Keeping it short

Three days of screenings, competitions, and talks take place across Charlottesville as filmmakers from around the globe present their work at the Indie Short Film Festival. The fest grew out of the Indie Short Film Series, established locally by writer, director, and event marketing guru Ty Cooper in 2019. After touring to other markets, Cooper […]

Taking flight

Originating from a 1765 commedia dell’arte by Carlo Gozzi, The Green Bird gets a modern staging that is “40 percent improvised,” says Director Dave Dalton of UVA Drama’s update. Gozzi’s version had serious undertones that were meant to expose what he considered dangerous ideas of Enlightenment thinkers. At UVA, the play is a hilarious ride […]

In brief

Buy in Two first-time homebuyers in Crozet celebrated with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville on March 16. Katrena Cooper and Tanjah Wheeler are still closing on their homes, but they enjoyed meeting their new neighbors and soaking in the sunny weather during the afternoon celebration. “It means a lot to me to be closer […]

All that jazz

The Albemarle High School Jazz Ensemble takes the stage at The Paramount Theater for its annual Swing Into Spring benefit concert that features a lineup of local and regional musicians, including John D’earth, Charles Owens, Andrew Randazzo, Greg Thomas, and more. Under the direction of Andrew LaPrade, the award-winning ensemble is raising money for City […]

High-seas calamities

Mistaken identities, stowaways, high society, and lovelorn bachelors abound in Anything Goes, the raucous musical that takes place on a luxury ocean liner. Among the cast of wacky characters is an evangelist-turned-nightclub singer, a gangster and his moll, and an upper-crust lord and his intended, who all make matches and enemies aboard the S.S. American. […]

Secret garden

When it comes to Impressionist painting, gardens are a hot subject, and Claude Monet is widely regarded as one of the movements’ premier painters. The film Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse showcases an extensive exhibition from London’s Royal Academy of Art that is centered around the beauty of the garden expressed by Impressionist, […]

Trapdoors, from both sides now

Something enchanting happens when we cross the threshold between illusion and what lies behind it. That’s a fancy way of saying that I’m a sucker for a behind-the-scenes experience. I’ve always been a huge theater fan, to the point of becoming the president of my high school’s International Thespian Society chapter. As you can imagine, […]

In brief

Bill-ding blocks Virginia’s state legislature adjourned on schedule March 9, with members saying they’d balanced the budget and passed a swath of bipartisan legislation. The session—which ran for 60 days—was the first time Democrats held control of the legislature since the election of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The governor signed 64 bills into law, amended 12 […]

Upon this rock

By Yasu Shinozaki The neighborhood of Preston Heights is deeply linked to the legacy of one man: Charles Hunter Brown. Brown was one of the first Black contractors in the Charlottesville area and built many of the houses in the neighborhood located between Preston and Grady avenues. He also built Holy Temple Church of God, […]

In brief

Turning the page The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted March 1 to rename the school’s main library. Now known as Edgar Shannon Library, the recently renovated building’s new name honors UVA’s fourth president and removes the name of its first president, Edwin Alderman. The decision to rename the library comes after years of […]