How do you tell a fun-loving story that expresses your frustrations with the current political state of the country? With a vampire of course!
3 TULUM’s website says that the restaurant’s concept is “inspired by the beauty, the beaches, and the atmosphere of the wonderful beaches of Tulum in Mexico, where magical and unique stories take place … .”
4 Spotlight Cinema Networks and Trancas International Films have teamed up to bring HALLOWEEN back to the big screen at over 600 cinemas nationwide, including the Golden Ticket Ale House + ELITE, 2101 New Gawrden Road, Greensboro.
6 According to a WRAL-TV poll from early September, Attorney General Josh Stein and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson were locked in a virtual tie to become the STATE’S NEXT GOVERNOR.
7 The animated feature GRACIE & PEDRO: PETS TO THE RESCUE!, co-directed by Executive Producer Kevin Donovan and
3 4 9
first-timer Gottfried Roodt, is easy enough to take on its own terms.
9 Critically acclaimed band GOOSE has announced an upcoming show on October 25th at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem as part of their current national tour.
9 In a unique and uplifting collaboration, the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus and Winston-Salem State University Singing Rams come together for “LIGHT, LOVE, AND JOY: A CHORAL KALEIDOSCOPE.” Set to fill Brendle Recital Hall with moving harmonies at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 3.
12 On October 4, Greensboro City Council voted unanimously to appoint NATHANIEL “TREY” DAVIS as City Manager.
Publisher CHARLES A.
JOHN BATCHELOR PRODUCTION
Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com
Tulum’s website says that the restaurant’s concept is “inspired by the beauty, the beaches, and the atmosphere of the wonderful beaches of Tulum in Mexico, where magical and unique stories take place … .” I have never been there, but it sounds pretty special. This Winston-Salem restaurant has some special elements as well.
The bar o ers numerous creative concoctions. The Margarita leans toward the sweet side, large and attractive. Other bar selections were enjoyable as well, although one server had quite a bit of difficulty understanding our order, repeating it incorrectly twice, nodding recognition when we pointed to the item on the menu, then sending out the wrong drink anyway.
Appetizers tend to be superfluous in a Mexican restaurant, since a bowl of salsa along with a basket of tortilla chips arrives shortly after you are seated. It’s easy to fill up on these, and the salsa at Tulum is good.
But I really like Empanadas, so I saved room on one visit. They were delivered amazingly fast, about the amount of time it took our server to walk to the kitchen and return. Too fast, as it turned out. They were not hot enough to crisp properly, and although they tasted good, two were greasy. These come in either a shredded chicken or ground beef version, and I would order either again, based on the flavor of the fillings. The menu items that are also found in other Mexican restaurants compare favorably to other good restaurants in this genre.
Baja Shrimp Tacos consist of three tortillas filled with large, deep-fried shrimp coated with coconut. They are crisp, not overcooked, and the coconut makes a good match for the shrimp flavor. They are topped with pickled cabbage, shredded cheese, fresh avocado slices, and a sweetish-spicy aioli.
Fajitas are o ered with a choice of four
proteins, or you can get a trio combination. I ordered pork, chicken, and beef, but received shrimp, chicken, and beef. The shrimp were a little firm, but fresh tasting, the beef more firm and a little fatty-gristly in a few places, the chicken all breast meat, a little dry, but pleasant enough. This arrives on a hot platter, sizzling, with red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. The dryish, slightly overcooked texture in the proteins is a function of that hot platter. You gain in presentation, but you lose a little in cooking control when a platter is prepared this way. Rice, refried beans, a guacamole salad, and a choice of corn or flour tortillas are served on the side.
Enchiladas are available with red tomato or green tomatillo sauce, filled with shredded chicken or ground beef. We chose Enchiladas Suizas, two chicken, two beef, which come with the green tomatillo sauce. The rest of the filling is Swiss cheese, cilantro, red onions, and a sprinkling of crumbled queso fresco. Richly flavored.
What sets Tulum apart is the more upscale “From the Grill” section of the menu, as well as a few other items that I have not seen elsewhere.
Pollo Hawaiano, for example, presents a fresh pineapple, halved, filled with grilled chicken breast, onions, mushrooms, pineapple chunks, and melted cheese. Pina al Pastor uses the same presentation and supplemental ingredients, along with pieces of grilled pork. These are quite striking in appearance, equally impactful in flavor. Both winners.
As good as these are, they pale in comparison to Molcajete, which is downright spectacular. A large, heavy-stone pot is filled with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, ground chorizo sausage, queso fresco, and slices of cactus. The steak- ribeye, thinner than steakhouse style but thicker than in other dishes — is layered across the top and over the edges of the pot. The shrimp and chicken are not overcooked — kudos
to the kitchen, and dipping into the hearty tomato-based soup host reveals another layer of flavor from the ground sausage. Two green onions lend visual impact as well as flavor. The cactus looks like green bell pepper and tastes somewhat similar. I thought this was the best dish I have ever had in a Mexican restaurant.
Sides usually consist of refried beans, guacamole salad, and Spanish rice.
