THURSDAY, March 17
FAMILY
Home Sweet Home: Students at Western Albemarle High School present Mountain Home: A Drama in Poetry. Written by their teacher, Susan Hull, the play portrays the 1930s relocation of mountain families to create the Shenandoah National Park. 8pm. Free. Rt. 250 west. 823-8700.
Tales for Tots: The 5 and under crowd can hear picture book favorites about St. Paddy's Day at Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. 10:30am. Free. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-6598.
WALKABOUT
Po-tato, Pot-a-to: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a baked potato, winery tour, and tasting at First Colony Winery. Noon-5pm. $8, reservations recommended. 979-7105.
Helping Hands: The Sexual Abuse Resource Agency (SARA) sponsors an eight-week group for survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Pre-registration and pre-group meeting required. No fee. 5:30-7pm Thursdays through May at the SARA Offices, 1013 Little High St. Info: Pam Morgan at 295-7273.
Feds Confab: Brenda Walsh, nurse supervisor for Hospice of the Piedmont, speaks at the monthly meeting of the National Active & Retired Federal Employees Chapter 135. 11:30am at Golden Corral on 29 North. 293-3170.
Salsa Night: Beginner's salsa class. 8pm. $6. Satellite Ballroom, 1427 University Ave. behind Michael's Bistro. (no tennis shoes) Info: Oscar 434-825-7115.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: Don't cry, Charlottesville– one of Live Arts' most daring attempts at theater is here. Evita, the classic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber (with lyrics by Tim Rice), re-creates the life of that Argentine demigoddess Eva Perón. 7:30pm. Live Arts DownStage, 123 E. Water St. $10-17. 977-4177.
A King and No King: Written by Shakespeare groupies who dominated the theater scene in London after his retirement, A King and No King is a fantastical, dark comedy the bard could appreciate. Fairy-tale settings with triumphant and defeated kings, sensational plot twists, mistaken identities and (almost) accidental incest– it's all there in two hours' traffic. Opening night. 7:30pm. Attend a pre-show lecture at 6. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. Pay what you will. 540-885-5588.
The Dining Room: The Tandem Friends School presents this A.R. Gurney play "on the decay of WASP culture." Eleven actors play 50 roles in a mosaic of scenes that expose the desperate attempts of white Americans to preserve their power and dignity while keeping up appearances. 7pm. Tandem Community Hall, 279 Tandem Lane. 296-1303x237.
Far Away: There's a chill in the air at auntie's house, where Joan is sleeping over. From this simple start grows a sinister tale from Britain's master dramatist of the cautionary, Caryl Churchill. Sure to be among the most chilling nights you'll ever spend in a theater. Preview night. 8pm. Live Arts UpStage, 123 E. Water St. $10. 977-4177.
Make It Up: Whole World Theatre puts on a Live Improv Comedy Show at The Garden of Sheba every Thursday night. 8-10pm. $6. Live reggae following show. 466-9574.
WORDS
Nuclear Future: An industrialist, a scientist, and an environmentalist discuss the risks and benefits of nuclear power in a panel sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Law Forum. 4:15pm. Caplin Pavilion, UVA Law School, .
Ask and Tell: Mark Brostoff, career counselor at Indiana University, comes to UVA to discuss "Gay Lives, Straight Jobs," describing how the work environment is changing and how LGBT students can navigate the scene. 5:15pm. Recruiting Room, Bryant Hqall at Scott Stadium, UVA. , career.virginia.edu/.
Earth Rhythms: A Poetry Reading with Lisa Russ Spaar (Blue Venus) and Stephen Cushman (Cussing Lesson), with special poetry performance by Annie Finch (Calendars) and Tim Seibles (Hammerlock) at the Prism. Free, 6pm.
TUNES
"Emergency Musical Theatre" featuring Stratton & friends at Atomic Burrito. Free, 10:30pm.
Karaoke Night with DJ Wild Wes at Buffalo Wild Wings. Free, 9pm.
Dance Music with 5 Star D.J. Express at City Limits (formerly Charley's). Free, 9pm.
Danny Beirne (piano-man) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.
Karaoke Night at Damon's Sports Bar. Free, 9-12am.
Chicken Head Blues Band at Dürty Nelly's. $5, 9pm.
King Golden Banshee (traditional Irish music) at Fellini's No. 9. No cover, 7pm.
Whole World Theater presents Live Improv Comedy at Garden of Sheba. $8, 8pm.
Reggae Sound System with Culture Biff at Garden of Sheba. No cover, 10pm.
The Vulgar Bulgars and The Marzaks at Gravity Lounge. $5, 7pm.
Sesshin with James McLaughlin (jazz) at Michael's Bistro. Free, 10pm.
Thompson / D'earth and friends (freeform jazz) at Miller's. $4, 10pm.
Fletcher Bridge at Outback Lodge. $5, 10pm.
Satisfaction with Noel Sanger (18 and up dance party) at Rapture. $3/Ladies free, 10:30pm.
Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm.
Salsa Night at Satellite Ballroom (behind Michael's Bistro). $6, 8pm. No tennis shoes.
Old Crow Medicine Show (bluegrass) at Starr Hill. $14/$12, 8pm.
FRIDAY, March 18
ART
Flowers in the Desert: Hunter Drohojowska-Philp offers a lecture, "Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O'Keeffe." Campbell Hall, Room 158. 10am.
WALKABOUT
Rat-a-Tat: Children 12 and older are invited to join master musician Darrell Rose for a workshop on West African drumming, the history of the drum and the dances it accompanies. Better Than Television. 7-8:30pm. $10 suggested donation. Drum Circle to follow, free and open to all. Bring your shakers, triangles, dancing shoes, and friends! 106 Goodman St. A3, 295-0872.
Senior Sale: Shop three huge rooms of furniture, electronics, books, jewelry, housewares, linen, art, and more at the Senior Center Spring Yard Sale. All proceeds benefit the Center. 8:30am-4:30pm. 1180 Pepsi Place, at the corner of Greenbrier Drive across from Rosewood Village. 974-7756.
An Evening with James Bond: Step into the life and excitement that is James Bond right here in Charlottesville at the Alzheimer Association's annual benefit. Enjoy a martini, and then mix, mingle, and dance the night away. 7pm-midnight. $125 per person. Farmington Country Club. 973-6122 or .
Women's Retreat: Spend the weekend examining the power of spiritual stories with Jalaja Bonheim at Sevenoaks Pathwork Center. This two-day workshop runs from 7:30pm Friday until 2pm Sunday. Info: 540-948-6544 or sevenoakspathwork.org.
Mountain Morning: Join a Wintergreen Nature Foundation naturalist for an interpretive hike through the mountains of Wintergreen. Moderate difficulty. $3 members, $6 non-members. 10am. 325-7451.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: See Thursday, March 17. Tonight's show is at 8pm.
The Dining Room: See Thursday, March 17.
Taming of the Shrew: Long seen as the ultimate battle of the sexes, this robust comedy is just as much an illustration of how nonconformists can outwit society. Shenandoah Shakespeare blends romance and outlandish farce to give us a story of psychological liberation. 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. $14-26. 540-885-5588.
1776: Watch local actors with Four County Players relive the struggle for unanimity among the several colonies and poke fun at Mr. Adams in this witty musical on the crafting of the Declaration of Independence. 8pm. Barboursville Community Center, Barboursville. $10-14. 540-832-5355.
Prospect Dance: This local innovative troupe presents a studio show of new works, featuring Dinah Gray, Nancy Payne, and Ashley Thorndike, with new music from Bart King, Loren Ludwig, and Peter Swendsen. 8pm. Studio 11, McGuffey Art Center, 201 2nd St. NW. $10; reservations recommended. 295-7973.
