Audience Magazine - February 2021

A behind-the-scenes look into Louisville’s performing arts and entertainment during this unprecedented time of reflection and artistic creation.

magazine

FEBRUARY 2021

Special thanks to our premium sponsors whose support lets us provide this publication at no charge to you.

PNC BROADWAY IN LOUISVILLE Broadway Returns to Louisville! Show Dates Inside. Page 6 | ACTORS THEATRE OF LOUISVILLE Engaging Louisville with Videos, Live Chat, and Music Page 12 | LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA Love & Music, a Louisville Love Story Page 16 | KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS Erin Palmer Discusses a Collaboration of Local Talent Page 22 | KENTUCKY SHAKESPEARE A ModernDay Shakesperean Love Story Page 26 | FUND FOR THE ARTS These Student Writers Will Inspire You Page 30

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SOLIDARITY IN THE NAME OF LOVE You'll find, my friend, that what you love will take you places you never dreamed you'd go.

— Tony Kushner, Angels in America

As we come upon a full year since COVID-19 shut down theaters and thousands of other businesses across our region, we here at Audience Magazine are choosing to look at the silver linings that have emerged from the crisis. Of course, one of the brightest beacons of hope throughout the pandemic has been the way the Louisville community has rallied around our performing arts organizations. Another is the heightened creativity of the groups themselves, each of them finding new ways to package and deliver their beloved craft.

But perhaps the true miracle that’s come out of all the challenges the performing arts industry has faced in the past year is the unity and solidarity in the name of love — love of creating for arts’ sake, love for each other in the form of partnerships, and love for the greater community overall.

Amy Higgs Managing Editor

Since February is the Month of Love, this is the perfect time to highlight a few of our local “love fests,” and give some love to those working hard behind the scenes, as well as events on the horizon.

In this issue, you’ll read about two young violinists who were finally able to settle in Louisville after years of long-distance love, and the real-life Shakespearean love story of one of theater’s power couples. You’ll also fall in love with some brave young authors, and brim with love over the announcement that live Broadway performances are finally returning this fall, starting with Waitress in November. Yes indeed, better days are ahead!

Speaking of the return of live theater, we know fall feels like a long way off, but the light at the end of the tunnel is a heck of a lot brighter than it was at this time last year. At Audience, we’re happy to share the love by providing a voice for performing arts groups for as long as necessary — and thanks to our generous advertisers, we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. But we’d be lying if we said we weren’t looking forward to the day when they are all back on stage, and they can get most of their love from the thunderous sound of cheers and applause once more.

Until the curtain rises again,

G. Douglas Dreisbach Publisher

– The Audience Group

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TABLE of CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2021

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WORTH THE WAIT

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ART & COMMUNITY

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PARTNERS IN LOVE & MUSIC

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INTERVIEW WITH ERIN PALMER

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A LOUISVILLE LOVE STORY

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WRITING OUR FUTURE

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TICKET

GIVEAWAYS

SPECIAL INVITES

SHOW PREVIEWS Stay Connected with Sign up for our e-news and be the first to hear about ticket giveaways, special invites, email news alerts, show previews, reviews and the latest happenings in the performing arts scene in Louisville.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE FREE!

A behind-the-scenes look into Louisville’s performing arts and entertainment during this unprecedented time of reflection and artistic creation.

PUBLISHER

The Audience Group, Inc. G. Douglas Dreisbach MANAGING EDITOR

Amy Higgs CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rhonda Mefford SALES & MARKETING

G. Douglas Dreisbach CONTRIBUTORS

PNC Broadway in Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville Louisville Orchestra Kentucky Performing Arts Kentucky Shakespeare Fund for the Arts

To read current and previous Audience magazines, playbills and performance guides, go to issuu.com/audience502.

On the Cover: The North American Tour of Come From Away. Catch the show at the Kentucky Center in 2022!

Read more on page 6. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

GOT AN ARTICLE IDEA? Audience Magazine is a platform for the arts in Louisville. If you have an article idea or something you think we should cover, email ahiggs@theaudiencegroup.com © Copyright 2020. The Audience Group, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Audience® Magazine is published by The Audience Group, Inc. 136 St. Matthews Avenue #300 Louisville, KY 40207 502.212.5177 | Audience502.com A U G U S T

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WORTH THE WAIT BROADWAY RETURNS IN NOVEMBER

by PNC Broadway in Louisville

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espite a further delay to the start of our 2021-22 season, PNC Broadway in Louisville is excited to welcome patrons back in November for an incredible roster of shows, beginning with Waitress.

All but two of the originally slated shows have been rescheduled.

While we don’t have all of the details in place yet, we are actively working with our partners at The Kentucky Center, along with local, state and federal health authorities, to put a health and safety plan in place for all fall performances. We will communicate that plan to our ticketholders well in advance of the first show.

Thank you to our subscribers, as well as everyone in our community who has rallied behind Louisville’s performing arts throughout the pandemic, for your continued support and understanding. We are so grateful to have you as a member of our theatrical family. Broadway is coming back, and we know it’ll be worth the wait!

WAITRESS November 9 – 14, 2021 Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert piemaker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county — and a satisfying encounter with someone new — gives Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.

Bailey McCall as Jenna, and Company in the National Tour of WAITRESS. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

Nelson (I Am Sam), original choreography by Lorin Latarro (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Waiting For Godot), recreated by tour choreographer Abbey O’Brien and original direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Hair, Pippin), recreated by tour director Susanna Wolk.

“WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly, and is “sweet, sassy and passionate,” according to New York Magazine.

"It's an empowering musical of the highest order!" raves the Chicago Tribune. Don't miss this uplifting and hilarious musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.

CATS January 18 – 23, 2022 CATS, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages, is on tour across North America!

Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this hilarious hit Broadway musical features original music and lyrics by Grammy® Award winner Sara Bareilles ("Brave," "Love Song"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie

Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with

 The North American Tour of Come From Away. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

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Mean Girls

Photo credit: Matthew Murphy

Come From Away

true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

Don’t miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony® nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by this year’s Tony-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers, “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!”

breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—"Memory.” Winner of 7 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn.

The original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Sunset Boulevard), original scenic and costume design by John Napier (Les Misérables), all-new lighting design by Natasha Katz (Aladdin), all-new sound design

by Mick Potter, new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne (Phantom) and direction by Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables) make this production a new CATS for a new generation!