Ironically, the somewhat dryish, firm texture often encountered in the chicken and beef just about disappeared when I had leftovers another night — more tender, much more moist. And portion sizes just about always allow for another meal. This makes me think Tulum should get additional consideration for takeout. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for frequent announcements of daily specials.
So, if traditional Mexican dishes are your primary focus, Tulum is as good a choice as any. But if you are more adventurous and are intrigued by something more upscale, Tulum fits the bill. !
JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.
WANNA go?
Tulum Bar & Grill
411 N Cherry Street Winston-Salem 27101 336-448-5486 tulumws.com
A classic treat: The original Halloween back on the big screen
“It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.”
Thus spoke Charles Cyphers as police chief Leigh Brackett in Halloween, the classic 1978 shocker that became one of the most influential and imitated films of its time. It kicked o what is now known as the slasher craze, was for many years the highestgrossing independent film ever made, and launched the careers of several of its participants, including writer/director John Carpenter, writer/producer Debra Hill, and leading lady Jamie Lee Curtis, while providing an incalculable late-career boost to noted British thespian Donald Pleasence.
Now, Spotlight Cinema Networks and
Trancas International Films have teamed up to bring Halloween back to the big screen at over 600 cinemas nationwide, including the Golden Ticket Ale House + ELITE, 2101 New Garden Road, Greensboro. The film will be screened at 10 p.m. Friday and advance tickets are available at https://www.1978halloween.com/. (Tickets will also be on sale at the theater.)
“We are excited to bring the most prominent and enduring horror film back to cinema screens giving new and old fans a slasher film treat they’ll never forget,” said Bernadette McCabe, executive vice president of CineLife Entertainment, a division of Spotlight Cinema Networks.
“The best way to experience Halloween this season, is on the big screen,” said Malek Akkad, CEO of Trancas International Films and the son of Moustapha Akkad, the Syrian-born financier who bankrolled the original Halloween for a mere $300,000 under the Compass International Pictures banner and saw it become a full-fledged franchise that has included numerous sequels, reboots,
and remakes that has grossed over $700 million worldwide. In 2006, the film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
The plot of the original Halloween is simplicity itself: On Halloween night 1963, young Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith in the small Midwestern town of Haddonfield and was committed to an insane asylum. Some 15 years later, Michael escapes from the asylum on October 30 and immediately returns to Haddonfield, this time setting his murderous sights on three high-school girls (Curtis, Nancy Loomis, and P.J. Soles), whom he surreptitiously stalks until night falls.
Pleasence plays Sam Loomis, the psychiatrist who doggedly pursues Michael to Haddonfield, determined to capture or kill him before the carnage begins anew. But inevitably, Michael resumes his rampage — and no one is safe. Although Dr. Loomis (so named for John Gavin’s hero in Hitchcock’s Psycho) became Pleasence’s signature role, the role was first o ered to Peter Cushing, whose agent turned the o er down, and Christopher Lee, who did likewise but would later lament it was the biggest mistake of his career. Their loss was Pleasence’s gain.
Given its reputation, it’s remarkable in retrospect how little gore there is in Halloween. It’s a sustained suspense thriller in the Hitchcock mold, set in an everyday world with everyday people, none of whom is suspecting the horrors to come. For Carpenter, Halloween is the film that launched him into the big leagues, as it did Curtis, who made her feature debut
in the film and went on to a spectacular career — including several Halloween sequels — that culminated with her winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). During her acceptance speech, she even made mention of the many genre fans who have supported her career over the years.
There have been countless articles, essays, and even entire books devoted to Halloween‘s impact and legacy — indeed, this critic has several in his personal collection! — yet the direct, straightforward approach and virtuoso skills that Carpenter utilized were key to its success, as was his unforgettable (and oft-imitated) score.
Before the subsequent Halloweens took detours into, or were derailed by, various angles such as Celtic lore, Druid rites, and Satanic cults, Halloweenplayed it straight and scary, without a wasted moment and plenty of shivers along the way. It works because it’s believable. It works because it’s good. It works because it’s scary. It’s Halloween and it’s perfect just the way it is. To quote Pleasence’s last line: “As a matter of fact, it was.” !
STAINED GLASS PLAYHOUSE TO PRESENT “THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940”
Gregg Vogelsmeier (Ken De La Maize), Chris Swaim (Roger Hopewell), and Janea Platt (Bernice Roth) star in Stained Glass Playhouse’s “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” Oct. 25-Nov. 10, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Stained Glass Playhouse will present “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” a comedy by John Bishop and directed by Diana Marshall-Shoaf, on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 25-26, November 1-2, and November 8-9 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, October 27, November 3 and 10 at 3 p.m.
In “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop — in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious “Stage Door Slasher” — re-assemble for a backer’s audition of their new show at a Westchester estate. But soon the infamous “Slasher” strikes again… and again… and again. A blizzard cuts o any possible retreat, bodies start to drop in plain sight, and accusing fingers point in all directions. With no help from the bumbling police inspector who snowshoes in to investigate, the team must solve the mystery on their own and unmask the “Slasher” themselves.