Contra Dance: The Albemarle Chapter of the Country Dance & Song Society hosts its monthly hoedown with live traditional music from Fridley's Gap (Mike Williams on fiddle, Judy Chaudet on banjo, Jim Scott on guitar, "Two Gun" Terry on bass and Buck Smith on mandolin). Denise Lair calls the steps. 8-11pm, free workshop at 7:30. Municipal Arts Center, 1119 Fifth St. Ext. $7; under 12 free. contracorners.com.
FAMILY
Football Friday: UVA football favorites Marques "Biscuit" Hagans and Wali Lundy come to the Virginia Discovery Museum to give away signed footballs and shake little hands. Families who join or renew their membership get a special photo with the players. 3-5pm. East end of the Downtown Mall. 977-1025.
Star Struck: The view is out of this world at Public Night at McCormick Observatory from 7-9pm (weather permitting). UVA's research telescopes on O-Hill will be pointed heavenward, and Astronomy Department staff and students will be on hand with a slide show and answers to starry questions. Free. McCormick Rd. 924-7494.
Ready or Not: Spring arrives at 7:33am Eastern time on Sunday, March 20. In the Science Museum of Virginia's interactive planetarium show LiveSky, visitors can find out how we know this and more about the vernal equinox. 6pm. Afterward, visitors are invited to join members of the Richmond Astronomical Society on the museum's front lawn at 8pm and take a gander at the spring sky through their telescopes. Free. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727. smv.org.
WORDS
Equal Opportunity: Columbia University's Robert Lieberman talks about "Private Power and American Bureaucracy: The EEOC and Civil Rights Enforcement." Lunch included at no charge, but reservations are required. 12:15pm. Miller Center, 2201 Old Ivy Road. 924-4694.
Signing and Singing Statler: Grammy Award winning Don Reid, member of Staunton's Statler Brothers, reads from and signs his books Heroes and Outlaws of the Bible and Sunday Morning Memories. Splintered Light Books 128 Chancellor St. 6pm.
Sign Right Here: Scott K. Liddell talks about "Directional Signs and Meaning in American Sign Language" at the annual ASL Deaf Culture Lecture Series Event hosted by the UVA ASL Program. Interpreter services provided. 2-4pm. Minor Hall Auditorium, UVA. 924-6737 or .
Health Histories: Dr. Ian Deary from the University of Edinburgh presents "A Lifetime of Intelligence: Following up the Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947" as part of the Virginia Institute on Aging's distinguished speaker series. 3:30pm in the Old Medical School Auditorium. No fee. 243-5327 or Virginia.edu/aginginstitute.
Pei It Forward: Chien Chung Pei, son of the world-renowned architect I. M. Pei, lectures on the recent work of the Pei Partnership Architects. 5pm. 153 Campbell Hall, UVA School of Architecture. .
TUNES
Jeanette Williams Band at the Prism: Hard driving bluegrass from southside Virginia comes to the Prism, fronted by vocalist and bass player Williams, as well as guitarist Johnny Williams, Stephen Fraleigh on fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, and Marsha Bowman on banjo and mandolin. $15/$12, 8pm.
Second Annual Battle of the Bands at Rapunzel's: Rapunzel's offers up some of the best local talent in a contest that offers cash and prizes. Three songs each, judged by audience approval and overall presentation. $5, 7:30pm.
Peyton Tochterman and Men from Glad at Shebeen: Jazz and bluegrass, folk and pop, Tochterman's new album The Personals is a bit of everything, performed by some of the best musicians in town, many of whom play in the Men from Glad. Free, 10:30pm. See Tunes feature.
The Ryegrass Rollers (traditional Irish music band) at Odell's. 212-214 N. Main St., Gordonsville. $5. 8pm.
Headings & Daggett (djs) at Atomic Burrito. Free, 10:30pm.
Pete and Lindsey Osborne (folk singer/songwriters) at Basic Necessities. No cover, 6:30pm.
Nostalgia - Music from the '70s, '80s, '60s with DJ Frank Rivera at Club 216. Free, 10pm.
Borderline at City Limits (formerly Charlie's). Free, 9pm.
Morwena Lasko and Jay Pun (acoustic guitar/fiddle duo) at Garden of Sheba. No cover, 8pm.
The Beetnix and The Hardheadz at Garden of Sheba. $5, 10pm.
Greg Howard and many friends including Dawn Thompson, John D'earth, and Jamal Milner at Gravity Lounge. $8, 8:30pm.
Vernon Fisher ("romantic side of jazz") at Keswick Hall. No cover, 6:30pm.
Max Collins at Jaberwocky. No cover, 10pm.
Modern Groove Syndicate at Miller's. $3, 10:30pm.
Toots and the Maytals and Ready Steady Go at Starr Hill. $20/$18 advance, 9pm.
Virginia Coalition with Monticello Road and Sparky's Flaw at Satellite Ballroom at Plan 9 on the Corner. $10 advance, $12 door. 9pm. Allenby.com.
SATURDAY, March 19
ART
Not Just Scrapbooks Anymore: The contemporary art of collage is explored in the UVA Art Museum's exhibition, "Beyond Collage," currently on display. Here a gallery talk by Rebecca Schoenthal at 2pm. UVA Art Museum, Rugby Road, 924-3592.
WALKABOUT
Trail-building Day: Get down and dirty with the Nature Conservancy and the Outdoor Adventure Social Club, learning how to properly create and maintain a trail. 9am. Fee, plus club membership. 760-HIKE or outdoorsocial.com for info.
Run For Life: Support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by running the 11th-annual Zeta Tau Alpha Run for Life 5k. 10am start. $12 pre-registration, $15 on race day. or runforlife5k.org.
Hell No, Don't Go: Increased military recruitment, the selective service, and conscientious objection are the subjects of a summit sponsored by the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice and the Charlottesville Friends Meeting. 2-4:30pm. Murray High School, 1200 Forest St.
Pinot Grigio Celebration: Dive into the world of Pinot Grigio at Barboursville Vineyards. Enjoy select appetizers from Palladio Restaurant paired with local Pinot. 10am-4pm. $12/person. No reservations required. 540-832-3824 or barboursvillwine.com.
Pathwork Workshop: Explore images of the sacred feminine with well-known ceremonialist Jalaja Bonheim at the Sevenoaks Pathwork Center. 7:30pm. 540-948-6544 or sevenoakspathwork.org.
StreamWatch Workshop: Learn the fundamentals of stream monitoring at this training session that offers both lecture and field training. 10am-4pm at the Ivy Creek Natural Area. No fee. Contact John Murphy at 923-8642 or .
Afton Open House: Learn about Afton's new 2004 white wines and enjoy complimentary soup at the spring Open House. 10am-6pm. No fee. 540-456-8667 or aftonmountainvineyards.com.
Saturn in the Sky: The Charlottesville Astronomical Society convenes at Ivy Creek Natural Area for a public observation session of Saturn's confluence with the Moon. All are welcome. UVA's Ed Murphy is on hand to discuss Saturn and the Cassini Mission. 7pm. No fee. or cvilleastro.org.
Democratic Breakfast: Ethicist William May, a former member of the Presidential Council on Bioethics, discusses his most recent book, The Beleaguered Rulers: The Public Obligation of the Professional at the monthly Albemarle/Charlottesville Democratic Breakfast. 9:30am. Jefferson Area Board for Aging, 674 Hillsdale Drive. No fee. The general public is welcome. or 971-8082.
Saturdays in the Garden: Learn the ancient art of apple plant grafting at this two-hour workshop at Monticello. 9:30am. $10, pre-registration required. Meet at the Garden Shop. 984-9822.
Senior Sale: See Friday, March 18.
Signs of Life: Hub Knott of Living Earth School searches for signs of wildlife activity along the trails at Ivy Creek Natural Area. Nature lovers of all ages can learn to read the story of animal life in the landscape. Meet at the barn. 9am. Free. Earlysville Road. 973-7772.
