Rapid River Magazine April 2012 by Rapid River Magazine

Enter to Win our 1st Annual 2D Art Contest

Asheville Bravo Concert’s 80th Anniversary Gala and Closing Celebration features the string trio, Time for Three. PAGE 4

NC Stage Company presents Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker. PAGE 16

40 artists work live during Western NC’s benefit for art education in schools. PAGE 22 PLUS INTERVIEWS WITH: Susan Meyer Sinyai, well-known Asheville artist. PAGE 20 Randall Crawford, CEO of WNC Community Credit Union. PAGE 37

MAGIC OF THE SMOKIES Prizes Galore!

PAGE

2 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

performance The Hills of Western North Carolina are Alive!

ith The Sound of Music coming to the Diana Wortham stage this April, the Asheville Lyric Opera is delighted to usher in a beautiful spring. Many people know this uplifting family tale through the Oscar-winning film starring Julie Andrews, but the original Rogers & Hammerstein Broadway musical is no less celebrated and timeless. ALO Associate Artistic Director Kristen Hedberg will be making her mainstage directorial debut, following last season’s success as director of the youth opera Brundibar. This theater classic is sure to make you bar laugh, cry, and leave thinking you’ll never stop singing “Doe, a deer” to yourself. Set in pre-World War II Austria on the verge of German occupation, The Sound of Music is a captivating story of how music and family can keep us together through even the toughest of times. The musical shows how song emboldens the von Trapp family to stand up for what they believe in. As in the real-life story of Captain Georg von Trapp, the musical family faces real danger, and their story is an inspiration for

PHILIP MARSCHALL

all who wish to resist militaristic oppression. The Sound of Music is a perfect showcase for the directorial talents of ALO’s very own Kristen Hedberg. Not only does she hold a degree in musical theater, but she has worked extensively in the past with young singers as the educational director for the Asheville Lyric Opera before assuming her current role as Associate Artistic Director. Her work as director for Brundibar has also helped prepare her for staging a work featuring so many young voices. Don’t expect her to tone down the emotions because of the kids, though—Ms. Hedberg is planning a very realistic production. Expect to be delighted by beautiful, carefree melodies while being simultaneously struck by the true gravity of the situation. As anyone who had the pleasure to see Ms. Hedberg’s recent performance as Despina in Così fan tutte can attest, her attention to detail on stage is impeccable, and she is sure to impart her astute sense of timing and characterization on this production as well.

The wealth of local artistic talent in WNC will be on full display with Amanda Horton and Roberto Flores as the two main characters. Ms. Horton will bring her beautiful soprano to the role of Maria, while the commanding presence of the Captain will be equaled by Mr. Flores’ titanic voice. Both are Amanda Horton Roberto Flores well-known in the area and have previously appeared on the ALO stage. voice teacher in the community, and is very Ms. Horton has sung several leading excited to appear alongside several of her roles with Asheville Lyric Opera in recent students in The Sound of Music. seasons including Susanna in Le nozze di FiThis is a perfect example of why there garo and Adina in L’elisir d’amore. Captain is so much excitement surrounding this provon Trapp is Mr. Flores’ debut in a principle duction: many members of Western North role with the ALO, but he has appeared in Carolina’s artistic family coming together both musical theater and opera, with credits to put on a much-beloved piece about the in Grease, Godspell, Don Giovanni and importance of family and music. This is Carmen to his name. something we can all relate to, and it is the Another cast highlight is Simone VigiOpera’s hope that many entire families will lante as the Mother Abbess. Not only is Ms. be in the audience for this great event! Vigilante a talented artist in her own right, appearing in Asheville Lyric Opera produc‘Sound of Music’ continued on page 7 tions since 2002, but she is also a dedicated

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 3

performance ASHEVILLE BRAVO CONCERTS’

80th Anniversary Gala & Closing Celebration

sheville Bravo Concerts will host an 80th Anniversary Gala and Closing Celebration on Sunday, April 22 at the Biltmore Forest Country Club. The event will mark the end of 80 years of outstanding community concerts by Asheville’s first non-profit arts organization, as Bravo will be closing its doors later this year. The gala will feature a concert by the string trio, Time for Three, featured in Bravo’s 2010-2011 performance series. Only 200 tickets will be sold to guarantee an intimate experience for all in attendance. The evening will begin with heavy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and conversation, celebrating the 80-year life of this historical arts organization. Time for Three is a talented trio of musicians on a mission to transform, reinvigorate, and grow the classical audience. Their respect for the classical repertoire technique is matched by the youthful curiosity with which they bend rules and integrate many

KATIE ANNE TOWNER

different styles. Adding elements of blues, gypsy, bluegrass and jazz, these young musicians form a blend all their own, carrying a passion for improvisation, composing and arranging. The ensemble is fresh off their debut performance at Carnegie Hall with The Boston Pops and Chris Brubeck. Time for Three Photo: Vanessa Briceno-Scherzer

IF YOU Bravo Concerts 80th Anniversary GO Gala and Closing Celebration,

Sunday, April 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Biltmore Forest Country Club. Tickets for the event are $100 each and are available by calling the Asheville Bravo Concerts office at (828) 225-5887. For more information, please visit www. ashevillebravoconcerts.org and click on the 80th Anniversary Celebration image.

WNC’s Only Professional School for Stage and Screen 27 Different Classes and Workshops • • • • • • • •

info@nys3.com 4 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Audition Preparation Script Analysis Improv for Performance Movement for Actors Alexander Technique The Artist’s Way Intro to Design Acting for Film

www.nys3.com

(917) 710-2805

we love this place Blue Ridge Rollergirls New Location for Bouts

RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE Established in 1997 • Volume Fifteen, Number Eight

APRIL 2012

www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Publisher/Editor: Dennis Ray Managing Editor: Beth Gossett Marketing: Dennis Ray, Rick Hills Staff Photographer: Liza Becker Layout & Design: Simone Bouyer Poetry Editor: Ted Olson Accounting: Sharon Cole Distribution: Dennis Ray CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Judy Ausley, Sharon Bell, Hannah Campbell, James Cassara, Brian Claflin, Michael Cole, Mike Courtney, Amy Downs, John Ellis, Beth Gossett, Max Hammonds, MD, Phil Hawkins, Phil Juliano, Chip Kaufmann, Michelle Keenan, Eddie LeShure, Amanda Leslie, Peter Loewer, Kitty Love, Philip Marschall, Marilyn E. McKay, Marcianne Miller, Tenille Montgomery, April Nance, Ted Olson, Jennifer Pickering, T. Oder & R. Woods, Dennis Ray, Emily Reason, John Russell, Patty Smyers, Clara Sofia, Jackie Teeple, Katie Anne Towner, Ashley Van Matre, Greg Vineyard, Bill Walz, Elly Wells, Robert Wiley. INFO Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine is a monthly publication. Address correspondence to info@rapidrivermagazine.com or write to: Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine 85 N. Main St. Canton, NC 28716 Phone: (828) 646-0071 www.rapidrivermagazine.com All materials contained herein are owned and copyrighted by Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine and the individual contributors unless otherwise stated. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine or the advertisers found herein. © Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, April 2012 Vol. 15 No. 8

3Asheville Performance Lyric Opera . . . . . . . . . . . .

Asheville Bravo Concerts . . . . . . . . 4 Ann Hampton Callaway . . . . . . . . . . 6

8JamesColumns Cassara - Music . . . . . . . . . . . Eddie LeShure - Jazz. . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Vineyard - Fine Art . . . . . . . . Ted Olson - Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . Marcianne Miller – Books . . . . . . . Bill Walz - Artful Living . . . . . . . . Max Hammonds, MD - Health . . Peter Loewer - The Curmudgeon .

8 10 18 28 29 31 32 33

6LEAF: Music May 10-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amici Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 WomanSong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

11 Movie Reviews Chip Kaufmann & Michele Keenan

14 Stage Preview Talking Heads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As You Like It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . High Skirts: Illicitly Yours . . . . . . . NC Stage – Circle Mirror Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Magnetic Theatre & LaZoom . . . . NYS3 Theatre and Film Training .

19 Fine Art Folk Art Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14 14 14 16 16 17

Beauty : Love : Power . . . . . . . . . . 21 QuickDraw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Artery – Transforming Paper . . . . . 23

20 Interviews Susan Meyer Sinyai. . . . . . . . . . . . .

26 Noteworthy Malaprop’s Café . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Blue Ridge RollerGirls (BRRG) enter into their first season home bout at a new venue, the WNC Agricultural Center. BRRG’s new venue gives fans the added incentives of free parking and tailgating – making Saturday, April 7 a day full of food, fun, and intense action! At the season’s first away bout, BRRG walked away with a two-point loss to the current number eight Sugar Magmaulya (Lauren Garcia) team, the Jacksonville Roller Girls, quickly earning BRRG a hard-hitting and competitive reputation. Don’t miss it as the BRRG French Broads will take on Appalachian RollerGirls in a duel of mountain B-team rivalry. French Broads vs Appalachian RollerGirls at 5 p.m. The Blue Ridge Roller Girls vs North Carolina Hurticanes at 7 p.m. Women’s flat track roller derby takes place at the WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732. Tickets $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free! Advance tickets can be purchased at www.BrownPaperTickets.com or from any of your local derby girls.

The Brown Bag Songwriters Competition Each week ten contestants perform three original songs before a panel of judges to compete for cash, recognition, and other prizes. The Brown Bag Competition, named for it’s prize winning Brown Bag, takes place every Wednesday at One Stop Deli and Bar, 55 College Street, Asheville, NC. All ages; $3 to enter; free to watch. Sign up 6 p.m.; music starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.ashevillemusichall.com for more information.

Ron Rash Reading & Signing: The Cove Ron Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner finalist and New York Times bestselling novel Serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and three collections of stories, among them Chemistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. On Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m. Rash will read selections from The Cove, will be interviewed on stage by best-selling author Brian Lee Knopp (Mayhem Mayhem in Mayberry, Naked Came the Leaf Peeper Peeper) and will sign books. Contact Malaprop’s to purchase tickets (828) 254-6734. Ron Rash at Blue Ridge Books, Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Limited number of reserved seats. In order to receive a ticket for two reserved seats purchase a voucher for a copy of The Cove. Blue Ridge Books will be pre-selling The Cove until its release on April 10. If there are any questions, please contact us at (828) 456-6000, or drop by the store, Blue Ridge Books, 152 South Main Street, Waynesville.

Rapid River Magazine Follow us online for the latest events www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Randall Crawford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Spring & Summer Festivals . . . . . . 27

On the Cover: Asheville Lyric Opera presents The Sound of Music. PAGE 3

34 What to Do Guide Best in Show by Phil Juliano . . . . .

™

Callie & Cats by Amy Downs . . . . Corgi Tales by Phil Hawkins . . . . Dragin by Michael Cole . . . . . . . . Ratchet & Spin by T.Oder, R.Woods

35 35 35 35 35

Distributed at more than 390 locations throughout eight counties in WNC and South Carolina. First copy is free – each additional copy $1.50

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 5

L T

performance Ann Hampton Callaway Plays a Special Benefit Concert

T Special Free Book Off ffe ff fer! —Pa —P Pat Boone

Cra Cr rashin ing in ng th t e Dolla oll r: olla H w to Ho t Su S rv r ive a Glo l bal C lo Curr rre rency c cy C ll Co lla lap aps pse by Craig R. Smith was written to help sav ave av ve Am A erican fa f milies f om the economic death fr spiral of a fa f lling U.S. dollar and rising inflation. T A ericans fo f r the dollar’s demise now, wI To help prepare Am w, hav ave av ve been authorized to off ffe ff fer a FREE copy of C Crra ras ash shin ing ng S ecia Sp i l Fr ia Fre ree Book Of Off ffe fer! —P —Pa Pat Boone

Call 1-866 6666 6-709 0 -364 09 643 64 43 to t da day ay!

he Diana Wortham Theatre Board of Directors presents Ann Hampton Callaway in a special benefit evening for the Diana Wortham Theatre, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28 at Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place in downtown Asheville. Callaway will perform Ann Hampton Callaway Salutes Great Ladies of Song, a program celebrating the legendary ladies who helped shape the American soundtrack, including Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Carole King and Joni Mitchell. In her performance, Callaway takes a personal look at these iconic women as musical trailblazers whose careers, voices and songs helped to shape Callaway’s own artistry. Ms. Callaway is accompanied by jazz pianist Reginald “Reggie” Thomas. The benefit is preceded by a special VIP reception with refreshments and decadent desserts at 7:30 p.m. and concludes with a post-performance meet-and-greet with Ms. Callaway. The benefit evening is sponsored by the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa

BY JOHN

and Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., and is presented by the Diana Wortham Theatre’s board of directors to provide vital financial support for the ongoing programs of the theatre. “I am happy to announce that the incredible Ann Hampton Callaway will headline our April benefit, taking the lead for our previously announced performer Linda Lavin whose current show The Lyons is headed to Broadway,” says John Ellis, Managing Director for Diana Wortham Theatre. Ms. Callaway’s live performances showcase her warmth, spontaneous wit and passionate delivery of standards, jazz classics and originals. She is one of America’s most gifted improvisers, taking words and phrases from her audiences and creating songs on the spot, whether alone, at a piano, or with a symphony orchestra. Ms. Callaway is currently writing songs for the upcoming movie musical State of Affairs, to be directed by Philip McKinley. As a part of her mission to keep the American Songbook thriv-

Ann Hampton Callaway, Tony-nominated vocalist, composer and champion of The Great American Songbook.

ing, she has produced and hosted two TV specials with guests Liza Minnelli and Christine Ebersole for WTTW National Productions to lead up to her Public Broadcasting Service series Singer’s Spotlight With Ann Hampton Callaway still in the fundraising stages.

Ann Hampton Callaway special benefit performance on April 28. VIP Tickets (7:30 p.m. dessert reception plus orchestra-level seating $75); Regular (performance only, balcony seating $50). Call (828)257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com. IF YOU GO

LEAF: May 10-13

fter their acclaimed Barnburner of a performance at fall’s Lake Eden Arts Festival 2010, it gives us great pleasure to welcome the Wood Brothers back to LEAF. Last month, at their particularly poignant performance at The Orange Peel, brother Oliver Wood declared his appreciation for our festival before inviting LEAF Performing Arts Director Billy Jack Sinkovic on-stage to announce the big news. Combining the avante-garde bass brilliance of Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) with the folky southern twang of his big brother, Oliver, the band creates an acoustic blues rock sound that will find itself right at home with Taj Mahal, David Bromberg, Gaye Adegbalola, Pop Ferguson, Shane Pruitt, and many others in our Blues Traditions lineup for LEAF’s 34th festival. In addition to Taj,

several other artists will be helping to celebrate Blues Traditions. From the dark, smoky clubs of Chicago and St. Louis, all the way down through the Hill Country and into the bayous of the Deep South, you’ll be introduced to an sampling of Blues artists, intermingled with the diversity of cultural names and faces you’ve come to love at LEAF. Also performing: Afrobeat progeny Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, New Orleans institution Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Corey Harris & The Rasta Blues Experience, David Bromberg, and The Red Clay Ramblers.

The Wood Brothers

6 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

ELLIS

HAYMOW, Raised Art Experience HayMow will be housed on the lower level of the historic barn built by Black Mountain College students, circa 1946. This raised art experience will feature Uncommon art, workshops, conversa-

David Bromberg

tions, and demonstrations around the philosophy that art is communication, with a soul and raw energy, and that folklore, when applied as action over material solely, can transcend as a connector of folks through its own language—art, or artistic communication in small groups. Tickets and volunteering opportunities are available through www.theLEAF.org, or by calling the LEAF office at (828) 686-8742. Tickets are sold in advance only, so get yours today! IF YOU GO

performance

2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2 SEASON Daniel Meyer, Music Director

Awesome April – 3 Great Concerts

Call for tickets today!

miciMusic is a new chamber music organization dedicated to breaking down barriers between performers and audience through exciting thematic concerts performed in intimate venues and non-traditional spaces. In April, AmiciMusic will present three exciting programs in several different venues throughout the region. On Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m., AmiciMusic unites with the Asheville Tango Orchestra to perform “Totally Tango 2” at the White Horse Black Mountain. Come hear the throbbing pulse of a classic Sextet Tipico (two violins, accordion, bandoneon, bass, and piano) playing all the traditional tango composers. Cost is $15 for adults and $5 for students/children. There will be a Tango dance class from 5:30-7 p.m. for those who want to learn more about this wonderful dance form. For more details, visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com or call (828) 669-0816. Next up is “Diva Drama,” featuring the incredibly versatile vocalist, Jennifer Smith, winner of the inaugural Blue Ridge Talent Search Competition in 2010. She will be accompanied by pianist Daniel Jennifer Weiser on a program of Smith opera, show tunes, jazz, pop, and more. This program can be heard in two different venues. On Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m., they perform at the First Congregational Church in downtown Asheville – suggested donation is $20 for adults and free for children. They also perform on Sunday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at White Horse Black Mountain. Cost is $15 for adults and $5 for children and students. For tickets, visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com or call 669-0816. The final April program is “Wind Pow-

‘Sound of Music’ continued from page 3

Everyone familiar with the ALO will also be excited to know that the same design team is returning from the past several productions. Julie Ross, whose stage work never fails to impress, returns as set designer. Her beautiful scenic design for the recent Così fan tutte has already garnered many plaudits. Jayne Harnett-Hargrove will once again handle costumes, many of which will be hand-made. Sylvia Pierce of Scenery Concepts, Inc., will construct the set, as she has for many past ALO shows. Opera is at its best when many talented artists collaborate, and the ALO is certainly lucky to have these very gifted visual artists on board. This show is not to be missed, as it

saturday APRIL 14, 2012 • 8pm MOZART’S “JUPITER” SYMPHONY Stravinsky The Soldier’s Tale Attack Thatre

Mozart

Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” CONCER T SPONSOR

the Asheville Tango Orchestra

er” and features flutist Dosia McKay, oboist Alicia Chapman, and pianist Daniel Weiser in a varied program of music by Telemann, Rossini, Madeline Dring, Malcolm Arnold, and much more. This very unique combination of instruments forms a wonderful ensemble that can be heard at three different venues. On Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m., they will perform at the First Congregational Church at 20 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. Suggested donation is $20 for adults and free for children On Saturday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m., they play at White Horse Black Mountain. Cost is $15 for adults and $5 for children and students. For tickets, visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com or call 669-0816. Finally, on Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m., they perform at the First Presbyterian Church in Weaverville at 30 Alabama Avenue. Suggested donation is $15 for adults and free for children. IF YOU All programs are subject to GO change. Visit www.amicimusic.org

for latest information. Get on the AmiciMusic e-mail list in order to get up-to-date info on all concerts by e-mailing Dr. Weiser at daniel@amicimusic.org.

features an exclusively local cast. To accommodate the high demand, a special Sunday matinee will be added.

www.ashevillelyric.org

IF YOU Performances will take place GO Friday, April 20; Saturday, April

21; and Sunday, April 22. The Friday and Saturday performances will be at 8 p.m., while the Sunday matinee will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.dwtheatre.com, or by calling the Diana Wortham Theatre box office at (828) 257-4530.