COME FROM AWAY February 15 – 20, 2022 Broadway’s COME FROM AWAY is a Best Musical winner all across North America!

On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.

This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable 8

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MEAN GIRLS March 22 – 27, 2022 Direct from Broadway, MEAN GIRLS is the hilarious hit musical from an awardwinning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (30 Rock), composer Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

New York Magazine cheers, “MEAN GIRLS delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.”

USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: Don’t miss the fun!”

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Winner of 7 Tony AwardsÂŽ, including Best Musical, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn.

CATS. Photo by Matthew Murphy, Murphymade, 2019.

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Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade.

Anastasia

HAMILTON

Hamilton

June 7 – 19, 2022 HAMILTON is the award-winning, unforgettable story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his ascent out of poverty and to power against the backdrop of the American War of Independence.

To guarantee your tickets to HAMILTON, you can subscribe for the 6-show package now. Click here for tickets, or call 502.561.1003 (Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM).

ANASTASIA August 2 – 7, 2022 Inspired by the beloved films, the romantic and adventure-filled new musical ANASTASIA is on a journey to Louisville at last!

From the Tony Award®-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, this dazzling show transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus, 2018.

ANASTASIA features a book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a lush new score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) with direction by Tony Award® winner Darko Tresnjak.

Tickets and info at: louisville.broadway.com

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ART &

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AN ARTISTIC TRANSFORMATION AND STORYTELLING (R)EVOLUTION

by Daniel Chioco

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ctors Theatre of Louisville is revisioning what it means to serve the community and engage with new audiences, and that includes its annual fundraiser.

Convergence! An Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebration is a free, virtual gathering created to share the company’s artistic transformation and storytelling (r)evolution with the Louisville community and beyond. This experience is meant to fully engage the Louisville community with videos, live chat, and music.

In fact, this “fundraiser” is unlike any other fundraising event that Actors Theatre of Louisville has done before — in more ways than one. While this event remains a fundraiser, of greater intention is sharing the work of Actors Theatre of Louisville with its shift to transmedia storytelling.

Jennifer Mackin, a member of Actors Theatre’s board of directors and event co-chair for Convergence!, explains that the array of virtual experiences created by the group’s staff and artists over the past year served as a template for Convergence! The pivot towards digital performances and livestreams kept the theatre viable, opening the possibility of reaching new audiences and fostering dialogue with the surrounding community.

“How do we provide the service we do to our existing audience and also take advantage of the digital environment?” Mackin asks. This is where the conversation began: as a brainstorming session to tap into the current moment and spark meaningful dialogue. “What I’m proud of in this pivot is not only the ability to provide what we had before, but to rethink who our audience is, what theatre is, what art is beyond in-person theatre... being able to try new and different things.”

A CONVERGENCE OF ART AND COMMUNITY Convergence! An Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. Community participation and engagement are central to the event's purpose and design. One of the ways to support the work at Actors

What I’m proud of in this pivot is not only the ability to provide what we had before, but to rethink who our audience is, what theatre is, what art is beyond in-person theatre...being able to try new and different things.

Theatre is to check out an online auction, which opens Feb. 13 and runs through the event itself.

While we can't reveal everything that will be included in the auction, we can assure you plenty of wine and spirits will be up for grabs. You can also bid on several enticing regional vacations, local experiences, and more.

Board member and event co-chair Natalia Bishop says the event will also literally be a convergence of different art forms, artists, and communities. This full-hour experience will feature music, an opportunity to hear from resident artists, and participation through a live chat and social media. Audiences will also hear directly from Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming, and learn about the incorporation of emergent technology into the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays.

The past year has brought the collision of two public health crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating impact of systemic racism. By sharing art and dialogue that engages with the protests and unrest in the aftermath of Breonna Taylor's murder, and participating in the reckoning with White Supremacy, Actors Theatre of Louisville's work has been in active, ongoing conversation with what's been happening in the Louisville community.

 Convergence! An Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebration on Feb. 27 will raise funds and awareness for the theatre and its programs.

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"Actors Theatre aspires to respond with resilience and creativity as we continue to fulfill our mission to unlock human potential, build community, and enrich quality of life by engaging people in theatre that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time."

“What I love about this organization is that through the last year, there’s been a lot of listening to the community,” Bishop says. “There’s been a lot of pause, a lot of listening, then an action-filled pivot of ‘How do we move forward and support our community?’”

For artists as well as audiences, the arts are a powerful medium for healing and transformation.

“This really is an event to bring people together and share in what theatre and art can do for us in our daily lives," Bishop adds.

Mackin recognizes that there are many people who have never been to the theatre. Maybe there was a cost barrier, or they didn’t feel represented. The beauty of a virtual event is that it offers a chance to reach people in a new way and hopefully reaches more people.

“Just come and enjoy it,” Mackin urges. “Experience something different.”

CONTINUED RESILIENCE AND CREATIVITY The past year has brought so many changes to all of us, and certainly to Actors Theatre of Louisville. "Actors Theatre aspires to respond with resilience and creativity as we continue to fulfill our mission to unlock human potential, build community, and enrich quality of life by engaging people in theatre that reflects the wonder and complexity of our time,” says Fleming.

“This year, we pivoted to produce a virtual 2020-21 season, and this shift will also extend to our annual fundraiser.”

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You can support Actors Theatre of Louisville in several ways:

by RSVPing and participating in Convergence!, by making a donation and checking out the online auction, and by spreading the word and sharing the event on social media. Sponsorships are also available.

“The fundraising is essential,” Mackin says. “It’s not the priority, but it’s essential. The more we raise, the more productions we can do; the more we can support staff and actors alike.

We can also try some new things and put out [creative] work that doesn’t necessarily generate revenue in the traditional ticket sense. And that’s important to Actors Theatre: to put out quality work on topics that are relevant. It will provide an ability to reach audiences that don’t have the means to see and participate in our programs; and we have an ability to reach more audiences now than ever before.”

Bishop adds, “When [audiences] are involved in an experience and feeling empathy for the characters and story, that doesn’t just last for that one hour or performance. That translates to your real life and daily interactions.”

All are welcome to join Convergence! An Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebration. Those interested in attending this virtual gathering can visit the website for more information.

There, you will find options to RSVP, participate in the auction, and donate.

NOW STREAMING Interested in the work that Actors Theatre of Louisville produces?

Current digital projects such as Where Did We Sit on the Bus? and COVID-Classics, both streaming through May 2021, are sparking meaningful conversations for all communities.