WALKABOUT AND FAMILY
Kids Fish: Bring the whole family out for this carnival of fishing sponsored by Graves Mountain Lodge, Trout Unlimited, and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. 9am-4pm. No fee, and no license is required for kids 12 and under. On the Robinson River near the junction of Route 643 and Route 600 in Syria. 540-923-4231 or gravesmountain.com.
Red Hot & Green Gala/ Silent Auction. Salsa from DJ Art B, homemade empanadas and other tasty hors d'oeuvres and desserts, and goodies up for grabs under the gavel of auctioneer Norman Dill make the Waldorf School's fundraiser a funraiser too. 7:30pm. Michie Building 609 E. Market St. (old Live Arts Space). Tickets $25 or $35/pair at the door. $20 each or $30/pair in advance at the Waldorf School in Crozet or on Rio Road across from Pen Park. 823-6800..
FAMILY AND WORDS
Book It: The Virginia Festival of the Book hosts StoryFest, a celebration of all things literary for the little ones. See Family feature.
Theatrics: Marcia Silvermetz, author of Gertrude the Albino Frog, comes to the Virginia Discovery Museum for a little Festival of the Book fun. See Family feature, page 51.
Swap Meet: Kids up to age 18 can bring their used books to Oakley's Gently Used Books and trade them for new-to-you volumes at the 10th Annual Kids Book Swap. Young readers can meet other kids who love to read, find out what other kids are reading, and take home as many books as they brought. It's part of the Virginia Festival of the Book, and it's free. 11am-3pm. York Place on the Downtown Mall. 977-3313.
FAMILY
Challenges: The Parent Center offers something for everyone in a workshop for parents and educators– and puppets and play for the kids. See Family feature, page 51.
The Sky is Falling: Chicken Little joins her friends from Aesop's Fables in a collection of puppet performances at the Old Michie Theatre. Author/comedian and improvisation actor Duncan Gale brings to life the classic tales of the Lion and the Mouse, the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, and Chicken Little for some humorous, but timeless, lessons. 11am, 2 and 4pm. $5. 221 E. Water St. 977-3690.
Grin and Bear It: Fans of the bear of very little brain can meet Pooh himself and hear stories about him and his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods at Barnes & Noble. Snack served. Noon. Free. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-6598.
Active Minds: Area students from kindergarten up take a journey of the mind at the Destination Imagination Regional Tournament taking place at Western Albemarle High School. Seventy-six teams of five to seven children each present their solutions to one of five challenges representing technical design and construction, theater arts and playwriting, invention, improvisational acting, and structural engineering. Competition starts at 9am. Free and open to the public. Rt. 250 west. 293-5332.
Behind Closed Doors: Visitors older than five are invited to walk through the "Employees Only" door for a special peek at the inner workings of Maymont's new Nature Center. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Register the day of the program. 1pm. $5. 1700 Hampton St., Richmond. 804-358-7166, ext. 333.
Wild and Wonderful: Visitors to the Science Museum of Virginia can join the first team to conquer Africa's wildest river in the new IMAX film Mystery of the Nile. More than a dozen explorers have died trying to complete the 3,250 mile journey from source to sea. In a really big way, viewers can feel like they too are facing class VI rapids, dangerous crocodiles, charging hippos, gunfire from bandits, malaria, and the fearsome Saharan sun. Starts today and runs through May 20. 2500 W. Broad St., Richmond. 800-659-1727. smv.org.
WORDS
Understanding Colombia: Amigos for Colombia host five specialists in areas of conflict at a half-day colloquium at the Miller Center. Topics include paramilitary demobilization, consequences of violence on economic growth, shaping forces of continuing violence, the narcotics trade, security issues, and US Policy toward Colombia. 2-5pm. 2201 Old Ivy Road. 242-4211.
WORDS AND PERFORMANCE
Keenan Lecture: Acclaimed playwright, composer and author Rupert Holmes will deliver the annual Lawrence R. Keenan address on drama at UVA this afternoon in conjunction with the Virginia Festival of the Book. Holmes's songs have been recorded by the likes of Britney Spears and Barbara Streisand, and appeared in movies like Shrek and The General's Daughter. 4pm; reception follows. Culbreth Theatre. Free.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: See Thursday, March 17. Tonight's show is at 8pm.
The Dining Room: See Thursday, March 17.
Taming of the Shrew: See Friday, March 18.
1776: See Friday, March 18.
Prospect Dance: See Friday, March 18.
Tamer Tamed: This is John Fletcher's hilarious sequel to The Taming of the Shrew, written 20 years after Shakespeare's play. Petruchio marries a second wife, who seeks revenge on behalf of Kate (and browbeaten women everywhere) by denying her husband earthly pleasures– a reversal of roles that recalls the sex strike in Aristophanes's Lysistrata. 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. $14-26. 540-885-5588.
TUNES
Chulrua at the Prism: Authentic Irish music for the weekend after St. Patrick's day with button accordion legend Paddy O'Brien, fiddler Patrick Ourceau, and singer/guitarist Pat Egan. $18/$15 advance, 8pm.
Mongrel at Rapunzel's: New band, established crew– folk, country-folk, folk-rock– at Rapunzel's. $5, 7:30pm.
The Free Bridge Quintet at Old Cabell Hall: First of a two-part tribute to "The Art of the Quintet." Twenty years of jazz quintets, from Parker to Gillespie to Davis. $10/$5 students, 8pm. 434.924.3984.
Robin Wynn at the Victory Hall Theater in Scottsville: Songsharing's Scottsville Community Music Series continues with local singer/songwriter Robin Wynn. Area musicians can also sign up for opening slots. $4, 7:30pm. 979-SONG.
Hillbilly Werewolf with special guests at Atomic Burrito. Free, 10:30pm.
Victor Cabas (blues) at Basic Necessities. No cover, 6:30pm.
Populist Dancing at Club Rio. $10, 9pm.
Open House: Divine, the dance event! with DJ Frank Rivera at Club 216. Free (membership not required), 11pm.
Borderline at City Limit's (formerly Charlie's). Free, 9pm.
Fulton Patrick and the Fulltones (blues) at Fellini's No. 9. $3, 10pm.
DJ Mighty Matt's R&B Old School Dance Party at Garden of Sheba. $8, 9pm.
Adam Smith at Gravity Lounge. $5, 3pm.
Jan Smith (sweet acoustic pop/country) at Gravity Lounge. $5, 8pm.
Balckacer at Jaberwocky. No cover, 10pm.
Vernon Fisher ("romantic side of jazz") at Keswick Hall. No cover, 6:30pm.
Indigo Girls at the Paramount Theater. $39.50 gold/ $35.50 silver/ $29.50 bronze, 8pm.
SUNDAY, March 19
PERFORMANCE
A King and No King: See Thursday, March 17. Today's show is a 2pm matinee.
The Dining Room: See Thursday, March 17. Today's show is a 2pm matinee.
1776: See Friday, March 18. Today's show is a 2:30pm matinee.
Prospect Dance: See Friday, March 18. Today's show is a 3pm matinee.
FAMILY
Think Summer: St. Anne's-Belfield hosts their 7th annual Summer Camp Fair showcasing 40 summer programs including overnight, day, and sports camps, academic programs, wilderness adventures, internships, and community service programs. 1-4pm. Free. 2132 Ivy Road. 975-4711.
New Borns: Maymont celebrates its newest spring chickens and other critters at Barn Days. Visitors can meet and feed the baby ducks and lambs. Tram rides, activities, and entertainment, too. Fees for activities. Proceeds benefit Maymont's Adopt-A-Living Thing program to feed and care for the 750 animals that live at Maymont Park Children's Farm. Noon-4pm. 1700 Hampton St., Richmond. 804-358-7166.
Mad as a Hatter: The children's department at Central Library has gone mad, and they invite kids of all ages to come celebrate spring as they listen to some wacky hat stories then have fun designing their own chapeau. 3pm. Free. Registration required. 201 E. Market St. 979-7151 ext. 3.