Attack Theatre

MAY 12, 2012 THE PINES OF ROME Schumann Mendelssohn Respighi

UPCOMING

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION

828.254.7046 • www.ashevillesymphony.org The Renaissonics “Such Stuff as Dreams”

he Renaissonics are an internationally acclaimed Boston-based ensemble. Members John Tyson on Recorders, Pipe and Tabor, Laura Gulley on Violin, Daniel Rowe on Cello, and Miyuki Tsurutani on The Renaissonics Harpsichord perform virtuoso solos, chamber music, dance music and improvisations. The Renaissonics’ members are all internationally recognized soloists, dance musicians, and improvisors. They will offer a concert and a workshop for recorder players Tuesday, April 17 in Brevard. The unique group are a leading ensemble of Renaissance Chamber Music, Dance Music, and Improvisation. They have appeared at the Festival Cenomanies in Le Mans, Musique en Catalogne Romaine, the Boston Early Music Festival, and may be heard on Ken Burn’s PBS Documentary “The West.” Simultaneously historical and contemporary in its approach, the group plays as musicians of the era played — vigorously

and improvisationally. The Renaissonics’ stylish performances allow audiences to experience the elegance and excitement of Renaissance music as it was intended to be heard. Their Asheville program, “Such Stuff as Dreams,” is an Photo: Susan Wilson enchanting voyage though the Renaissance imagination where the fantasies and genius of the age of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Shakespeare come alive through their music. Virtuoso solos, chamber music, dance music and dazzling improvisations combine in a program that joyously bridges the gap between the artistic and pop. The Echo Cooperative presents The Renaissonics, Wednesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at St. Matthias Episcopal Church, 1 Dundee St. in Asheville. Suggested donation $15 (no one turned away for lack of funds). Reserved seats $30. Visit www.echocooperative.org for more details, or call (828) 545-8865. IF YOU GO

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 7

PG.

spinning discs CD Reviews by James Cassara

Welcome back to another go around at sharing some of my favorite recent discs. Among this month’s “something for everyone” offerings are a long forgotten live album from a largely forgotten band, a new hipster pop release, and a few bits of roots rock. As always be sure to legally purchase these albums from your local record store of choice. Without them, the town of Asheville would be a little less cool.

The Move Live at the Fillmore 1969 What Records? For the rock and roll archeologists among us the unearthing of two in-concert discs from The Move – and their prime years at that – is almost too good to be true. Fourteen tracks from one of most influential bands that few people seem to remember, or even knew of in the first place. Although they scarcely made a dent in the U.S. market the band did perform a handful of stateside shows in the fall of 1969, a brief tour that ended up being their only visit to this side of the pond. Culled from a pair of San Francisco shows in October of that year, Live at the Fillmore demonstrates the Roy-Wood-led Move at a critical junction; they’d already scored a few minor hits in their native UK but only one of them, the sublime “I Can Hear The Grass Grow’, is featured here. The rest of the set is comprised of songs that hadn’t yet been released – including the Roy Wood composed acid romp “Cherry Blossom Clinic (Revisited)” and a number of cover tunes. In fact for a band that wrote such wonderfully ingenious material, Fillmore is surprisingly tilted towards songs by others. Of those, the best is an incredible take of the Nazz’s “Open My Eyes” in which drummer Bev Bevan really stretches out, and a somewhat less impressive 14-minute jam of “Under My Ice” in which the band quotes bits of Eleanor Rigby. Equally surprising is how hefty the band sounds. For a group whose chic straddled the worlds of progressive rock and flower power pop, The Move could easily turn up the volume. In that regards Fillmore seems the natural precursor to 1970’s masterful Shazam! Those hoping to hear Wood’s more succinct pop inflections will likely be disappointed, but taken on its own terms, Live at the Fillmore is an eye opener. Two years later the band would implode, with Wood going on to first form Electric Light Orchestra and later Wizzard – one of the most perplexing but rewarding groups of its era – while Bevan and later day Move member Jeff Lynne would go on to find spectacular commercial (if not always artistic) success with a Wood-less ELO. So what we have here is part artifact and part concert, and while it could hardly be called essential Live at the Fillmore 8 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

is, despite the somewhat rickety sound, a pretty welcome discovery.***

Andrew Bird Break it Yourself Mom and Pop Music Say what you will, one never knows what might emerge next from the fertile and mercurial imagination of Andrew Bird. Following a lengthy exploration of lushly produced indie pop, the ever shrewd violinist/songwriter and musical trivia buff delivers a set of straight ahead (at least as straight ahead as he ever gets!) tunes that is a far removed from the obsessive studio tinkering of such efforts as The Mysterious Production of Eggs and Armchair Apocrypha as one might imagine. Recorded at his own Western Illinois studio/barn, cut primarily in one or two live takes with minimal corrections or overdubs, Bird and his cohorts, percussionist Martin Dosh and guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker, put together a surprisingly upbeat collection of songs that reflect the pastoral settings that spawned them. Managing to be both circuitous and intent, the beautifully soulful fourteen songs herein – most of which clock in at around the four minute mark – give evidence to Bird being the logical successor to XTC’s Andy Partridge. Like Partridge he’s endlessly fascinated with carefully constructed loops, oddball sonic flourishes, and subjects that most songwriters would gladly shy away from. And like Partridge he plays well with others, needing to bounce his seemingly endless mélange of ideas off those around him. In that regards Break it Yourself is as exuberant as it is charming. Stand up and take notice while tracks such as “Orpheo Looks Back” and “Eyeoneye” demonstrate Bird’s gift for comfortable but never predictable melody, while “Danse Caribe” reminds us how easily he can balance various elements of music (in this instance Americana, Calypso, and Celtic) without sounding the least bit artificial. Things really get cooking when the band stretches out; the eight minute plus “Hole in the Ocean Floor” hits a groove from which it never swerves, and the more Bird-like “Fatal Shore” sounds a bit like his occasional collaborations with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. And that’s very much the beauty of the album. It sounds like a new and exciting direction while remaining

entrenched in a sound that fans of Andrew Bird have come to expect. In short, it’s the best of both worlds, one that fans new and old can easily embrace. ****

Tommy Womack Now What! Cedar Creek Music Not half dozen years ago Tommy Womack’s career seemed in perpetual free fall. His post punk band Government Cheese had fallen apart, while the Bis-quits, despite being guided by no less a figure than John Prine, had failed to make any measurable commercial dent. Womack admits much of this was by his own undoing – he’d too readily embraced the familiar rock and roll excesses while giving no thought to any sort of long range strategy – but one still had to feel badly to see a guy with as much talent as Womack being tossed aside and back to the land of day jobs. Then, almost inexplicably, Womack largely funded his own solo album with 2007’s There, I Said It! The near universal praise it received prompted a return of sorts, with Womack reuniting with former band mate Will Kimbrough and eventually playing solo and band gigs while formulating plans for what came next. Now, as Bob Dylan sang, things have changed. Womack, at just this side of 50, is again an in demand songwriter with enough current material to satisfy others and record a new album. Now What! finds him in a decidedly confessional mood, reenacting the past five years with guitar in hand, and righteous anger in his heart. He is also, as seen in the CD package, a happier and more domesticated family man, to whom much of the album seems to have been written. The album’s terse opener, “Play that Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick Play” (generously giving a co-writing credit to Rick Nielsen) explodes out of the gate while the suitably careening (“90 Miles an Hour on a Dead End Street”) is given a funk treatment, with Womack rapping along to snares and drum. In theory it shouldn’t work, but it does. “I’m Too Old to Feel That Way Right Now” reflects upon the mid life crisis that dominates those of us who survived the wretched excesses of youth. That ‘CD’s’ continued on next page

sound experience Tumbledown House

‘CD’s’ continued from page 8

song, and the album’s closing track “Let’s Have Another Cigarette” are both given a Stones-like bluesy treatment. On the latter Womack bemoans his own self awareness by singing “I’ve got about a half a tank of gas/I’m a pimple on Dylan’s ass/But tonight I’m gonna play some rock and roll.” It may not be great poetry, but it sure as heck gets across the point: Kudos also to the sympathetic production choices of keyboardist John Deaderick, who has worked with everyone from Todd Snider to Michael McDonald, for keeping the proceedings direct and on track. The simple bass/drums/guitars out front approach is best for this type of music, and he and Womack instinctively know when to say “cut” and move on to the next track. The result is an album of Americana that is as pure and honest as they get, proving that in the hands of the right person the genre is far from depleted. And even at the half century mark, with decades of hard knocks and bittersweet triumph behind him, Tommy Womack is that right kind of guy. ****

Todd Snider Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables Aimless Records Using the broad brush of singer/songwriter to describe Todd Snider seems a bit inadequate for his work. He’s much more a storyteller/advocate in the best tradition of Woody Guthrie or Billy Bragg, and like both those greats he has never shied away from espousing his worldview. And like any great artist he knows the difference between passion and pontification. He’s genuine without ever being strident, a distinction surprisingly few artists comprehend. But Snider’s obsession with topical songwriting can also be a detriment. Just as 2008’s Peace Queer chronicled his reaction to the election cycle of that year, Agnostic Hymns suffers from the same miasma, an annoying lack of specifics and a tendency to see the world in terms of good guys and bad. We all know the Wall Street tycoons and corporate CEO’s are getting too large a piece of the pie, but Snider doesn’t always tell us the whys and hows. When he does focus on specifics, as in New York banker, in which a teacher discovers his retirement fund has been wiped out, he does his subject matter justice. Snider makes no secret of his disdain of the wealthy and powerful but there are times I’d wish he’d move beyond such didactics and write a damn love song or two. ***1/2

BY JAMES

CASSARA

The denizens of rural Montana have long fostered a reputation as independent and sturdy types.

hey are as far removed from the mainstream of American culture as one can be in these days of the internet and universal access to nearly everything (including music) and must deal with the harshest of ever changing weather conditions. Theirs is a mentality that is beyond Midwestern. It might well be among the last truly frontier cultures within our borders. The words and music of Tumbledown House reflect that sensibility; the band writes songs about “gambling, murder, booze, and bicycles”– only the last of those might seem incongruous to what is broadly defined as roots music – but they do so against a sonic landscape that has been alternately described as “modern speakeasy music” and “Tom Waits in a cocktail dress.” And if that last portrayal conjures up all manner of unsettling images then join the club! Fronted by Gillian Howe, whose sultry deep down vocals seem the natural ancestor to the sort of barrelhouse blues that dominated the region two centuries past, and jazz guitarist Tyler Ryan Miller, the duo neatly occupies a space that engulfs big band, lounge era standards, and Peggy Lee styled jazz. That they do so with a true do it yourself indie approach is even more satisfying, reflecting a determination to expand boundaries both musically and lyrically. For their newest release, this year’s Fables and Falsehoods (Silent Coyote Records) they swelled their instrumentation by enlisting the talent of ten other musicians, including three horn players

from New Orleans’ fabled Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The resultant effort is an album that evokes the unbridled pains and joys of a 1920’s big band romp. I didn’t think it was possible to inject anything new into yet another interpretation of “St. James Infirmary,” but Tumbledown House managed to do it up Gillian Howe of Tumbledown House proud and righteous. “We wanted to increase the instrumentation (on the new album) to throughout the U.S. and Canada and has include an experienced horn section,” said shared the stage with Crooked Still, The Miller. “The boys from The Dirty Dozen Devil Makes Three, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band were able to provide the oldBrass Band, Keller Williams, and others. school, vintage, New Orleans Jazz feel that They may not be breaking any new we were searching for.” In addition to Fables ground – endless bands have come out of and Falsehoods being a distinctive musical nowhere to stake their claim in the world adventure, the band also wanted to develop of music – but they are doing it on their its lyrical scope. They did so by exploring own terms and with a commitment to get such diverse subject matter as historical better and better. “We just want to make western myths – henceforth the album title music,” declares Howe. And with the – the original 1883 Carlo Collodi version release of Fables and Falsehoods they’ll of Pinocchio, and our nation’s sole sacred continue to provide the soundtrack for shrine dedicated to unrepentant sinners, raucous, prohibition-themed parties which stands to this day in Tucson, Arizona. nationwide. But this is no mere classroom lecture of people and dates. The music showcases the IF duo’s talent for creating something vintage YOU Tumbledown House, with and familiar, yet refreshing, distinct, and GO guests Darien Crossley and exciting. Mystery Cult and the Emerald Following the success of their self-titled Lounge in downtown Asheville on debut CD, Tumbledown House toured Saturday, April 7 at 9 p.m. It’s a 21 and from Alaska to Louisiana, from Portland, over show, with ticket prices still to be Oregon to Portland, Maine, and has now determined. For more information go to performed over 250 shows in over 20 states. www.emeraldlounge.com. The duo continues to perform relentlessly

Mickey Hart Band - April 18

hree time Grammy winner, Mickey Hart’s new album, Mysterium TremenHart (Grateful Dead), will perform dum, is his first in five years, a follow up to with his band at the 2007 Grammy the Orange Peel award winning Globon Wednesday, al Drum Project, will April 18. Hart is donating be released April 10. 100% of the fees from tickWith Mysterium ets sold on www.MickeyTremendum, Hart is Hart.net to Music Therapy pushing the boundarresearch. The show will ies of what we know feature brand new mateas music, creating a rial as well as selections of genre of his own. “I Hart’s greatest hits, and have always thought Grateful Dead songs. of life, the world Mickey Hart

MIKE COURTNEY

at large, as music,” says Hart. “This work is a representation of that notion. I have combined sonic images of the formation of our universe with sounds drawn from musical instruments. These musical excursions transport me to wonderful and strange new places filled with rhythms for a new day.” IF YOU The Mickey Hart Band, Saturday, GO April 18 at 8 p.m. at the Orange

Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., in Asheville. Tickets are $27-$30 for this 18+ show. Visit www.theorangepeel.net.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 9

sound experience Sharon Van Etten Plays the Odds

(AND THE GREY EAGLE)

012 is proving to be a banner year for Sharon Van Etten. In a flurry of activity her new album, Tramp (Jagjaguwar Records) was released to a groundswell of critical praise while the artist wrapped up the most successful tour of her career with a series of sold out gigs including three CD release shows in NYC. She was recently announced to perform at this summer’s fabled Newport Folk Festival, and at the I’ll Be Your Mirror Festival in London. In short, it’s been an amazing start to what promises to be a stellar year. Born and raised in suburban New Jersey, Etten’s folk music is more evocative of the open landscapes and lonely expanses of Middle America. It is what can be well

BY JAMES

CASSARA

described as “visual” music, as descriptive as a Thomas Hart Benton farmland while as mysterious as any street corner Edward Hopper might have imagined. While listening to the songs of Van Etten – and hers are the sort of elegies that demand (and deserve) close attention – one cannot help but be absorbed into the lives of her characters: their aspirations, failures, and redemptions are as universal as they are singular. A dedicated choir student during her childhood, she began writing songs on her guitar as a high-school student and, upon moving to New York, started playing them in concert. Van Etten signed with the Chicago-based indie Etten’s folk music is evocative of label Drag City and issued her the open landscapes and lonely intimate, official debut, Because I Was in Love, in spring expanses of Middle America. 2009. That effort was followed

WNC Jazz Profiles: Michael Jefry Stevens Over the past 35 years, pianist/composer Michael Jefry Stevens has been associated with some of the most important figures in modern jazz…and now Asheville gets to claim him!

orn in New York City, Michael grew up in the projects of Queens, then moved at age eight to Miami Beach and lived there until eighteen. At only five, Michael heard the “sound” of the piano on the radio, started playing, and that was it! “I’ve been in love with piano my entire life. I studied from age five to eight, but stopped studying when we moved to Florida.” Once there, Michael played trombone through high school in marching and concert bands. He also performed rock n roll through high school on the compact Farfisa organ that we’ve all heard on the mid 60s hit “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs. “The Beatles were my BIG influence until jazz, which I heard for first time in high school. I went to college in Massachusetts, but dropped out at twenty to practice piano and study jazz.” Graduating from college in 1975, he moved to Boston for five years, then relocated to New York City in 1980 where he remained until 2002 when he moved to Memphis, responding to a call of the heart. Her name is Tina! “My wife then decided she’d had enough of academia and told me we

were moving to Asheville, which we did last year. I’d never been here, but Asheville is in many ways like a miniature New York, as far as music goes – a very lively and inspired scene with an extremely talented pool of players searching for new sounds and their own voices. I find it quite exhilarating here amidst so much creativity and positive energy, plus the incredible nature that’s everywhere—and now this city boy is living in a log cabin out in the woods!” Michael Jefry Stevens has composed over 400 works for various ensembles, including big band, string quartet, music for voice, music for solo instruments and various small group compositions. A proponent of the philosophy that there are only two kinds of music (“good and bad”), Michael has also been working in a standard jazz piano trio setting for the past twenty years. His collaborative trio “Stevens, Siegel & Ferguson” has released six CDs and toured Europe and the United States continuously for the past two decades. They’ve worked with such jazz luminaries as Steve Turre, Cecil Bridgewater and Valery Ponamerev. “I think one’s relationship to their instrument is much the same as relating to a close friend or loved one. Over time I’ve be-

10 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Sharon Van Etten

by the lush, more band-oriented Epic in 2010. After signing to her current label Van Etten began working on Tramp, produced and recorded with Aaron Dessner of The Nationals. Dessner wisely places Van Etten’s fine voice front and center; her piercing yet vulnerable delivery is well suited to the sound that Dessner employs. Featuring such notable guests as Zach Condon and Julianna Barwick, the album is structured around a wall of loose end guitars, tom-tom heavy drums, and stuttering keyboards. The stories are well drawn,

articulated in a style that is confessional but not too much so. Van Etten is smart enough to know that the most revealing moments are in what isn’t stated. But while her lyrics remain the strength of her songwriting, her tendency to rely on the same basic melodic notions does at times restrain the mood. But Van Etten is a still developing composer, one who is only going to get better with the sort of experience that comes from being surrounded by ace musicians (which she has), and touring with the intent of solidifying the new material (which she does). It’s an approach that has worked so far, and with a talent as indisputable as Sharon Van Etten’s, the odds are certainly in her favor. IF YOU Sharon Van Etten with opening GO band Flock of Dimes at The Grey

Eagle on Saturday, April 21 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 day of show for this standing room only performance. Advance tickets available online and at The Grey Eagle, Harvest Records, and Orbit DVD.

EDDIE LESHURE

“My influences? They’re quite disparate – the Beatles to Bartok to Bach to blues and Miles Davis, Coltrane, Joni Mitchell and Sarah Vaughn—from musicals my mother used to play on the stereo to Jimi Hendrix, the Yardbirds. I guess you could say pretty much everything I’ve heard or listened to has had Michael Jefry Stevens Photo: Frank Zipperer an influence on me, but primarily it starts with 60’s rock n roll—then 60’s jazz—and come more and more comfortable sitting at always classical music!!” the piano. When I first started composing it was more about releasing emotions pent up “Michael J. Stevens is wealth: in inside of me, but now the creative process is freshness, stylistic, artful, diversity… an act of exploring the unknown in an effort always swinging.” to find something beautiful and profound.” ~ drummer Sonny Thornton In 1999, Michael began the Conference Call Quartet which has released six CDs www.michaeljefrystevens.com and appeared at the Bolzano Jazz Festival in Italy, Nattjazz Festival in Norway, Braga Jazz Festival in Portugal, Discover US Jazz Festival in Berlin, and most recently the Share Eddie LeShure’s NOEWA Jazz Workshop Series in Hungary. passion for jazz with Jazz Unlimited on MAIN Michael is artist-in-residence every year at FM each Wednesday the jazz workshop at Educacion Musicale 7-10 p.m., at 103.5 or in La Plata, Argentina and he’s been on the MAIN-FM.org. performing artist roster of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts since 1998.

Reel Take Reviewers:

∑∑∑∑∑ - Fantastic ∑∑∑∑ - Pretty darn good ∑∑∑ - Has some good points ∑∑ - The previews lied ∑ - Only if you must M- Forget entirely

MICHELLE KEENAN is a long time student of film and a fundraiser for public radio. CHIP KAUFMANN is a film historian as well as a program host on WCQS-FM. Both are members of the Southeastern Film Critic's Association (SEFCA).

For the latest REVIEWS, THEATER INFO and MOVIE SHOW TIMES, visit www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Illustration of Michelle & Chip by Brent Brown.

Questions/Comments?

BRENT BROWN is a graphic designer and illustrator. View more of his work at www.brentbrown.com.

You can email Chip or Michelle at reeltakes@hotmail.com

John Carter ∑∑∑

skills made the movie far more enjoyable for me than anything else it had to offer. In addition to the CGI overkill, the film is way too long and lacks a storyteller’s pace so that it moves in fits and starts. Ultimately the biggest problem with John Carter is that it is B movie material given an A+ budget. Some would argue the same thing about Avatar but Andrew Stanton is no James Cameron and now Disney must pay the price since audiences don’t seem to be willing to.

