This weekend kicked off the Ann Katz Festival of Books at the JCC and the Spirit & Place Festival. Did you catch any of those events?
As for me, I attended a workshop-ish read of Actors Theatre of Indiana's developing Hoagy Carmichael musical (Rule of thumb in life: Take any opportunity to hear "Skylark") and opening night of "Mary's Wedding" at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.
On the way to the IRT, I did some First Friday gallery hopping with a stop at the Arts Council of Indianapolis' Gallery 924, featuring the 6th Annual IDADA Members Exhibition. Question: What do you think of the Arts Council housing a gallery of its own?
There was also time for a visit to the Harrison Center for the Arts where the work (lots of it) of Kyle Ragsdale is featured through the end of the month (Yes, you can go to galleries other times besides the first Friday of the month).
In one of the three Ragsdale-devoted spaces, his paintings are presented in conjunction with photographs by Paul Baumgarten and text by John Beeler, Tyler Henderson and Cindy Ragsdale. All are featured in "Share, Half-Share," a booklet created for the Indiana Humanities Council's Food for Thought program.
My own thoughts on some of the above in later blogs and columns.
In the meantime, what did you see, hear or otherwise experience this weekend?
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On Sunday afternoon I saw and LOVED "The Belle of Amherst" starring Carrie Schlatter as American poet Emily Dickinson at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. My detailed thoughts on this one-woman show are up on my blog now. The show has only a two-weekend run, so next weekend is your last chance to see it.
On Sunday night I lucked out and was able to scoot in to see the final Indianapolis performance of "Dreamgirls" at the Murat Theatre. I was sick earlier in the run, when I first planned to see it. I am very glad I got to see this show. I will write more about it on my own blog soon.
Of the books and ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) I've read recently, my favorite is a novel called The Radleys, by Matt Haig. It will be published by Free Press, a division of Simon&Schuster, on December 28, 2010.
It is a vampire novel unlike any other. A seemingly ordinary family living in a small town in modern-day England is actually a family of "abstaining" vampires - i.e., the parents do not drink either human or vampire blood. Their teen daughter and son do not know about their heritage until one night a boy attempts to rape the daughter and her fangs appear to help her defend herself.
This is definitely an adult book in that it is about the parents' marriage and thoughts of infidelity, but it is also about the teens' coming of age. I think both teens and adults will enjoy the adroit juxtaposition of the sharp "practicing" vampire culture with the bland "abstaining" vampire culture within one British family.
Hope Baugh
Indy Theatre Habit