WALKABOUT
Bird Walk: Join Bill and Nancy Corwin from the Wintergreen Nature Foundation for a morning ornithology lesson at Lake Monocan. 8am. No fee. 325-7451.
Finding Your Roots: Becky and Henry Wilbur walk the trails at Ivy Creek Natural Area to identify native Virginia trees in winter. Participants use bark, branching, seed, and other clues and will receive a free copy of Trees of Virginia. 2pm. Free. Earlysville Road near the Reservoir.
Afton Open House: See Saturday, March 19. 10am-6pm. No fee. 540-456-8667 or aftonmountainvineyards.com.
WORDS
Big Bang Music: Central Virginia Secular Humanists presents Mark Whittle, UVA Astronomy prof, speaking on "Sounds from the Big Bang: The Music of Creation." Tune in to the first 100 million years of cosmic history, before any stars or planets had yet formed. 1:30pm. Northside Library, Albemarle Square. 974-4582.
Start Young: Surprised to learn that James Roebuck, the president of UVA's Student Council in 1970, was African-American? He knew the secret to future success, according to Dr. Bruce Bridges, who will discuss how black student leadership is the first step to lifetime accomplishment. Hear Bridges in UVA's Clark Hall, Room 108. 7pm. 924-7550.
TUNES
Violist Amandi Hummings at Old Cabell Hall: Director Amy Leung conducts the faculty and guest performer Hummings in a program that includes Brahm's "Viola Quintet in G major, Op. 111," "Folksongs for Voice and Guitar" by Britten and Seibery, and Hindemith's "Woodwind Quntet," performed by the Albemarle Ensemble. $10/$5 students, 3:30pm. 924-3984
Karaoke wuthTammy at City Limits (formerly Charlie's). Free, 7pm.
Plum Jam at Dürty Nelly's. Free, 4-7pm.
Evan Monk (jazz piano) at Fellini's No. 9. No cover, 6-9pm.
Malcom Holcombe and Brady Earnhart with Lander & Walcott at Gravity Lounge. $8, 7pm.
Reverend Billy C. Wirtz with Ralph "Honeyboy" Rush at the Live Arts Downstag. $15 advance at Sidetracks, Crystal Beings n' Things, or call 434-979-SONG, 2pm.
Barling and Collins at Miller's. No cover, 10:30pm.
Irish Music Session at Shebeen. No cover, 3-6pm.
Michael Tolcher with Rosavelt at Starr Hill. $10/$8, 8pm.
MONDAY, March 21
WALKABOUT
No Parkway, Yes Transit: Meet with others interested in walking and biking as ways to encourage sustainable development. 5:45pm at Better Than Television, 106 A3 Goodman St. in Belmont. No fee. 882-1069.
Senior Golf: The Charlottesville Senior Center's Golf Club meets this afternoon to get organized for the season. The club meets Wednesday mornings throughout the summer at Meadow Creek Golf Course. Today's meeting is open to anyone interested in playing. 1:30pm. Senior Center, Pepsi Place. 974-7756.
TUNES
Open Mic Night with Charles Davis at Baja Bean. No cover, signup 8:30pm/9pm.
The Rusticators at the Biltmore. No cover, 10pm.
Pool Tournament at City Limit's (formerly Charlie's). Free, 7pm.
Open Mic Night with Bennie Dodd at City Limit's. Free, 9pm.
"Emergency Musical Theatre" featuring Stratton & friends at Miller's. Free, 9pm.
George Melvin (piano merriment) at South Street Brewery. No cover, 7pm. See Music Review, page 49.
Early Day Miners at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. Free, 9pm.
Travis Elliott (pop) and John Figura at the Virginian. No cover, 10pm.
TUESDAY, March 22
WORDS
Buzz Through History: Oxford University's Stephen Mulhall, known for his work on film and philosophy, presents a series of three lectures today and the next two days at 5:30pm. The series title is "The Conversation of Humanity," and today's lecture is "Language, Philosophy and Sophistry: from Wittgenstein to Plato." Harrison/Small Library Auditorium, .
Celebrity Writer Arrives: Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours– bestseller-turned-Oscar-winner– visits the University tonight. He will read and speak at 8pm in UVA's Chemistry Auditorium. McCormick Road. 924-6675. See Words feature.
WALKABOUT
Back it Up: Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge offers 50 percent off the price of Plan B, known as "the morning after contraceptive pill" today as part of an awareness initiative for Emergency Contraception. EC is a special combination of birth control pills that– when taken within 72 hours of contraceptive failure or sexual assault– can prevent pregnancy. ppblueridge.org or 296-1000.
Inside Scoop: The League of Women Voters holds its general meeting and a discussion, "The Inside Scoop: Perspectives on Water and Solid Waste Decisions" with guest speakers Kendra Hamilton and Sally Thomas. Bring lunch, or order one for $8 from the League office (970-1707) or email by 5pm March 17. Noon. Monticello Event and Conference Center, 201 Monticello Road.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: See Thursday, March 17.
Interpretive Jazz: Jazz Interactions club member Fred Gruber presents a two-hour program on "The Great American Song Book, as Interpreted by Current Singers." Free. 7pm. President's Room, Colonnades Main Building. Barracks Road. 245-8984.
PERFORMANCE AND TUNES
Swedish Delight: Direct from an engagement at the Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera, Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Karneus visits UVA's Tuesday Evening Concert Series to perform works from Mozart, Mahler, Gluck, Rossini and others. $24-orchestra/$20-loge & balcony/$10-students, partial-view seats, and standing-room only, 8pm. Old Cabell Hall.
TUNES
Small Town Workers with Ross Copperman at R2.. This is the third of a four-week residency for Small Town Workers at R2. 18+, $3, 10pm
Karaoke Night (what you make of it) at Baja Bean. Free, 8pm.
Empower (Gay, bi, question young men ages 18 - 29) meets American Idol Night at Club 216. Free, 8-10pm.
Glen Mack (rock) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10:30pm.
Karaoke withTammy at City Limit's (formerly Charlie's). Free, 7pm.
Tom Proutt (country-folk) at Fat Daddy's. No cover, 8:30-11pm.
Banty Rooster (bluegrass) at Miller's. $3, 9:30pm.
$2 Tuesdays with Big Circle at Outback Lodge. No cover, 10pm.
Justin Wolf/Jay Purdy at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. No cover, 9pm.
Tuesday Evening Concert Series presents Katarina Karneus at Cabell Hall. $24-orchestra/$20-loge & balcony/$10-students, partial-view seats, and standing-room only, 8pm.
WEDNESDAY, March 23
ART
Tucker Box Tour: Enjoy a guided tour of current exhibitions at the Kluge-Ruhe aboriginal art museum followed by lunch in the gallery. Bring your own lunch or order one the day before for $7. 12:15-1:30pm. Reservations required. 244-0234 to reserve a space. 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place, off Route 250 East at Pantops. 244-0234.
PERFORMANCE
Far Away: See Thursday, March 17.
WORDS
Words Upon Words: Oxford University's Stephen Mulhall, known for his work on film and philosophy, presents a series of three lectures today and the next two days on the subject, "The Conversation of Humanity." Today's lecture is "Conversing about Conversation: Heidegger and Gadamer, Oakeshott and Rorty." 5:30pm. Harrison/Small Library Auditorium, .
Silicon Valley Unveiled: Historian Margaret Pugh O'Mara visits the Miller Center to discuss "Cities of Knowledge: Cold War Science and the Search for the Next Silicon Valley." 5:30pm. 2201 Old Ivy Road. 924-7263.
WORDS AND WALKABOUT
Mountaintops Besieged: Dave Cooper, engineer-turned-environmentalist, visits Charlottesville on his nationwide tour to raise awareness of the damage done by strip mining. 6pm. 153 Campbell Hall, UVA School of Architecture, 924-3715. See Walkabout feature.