Stained Glass Playhouse’s production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” stars Alexis Rhodes as Helsa Wenzel, Pat Shumate as Elsa Von Grossenknueten, Bob Montle as Michael Kelly, Robert Evans as Patrick O’Reilly, Gregg Vogelsmeier as Ken De La Maize, Mollie Klekta as Nikki Crandall, Clayton Morgan as Eddie McCuen, Carol Gri n as Marjorie Baverstock, Chris Swaim
as Roger Hopewell, and Janea Platt as Bernice Roth.
“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. www.dramatists.com
All performances will be held at Stained Glass Playhouse, located at 4401 Indiana Avenue in Winston-Salem, N.C., in the former sanctuary of Marvin United Methodist Church. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors (60+), $15 for students and teachers, and $10 for children under 12. For more information about the show, visit stainedglassplayhouse.org/the-musical-comedy-murders-of-1940.
“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is the fall show in Stained Glass Playhouse’s 2024-2025 Season, which also includes John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt, A Parable” in February and will conclude with William Inge’s “Picnic” in May. For show and season flex tickets, visit stainedglassplayhouse.org or call our reservation line at (336) 499-1010. !
STAINED GLASS PLAYHOUSE is a 501(c)3 non-profit community theatre specializing in high-quality productions in an intimate setting for an a ordable ticket price, o ering shows and theatrical events which focus on moral messages, family values, and community issues. We are a member of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County intothearts.org) and the North Carolina Triad Theatre League (triadtheatre.com).
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEIL JESTER - FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
According to a WRAL-TV poll from early September, Attorney General Josh Stein and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson were locked in a virtual tie to become the state’s next governor. But a not-so-funny thing happened on the way to the election. Stein saturated the airwaves with anti-Robinson ads, some of which took Mark’s words out of context to make him look even more radical than he already appeared to be. In one ad, Robinson is seen delivering a fiery speech to a local church in which he says, “Some people need killing.” He was actually referring to enemies of America, including Nazis in WWII. In another ad, a daycare center once owned by Robinson
Robinson
and his wife was made to look like a thirdworld concentration camp. Gradually Robinson’s poll numbers began to slip. If this scenario sounds eerily familiar, it is. In 2020, Attorney General Josh Stein was in danger of losing his bid for re-election to Forsyth District Attorney Jim O’Neill, so just months before the election Stein’s campaign ran false and defamatory ads against O’Neill, accusing Jim of leaving, “1,500 rape kits sitting on the shelf,” and implying that failure to test those kits in a timely manner allowed rapists to roam free to rape more victims. In doing so, Stein violated a 1931 law that makes it a “misdemeanor to knowingly circulate false, derogatory reports about a candidate with the intent of hurting that candidate’s chances in the election” (source AP). Violators must pay a fine and could spend up to 60 days in jail. A Wake County grand jury found that Stein should be indicted, but the very next day they were overturned by a three-judge panel comprised of two Democrats and one Republican. Stein had argued to the stacked
the Trump Base
panel that the 1931 law was outdated and he went on to win re-election.
Fast forward to last month. As was mentioned, Robinson’s poll numbers were starting to slip after Stein’s TV ads hit the air, but the lieutenant governor was still within striking distance. That is until someone steered CNN to a series of lewd posts that Robinson allegedly made on a porn site dating back to 2008. The postings also included Robinson allegedly referring to himself as a “Black Nazi.”
Suddenly CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski had a full-blown investigative report ready to air less than two months before the election.
Kaczynski stands by his report based on a study of user names, while Robinson denies the allegations. Nevertheless, the report went viral and by the first week in October Robinson had fallen behind Stein by as much as 20 points in polls that he once led only months before.
Robinson has certainly made a lot of outrageous statements in the past, calling homosexuality and transgenderism “filth,” and stating there would be less need for abortions if “women just kept their skirts down.” But here’s what ba es me about the sliding poll numbers. Donald Trump’s base of support has remained steady at about 48%, and that base has stood by the former president no matter what he says and does. Yet Robinson’s alleged postings on an old porn site have caused nearly half of that base to turn against the lieutenant governor.
In an e ort to make sense of this mass MAGA defection, I made a flow chart to compare Trump’s transgressions versus those of Robinson.
Porn: Robinson allegedly posted lewd comments on a porn site. Trump had sex with a porn star while his wife was pregnant.
Nazis: Robinson allegedly referred to himself as a ”Black Nazi.” Trump referred to Nazis at a Charlottesville protest as “very fine people.” Trump also said last week that, “There are a lot of people in America with bad genes,” harkening back to a time when Hitler (and some leading American citizens) favored eugenics.
Violence: Robinson told a church congregation that some enemies of America need killing. After losing to Biden in 2020, Trump incited an insurrection that resulted in several deaths and hundreds of police o cers being injured, and this year said if he loses again, “there will be a blood bath.”
Crimes: Robinson and his wife alleg-
edly mismanaged government funds to operate a daycare center. Trump was convicted of 34 felonies associated with bank and tax fraud, as well as paying hush money from campaign funds.