Short Take: Disney’s $350 million “upgrade” of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars is a prime example of studio overkill that is poised to be the biggest money loser in movie history.

REEL TAKE: In a lukewarm defense of

John Carter, it was not as bad as previews indicated. They made it look like Star Wars on steroids with a liberal dose of 300 thrown in for good measure. While that was not the case, it certainly transcended its humble pulp fiction roots to become gargantuan eye candy designed for the 3-D process and the IMAX theaters and that is its Achilles’ heel.

Theatre Directory Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Movieline (828) 254-1281 www.ashevillepizza.com Beaucatcher Cinemas (Asheville) Movieline (828) 298-1234 Biltmore Grande 1-800-FANDANGO #4010 www.REGmovies.com Carmike 10 (Asheville) Movieline (828) 298-4452 www.carmike.com Carolina Cinemas (828) 274-9500 www.carolinacinemas.com Cinebarre (Asheville) www.cinebarre.com The Falls Theatre (Brevard) Movieline (828) 883-2200 Fine Arts Theatre (Asheville) Movieline (828) 232-1536 www.fineartstheatre.com Flat Rock Theatre (Flat Rock) Movieline (828) 697-2463 www.flatrockcinema.com Four Seasons (Hendersonville) Movieline (828) 693-8989 Smoky Mountain Cinema (Waynesville) Movieline (828) 452-9091

Princess Dejah (Lynn Collins) and John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) like what they see in Disney’s monumental sci-fi adventure saga, John Carter.

The film follows the basic outline of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first John Carter novel called A Princess of Mars which first appeared in 1912. 1912 In 1881 a fictionalized Burroughs known here as Ned attends his uncle’s funeral in Richmond and is given a journal which recounts his strange adventures. In 1868 John Carter is a Confederate officer who is mysteriously transported to Mars (which the natives call Barsoom) where he becomes a Superman like character and gets involved in the local Martian wars while falling in love with a Martian princess. This scenario is excessively realized by director Andrew Stanton and his visual effects team. Prior to this film Stanton had made the animated hits Finding Nemo and Wall-E for Pixar and Disney obviously hoped to strike box office gold a third time. Unfortunately John Carter is not an animated film and the task of producing a live action film with these kinds of effects costs far more. Just how the budget ballooned to $350 million, I’m not sure, but now Disney is stuck with a film that will lose around $200 million making it the biggest flop in movie history. That’s too bad for John Carter has a high powered cast headed up by Taylor Kitsch as the titular character and Lynn Collins as the Princess. The juicy character roles go to Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Ciarin Hinds (he’s everywhere!), Thomas Haden Church, and Mark Strong. Watching them display their green scenery chewing

reveal would lead one to believe. The result is a film that is ok, but isn’t nearly as good as it could have been. Greg Kinnear is Mickey Prohaska is a hack insurance salesman with a gambling problem, an estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and a habit of thinking he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread and everyone is dumber than a bag of hammers. When he happens on to a kindly, half addled old farmer (Alan Arkin) who has inexplicably gotten a very valuable violin, Mickey hatches a plan to dupe the old man out of Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence the fiddle, make the score himself, pay off and action. his debts and win back his wife. REVIEW BY CHIP KAUFMANN What he doesn’t plan on is a nosy neighbor (Mike Hagerty), a cagy locksmith Thin Ice ∑∑∑1/2 (Billy Cruddup), and a hapless insurance Short Take: The story of a shyster of an agent (David Harbour) getting in his way. insurance salesman who thinks he’s Oh, and everything that can go wrong does too clever for his own good, a trait that indeed go wrong. the film shares as well. When everything does indeed go from bad to worse, the film goes from dark comREEL TAKE: Thin Ice tells the story of a edy to very dark comedy. So much so that shyster of an insurance salesman who for two people walked out of screening I atsome reason [unbeknownst to the viewer] tended. If those folks are reading this now, thinks he’s the cleverest man in the room. they should have waited it out; beyond that Unfortunately the film suffers from the I’m not saying because I don’t want to give same character flaw. That’s not to say Thin any of Mickey’s troubles or the convoluted Ice isn’t entertaining – it is. It just that is plot twists away. isn’t as clever as it thinks it is. Did I mention convoluted? Thin Ice is simultaneously entertaining and convoluted at the same time. Unfortunately, the Sprecher sisters do nothing to endear Mickey to us, so as things go from bad to worse and the film’s Fargo-like -like tendencies emerge, one wishes a wood chipper would indeed come into the picture. All of this is not to say it’s a bad film. Indeed its cast does a bang up job. Greg Kinnear and Billy Cruddup are an unlikely Kinnear is somehow born to play roles and unlikable team skating on Thin Ice. like Mickey, roles that Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Fred McMurray would Filmmakers and sister team Jill and have reveled in back in their day. The probKaren Sprecher have good intentions, emulem is there’s a whole lot less charm now lating the Coen brothers in style and story than then. If you can take Thin Ice for what but unfortunately they don’t quite share the it is and not place expectations on it for what flare for dialogue that Joel and Ethan Coen it isn’t, you’ll enjoy it well enough. do. For my money, you can’t make a good movie out of a bad script. While this script Rated R for language, and brief violent and is far from bad, it is far more mediocre than sexual content. its plot, twists, turns and Kaiser Soze-like REVIEW BY MICHELLE KEENAN

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 11

film reviews ActionFest 3 – This Time It’s Personal! April 12-15 ActionFest returns to Asheville to showcase the most exciting action films from around the globe. The annual event features mind-blowing live stunt performances by the best in the business. ActionFest is pleased to announce that Haywire star Gina Carano will be the recipient of the inaugural Chick Norris Award at the 2012 festival. The Chick Norris Award honors the Best Female Action Star of the year, embodying the attitude, spirit, athleticism, and grit of Hollywood legend Chuck Norris. The festival will also continue to pay tribute to Hollywood’s stunt men and women, fight choreographers, and 2nd unit directors, whose fearlessness makes action films thrilling for audiences worldwide. IF YOU For more details visit GO www.actionfest.com. The

festival takes place at Carolina Cinemas, 1640 Hendersonville Rd., phone (828) 274-9500 for details.

Asheville Jewish Film Festival April 21-26 The Asheville Jewish Film Festival promotes the diversity of Jewish identify its community through film, exploring the Still from the film Circus Kids. dynamic environment of history and culture on the modern Jewish experience to a rich and varied community. This year’s films include David, Nora’s Will, Dissolution, Circus Kids and The Hangman. The films for the festival will be shown at The Fine Arts Theatre in downtown Asheville. IF YOU For the full schedule of GO events please visit www.

ashevillejewishfilmfestival.com.

The Hunger Games ∑∑∑∑∑ Based on the first installment of Suzanne Collins’s wildly popular trilogy, The Hunger Games takes place in Panem, a future society in North America ruled by a city called the Capitol. The rest of the country is divided into twelve impoverished districts, and, to punish the districts’ citizens for attempting rebellion, the Capitol creates a competition in which two randomly selected tributes from each district, between the age of twelve and seventeen, fight to the death. The story focuses on Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from District 12, who volunteers to compete in her sister’s place. While the citizens of the Capitol watch the Hunger Games for entertainment, Katniss fights for her life against twenty-three other teens. As an avid fan who devoured the first Hunger Games book in one day, I was worried that the movie would not do the book justice. However, I was wrong. I applaud the director, Gary Ross, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a loyal screen adaptation. The movie keeps every important part and still remains entertaining. Parts of the movie are filmed with a handheld camera, which helps the viewers see situations through Katniss’s eyes without

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: “Brief Encounter” Brief Encounter (1945) With colleague Michelle Keenan having picked Casablanca for her DVD pick, I’ll recommend its British equivalent, Brief Encounter. This 1945 film written by Noel Coward and starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson is considered to be the greatest British romance ever made but has been seen by far fewer people. The story is simple enough. Two ordinary people Dr. Alec Harvey (Howard) and suburban housewife Laura Jesson (Johnson) have a chance encounter that leads to something more. The film is told in flashback as Laura tells her husband how it all happened. It also subtly and cleverly relates the feelings of both characters who feel shame and desperation but cannot help themselves. A major difference between the two is how the American and the British movie

12 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, the resourceful young heroine of The Hunger Games, which was filmed in Western North Carolina.

shaking enough to be annoying. The sheer amount of action ensures that The Hunger Games doesn’t drag, but the film also contains plenty of character development. The success of the movie hinges on Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Katniss. She perfectly portrays Katniss’s loyalty, cold independence, and determination to win in a way that keeps the audience rooting for her. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the other tribute from District 12, acts as a strong sidekick. Though the chemistry between the two may not create fireworks, by Clara Sofia it’s definitely palpable.

TEEN REVIEW

April DVD Picks industries treat the material. Casablanca is Old Hollywood at its height. Elaborate settings and sophisticated camerawork are employed along with mega star power in Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and the incredible supporting cast. There is absolutely no glamour in Brief Encounter. Howard and Johnson look like normal, ordinary people and because of that it seems much closer to real life. The film was an early success for director David Lean who would later specialize in gargantuan Hollywood style epics like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Here he uses his wartime budgetary restraints to his advantage by using location settings and imaginative lighting during the studio train sequences. Trains are a central theme of the film with most of the action taking place in train stations in and around London.

Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson accurately portray Katniss and Peeta’s guardians, and Stanley Tucci is highly entertaining as Caesar Flickerman, the game show host. On top of the action and the characters, the mountain scenery is beautiful (which is not surprising since it was filmed here) and the moments without grisly violence are a pleasure to look at. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good action romp, dystopian stories, or an adventure. The Hunger Games is tinged with political statements, but it’s easy to ignore them and concentrate on the story. However, I would not take young children to see the film. Though the director skillfully mitigates some of the goriest scenes, the fact remains that the plot revolves around a deadly battle between teenagers, so you’re inevitably going to see many dead kids. The death of one twelve-year-old is particularly haunting. However, if you don’t mind the violence, I encourage you to go see the Hunger Game because it’s quite an impressive achievement. Rated PG-13 for thematic violent material and disturbing images involving teens.

Michelle Keenan’s Pick: “Casablanca” The new Criterion Collection DVD of Brief Encounter is absolutely flawless and makes the film look like it was shot yesterday not 65 years ago. Most of us have seen Casablanca. See the new 70th anniversary edition and then follow it up with this one which is now readily available and make sure you have plenty of Kleenex handy.

Casablanca (1942) You must remember this! One of the most beloved, if not the most beloved film of all time, Casablanca turns 70 this year. Some of you may have celebrated this auspicious occasion by watching Turner Classic Movie’s special presentation back in March in theatres across the country. Warner Brothers is marking the occasion for home theatres with the most elaborate DVD set to date for Casablanca. ‘Casablanca’ continued on page 14

film reviews ASHEVILLE FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS Films are shown on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. in the Cinema Lounge at the Carolina Cinema on Hendersonville Road. Screenings are free. April 3:

How to Get Ahead in Advertising

(1989 - DIR: Bruce Robinson) - Sharp, brutal British satire on advertising. April 10:

Barton Fink

(1991 - DIR: Joel & Ethan Cohen) - This little seen Coen Brothers movie focuses on a Broadway playwright brought to Hollywood to write movie scripts in 1941. April 17:

Goin’ to Town

(1934 - DIR: Alexander Hall) - Lesser known Mae West vehicle where she’s a dance hall queen who pursues an upper class Englishman. April 24:

A Successful Calamity

(1932 - DIR: John G. Adolfi) - A millionaire pretends to lose his fortune in order to test his family’s worth.

Carolina Cinemas is located at 1640 Hendersonville Rd. (828) 274-9500. For more information go to www.ashevillefilm.org

HENDERSONVILLE FILM SOCIETY Films are shown every Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community (behind Epic Cinemas) in Hendersonville. April 1:

Catch Me If You Can

(2003 - DIR: Steven Spielberg) - A young con man impersonates a doctor, lawyer, and an aircraft pilot.

April 8: No Show: Easter Sunday. April 15:

Titanic

(1953 - DIR: Jean Negulesco) - Hollywood’s first and much shorter version features Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. April 22:

Anonymous

(2011 - DIR: Roland Emmerich) - Historical drama about the man who may have written Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. April 29:

Kitchen Stories

(2005 - DIR: Bent Hamer) - Quirky Scandinavian comedy about the pitfalls of scientific research.

Sounds of Silence:

SILENT CINEMA IN THE SOUND ERA

ith all the BY CHIP KAUFMANN attention that The The Thief was Artist has shot on location in received Washington D.C. as a silent novelty and New York City in today’s cinema, it and concluded with will probably come a harrowing Alfred as a surprise to many Hitchcock like people that there have sequence that took been several silent place on the observafilms made after tion deck of the Emsound was introduced Charlie Chaplin in City Lights. pire State Building. in 1928. Up until No title cards were 1976 they were made used, only a musical right here in America, It was Chaplin who said score and everyday after that they come “I don‘t need sound, sounds. The film from abroad. This was not a success is the first of a two I‘m an artist.” as 1950s audiences part article dealing were bewildered and with silent films in irritated by a film with no dialogue. the sound era and it focuses on those films 1953 saw the release of another film made in the U.S. without dialogue or title cards but it was a While there were several silent films low budget, outside of Hollywood producthat straddled the transition which either tion (today we would call it an “indie”) had dialogue scenes added or were half that made an impression on the Art House silent and half sound, the first movie to be circuit. The film was Dementia and it was deliberately made without dialogue was an expressionistic look at a young woman’s Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights which first mental breakdown in a large, unnamed appeared in 1931. In fact it was Chaplin who metropolis. said “I don’t need sound, I’m an artist,” a Lurid settings, low-key lighting, and a quote which helped to inspire the recent modern jazz score made a vivid impression Best Picture winner. on the people that managed to see it. Two City Lights is an undisputed masteryears later it showed up at the drive-ins piece, probably Chaplin’s best film but its in an edited version with narration by Ed success was due to his popularity and his MacMahon (yes THE Ed MacMahon of artistry not to the fact that it was a silent The Tonight Show fame). That version was film. The same was true of Modern Times, called Daughter of Darkness. Chaplin’s follow-up in 1936. It would be more than 20 years before Mainstream Hollywood would not another silent film appeared. By this time the attempt to make a silent film until 1952 but original silent films, especially silent comin early 1941 a small independent silent edies, were being rediscovered and Chaplin, film was made at Northwestern University Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd became the that was based on the classic play Peer Gynt big three of silent screen comedy. by Henrik Ibsen. Several scenes from the Mel Brooks one of the reigning kings play were set to the well known music of of comedy in the 1970s (Woody Allen was Edvard Grieg. the other), decided to make a silent comedy Shown in Chicago and a few Midwestcalled Silent Movie. It featured an all-star ern cities, Peer Gynt attracted the attention cast and was a loving, if typically heavyof Hollywood on account of the young colhanded Brooksian exercise in overkill that lege student playing the lead. He would go rode the crest of Brooks’ popularity and was on to become a Hollywood icon. His name very successful but it prompted no followwas Charlton Heston. ups. And that was it. At the height of anti-Communist But while America gave up on the silent paranoia in 1952, Hollywood gambled on movie, outside America a flurry of silent acmaking a silent film that dealt with the tivity was about to begin. (Sounds of Silence stealing of atomic secrets. To play the lead, will conclude next month with a look at they chose Ray Milland who was evolving European silent films in the sound era.) from a romantic leading man into a fine character actor.

The nightmare world of Dementia.

The 18 year old Charlton Heston in Peer Gynt.

Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, and Mel Brooks in Silent Movie.

Ray Milland as The Thief.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 13

stage preview ARTS COUNCIL OF HENDERSON COUNTY PRESENTS

Talking Heads

n Talking Heads, the Council’s next chamber theatre production, a trio of fascinating characters will be revealed through dramatic monologues and stories written by one of England’s most beloved playwrights, Alan Bennett. As a writer for both stage and screen, Mr. Bennett has garnered many awards and received an Oscar for best screenplay, “The Madness of George III,” which was based on his original play. In Talking Heads we meet three of his most popular characters, two women and one man, and we closely observe the state of loneliness, self-deception and the need to be recognized. In “Bed Among the Lentils” which was written for Maggie Smith, Susan is a vicar’s wife who doesn’t realize that her husband’s parish knows she’s “on the drink.” The incidents revealed in her story are both comical and bittersweet. “A Chip in the Sugar” epitomizes the classic mama’s boy – middle-aged Graham still lives with his feisty widowed mother. Many secrets are revealed in the course of the monologue telling us both the humor and sadness in his life. The third selection, “A Lady of Letters,” presents to us Irene, a self-appointed publicspirited guardian of morals. Her actions are both hilarious at times but also sad. Her loneliness is so apparent to us but she herself seems unaware.

‘DVDs’ continued from pg. 12

The new DVD and BluRay set includes 14 hours of bonus content, including deleted scenes, outtakes and several feature-length documentaries: The Brothers Warner, You Must Remember This, Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul, Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic, and Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of. The set also includes a reproduction of Of the original poster, a 60-page production art book and lest we forget a beautifully restored version of he film itself.

PATTY SMYERS

All three characters in Talking Heads reveal many insights into the human condition that sometimes touch home with all of us. Some laughter, some reflection and a dollop of sadness will be part of any audience’s experience with Mr. Bennett’s provocative work. “ A Chip in the Sugar,” “Bed Among the Lentils,” and “A Lady of Letters” will be performed by a cast including veteran Council production actors Michael Cheek and Jorja Ursin. Delina Hensley, an Asheville area actress, will make her debut with this production under the direction of Francis Cullinan, an Arts Council Board Member who has directed more than one hundred musicals, operas, dramas and comedies around the country. IF YOU Performances will take place on GO Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m.

and Sunday, April 29 at 3 p.m., at the Cedars, 219 7th Avenue West, in Hendersonville. The Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher will also host a performance at 2840 Hendersonville Rd., Fletcher on Saturday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. For more information or tickets and reservations, contact the Arts Council of Henderson County at (828) 693-8504.

The timeless tale of love during World War II lives on. Set in unoccupied Morroco during the early days of World War II, Rick Blain (Humphrey Bogart), the hard-talking proprietor of Rick’s Café American, meets a former paramour Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), with far greater consequences than heartbreak, bitterness and unrequited love, “Of all the gin joints in all the world, why did she have to come walking into mine…” If you are reading this, the film likely needs no introduction. Suffice it to say Casablanca is a film that never gets old. Its sparkling script by the Epstein brothers is work unto itself. Every line, vital and throw away, is sharp, witty and sexy. The supporting cast is astoundingly wonderful. Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre are part of the perfect and wholly unlikely storm that became one of the most iconic films of all time. For me Casablanca will never grow old. If you’ve never seen it, you simply must. If it’s been a while, rent it, buy it, do whatever you have to do to see it in all its glory. You will not be disappointed.

14 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Montford Park Players open 40th Anniversary Season with

As You Like It

he Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s longest running Shakespeare Festival, opens its 40th anniversary season April 12 – 29 with Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It It, at Asheville’s historic Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway St.

All the world’s a stage! This comedy, the very first play presented by Montford Park Players in 1973, follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle’s court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and eventually love in the Forest of Arden. There’s plenty of Shakespearean poetry, frivolity, and cross-dressing, along with the famous “All the world’s a stage” soliloquy. Come join the merry displaced band in the forest at The Masonic Temple. John Russell, Managing Director, states “We’re pleased to announce that our 40th anniversary outdoor season

will also include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.” May 10 – 26 • The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Apocalypse Now! June 1 – 23 • Much Ado About Nothing June 29 – July 23 • A Midsummer Night’s Dream July 27 – August 18 • The Merry Wives of Windsor August 24 – September 15 • Richard II, presented for the first time on stage at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre IF YOU Performances are Thursday GO through Sundays, with 2:30

p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available online at www.montfordparkplayers.org or by calling the box office at (828) 254-5146. The first and second Thursdays, April 12 & 19, are “Pay What We’re Worth Nights” – no reservations; see the show and then pay what you think we’re worth!