There are also ongoing series such as Borrowed Wisdom with Robert Barry Fleming (a new podcast from the Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director) and Louisville Sessions (a new series from musicians throughout Kentucky). Details for these events, including information on how to attend, can be found at actorstheatre.org.

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FROM THE STAGE, STRAIGHT TO YOUR FAMILY'S SCREENS. For 75 years, you've counted on StageOne to provide quality, educational theatre content for your family and this year is no exception. Theatre for Everywhere is a 3-play digital series that empowers kids (and their families) to recognize big emotions, navigate peer conflict, and identify and celebrate racial and cultural differences. Enjoy the magic of the theatre from the comfort of your home with this collection of plays. Grades K-5.

LAUNCHES FEBRUARY 14TH Learn more

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PARTNERS IN LOVE & MUSIC

HEATHER THOMAS & JAMES McFADDEN-TALBOT, LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA VIOLINISTS

by Denise Lacey-Corcoran

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he Louisville Orchestra has been a mainstay in the Louisville arts scene since 1937.

Two of its current members, Heather Thomas and James McFadden-Talbot, share not only a love for music but also a love for one another. This interview, completed just in time for the month of love and Valentine’s Day, takes a look at what it’s like to be a couple and play in an orchestra together.

Heather and James have quite a long history. They first met in the summer of 2007 while attending the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI), a high school youth orchestra program. Located in Lenox, Massachusetts, BUTI is a summer training program for gifted young musicians, where students have the opportunity to work with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as other world-famous musicians.

James says he noticed Heather early on in the camp. He was impressed with her playing as concertmaster for Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Heather adds that she and James became closer friends as the six-week camp drew to a close. During a dance at the culmination of the camp, James asked Heather to dance, and they realized there could be something special between them.

Heather is originally from Maine, and James is from California.

Living on opposite sides of the country made it challenging to maintain their relationship. At first, they corresponded through Facebook Messenger, which helped them get to know each other better. Also, as luck would have it, James’s stepfather had family in Maine, so family trips allowed him to make periodic visits to Heather.

Then came college, and again, Heather and James were separated by distance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music and a master’s in music from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. James received his bachelor’s in music and a graduate certificate from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in music from the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik und Theater

in Germany, placing an even greater geographic distance between the two.

We asked what it’s like to share the musical experience — practicing, rehearsing, and performing with one another.

Heather’s initial response was how much they truly enjoy being together. After having a long-distance relationship for 11 years, they treasure the time they can spend in the same location.

They also feel that playing the same instrument — the violin — deepens their connection and allows them to empathize with each other. They play for one another, give each other feedback, and support one another, which further strengthens their bond.

GETTING CREATIVE TO STAY CONNECTED The couple says that even when James was going to school in Germany, and Heather was a fellow in the New World Symphony in Florida, they managed to find ways to see each other.

When James was living in Germany, he auditioned and was accepted to the substitute musician list for the New World Symphony so he could be closer to Heather. This is just one of many “crazy attempts to see each other,” James says.

“We were always finding some way to be in the same place at the same time. That’s another way that music was able to keep us connected. The fact that I could take an audition at New World or sub there, and be able to you know live in the same place for a month or whatever... that was really important.”

In 2017, Heather was offered a position with Louisville Orchestra.

One year later, another violin chair opened up. James says he “felt incredibly motivated to try to get that position” and was overjoyed when he was offered the chair.

Heather says that after being apart for so many years, they are grateful to finally be in the same place, doing what they love.

She adds that “the reality didn’t sink in” for a while that they were actually able to live in the same location and play in the same orchestra. Both Heather and James feel extremely lucky to have this opportunity.

 Heather Thomas & James McFadden-Talbot. Photo by Daniel Dornhoefer, 2017.

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of the live performance was fantastic, and “to be outside with actual birds swirling around the stage was a pretty amazing and memorable concert for us.”

Overall, Heather and James feel that their most meaningful concerts have been “ones where we grew, where we pushed ourselves, challenged ourselves, and found some new level of understanding or communication through that process,” says James.

 VIDEO: Watch James and Heather perform ARK, a violin duet

by Anderson Alden. Recorded at Cammilleri Hall in Los Angeles.

BUILDING A LIFE TOGETHER Heather and James love being on stage together, but they also enjoy participating in several hobbies offstage as well.

She introduced him to hiking and camping, and James has piqued Heather’s interest in cooking. They are both interested in fitness activities.

James says their relationship went through a period where they felt competitive with one another. Eventually, though, they came to realize that they were “on the same team and wanted each other to succeed.”

For James and Heather, coming together meant forming their own duo as a side project. What started as jam sessions of fiddle tunes has evolved into Duo Criquet, which has performed in various locations in the United States and Europe. To see them perform, visit their YouTube channel, Duo Criquet.

MAKING MEMORIES As you can imagine, Heather and James have given many performances together. Two stand out as especially memorable.

The first, of course, would be their performances at BUTI during the summer they first met. Another they find extremely meaningful occurred through the process of learning, performing, and recording a piece called ARK. ARK is a multi-movement piece, composed by their friend Anderson Alden. James and Heather were able to give an outdoor performance of ARK at a music festival that James started in France. One of the movements is slow and evokes the sounds of birds and the natural world. James says the energy

James and Heather are grateful for the amazing opportunities, support and community they have found within the world of music. The relationships they have fostered through James’s composing, their study of violin, and their performances are deeply important to the couple.

They are especially thankful that even during the challenges of the COVID pandemic, they have continued to perform. Heather says the Louisville Orchestra has “worked very hard to make the space safe for us to play. I feel really lucky that the full orchestra has been playing and doing livestream concerts.”

CONNECTING THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF LOVE When asked how they feel music and the arts connect us all in the spirit of love, James says, “I think music is all about communication. Somehow that spirit of love gets embedded in that desire to communicate with one another. So, I think there’s humanity locked in the sound and choices that musicians make.

You know, what sound at what moment and why, whether it’s spontaneous or calculated, performers perform in their specific ways, the composer has ideas, and sometimes there is improvisation. But I think all of it is about communicating a feeling or a moment or something about life — who we are.

Music is very personal that way and has a potential to lead... to a deeper understanding of a person.”

“There’s a reason couples have ‘their song,’” he adds. “Somehow the music is able to communicate something very personal.