Voter Fraud: Robinson believes there was voter fraud in the 2020 election. Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election through criminal means.
Abortion: Robinson believes that women wouldn’t need abortions if they just kept their skirts down. Trump claims to be the “protector” of women even though he made it possible for individual states to criminalize abortion.
Inclusion: Robinson called homosexuality and transgenderism “filth.” Trump blocked Trans rights a orded to them under Title IX.
Self Promotion: Robinson is working hard to sell voters on his integrity. Trump is selling tennis shoes, coins, Bibles, and now, watches.
Sexual Assault: Robinson allegedly posted that he used to look through peepholes at female students getting undressed. Trump has allegedly assaulted over two-dozen women and was found guilty of defaming a woman who said he raped her.
Donald Trump once boasted that he could shoot someone in the middle of Times Square and get away with it. Apparently, he was right because no matter what vile or illegal thing he does, Trump is able to hold onto his base of support. Robinson, on the other hand, has never raped a woman or been convicted of a felony, yet ever since the CNN story broke, Trump’s MAGA base is leaving the lieutenant governor in record numbers. Trump has been caught making lewd comments about women and has had sex with a porn star and an extramarital a air with a Playboy Playmate, so you can’t explain away Robinson’s voter erosion on moral failings. That only leaves race as a possible reason for MAGA voters to now have an acceptable excuse not to support a candidate that Trump himself endorsed.
Josh Stein, CNN, and Mark Robinson himself have all played a part in torpedoing the lieutenant governor’s campaign for higher o ce, but so have MAGA voters who seem to be guilty of a bizarre double standard. !
Jim Longworth
Every dog — and cat —
The animated feature Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue!, co-directed by Executive Producer Kevin Donovan and first-timer Gottfried Roodt, is easy enough to take on its own terms. It’s a modest outing that holds few surprises but moves along at a zippy pace and with enough slapstick gags to please its intended audience. Unlike last year’s Strays, which attempted (and failed) to graft raunchy humor onto a similarly themed film, this sticks to a family-friendly format and is all the better for it.
Gracie (voiced by newcomer Claire Alan) is a purebred English show dog and Pedro (voiced by Cory Dolan) a wisecracking alley cat. Theirs, unsurprisingly, is a continually tempestuous and argumentative relationship, but circumstances will soon put an end to their bickering. The family that owns them moves from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, and the two pets are accidentally lost in transit.
Thus begins an arduous trek to be reunited with their
owners in which they put aside their mutual animosity and attempt to elude various foes, human and otherwise. Alan and Dolan handle the lion’s share of dialogue, with supporting voiceover work from Bill Nighy, Alicia Silverstone, Brooke Shields, James Key, Mike Nadajewski, Ron Pardo and John Stocker (as rats), and Executive Producer Al Franken. The standouts are Danny Trejo, who intermittently narrates the film as the family’s growling, gravel-voiced goldfish, and Susan Sarandon (all too briefly) as “Shades,” a bunny rabbit that favors sunglasses, sips carrot cocktails, and dispenses hipster wisdom when Gracie and Pedro are stranded in Las Vegas.
Perhaps the film could have been a bit more irreverent, and the perky pop tunes aren’t exactly memorable, but children aren’t likely to mind. The animation, which occasionally recalls the Aardman format, is competent, and the climax — set in a dilapidated amusement park — is energetic and imaginative. Gracie & Pedro may not be a classic but it’s not bad, and it shows that, yes, cats and dogs can get along, and sometimes rats aren’t so bad after all, although not entirely trustworthy.
— Gracie & Pedro: Pets to the Rescue! opens Friday !
Now’s a great time to enjoy downtown shopping. Visit downtownws.com for Shop the Block exclusive deals that’ll put a bounce in your step. And who knows, maybe even shoes on your feet.
Mark Burger
Contributor
[WEEKLY SUDOKU] [KING CROSSWORD]
lead-in 27 “Gloria in Excelsis —”
Lapel inserts 29 Begin a losing streak 30 Serengeti grazer, long-billed bird, sticky-tongued predator
Houston coll. 38 Singer Sumac
Singer Irene
Part of NYSE 41 “Love Me or Leave Me” singer Ruth
Great anger
Kanga’s son
Mountain cat, plated burrower, marine crustacean 56 Comic Daniel
Overjoys 63 “Funny Girl” director William 65 Contend (for) 66 Aggressive shorebirds 67 Arctic cetacean, swamp snapper, arboreal ape 73 Not alfresco 74 Tea holder 75 Like dunes 76 City of south India
Goose Announces Hurricane Helene Benefit Concert In Conjunction With LJVM Coliseum
Critically acclaimed band Goose has announced an upcoming show on October 25th at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem as part of their current national tour. The Winston-Salem stop will serve as a benefit show to help the victims of Hurricane Helene, working in partnership with Conscious Alliance and local organizations providing critical support to the communities in Western North Carolina.
Goose released their debut album in 2016 and quickly took flight, playing countless shows while steadily amassing a fervent fan following for their unique brand of irresistible songcraft, fluid musicianship, and spirited improvisational performance.
