Calendar of Events

The WordPlayers and Pellissippi State Theatre Dept. will present Shakespeare’s KING LEAR on April 5, 6, 12, 13 at 7:30 PM and April 7 and 14 at 2:30 PM. The play, considered by many to be Shakespeare’s masterpiece, will be presented on the main campus of Pellissippi State Community College in the Clayton Performing Arts Center (CPAC), 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville. Tickets range from $15 to $25 and reserved seats are available at wordplayers.org/buy-tickets/ . Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information, please call The WordPlayers at 865.539.2490 or visit wordplayers.org.

Widely regarded as Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy and one of the masterpieces in the English language, KING LEAR explores domestic, political, and spiritual themes which transcend time and culture. The story of dysfunctional families dealing with aging parents and toxic sibling rivalry is as old as the Bible and as contemporary as some of our own stories. Political turmoil caused by poor leadership and callous ambition spans much of human history and holds its own in current events. To what extent supernatural powers shape the human condition is an ever-present question. What does it take for us to finally see and acknowledge truth? Which way does madness lie? Which way redemption? There are lessons to be learned. May they not come too late.

The approximate length of the show is 2 hours and 45 minutes, including intermission, and is suitable for ages 13 and up.

The WordPlayers, 865-539-2490, www.wordplayers.org
Facebook: The WordPlayers, Twitter: @wordplayers, Instagram: wordplayers

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Ritterfest (a German Knight's Festival) is our newest festival at SB! Started in 2023, we've curated an amazing line-up of events & entertainment for Ritterfest #2. Expect battling knights, medieval merchants, minstrels of music, and more in a perfect medieval setting! NO REQUIRED TICKET OR ADMISSION CHARGE
This Event is Rain-or-Shine

https://www.schulzbraubrewing.com/ritterfest/

Save the date: UT Gardens Knoxville Spectacular Spring Plant Sale, April 5 and 6.

UT Gardens, Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-7151, https://utgardens.tennessee.edu/

MARK NORMAND, Friday, April 5, at 7:00PM at the Bijou Theatre.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/

GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LAUGHS CONTINUE, April 5, 2024, 8:00 PM
Knoxville Civic Auditorium

The Golden Girls are Back! Miami's sassiest seniors have return for one more hurrah. 2024 finds Sophia out on bail, after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring for retirees. Blanche and Rose have founded CreakN, a thriving sex app for Seniors. And Dorothy is trying to hold it all together, with help from her much younger, sex-crazed love interest. Relive the heartfelt hilarity of four ladies who never stopped being your friends! There will be a 20-minute intermission.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: www.knoxvillecoliseum.com

Birdtalker comes to Pretentious Beer Co., 131 S Central Street, Friday, April 5, 2024, at 8:00PM.
It's gonna be a great show that you won't want to miss.

Tickets and more information at:
https://www.bornandraisedknox.com/events-1/birdtalker-pretentious-beer-co

Please join us for light snacks & refreshments
Friday, April 5th, 5:30pm - 8:30 pm
203 W. Jackson Ave. Knoxville, TN 37902

Forest School is at Able Trade!
April First Friday is just around the corner! We are super excited to host the teachers of Forest School in the heart of South Knoxville's Urban wilderness. The teachers create a variety of art inspired by this amazing forest home that holds and nurtures us with students ages 3-12. All of the teachers at Forest School have varying degrees in education and human psychology. They are all naturalists and forever students.

Able Trade, 203 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: https://weareabletrade.com/ or www.instagram.com/abletradeknox/

Broadcast live from the stage of the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. East Tennessee's Own WDVX & Periodic Tables of Oak Ridge host Grammy Award winning banjo master Dom Flemons, and world renown Jazz singer Kelly Jolley on April 5th @ 7:00PM for an evening of music and story. Doors open at 6:00PM.

Or you can join us by listening in at 89.9FM, 102.9 FM or at wdvx.com from 7:00-900

Follow The Secret City Radio Show on Facebook & Instagram
Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-secret-city-radio-show-featuring-dom-flemons-kelle-jolly-tickets-853290202967

April 5 First Friday, 6 to 9 pm at Ironwood Studios, 119 Jennings Ave, Knoxville 37917

Featuring works by members of A1LabArts.

Ironwood includes the active workspace of metal artist Preston Farabow, who was one of the founders of A1. Among other things, we hope to have him help us with a special appearance by a flamenco dancer performing a traditional dance based on the rhythm of a blacksmith hitting an anvil.

https://www.a1labarts.com/

April 5 at 8 pm

The Tennessee Stifflegs are a four-piece string band from Knoxville, TN featuring a repertoire of old-time country, western swing and hillbilly jazz. Steeped in the tradition of Appalachian string band music, the Stifflegs have played square dances and fiddler's conventions throughout the region. In addition to the group's spirited fiddle-led numbers, the Stifflegs also showcase a unique take on a wide variety of classic American music - including harmony-driven ballads and upbeat jazz standards.

Tickets available at TicketLeap (jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com), by mail or at the door 30 minutes prior to show. $20 at the door, $15 General Audience Advance, $14 JCA members, students & seniors 65+

Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. Tickets: https://jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com. Information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org

The artists will appear at an event at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center on Friday, April 5, 2024 from 12:00—1:00 pm. Attendees are welcome to bring their own brown bag lunch. The address is 1927 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915.

Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present the next exhibition in their Main Gallery at the historic Candoro Marble Building. A two-person show, Extended Materiality, featuring recent works by artists Mie Kongo (Evanston, IL) and Althea Murphy-Price (Knoxville, TN) opens Friday, April 5 and will run through Saturday, June 1, 2024. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

https://www.miekongo.com/
https://www.altheamurphyprice.com/

Join us FIRST FRIDAY April 5th 6-9pm for the opening reception of "Moment by Moment" an exhibition of recent work by Kyle Cottier @kyle_cottier

Not only will we be celebrating this new exhibition, but we will also be testing out PRINTING Kyle's 9ft woven wooden sculptures in the RR Printshop during the opening reception! Come check it out!

From the artist's statement: "Beginning with the body or the individual requires locating it within the broader context. We are connected to our environment and our environment is connected to us. As we shape the natural and built environments we inhabit, we are shaped in return. My practice centers on the handmade object and the autonomy gained from learning a craft, which empowers us to shape our surroundings. Exploring the intricate history of basket weaving and the symbiotic bond between humans and organic materials, I investigate the vessel as a potent symbol of embodiment, encapsulating both form and thought. Using found wood and discarded materials, I construct hollow forms influenced by the vessel, organizing around a central void. Through repetition, I control the flow of desire and reshape nothingness, evoking a narrative of impermanence and longing. My sculptures are deeply informed by the boundary between internal and external realities, existing within a "magic circle" where thought converges with tangible existence. Reflecting on concepts of decay and restoration, my work embodies the tension between individual and collective experiences. As my sculptures live in a state of perpetual transformation, prioritizing flexibility over rigidity, the boundary between the imagined and tangible world invites viewers to reconsider the limits that define our relationship with the ever-changing environment."

We will also host our Open Artist Studios with our eight resident artists so be sure to stop by to see what all these artists have been up to lately. Come celebrate spring with us and visit us 6-9pm!

Relay Ridge, 4124 McKinley St, Knoxville. https://relayridge.org/ and https://www.instagram.com/relay_ridge/