High Skirts: Illicitly Yours

ombs Away Cabaret, Asheville’s foremost cabaret A wild, witty show that brings and burlesque collaborasatirical humor to the forefront tive, will present its fourth of Asheville’s Burlesque scene. full-length show, “High Skirts: Illicitly Yours,” on Fridays and Saturdays, April 20-28. This original production, combines a head to the country to see if their feminine farcical play, an original score and talent wiles can save the day. acts, promising a little something for But will the good people of Hollar, everyone. West Virginia be entertained by the burThe girls are glamorous, the tease lesque stylings of an uppity fallen opera star, is tantalizing, and the laughs are nona bitter mail-order bride, and a very constop in this wild, witty show that again fused fundamentalist Mormon? brings satirical humor to the forefront of Asheville’s Burlesque scene. Due to language, drug references, and sexual content, this show is approIF priate for adult audiences only. With all YOU The show runs two weekends, GO twice a night: Fridays and Saturdays profits benefiting Brother Wolf Animal April 20-28 at 7:30 and 10 p.m. at Rescue, spectators can feel great about The Magnetic Field Theater, 372 Depot enjoying a bit of naughty fun! Street, in the River Arts District. Tickets are Having narrowly avoided foreclo$15 in advance and $17 at the door, available sure on several occasions, Bombs Away online at www.TheMagneticField.com. All Cabaret is no stranger to garter beltprofits go to benefit Brother Wolf Animal tightening. So, when troupe member Rescue, www.bwar.org. Iona Traylor finds out that her family For more information about the Bombs farm is about to be bought-out and deAway Cabaret or this production, please call molished to build a strip mall, the girls (828) 337-7350. are quick to pack up their corsets and

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noteworthy NATIONAL DAY OF PUPPETRY A day of activities for the entire family takes place Saturday, April 28. See several shows by some of the Carolina’s leading puppeteers, and build a puppet or two of your own at the make-and-take table. Featured Performances

12:30 Billy the Liar – Toybox Theatre & Cripps Puppets. Follow Billy and his friend Suzy as he tells more and more lies and gets into more and more trouble!

1:45 The Frog Prince – Mountain Marionettes. Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a Prince was The Frog Prince turned into a Frog by a bad tempered witch.

3:15, Hansel & Gretel – Red Herring Puppets and Camelot Puppets

Hansel and Gretel

This popular fairytale of triumph, empowerment, and moral integrity is brought to life with traditional marionettes and classical music. Hansel and Gretel give in to the temptation of an enchanted candy house and find themselves trapped by an evil hexen. They use their wits to escape her supernatural powers and are happily reunited with their family. IF YOU Saturday, April 28 from GO 12 noon until 4 p.m. at

the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC. General Admission: $7 all day! No charge for children under two. For more information visit www. ashevillepuppetry.org or call the Folk Art Center, (828) 298-7928.

CD Release Celebration Concert “I WILL CARRY YOU: SONGS OF COMFORT AND HEALING”

omansong, Asheville, NC’s oldest and largest women’s community chorus, presents “I Will Carry You: Songs of Comfort and Healing,” a benefit concert, Friday and Saturday, May 4th and 5th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (UUCA). This concert in celebration of Womansong’s new CD features some of the CD’s 19 songs chosen to nurture those who are experiencing a difficult or painful time—coping with illness, coming to terms with death or grieving a loss, experiencing emotional exhaustion, or simply feeling alone in the world. At these times, music can soothe the spirit and offer comfort and hope. The title song, I Will Carry You, was written by Womansong member Lytingale. Besides songs of comfort, the concert includes a number of wellknown uplifting songs of support such as Bridge Over Troubled Water, Hallelujah the Great Storm is Over, and Lean on Me. In its 25th season, Womansong is a community chorus that celebrates the unity, diversity and empowerment of women through musical expression. A 2011 YWCA ”Tribute to Women of Influence” honoree and recipient of the 2005 “Community of Kindness” award, Womansong promotes social change

through its New Start Program. This program offers scholarships for women in Western North Carolina to improve their lives through education or training, and also provides small grants to “fill the gap” for women in need when other funds are not available. The CD release celebration concert is co-sponsored by UUCA’s Congregational Care Council. There will be information regarding the Care Council’s work with the community as well as sharing about Womansong’s New Start Program. A reception will follow the concert, and CDs will be available for purchase. Tickets $10 (children $5), are available from Womansong members and at www.womansong.org IF YOU Womansong to perform at GO the Unitarian Universalist

Congregation of Asheville, One Edwin Place, Asheville. May 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. For more information call (828) 686-9010.

Maureen Healy Explains How to Grow Happy Kids

eading advocate for children’s health, Maureen Healy, combines her training in Tibetan Buddhism with western science to form a new philosophy of helping kids be happy. Parents of highly sensitive children will be especially curious about her findings. She presents her unique perspective in Growing Happy Kids: How to Foster Inner Confidence, Success, and Happiness.

REVIEW BY

MARCIANNE MILLER

Visit the author’s website at www.growinghappykids.com

IF YOU GO: Thursday, April 5, beginning at 7 p.m. at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For more details visit www.malaprops.com or phone (828) 254-6734.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 15

stage preview ANNIE BAKER’S AWARD WINNING PLAY

Circle Mirror Transformation

orth Carolina Stage Company presents the winner of the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play, Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker. The comedy runs March 28 through April 22 at NC Stage’s 99-seat venue in downtown Asheville. It is co-produced with Immediate Theatre Project, a non-profit professional theatre that has been NC Stage’s Partner Company in Residence since 2008. Circle Mirror Transformation centers around five strangers who enroll in a six-week long community drama class. The set-up will be familiar not just to actors, but to anyone who has ever participated in a creative or corporate team-building retreat: an awkward intimacy develops out of necessity, as the students struggle towards insight and begin to share some of the details of their lives. Director Willie Repoley likes to call it “The Breakfast Club for grownups.” Directed by Willie Repoley of Immediate Theatre Project, the play is a deceptively simple, with lots of humour and a generous heart. As we watch the characters and root for them, we slowly learn their secrets, their quirks, their fears, and we become

SART 2012: A Season of Reinvention June 7 - June 17 • I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change - book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro; music by Jimmy Roberts. A musical date night at its finest! June 21 - July 1 • Harvey - by Mary Chase - Pulitzer Prize Winner! July 5 - July 22 • The Light in the Piazza - Book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel. Romantic score, passionate music and lyrics, soaring melodies! July 26 - August 5 • Sweet Water Taste, by Gloria Bond Clunie. World Premiere. SART’s 2010 ScriptFEST Winner! August 9 - August 19 • Sylvia, by A.R. Gurney. Man’s best friend becomes woman’s too!

IF YOU GO: For more information or

to order tickets, visit www.sartplays. org or call (828) 689-1384. SART performances take place on the campus of Mars Hill College, 44 College Street, Mars Hill, NC.

AMANDA LESLIE

thoroughly invested in their triumphs and failures, both tiny and profound. The New York Times raved, “Annie Baker’s play is an absolute feast. Circle Mirror Transformation is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the world.” North Carolina Stage Company is Asheville’s professional non-profit theatre. Founded in 2001, NC Stage focuses on classic plays and the best of contemporary theatre, and has been voted Best Local Stage Company for seven years in a row. Immediate Theatre Project has been a part of the NC Stage Catalyst Series since its inception in 2004. Since 2008, ITP has been the official Partner Company in Residence at NCSC. ITP’s production history includes works by Tennessee Williams, Sarah Ruhl, David Mamet, Edward Albee, and Arthur Miller. ITP also produces an annual holiday favorite – Live from WVL Radio Theatre: It’s A Wonderful Life, adapted by Willie V.R. Repoley.

Circle Mirror Transformation stars Martin Rader and Kay Galvin who appeared together in ITP’s 2008 production A Body of Water, NC Stage new-comer Virginia Logan, whose credits include Ana in The Clean House (EMMA Studio Lab), and Autolycus/Camillo in The Winter’sTale (Shakespeare Unplugged), Lauren Kriel, most recently seen in Fight Girl Battle World, and NCSC’s Teaching Artist Michael MacCauley who appears frequently with both NC Stage and ITP. Circle Mirror Transformation will be performed in NCSC’s intimate downtown theatre at 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville, just off Walnut Street by the Rankin Parking Garage. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoons through April 22. Tickets are available from the NC Stage box office in person or over the phone at (828) 239-0263, Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are also available online from NC Stage’s website, www.ncstage.org.

The Breakfast Club for grownups.

IF YOU For more information and a full GO calendar of events, visit www.

immediatetheatre.org, www. ncstage.org, or call (828) 239-0263.

LaZoom Characters Attracted to Magnetic Theatre

he wheels come off the bus this spring as tour guide and Momma’s boy Trey Ashe from LaZoom joins former fellow tour guide Mezzo Gracioso at The Magnetic Theatre. Mezzo The Happy Medium: A Haunted Comedy, Mafia-Style, is a one-man-show, featuring over a dozen characters, original comedy, vocal mimicry, musical parody, and supernatural shenanigans. As one can hear on MySpace (www. MySpace.com/MezzoTheHappyMedium), the violent-tempered wise guy and reluctant spiritualist specializes in channeling spirits like those of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jim Henson — and even the “future ghost” of James Taylor, and the spirit of Paul McCartney (“from the brief period in the late ‘60s, when Paul was dead”). Deceased celebs rumored to be booked for this stage show include Hank Williams Sr., Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. Mezzo and Trey’s real-life alter ego, the actor who wrote the show and portrays all the characters, is Brian Claflin (“An immense talent… who should be on stage more frequently,” says the Asheville Citizen-

16 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Times). A vocal mimic, writer and actor, Claflin is a published singer-songwriter boasting co-writing credits with Nanci Griffith and Adam Duritz from Counting Crows. Mezzo, a Wise Guy and former pseudo-“Rat Pack” style entertainer, was created for LaZoom last season, providing several musical “possessions” for the Haunted Tour. Claflin wanted to develop the character in greater depth, and so decided it was time for Mezzo to shed his witness-protection front as tour guide on

BRIAN CLAFLIN

the Big Purple Bus in a return to the stationary stage, to reminisce about his showbiz glory days, through Brian Claflin, aka the conceit that Mezzo Gracioso Mezzo has opened his own nightclub in town (a la latter-day Raging Bull). Artistic Director Steven Samuels directs the show as part of the Magnetic Theatre’s growing series of “Magnetic Late Nite” programming. IF YOU Mezzo The Happy Medium: A GO Haunted Comedy, Mafia-Style

performances April 7, 13 & 14, at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10. The Magnetic Theatre, 372 Depot St. in the River Arts District. Phone (828) 257-4003 or visit www.themagneticfield.com. Trey Ashe returns with the rest of the current LaZoom cast through December. Visit www.lazoomtours.com

sheville Community Theatre is proud to partner with the Western North Carolina Magic Club to present Vaudeville Magic – A Morning of a Variety of Magical Entertainment. Vaudeville Magic is a two-hour family-friendly magic show, including intermission, that is presented as a part of the family-friendly Saturdays at ACT series. Families can attend for rock-bottom ticket prices – bring the whole neighborhood for $5 tickets, sold at the door, one hour prior to showtime. The WNC Magic Club is a not-forprofit organization devoted to the enhancement of the art of magic. With a diverse group of entertainers from magicians to jugglers to balloon artists, the WNC Magic Club guarantees a memorable time for the entire family. “We have a talented group of professional magicians,” says T.J. Shimeld, past president of the WNC Magic Club, “who just love to perform.” Vaudeville Magic will feature the magic of David Carter, Judy Kovacs, Mr. Twister, and T.J. Shimeld as Wendal Wandell. The

BY JENNY

BUNN

show is based around audience participation; whether it be yelling out the magic words or appearing onstage to help the magicians. It will be a fantastically fun time from the moment you walk into ACT! For more information about Asheville Community Theatre, please call (828) 2541320 or visit www.ashevilletheatre.org. The WNC Magic Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Care Partners to learn the art of magic. Children and adults with a serious interest in magic are welcome to attend a meeting.

IF YOU The WNC Magic Club’s GO Vaudeville Magic, Saturday,

April 14 at 10 a.m. at Asheville Community Theatre, 35 East Walnut Street, downtown Asheville. All tickets are $5, available at the door. For questions regarding ticketing, please call the ACT Box Office at (828) 254-1320.

Jewelry: Molly Dingledine

WNC Magic Club’s Vaudeville Magic

Tradition. Vision. Innovation.

stage preview

www.CRAfTGuIlD.ORG

Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center

MP 382 Blue Ridge Parkway Asheville, NC Open Daily 9am-6pm | 828-298-7928 The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

NYS3 Summer Theatre and Film Training Intensive

he New York Studio of Stage and Screen in Asheville, the only professional theatre and film program in WNC, will be hosting a 6-week Summer Intensive June 17 - July 28. Classes will include Acting for Film, Acting Technique, Alexander Technique, Script Analysis, Voiceover, Movement for Actors, Somatics, Auditioning, Comedic Improv and Voice. Students have the flexibility to sign up for one, some or all of the classes. Specific groupings of classes will be offered at a discounted rate. The summer schedule and pricing will be posted shortly. All of our instructors have taught in LA

and/or NYC and have from 8 to 40 years experience in the business and at their core are teachers. They know their craft and how to communicate it well. Additionally, we work hard to try to offer the highest level training possible for the lowest price we can because we don’t believe that people who are serious about the craft should be limited only by their finances. Although it is inexpensive, this program is not for everyone. NYS3 requires hard work. We are far more concerned with determination, commitment, work ethic and passion than your resume and accept students of all levels and backgrounds who are prepared for the rigors and serious commitment necessary to effectively participate in the program. For more information or to submit an application please see our website at www. nys3.com. You can also email us at info@ nys3.com or call (917) 710-2805.

The New York Studio of Stage and Screen 2002 Riverside Drive, Studio O Asheville, NC 28804 Richard Handy, movement instructor.

www.nys3.com, (917) 710-2805

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 17

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18 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

aahhh, BY GREG VINEYARD another Spring has a diploma: I was sprung itself physically and upon us. It mentally mobile shouldn’t come as a again. surprise, but I admit Skirting the that every March, edges of large the ritual of daylight school groups ensaving throws me a joying enthusiastic little. docent narrations, I I remember walked all around, to change every and then back again clock except one, to some favorite causing an annual items, absorbing as panicky moment of much as possible. “I’m late!” before I Salvador Dali’s life realize I’m not. But in art included earThe Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL it’s a minor sacrifice ly, innate brilliance when compared leading to an openness to Freudian concepts to April’s lovely moments, like waking to before his stint with the Surrealists, and then chirping birds, the return of the butterflies a diversion to classical thinking before evento blooming gardens, open doorways of art tually delving into what he labeled “nuclear studios.. . mysticism.” Each period added conceptual And we get new chances to explore and visual layering throughout his life. our inspiring world. Spring tends to bring This realization made me think about out the wanderlust in folks. This year my my own career, about how some segments creative seek took me to old places, where I are easy to discern, and how others have got to re-learn a thing or two. blended overlaps. Knowing one’s periods and styles is useful in self-promotion, an activity at which Dali was Acknowledge, showcase, and an expert. honor your artistic directions. Additionally, the museum itself reminded me that how we house and show our creations is an important support for our content and message, and While attending my sister’s wedding provides clarity and understanding for our in Florida, I had the chance to see the target markets. remodeled Salvador Dali Museum in St. Seeking creative inspiration can be a Petersburg, a city which has evolved quite daily activity, whether we stay right here in nicely over the last few years into an arts the ‘hood, or get out on field trips. Every community. artistic career path — and maybe some The museum anchors one end of a non-creative ones, too — has roots in an gulf-side walking, shopping and dining inspired moment or time. Mine was partly experience. And “remodeled” is an undershaped by Salvador Dali, and this trip was statement: I had visited the 1982 building perfect timing for me to reconfirm and years ago, and it was fairly spartan. The facilreconnect with an “old” muse, reminding ity is now as fascinating as Dali was himself. me to acknowledge, showcase and honor my The combination of surfaces, shapes and artistic directions. visual wonders is a perfect complement to I hope you get a chance to go out and and house for Dali’s art history. Inside, I saw see something new, and, if you’re lucky, works that were entirely new to me, and in a get to re-see something old and find it new chronology that helped me learn anew about again. Happy Spring! this influential, pivotal, one-man tour-deforce whose work had so deeply affected my creative process. Greg Vineyard is an In the (many, many) years since high artist, writer and creative school and college art history, my synapses consultant in Asheville, NC. had apparently grown rusty. But within just Find his illustrations and clay minutes amidst Dali’s signature melting works at Constance Williams watches floating lazily over yellow desertGallery in Asheville’s River scapes, it was as if someone had sprayed the Arts District. tin man’s joints and awarded the scarecrow www.creativewayfinding.byregion.net.

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fine art Folk Art Center Presents Daily Craft Demonstrations

n the Blue Ridge Parkway the redbuds and dogwoods are ready to burst with color. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is becoming more traveled as hikers welcome warmer, longer days. Another sign of the Spring season is the arrival of craft demonstrators to the Folk Art Center lobby. Now through the end of the year, members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will be sharing with visitors on the Blue Ridge Parkway their craft through storyboards and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Throughout April, different craftspeople working in wood, fiber, natural materials, paper and jewelry will be on hand to talk about their work, offering the opportunity for education and a chance to purchase something made by the artist. Examples include Liz Spear of Waynesville, at her loom expertly Marlow Gates Photo: Diana Gates weaving

APRIL NANCE

PG.

Scheduled Demonstrations April 1-3 Liz Spear (weaving) Michael Hughey (calligraphy)

April 4 Harriet Smith (polymer clay) Anne Freels (cornshuck dolls)

April 5 Harriet Smith (polymer clay) Anne Freels (cornshuck dolls) Rick Long (bowed psaltery)

April 6 Harriet Smith (polymer clay) Irene Semanchuk (polymer clay) Rick Long (bowed psaltery)

April 7-9

Alan Hollar Photo: Diana Gates

thread which will become fine handmade clothing. Marlow Gates of Sandy Mush will be making brooms. Alan Hollar of Newland, NC will be turning wood on the lathe into bowls and wood sculpture. For a list of scheduled demonstrations visit www. craftguild.org. With free admission and free parking, the Folk Art Center also houses a Blue Ridge Parkway information desk and bookstore, three exhibition galleries, a library and the century-old Allanstand Craft Shop. IF YOU Schedule subject to change, call GO ahead for latest information, (828)

298-7928. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just off Hwy 70 in east Asheville. Visit www.craftguild.org.

Jeff McKinley (flame-worked glass) Irene Semanchuk (polymer clay) Rick Long (bowed psaltery)

April 10-11 Jeff McKinley (flame-worked glass) Lee Entrekin (flutes)

April 12 Mike Lalone (pottery) Lee Entrekin (flutes)

April 13-15

Jewelry • Fine Art Home Furnishings Local Crafts 29 Biltmore Ave.

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(828) 281-4044 www.vandykejewelry.com

Mike Lalone (pottery) Ruthie Cohen (jewelry)

April 16 Marlow Gates (brooms) Ruthie Cohen (jewelry)

April 17-18 Marlow Gates (brooms) Barbara Miller (weaving)

April 19 Marlow Gates (brooms) Nancy Darrell (printmaking)

April 20-21 Jan Morris (cornshuck dolls) Nancy Darrell (printmaking)

April 22

RECYCLED JUNK – ART FOR THE HOME & GARDEN Local artist John D. Richards will host two recycled junk art workshops at Grovewood Gallery in Asheville. Students will learn to get creative with the contents of their trash can by exploring various techniques used to fabricate items such as spark plugs, can lids, bottle caps, old toys, dead pens, radio tubes, cookie tins, pull tabs, and small bottles into one-of-a-kind sculptures for their home and garden. All materials and tools will be provided. Students may bring their own precious junk and favorite tools if they wish. John D. Richards is a freelance artist based in Burnsville, NC. His work can

Jan Morris (cornshuck dolls) Alan Hollar (wood turning)

April 23-24 BY

ASHLEY VAN MATRE

be found throughout the Southeast. Workshops take place Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and 1 to 3 p.m. at Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Workshop cost: $25 (cash or check only). Space is limited, reservations are recommended. Children ages 12 and up are welcome to participate.

