By Sean-Edward Hall
“Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall, is missing the best part of the whole year; for the gardening begins in January … with the dream!” – Josephine Nueuse
Some of you have the opportunity to make your musical dreams come true in January with the Jacksonville Symphony Society’s Talent Among Us competition. The competition is to provide a venue for regional emerging musical artists to showcase their talent and encourage them to continue to develop their musical talent. The objective is to provide a meaningful and competitive talent contest which will attract a significant local audience, qualified judges, and local/regional business sponsors willing to fund the event. Talent will be recruited from area schools and colleges as well as local adult performers. To enter into the competition, go to their website at www.jaxsym.com and click on the Talent Among Us link to download a copy of the entry form. Then, fill it out and submit it along with the non-refundable $35 entry fee by January 15, 2016. The categories are: Youth (6-9 years), Junior Youth (10-13 years), Senior Youth (14-17 years) and Adult (18 and above). The auditions are held on January 23 & 24, 2016. There are cash awards for First and Second Place in each category, People’s Choice, and a Grand Prize. To see the details of the awards and the complete set of rules, go to their website.
Jacksonville Theatre Guild (JTG) is dreaming in January by doing some fundraising. There are two very exciting and easy ways to support the Guild this winter. The first is Pack The House Night at Buffalo Wild Wings on January 11 from 5-9 p.m.! Just simply show up to the restaurant and one of the JTG staff will give you a ticket to present to your server to ensure the Guild receives credit for your presence and your order. The second event is a Pancake Fundraiser at Applebee’s on January 30 from 8 – 10 a.m. Tickets are $5 for your pancakes and can be purchased at Applebee’s on the day of the event, on the JTG website: www.jaxtgweebly.com, or by calling (217) 245-1402. For more info on these or any other events, go to the website or their Facebook page.
Photos/Clare Lynd-Porter
Imagine Foundation’s Live Nude Model Night featuring model, Cindy Sommer.
The Imagine Foundation has always been all about making artistic dreams come true! January 7 & 21, 5-6 p.m. is this month’s Kids’ Art Club (at Asa Talcott House) and $2 per child. On January 12, from 7-9 p.m. is their Live Model Night (at the Soap Co. Coffee House) and the January model is Deea Meek sporting her roller derby gear! Suggested donation of $5 per person. January 16 from 1-3 p.m. is their Nude Model Day Session (at Asa Talcott House). Artists and guests must be 18 or over to attend. $10 for artists, $5 for visitors. As always, for both model events, you do not have to paint or draw to attend! Just come hang out and watch the fun. BYO Supplies! January 16 from 7-10 p.m., Imagine’s Annual Exhibition of Nudes will take place (at Asa Talcott House). Cost is $5 per person, 18 years old and over only! They welcome submissions of all sorts of nudes. All entries will be exhibited. Entries can be for sale or exhibited as a private collection. There is no entry fee or commission to Imagine for this exhibit. Art to be exhibited must be at the Asa Talcott House by January 9, unless it is created at the Nude Model Day Session from 1-3 p.m. on the day of the event. For more information about any of these events, contact Clare Lynd-Porter at imagine.arts.foundation@gmail.com or send a message on their Facebook page.
Playhouse On The Square takes their dreams to a staged reading with two of the area’s most respected and loved actors: Bob Large and Sylvia Burke return to the stage for a dramatic reading of Robert Anderson’s play, “I Never Sang for My Father.” Playing the son to these two is Buford Stowers who, in the plot of the play, is a respected college professor who feels he has never been fully accepted by his self-made dad. There is conflict regarding the son’s announcement that he is going to move from New York to marry a California divorcee. His mother approves of the union but worries that her son’s move will have a negative effect on his increasingly argumentative father. When his mother dies just before the wedding, the son is forced to help his father through his dark days. Directed by Rich McCoy, this beautiful and moving play will be read one weekend only, January 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and the 17 at 2 p.m.. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Our Town Books or The Soap Co. Coffee House or by making reservations at (217) 491-3977.