WALKABOUT
Intro to Iyengar: This yoga style is excellent for beginners because it teaches a variety of different poses and works with the body's natural alignment. This Outdoor Adventure Social Club class offers individualized attention and a trained teacher. 6:30pm at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Charlottesville. $7 plus membership fee. outdoorsocial.com or 760-HIKE.
FAMILY
More Tales for Tots: The 5 and under crowd can hear picture book favorites about March weather at Barnes & Noble's preschool story time. 10:30am. Free. Barracks Road Shopping Center. 984-6598.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: See Thursday, March 17. Tonight's pay-what-you-will show is at 8pm.
Taming of the Shrew: See Friday, March 19. Today's show is at 10:30 school matinee.
Richmond Ballet: The Richmond Ballet brings its innovative work to Charlottesville this weekend offering something for everyone. Tonight's performance is designed for children. Thursday's show is a full-length program, including A Maiden's Hymn, with music by Schubert. Both shows are at 7:30pm. Main stage of the V. Earl Dickinson Building, Piedmont Virginia Community College. $5 for tonight's show; $10-17 Thursday. 961-5376. See performance feature.
WORDS AND TUNES
Corey on the Blues: Local blues brother Corey Harris broadcasts a show called "Blues Biology" as part of the UVA NewsMakers series tonight at 9pm on Channel 13, Charlottesville Public Access TV. 924-7550.
TUNES
Salsa night at Berkmar: Beginning and intermediate lessons offered from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Free, 8-10pm. 652 W. Rio Road. 975-4611.
Cheesy Trivia with M&M Express at Buffalo Wild Wings. No cover, 8:30pm.
Karaoke with Paul Seale at City Limits (formerly Charlie's). Free, 9pm.
Benny Dodd (rock covers) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.
Karaoke Night with Dave Harrington and Yellow Cab Karaoke at Damon's Sports Bar. Free, 9-1am.
Open Mic Night at Dew Drop Inn. No cover, 7:30pm.
Country Dance Night (couples and line) at Fry Spring Beach Club. $7/$4 students, lessons 7-8pm, dancing 8-11pm.
Peter Markush (piano) at Gravity Lounge. Free, 12:30pm.
Sparky's Flaw at Gravity Lounge. $5, 8pm.
The Mike Rosensky Jeff Decker Quartet (jazz) at Miller's. No cover, 9:30pm.
Stable Roots (reggae) at Outback Lodge. $5, 10pm.
Open Jam at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 7pm.
Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm.
Perpetual Groove, DJ Williams Projekt, and Max Collins at Starr Hill. $6, 8pm.
Jimmy O at the South River Grill in Waynesboro. No cover, 7:30pm.
Jim Davies (acoustic rock and blues) at the Virginian. No cover, 10pm.
Karaoke Night at West Main. No cover, 10pm.
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
FAMILY
Escapes: Northside Library celebrates the birthday of the world's most famous magician, Harry Houdini, born on this day in 1874. Participants can enjoy the magic of books and learn a trick or two. 4pm. Free. Registration required. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.
More Tales for Tots: See Wednesday, March 23.
PERFORMANCE
Evita: See Thursday, March 17.
Far Away: See Thursday, March 17. Tonight's show is at 7:30pm.
Taming of the Shrew: See Friday, March 18.
Richmond Ballet: See Wednesday, March 23 and Performance feature.
TUNES
Meet Vic: Flecktones bassist Victor Wooten stops by Plan 9's Albemarle Square location to greet fans and play a few tunes before his show later that night at the Paramount. 6pm. Free.
"Emergency Musical Theatre" featuring Stratton & friends at Atomic Burrito. Free, 10pm.
Karaoke Night with DJ Wild Wes at Buffalo Wild Wings. Free, 9pm
Danny Beirne (piano-man) at Coupe DeVille's. No cover, 10pm.
Dance Music with 5 Star D.J. Express at City Limits (formerly Charlie's). Free, 9pm.
Chicken Head Blues Band at Durty Nelly's. $5, 9pm.
James Leva with Megan Huddleston and the Weeki Wachi Springs at Gravity Lounge. $8, 8pm.
Greg Howard and James McLaughlin at Michael's Bistro. Free, 10pm.
Thompson / D'earth and friends (freeform jazz) at Miller's. $4, 10pm.
Victor Wooten (Flecktones bassist) at Plan 9 at Albemarle Square. No cover, 6pm.
Satisfaction with Noel Sanger (18 and up dance party) at Rapture. $3/Ladies free, 10:30pm.
Middle Eastern Belly Dance Class at Rapunzel's Coffee & Books. Free, 6:30pm.
Travis Elliott Band, Rana, and Army of Me at Starr Hill. $5, 8pm.
The George Turner Trio (jazz, Latin, funk, and originals) at Zocalo's. Free, 9pm.
ONGOING AND FUTURE
PERFORMANCE
Actors Lab: Drop in at Live Arts every Saturday morning to sharpen your acting skills. 10-11am. Next full session runs March 19 to May 7. Rehearsal Room A, Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. $15 for drop-ins; $200 for the eight-week session. 977-4177x100.
Play-Reading Series: Walk through the essential plays of theater history. Meets every third Sunday of the month. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. Free. 977-4177x100.
Practice Swing: The Charlottesville Swing Dance Society hosts weekly practice sessions for beginners and intermediates Thursdays. Singles and couples welcome. DJ takes requests. 7:30-9pm. Auditorium of the Albemarle County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road. Free. 980-2744.
Country Dance: Couples and line dancing at Fry's Spring Beach Club. Dance lesson Wednesday 7-8pm, dancing 8-11pm. $7, students $4. (students $2 every fourth Wednesday). 2512 Jefferson Park Ave. 977-0491.
FAMILY
Spelunking: The Virginia Discovery Museum goes underground with its latest Back Gallery exhibit Under the Earth: A Cave Exploration. Young children can squeeze through tiny spaces to explore caves and critters from deep inside the earth. Now through May 22. Included in the price of admission. East end of the Downtown Mall. 977-1025.
WALKABOUT
Deconstruct This: The Habitat Store seeks volunteers to help staff the retail store and to participate in a new deconstruction program. All proceeds from the Habitat Store benefit Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Charlottesville Area. Info: Daniel @ 293-6331.
Acupuncture and you: How does acupuncture help you, your symptoms, your issues? First Tuesday of every month. Free. 7-8pm. 1110 Rose Hill Drive, Suite 100. Reservations requested. 962-2770.
Come Clean: Drug addiction can leave an individual feeling helpless and out of control, especially family members and friends of an addict. Narconon Arrowhead can help. Narconon offers free counseling, assessments and referrals to rehabilitation centers nationwide. Call 1-800-468-6933 or log onto stopaddiction.com.
Nature Spirit: Spending too much time indoors under florescent lighting? Discover the spiritual side of Nature with NatureSpirit. Explore different earth-centered traditions of spirituality, meet friends, and find meaningful new ways to connect with Nature in your busy life. Meets the first Sunday of every month at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church. 6:30pm. , 243-6421, or naturespirit.info
Ninja Yoga: Toward a revolution of consciousness. Free yoga classes at 9:15am Thursdays. Bring a mat. Silent meditation 8am. Suitable for all levels of expertise. Free and open to the public at "Better than Television," 106 A3 Goodman St. 295-0872. Yoga classes also offered at the Downtown Library, Market St., at 5pm Thursday.
Glassy Classes: Among the weekend and weekday classes offered by the Glass Palette through March are kiln forming, fusing and slumping, glass jewelry with precious metal clay, and stained glass. Class sizes limited. Call 977-9009 to register, or visit the shop at 110 Fifth St. NE on the Downtown Mall.
Early Music Meeting: The Shenandoah Recorder Society meets on the third Sunday of every month to discuss the recorder and early music in general. Open to all. For more information, call 295-1395.
ART
Mapping the Dark: Rosamund Casey offers and eight-week "unusual art class" that seeks to develop in students a capacity for visual thinking as a means to create an authentic work of art. Begins April 5. Tuesdays, 10am-12:30pm and 6:30-9pm. $210. rosamundcasey.com or 293-8733.