IF YOU GO: Call the gallery at (828) 2537651 to reserve your space. For more details visit www.grovewood.com.

Susan Taylor (baskets) Alan Hollar (wood turning)

April 25 Lin Oglesby (spinning) Alan Hollar (wood turning) Carlson Tuttle (brooms)

April 26-28 Lin Oglesby (spinning) Peggy DeBell (mixed media, textiles) Carlson Tuttle (brooms)

April 29 Lee Entrekin (flutes) Peggy DeBell (mixed media, textiles) Carlson Tuttle (brooms)

April 30 Lee Entrekin (flutes) Kathie Roig (weaving) Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 19

PG.

L T

fine art

INTERVIEW WITH

Susan Meyer Sinyai

usan Meyer Sinyai, well-known Asheville artist, is currently displaying her pastel paintings at Susan Marie Designs, located at 4 Biltmore Avenue. Susan has been particularly recognized for her regional landscape paintings, which are noted for her use of evocative lighting and bold, luminous colors combined with a high degree of realism and attention to detail. She will be on hand at Susan Marie Designs during the Artwalk. You are invited to the gallery to enjoy a little food and wine, meet the artist and find out more about her work.

I would describe my work as an expression of light, no matter what the subject matter.

INTERVIEWED BY

DENNIS RAY

Rapid River Magazine: How

would you describe your art?

Susan Meyer Sinyai: My

paintings, more recently, have focused on the natural world, and are executed in a classically realistic style. I would describe my work as primarily an expression of light, no matter what the subject matter. But the paintings are not so much a faithful recording of a particular scene, but more an emotional response to how that scene was bathed in a particular light â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the cool light of the morning, the golden glow of later afternoon, the crisp light of an autumn day, the romantic light of an early evening.

Of a Summer Afternoon

gained a greater appreciation for our physical world, realizing the transcendant beauty in sometimes the simplest and most everyday scenes.

RRM: Do you consider yourself primarily a pastel artist?

SMS: I consider myself also an oil

painter, but I find the pastel medium compelling (and addictive), mainly for its vibrancy, its immediacy, its delicious depth of color and lucious texture. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely gratifying to develop a painting in pastel, as there is no drying time and the color remains brilliant and true as layers are built up.

embrace the colors of SPRING

RRM: What would you like people to know about the pastel medium?

SMS: Many people do not realize that pastel is actually the most permanent of all media. When it is applied to a conservation ground and properly framed, there is no danger of yellowing or cracking, as in oil paint. Pastel paintings never require restoration and can last much longer than oil paintings. Yes, the work is extremely fragile until framed, but the surface is surprisingly sturdy.

The Earlybird

RRM: What is your muse? SMS: I have always been drawn to color,

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sterling with spring colored gemstones

+D\ZRRG 6W Ä&#x161; $VKHYLOOH 1& Ä&#x161; Ä&#x161; +RXUV 0RQ 6DW 20 April 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Vol. 15, No. 8

texture and a sense of light, but it is the enchanting, transient effects of the light that I am continually exploring, attempting to capture that fleeting moment of perfect light. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m constantly amazed how the quality of light can evoke mood and memories It was about six years ago that I realized that painting the landscape brought all this together for me. I have found the landscape to be the richest of tapestries, providing endless material to discover and explore. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

RRM: Where can your work be seen? SMS: Currently I have work at Susan

Marie Designs, located at 4 Biltmore Avenue; at 32 Broad Gallery in Brevard, and at Blackbird Gallery. My website is susanmeyersinyai.com, where my portrait work and still life paintings can be viewed, along with landscapes.

IF YOU Susan Marie Designs, located at GO 4 Biltmore Avenue in downtown

Asheville, will be open April 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. for the first downtown Artwalk of the season. Phone (828) 2771272 for more information.

fine art Beauty : Love : Power WORKS BY BLUE FIRE MACMAHON AND ANNE BEVAN ON EXHIBIT THROUGH APRIL AT CLINGMAN CAFE

wo artists, Anne Bevan, landscape painter and Blue Fire MacMahon clay sculptor will be on exhibit at the Clingman Cafe. At first glance their work may seem quite diverse, but these two artists share a very significant quality: the spirit of a life force which shines through and animates the work. Even in the stillness of a ceramic sculpture or a painting on the wall this vitality is clearly expressed. Working in a highly evolved style, Blue Fire MacMahon creates sculptures of unique character and personality which are remarkable for being simultaneously both sophisticated and whimsical. Anne Bevan’s natural subjects are swirling with dynamic energy as her unique, spiritual perspective radiates from her paintings. Blue Fire MacMahon....“What makes a pristine forest or a glowing sunset so appealing? Beauty is the sacred made visible. There is a harmonious flow of energy, colors, shapes and relationships between all beings in the natural world, which is integrity. My clay sculptures are expressions of my desire to live with integrity” “Whatever the subject, whether a magnificent natural view or an subtle beauty of a familiar object, it is the joy of seeing it, the

Anne Bevan

Beauty is the sacred made visible.

immediacy of the experience which is the true subject of my work.” Anne Bevan This exhibit can be seen at The Clingman Cafe through the month of April. The artists will show again in May during the East of Asheville Studio Tour when MacMahon will be visiting artist at the Anne Bevan Studio in Old Fort.

Anne Bevan 84 Harlowe Noblitt Road Old Fort, NC 28762 (828) 803-4858 facebook.com/AnneBevanStudio

Blue Fire MacMahon www.BlueFireMacMahon.com facebook.com/bluefire.clayart

IF YOU Beauty : Love : Power, works by GO Blue Fire MacMahon and Anne

Blue Fire MacMahon

Bevan on exhibit at Clingman Cafe, 242 Clingman Ave, Asheville, River Arts District. On display from April 1 through April 30, 2012. For more information contact BlueFire MacMahon (828) 713-1545 or Anne Bevan (828) 803-4858. Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 21

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22 April 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Vol. 15, No. 8

oin the fun as 40 artists work live during QuickDraw, western NCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring benefit for art education in schools. While guests watch and marvel, motivated live artists race the clock to start and complete fine art At QuickDraw 2011, Sarah Joyce Schlapkohl offered auction in one hour, with Sneeden creates a beach scene bidders a choice of frames for her demonstrator artists in oils. Photo: John Highsmith auction painting. Photo: John Highsmith plying their craft on works-in-progress. Each artist presents a finished piece of QuickDraw Schedule art at auction, donating half or more of the sale to help art in schools, and help students 4:30 p.m. Cocktail Social go to college. A buffet social and lively auction follow. Buyers take home an art 5-6 p.m. QuickDraw Hour Begins! treasure with an 60-minute challenge for live artists. incredible provSilent Auction art on display at artists enance and the workstations. Stroll, observe, chat. satisfaction of helping teachers 6:00 p.m. One-Hour Challenge Ends inspire young Bar opens with snacks. Live auction artists. preview of Challenge Art, framed and For 11 years ready to hang. QuickDraw art6:30 p.m. Live Auction Fundraiser! ists and art buyers have joined Artists speak at the podium. Winning forces. The bids support school art projects and Pamela Haddock works annual celebraon a watercolor at help send kids to college. QuickDraw 2011. tion draws artists 7:30 Meet the artists buffet and guests from Lavish hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres buffet. across the state to be wowed 8:30 p.m. Silent auction bids close and to step up for scholarships and art teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; innovative art classroom projects in public schools. QuickDraw invites a variety of artists each year to keep it fun and fresh for repeat visitors. You will meet Allen Davis of past QuickDraw Winchester Woodworks faves, invited Oil painter Jenny Buckner challenges the works on a lathe, turning clock at QuickDraw 2011. Photo: John Highsmith back based on exotic woods into regional presfunctional pieces. ence, crowd Photos: John Highsmith IF pleasing enthusiYOU QuickDraw takes place on asm at auction, and their medium. GO Saturday, April 28 in Waynesville, A 501 (c) 3 nonpnrofit event, QuickNC, at Laurel Ridge Country Draw is an all-volunteer initiative. Your $50 Club Pavilion complex. $50 tickets include admission, race-the-clock, auction ticket gains you entry to great food and fun registration, and buffet. in a spectacular location, and the chance to nosh with artists. Bring your checkbook and For ticket outlets and event schedule, visit come early so you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss a minute of www.WNCQuickDraw.com, or call (828) the magic live art hour! 734-5747.

fine art Transforming Paper WORK BY ANGELA EASTMAN AND BRITA NORDGREN

aper is perhaps one of the most recognizable and commonly used materials, yet it can be transformed into an ethereal and magical creation using just an x-acto knife. Two papercut artists, Angela Eastman and Brita Nordgren, work with pattern, light, and shadows to expose the transformative possibilities of this subtractive method of creation. Both artists employ the use of positive and negative space to develop intricate design motifs which, through their diaphanous nature, invite the viewer to reconsider this ubiquitous material.

About the Artists Born in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1987, Angela Eastman spent her early childhood exploring the deep forests and high mountain meadows of the Pacific Northwest. After receiving her BA in Studio Art with a sculpture concentration from Colorado College, Angela moved to Asheville, North Carolina to continue pursuing her studio practice. She has worked with steel, ceramic, cut paper, and encaustic to explore issues surrounding the idea of beauty in our society, examining decorative and simplistic patterns as they relate to our natural and made environments. Growing up on a small farm in central North Carolina is where Brita Nordgren

first discovered her love of art, nature and story. The animals, gardens and woods of her childhood remain a constant inspiration. She recieved her BA in Art with a concentration in Art History at UNCAsheville. She pursued her studies further attending the Swedish craft school Capellagården, to study woodworking and furniture design. Upon returning to Asheville she discovered her love of paper cuttinginformed by techniques she had learned for wood inlay. Nordgren’s work explores the union of story and pattern, both metaphorically and literally, intrigued by how our experiences, ideas and memories set the framework for our perception. The fragility of paper and delicacy of memory come together to explore how pattern recalls memories and meaning. www.angelaeastman.com www.britanordgren.com

IF YOU Opening reception for GO Transforming Paper, April 6 from

6-9 p.m. On display from April 6 through May 1, 2012 at The Artery, 346 Depot Street, in Asheville’s River Arts District. For more information call (828) 258-0710 or visit www.ashevillearts.com.

THE FACES OF HAYWOOD STREET Works by

Mandy Kjellstrom

are currently on display at First Congregational United Church of Christ. Models for the portraits are members of the Carlton Elrod Haywood Street Congregation. The exhibit will be on display through April. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday - Thursday. During June, the exhibit will hang in Kjellstrom’s studio at the historic Cotton Mill Studios, 122 Riverside Drive for the River Arts District Studio Stroll which takes place June 9-10.

There is no admission fee for either exhibit, but contributions will be accepted and donated to the Haywood Street Congregation and Homeward Bound, a local non-profit providing housing and services for many of Kjellstrom’s models. The drawings are not for sale and will become the property of the Haywood Community. Kjellstrom drew all the portraits except for one by Caleb Clark, a student at The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas. Angelia Frank

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 23

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restaurants

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PALM SUNDAY LUNCHEON

he Greek Ladies Philoptochos of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will hold their Annual Palm Sunday Luncheon on April 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The take out line will open at 10:30 a.m. There will be a variety of Greek dishes such as Pastichio, Spanakopita, Meat balls, and Baked Chicken oreganato served

Cafereria style. Prices range from $1 to $12. Place an order at (828) 253-3754 between 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and (828) 254-4754 on the day of the luncheon. There will also be Greek folk dancing performed by our youth Dance Troup. At the Hellenic Center, 227 Cumberland Ave. in Historic Montford.

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Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 25

cafes ~ restaurants ~ food ~ wine Locally Roasted Coffee at Malaprop’s Café

he café at Malaprop’s has evolved into the place to meet in Asheville. The café boasts a literary menu, with treats from local bakeries and organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee roasted locally. They offer free wireless service, eight plug-in stations, and feature three cyberstations for customer use. The baristas embrace the role of community catalyst. The team makes a concerted effort to get to know the customers as individuals, starting with their names, tastes, and drinks of choice. Over the course of the last year Malaprop’s café has undergone many positive changes, from small adjustments in their local food selection to their brand new espresso machine. This May they will celebrate the first year anniversary of their beautiful new Astoria espresso machine. For the baristas, the thrilling experience of working on the Astoria hasn’t worn off, and customers enjoy the marked improvement in the café’s espresso, locally roasted by Mountain Air Roasting. They also updated the specialty lattes on the menu, draw-

Malaprop”s Staff

ing inspiration from humorous malapropisms, for instance, “Civil Serpent,” a salted caramel latte, and “Fire Distinguisher,” their chili, cayenne, and cinnamon mocha. In 2011 they became one of the first cafes to offer Home Free Bagels, an affiliate of the Asheville Homeless network; their bagels are vegan, tasty and perhaps the most socially responsible breakfast for miles! Just last month Malaprop’s added Emilou’s Home-style muffins as a healthier option among the delicious baked goods the café carries, all from small scale local bakeries.

HANNAH CAMPBELL

They also offer French presses as a more personal alternative to their in-house coffee — they just began carrying Stonyfield organic yogurt cups. Look for their new “Props for Loyalty” coffee cards (your seventh cup of coffee is always free when you use this card!). Malaprops is eager to show their appreciation to their growing base of loyal regulars. They plan to keep this momentum going during this, their 30th anniversary year.

The Coffee Continuum It is my belief that as Baristas we occupy an incredibly significant and delicate place on the coffee continuum. We are responsible for the final preparation and presentation of a product that has passed through many other hands and the value and importance we treat the coffee with is a matter of respect for those who have been involved in the

Jack of Hearts 1st Annual Great Easter Egg Hunt

ack of Hearts is proud to present our 1st Annual Great Easter Egg Hunt at Main Street Nature Park in Weaverville on Sunday, April 8. The free egg hunt will be ongoing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children ages 2 to 10 are invited to participate with their parents or an older sibling to assist. Free baskets will be provided at the entrance behind the Weaverville Town Hall. Sack Races will take place in the nature park at 12 noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. All ages are invited to participate. Everyone is invited to get their picture taken with our very own Easter Bunny, Jack

Rabbit, who will be ‘hopping’ around the restaurant and nature park. Jack of Hearts will be serving a special Easter brunch beginning at 10 a.m. and will have fun activities throughout the day including a Paper Egg Drawing contest, face painting and bean-bag toss. Kids ages 2-15 are invited to come to Jack of Hearts between now and Easter to draw their paper egg early to take part in the contest. Winners from age groups 2-4, 5-7, 8-11, and 12-15 will be announced at 4pm on April 8th and will receive prizes and ribbons. The Chuck Beattie Blues Band will

have a free show from noon to 4 p.m. Chuck, (aka Dr. Blues) belts out authentic renditions of classic blues. He draws from a background in gospel, jazz and the sounds of the Delta to bring out the best of Chicago Style Blues with old school charm. Jack of Hearts is honored to be a part of the Weaverville community and looks forward to sharing a fun day with you this Easter. Our restaurant is located at 10 S. Main St. in Downtown Weaverville beside the Town Hall and Main Street Nature Park.

FREE Wine Tastings on Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m.

Wine Retail

Tastings ~ Wine Classes

Great wines for any occasion and budget.

26 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For more details please visit www.malaprops.com or phone (828) 254-6734.

April 2012 Events at The Weinhaus Tuesday, April 3 The Corner Kitchen has provided us with a string of fantastic wine dinners. We love the atmosphere and service, but most of all we love their meticulous cuisine. It is always a pleasure to pair wines with menus that offer such exquisite attention to detail. Sign up early. The time is 7 p.m. Price: $75 all inclusive. Please call the Weinhaus for reservations at (828) 254-6453.

Friday, April 27 Friday Night flights presents Treasures of Verona. The northeast of Italy offers a treasure trove of unique wines. Come experience the variety of the region’s oenological splendors. The wine will be accompanied by light hors d’ouvres. The price is $10. Time is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Held at the Weinhaus, 86 Patton, Ave. Asheville.

The Weinhaus, 86 Patton Avenue Asheville, NC (828) 254-6453

Great values & styles Tasting wine is not only fun, but it presents a chance to learn about wine and what it is about a particular wine that you like, or don’t like. You can sip while you shop. Find some new favorites — try it before you buy it. We will usually have a few whites and a few reds open, with the occassional guest speaker. Please stop by!

growing, picking, packing, shipping and roasting of the beans. By serving excellent coffee and espresso, we honor the work of these individuals on a daily basis, and feel incredibly proud to be trusted with the important job of showcasing the entire coffee production process, from plant to cup, with skill and attention to detail.

www.theAshevilleWineGuy.com 555 Merrimon Ave. (828) 254-6500

festivals & markets Spring & Summer Festivals LEAF Lake Eden Arts Festival‘s spring edition will be May 12-15 at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain. Headliners included this year are Ricky Skaggs, Maceo Parker and Afropop singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo.

in WNC. More than 100 vendors of art, crafts, plants, food and children’s activities will be located on Montford Avenue and Soco Streets just down from the Asheville Visitors Center. Two stages, one on each street, will offer the perfect setting for non-stop entertainment and over 20 bands and musical acts. The festival is free to the public and handicap accessible.

Garden Jubilee

Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival This family fun festival returns June 1011 to Harmon Field in Tryon. Headliners include Chuck Wicks, Acoustic Syndicate, Charlie Walker and the Dynamites, Devon Allman’s Honey Tribe, The Shane Pruitt Band, Big Daddy Love and others. Enjoy a wide variety of barbecue, both in competition and for sale. Admission is $6, ages 12 and younger free. Call (828) 859RIBS or visit www.blueridgebbqfestival.com.

Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands Mid-Summer and Fall. Held at the US Cellular Center, 87 Haywood Street, Asheville. More than 200 exhibitors, craft demonstrations, plus live regional music and entertainment. For more information call (828) 298-7928 or visit www.craftguild.org.

May 26 & 27 – The Garden Jubilee Festval offers more than 200 vendors selling plants, lawn Shindig on the Green and garden accessories, and arts and The free mountain music shows will crafts. Town Mountain will perform during Leaf’s Spring Festival. be back for eight Saturday editions this year, Nurseries will running July 2-Sept. 3 in Pack Square Park, A variety of ticket packages are offered be selling 1,000’s of annuals, flowering downtown Asheville. including the Community Pass ($86 for the plants, perennials, vegetables, herbs and The dates are July 2, 9, 16 and 23, Aug. weekend, no camping). LEAF is always a sellplants. Learn from experts and gather tips 13, 20 and 27 and Sept. 3. For more inforout, with no tickets available at the gate. Call and advice. Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; mation, call (828) 235-2760 or visit www. (828) 686-8742 or visit www.theleaf.org. Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Historic downfolkheritage.org. town Hendersonville, Main Street from MerleFest Sixth Avenue to Caswell Street. Bluegrass music runs April 28-May 1 at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro. Headliners Doc and Richard Watson, Robert Plant, Lyle Lovett, the Doobie Brothers, Randy Travis and Del McCoury. A four-day reserved seating pass at the isitors are invited to a new location ters Market features local potters and their Watson stage is $225 for rows 1-35, $200 for for this year’s Market at Marshall invited guests. Jim & Shirl Parmentier invite rows 36-49. A four-day general admission High Studios, “on the Island,” Tom Clarkson and Jane Pieser, Henry Pope ticket is $140 and a Friday-Sunday general adjacent to down town Marshall, & Mary Mikkelsen invite Joy Tanner, Emily admission ticket is $125. Call 800-343-7857 NC. The North Carolina HisReason invites Kyle Carpenter, Alex Matisse or visit www.merlefest.org. torical registered building houses 25 artist invites Mike Ball, Rob Pulleyn invites Barry studios and the large auditorium where the Rhodes, Jane Renfroe invites Ronan PeterFrench Broad River Festival Potters Market of Madison County takes son, Becca Floyd invites Mary Kay Botkins, Returning for its 14th edition, the place. Tom Turner invites Tyrone & Julie Larson festival runs April 29-May 1 at Hot Springs New this year is the stellar list of inand Josh Copus invites Bily Brown. Campground and Spa in Hot Springs. vited potters from near and far. Exhibiting Each potter will have new work for Headliners include Great American potters present sale and will Taxi, The Bottle Rockets, Snake Oil Mediboth functional be available cine Show, Sol Driven Train, Boombox, and decorative for conversaRyan Montbleau Band, The Honeycutters, ceramic work in tion about Buncombe Turnpike and more. styles ranging themselves This event also includes a river raft race, from the salt & and their mountain bike race, a children’s area, and ash glazed, word craft. During arts and crafts and food vendors. Tickets fired work of the Market, are $65 if purchased online before April 20. Alex Matisse to exhibiting After that, the price goes to $75. Visit www. the hand built potters will frenchbroadriverfestival.com. vessels of Barry demonstrate Rhodes’ which various wheel The 9th Annual Montford are influenced by throwing, Music & Arts Festival modern architechand building ture and physics. and surface Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. until 7 The Madidecoration p.m. The Montford Music and Arts Festival The Potters of Madison County son County Pottechniques. is the largest one day music and arts festival

Madison County Potters Market

Where to find the best Arts & Crafts, Music, BBQ, and Family Fun.