When a composer writes something unexpected, it reveals that they know something about us and our expectations. Those are powerful moments when we feel understood and then are taken on a journey to discover something new. I’m working on some Duke Ellington and Mozart right now, and they’re taking me to so many fascinating places I never thought I’d go.

The deeper I get, the more in love with the music I become.”

Thank you, Heather and James, for sharing your love story with us!

James and Heather’s deep respect and love for one another is apparent not only through their story as a couple, but also through their playing. Their performance, with Lousville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams, of the “Prelude” from Dmitri Shostakovitch's Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano gives the audience a glimpse of their strong bond. The intensity of their musical communication and love is expressed through their performance of this piece, and all of their performances together. View the performance here: DUET | Jack McFadden-Talbot + Heather Thomas | Shostakovitch Prelude To learn more about the Louisville Orchestra, visit louisvilleorchestra.org

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Heather Thomas and James McFadden-Talbot.

Photo by Daniel Dornhoefer, 2017.

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LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA AT HOME Check out some exclusive content and sneak previews of performances to be featured in LO’s upcoming spring season!

SPRING L.O.V.E. CONCERTS 2021 Classical Pairing: John Adams + W.A. Mozart

Abrams Plays Ravel

Live online: Saturday, Feb. 13, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, Feb. 26-Sunday, April 11

Live online: Saturday, March 27, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, April 9-Sunday, May 23

Homecomings: Musical Journeys of Uncommon Folk

Wailing Trumpets: with Bob Bernhardt and Byron Stripling

Live online: Saturday, March 6, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, March 19-Sunday, May 2

Live online: Saturday, April 10, 7:30PM On demand: Friday, April 23-Sunday, June 6

For more information about the Spring: Louisville Orchestra Virtual Edition 2021 and to purchase your subscription, click here.

 VIDEO: LO Jazz Ensemble performing Veloce

by Claude Bolling. Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio performed by Donald Gottlieb (flute), Grace Baugh-Bennett (piano), and Robert Docs (bass). This is one piece in the performance. The full performance is available on the LO Virtual Edition Spring Series.

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 VIDEO: Meet the Composer: Gabriella Lena Frank The Louisville Orchestra will perform Frank’s work in Homecomings: Musical Journeys of Uncommon Folk.

The performance will be livestreamed on Saturday, March 6, at 7:30PM, and available on demand from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, May 2.

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A E M O C BE R E B M ME Speed Members enjoy free admission, Members-only programming, discounts in the Museum store, and much more!

Join today! Visit speedmuseum.org/belong for details.

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AUDIENCE INTERVIEW

ERIN PALMER SENIOR PROGRAMMING MANAGER, KENTUCKY PERFORMING ARTS

by G. Douglas Dreisbach

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entucky Performing Arts is an important anchor in the arts and entertainment landscape in Louisville and throughout the Commonwealth. Its various performance halls and venues host an array of performances, concerts, comedians, and even presidential debates. In addition to the entertainment that happens on the stage, KPA also plays a role in education and outreach efforts that share the arts with children and adults in community centers, healthcare facilities and schools across Kentucky. In fact, KPA brings the arts to nearly all counties in the state, ensuring everyone can experience the wonders of the performing arts without barriers or restrictions.

The work that happens behind the scenes to create and implement KPA’s programs is an endless task.

Audience publisher, G, Douglas Dreisbach, caught up with Erin Palmer, KPA’s Senior Programming Manager, to talk about some of her roles and responsibilities and how she balances everything from artist communications to community programs around the state.

This is an excerpt from the full interview. To read it in its entirety, visit Audience502.com.

G. Douglas Dreisbach: What are some of your roles and responsibilities with KPA? Erin Palmer: Traditionally, pre-COVID, my job involved a lot of the work that we would do to bring international and national touring artists to our community, not only to perform on our stages, but also to come into the community and connect with different organizations and individuals for relevant and meaningful experiences. That could be anything from a masterclass at YPAS to a comedy improv workshop with veterans as part of our Warrior Circle program.

In addition, I also work with a lot of our local artists to produce and support their work on our stages. We worked with everyone from Ben Sollee on our Kentucky USA program to Jecorey Arthur and Voices of Kentuckiana, I really try to get to know the artists and their creative endeavors to become familiar with them so that we can support their work.

Nearly five years after their last lightning-tinted volley, the magisterial Montreal psych-rock band returns with their sixth album, The Besnard Lakes Are The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings.

 Straight No Chaser at Whitney Hall. Photo by Stephen Cohen Photography.

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...once we are able to open our doors again, people are going to be so hungry to come back into the theaters that it will be a natural revitalization. most part, not from here. But we do celebrate and welcome that dialogue from the artists that are here, as well, and presenting them on our stages.

Erin Palmer

GDD: How have you had to adjust identifying where the need is, and what support you will be able to provide for the various programs?

EP: We were lucky to be able to pivot quickly at the lockdown stage. At that time, we were working towards a lobby reopening from the fire of 2018, so we were very hopeful and excited that we had some receipts and funding from Brown-Forman to create a community reopening celebration of the lobby.

Brown-Forman generously repurposed that funding for us to be able to start KPA At Home, which was our digital online series that featured artists from all over Kentucky and ran from April to July of 2020.

We really look to bring in diverse performances and events that support our mission, that support the heritage and arts of the commonwealth. We try to offer something for everyone, from comedy to dance to our Midnight Ramble series, that speaks to the history of the midnight shows in our African American community here in Louisville. And left-of-center programming, like the Second City coming back in, is really helping to complement what is going on with our resident companies and other arts organizations throughout the city, in addition to the outreach that we bring in. A lot of our colleagues, our resident companies, and other arts organizations are doing outreach, and we’re able to connect those artists who are coming to town with that work, which is really exciting, as well.

And as far as the revitalization of downtown, and from COVID — I think once we are able to open our doors again, people are

There has also been a lot of rescheduling and a lot of “Will we or won’t we?” moments, not only for us, but the whole industry.

So, we were taking one step forward, taking one step back, and just being flexible to be able to do the dance and be ready when we can reopen.

We have also had a lot of communication, a lot of amazing partnerships, and a lot of creative thinking about how we can navigate this new world as we come into the spring and summer to find what opportunities there might be to work more outdoors.

GDD: How do you feel KPA programming fits into the Louisville arts ecosystem, especially with the downtown community and revitalization efforts related to the pandemic and recent civil unrest?