ART LIST
Piedmont Virginia Community College features painter Vidu Palta's "Cat and Mouse" and painter Nancy Galloway's "Poppy 1." The exhibitions will be on view through March 23. V. Earl Dickinson Building. 961-5203.
Second Street Gallery features two shows through April 16: "Thread Through the Crowd: Stitched Drawings and Collages by Darrel Morris" provides fiber for the art diet in the main gallery; and "Skin the Rabbit: A Mixed Media Installation by Lucy O'Connell" reflects childhood memories in the Dové Gallery. 115 Second St. SE. 977-7284.
During March, the McGuffey Art Center presents "Order and Character," botanical watercolors and ink drawings by Lara Call Gastinger, in the main gallery. On view in the first-floor hall gallery: Judy McLeod's "Espacios Dorados," a collection of ornate mixed-media interiors, plus painter Jean R. Sampson's creations of order from chaos, "Breakthrough." Upstairs, enjoy an annual fix of hometown perspectives with "C2D-2005: Charlottesville in 2D, Views of the City." 201 Second St. NW. 295-7973.
The University of Virginia Art Museum presents "Lincoln Perry: Mining the Collection," an exhibition about artistic influence curated by painter Lincoln Perry (but not featuring his paintings). The museum also whoops it up with "Punch Line: Six Centuries of the Comic and the Grotesque in Prints, Drawings, and Photographs from the Collection," which will run through April 30. Also on view: "After Collage," a show of mixed-element work by contemporary artists, including John Baldessari, Katherine Porter, and Frank Stella, which continues through August 27. 155 Rugby Road. 924-3592.
Les Yeux du Monde features, "Natural Histories: Egypt and Amazonia," paintings by UVA art professor Elizabeth Schoyer, on view through March 26. 115 S. First St. 973-5566.
The University of Virginia McIntire Department of Art presents "Colonies and Cultures: New Work by Christina Nguyen Hung," an exhibition of digital prints of sociopolitical maps created via living bacterial colonies (yes!), on view at the new Off Grounds Gallery through February 28. 300 W. Main St. (entrance is on Ridge St.) 924-6123.
The 302 inaugurates its space with "Travel Details," photographs by Eric Norcross, and "Paintings" by Edward Thomas. 300 W. Main St. (above the UVA Off Grounds Studio). 924-5405.
The Main Street Market Galleria displays "Basics," paintings by Doris deSha, through March. 416 W. Main St. 244-7800.
Chris Mason displays new work at Mudhouse during March. 213 W. Main St. 984-6833.
Transient Crafters presents the handcrafted jewelry of Tavia Brown March. 118 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 972-9500.
New Dominion Bookshop features Nancy Campa's painting exhibition, "Then and Now," on its mezzanine during March. 404 W. Main St. 295-2552.
If you like what you see at McGuffey, wander down to Fellini's #9 and enjoy more paintings by Jean R. Sampson through March. Corner of Market and Second St. NW. 979-4279.
During March, The Charlottesville Community Design Center presents an exhibition of entrants in the C2C Home design and construction competition, which address specific sites in Roanoke using "Cradle to Cradle" concepts. 101 E. Main St. 984-2232.
Slated to coincide with the Virginia Festival of the Book, Nature Visionary Art displays Terri Long's "Festival of the Altered Book" through March. Long and collage artist Rhonda Roebuck, discuss altered books and present an expanded display at 1:30pm on March 20. 110 Fourth St. NE. 296-8482. See Art feature.
CODG's March show, "New Works," features the paintings of Leslie Allyn. 112 E. Main St., under the Jefferson Theater. 242-4212.
The C&O Gallery offers "Recent Work," flower paintings and lush still lifes by Jessie Coles during March. 511 E. Water St. (next to the C&O Restaurant). 971-7044.
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church presents "Our Town," a show of landscapes by Isabell Ramsey's Bake Butler Elementary School students. 717 Rugby Road. 977-5411.
The 5th Floor Gallery at Keller Williams is currently showing explorations of realism by painter Tom Tartaglino, paintings of Italy by Doris daSha, and photography by Candace Schoner. Ten percent of proceeds from artwork sold goes to Habitat for Humanity. Suite 500, Citizens Commonwealth Building (UVA Credit Union), 300 Preston Ave. 220-2200.
Through April, Angelo displays recent works in oils by Stanley Woodward. 220 E. Main St. 971-9256.
The Kluge-Ruhe Collection of Aboriginal Art features "Fibre Optics: Woven Work in Aboriginal Art." Also on view: "Small Wonders: Aboriginal Art Miniatures." Both shows run through April 16. 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place (off Route 250 East at Pantops). 244-0234..
For its March show, The Gallery @ 5th & Water displays the rich local landscapes of Meg West. 107 Fifth St. 979-9825.
For the month of March, Sage Moon Gallery presents Milenko Katic's equine drawings and paintings in charcoal and pastel, plus Al Francis' stone sculptures. 420 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 977-9997.
During March, Industry features "Distant Testimonies," acrylic paintings by favorite local art maverick Monty Montgomery. 112 Second St. NE. 293-3338.
Through April, the Central Virginia Watercolor Guild presents over 50 watercolors by Central Virginia artists in the basement and on the first floor of the Albemarle County Courthouse. 501 E. Jefferson Court Square. 296-8484.
View photographer Mary Jane Freligh's exhibition of black and white photography entitled "Mixed Subjects" at Art Upstairs during March. 316 E. Main St., above The Hardware Store, on the Downtown Mall. 923-3900.
The Laughing Lion Gallery offers a March show of Terrence Pratt's graphite on paper works entitled, "Portraits of Dancers." 103 E. Water St. (above Londons). 984-4000.
For the month of March, Bozart Gallery features "Breaking Patterns," a show of abstract mixed-media works by Ucky Light. 211 W. Main St. 296-3919.
Gravity Lounge presents "Reality Bites!," paintings by Lynn Jangochian, during March. 103 S. First St. 977-5590.
During March, Better than Television presents "Kids Art Show," featuring work by local children aged 12 and under. Tuesdays and Sundays, 4-9pm. 106 Goodman St., Apt. A3 (near Spudnuts). 295-0872.
L'étoile Restaurant displays paintings by local artists Barry Gordon, Malcolm Hughes, and Christian Peri. 817 W. Main St. (across from the Amtrak Station). 979-7957.
Radar
The Artisans Center of Virginia displays its "Artisans Members Exhibition" through April 27. Also on view during March: "Gifts from Nature," a display of willow furniture created by Dani Cage. 601 Shenandoah Dr. (Exit 94 off I-64), Waynesboro. 540-946-3294.
The Arts Center in Orange offers a major show of Outsider Art, feauring over 49 national artists. The exhibition runs through April 16149 E. Main St., Orange. 540-672-7311.
Through May 1, Barboursville's Nichols Gallery features "Three Views," landscape paintings by Ron Boehmer, Lindsay Nolting, and Priscilla Whitlock. 540-832-3565.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts displays "Selections: 20th Century Latin American Art in the VMFA Collection" through April 17. 200 N. Broad St., Richmond. 804-340-1400.
Washington and Lee University presents an exhibition of work by Anne Sherwood Pundyk, on display until June. Lexington. 540-458-8954.
Madison's Sevenoaks Pathwork Center features "Arising from the Unconscious," watercolors by Alegria Barbara Strauss, through April 23. 403 Pathwork Way, Madison. 434-295-8315.
Noon Whistle Pottery and Art Gallery presents an exhibition of three local landscape artists, Will Brown, Mark Collins, and Carol Weiss. Main Street, Stanardsville. 434-985-6500.
The Barn Swallow features pottery by Janice Arone and Mary Ann Burke, plus other handcrafted artwork. Route 682 off 250W. 434-979-4884.
