Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1029086
12 SEPTEMBER 19-25, 2018 Best of Fayetteville Best Play/Musical this Season "The Tempest" 910-420-4383 www.sweetteashakespeare.com "The Tempest," produced by Sweet Tea Shakespeare, was presented in June on the grounds of the 1897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. It is the story of Prospero – the rightful Duke of Milan who has learned magical powers from years of intense study – and his daughter, Miranda, who have been stranded on a mys- terious island for 12 years. The island is also home to Ariel, a spirit enslaved by Prospero, and Caliban, a native inhabitant of the island who has also been enslaved. As Duke of Milan, Prospero was overthrown by his brother Antonio. Antonio, along with King Alonso of Naples and others, are shipwrecked on the island due to a storm created by Prospero. Once Prospero has all of his ene- mies together, he sets about separating them from one another in order to exact his revenge and regain his position as Duke of Milan. STS often uses cross-gender casting, a technique where men are used in the roles of women and vice versa. "The Tempest" saw this practice employed to great effect as most of the main male characters are played by incredibly tal- ented women – including the lead role of Prospero, which was helmed by the impressive Duana Burby. Tohry Petty's portrayal of Ariel, the magical spirit, was infectious. She brought a physical and dramatic energy any time she stepped onstage. The cast is much too large to mention everyone, especially when there were so many standout performances. With "The Tempest," the creativity and ambition of STS was on full display. From the opening moments, the audience was transported into the world of magic presented in the story. The opening scene's shipwreck was imaginative and spellbinding. The production's color palette and costume design were both striking and complimentary to the action as it unfolded. Like all STS shows, "The Tempest" was presented in an arena format with the audience able to choose their own seats anywhere on three sides around the performance space. Best Art Gallery The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County 301 Hay St. 910-323-1776 or www.theartscouncil.com Founded in 1973 by local visionaries, the Arts Council is not only Fayetteville's favor- ite art gallery, it's an essential force in our city's culture. The organization administers programs in partnership with a variety of regional agencies to stimulate community development through the arts. These efforts include exhibits, grants, festivals and the beloved 4th Friday. Arts Council exhibitions this year repre- sented the diverse talents of local, regional and acclaimed visiting artists. Subject matter ranged from honoring Black History Month to "Public Works" (art from the public, all ages and mediums) to the current exhibition, "Contemporary Art Forms By America's First People." The Arts Council also spearheaded the movement to bring leased public art downtown a few years ago. The collective public art effort "Work in Progress III" will bring in several new sculptures this fall. Community organizations and individual artists received $822,500 in grants and support from the Arts Council during the 2017-18 fiscal year. The Artists in Schools program brought 63 artists/groups into public and private schools throughout Cumberland County and Fort Bragg, impacting children through the power of arts education and live performances. The Arts Council also produces Fayetteville's International Folk Festival every September, now in its 40th year. Celebrating the city's diversity, the festival includes musical and dance performances, authentic international cuisine, and the Parade of Nations. And each year, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Arts Council produces A Dickens Holiday. Horse-drawn carriages, artisans, carolers, lovely shops and a candlelight procession and fireworks finale make this event something beyond special. The Arts Council recently announced that its executive director, Deborah Mintz, will retire next year after 24 years – 17 of them at the helm of this great organization. Congratulations, Deborah, and thank you for your role in making the Arts Council Fayetteville's favorite gallery! Best Cinema Complex AMC Fayetteville 14 & IMAX 4761 Lake Valley Dr. 910-252-9684 or www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/raleigh-durham/ amc-fayetteville-14 Claiming the title again, AMC Fayetteville 14 & IMAX brings the best in big-screen entertainment to Fayetteville. AMC prides itself on providing an immersive IMAX movie-going experi- ence. Every element is designed to cre- ate movie magic each time the lights go down. The towering IMAX screen is 70 feet wide and 31 feet high with crys- tal-clear definition and thundering sound. Special event showings are also offered on IMAX, such as the recent screening of the classic film "2001: A Space Odyssey." The 14-screen theater also shows non-IMAX films and seats up to 3,100 guests. Patrons enjoy comfortable seats and abundant concession stand choices. In addi- tion to traditional popcorn, sodas and candies, wine and beer are offered. And whether your genre of choice is action-packed blockbuster, suspense, comedy, drama or kid-friendly, the movie you're itching to see is likely playing here. For those on a budget, AMC offers a loyalty program called AMC Stubs. Membership levels range in price and rewards and includes $5 Ticket Tuesdays. Basic Stubs membership is free and allows patrons to collect points for dis- counts and free goodies. Stubs Premiere has an annual fee and allows patrons to skip to the head of the line, as well as receive additional rewards. Stubs A*List has a monthly fee and allows three movies a week, as well as additional rewards. Best Local Celebrity Bill Claydon Bill Claydon's Tattoo World, 5955 Yadkin Rd. 910-867-9792 or www.billclaydonstattooworld.com Bill Claydon has been well-known in the Fayetteville tattoo community since 1986, when there were only two ink shops in town. "Back then, we were off-limits to the military," he said, recalling his first shop on Hay Street "in the seedy part of town in those days." Claydon approached military officials on Fort Bragg and asked them to reconsider. After much discussion and inspection of his facilities, Claydon's shop was taken off the list, opening his business up to what became a large part of his cus- tomer base. He didn't set out to pave the way for what has become a booming business of more than 60 tat- too shops in the area, Claydon said. "I just didn't like the stigma of being on that list." Claydon approaches life and runs his business in much the same way: he tackles challenges head-on. "You have to stay on top of things," Claydon said. "I've tried to do my best, I'm honest and I stand behind the work of every artist in my shop." That philosophy has earned him a solid reputation among his peers and other business leaders in the community. Through the years, many of Fayetteville's leading tattoo artists, who now have their own shops, started under Claydon. "Anyone who comes to work at my shop, I push them to be the best they can be," he said. ARTS MEDIA MEDIA