EP: The stark difference between us as a presenter and a producer is that our resident companies are bringing in and producing their work, and we help supplement or complement what they are doing with artists that are coming in. Most of these artists are coming to Louisville and dipping their toe in the same type of dialogue with their art that potentially our resident companies are. So, it enhances all the different topics that are being discussed by the arts with artists that are, for the

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Aaron Bibelhauser

Michael Cleveland

Ben Sollee

Zaniah

Carly Johnson

Scott T. Smith

Kiana Del

Otis Junior

Maestro J

Philip Hancock

going to be so hungry to come back into the theaters that it will be a natural revitalization. We are eager to be a part of the conversations going on in our city and offering outlets for the arts to be able to propel those conversations and challenge our audiences to have further dialogue and understanding to heal from what our city has experienced, not over the past year, but the past many, many years of our city’s history.

GDD: Are there any events that we can look forward to in the coming months?

EP: For the last few months, we have been doing streaming programs from artists around the country, and it has been a really lovely model. I will say, industrywide, I think something that is beautiful that did come out of this is just the partnerships between agents and promoters and venues. We have been lucky enough to be a part of these affiliate programs, where a portion of the tickets sold will support Kentucky Performing Arts.

We have had everyone from The Blind Boys of Alabama holiday show, to Pink Martini, to Chevy Chase talking about Christmas Vacation, with a percentage of the proceeds coming to KPA. It’s been really exciting to be able to keep those lines of dialogue open, and we look forward to announcing more of those this spring.

We strive to partner with Louisville arts and community organizations in efforts to highlight their mission and really curate conversations, art exhibitions, and performances that speak to what they are doing and speak to what our city is K E N T U C K Y

going through. We partnered with groups like Louisville Urban League, and we highlighted their Polaroid Project, where youth students used Polaroid cameras to take pictures of things that represented the COVID pandemic and the social unrest in our city.

We then highlighted those on the big screen in Christy’s Garden, and then we were going to screen Good Trouble, the John Lewis documentary. However, the weather did not allow us to do so.

So, that’s really exciting, and we’re going to continue that work in the spring in Christy’s Garden.

I am also looking forward to different options to be able to utilize, not only our own outdoor space at Christy’s Garden and Paristown Hall, but other outdoor spaces. And again, I cannot stress enough how amazing it has been to, not only industrywide, but here locally — to partner with so many organizations during this time. Everyone has just been so supportive, I think, of each other, to be able to find ways to make things work and to provide opportunities, safe opportunities, for our community.

It’s just been so inspiring.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT There are many causes worthy of your support during this uncertain time. We invite you to consider a gift to Kentucky Performing Arts, so that we may continue to build lifelong relationships with the arts across the Commonwealth.

Donate.

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A LOUISVILLE

LOVE STORY MATT AND TINA JO WALLACE

by Kyle Ware

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n Shakespeare’s As You Like It, he writes: “I like this place and could willing waste my time in it.”

The thrust of the play tells the story of two young people, each far from home, who find each other — and in turn find love — surrounded by trees under a canopy of stars. For Orlando and Rosalind, that place was the Forest of Arden; for Matt and Tina Jo Wallace, it was Louisville’s Central Park, home of Kentucky Shakespeare.

Matt and Tina Jo met almost 20 years ago in May of 2001, both cast in Kentucky Shakespeare’s summer productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love’s Labours Lost — Tina Jo’s second stint with the company, Matt’s first. It didn’t take long for Matt to get Tina Jo’s attention.

“Second day of rehearsal,” says Tina Jo. “I didn't know that we would be partners, that we would get married and have two children — didn't know that. But we were doing monologue work and Matt was up the second day, and he was so ridiculous and hilarious and just so brave and so out there and so open and responsive — I was like, ‘I have to know this man.’ So I was done on Day Two. Now, it took him a lot longer.”

“Yeah. Like, three more days,” says Matt. “We were dating a week into the summer season. I’ve said this before, but I do not recommend that and I do not want my actors to start dating a week in. We have a show to do.” [Writer’s note: I also met my wife acting together during a summer season at Kentucky Shakespeare, Matt’s first as Producing Artistic Director.]

“It was like this lightning bolt, finding this person that you have this amazing connection with,” says Matt. “And I think a big part of our love story is that we fell in love with Louisville, we fell in love with Kentucky Shakespeare as we were falling in love with each other, so it's all very intertwined.”

SHIFTING PRIORITIES When the summer of 2001 ended, they knew they wanted their relationship to continue, but both returned home: Matt to

Matt and Tina Jo in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2001.

Chicago and Tina Jo to Charlotte, N.C., where they’d each been living for about five years. They talked about where home might be for the next few months with Matt ultimately joining Tina Jo in Charlotte that Christmas.

“When I came back to Chicago after Kentucky Shakes, my priorities just shifted, and to me, it was more important to be with this person and not so much about the location,” says Matt.

 Tina Jo and Matt on their wedding day in 2004, photographed on the Kentucky Shakespeare stage in Central Park.

Photo courtesy of Kentucky Shakespeare.

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Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, 2002

Much Ado About Nothing, 2003

That’s a good thing because that location was about to change once more. Louisville, as it often does, brought the pair back just a short time later. More specifically, Kentucky Shakespeare brought them back to do their two-actor education tour in the spring and cast them both in the summer season, playing the eponymous characters in Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and again in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

“I remember it took us a long time to find an apartment,” says Tina Jo, “because we wanted a six-month lease. We didn’t know we’d still be here. We thought we're either going back to Charlotte or we're going to Chicago. We were committed to not staying, which is so funny to me now.”

Again, Louisville had other plans. If falling in love with the city had been part of the Wallace’s courtship, then Louisville had clearly fallen equally in love with the Wallaces, as the jobs continued to fall into place. For an actor, consecutive contracts in the same region can feel like hitting the Powerball repeatedly on consecutive plays.

“I always said: as long as we keep getting work here in Louisville, we’ll stick around,” says Matt.

SHARING A STAGE, SHARING A LIFE True to his word, the work kept coming and that six-month lease was renewed. Following a brief stint at St. Croix Festival Theatre in Wisconsin, the two returned to Louisville once more in the spring of 2003, working at Derby Dinner Playhouse across the bridge in Clarksville, which kept them busy until the Kentucky Shakespeare season. This time, they would be cast opposite each other as Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing.

But before that summer, there would be much ado about something.