Staunton's Painted Thunder Studios welcomes the work of equine artist Jennet Inglis. 19 W. Beverley St. 540-851-0864.
Staunton's Middlebrook Gallery offers contemporary art and fine crafts, including sculpture by Ken Smith. 5 Middlebrook Ave. 540-885-9955.
Other
Second Street Gallery invites students in grades 8-12 to participate in its "Young Writers Competition" by submitting prose or poetry in response to the artist's statement by Darrel Morris, whose work is on display through April 16. All entries are due at the gallery no later than 6pm, March 22. Winners receive gift certificates to local bookstores and a chance to read their works at the gallery. 115 Second St. SE in the City Center for Contemporary Arts. 977-7284.
The University of Virginia Art Museum's Volunteer Board invites area gardeners of all ages to create flower arrangements inspired by works in the museum for display in the annual "Flowers Interpret Art" exhibition, scheduled for April 20, 10am-5pm. To learn more about the program and to sign up, call Virginia Paul, at 974-6029.
The Scottsville Council for the Arts invites regional photographers to participate in its Photography Show, scheduled to run April 30-May15. An application form is available at the Council website: avenue.org/sca. Works should be submitted Sunday, April 24, 2-5pm in person at the Victory Hall Theatre, 401 Valley St. in Scottsville. For more information, contact Chris Hogger at
or 286-3179.
The University of Virginia Art Museum announces "Summer Arts @ the Ix," its creative programs for 4th-12th grade students. First session: July 18-22. Second Session: July 25-29. Students' art will be displayed August 16-24. Tuition: $220 for members; $255 for nonmembers. A limited number of full scholarships are available for students with financial needs. Info: Lili Grabbi at 243-6830 or .
ART FEATURE
Page turner: Making books into art
BY LAURA PARSONS
Nowhere are books more revered than in India. They are so sacrosanct, in fact, that a myriad of South Asian taboos regulate their treatment. Never put books on the floor. Don't stash shoes in a backpack containing books. And never ever stand barefoot on a stack of books to reach something high on a shelf. (Twenty-two years later, my ears still ring with the tongue-lashing I received for that particular transgression!)
Old-school Indian pundits would no doubt faint dead away if they happened upon Terri Long's exhibition "Festival of the Altered Book," currently on view at Nature Visionary Gallery. One look at Long's "Book Planters"– hollowed-out volumes filled with dirt and sprouting flowers– would be enough to convince them Long utterly lacks respect for books.
But they would be wrong.
Long loves books– just not for their orderly presentation of information; rather she's enamored with their aesthetic potential. For Long, books are troves of artistic material– from binding to illustrations– ripe for taking apart and reassembling in visually surprising ways. Words sometimes retain their meaning, although twisted from their original context. Other times, the printed letters become strictly graphic elements freed from linguistic connection.
A few of Long's pieces border on trite, their sassy-text-pasted-onto-retro-illustrations too closely resembling those '50s-style magnets and coasters available at Cha-Cha's. But even so, they are funny.
"Married Your Sister," features the inside of a book cover spread-eagled and plastered with garish romantic scenes: a girl languishes on a beachside rock while a Speedo-clad boy runs in the background; a brawny pioneer beams at his bonneted sweetheart. Over the beach image Long places excised text reading, "I loved your little sister/married her." Down the cover's spine, she pastes the faded title, "Fiction Lover's Library."
Several of Long's most interesting works venture into abstraction. Her "RD Quilt" assembles 20 covers from Reader's Digest Condensed and Best Loved Books (last seen gathering dust on your grandmother's shelves) into a patchwork that highlights the gorgeous patterned papers used to bind the books. The tomes' dark spines, embossed with golden rectangles, provide a recurring geometric chorus that unifies the piece.
Long even plays with our own childhood book taboo– coloring on the pages (you know you did it). In "Tolamy Scribble," she glues torn text into the contours of chaotic crayon marks, making the printed letters a part of the drawing and elevating the scribble from book violation to art.
Terri Long's "Festival of the Altered Book" is on view at Nature Visionary Art through March 31. Long, along with collage artist Rhonda Roebuck, will discuss altered books and present an expanded display at 1:30pm on March 20. 110 Fourth St. NE. 296-8482.
FAMILY
Total immersion: Kids have full day of book fun
BY LINDA KOBERT
The folks who bless us with the best book festival in the country are not about to send the kids to the sitter while their parents enjoy all the literary revelry. More than 90 events and activities for kids complement the more than 200 adult presentations over the five-day festival.
In addition to a host of terrific author events and workshops at nearly every school in the area, Saturday's StoryFest offers a full day's worth of bookish fun for the whole family with authors, storytellers, crafts, and lots of interactive activities for parents and children.
Valerie Tripp gets things off to a rousing start at 10am March 19. Tripp is the very popular author of many young adult novels in the American Girls collection. Young fans (who include boys, I'm told) can bring their dolls and meet the creator of the beloved characters Felicity, Josefina, Kit, and Molly. Lines will be long for this author's signature.
Cece Bell, author of Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie and Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood, reads from her playful books at 11am while her sidekick, Sock Monkey, dances with audience members. Joanne Gabbin and Margot Bergman, the author and illustrator team of I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum, read from this very special book and lead kids in the art of cutting paper dolls at 1pm.
Topics ranged from Chinese woodblock printing to pie-throwing dogs in this year's WHTJ/PBS Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest. More than 340 young people in grades kindergarten through third grade will receive a certificate of achievement signed by Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton at a public celebration at 10am at the Jefferson Theater. Winners will read their stories, too.
At the other end of the Downtown Mall, the Parent Center presents educator and author Barbara Kaiser leading a workshop, "Children's Challenging Behaviors in School" at 10am. While the grown-ups are there learning how to work together to deal with these challenges in elementary-age students, the kids can sing and play games with "The Happy Dragon," a puppet show with Carol Ziemer, starting at 9:30am.
Marcia Silvermetz's book Gertrude the Albino Frog and Her Friend Rupert the Turtle serves as the basis for dress-up fun as she and playwright Tim White take to the stage at the Virginia Discovery Museum to create a play with lots of help from the audience.
Lots more fun and games, stories and songs, prizes and surprises are in store for little literati throughout the day. A complete schedule of events is available at libraries around town and at the VA Book website.
All events are free. StoryFest headquarters is in the Charlottesville Ice Park Terrace Room off Water Street at the west end of the Downtown Mall. 924-3296. vabook.org. The Parent Center events take place at 501 E. Main St. at the east end of the Downtown Mall (just below Duplex copy and Visitor's Center). 817-1234. Jefferson Theater in the middle of the Downtown Mall. Ideastation.org. The Virginia Discovery Museum is on the east end of the Mall. 977-1025.
WALKABOUT
Stripping: Mountain removal devastates towns
BY TIM SPRINKLE
Anyone who's driven on Route 250 through Waynesboro has seen the big quarry operation eating the hill above the town. Likewise, down in Buckingham County, a kyanite mining operation just outside Dillwyn has devoured almost an entire mountain visible from Route 15.
But these operations pale in comparison to the mountaintop removal (strip mining) for coal-wreaking havoc in West Virginia and Tennessee.
It's not something we think about when we flip on a light switch here in the Piedmont, but the ever-increasing need for coal isn't lost on folks in the traditional mining areas of Appalachia.
Strip mining reduces the costs and risks associated with underground mining. But for some in the affected areas– areas buried under acres of waste gravel from the mining and faced with layoffs in traditional underground mining jobs– the associated environmental and social damage far outweighs the benefits.
This week, UVA's Students for Sustainable Communities sponsors a seminar with Dave Cooper, a former Kentucky engineer who, after seeing a mountaintop removal operation firsthand at West Virginia's Kayford Mountain, took up the cause of the workers in these ravaged towns.
The event is designed to spread the word about the practice of strip mining to the larger community, while educating people about what is happening to the mining regions of the Mid-Atlantic.
