Farm fresh

By Paul Ting Spring is springing, in its Virginia way, with perfect breezy days becoming more frequent every week. For many locals, the annual return of chirping birds means rolling out of bed early on Saturday and heading downtown, to the City Market. The beloved market has been in action since 1973, providing an opportunity […]

Poets know it

By Alana Bittner When expressing the value of writing poetry, Valencia Robin references a quote by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo: “You begin to learn to listen to the soul, the soul of yourself in here, which is also the soul of everyone else.” Robin says that, when she was young, no one told her […]

Take us out

In an ongoing effort to support local dining establishments during the pandemic, our writers have been enjoying a variety of takeout meals from some of their favorite restaurants. Contribute to this ongoing series by sending your own delicious experiences to living@c-ville.com. Tonic One of my favorite pre-COVID pastimes was seeking out the latest in local […]

PICK: Let Go of Me

Lighting the way: In Let Go of Me, playwright, director, and filmmaker Kelley Van Dilla combines pre-recorded and live performances to explore connections and disconnections between people. The virtual play features Van Dilla in an autobiographical reflection on the relationship between a trans non-binary teen and their mother, who is bipolar. Through 3/28, Suggested household […]

PICK: Ultramarine

Groove moves: If you’re bummed about missing the high-energy party vibe of Mardi Gras this year, you can beat your blues with the blues at Ultramarine, a showcase featuring the Chickenhead Blues Band and Eli Cook. The Chickenhead’s five-man ensemble features NOLA’s own Aric van Brocklin on guitar, alongside Skip Haga on the keyboards, Granville […]

PICK: Thirty-Seven

Staying active: As a part of the Charlottesville Player’s Guild’s Amplify season, Leslie M. Scott-Jones’ play Thirty-Seven explores living, surviving, and fighting while being Black in America. Jamahl Garrison-Lowe plays Seth, a young Black man struggling with the decision to become an activist, and he asks himself: What will I risk? What will I gain? […]

Tunnel vision

By Lisa Provence Nothing happens quickly with the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel. Not its mid-19th-century eight-year construction, nor Nelson County’s nearly 20-year effort to reopen it, nor the documentary recently released by local filmmakers Paul Wagner and Ellen Casey Wagner. “I thought it would only be a few years, weaving the reopening and the […]

Golden games

This year continues to be anything but typical, and yet the march to the 93rd annual Academy Awards ceremony, moved to April 25, feels familiar. While far fewer films played in theaters over the past 12 months, we still have many cinematic achievements to celebrate, and a must-see movie list is a welcome distraction from […]

PICK: Mike Nichols

Following directions: Mike Nichols’ beginnings as an improv comedian in 1950s Chicago informed his long career as a film and theater director. He shepherded numerous Neil Simon plays to Broadway success, and drew brilliant performances from Robert Redford, Elizabeth Taylor, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Tim Curry, among many others. In 1967 alone, he had […]