Shindig on the Green

EMILY REASON

Delicious home made lunch and snacks will be available during the event, as food and pottery go hand in hand. The event also features a raffle of Madison County made ceramic pieces. Raffle proceeds will be donated to the extremely limited Art Education budget of Madison County High School. Potters of Madison County believe that young people in the area deserve proper access to Art Education, a field that is economically relevant to the place in which they live. The Potters of Madison County encourage all potters, pottery enthusiasts, and community members who don’t know a thing about pottery to join them for food, drink, and a day of ceramics.

IF YOU The Potters of Madison County GO present the 2nd annual Madison

County Potters Market on Saturday, April 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marshall High Studios in Marshall, NC. For more information about the potters and their work and directions to the event, visit www.pottersofmadisoncounty.com.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 27

poetry & poets

Robinson Jeffers:

Tor House

APPALACHIAN, CALIFORNIAN, POET

pril’s holidays celebrate the renewal of life: Easter (when it falls in April) signals both literal and metaphorical rebirth; Earth Day (April 22) spreads awareness of Earth’s ecology and the necessity of living well on Earth (eikos eikos is Greek for household); and Arbor Day (the last Friday in April) honors trees. Even April Fools Day can be seen as life-affirming—its pranks traditionally stem from feelings of playfulness brought about by the victory of spring over winter. April is also National Poetry Month, and this column will focus on an April-themed poem—not one of the many April poems evincing sincere religiosity or forced sentimentality, and not that famous poem that cynically asserts that “April is the cruelest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land.” I’d like to focus on Robinson Jeffers and his fine if forgotten “Gale in April,” a poem infused with the power and passion associated with life’s seasonal resurgence. Instead of evoking flowers or other conventional symbols of springtime, Jeffers in that poem evokes the stark beauty he witnessed one April day while living on the rugged Pacific coast near Carmel, California.

REFRAMING THE BIBLE INTO TALES OF MODERN AMERICA Poet, writer and religious philosopher Theodore Richards presents his novel, Theodore The Crucifixion. A world Richards traveler who has studied with numerous spiritual teachers, Richards transforms his broad life experience into a thoughtful, brave, some might say controversial reframing of the Bible. His novel sees the Old Testament in terms of the flight of African Americans from the Deep South during the Great Migration. In his New Testament, his hero, stifled in an urban world of black and white, seeks refuge in a new, more livable world overflowing with vibrant color. www.cosmosophia.org

IF YOU GO: Friday,

April 27, at 7 p.m. at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. www.malaprops.com, (828) 254-6734.

BY TED

OLSON

Jeffers (1887Robinson Jeffers 1962) is a seminal Photo by Carl Van American poet, one Vechten, July 9, 1937 whose poetic vision is austere and uncompromising yet whose poems are strangely musical and memorable. Virtually all his poems were composed in California, yet he was Appalachian by birth and by attitude. While most of the major poets of his generation—T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, among others—plied a poetry that was self-consciously modern, cosmopolitan, and internationalist, Jeffers was more at home in the world of natural things, and he felt a profound psychic connection to the past.

If you should look for this place after a handful of lifetimes: Perhaps of my planted forest a few May stand yet, dark-leaved Australians or the coast cypress, haggard With storm-drift; but fire and the axe are devils. Look for foundations of sea-worn granite, my fingers had the art To make stone love stone, you will find some remnant. But if you should look in your idleness after ten thousand years: It is the granite knoll on the granite And lava tongue in the midst of the bay, by the mouth of the Carmel River-valley, these four will remain In the change of names. You will know it by the wild sea-fragrance of wind Though the ocean may have climbed or retired a little; You will know it by the valley inland that our sun and our moon were born from Before the poles changed; and Orion in December Evenings was strung in the throat of the valley like a lamp-lighted bridge. Come in the morning you will see white gulls Weaving a dance over blue water, the wane of the moon Their dance-companion, a ghost walking By daylight, but wider and whiter than any bird in the world. My ghost you needn’t look for; it is probably Here, but a dark one, deep in the granite, not dancing on wind With the mad wings and the day moon.

fled an unfulfilling marriage with a prominent L.A. lawyer to live with Intense and terrible beauty, how has our race with the an aspiring poet—traveled frail naked nerves, north in 1914 to explore So little a craft swum down from its far launching? California’s coastal wilds. Why now, only because the northwest blows and the As the poet later headed grass billows, wrote, “When the stageGreat seas jagging the west and on the granite coach topped the hill from Blanching, the vessel is brimmed, this dancing play of Monterey and we looked the world is too much passion. down through pines and A gale in April so overfilling the spirit, sea fog on Carmel Bay, it Though his ribs were thick as the earth’s, arches of was evident that we had mountain, how shall one dare to live, come without knowing it Though his blood were like the earth’s rivers and his to our inevitable place.” flesh iron, Buying property on How shall one dare to live? One is born strong, how do the edge of the ocean the weak endure it? in the town of Carmel The strong lean upon death as on a lock, (then a bohemian artistic After eighty years there is shelter and the naked colony), Jeffers built a nerves shall be covered with deep quietness. house and a tower out O beauty of things, go on, go on, O torture of stones he hauled up Of intense joy, I have lasted out my time, I have from the beach, and he thanked God and finished, planted trees. “I think one Roots of millennial trees fold me in the darkness, may contribute (ever so Northwest winds shake their tops, not to the root, not slightly) to the beauty of to the root, I have passed things,” wrote Jeffers, “by From beauty to the other beauty, peace, the night making one’s own life and splendor. environment beautiful.” Constructing Tor House and Hawk Tower taught Jeffers how to Born and reared in western Pennsylvamake poems that would last. nia, he wrote his first poem at age 10, about Whether he wrote long narrative poems a snake he saw in his parents’ garden in a chronicling tragic events in the lives of early Pittsburgh suburb. His father, a theologian, Carmel-area settlers, or short lyrics rhapsosent his son to schools in Europe, then dizing about the mysteries of nature, Jeffers’s relocated the family to southern California, work was utterly distinctive, solidly against and Jeffers, a brilliant but restless student, the grain of literary modernism. Living in vacillated between observing conventional and with nature, he discovered a poetic voice career paths (medicine, forestry) and finding capable of capturing the wild beauty of the his own way. Freedom excited him more world that surrounded him—ocean, rocky than security, and he and the woman he promontories, and coastal mountains—and married in 1913—Una Call Kuster, who

Gale in April

28 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

Hawk Tower, Tor House, Carmel, CA. Photo: Jessica Malikowski

capable of understanding the impacts of manmade contributions to that world. In the poem “Tor House,” Jeffers envisioned that he had built one thing—a house—that would endure the leveling changes of time. But Jeffers had created another thing that would last as long, and perhaps longer: a poem. Ted Olson is the author of such books as Breathing in Darkness: Poems (Wind Publications, 2006) and Blue Ridge Folklife (University Press of Mississippi, 1998) and he is the editor of numerous books, including The Hills Remember: The Complete Short Stories of James Still (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). His experiences as a poet and musician are discussed on www.windpub. com/books/breathingindarkness.htm

Poets who would like for their poetry to be considered for a future column may send their books and manuscripts to Ted Olson, ETSU, Box 70400, Johnson City, TN 37614. Please include contact information and a SASE with submissions.

authors ~ books ~ readings The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic WRITTEN BY ALLAN WOLF

ne hundred years ago this month, on April, 14, 1912, on its maiden voyage, “the largest moving thing on the planet ever made by man” hit an iceberg. In less than three hours, the Titanic sank in the middle of the icy Atlantic, taking the lives of over 1,500 passengers and crew. The epic disaster, caused by nature and human error, marked by both bravery and villainy, and played out in the terrible role class played—first-class passengers survived in greater numbers than the immigrants in steerage—make the Titanic’s story endlessly fascinating. In this centenary year Titanic fever will be unquenchable. If you read only one book about the Titanic it must be The Watch That Ends the Night, by Asheville’s own Allan Wolf. By all Night accounts, the multi-talented Mr. Wolf—author, poet, educator, performer—is a sunny imp, with an irrepressible laugh. Which makes his ability in his novel to draw out enormous wellsprings of dread and sadness all the more astonishing.

“… a work of incredible power and beauty.”

Like Wolf’s previous two novels, Zane’s Trace (2007) and New Found Land: Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery (2004), both published by Candlewick Press, The Watch That Ends the Night is a novel in verse. By choosing to write in poetry—a risky task on a small scale, much less for 480 pages—Wolf has achieved a work of incredible power and beauty. Reading this novel

The Dressmaker

WRITTEN BY KATE ALCOTT

eisty seamstress Tess Collins, fleeing a life of drudgery in England, grabs the hand fate throws her, and signs on as personal maid to imperious fashion designer Lady Duff Gordon—and off on the maiden voyage of the Titanic she goes. On board the doomed ship, she meets two men, a brave English crewman and a mysterious American millionaire. After the terrible night, Tess arrives in New York determined to start a new life in the classless society of America. Combining well-researched historical fact with titillating flights of romantic energy, The Dressmaker

REVIEW BY

MARCIANNE MILLER

is like being pulled into a whirlpool of human secrets, swirled around in the innermost terrors and hopes of real people facing their mortality. It’s the best novel I’ve read in years and I can’t stop thinking about it. Allan Wolf Wolf tells the story of the Titanic in the voices of 25 characters—each written in a different poetic style in short chapters. The voices range from Captain E.J. Smith, who’s looking forward to retirement to millionaire first-class passengers, such as socialite Margaret “the unsinkable Molly” Brown Also included are voices from the crew, such as the baker and the violin player and the telegraph operator, and third-class passengers, such as two children being kidnapped by their father, and a girl fleeing war-torn Lebanon. Other characters include a food-obsessed rat (yes, the most luxurious ship on the seas had its rodent population) and The Iceberg. The most terrible of the characters, The Iceberg, plods like a heartless demon toward the innocent ship. “I am the ice,” it says… “there is a certain ship I long to meet.” John Jacob Astor, the richest man on the planet, was a visionary who admired technological advancements. “It may sound far-fetched,” he muses, “but just think/ how only a few years ago Titanic was a mad

REVIEW BY

MARCIANNE MILLER is a quick, enjoyable read that brings alive the spirit of the times and a society in turmoil. Susan Duerden’s extremely pleasant British voice is gently mesmerizing. Bottomline: An entertaining historical romance, especially in the audio version. The Dressmaker; written by Kate Alcott; narrated by Susan Duerden; Random House Audio (2012); 11 hours; 9 CDs.

APRIL

We host numerous Readings, Bookclubs, as well as Poetrio!

PARTIAL LISTING More events posted online.

READINGS & BOOKSIGNINGS Tuesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. JUDYTH HILL, Men Need Space. Thursday, April 5 at 7 p.m. MAUREEN HEALY, Growing Happy Kids. Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m. DAVID GEORGE HASKELL will present The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature. Saturday, April 7 at 7 p.m. Young Adult Authors: BETH REVIS, A Million Suns; MEGAN MIRANDA, Fracture. Thursday, April 12 at 7 p.m. Reiki Master DEBORAH LLOYD, Believe It and It Is True. Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m. RON RASH, The Cove. Ticketed event. Call 254-6734.

“I felt an invisible hand squeezing my heart…”

dream.” Later, he throws his gloves to his young wife as she boards a life boat without him and grieves that he, “would never get to see what the future would be.” Bruce Ismay, the president of the White Star Lines, is annoyed by attempts in Parliament to increase the number of lifeboats required on a ship, “Why clutter a ship’s boat deck with lifeboats?” he mutters.” First-class passengers would rather see the sunrise.” For shipbuilder Thomas Andrews, the Titanic is the culmination of his career, the design of its cell-like compartments reminding him of his beloved beehives back home. After the iceberg strikes, he is astonished at how quickly his perfect ship is failing. “I felt an invisible hand squeezing my heart… everywhere I turned, I found water…what in God’s name could have done such damage?” The most haunting character is undertaker John Snow, who searches the ocean waves for bodies the Titanic left behind. “More bodies,” he cries, “Each one waiting in a bright white vest./ My God, My God, My God.” The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic; written by Allan Wolf; Candlewick

Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. WORLD BOOK NIGHT – GIVERS’ RECEPTION Wednesday, April 18 at 7 p.m. ELIZABETH OSTA, Jeremiah’s Hunger, historical novel. Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m. DANNY DREYER, Chi Marathon. Friday, April 20 at 7 p.m. ALIXSANDRA PARNESS, Activate Joy. Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. STUART ALTMAN and DAVID SHACTMAN, Power, Politics, and Universal Healthcare. Monday, April 23 – WORLD BOOK NIGHT Tuesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. Smoking Cessation with DARLENE COLEMAN. Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. SelfManage Your ADHD with COACH RUDY. Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. THEODORE RICHARDS, The Crucifixion. Monday, April 30 at 7 p.m. DR. KATHRYN NEWFONT, Blue Ridge Commons: Environmental Activism and Forest History in Western North Carolina.

55 Haywood St.

828-254-6734 • 800-441-9829 Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM Sunday 9AM to 7PM

(2011); 480 pp.

www.allanwolf.com

Marcianne Miller is a local writer. She’s completing her first novel, set in Asheville. She can be reached at marci@aquamystique.com.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 29

L T

noteworthy Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

THE WHOLE WORLD IN ONE METER OF FOREST Professor of biology at the University of the South, David George Haskell, will present his new book, The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature. In this fascinating book, he reveals the secret world hidden in a single square meter of forest in the Cumberland Plateau.

With his downclose and personal view Dr. Haskell manages to see the whole living planet in a small square of Earth and create excitement for his nature-loving readers. http://biology.sewanee.edu/ facstaff/haskell

IF YOU GO: Friday, April 6, at 7 p.m.

at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood Street, Asheville. For more details please visit www.malaprops. com or phone (828) 254-6734.

BY JACKIE TEEPLE

ormed in 2006 by a awarded $75,000 in grants handful of volunteers towards the down payment and incorporated in the of $150,000. spring of 2007, Brother In July of 2011, a Wolf Animal Rescue social media campaign (BWAR) began by saving cats engaged supporters to and dogs from gassing shelvote in the Pepsi Reters and finding them good fresh Project resulting in homes. With the hard work a $50,000 grant, and in of countless individuals, just another online contest in over two years later BWAR November BWAR was opened the largest No Kill awarded $25,000 from Tator Tot shelter and Adoption Center Chase Community Givin Western North Carolina, ing. BWAR is asking the home to on average 100 dogs, community to help raise cats, kittens and puppies. the remaining $75,000 by Today, 225 animals are May 1, 2012 to complete in the care of Brother Wolf the down payment. Animal Rescue with the “Every community remainder living in foster that is working to become homes, waiting to come to No Kill needs a space to the Adoption Center or to help care for the many find their new families at one orphaned animals who of the many off-site events have nowhere else to go,” held throughout the commusays Denise Bitz, Executive Princess nity. Since 2009 BWAR has Director and founder of found homes for over 4,500 pets. BWAR. Tater Tot is one such dog. This one This spring Brother Wolf Animal year old Plott Hound came to BWAR skin Rescue launched a campaign with the goal and bones, and with a severe injury. of raising $390,000 to purchase the building Nursed back to health by the caring housing the Adoption Center. With the supshelter staff and volunteers, Tater Tot put port of our community, BWAR was recently on weight and built his strength up to be

able to withstand surgery. Tater Tot now lives at the Adoption Center until a family comes along to bring him home. Princess, a young grey cat, was brought in late one Sunday night just hours away from giving birth. A volunteer took her home for the delivery and after growing up in foster care, the kittens returned to the Adoption Center and were quickly adopted. Princess will join the dozen kitties in the cage-free Cat Room to await her own forever home. Open 365 days a year, the Adoption Center is not only a safe haven for animals in need, it’s also a place where people can feel great about volunteering. BWAR is a resource to civic groups, businesses, and students seeking service hours, as well as countless children who learn how to be kind to animals. BWAR also offers free spay and neuter assistance, vaccinations, pet food, and training advice to help keep animals in loving homes.

Southern Comfort Returns Next Month

DO YOU HAVE “A PASSION FOR GARDENING”?

udy Ausley is working on a story for our May issue about an adoptee in western North Carolina who is searching for his roots and has ties to the Cherokee ancestors of his grandmother. He is a musician and Native American flutist with many other lives in tow. This 62-year-old man has been drawn back to this land where he knows his kin have lived for years. “It is just something I had to do in order to live the rest of my life on this earth,” he said during an interview this week at my home. I know there are many men and women wandering this country in search of their biological roots and the truth. Many of these persons were adopted and never seen or even held by their biological mothers or grandparents. After that they often fall into a system that pushes them at a young age into foster care with people who are no more than strangers to them. They are angry and scared little people who often drift around the country when they are 18 and older in search of their

30 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

natural family. They intend to satisfy the gnawing void inside that no one can fill until they find their biological Judy Ausley family. This is a story dear to me because of my experience in 1965 in Florida, when I gave birth to a son that I never saw in the hospital, who was adopted to another family I knew nothing about. Secrecy was the norm in those days and it took me many years to find my son in Florida in 2000.

~ Judy Ausley Don’t miss Revan’s story in the May issue of Rapid River Magazine. If you know a character in Asheville who has not had a conventional life, put them in touch with Judy for an article in her column, Southern Comfort. She can be reached at Judyausley@aol.com.

To help ensure orphaned pets in WNC always have a safe place to go, please stop by the Adoption Center at 31 Glendale Avenue in Asheville or go to www.bwar.org/buildingcampaign. Honorary bricks, tiles, and naming opportunities are available.

The 15th annual Mid-Atlantic Garden Faire will be held at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center on April 20, 21, and 22. The 2012 theme “A Passion for Gardening” focuses on ways to enhance the beauty of the landscape and garden with educational programs and a marketplace. The marketplace features native and exotic plants, tools, and accessories to delight any gardener. Regional vendors will bring together everything necessary and unique to make the garden landscape an enticing oasis. Experts from Virginia Tech, the University of Tennessee, and horticulture societies will provide lectures and workshops on gardening topics from landscape design to plant disease identification. Come join the Washington County Master Gardeners for a weekend of gardening fun!

IF YOU GO: Admission is $5 a day or $10

for the entire show. Children 12 and under admitted free. For information contact the Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau at 335 Cummings Street, Abingdon, VA 24210. Phone 1-800-435-3440, (276) 676-2282.

artful living Buddha Within “Already we are the Buddha. There’s just no doubt about that. How could we be anything else? We’re all right here now. Where else could we be? But the point is to realize clearly what that means; this total oneness; this total harmony; and to be able to express that in our lives. That’s what takes endless work and training. It takes guts. It’s not easy. It takes real devotion to ourselves and to other people.”

