Interview: The American Shakespeare Center doubles down

The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton reached two milestones this season: the quarter-century mark and the completion of Shakespeare’s canon. All but two of the 38 plays we attribute to Shakespeare were published in the First Folio in 1623, and with its current production of Timon of Athens, ASC can claim performances of all of […]

ARTS Pick: Balto

Hidden monuments Portland, Oregon-based folk collective Balto has been called “the band everyone should have heard of, but nobody has.” All that anonymity may be on the brink of dissipation, as the group heads east with a suitcase full of tunes from its latest EP, Monuments. The album was recorded in an old church over three days in […]

Spy games: Live Arts’ Or, explores the life and loves of Aphra Behn

Liz Duffy Adams’ Or, is Live Arts’ latest offering, a deftly minced hodge-podge of a play, primarily consisting of what may be incompletely described as a retroactively considered Restoration comedy. Now, when was the last time you had a serious hankering for a Restoration comedy? Some ambivalent theater-goers find Shakespeare intimidating and obscure (they shouldn’t, […]

ARTS Pick: Girl Rising

In honor of International Women’s Day, founders of Teen Tech Girls and Feast! have teamed up using Gathr to host a screening of Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins’ highly-acclaimed new film, Girl Rising.

ARTS Pick: Pilobolus

O.K. let’s go Pilobolus is a dance company named after a fungus, and since its inception in the early ’70s, its mission has always been to live up to its namesake by pursuing a unique and organic approach to movement performance. To kick off a UVA residency featuring a series of student workshops, the touring […]

ARTS Pick: God’s Ear

The best new plays are always hard to categorize, and Jenny Schwartz’s God’s Ear is no exception. Staged by UVA’s drama department, it is a powerful and intentionally disjointed examination of deep loss and finding ways to cope.

ARTS Pick: Paula Poundstone

Catty lady If you can’t quite place Paula Poundstone, try imagining her with a red brick wall behind her while she dishes out a brilliantly composed cat joke. There’s also a pretty good chance you’ve heard her yucking it up as a regular panelist on NPR’s “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me.” Poundstone holds the honor […]

ARTS Pick: Anti-Valentine’s Day Party

The evening after In an age where we strive to make sure no one feels left out, it’s important to remember the cynical, love-hating, ne’er-do-wells among us and make sure they get their party as well. The Southern’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Party—an evening dedicated to countering the cloying schmaltz of lovers in love—features local masters of […]