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Artifacts - July 22, 2009
*Hoping to make it as an actor in Hollywood? Actor and St. Louis native Sean Gunn will be teaching a weeklong intensive acting workshop July 27 through 31 at the Center of Creative Arts, 524 Trinity Ave. Gunn has acted in several TV shows, including Angel, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Andy Richter Controls the Universe and October Road, but is best known for playing the delightfully odd Kirk Gleason on Gilmore Girls.
In the workshop, which is aimed at high school- and college-aged aspiring actors, Gunn will introduce his students to professional acting, preparing them for working on stage and in front of a camera. A couple of spots are still available in the class, and for more information call Brooke Edwards at 725-1834, ext. 150. And check editor Kara Krekeler’s column in the next issue of the Word for more about Gunn.
*The CWE’s Fabulous Fridays are getting more fantastic. On July 10, circus veteran Peter Schroeder entertained passersby with his juggling and fire antics, and on July 24 8-year-old trumpet phenom Geoffrey Gallante will swing by the CWE. Gallante is in town to perform with the Compton Heights Concert Band for a concert July 26 in south city’s Francis Park. Harry Swanger of the Compton Heights Concert Band called the pint-sized trumpeter from Washington, D.C., “the best musician of his age that I’ve ever seen.”
*St. Louis ArtWorks will host its annual end-of-the-season sale July 23 at the Commerce Bank Education Center, 4651 Shaw Blvd. The 15-year-old Grand Center-based apprenticeship program provides arts-based work for local teenagers on commissioned projects. Among the projects this summer are a modern dance production at the University City Library and creating sets of cards featuring the Central West End and its architecture.
*Lady Macbeth and those witches are no longer the only women in Shakespeare’s Scottish play. Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble is currently performing an all-female version of Macbeth in the Old Post Office Plaza downtown. The modernized tragedy premiered July 17, but continues at 7 p.m. July 24, 25, 26 and 31 and Aug. 1. Admission is free and audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating.
*To celebrate its upcoming production of Franz Lehar’s Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), Union Avenue Opera is inviting the public to Kaffee und Kuchen, a German-themed, family-friendly reception at 11 a.m. July 25. The event, which is $15 per person (free for kids under 12), includes a short presentation on the plot and history of the opera, a sample of the singing from the show and a spread of coffee, tea and desserts that recall the opera’s lavish parties. Die lustige Witwe runs Fridays and Saturdays, July 31 through Aug. 9. For information call 361-2881 or visit www.unionavenueopera.org.
*The Regional Arts Commission is now accepting nominations for its 2009 Community Arts Training Institute, a five-month program that teaches artists and social service providers to collaborate on projects that can affect social change. Nominations will be accepted through July 31, and self-nominations are welcome. A panel of community arts professionals will select 16 people to attend the free program, which begins in October and continues through February 2010. For a nomination form visit www.art-stl.com/CAT/Nomination.cfm or call Roseann Weiss at 863-5811.
*The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis has a new leader on its board of directors. David Hoffmann recently began his two-year term as chairman of the Contemporary’s board, replacing local philanthropist John Ferring. Hoffmann is the CEO of DHR International, and also serves on the boards of the Regional Business Council, the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, Variety the Children’s Charity and St. Louis Priory School.
*HotCity Theatre has announced the winner of its annual GreenHouse new play festival. Jami Brandli’s The Sinker, a dramatic thriller about an up-and-coming novelist, will go through a development workshop and be given a full production in May 2010. The GreenHouse festival attracted more than 250 scripts and 275 patrons to the Centene Center for the Arts in late June.
*Maplewood’s Turner Center for the Arts is celebrating its third year with a party from 5 to 8 p.m. July 24. The TCA is a low-cost open studio for people with developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injuries, emphasizing the creative process over technical abilities. “Everybody deserves the chance to explore their creativity through art,” said TCA Director Nate Larson. “We offer an affordable way for people with disabilities to experiment with art-making and to hone a personal style.” The Turner Center for the Arts is located at 3109 Sutton Blvd. For more information visit www.turnercenterforthearts.org.
*Dance St. Louis, along with DANCECleveland and Philadelphia’s Dance Affiliates, recently received a $120,000 grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for a pilot program to create a national network of dance-presenting venues. The “America’s Heartland Project” aims to expand the number of dance presenters in each of the three initial states, create new opportunities for dance companies to produce performances, provide mentoring for new dance venues and engage new audiences for dance.
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