7th annual festival has food, fireworks

From the Davidson College news office:

Davidson College students and faculty hope to spread good fortune with an evening of Asian culinary treats and dance performances in celebration of the Lunar New Year on Sunday evening, Feb. 18.

Members of the public are invited to attend this seventh annual celebration, which is sponsored by the East Asian Studies Program, the Asian Cultural Awareness Association (ACAA), and the Dean Rusk International Studies Program. There is no admission charge. For more information, call 704-894-2440. Read the full story

Developers of a new mixed-use project off South Main Street behind the Ice House are planning a lunch-hour open house Tuesday to begin marketing condos planned for the site.

The “grand opening” celebration is scheduled Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Davidson Ice House, South Main Street.

In an article in Monday’s Charlotte Observer, columnist Doug Smith reports that construction on the project is to begin in May and finish in 2008. The Lawrence Group, on Main Street in Davidson, is the project architect. Helen Adams Realty is handling marketing.
LINK: Monday, Feb. 12, Charlotte Observer, “Arts district getting more condos, shops,” CLICK HERE>

Stephen Greenblatt, author of the acclaimed “Will in the World” and founder of the “New Historicism” school of literary criticism, will give the keynote address Monday afternoon for this season’s Royal Shakespeare Co. residency at Davidson College.

The free public lecture, titled “Shakespearean Beauty Marks,” will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the college’s Lilly Family Gallery. Read the full story

Mixed-media artist James Denmark, who worked 42 years in New York before moving to South Carolina in 2001, will talk about how his work draws on the African-American experience at the February meeting of the Lake Norman Art League.

The meeting will be Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m., at Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St., in Davidson. It is free and open to the public. Read the full story

The Royal Shakespeare Co. continues to extend its involvement with the Davidson community beyond the stage this weekend by attending and hosting multiple events open to the public.

Tonight, Friday, Feb. 9, the on-campus E.H. Little Library exhibits associated with the RSC Residency open: “Aplactly Montes: The American South in Shakespeare’s Time – Maps from the Cumming Collection and Illustrations from the Rare Book Room,” and “Examples of Illustration of Pericles and The Winter’s Tale,” will be on display in the library through Feb. 18.

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Volunteers are needed Sunday to join a fix-up day at Fisher Farm, Davidson’s newest swath of parkland for mountain bikers and hikers.

The town has scheduled a trail clearing day for the recently-acquired 200-acre park on Sunday, starting at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers will need to sign a waiver and should expect a workout involving heavy lifting and bending. The town will supply some tools, but bring along your favorite clippers, shears and shovels. Volunteers should meet in the parking area at the end of the main entrance.

To reach the park, take East Rocky River Road past the River Run entrance and turn left on Shearer Road. Continue along Shearer to the park entrance on the left. For questions, contact Davidson Town Planner Lauren Blackburn at lblackburn@ci.davidson.nc.us

For more events … Read the full story

Want to see the Royal Shakespeare Co. at Davidson College, but blinking at the price of a ticket? You may be in luck.

The college said Thursday it will sell any remaining seats for each show at a reduced price — $20 — on the day of the show. The cut-rate deal begins with Friday’s performance of “Pericles.”

Above, a scene from “The Winter’s Tale,” at Davidson College Duke Family Performance Hall.

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Last night, I went to the Royal Shakespeare Co.’s first performance of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” at Davidson College. Three words sum it up: Oh My God!

As promised, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Any of the actors could easily win an Academy Award, tomorrow. The lighting, effects, staging, costumes, props, and live music are absolutely top-notch, clever, brilliant, and perfect. And that’s just the beginning.

The real experience is the Promenade setting, where the audience is packed on the stage and the performance unfolds in three dimensions around it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the audience greatly outnumbers the cast, so there’s no problem with “stage fright.” The audience fits in well. It’s all very casual, anonymous and constantly moving.

Michael Barnett (center of photo) is one of two Davidson youths sharing the role of Mamillius in “The Winter’s Tale.”

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