Staff Picks

Staffpicks

Feb. 1-5
U of L production of ‘In the Blood’
“In the Blood” is a classically dark, vulgar and modernized reproduction of the struggles within an impoverished family’s life. It derives from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “A Scarlet Letter.”
Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama, reclaims Hester Prynne as Hester La Negrita, a homeless mother living under a bridge with her five children. Eager to restore her and her children’s lives, she struggles toward a dream of literacy. This was an obvious choice for the U of L African American Theatre department. “What drew me to this play is Parks’ ability to make us look past labels like ‘homeless’ and ‘illiterate’ and recognize human beings whose basic needs and desires are no different than our own,” said director Nefertiti Burton.
“In the Blood” questions the hierarchy of civilization and how those among us are disempowered and marginalized because of homelessness and reproductive rights. —Tytianna Wells
Thrust Theatre
2314 S. Floyd St.
852-6814
$10, $7 students; 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 3
‘Project Portal’ by Hexona
Smart artists doing smart art. That’s what you get with Hexona, an artist collective consisting of Tammy Burke, Nathan Hayden, Maiza Hixson, Bryce Hudson, Nico Jorcino and Cynthia Norton. In their group collaboration, “Project Portal,” they switched artistic identities with other group members. Are the results artistic confusion or insight into the creative process? Their hope was to achieve “one piece of any media which acts as a hybrid creation.” As seriously as this group take their art, they also have a sense of humor, so a good time was had by all. Go figure out who is who during the First Friday opening. —Jo Anne Triplett
Adorno Studio
2418 W. Main St.
767-8051
www.theadornostudio.com
Free; 5-9 p.m.

Feb. 3-4
Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase
It’s an annual event and still the best way to experience up-and-coming ballet performers and choreographers — that would be the Louisville Ballet Choreographers’ Showcase, which gives members of the ballet a chance to choreograph their own productions. Think of it as “fresh-brewed” ballet. The presentation will include all types of dance from classical to modern, and music from Mozart to Ben Folds Five and everything in between. The showcase was created in 1995, and the purpose from day one has been to give members of the ballet company a chance to hone their craft. What it means for the audience is a chance to experience ballet in a laid-back, intimate setting. There will be two Friday shows this year; the late show will also include wine tasting from Virgin Vines and a sampling of Tuaca Liquore Italiano and Amarula Cream. —Kevin Gibson
Louisville Ballet studio
315 E. Main St.
58-DANCE
www.louisvilleballet.org
$10; 7:30 and 10 p.m. (Feb. 3); 7:30 p.m. (Feb. 4)

Feb. 3-5
Producer presents ‘Loggerheads’
When the indy film “Loggerheads” opens this Friday at the Baxter Avenue Theatres, Hollywood producer Gill Holland will be in attendance to chat up anyone with questions or comments about the film, as well as advice about living in the Louisville area. Holland has recently gotten hitched with Louisvillian Augusta Brown, hence the move from Tinsel Town to Derby City. The film is written and directed by Tim Kirkman (“Dear Jesse” documentary) and stars Bonnie Hunt, Kip Pardue and Tess Harper. It’s a quaint story set on the shores of North Carolina, about the intertwined lives of a runaway son, the parents who refuse to reach out to him and a woman obsessed with finding the baby she was forced to give up when she was 17. —Sara Havens
Baxter Avenue Theatres
1250 Bardstown Road
456-4404
7 p.m. showing

Saturday, Feb. 4
‘Louisville Salutes Blue Apple’
Get ready to be entertained — and possibly to squirm in your seat a bit as well. Mayor Jerry Abramson and other Louisville mainstays will join the Blue Apple Players on stage for “Louisville Salutes Blue Apple on Broadway,” a fund-raiser for the company’s youth education program. The local “celebrities” will perform scenes from BAP productions of the past. Imagine: This could be a chance to see Abramson, Fox in the Morning show host Barry Bernson and LEO legend John Yarmuth as the three little pigs. Or perhaps we’ll get to experience Heather French Henry and jockey Shane Sellers presenting their interpretation of “Hansel and Gretel.” The possibilities are limitless. A cocktail party kicks off the evening, followed by the 8 p.m. show. At 9:30 enjoy cocktails and dessert with the cast as they bask in the afterglow of their stirring performances. (Get their autographs now, while they’re still reasonably grounded.) —Kevin Gibson
Brown Theatre
315 W. Broadway
587-7990
www.blueappleplayers.org
$60 single, $100 couple; 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4
Tribute to Bob Marley
Trenchtown is revisited when Club Sound of Music throws the “One Love Peace & Unity Celebration,” a tribute to Bob Marley. Before cancer silenced him, Marley took the third world by storm with revolutionary cries in his music. Rampant speculation about the true cause of his death continues today, though luckily, all you have to do is show up and listen. Courtesy of the World Force Reggae Band, Marley’s uplifting music is a great way to spice up your weekend. A culture buffet is included with admission, and DJ Selecta Siz spins in between sets of the legendary Rasta’s greatest hits. Enjoy some peace and laid-back music. —Matt Mattingly
Club Sound of Music
1138 S. Seventh St.
500-2009
$5 adv., $7 door; 9 p.m.- 4 a.m.

Through March 25
Willie Mays exhibit
Over the next 10 weeks, the Louisville Slugger Museum pays homage to Willie Mays with an exhibit that celebrates his 24 years of playing professional baseball. It includes 18 original pieces of artwork that cover the themes and visuals that made Mays’ career so amazing. Also featured in the exhibit are artifacts from Mays’ playing career, including his Silver Bat Award from the legendary 1954 season — remember “The Catch”? And if for no other reason, this show is a great way to keep up on your baseball trivia. For example, what professional team — and it’s not the Giants — did Mays play for first? —Jonathan Frank
Louisville Slugger Museum
800 W. Main St.
588-7228
www.sluggermuseum.org
Free w/ admission ($9); times vary

Ongoing
Stolen art
Art from the Crescent Hill and Clifton neighborhoods has been stolen during the last few months. After 20 years on display, four metal sculptures by Craig Kaviar were stolen from the sculpture garden outside his studio on Jan. 18. He is offering a $1,000 reward for “Seven Sisters,” “Armory Sphere,” “Love is the Way” and “Ode to Calder.”
“The Dancing Baobabs,” an oil painting by Kelly McCarthy-Kenning, was stolen off her front porch in November. While this was a new painting of trees, she had placed works of art on her porch for years without incident.
If you have any information, please call the telephone numbers below, or the Louisville Metro Police at Crime Stoppers at 582-2583 or the Tip Line at 574-LMPD. —Jo Anne Triplett
Kaviar Forge & Gallery
1718 Frankfort Ave.
561-0377

Kelly McCarthy-Kenning
223 S. Hite Ave.
644-3176

This article appears in January 26, 2006.