~ Charlotte Joko Beck

hen learning meditation, a very helpful instruction is to “sit like a Buddha.” If this instruction can be fully realized everything a person needs to know about enlightenment will make itself known. But most people don’t get it; they continue to sit like themselves. And that’s OK. Buddhas appear when they are ready. Zen Master Shibayana was known to say, “This Buddha that you all want to see, this Buddha is very shy. It’s hard to get him to come out and show himself.” The purpose of meditation and Buddhist teaching is to coax this shy one out. Amongst Western psychotherapies, a few are based on a premise that is really quite Buddhist. In some fashion or other, the psychologies of Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, the Gestaltists, and Abraham Maslow all hold that there is a completely healthy, wise and spiritual person within everyone, but it is buried under so much muck of social and psychological conditioning that it is very difficult to call this core healthy person out to be realized in the world. We just don’t believe this person is there. The only person we truly believe in as who we are is the neurotic personality of “me,” and there is nothing shy about this one. This one is quite bold and tenacious, even if, as in some cases, it employs the face of being anxious and weak. Among the great variety of people, the neurotic self or personality comes in an infinite variety of faces from the timid and depressed to the criminally narcissistic and everything in between. In every case, it is a gross distortion of human potential. The word “personality” comes from the ancient Greek “persona,” from the masks worn by actors in the classical Greek theater, and what it represents in us is just as false as those masks, and it holds on even when it professes to want to change, be sane, be spiritual or find enlightenment. It is who was conditioned into us by parents, culture and society, and we believe in it absolutely; even when we realize the problems it creates for us. To get beyond it “takes guts. It’s not easy. It takes real devotion to ourselves and to other people.” While the psychotherapies of Rogers (the real self), Jung (the individuated self),

Gestalt (the authentic self), and Maslow (the self-actualized self) theoretically do draw on a “true self” model, the methodology of these therapies really don’t seem to have the means to access, to make real, to bring forth this true, sane and natural “self” in a reliable manner. While the theories use language and make reference to a healthy individual within each person, they remain bound within the cult of ego that marks Western culture and psychology. When the problem is ego-centeredness, as Buddhism realizes, the problem cannot be effectively confronted by a psychology that does not see ego-centeredness as the problem. The perspective and techniques of these psychotherapies typically fall short of the task they have set for themselves. The evocation of the “true self’ becomes particularly problematic when the psychotherapists are themselves not convincing examples of healthy ego-transcendence, and, truthfully, few are. We need to see for ourselves. We need to see examples of ego-transcendence, and this is specifically the path of the Buddhist teacher. We also need to experience our own capacity to stand as witness to the pull of egocentricity, and to realize that this witnessing awareness is completely free of neurosis and is who we are. This is our Buddha within, whose vision we find through wrestling with Buddhist koans and practicing meditation and mindfulness. What these Western therapies are missing is a truly trans-egoic vision of human potential and the koan and meditation training that is necessary to illuminate and strengthen the capacity for trans-egoic experience. The problem with these psychologies is that they remain enmeshed within Western notions of the ego’s preeminence in the human psyche. Buddhism, and its several thousand years of Dharma (the Way of Awakening, or simply, Reality) is a psychology that truly can take us beneath, through and beyond ego identification to freedom from the egomasks, into, as Buddhism calls it, our “true” or “Buddha” nature.

BILL WALZ

The teaching is startlingly direct and profound. As Zen koans might ask: “What in your experience is never masked?” Or, the traditional, “Show me your original face.” Allow direct, authentic, uncorrupted experience of the present moment, as if you were absolutely fresh in the world like an infant, only now, not as a helpless, dependent, unskilled infant, but rather as a fully independent and mature human possessing sophisticated and subtle physical and mental skills with which to engage the world, now realizing it is our conditioned habits of body and mind that comprise our mask, our neurosis. “The contours of your neurosis are the same as the contours of your awareness.” - Fritz Perls

We experience the world through a limited and distorted lens of conditioned personality. The mask not only limits our vision of the environment of the moment, it also distorts what information is coming in (and certainly what is going out – the “actor’s” role). Buddhism teaches us to take the mask off, to both receive and transmit an undistorted reality, to expand the contours of awareness toward an equally ever-expanding realization of the full potential of Human Beingness, thereby dissolving our neurosis. Beneath the mask, we discover, is a Buddha, an awakened being, and with this realization, we increasingly become a person capable of functioning within the limited perspective of our social and cultural life circumstances from an increasingly expansive and enlightened perspective with our ultimate frame of reference as the unlimited Universe, now free of convention while in the midst of convention. This awakening can begin when you sit like a Buddha – in your chair or on your cushion – AND – in the Universe - Creation unfolding all around you. “Buddha,” awareness uncontaminated by conditioning, can then slowly, gradually illustrate to you how you keep falling back into the neurotic and limited mask of an ego-self, and how in the purity of the moment-in-awareness you can expand the contours of awareness, growing your experience and expression, into fuller non-neurotic reality. Realize in your sitting, with awareness tuned into your breathing, into your sitting, into whatever arises in your mind, into the gradual realization of a vast spaciousness beneath the cramped activity of your mind out of which the activity arises, realize that awareness is who you are. are Meet your Buddha.

This realization is not, however, easy. The ego-self’s hold is incredibly tenacious. You may sit for years. You will, as a dedicated meditator, probably make significant gains in physical and mental health, in reducing stress, in gaining insight into your neurotic self, but still, you will not quite grasp what this is really leading to. Then (and for some who are truly ready, it may not take years), what Buddhists call “the mental hinge” will begin to turn, the “Gateless Gate” will open. You will see what, who, has been sitting there all along. The Buddha-within begins to emerge as another Buddha-in-the-world. One day, you will be able to look at a statue or picture of a meditating Buddha and realize you are looking at a mirror of your true self. You will likewise, be able to look in a mirror and see a Buddha. You will look at everyone and see Buddhas hiding. Then, you might enjoy a slight compassionate laugh at how obvious it is. All there is to do is just stand up – in the Universe. All there is to do is shake off your cramped actor’s mask and costume, and go about your ordinary life. Only now, you find you are increasingly able to walk the world awake, far less neurotic, with a lighter step, an easier gate, and perhaps, with that same kind, compassionate, ironic smile for everyone you meet that is the mark of all Buddhas, having realized, “Already we are the Buddha.”

Bill Walz has taught meditation and mindfulness in university and public forums, and is a private-practice meditation teacher and guide for individuals in mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness. He holds a weekly meditation class, Mondays, 7pm, at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood. By donation. Information on classes, talks, personal growth and healing instruction, or phone consultations at (828)258-3241, e-mail at healing@billwalz. com. Visit www.billwalz.com

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 31

R A P I D

R I V E R

A R T S

health Know Your Risks

hat disease condiBY MAX HAMMONDS, MD tion is your greatest risk for disability or death? Lifestyle choices Is it heart disease? matter. Make Cancer? Stroke? Pneumonia? Not surprisingly, it isn’t the good choices. same for everyone. People in third world countries are most at risk from infectious disease (think – malaria or AIDS) or violence and starvation (if there is armed conflict – think Somalia or Sudan). First world countries are most at risk from lifestyle choices in diet, exercise, and smoking (think USA or Argentina). Cultural disease risks involve genetic predispositions (think Tay-Sachs disease in Jews; Sickle cell disease in blacks) and specific habit patterns (think salted fish and stomach cancer in Japanese). Socio-economic differences determine affordability of preventive healthcare (think obstetrical care for unwed teenage pregnancies) and life patterns (think coal miners and black lung). If these cultural or third world country patterns don’t affect you, what should you be watching out for – for yourself and your family? It depends on your age. For your children less than one year of age: the major risks are genetic defects, especially heart deformities and accidents, especially in the home. Small children are unable to foresee accidents. Watch out for them. For your children from one year to ten years of age: the major risks are cancer (think leukemia, renal, and brain tumors) and accidents. There is very little reliable information on prevention for children’s cancers. But accidents are happening on bicycles and on playgrounds and are preventable. Kids are active; parents should be vigilant. For young people from ten to twenty-five: the major killer of these young lives is auto accidents (although in the black male population it is homicide). At a time when they are just beginning to gain control of motor skills, just beginning to choose harmful lifestyles (think – alcohol and no seat belts), and just becoming aware that life and speed is risky, they are hurling down highways at tremendous speeds. The combination is deadly. Life choices must be taught to these young people. For young adults between twenty-five and thirty-five: the major killer is still accidents, mostly in automobiles, mostly self-inflicted. Learn the lessons of the previous age group; almost all of these deaths are preventable. For middle-aged adults – thirty-five to fifty-five: This is probably the riskiest time of life. Malignant disease (think – lifestyle causes: dietary, alcohol, overweight, smoking for lung, colon, ovarian, breast cancer) is the greatest risk. Although heart disease and stroke (think – multiple lifestyle choices) are gaining strength. Auto accidents (those who do most of the driving) and AIDS deaths (lifestyle choice) are at their highest levels at this age. And deaths from other lifestyle choices (diabetes, chronic lung disease, cirrhosis) are increasing. For those fifty-five to seventy-five: deaths from cancer still outpace heart disease and stroke. Much of these two causes are lifestyle related. But at this point, it’s the results of lifestyle choices made in the younger years. For those over seventy-five: the major causes of death are heart disease and stroke, followed quickly by chronic lung disease and pneumonia and diabetes. Take home message: Lifestyle choices matter. To live as long as possible while remaining as young as possible, make good lifestyle choices. 32 December April 2012 2011 — RAPID RAPID — RAPID RIVERRIVER ARTSARTS & CULTURE & CULTURE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE — Vol. — 15, Vol.No. 15,8No. 4

the curmudgeon

The Curmudgeon Looks at Food

torekeep, Cityfella, Mrs. Storekeep, and the Curmudgeon were standing about the new cigarette display left on the counter by a gum-chewing tobacco salesman and talked about an industry that produces a product that ultimately kills yet still sells itself by various salutes to sophistication. When the talk turned to outlawing smoking in most restaurants, Cityfella mentioned, in passing, a new restaurant opening in Atlanta. “Their menu design actually was cited in one of those slick magazines we get at my office, this one is called Graphitico: USA. It’s one of those industry journals like Baker’s Weekly Weekly, Insecticide Monthly or The Georgia Law Review, only this one is so slick the pages are hard to open because your fingers slide off the paper. “This restaurant was listed as a wine and specialty cheese type of bistro with a background mix of food inspired by 1930’s movie classics and 19th century operettas. It’s called Tantalus.” “Tantalus?” asked Curmudgeon. “Right,” answered Cityfella. “It pointed out that the menu design and name were based on the mythological story of the Phrygian King but stopped way short of actually telling the story. But it conjured up some wonderful images of a place to eat, especially during the present hard times.” “I remember that myth from grade schools, “said Mrs. Storekeep, thereby giving away her age, “and it seems to be a silly name for a place to eat.” “What does it mean?” asked Storekeep. “Tantalus,” answered Cityfella, “was a character out of a Greek myth who—be-

Joe Penland in Concert With special guests Sarah Tucker & Elijah McWilliams. Joe Penland once rode a bicycle to Key West and back just to pick up the legendary, mysterious, ‘lost’ verse to John Hartford’s “Steam Powered Aeroplane.” Hartford had carved it onto the back of coconut found in a tree fifteen feet due northwest from the southernmost point in America. Joe works hard to make sure his shows are unique and enjoyable experiences.* * The particulars of this story may or may not be accurate, but the moral of the story remains as true as a fresh glass of lemonade on a hot day.

IF YOU GO: Concert begins at 7:30

p.m. Tickets available by phone (828) 649-1301. Madison County Arts Council, 90 S. Main, Marshall, NC. Visit www.madisoncountyarts.com.

20 Winners!

1st

Annual

PETER LOEWER

cause of his heinous crimes— Illustration by Peter Loewer was left standing in a pool of water that came up to his neck. Overhead, just out of reach, dangled a bunch of grapes and whenever he managed to just about get a grape in his mouth, the whole bunch pulled back. If he tried to drink, the water flowed away from his lips.” “I can see it now,” said Curmudgeon. “Impeccably attired waiters coming up to tables surrounded by glamorous people, each holding rays of wonderfully prepared foods—and just as a customer reaches for a tasty morsel, the waiter yanks it out of reach. Plates overflowing with petit fours carried by comely waitresses who toss the sweets into a far corner just as you choose the one that appeals to you most.” “In fact the game could be wonderful,” offered Cityfella, “with whole tables being pulled away just as a party of diners settle into their seats.” “And don’t forget the water,” said Mrs. Storekeep. “It’s the perfect ploy during a drought. Each glass being served has a tiny magnetic toy in the bottom and little magnetic fish would move the glasses out of your reach to teach you to respect the water.” “The point you are making,” said Curmudgeon, “is the stupidity of the management in choosing a name that insults your intelligence but goes over—if you will excuse the expression—the head of nine out of ten people who dine out—anywhere.” They all nodded their head and signified yes. “However,” noted Curmudgeon “when the time came to settle the bill the Tantalus routine would most certainly not be used.” And with that he stepped over to the frozen food bin and pulled out a package of fish-sticks, a can of orange juice, a pint of chocolate ice cream, some French fries, and a pound of butter. “I haven’t had the luxury of eating out since the first oil embargo and most of my dining begins here at the store . . .” “And,” interrupted Cityfella, “some of it is so bad you wish that the myth of Tantalus could sometimes apply to this store—well, not with the orange juice or the ice cream but the fish-sticks are not what they once were.” Tantalus sounds like the name of a dance to me,” said Storekeep. “That’s the Tarantula,” said Cityfella.

Artists Wanted! PR I Z ES GALOR E ~ E NTE R TO WI N TODAY! • Your Artwork on the Cover and a Feature Article in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine • Signs, Posters, Bumper Stickers Printed Sign-A-Rama • $1000 Framing - Great Smokies Creations • 12 Week Art Class, $700 value The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas • Top 20 Semi-finalists featured during Asheville Lyric Opera’s Taste of Opera at the Crown Plaza Resort, Saturday, June 9, 2012. • Artist Portfolio Photography by Liza Becker, $350+ value Entry Deadline May 20, 2012

Catered Receptions • 6/16 - 6/27, Dan McClendon Fine Art • 6/22 - 7/10, Jack of Hearts Pub & Restaurant • 6/29 - 7/17, Creatures Café • 7/13 - 8/8, Gallery 262 • 7/20 - 8/15, Riverside Studios • 8/10 - 8/28, Van Dyke Gallery • 8/17 - 9/3, Frame-It-to-a-T • 9/6 - 9/17, Neo Cantina • Fine Arts League of the Carolinas • Luke Atkinson Furniture

$20/ Entry Fee • $10 for each Additional Entry Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 entries. There will also be a People’s Choice Award. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Entry Forms Available Online and at These Fine Locations * Thank you to our event sponsors!

Asheville Asheville Lyric Opera * 236-0670, YMI Building, 39 S. Market Street Bistro 1896 * 251-1300, 7 Pack Square SW, Downtown Asheville Creatures Cafe * 254-3636, 81 Patton Ave., Asheville Daniel McClendon Fine Art * 349 Depot St., (269) 267-4113, Asheville Fine Arts League of the Carolinas * 252-5050, 362 Depot St., Asheville Frame It To-a-T * 665-7730, 1103 Brevard Rd., South Asheville French Broad Food Co-Op * 255-7650, 90 Biltmore Ave., Asheville Green Light Cafe * 250-3800, 18 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville Guitar Trader * 732 Haywood Rd., Asheville Jimmy John’s Subs * 5-A Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville Luke Atkinson Furniture * 252-7168, 728 Haywood Rd., West Asheville Gallery MIA * 254-8949, 61.5 Lexington Ave., Asheville Mamacita’s Mexican Grille * 77 Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville Sign-A-Rama * 484-1590, 1216 Hendersonville Rd., www.wncsigns.com Van Dyke Gallery * 281-4044, 29 Biltmore Ave., Downtown Asheville

Biltmore Village NEO Cantina * www.neocantina.com

Waynesville Bogarts Restaurant * 452-1313, 303 South Main St., Waynesville Cornerstone Cafe * 452-4259, 1092 North Main St., Waynesville Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Park Gallery 262 * 142 N. Main St., Waynesville Great Smokies Creations * 85 Muse Business Park, South Waynesville Kanini’s * 507-3654, 1196 North Main St., Waynesville Village Green * 273-2635, 389 Walnut St., Waynesville Strains of Music * 456-3331, 67 Academy St., Waynesville

Weaverville Jack of Hearts * 645-2700, 10 South Main, Weaverville

Peter Loewer has written and illustrated more than twenty-five books on natural history over the past thirty years.

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 33

what to do guide Sunday, April 1

April 5-28

Overture to Spring

Hospitality Suite

The Blue Ridge Orchestra presents An Overture to Spring: Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto Number 2. Sibelius’ Karelia Suite and Dvorak’s familiar Symphony No 8 evoke a musical anticipation of Spring. Sunday, April 1, 4 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville. Tickets $15 adults, $5 students, and $40 for preferred seating. Available at the Diana Wortham Theatre Box Office or at www.dwtheatre.com.

Hospitality Suite is an award-winning play that centers around conflicting notions of character, salesmanship, honesty, religion and love that simmer until they boil over as two experienced salesmen and a young research engineer await a CEO whose visit to their modest hospitality suite could save their company from ruin. Performances Thursday – Saturday nights in 35below at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $15. Directed by Anthony Abraira. Starring Dan Clancy, Michael Pruitt, and Desmond Zampella. Visit Asheville Community Theatre’s web site for more details at www.ashevilletheatre.org.

Sunday & Monday, April 1 & 2

Auditions for “The Marvelous Wonderettes ” The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its production of the hit musical “The Marvelous Wonderettes.” The production will be directed by Mark Jones and opens on May 25 for a three week run. The show has leading roles for four women, with an age range from teens to thirty who comprise a 1950’s rock ‘n roll girl group. Come with a head shot and resume, as well as a prepared audition piece. Community theater actors should come with sheet music and a prepared song. Anyone interested in working backstage is also encouraged to attend. Auditions will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Feichter Studio of the HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville.

Friday, April 6

Contraptions Works by Kathryn B. Phillips at the

Asheville Gallery of Art. An opening

reception from 5 to 8 p.m. An adventure in soil and soul; watercolors displaying interesting elements from farming equipment rearranged to create playful, non-functioning contraptions. On display through Monday, April 30, 2012 at 16 College Street in downtown Asheville. For more information visit www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com or call (828) 251-5796.

Saturday, April 7

Montford Park Players Auditions

How to place an event/ classified listing with Rapid River Art Magazine Any “free” event open to the public can be listed at no charge up to 30 words. For all other events there is a $14.95 charge up to 35 words and 12 cents for each additional word. 65 word limit per event. Sponsored listings (shown in boxes) can be purchased for $18 per column inch. Deadline is the 19th of each month. Payment must be made prior to printing. Email Beth Gossett at: ads@rapidrivermagazine.com Or mail to: 85 N. Main St, Canton, NC 28716. Call (828) 646-0071 to place ad over the phone.

– Disclaimer – Due to the overwhelming number of local event submissions we get for our “What to Do Guide” each month, we can not accept entries that do not specifically follow our publication’s format. Non-paid event listings must be 30 words or less, and both paid and non-paid listings must provide information in the following format: date, time, brief description of your event, and any contact information. Any entries not following this format will not be considered for publication.

Auditions for Much Ado About Nothing will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre. Actors will read from furnished sides. Invited callbacks will be held Saturday, April 14. The production is directed by Rhonda Parker and will be performed June 1 – 23. This production if free and donations are gratefully accepted. Bring headshots and resumes if you have them available; if not, no problem! A photographer will be available. For more information email info@ montfordparkplayers.org or call (828) 254-5146.

Cann will present a sumptuous recital of piano music by composers both romantic and imaginative. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Visit www. Pan-Harmonia.org.

