Although the holidays have passed and the weather can be unpredictable, Jacksonville is offering some pretty spectacular arts events warm up your soul.
Our Town Books and Playhouse On The Square are teaming up to celebrate the birth of the national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns. At 7 p.m. on the evening of January 23, the birthday festivities will include: scotch, haggis, bagpipes, poetry, music, and mens’ knees! The event will begin at the bookstore and continue by walking two doors down to Playhouse for the conclusion of the celebration. This event is free!
The classic play, The Glass Menagerie, by Tennesse Williams, is coming to Jacksonville for four performances only on January 24, 25 and 26 at 7:30 and the 25th at 2. This is the autobiographical, “memory”, play that catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame in one fell swoop. It’s the story about a young man and his introverted and sickly sister, Laura, trying to find their place in the world and look to a future while breaking free from their histrionic and fading southern belle of a mother. Amanda is determined to find her daughter a suitor and enlists Tom’s help by having him bring by an acquaintance from work to “call on” Laura. All the while, Tom’s escape plan is already begun and soon he will abandon both his mother and his sister. The “gentleman caller” comes, but all is not as it appears, and Laura returns to her obsession with her glass menagerie of figurines. Rich McCoy directs some of our areas finest actors: Sherri Mitchell as Amanda, the mother who’s devotion has become almost “hateful” and resentful; Geoff Leathers as Tom, the frustrated poet who feels burdened by his family and longs to escape; Sissy Brown as Laura, Tom’s older sister who is almost incapacitated by her fraility, her inferiority complex, and has isolated herself from the outside world; and Chris Profitt, the “gentleman caller” Jim, who is kind to Laura and gives her an evening to remember. Tickets may be purchase in advance at Our Town Books or by calling 217-491-3977.
Don’t let the weather keep you from any of our wonderful arts opportunities in Jacksonville!