Known for their exuberant grooves
and incendiary bursts of musical exploration, Goose has spent much of the past decade on a seemingly infinite tour schedule that includes sold-out headline shows at such renowned venues as Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Nashville, Tennessee’s Ryman Auditorium, and New York City’s hallowed Radio City Music Hall; a sold-out co-headline run alongside Trey Anastasio Band; a sold-out EU/U.K. headline tour, and show-stealing appearances at such festivals as Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Electric Forest, and Dead & Company’s Playing In The Sand in Riviera Cancun, Mexico.
Recent highlights also include a soldout, five-night run at Port Chester, New York’s historic Capitol Theater and 2023’s 10th annual Goosemas holiday celebration at Hampton, Virginia’s famed Hamp-
ton Coliseum, as well as TV performances on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and CBS Saturday Morning.
Goose are: Rick Mitarotonda (vocals, guitar), Peter Anspach (vocals, keys, guitar), Trevor Weekz (bass), Je Arevalo (vocals, percussion, drums), Cotter Ellis (drums).
Ticket pre-sale began Thursday, October 10 at 10 a.m. EST at www.ljvm.com, with on-sale to the public starting Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. EST.
Tickets will be available at the venue box o ce and ticketmaster.com. !
ASM GLOBAL manages Wake Forest’s athletics facilities at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, and David F. Couch Ballpark. ASM Global is the world’s leading producer of entertainment experiences. It is the global leader in venue and event strategy and management—delivering
locally tailored solutions and cutting–edge technologies to achieve maximum results for venue owners. The company’s elite venue network spans fi ve continents, with a portfolio of more than 350 of the world’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers, and performing arts venues.
Winston-Salem Symphony Presents Light, Love & Joy: A Choral Kaleidoscope
In a unique and uplifting collaboration, the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus and Winston-Salem State University Singing Rams come together for “Light, Love, and Joy: A Choral Kaleidoscope.” Set to fill Brendle Recital Hall with moving harmonies at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 3, this inspiring performance invites audiences to experience the beauty and power of two contrasting musical traditions: jazz and gospel.
Attendees will be treated to the soaring compositions of Vytautas Miškinis’ “Light Mass,” a work that intertwines traditional choral elements with a contemporary jazz influence. Led by Symphony Chorus Director Chris Gillam, the piece is designed to evoke a sense of illumination and spiritual connection. Complementing this will be André Thomas’ “A Celebration of Love and Joy,” a lively gospel-inspired work led by the esteemed Maestra D’Walla Simmons-Burke, Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Winston-Salem State University.
The program also features an instrumental jazz trio that will accompany the singers, enhancing the performance’s vibrancy and spirit. Together, these pieces celebrate unity, emotion, and the transcendent power of song.
The concert will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Novem-
ber 3, at Brendle Recital Hall, located inside the Scales Fine Arts Center on the Wake Forest University campus. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online at wssymphony.org or by calling the Box O ce at (336) 464-0145.
This concert and the Winston-Salem Symphony are supported by Season Presenting Sponsor Bell, Davis & Pitt, P.A.; Symphony Chorus Sponsor AM Erectors; Chris & Mike Morykwas; the Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County; and the North Carolina Arts Council. !
The Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus is an auditioned, mixed ensemble of volunteer singers, many of whom are professional soloists or current members of area church and university choruses. Under the direction of Dr. Christopher Gilliam, The Symphony Chorus rehearses weekly and performs several times yearly with the Winston-Salem Symphony. For more information, visit wssymphony.org/about/chorus/.
THE WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY “SINGING RAMS” CHOIR is one of the oldest student organizations on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. There is evidence to prove that the institution of the Choir predates the Department of Music, of which it is now a part. Under the leadership of Maestra Simmons-Burke, The Winston-Salem State University Choir has traveled both nationally and internationally, recording and performing with major symphony orchestras such as the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra; Gateways Festival Orchestra; D’Vorak Symphony Orchestra; Colour of Music Symphony Orchestra and the New England Symphony Orchestra. The Choir is GRAMMYnominated and has performed at several major music conferences and on national stages such as Carnegie Hall (NY), Lincoln Center (NY) and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC). Visit their website for more information.
Proud to be one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, the WINSTON-SALEM SYMPHONY premiered in 1947. Today, under the direction of new Music Director Michelle Merrill, the Symphony fulfills its mission to “Bring Music to Life” by inspiring listeners of all ages throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad with various concerts, education programs, and community engagement initiatives each year. Visit wssymphony.org for more information.
PRESS RELEASE
PHOTO BY J FARLEY PHOTOGRAPHY
PRESS RELEASE
Vote for Vlad: Triad Filmmakers debut spooky take on politics
How do you tell a funloving story that expresses your frustrations with the current political state of the country?
With a vampire of course!
Kemari Bryant, a Greensboro-based filmmaker, has taken it upon himself to write a story that captures not only his frustrations but the country’s, with the present-day political processes. In the comedy/horror short film Vote For Vlad Bryant creates a parallel between a zany vampire and some of the political figures that are old and could be considered soulless as well.