“I put a ring on layaway,” says Matt. “I was so poor that I literally was paying, I think, 20 bucks a month to keep the ring there.

Didn't have a dime to our name, but we were happy.”

He says he started really plotting out his plan in January.

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He knew it had to be a surprise, and he knew it had to be someplace special. He nixed the idea of doing it after a Much Ado performance.

“I just knew I would be too nervous to go through a show, knowing the stakes,” says Matt. “We're not overly public people, and I didn't really want to share that with an audience. But it did start me thinking about how to do it, and I decided to do it on the Shakespeare stage.”

On Monday, March 24, 2003 — Mondays are frequently a day off in the theatre world — Matt asked Tina Jo to lunch at Buck’s Restaurant in Old Louisville and afterwards, he nonchalantly suggested the two take a stroll through Central Park and maybe they might wander by the stage. And there, where they had met, where they had fallen in love, where they had shared so much of themselves and their art with each other and so many audiences, trees swooning in the breeze — he proposed.

Tina Jo says the proposal — the day — was perfect.

“The thing that's special about that particular stage,” she says, “and one of the reasons that we connect so much — it wasn't just the stage or that we got to be actors — but the mission of Kentucky Shakespeare was something that we shared.

We wanted to use what we love to do to serve as many people as we could. To help young people and make people happy and spread this joy of art. And Kentucky Shakespeare's stage in Central Park totally is that. That's what it is. And I think it’s that shared mission for what we want to do with our lives.”

She said “yes,” by the way. They were married a year later on March 27, 2004.

THEIR ULTIMATE PRODUCTION Since then, the two have willingly been wasting their time here in Louisville ever since. As a continuation of the theme of As You Like It in their love story, Matt and Tina Jo played Orlando and Rosalind in Kentucky Shakespeare’s production in 2006.

And as far as “wasting time,” the Wallaces have done anything but. Matt took the reins as Producing Artistic Director of A U D I E N C E

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Kentucky Shakespeare in 2013, while Tina Jo is Director of Children’s Theatre & Performing Arts Academy at Derby Dinner Playhouse — both in leadership positions for the two companies that played key roles in bringing and keeping them here.

Their daughters Elizabeth and Anna were born in 2005 and 2007, respectively. “They’re our ultimate production,” Matt says.

 Matt and Tina Jo's daughters Elizabeth and Anna, pictured with their parents' dedicated bench in Central Park.  Matt and Tina Jo at the Shakespeare in Love Gala in 2020.

Photos courtesy of Kentucky Shakespeare.

Both of them beam anytime their kids come up in conversation, and Tina Jo says it’s something she really appreciates about their decision to call Louisville home. “We're raising our daughters in a city that has so much to offer but still feels like a small town.”

She says, “Them being here, and being successful and loving their schools and their city and these two theater companies — we made the right decision.”

“We have baby photos of Elizabeth in the audience when we were doing As You Like It,” says Matt. “They were there at the end of my first day in this position and they ran up on stage and Anna shouted, ‘Let slip the dogs of war!’ You know, that's home for them, and I can't wait to get back there with them again.”

NO PLACE LIKE HOME “We've always talked about the impact,” says Tina Jo. “In Chicago, you could have 10 people in the audience and be excited about that number. Here, we as a couple, spread over these two organizations, have been able to impact so many more. The number of students that have seen our work or who we've helped to give them some sort of art is just incredible.

I don't know if that could have happened in any other city.”

“It's where we've always been happiest,” says Matt. “And coming up on 20 years now, this is the longest either of us have ever lived in one place, in one city, so that's a cool milestone.

And I think about our relationship with Kentucky Shakespeare — it's crazy to blink, and it's 20 years that I've been working with this company.”

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When reflecting on those 20 years, there’s one word that sounds louder and louder: home. “Where we love is home,” wrote the elder Oliver Wendell Holmes, and the Wallaces exemplify that in every way, be it the love they found in the city they call home — the city that called them here and enticed them to stay — or the home they found in each other. In fact, “home” is the word inscribed inside their wedding rings.

“Because we found our home together,” says Matt. “Because that's what we found in each other and that's what we still have.

And it's just effortless and wonderful to get to go through life together. Such a gift.”

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WRITING OUR

FUTURE RIGHTING WRONGS & TELLING STORIES OF LOVE

by Daniel Chioco

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n the middle of the day when she would otherwise be inside a classroom, an 11-year-old named Josie is learning remotely at home. Online classes end, but Josie is still engaged and learning. She can’t help but absorb the relentless news stories about the pandemic, political change, and the uncertainty ahead.

When Young Authors Greenhouse put out a call for students to submit their thoughts and feelings about current events, Josie was the first to respond. She wrote: “Not everyone is infected, but everyone is affected. I’ve been thinking a lot about how this pandemic is some part of history that we need to remember. And I’ve tried to preserve the suffering as best I could. But still, it doesn’t really feel like history. It feels like here and now. It feels like fear, pain, and sadness.”

Josie’s letter perfectly set the stage for the flurry of letters that were submitted by other students. It turns out that young adults in Louisville are sharing many of the same emotions — from fear and anxiety to disappointment and anger.

Yet, it’s through suffering that healing can happen. And when nurtured properly, that healing transforms into growth.

“Writing has always been an important tool for processing emotions, connecting with others, and growing a deeper understanding about one’s experiences and self,” says Jeannette Bahouth, Executive Director at Young Authors Greenhouse.

Knowing this, the team at Young Authors Greenhouse prioritized writing programs for youth that offer opportunities for social emotional learning, processing, and healing. Students are encouraged to share their perspective on these pivotal moments, and their words are honored through publication.

These are their stories.

WE WILL WRITE THROUGH THIS When Young Authors Greenhouse transitioned to virtual programs this year, the team thought a lot about how to create community and connection in new, uncharted virtual waters.

Normally, programs are offered in person in schools and at the organization’s writing center.

“Writing has always been an important tool for processing emotions, connecting with others, and growing a deeper understanding about one’s experiences and self.”

— Jeannette Bahouth, Executive Director at Young Authors Greenhouse.

Leadership asked themselves: “How do we keep students engaged? How can we build meaningful connections through a computer? How can we make a difference that is specific to these times?”

What they realized is that the answer is at the heart of the organization’s work: writing.

“Writing is connection,” Bahouth says, “so even though we are all in different rooms, different neighborhoods, we are still building a community through writing and sharing stories.”

