drink and good conversation. Who knows what topics will be covered, but it's fun to gather together. No need to RSVP, just stop by The crown and Goose, 123 S. Central Street in the Old City.

Knox Heritage: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

Springtime will soon be in full bloom in East Tennessee and Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens is proud to announce the calendar of events for the 13th annual TulipTime at Crescent Bend festival. The three-acre manicured Formal Italian-Styled Gardens at Crescent Bend, which features nine garden terraces and five fountains overlooking the Tennessee River, will be in bloom with over 25,000 tulips of various sizes, shapes, and colors.

Crescent Bend House & Gardens, 2728 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-637-3163, www.crescentbend.com

Opening reception: Saturday, April 5, 7:00-9:00pm. Admission is free and the public is invited
Each spring Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts hosts its annual resident artists’ exhibition, which celebrates the five artists who have lived and worked on campus during the past year. The artists-in-residence program, which fosters and advances the careers of emerging artists, is in its 22nd year and has seen over one hundred individuals pass through its ranks. This year’s residents, Lynn Batchelder, H.P. Bloomer, Rachel K. Garceau, Tally Locke, and Rena Wood present Five Lines, a culmination of their experiences, creativity, hard work, and dedication of their time spent here. Like explorers and cartographers of yesteryear these five are generating mappings of territories that benefit us all. Through their investigations of the mind, time, places, and memories each one is connecting us to their world and thoughts while encouraging us to be more mindful and introspective of our own. While the lines they walk have merged in their time at Arrowmont, soon they will diverge into new frontiers.

“This is an exciting time for this group of young artists,” says Arrowmont Gallery Manager Stefanie Gerber Darr. “There has been a palpable shared energy among them since they arrived last summer. It’s wonderful to see this work come together as a result of that energy. It represents closure, along with the great promise of what we can expect from these very creative people in the years to come.” The Arrowmont residents will also be involved in this year’s Dogwood Arts Festival.

Meet the residents and visit their Gatlinburg studios during the Dogwood Arts Festival Art DeTour, Saturday and Sunday, April 12 & 13, 10:00am to 5:00pm daily. And you can meet the residents and other arts and crafts demonstrators at Arrowmont’s booth at the Dogwood Arts Festival’s Market Square Art Fair in downtown Knoxville, April 25-27 Friday: 11 am – 9 pm, Saturday: 10 am – 9 pm, and Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm.

For more information about Arrowmont’s gallery schedule and upcoming exhibitions, visit arrowmontgalleries.org. To view or learn about workshops and other arts and crafts programming at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, visit arrowmont.org.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860.

The Ewing Gallery will be hosting the following MFA Thesis Exhibitions during March and April.

MFA Exhibition Group 1: April Bachtel (Painting and Drawing) and Jonathan Lisenby (Painting and Drawing)
Dates: March 24 - March 30, 2014
Reception: Friday March 28, 6-9PM

MFA Exhibition Group 2: Andrew Merriss ( Painting and Drawing) , Daniel Ogletree (Printmaking), and Hannah Skoonberg (Printmaking)
Dates: April 2 - April 8, 2014
Reception: Friday April 4, 5-8PM

MFA Exhibition Group 3: Victoria Buck (Ceramics), Cierra Reppert (Graphic Design), Jennifer Scheuer (Printmaking)
Dates: April 11 - April 17, 2014
Reception: April 11, 6PM - 9PM

Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996
865.974.3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

East Tennessee Baskets, 1880-1940

Imagine doing away with plastic shopping bags, buckets, and storage tubs and depending instead upon wood baskets. The essential role these hand-woven containers played in bygone days would soon be realized. During the past year, ETHS has worked to document the traditional baskets of our region, including family stories and photographs when the maker's identity is known. Woven of Wood highlights selected examples from this survey and illustrates how East TN baskets were some of the most functional and creative possessions in everyday life.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM; Saturday: 10AM-4PM; Sunday: 1-5PM. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org