“I thought that parallel could be interesting. What is this soulless eternal being trying to run for local politics at a city level and how do those high jinks come to happen?” said Bryant, who also shared, “[It’s a story that] doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s not trying to
make anyone feel any sort of way about anything politically.”
In the film, Vlad is a vampire who hires a local filmmaker to film his campaign ad. All seems to be going well until one night Vlad acts on his impulses at a local pizza store. It’s witty, original, and an all-around great time. Actor Nick Relos plays Vlad, even creating an accent that’s almost impossible to pinpoint, but adds that perfect amount of zing, which carries the film to new levels. Fabio Morich, director of photography, works hard to ensure each shot in the film is vibrant and full of life. For the short film, he aimed for a straightforward approach, which used warm and cold tones to match the story’s shifting moods. Morich explained, the warm images, with red and yellow hues, are used to evoke feelings of comfort, nostalgia, and happiness. On the other hand, he said the cooler images, ones that used blue and green hues created a sense of distance, tension, and sadness. The combination with darker scenes, underscored the themes of conflict or introspection. The contrast enhanced the blend of humor and drama, which helped to convey the narrative he and Bryant wanted to achieve.
Altogether the film did not take long to make. For months producer and First Assistant Director Alexei Mejouev and Bryant had discussed teaming up to create a new project. When finally, in January, Bryant had an epiphany that spawned the script for Vote For Vlad That same month, the two slowly began to pre-produce the short film, meaning, they filled the cast, hired a crew, accrued costumes, equipment and a car, and Morich arranged an aesthetic and shot list. In March, the crew filmed Vote For Vlad over a weekend. Bryant edited it within a week. From production to post, the project came together in two weeks.
Apparently, when you have a fun team it’s easy to get things done fast.
“It was such a fun set to be on, we were laughing the entire time, it was such a light-hearted place to be,” Bryant said.
“Sometimes it was hard to even get through one take without someone laughing and ruining the take,” chimed Mejouev.
The pair was thrilled to have worked with such a phenomenal cast and crew. Producer/gaffer Andy Augustyn and Morich were a part of what Mejouev
referred to as his “core group.” He said, “working with those folks is always great because there’s so many creative ideas coming out all the time and we know how to communicate with each other in a way that gets things done and looks and feels great.”
Relos, the star who played Vlad, and Mars Mignon, who played Vlad’s sidekick Lucius, were also incredible people to work with according to Bryant, who admitted the two were hilarious, committed, and worked as a great pair on the screen.
“We were impressed by Nick’s performance. He really knew how to push the boundaries,” said Mejouev. Mars, on the other hand, who had little to no lines, was impressive in the way he delivered his silence. “He’s so present the whole time,” said Bryant. “You might even see a little bit of me there if you look close enough.”
Mejouev is an independent filmmaker and producer in Greensboro. “[Kemari and I] have maybe worked on five projects total together and three have been his original work and two of those have been political,” he said. Last election year the pair teamed up to write and produce Mothman , another short film
Maggie Marshall
Contributor
about an evil fictional character who runs for office and is stopped by Mothman. They met when Mejouev stumbled upon Bryant’s production company, Adynaton Productions. Mejouev had just finished a stint in Atlanta and began to search for people to work with in Greensboro.
“I saw they had just finished their film Libations and thought that was pretty cool, some Greensboro filmmakers making movies and not just random corporate videos,” said Mejouev. As a fan, he reached out to Bryant and offered his talents as a filmmaker in hopes of a chance to collaborate. They started to work on Mothman together and for two months they met twice a week to talk about shotlists and ideas for the film. “We’ve been together ever since,” joked Bryant.
“As a filmmaker, there’s no right or wrong answer,” said Mejouev about future plans for Vote For Vlad , “Do we put it in film festivals? Do we just market it like crazy? I think for the times the best platform is online for people to watch it,” said Mejouev.
“It’s really like ‘choose your own adventure’ in the way you want to distribute it, it’s cool to put it out and have whoever wants to see it see it,” said Bryant.
Right now, Bryant is traveling on tour with the Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” and will be for another year. During his layoffs, he plans to return to North Carolina and continue making art with Mejouev.
“The goal is to make the next project. That’s all you can really do. Make the next project and hope to make it bigger and better than the last one,” said Bryant.
When asking Mejouev, his eyes grew
big and he sighed, “What are my plans? I’m like a one-month-at-a-time kind of guy.” He has a few small projects in North Carolina lined up before he goes off to Turkey to meet new people, explore, and shoot a documentary about local music along the way. “Otherwise, whatever the next project is, I’m just trying to keep making stuff, that’s the most important thing to me,” he said.
The film will be showing at a/perture cinema in Winston-Salem on Saturday, October 26 at 9 p.m. and Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Bryant is excited for the film to be shown on the big screen and is happy to have worked with a/perture cinema. He explained, “I think it’s really cool that we had the opportunity to collaborate with a/perture cinema.”