"From our experience, once people see what mountaintop removal mining looks like, their jaws just drop," says Christine Gyovai with the UVA group.
"People in Charlottesville and northern Virginia might not know much about it," says Gyovai, "but this is a very local issue in areas of Tennessee and West Virginia."
Cooper's talk includes a slide show on the impact that the practice has on coalfield communities, "featuring traditional Appalachian mountain music and shocking aerial photos of decapitated Appalachian mountains."
The "Moving Mountains" talk happens Wednesday, March 23 at 6pm in Campbell Hall, Room 153. The event is free and open to the public. See mountainjusticesummer.org for more information or call Christine Gyovai at 924-0285.
PERFORMANCE
Wow factor: Keeping dance fans on their toes
BY ROBERT ARMENGOL
I admit my paltry knowledge of ballet comes from the movie Billy Elliot, which is a great flick in case you haven't seen it. Born into a working-class family in a Scottish mining town, young Billy discovers his true calling in "the ballet"– and then has to break the news to his hyper-masculine brother and father while they're trying to make ends meet during a rancorous strike.
The movie toys with stereotypes and turns them on their head. Billy is straight, but his best friend, who has no talent for dance, isn't. Billy's father is stern and authoritarian, but it's the older brother who has the harder time accepting that the kid really has some moves.
What I learned from all this, especially, is that the ballet isn't for sissies. It's for dreamers, artists– and above all– athletes. Ballet dancers have astonishing strength, an uncanny sense of balance. Their training regime is arduous and the competition between them is sometimes cutthroat. But their work can soar into the divine.
So why bother with a movie? The Richmond Ballet is bringing the real deal to Charlottesville next week in the latest stop on its tour of the Commonwealth. Celebrating its 21st season, this professional troupe will stage some of its most innovative and acclaimed works at Piedmont Virginia Community College.
The troupe's dancers may also manage to inspire some local Billy Elliots. Its first local performance, Wednesday, March 23, will cater to a younger crowd. The format is short– just an hour long– and includes some time to explain the works and answer ballet questions from the audience.
"Are your toes made of steel?" "Where can I buy a leotard?" "Is the ballet really a hegemonic product of the West in which we read ourselves as sublimely civilized?"
Or you can just enjoy the full-length program the following night. The show begins with Bow Out, set to music from the Apollo Saxophone Quartet, and ends on Nuevo Tango, a local favorite during previous visits from the Richmond Ballet.
The featured performance, A Maiden Hymn, is the newest performance in the group's repertoire and the real reason to attend. Choreographed to Schubert's String Quarter No. 12 in D minor, this alternately frenzied and gentle piece contrasts two ways of seeing death in its opposition of two overarching melodies, one comforting and one cruel.
As Billy's father would say, nothing like the friggin' ballet.
On a tour of Virginia, the Richmond Ballet brings its innovative work to Charlottesville with one performance Wednesday, March 23, designed for children, and another the following night for everyone else. Both start at 7:30pm. Main stage of the V. Earl Dickinson Building, Piedmont Virginia Community College. $5 for Wednesday's show; $10-17 Thursday. 961-5376.
WORDS
Beyond Woolf: Cunningham reads new work
BY SUSAN TYLER HITCHCOCK
Usually a literary lull occurs in Charlottesville in the weeks surrounding the annual Festival of the Book. Not this year. But this year's different. On Tuesday, just two days after the last festival event, Michael Cunningham is coming to town.
Cunningham burst into the limelight with his 1998 novel, The Hours, an intricate reconstruction of Virginia Woolf's landmark novel, Mrs. Dalloway. The Hours fascinated serious readers and Hollywood producers, who cast a stellar trio– Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep– as the three-generation parallel universe in Cunningham's novel.
Cunningham's personal trajectory may not have predicted The Hours. Not much of a reader in his youth, he has often told reporters how the Woolf novel came into his life. Awed by "a very rough, difficult, slightly crazed girl with teased hair and long fingernails, who used to hang around behind the gym and smoke cigarettes," he took her suggestion and read Mrs. Dalloway.
"The book just nailed me," Cunningham told Publishers Weekly. "I've thought about it almost constantly ever since." He admired Woolf's ability to see and show depths of human experience in a short, simple slice of life.
After attending the famous MFA writing program at the University of Iowa, Cunningham had instant success publishing short stories in Atlantic Monthly and the Paris Review. Then he started getting rejections.
"I thought, I'm fast on my way to being a 50-year-old who once had a story in the Paris Review," he says. He quickly published a novel, Golden States, in 1984. He has said since he never liked that book.
But his next, A Home at the End of the World, wowed reviewers. In it, Cunningham plotted a course through the post-nuclear family: a household of three, a woman and two men, one straight and one gay, who were childhood friends. It became a movie last year starring Sissy Spacek.
A similar theme fueled Cunningham's next book, Flesh and Blood, in which four generations of a Greek-Italian-American family grapple with hints of incest, two generations coming out, a drug-addled sibling, a secret baby, and a transvestite partner.
Cunningham's next book, due out in June, follows a pattern similar to that in The Hours: three lives weave together through time– even 150 years into the future– linked by the poetic omnipresence of another literary icon, Walt Whitman. If we're lucky, Cunningham will offer Charlottesville a sneak preview next week.
Michael Cunningham reads and speaks in UVA's Chemistry Auditorium on Tuesday, March 22, at 8pm., McCormick Road. 924-6675.
TUNES
Cult tunes feature Personal best: Side project shines bright
BY MARK GRABOWSKI
Peyton Tochterman's new album, The Personals, is one of those pennies from heaven I dream about on Friday nights before the Saturday morning "What do I have to write about this week" deadline. Tochterman has made a disc that not only brings together top local talent, he also has imbued it with warm and catchy songwriting earmarking it for Charlottesville's "Best of 2005" list, as well as winning a coveted spot in my "regularly played" CD rack.
Tochterman is the guitarist and singer for the local bluegrass explosion Fair Weather Bums, a phenomenal group in its own right, so one would suspect that the musician's solo album and the group he has formed to play songs from it would be merely side projects. But this thought is immediately put to rest by a glance at part of Tochterman's supporting cast: John D'earth on trumpet, Pete Spaar on double bass, Tom Espinola on mandolin, and Jeff Saine on accordion.
Even if the music on the disc was performed by– rather than the local big names– street-walkers, circus freaks, or homeless veterans, the songs Tochterman has called forth from the ether are a mixture of whimsy and folk, jazz and bluegrass, with a nice helping of pop to hold it all together.'
The Personals starts off with "The Personals," and things sound promising from the first few measures of turntable scratching, metallic guitar picking, and quiet background congas. Half sung, half spoken by Tochterman, the song seems lifted from various selections from the "Glances" section of this very paper. The music here is a mixture of jazz and pop, D'earth's wailing trumpet providing most of the former, the song's main riff the latter.
"9/12" is a soft waltz on a hard topic– what could anyone do the day after the towers fell? Tochterman here sounds a great deal like Jay Farrar during his time with Uncle Tupelo (as well as his later work in Son Volt), both vocally and musically. Lines like "And they waited there in line to register and go out fighting" and "And their moms shipped them off like prized cattle to the slaughter" are contrasted by the song's protagonist, who goes fishing as his way of dealing with the feeling of helplessness.
"What A Life" is bluegrass, mouth harp and all, while "Woolly Mammoth" is a catchy little jazz ditty with lines like "Woolly Mammoth gets its name from the mammuthus Ma means earth…" with a playful vibe that recalls those ultimate jesters, They Might Be Giants
Peyton Tochterman and Men From Glad features John D'earth, Pete Spaar, James McLaughlin on drums, and Andy Thacker on mandolin, and of course Tochterman himself. The Personals is their repertoire. What a calling card it is.
Peyton Tochterman and Men from Glad perform at Shebeen, March 18. Free, 10:30pm.
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