Calendar of Events

Athens Community Theatre (ACT) announces auditions for the April 2020 production, Hamlet, William Shakespeare's tragedy, abridged and directed by Colby Pilkey.

Two opportunities to audition are Sunday, February 16 at 6pm and Monday, February 17 at 6pm at The Arts Center. Show dates for Hamlet are April 17 - 26, 2020.

ACT seeks actors age 13 and up to audition with a prepared monologue. Monologues should be from Shakespeare or Classic texts from the early modern period. Auditions will also include choreographed movement.

Hamlet is directed by ACT veteran, Colby Pilkey and Cynthia McCowan is stage manager. Anyone interested in working with the production in any capacity (set & costume construction, technical crew, backstage crew, orchestra) is encouraged to attend an audition.
Regarded as one of the most important pieces of English literature, William Shakespeare's Hamlet has fascinated audiences for over 400 years. When Hamlet's father, the king of Denmark, suddenly dies, his mother marries his uncle, Claudius, who becomes the new king. Shortly after the wedding, a spirit visits Hamlet, claims to be his father, reveals he was murdered by the hands of Claudius, and demands Hamlet avenge him. What unfolds is a play that deals with madness, freewill, fate, and revenge. This production is set in 1938 Denmark on the eve of WWII and puts Hamlet's political unrest in a world that is facing the impending invasion of Nazi forces.

Athens Community Theatre's production includes live performance of an original score composed by Athens-native Blair Boyd.

The Arts Center is located at 320 North White St. in downtown Athens. Staff is available for questions during business hours, which are Tuesday through Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am – 2pm (January – March). For more information call The Arts Center at 423-745-8781, follow The Arts Center on Facebook, or visit athensartscouncil.org.

by Melissa Ross, directed by Gretchen Wingerter
Performances: Apr 3-19, 2020

Audition Times
• Sun, Feb 16, 3:00-7:00 pm AT TKD
• Mon, Feb 17, 7:00-10:00 pm AT PELLISSIPPI STATE

Auditions will be held at the theater on Feb 16 and at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the Pellissippi State Community College main campus (Hardin Valley) on Feb 17. See web site for details.

Available Roles
• 3 men, 3 women [See web site for details.]

Audition Requirements
• No monologue is necessary. The audition will consist of cold readings from the script.
• A headshot and resume are recommended but not required.
• Please bring a detailed list of conflicts for Feb - Apr.

www.theatreknoxville.com

WDVX PRESENTS THE EARLS OF LEICESTER FEATURING JERRY DOUGLAS WITH TWISTED PINE
SUNDAY, FEB 16 • 8PM

Shawn Camp (guitar, lead vocals) Charlie Cushman (banjo, guitars) Jerry Douglas (Dobro, vocals) Johnny Warren (fiddle, bass vocals) Jeff White (mandolin, vocals) When the Earls of Leicester formed in 2013, their mission was ambitious but exact: to preserve and promote the legacy of bluegrass legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, in hopes of reviving the duo’s music for longtime admirers and introducing a new generation to their genre-defining sound.

At Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Join us Saturday and Sunday, February 15th-16th for the 2020 KBS Winter Bonsai Display at the Knoxville Botanical Garden, 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914!

Saturday February 15th - 10am to 5pm
Sunday February 16th - 9am to 3pm

Demonstration(s): Noon to 2pm

Admission is free and open to the public. We will be hosting a guest Bonsai Artist demonstration, performing a workshop, vendors selling bonsai items and beginner trees, and silent auction!

https://knoxvillebonsaisociety.com/

Renovam, a newly formed professional choir, will present a concert titled, “Renewed in Love,” on Saturday, Feb. 15, 7:30 pm at St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 N Broadway, Knoxville, and on Sunday, Feb. 16, 3:00 pm at First United Methodist Oak Ridge, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge.

Renovam is a chamber choir that is a combination of personnel from two former area choirs: Tennessee Chamber Chorus was based in Cleveland, TN, but frequently performed in Knoxville, including on the 2017 Church Street United Methodist Master Arts Concert Series. Symphony of Voices was based in Knoxville and gained a significant following from 2017-2018. The two choirs have now joined forces under a new name, “Renovam,” which is Portuguese for “renew.” They perform without a conductor, and artistic direction is shared among the membership.

“Renovam is a unique group of professional singers, as most of us are actually full-time choral conductors,” says Alan Stevens, the former artistic director of the Tennessee Chamber Chorus. “The choir gives us a chance to make music together as singers, which we rarely have the opportunity to experience now. Not only is Renovam a renewal of the two former organizations, it is also a renewal of our musical spirits. Singing is why most of us got into choral conducting as a career, and this renews us in many ways.” Stevens is an associate professor of music and choral conductor at East Tennessee State University.

The concert, “Renewed in Love,” features a wide variety of choral repertoire about love. It includes selections by Brahms, Arcadelt, Whitacre, and many contemporary composers. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 per adult. The concert runs approximately an hour with no intermission. More information about Renovam can be found on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/renovamchoir

Now in its second year, Take Action! Big and Small Ways to Save the Planet is a four-week conservation series that focuses on the many different ways you can have a positive impact on the planet. Classes, workshops and other activities will show you how to conserve natural resources and reduce your carbon footprint. Cleanup events and volunteer workdays will help you care for the place we all call home. This year’s lineup is going to be fun!