Vote For Vlad will be screened before another vampire film, the 1973 horror Ganja & Hess . It will also be available online at vote4vlad.com or on YouTube by searching “Vote For Vlad.” !
MAGGIE MARSHALL is a Greensboro based freelance writer and zine maker. She graduated from UNCG with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies. Her writing interests include music, film, sustainability and counterculture.
Nick Relos
Mars Mignon
Kemari Bryant
Full Scope: City Manager eyes the future of Greensboro
BY IAN MCDOWELL
On October 4, Greensboro City Council voted unanimously to appoint Nathaniel “Trey” Davis as City Manager.
“We got a number of qualified applicants,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan after the special meeting, “which is one reason it took so long to come to this decision.”
The position had been vacant since
March, when Council voted 5-4 to accept the resignation of City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba. The vote was split on whether Jaiyeoba would get three months’ severance. Last month, WFDD reported that the city paid $220,000 to settle claims of “unwanted touching” made against Jaiyeoba by an unnamed former employee. Until Davis was chosen to replace Jaiyeoba, Chris Wilson was Interim City Manager but has now resumed his
former position of Deputy City Manager.
In August, Council held a closed allday session to virtually interview six applicants for the position, during which two were eliminated from consideration. Vaughan declined to identify the final four, stating the applicants’ “concerns about current employment.”
“We had a great candidate in-house,” said Vaughan. “He can hit the ground running. We really wanted somebody who can capitalize on all the great announcements that have been made over the past few years, and are confident that Trey has the ability to do that.”
Vaughan was referring to Davis’s experience as Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, the position he’s held since 2019, providing strategic guidance for Greensboro’s Police and Fire departments and Guilford Metro 911. Prior to that, he was an officer with the Greensboro Police Department, which he joined in 2002. During his 17 years with GPD, Davis’s positions included commander of the Criminal Investigations Division, Chief’s Executive Officer, and manager of the Office of Community Engagement.
Davis, who holds bachelor’s and graduate degrees in theology with a concentration in Biblical Studies from Liberty University, is a third-generation law enforcement officer who began his career with the Granville County Sheriff’s Department in 1996. His grandfather, Nathaniel Sr., was the first Black police officer in Louisburg in the 1950s and his father, Nathaniel Jr., was the first Black police officer at Butner Public Safety, where he retired as an administrative chief.
“I came from the police department, and can’t get away from my past,” said Davis in an October 9 interview with YES! Weekly . “Public safety will continue to be a big part of my plan. When people come here, they want to feel safe, they want to know that they can live, work, and play safely here, and you’ll see those things coming up. I’ll be updating the community on our efforts to enhance infrastructure and provide a whole city public safety plan.”
In 2023, Greensboro had a recordbreaking 74 homicides, 57 of which had occurred by the first week of October. So far this year, the figure is 32, according to the latest media report.
“That’s a phenomenal decrease,” said Davis. “But my approach to public safety won’t just focus on violent crime. You will see a public safety plan that will address different areas. One of the highest
complaints we have received is about traffic safety, so we’re addressing that. I am very much for red light cameras. I know a lot of people don’t like them, but we’ve got to do something about the high number of crashes we have in our community from people running red lights. That is something I’m passionate about.”
Davis said he shares Vaughan’s desire for job growth, something she mentioned as a reason he was chosen, but that infrastructure comes first.
“Toyota and Boom Supersonic have been catalysts to ignite opportunities right here in our city. I feel it is my responsibility to lead and drive our city into a place where we’re seizing the moment for economic development. But we can’t even talk about that until we start addressing our infrastructure needs. There are areas in our community where that has historically not received attention. If there is economic development, we need to make sure it’s done in a way that’s equitable for those communities and that we have economic mobility. We must bolster our transportation and transit system so that people have the mobility to access those opportunities.”
There is also the homeless crisis, a national problem that has been exacerbated in Greensboro by one of the highest eviction rates in the county, landlord reluctance to take Section 8 vouchers, and a significant loss of shelter beds since the pandemic. How does Davis plan to deal with that?
“Our people that are unsheltered and experiencing homelessness are a concern and issue that we need to tackle by looking at people as human beings. We’ve got to work with our county partners, nonprofits, and service providers so that they can coordinate in a better way. Many of the unhoused experience mental health and/or substance abuse issues. That’s why we’ve created a GSO Home Program that I want to make sure people know about, that we are engaging with people in areas where we can help them navigate to a better place than they’re in now. As we do that, we’ll continue to put our efforts forward to address that.”
Davis said that he learned empathy for those struggling with mental health issues from his mother.
“She was a tremendous advocate for the Murdoch Center, a state facility in my hometown of Butner, caring for folks who could not care for themselves. Going to work with her as a kid, I saw her passion for people in situations where
they could not control themselves. She always saw them as human beings, and taught me to do the same. We can’t see people who are unsheltered as a problem, because they may be in a scenario that they can’t control themselves. The big question is, what can we do to help them?”
What about more permanent supportive housing?
“We’re working with the county partners. I’m hoping that, in the next couple of weeks, you’ll continue to see that. We also want to make sure that we’re focusing on the diversification of housing stock. We need affordable housing, but also need that missing middle so that housing stock can be freed up.”