Even if students have never met in real life, they are excited to share their work with one another. It’s not uncommon for messages of appreciation and encouragement to fill up the chat box after a student shares their work. Genuine expressions such as, “Wow! That was amazing!” and the reply, “So is yours!” fill the screen.

Writing has always been a unique tool to process emotions.

It allows the writer to reflect and gain a deeper understanding about their experiences and self. The writing process requires the writer to identify their thoughts, then distill those feelings into words that can be shared with others. The result? Validation, community, and an inspired path forward.

 "This is Where My Joy Stands" is a collection of essays and poems by young authors at Olmsted Academy South, Western Middle School, and Southern High School.

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Young Authors Greenhouse launched its We Will Write Through This initiative to give young people ages 6 to 18 an opportunity to share their stories about the pandemic and ongoing civil unrest.

Here’s a sample of the most recent submissions: “Dear Healthcare Workers: I just want to say thank you for helping everyone.

Thank you for making sure everyone is safe.

Thank you for staying up late and working long hours to save our lives.

Thank you for risking your life to save us.

Thank you. You could be at home taking care of your own family and making sure they are safe.

But you are caring for us.

You could not even care about anyone.

But you do.

So thank you for this.

Thank you.”

A Young Authors Greenhouse participant writes her feelings about current events. Photo courtesy of Fund for the Arts.

– Amora, Age 11

A lot has happened over the past year, and students are still processing what it means to stay home because of a pandemic, live through a historic event, witness or even attend protests here in Louisville, call for justice, hope for the future, wait for the arrival of a vaccine, and see a new president and vice president.

I am a lonely tulip.

Roses and daises glowing straight through life, while I am stuck in this time of lies.

Whispers and rumors scarring my stem.

My leaves falling to the ground.

As the pond reflects the moon, winter around the corner, A rainbow winks at the world below and says, “You are a firefly, glowing brighter and brighter.

Flying higher and higher, remember you matter!”

These events have caused students to experience shared feelings of loss, fear, anxiety, loneliness, financial hardship, inequity, and injustice. Writing is an immediately accessible tool to help process those feelings.

LOVE AND SELF

– Aya, Melany, Banaz, and Christalyn, Grade 8

When we think of love, we probably think of romantic relationships, our love for pets, or abundant warmth towards family and friends.

Just because our skin is dark and our hair is coiled doesn’t mean that we don’t deserve to have what most people are born with — justice.

But before we can share love with others, we must first love ourselves.

Young Authors Greenhouse empowers each to student to see themselves as authors, feel they are being taken seriously, and feel proud of their work. This can only be accomplished when they write about something that is meaningful to them and their own lives.

– Khilah, Age 13 If I Were President: “Equality for all, justice for all, freedom for all, the things I will live by, lead by.”

“Young people have important things to say, and our goal is for their voices and opinions to take the lead. Writing can and should be fun,” Bahouth says.

– Sloane, Age 13

While students certainly show love for their peers, they also show themselves love through the power of the written word.

Take a look:

Reflecting on the writing that has been submitted to Young Authors Greenhouse, Bahouth says, “Young people are holding so much and, if anything, a re-emerging theme has been the importance of speaking up and speaking the truth.”

"I am the breeze that flows through trees, the breath that sets us free. I am a writer that distinguishes the truth between you and me, this is me." — Rakoryiah

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shortfalls arise and government deficits take the spotlight, funding for the arts is often first on the chopping block.

We hear a growing chorus of experts promoting the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses for today’s students. They argue that focusing on STEM courses will improve job prospects in the future and contribute to a healthier society.

Still, the importance of investing in students and their writing craft cannot be overstated.

A Young Authors Greenhouse instructor guides a student during a recent writing workshop. Photo courtesy of Fund for the Arts.

"I see the world as it is and can only hope the world can see me as I am. I am inspired and confident. I grow every day like the flowers and I fly every day like the wind in hopes to find something new." — Elizabeth "I am the daughter who has broken a stereotype in her family. One who will stand up for the Asian writers of the future. Past Asian writers call to me, to stand up." — Mala

Bahouth sums it up best: “Technology continues to advance in wonderful ways, but those incredible advances can’t happen without imagination, creativity, and bold leadership.

And I predict we will need more people who know how to relate to another person, who can imagine what it might be like to be someone else so that we might better understand what we need as a society, than people who only have technical expertise in science and math.

“When we cultivate the natural curiosity of our young people and encourage them to hold the pen, so to speak, we are showing them that learning is not merely knowledge or the acquisition of facts, it’s understanding how to find an answer by asking lots of questions, how to pursue an interest, how to deep dive into a thought and rally others to care about that thought,” she adds. “Writing is thinking and communication.

We can’t predict what we will need 20 years from now, but we can empower our young people with the skills to figure it out.

That’s what writing does.”

“Writing makes me feel important.” — Egzona, age 14 “Your heart is the plant of your body. Let kindness grow out of you.” — Alyce, age 9

CALLING ALL YOUNG WRITERS!

“We need one another like the sun and the moon need each other to make the perfect day.” — Esmeralda, age 13

PASSING THE PEN One of the unique things about mentorship is that the torch is never truly passed. Rather, a new flame is kindled.

When volunteers work with students, Young Authors Greenhouse is intentional about flipping the traditional power structure between youth and adults. Students are encouraged to lead projects and the conversation. Volunteers sit back and listen intently to students, encouraging their unique writing process, providing suggestions, and validating each student’s experiences and emotions.

“The conversations between students and volunteers are electric, motivating, and impactful,” Bahouth says. “You might hear, ‘Wow, write that down!’ You might feel the stillness in the room after a student shares a powerful piece — the stillness before someone says, ‘I have goosebumps.’ And then a symphony of snapping, of encouragement. We see the power of having a community of caring, engaged people who say, ‘Your story is important. Your voice matters.’”

Despite the importance of writing, the pandemic has reminded us of the fragility of artistic development. When budget F U N D

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Young writers ages 6 to 18 are invited to participate in the We Will Write Through This project. Free writing prompts are available in both English and Spanish from the Young Authors Greenhouse website. All writing submissions for this project will either be published online or in a large, city-wide anthology next year. Students can submit writing here.

Adults interested in volunteering can check out opportunities here, fill out an application here, and attend one of two upcoming volunteer training sessions February 9 at 2 PM or February 25 at 6 PM. Young Authors Greenhouse is a recipient of the Cultural Lou Recovery Grant from Fund for the Arts.