February 15 Volunteer Workday: Invasive Plant Removal (Noon-3 p.m.)
February 16 Conservation Conversations: Docuseries and Discussion (2-5 p.m.)
February 21 Parents’ Night Out (6:30-8 p.m.)
February 22 Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
February 25 Sustainable Adulting: Sew It, Don’t Throw it! (6-8 p.m.)
February 29 Fifth Annual Weed Wrangle Knoxville (9 a.m.-Noon)
February 29 Family Hootenanny (6-9 p.m.)
March 7 Outdoor Gear Swap and Bike Collection Event (9 a.m.-Noon)
March 7 Citizen Science Kick-Off (1-5 p.m.)
March 8 Slow Foods Potluck: On the Local Level (5-8 p.m.)
March 10 Sustainable Adulting: Everything You Thought You Knew About Recycling (6-7:30 p.m.)
March 14 Volunteer Workday: Grayson Subaru Preserve (Noon-3 p.m.)
March 15 Ijams Seed Swap (1-4 p.m.)
March 15 Family Pollinator Garden Workshop (1:30- 2:30 p.m.)

Details on each event at https://ijams.org/take-action-big-and-small-ways-to-save-the-planet/

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Knoxville Opera is excited to present Romeo and Juliet this Valentine’s Day weekend at the Tennessee Theatre. After an absence of eight years, Charles Gounod’s opera about one of the most beloved stories of all time returns to the stage Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m. Thrilling, romantic music, glorious singing, and dramatic scenery and lighting is the recipe for an unforgettable theatrical and emotional experience. Performances are presented in French with projected English translations.

This presentation of Shakespeare’s tale of the star-crossed lovers includes dramatic readings from the original play in English by Clarence Brown Theatre artists including Director Calvin MacLean. Making their Knoxville Opera debuts in leading roles are:
• soprano Yulan Piao (Juliet), 1st Place winner at both the Vienna Summer Music Festival and Verismo Opera competitions
• tenor Mackenzie Whitney (Romeo), who has recently sung leading roles with the opera companies of San Diego, Madison, Pensacola, and Annapolis
• baritone Bryan James Myer (Mercutio), veteran of opera companies from Hawaii to New York City

Also making debuts are current UT School of Music students Cornelia Lotito as Stephano and Wayd Odle as Tybalt. Rounding out the cast is former Metropolitan Opera bass Andrew Wentzel (Friar Laurence) professor of voice at UT.

The production, generously sponsored by The Sood Family, will be staged by the distinguished director Laura Alley, whose career has included major productions at San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, and many other companies from coast to coast. In the pit, Maestro Brian Salesky will conduct the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Adult tickets, starting at $25, may be purchased online at www.KnoxvilleOpera.com, or by calling the Box Office at (865) 524-0795 ext. 1, Monday through Friday, 10:00–5:00. Student tickets, starting at $15, may be purchased by calling the Box Office. Students are also invited to attend the final rehearsal without charge on February 12 at 6:30 (accompanying adulsts pay $5 cash at the door). A limited number of free student tickets to the performances may be reserved in advance by completing the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/freestudenttix. One ticket per student; no specific seating requests.

The Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show is returning to the Knoxville Convention Center. Dogwood's perennial preview of spring invites guests to leave winter at the door, experience over 10,000 sq. ft. of grand gardens, and meet with the top vendors in home improvement, interior design, appliances, and more–all under one roof.

Inspiring lectures from local tastemakers and experts from HGTV.com, Blackberry Farm, and Biltmore Estate will entertain guests all weekend long. And don’t forget the kids! Sesame Street is celebrating its 50th Birthday at the Show with character meet & greets featuring Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby.

From the ground to the gutters, the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show has something for everyone.

Hours: Friday: 10 AM - 7 PM, Saturday: 10 AM - 7 PM, Sunday: 10 AM - 5 PM

For more information, visit www.dogwoodarts.com or call 865-637-4561.

In the Galleries
February 8 through March 22, 2020

Artists Reception: Saturday, February 8, from 7 to 9 PM
Gallery Talk: 6:30 PM

The event is free and open to the public.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

First Friday Reception: February 7, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Step out for love and paint the town crimson. Come and discover gift ideas various members of The Art Market Gallery created in wild and glorious red.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

Awaken Coffee will host Peyton Tolleson on February 7 from 6-9. Payton is a self-taught, local artist. She works primarily with acrylic paint and enjoys the challenge of painting reflective and translucent subjects with bold contrasts and bright colors. Her Bar Series will be on display for the month of February.

Come join us for some light refreshments, exciting art, and great coffee.

Awaken Coffee is a live music venue, espresso bar, craft beer & wine bar and organic restaurant in the heart of downtown.

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: M-R 7 AM - 9 PM, F 7 AM - 10 PM, Sat 8 AM - 10 PM, Sun 2-8 PM. https://www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

C for Courtside is pleased to present a two person show featuring the work of Taylor Baldwin and Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels, curated by Eleanor Aldrich

The show opens Friday, February 7th at 7:00pm, and is free and open to the public.

Taylor Baldwin is a contemporary American sculptor, who also uses installation and video. He explores the space between visual legibility and cognition in his multi-media works. Taylor is on faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels is a native of Knoxville and a contemporary site-specific sculptor who disrupts and transforms existing architectural spaces. Her work creates mystery in mundane or known spaces, questioning the border between the physical and imagined. Her solo show Beauty Surplus is on view at the Kohler Arts Center through May 2020.

Courtside is located at 513 Cooper Street, Knoxville, TN., 37917 below the Second Creek Bridge. For inquiries and to make an appointment to view - cforcourtside@gmail.com

www.cforcourtside.com
Follow the gallery on Instagram: @cforcourtside