Friday, April 13

Asheville Bellydance Festival A bellydance festival as unique as the city it represents. Doors open at 7 p.m., festival begins at 7:30 p.m. $7 in advance, $10 at the door Club 11, located at 11 Grove Street. Enjoy live music, open dancing, performances and more!

Saturday, April 14

Asheville Bellydance Festival Gala Show Featuring the instructors of the bellydance festival – from around the world. Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 7:30 p.m. $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Event takes place at Scandals, 11 Grove Street in Asheville.

Saturday & Sunday April 14-15

Bellydance Workshops From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dance classes in folkloric bellydance, props and more. Join us for a lecture or a drumming class. All levels of dancers welcome! Register and check-in at Studio Zahiya, 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. Visit www.ashevillebellyance.com or call (828) 484-1534 for more details.

Saturday, April 14

Anna’s Spring Detox Flow Class It’s time for a spring cleaning, yoga style! Spring is a great time to cleanse the liver, which gets sluggish in the winter. A cleansing hot practice to sweat the winter blues away is just the ticket. Not for first-timers or true beginners, but for anyone who loves a happy, sweaty and fun vinyasa class with great music. All levels of detox will be addressed, from physical to emotional to mental - you’ll leave squeaky clean, inside and out! From 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Asheville Community Yoga, 8 Brookdale Rd., Asheville. $25 suggested donation. Visit www.ashevillecommunityyoga.com.

Beginning April 16

Saturday, April 7

Inspired Art Ministry

The Crystal Swan Book Signing

“I am” classes emphasize individual abilities and offer one-on-one instruction in a positive creative atmosphere. The fee is $55 for the term. Drawing classes meet on Mondays; painting classes on Tuesdays. Both meet from 1 to 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 100 S. Main Street in Waynesville. To register or for more information, contact Char at charspaintings@msn.com or (828) 456-9197.

At Grateful Steps Publishing House & Bookshop, 159 S. Lexington Avenue in Asheville from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Take part in a scavenger hunt and meet the author of The Crystal Swan, Suzan Tanner.

Sunday, April 8

Pan Harmonia at The Altamont Monthly concert of premier chamber music features Kimberly Cann in a solo piano performance.

Tuesday, April 17

Celebrating Life in the Mountains Julie Judkins, Community Program Manager for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and Carolyn Ward, Chief

™

Executive Officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, will highlight the history and numerous opportunities the AT and BRP offer. Free and open to the public. 7 p.m at the Reuter Center, UNCA campus. Contact the NC Center for Creative Retirement (828) 687-4499 for more information.

April 20 -22

The Sound of Music A production by Asheville Lyric Opera. Performances will take place Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.dwtheatre.com, or by calling the Diana Wortham Theatre box office at (828) 257-4530.

Thursday, April 26

Dining Out for Life Dine at over 100 participating restaurants in Western NC, who will be donating 20% of their gross sales to the Western North Carolina AIDS Project, and enter for a chance to win one of 3 fabulous prizes. Some restaurants are open all day, please check out the website for more information. Visit www. wncap.org/dofl

Saturday, April 28

Washuntara A savory soulful evening with Nashville based songwriter and world class performer Washuntara at 7 p.m. Portions of the proceeds will benefit Asheville Community Yoga. There will be light fare served. For reservations and more information contact Lynn Bowers (828) 230-8257. Tickets $18, vailable at Malaprops. www.washuntara.com.

Saturday, April 28

Trillium – a Festival of Follies and Flings 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Free admission. Live music, arts and crafts, rummage sale, games for children and adults, more. Unitarian Universalist church, 500 Montreat Rd., Black Mountain. (828) 669-8050, or www. uusv.org.

Sunday, April 29

Pinhole Photography Day Pinhole cameras will be available for anyone to borrow to participate in this global event! Each photograph will be uploaded at www.pinholeday.org, and one photograph from each artist will become part of the internet’s premier pinhole photography gallery. To participate contact Lynette Miller at lcmillerstudio@gmail.com or call the Center at (828) 669-0930. At the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State Street, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Call to Artists – Blue Ridge En Plein Air The Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League invites artists throughout the region to enter the “Blue Ridge En Plein Air” Show at the Red House Studios & Gallery in Black Mountain, NC. Entries will be received on Friday, April 27, from 2 to 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Artwork must be done ‘en plein air’ (out of doors) and not from photographs. All two dimensional plein air media (oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastels, charcoal, conte, and graphite) will be accepted. The show will open on Sunday May 6 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The prospectus and entry form can be downloaded from www.svfalarts.org. Contact Ann Whisenant (828) 669-4871 if you have any questions.

Saturday, May 12

Hendersonville Chorale Hendersonville Chorale presents “IPod Shuffle” 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on 5th Washington in Hendersonville. Tickets are $15 or $10 each for a group of 10 or more. Contact Jane Ward (828) 674-4161.

Art Classes For Adults Art Class – April 11, 25, and May 9, 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuition $45 per class. Ongoing painting classes for oils, acrylics, pastels. Skill building lessons include color, composition. Some experience required for this class. Instructor: Fleta Monaghan Marvelous Monday – All mediums, all subjects. Students choose what they wish to work on and instructor Lorelle Bacon will help you to improve your work with gentle guidance and encouragement. April 2, 9, 23, and May 7, 14, 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. $25 per class, you must preregister. Studio and Critique, Advanced 2D April 16, 17, 30 and May 1, 21, 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For serious artists and aspiring professionals. Guidance in technique, materials, content and series development. Crits are held at the end of every session. All mediums. $35 per class. Instructor: Fleta Monaghan, Complete class schedule at www. fletamonaghan.com. For more information call (828) 776-2716 or email fleta@fletamonaghan.com.

APRIL EVENTS ~ ANNOUNCEMENTS ~ OPENINGS ~ SALES 34 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

what to do guide Womansong CD Release Celebration Concert

Best in Show

by Phil Juliano

5th Annual Music Video Asheville Deadline: Friday, April 6 Asheville-area musicians and filmmakers are invited to submit music videos. Conceptual Music Videos, Live Performance Videos, Music Documentary Shorts, and Experimental/ Animated Music Films will be accepted. Prizes include a free day of studio time at Echo Mountain Recording Studios, and a $500 cash prize!

I Will Carry You, Songs of Comfort and Healing at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, One Edwin Place, Asheville, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $10, Children $5. For more information, call (828) 686-9010 or visit www.womansong.org.

Callie & Cats

by Amy Downs

Every Tuesday Swing at Eleven On Grove

Screening will take place on Wednesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 adv./ $10 door. VIP Tickets $35. At Cinebarre, behind Biltmore Square Mall, 800 Brevard Road, Asheville. Phone (828) 665-8661 or visit www.musicvideoasheville.com.

Locations Needed

Swing Lessons at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dance at 8:30 p.m. $10 members, $12 non-members. There is a $5 cover for the dance, $3 if you take a class. Visit www. swingasheville.com. Swing Bands, 8:30 to 11 p.m.

ton Quartet

™

May 4 and 5, 2012

April 3 – One Leg Up April 10 – The Heather Master-

Corgi Tales

by Phil Hawkins

Pre-WWII vacant buildings with a fascinating history are sought for a new show on a major cable network. The search is for abandoned locations. The network is working with an extremely talented salvager who will lead the audience through these buildings, in search of items to purchase. The location owner must be willing to negotiate a fair price to sell some of the items inside. If you know of a building in your area that fits this description, please send pictures to Amanda Baranski at abaranski@awnc.org.

April 17 – Big Nasty Jazz Band April 24 – Cry Baby

Arts and Crafts Vendors Wanted

Located in the Grove House Entertainment Complex, 11 Grove Street, downtown Asheville. Visit www.thegrovehouse.com or phone (828) 505-1612.

The Mountain Heritage Center is looking for Arts and Crafts vendors for the 38 annual Mountain Heritage Day juried show on September 29, 2012 on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Applications are available at www.mountainheritageday.com or by calling (828) 227-7129.

Call for Artists Entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2012

Dragin

by Michael Cole

Appalachian Pastel Society Juried National Exhibition

Artist applications are available for the 53rd annual juried “Art on Main” fine art and fine craft festival in downtown Hendersonville. Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A total of $4,500 in cash prizes will be awarded. Artists may download an application at www.acofhc.org/artmain. htm/. Applications may also be requested by calling The Arts Council at (828) 693-8504. The for applications is (postmark). The Arts Council of Henderson County, 401 North Main Street, 3rd Floor in Hendersonville, NC.

Deadline: August 1, 2012 Pastel artists: the 2012 Appalachian Pastel Society Juried National Exhibition will be held October 18 through December 14, 2012 at the Asheville School in Asheville, NC. For prospectus, visit www.appalachianpastelsociety.org.

Ratchet and Spin

by T. Oder and R. Woods

Missing Your Creative Spark? Perhaps it is time to strengthen your connection with Creative Source. Time to reconnect with the wellspring of innovation that lies deep within you. Join an intensive weekend workshop devoted to your creativity May 4-6. Experience a series of guided meditations. Gently expand your ability to tap into deeper creative sources. Interpret and express your experiences using provided art materials.

Enter Rapid River Magazine’s 2D Art Contest. 20 Winners! Deadline is May 20. Details on page 33 and at www.rapidrivermagazine.com

CLASSES ~ AUDITIONS ~ ARTS & CRAFTS ~ READINGS Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 35

find it here Alan Deutsch Photography

Bistro 1896

alandeutschphotography.com

www.bistro1896.com

Altamont Theatre

BlackBird Frame & Art

www.myaltamont.com

www.blackbirdframe.com

Amici Music

Bogart’s Restaurant

www.amicimusic.org

www.bogartswaynesville.com

Asheville Bravo Concerts

www.ashevillebravoconcerts.org

Asheville Lyric Opera

Burgermeister’s

www.burgermeisters.com

The Chocolate Fetish

www.ashevillelyric.org

www.chocolatefetish.com

Asheville Symphony

The Chocolate Bear

Beads and Beyond

Cornerstone Cafe

www.ashevillesymphony.org

www.thechocolatebears.com

(828) 254-7927

(828) 452-4252

Diana Wortham Theatre

www.ashevilleguitartrader.com

The New York Studio of Stage and Screen

The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas

Jack of Hearts Pub & Restaurant

North Carolina Stage Company

Double Exposure Giclee Fine Art Printmaking

Jewels That Dance

P.H. Best

Jimmy John’s

Riverside Studios

Kanini's

Southern Highland Craft Guild

Karmasonics

Studio B

Luke Atkinson Furniture

Susan Marie Designs

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe

Van Dyke Jewelry

Mamacitas

The Wine Guy

Mellow Mushroom

Woolworth Walk

Daniel McClendon Fine Art

WNC Community Credit Union

www.dwtheatre.com

www.fineartsleague.org

The Guitar Trader

www.jackofheartspub.com

www.doubleexposureart.com

Frame It To a T

www.jewelsthatdance.com www.jimmyjohns.com

www.frameittoat.com

FB Food Co-Op

www.frenchbroadfood.coop

Frugal Framer

Gallery Two Six Two

www.gallerytwosixtwo.com

Great Smokies Creations (828) 452-4757

Great Trade Solutions

www.greattradesolutions.com

Great Tree Zen Temple

www.greattreetemple.org

Green Light Cafe

www.kaninis.com

WEAVERVILLE

www.mountainbrushworks.com

www.craftguild.org

www.galleryatstudiob.com

lukeatkinsonfurniture.com www.malaprops.com

www.mamacitasgrill.com

(828) 277-1272

www.vandykejewelry.com www.theashevillewineguy.com

(828) 236-9800

www.woolworthwalk.com

www.danielmc.com

(828) 250-3800

Low Weekly & Monthly Rates

www.ncstage.org

riversidestudios-asheville.com

(828) 259-9949

www.frugalframer.com

Place Your Classified Ad on www.RapidRiverMagazine.com

www.nys3.com

www.wncccu.org

Neo Cantina

Guild Crafts

www.neocantina.com

www.craftguild.org

DOWNTOWN BILTMORE AVE. WAYNESVILLE, N. MAIN ST.

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36 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

WAYNESVILLE / GREAT SMOKY MTN. EXPY.

GET ON THE MAP, CALL

(828) 646-0071

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C U L T U R E

M A G A Z I N E

unique asheville shops

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INTERVIEW WITH

Randall Crawford CEO of WNC Community Credit Union

he WNC Community Credit Union is opening an office in Waynesville this spring. Randall Crawford, the nonprofit’s enterprising CEO, took time to talk with us.

INTERVIEWED BY DENNIS RAY

Rapid River Magazine: What is the

key to a Community Credit Union’s success?

tion Army, and many more. We encourage our youth, lift the hopes of the hopeless, and remain encouraged about our home town.

Randall Crawford: Value all of your

RRM: Tell us a little about where you

members. Treat them in a way that you would like to be treated. Give them added value when new services are added.

RRM: How have you helped your members get through the down economy?

RC: We charge very low or no fees

for many of our services. Therefore it costs less to transact business with WNC Community Credit Union. This puts money back into your pocket. Our members are the owners and all our decisions are based upon our own local economy and our desire to serve you.

RRM: Why is it important for a Credit Union to be involved in the community?

RC: Our entire focus is Western North

Carolina. We support all the people of our area through scholarships, Haywood and Jackson county youth teams, March of Dimes, Haywood Christian Ministries, Wounded Warriors, Salva-

see WNC Community Credit Union in the next couple years.

RC: WNC Community Credit Union

has its roots in Haywood County. We have evolved from a one room facility at the Old Dayco Plant to a new state of the art structure. WNC Community Credit Union has changed appropriately with the times and our members drive that change. We may not be the first financial institution to offer new services, but we will continue to meet the needs of our ever changing membership and environment.

RRM: Talk a little about WNC Community Credit Union’s philosophy toward service and membership.

RC: Anyone who lives or works in

Haywood or Jackson County is eligible for membership at WNC Community Credit Union. Everyone needs and deserves basic financial services. We can offer these services at little or no cost. People may need to place recurring monthly payments on direct

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The Guitar Trader : 732 Haywood Rd. deposit. Now might be the time to transfer your account to an institution that treats you the way you deserve. Make May the time to celebrate your own Bank Transfer Day. Many low cost loans will be available in May. Contact our loan officers [Brady, Melissa, or Tammy] to see what’s available. You’ll hear about great loan rates on vehicles and homes. Come meet our friendly staff where service has true meaning.

(828) 253-2003 : www.AshevilleGuitarTrader.com

RRM: What can we expect with the

new larger (6200 sq ft) building WNC Community Credit Union will be moving into, and when will that happen?

RC: Our new building is not the

important thing, our membership is. Our staff will continue to treat you like family. You’re always welcome at home and we want you to feel that way at WNC Community Credit Union.

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WNC Community Credit Union 27 Kent Lane Waynesville, NC 28786 (828) 456-1840 www.wncccu.org

LUKE ATKINSON FURNITURE Family Owned and Operated Since 1955

ONE-DAY LEADERSHIP EVENT Friday, May 4 – Live Broadcast Featuring Soledad O’Brien, Anchor/Special Corresondent for CNN, speaking on leadership issues that you face every day. O’Brien has reported breaking news from around the globe, and has produced award-winning, record-breaking and critically-acclaimed documentaries on the most important stories facing the world today. Broadcast direct to Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Rd., Arden, NC. IF YOU GO: Registration begins at 8 a.m. Leadercast from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with lunch provided by Chick-fil-A. For tickets and information, call (828) 242-2848 or order online at www.leadercastavl.com. Tickets are $50 and benefit Eblen Charities.

Create the Sofa You’ll Love Many Styles and Fabrics to Choose From Starting at $425

PG.

728 Haywood Road • Asheville, NC (828) 252-7168 www.LukeAtkinsonFurniture.com American Made and Locally Owned

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 37

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shops D a i ly S p e c i a l S M OnDay -F riDay 11 aM tO 3 pM S aturDay B runCh ~ 10 aM tO 2 pM

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Paninis Salads Soups Desserts Seasonal Drinks

Saturday, May 5

Gala Grand Opening

10 am until

1 pm

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D ine -i n :: C arry -O ut

389 w walnut Street Waynesville NC 828-273-2635

WNC Community Credit Union Member-Owned, Not-for-Profit

Limited Delivery ~ Call for Details

Business Hours 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.wncccu.org .org

www.villagegreencafe.com

Promote Clean Air in the Smokies

ocal mosaic artist Linda Pannullo has teamed up with the Canary Coalition (www.canarycoalition.org) to support their efforts for clean air in the Great Smokies. By purchasing this beautiful tote bag, you will be “paying it forward’ and contributing to a special fund raiser for the Canary Coalition. Through the end of April, for each bag sold, $4 will be donated to the Canary Coalition. Each bag, which features Gaia the Mother cradling the world, is a great value at $20. To order by mail, Gaia the Mother recycled please send a check to: Discotton tote bag, 16"x 15 1/2" egno di Pezzi, 61 Lookout Dr., Asheville, NC 28804. Include your name, address, and phone number. For S & H, add $2.25 for 1 bag; 2-3 bags add $3.30; 4-5 bags, add $5.30. For more information: contact Linda Pannullo at (828) 337-6749, or disegnodipezzi@charter.net; or Avram Friedman at (828) 631-3447.

personal and Small Business Services

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27 Kent Lane, Waynesville PG.

828-456-1877 • Exit 100 off 23-74

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38 April 2012 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 15, No. 8

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shops Hendersonville Spring Chamber Music

f you think of chamber music as old-fashioned and stuffy, think again. Because Hendersonville Chamber Music brings chamber music up to date and then some! This year’s schedule features live performances of fascinating music, both classical and jazz. Performances are all on Sunday afternoons beginning at 3 p.m. and take place at the comfortable First Congregational Church on the corner of Fifth Avenue and White Pine in Hendersonville, NC.

April 22 – The Kontras String Quartet Winners of a Chamber Music America’s highly coveted residency, Kontras is becoming one of the most vibrant young string quartets performing today. Featuring a truly international flavor, violinist Dmitri Pogorelov is Russian, Francois Henkins, South African: violist Ai Ishida is Japanese and cellist Jean Hatmaker is American.

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IF YOU Series and individual tickets at $17 will be available GO at Hendersonville Visitors Center, and at the door

on day of performance. Tickets are also available by mailing a check payable to HFCM, PO Box 271, Hendersonville, NC 28793. More information at www. hendersonvillechambermusic.org.

May 6 – Pan Harmonia Awarded an NEA Grant for Artistic Excellence in 2010, Pan Harmonia offers an exhilarating selection of world music, mixing genres, styles and flavors from Baroque times to the 21st century. The group features flutist/artistic director Kate Steinbeck, harpsichordist Barbara Weiss, percussionist Byron Hedgepeth and bassoonist-bagpiper Rosalind Buda.

Strains of Music, Inc. Waynesville’s Complete Music Store PG.

The Finest Assortment of Chocolates, Candies, and Custom Gift Baskets

Save up to 30% on Selected Musical Instruments PG.

“not your ordinary...confectionary”

We Offer Lessons, Rentals, Sound Equipment and Installations.

170 North Main Street

67 Academy St., Waynesville, NC FAX: (828) 456-7793

• (828) 456-3331

incstrains@bellsouth.net

Waynesville, NC PG.

828.452.6844

Vol. 15, No. 8 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — April 2012 39

85 Muse Business Park Waynesville, NC 28786 Give a Gift For Life PG.

25-50% Off All In-Stock Items

Phone: 828-452-4757 :: Fax: 828-452-4758 E-mail: orders@gscframing.com

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greatsmokiescreations.blogspot.com

The Fine Arts League of the Carolinas A Classical Art School Teaching Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, & Fresco

Summer 2012 Master/Apprentice 5-Week Intensive Summer Session • July 9 - August 10 Full-Time $1800 Part-Time $1000 Register by May 11 to receive a 5% discount on tuition. Full and Part Time. Open Registration Deadline: June 29, 2012 PG.

362 Depot Street • Asheville’s River Arts District www.fineartsleague.org 828.252.5050

Committed to teaching the realist traditions of the old masters.