Art is critical to our recovery because we can’t move forward without addressing and tending to the very real feelings of our experiences this year. Art is a powerful way to process those emotions.

As Mr. Rogers famously said, “Anything that's human is

mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”

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LOVELY LEADERS

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Spotlight on Workplace Campaign Chair of the Year Recipients, Brooke Zimmerman & Lisa Schneider

by Daniel Chioco

based on the size of their organization, corporate culture, and what speaks most to their employees. This is where the Campaign Chairs come into play.

They are Fund for the Arts ambassadors within their workplaces, taking a tailored approach to raising awareness and money for the arts in Louisville.

Brooke Zimmerman

The need for funding and support is a flame that burns deep within all nonprofit organizations, regardless of size or location. And while there are plenty of strategies to build support, few things are as powerful as a local leader who champions your cause.

Lisa Schneider

Brooke Zimmerman and Lisa Schneider provide great examples of leadership.

Workplace Campaign Chair of the Year Award. They were selected from a pool of 220 volunteers who chair fundraising campaigns at 175 companies throughout the Greater Louisville region. They are being recognized for going above and beyond to support Fund for the Arts, for exceeding her workplace campaign goal, and for helping to make the overall campaign a success.

Zimmerman and Schneider are the 2020 recipients of Fund for the Arts’

Each participating company manages their fundraising efforts a bit differently

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Schneider, of BKD, says, “I am honored to have been selected to receive the Workplace Campaign Chair of the Year award. BKD strives to support not-forprofit organizations in our community, and are thrilled to have chosen The Fund for the Arts as a recipient of a portion of our yearly contributions.

There are several individuals in our office who have family members who have benefited by participating in StageOne Theater, after school programs, etc. The Fund is supported by individuals in our office, led by our managing partner, David Tate. We look forward to continuing our relationship with The Fund for many years to come.”

White Clay, a banking solutions company, boasts a 100% employee participation rate in the giving campaign thanks to Zimmerman’s leadership.

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“The personal approach really gets results,” she says. “When I told the company that I was being honored in this way, I joked that I was being awarded for being a pest.

If I see someone hasn’t signed up or participated, then I follow up with an email, chat, text, and simply ask. When you ask people personally, you’re more likely to get a ‘yes.’”

Fund for the Arts uses supports a vibrant creative community and arts scene in Louisville. The money raised from its workplace campaign composes 35% of its annual fund, compared to just 20% for similar organizations nationwide.

Zimmerman wasn’t surprised to hear those numbers. “There’s a strong sense of community here,” she says. “One of the things I noticed after moving back from Chicago is that if you knock on a door, it will open. We’re all proud of and appreciate the arts we have here in Louisville.”

Indeed, Louisville is one of only 13 cities nationally that can claim a vibrant arts scene with major professional companies in five resident performing arts categories, including ballet, opera, theater, orchestra, and visual arts.

As the pandemic unfolded, the arts felt a significant impact like many other industries. Fund for the Arts has continued to provide much-needed support for arts programs in schools, community centers, performance centers, exhibits, as well as individuals.

This ensures that when the pandemic inevitably ends, the Louisville region will continue to be a competitive 21st century community that brings national acclaim for exciting performances and exhibitions.

“Working from home because of the pandemic, it almost made it more

A Kentucky Shakespeare instructor leads students in a virtual theatre education workshop. Kentucky Shakespeare is one of the many local arts groups that benefits from Fund for the Arts’ Workplace Campaigns.

important for us to give,” Zimmerman says. “We all understood and believed that the arts are important in the first place. Knowing that arts’ organizations are being impacted, a lot of us stepped up and actually increased our contributions. [Some of us] are lucky to be in a position where business is thriving, but we see how the pandemic has affected the arts, and we want to help where we can.”

Zimmerman herself is not a musician, visual artist, or thespian, but it’s no matter. “I think there has to be people who produce the arts, and then there are those of us who are the audience and support the arts,” she says.

Born and raised in Louisville, she recalls going to shows at The Kentucky Center and falling in love with the arts ever since. She has served on the Board of Kentucky

Shakespeare and joined the NeXt Ambassador Program after moving back from Chicago.

It was through NeXt, a development program for young professionals, that Zimmerman learned about the Fund’s Workplace Campaign.

“One of my favorite things I’ve learned from the campaign is that a large percentage of the Fund for the Arts’ annual fund is made up of small donations,” Zimmerman says. “Those small donations are a significant and impactful amount. That’s how I bring the campaign to White Clay. I tell my coworkers, if you want to contribute a dollar per pay period, it’s not too small.

You won’t even notice it, but it does add up to make a difference. Small things in small amounts do add up and have an impact.”

The Workplace Campaign Chair of the Year Award Recipients are anonymously selected each year by the Fund for the Arts staff. Each year, their hard work and dedication has an incredible impact on the overall success of the Fund for the Arts Annual Campaign.

Thank you for all Workplace Campaign Chairs for helping keep the Louisville arts community strong! Special congratulations to both Workplace Campaign Chair of the Year Award Recipients for Fiscal Year 2020: Brooke Zimmerman, White Clay and Lisa Schneider, BKD.

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SUMMER IN THE CITY

ACT Louisville

Go ZERO to PRO!

ďƒĄ VIDEO: ACT Louisville Summer Camps 2021.

ACT Louisville offers industry-standard coaching and training for actors and artists in the entertainment industry. We assist in developing abilities and skills as well as promotional materials (headshots, resumes, reels), and online presence. From the audition to the booking, or from the interview to acceptance letter, Actors Center for Training has you covered. Zero to pro!

For more information visit our website or call 502.252-1535.

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F R E E !

Louisville’s Premiere Summer Acting Camp & Intensive June 21-25 • July 12-16 • July 26-30 9:00AM to 5:30PM Each Day

For youth & teen actors, singers & dancers with the passion, commitment, and drive to get to the next level in training. All prospective campers will send in a pre-screen tape so we can properly evaluate your developmental level. Then on the first day of camp—fasten your seat belts! Be ready to train hard, discover your strengths & get to your next level!

All students walk away with: A new vocal piece A new monologue Dance Call survival Skills Industry Standard Resumé A live performance to add to your resume If you are serious about Singing, Dancing, and Acting—we are serious about getting you to the next level!

ACT Louisville

Early Registration happening NOW! Email admin@actlouisville.com for more information.

F E B R U A R Y

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