Housing stock refers to the total number of houses and apartments in an area. Missing middle, a term coined in 2010 by urban designer Daniel Parolek, refers to an increasing lack of mediumdensity housing. “That’s where we’ve got our universities and graduating young professionals, and where we may need midlevel housing — duplexes, a triplex or quadplex. Those are things we need to think about in our plans to provide housing stock.”
As City Manager, Davis is the direct supervisor of the police chief. In 2018, during his last full year with the GPD, the city was embroiled in controversy over the death of Marcus Smith, with over 100 speakers at council meetings calling on City Manager David Parrish to fire GPD Chief Wayne Scott.
Smith, who was suffering a mental health crisis, died on Church Street while being forced face-down in a “hog-tie” restraint by the officers he asked for help.
Scott approved a media release stating that Smith “collapsed in custody” and “died at the hospital,” with no mention of the now-banned restraint that the state medical examiner ruled the primary cause of his death.
In depositions taken for the lawsuit over Smith’s death, District 1 representative Sharon Hightower and at-large representative Michelle Kennedy accused Scott of “a cover-up,” with Hightower saying she believed it extended to the city manager’s office. In his deposition, Parrish stated that he did not support an independent investigation into Smith’s death. In 2022, the city settled with the victim’s mother for $2.57 million, after spending $3.7 million on private defense attorneys.
Would Davis have handled that controversy differently if he’d been City Manager at the time?
“One thing I’ve learned over my time in different leadership roles, is that when you engage with either our leaders or our community, it’s tremendously important to make sure we slow things down, provide accurate information, and continue to provide as many updates as we can. This is not an indication that decisions made by past leaders were wrong or inappropriate, but I can tell you that we learn from the past as we move into the future, gaining clarity and engaging with the media. Stepping into this role, I feel like I have more responsibility to do that.” !
IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions. “Wow. Just wow!” —Broadway World
The Joyce Theatre in New York City to the UNCG Auditorium Lindy Hop and Social Dance set to the sound of a Live Big Band
To top it all off, you’re invited to dance along when the audience is invited on stage to join in the jam!
Nathaniel “Trey” Davis
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of October 21, 2024
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The high standards you set for yourself don’t always translate into the behavior you expect from others. A relationship problem can be resolved if you’re more flexible and less judgmental.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Not enough party bids to satisfy the Bovine’s fun-loving side this week? Go ahead and throw one of your own. Then prepare for some serious work coming up early next week.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A new and intensely productive cycle kicks in on the 30th. Be careful not to get too stressed out, though. Make time to restore your energy by relaxing with family and friends.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) This could be a good time to share some of your plans with those closest to you. Their comments could give you some added insight into how you might accomplish your goals.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) An attack of self-doubt might be unsettling for the usually super-assured Feline. But it could be your inner voice telling you to hold o on implementing your plans until you’ve reassessed them.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) This is a great time for you to reward yourself for all your hard work, specifically by taking a trip you haven’t spent months carefully planning to somewhere you never thought you’d be going. Embrace spontaneity!
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Some misunderstandings resist being resolved, but your sincerity in wanting to
soothe those hurt feelings wins the day. By month’s end, a relationship should begin to show signs of healing.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A hectic job schedule begins to ease by the end of the month — just in time to blow o all that work-generated steam on Halloween. Meanwhile, a family situation runs into an unexpected complication.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A cutting remark in the workplace needs to be handled with finesse. Remember, how you respond could determine the depth of support you gain from colleagues.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Once again, that Capricornean stubborn streak sets in and could keep you from getting much-needed advice. Fortunately, it lifts by next week, just in time for you to make an informed decision.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A surprise trip early in the week could lead to other unexpected o ers when you return. Word to the wise: Avoid talking too much about this until you’ve made some decisions.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Learning dominates the week for perspicacious Pisceans who are always looking to widen their range of knowledge. Looking ahead, a series of important job-linked commitments begins next week.
[BORN THIS WEEK: Your sense of humor and cheerful personality generate good feelings and goodwill everywhere you go.
Side by Side with Nido Qubein is a 30-minute, behind-the-curtain conversation with people whose influence and impact are felt throughout the state of North Carolina and beyond. High Point University President Nido Qubein, an internationally known author and business consultant, digs beneath the surface conversation to reveal insights and inspiration from each special guest. Featuring both timeless and topical themes, the weekly series runs yearlong on PBS North Carolina.
HOW MANY OF THESE INTRIGUING INTERVIEWS HAVE YOU SEEN?
and
WILLIAM KENNARD Chairman, AT&T
Founder and CEO, Kind Lending
RUSSELL WEINER CEO, Domino’s Pizza
GINGER AYDOGDU Founder, Simply Southern
Founder and Senior Pastor, Church of
DANIEL LUBETZKY
Founder and Executive Chairman, KIND Snacks
TUNE IN TUESDAYS AT 7PM OR WATCH ON DEMAND video.pbsnc.org and the PBS app
