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.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 11 - 17, 2022 UCW 19 EVENT A bold new play is coming to the Gilbert eater for the season's final show. e Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Fairview," written by Jackie Sibblies in 2018, will run from May 7 through June 12. "I picked this play because it's a challenging piece for the director, the technical director, the actors on stage and the audience," said Laurence Carlisle III, the Gilbert's Artistic Director. "It's a show about racism, how stories are told and how stories can change based on the people watch- ing them." roughout its three acts, "Fair- view" focuses on two groups of people: an African American family preparing for a birthday party and the four white people observing them as they do so. "e play is a very nuanced and intelligent dissection of the 'white gaze' and what happens as the stories you try to tell are altered and affected by those watching and listening," Carlisle stated. "e show demonstrates the transformative nature of observation in an interest- ing twilight-zone sort of way; the show starts pretty normally and slowly gets weirder and weirder." e Gilbert eater prides itself on the diversity often seen in its productions and encourages any- one and everyone from the commu- nity to come out and audition. However, since race is the play's central topic and integral to telling the story, the director followed the vision of "Fairview's" playwright and cast actors that reflect the race of their characters as written. "It's important to the story and how it needs to be told," explained Carlisle. "We had to have this par- ticular make of the cast for the play to work." In her main stage-show directo- rial debut, Deannah Robinson will lead a cast of four white actors and four African American actors in a play Carlisle is excited for people to see. "Race is a topic that bears discus- sion — it's not going away," he said. "I've always felt the job of art in any form is to make people think, make them think about things they don't think about or make them think about it differently. I think this is a fantastic show, and I want people to come to check it out; it's extremely fascinating." "Fairview" follows Gilbert's production of "Othello" by William Shakespeare, another play that takes a focused look at race and other uncomfortable topics. While their position in the season is a coincidence, both plays and their subject matter speak to his vision for the theater and the material it produces. "I hope to bring thought-pro- voking content in all my seasons," Carlisle said. "If you want some- thing that challenges you and makes you a little uncomfortable, but you also want to be entertained, see this show. e play is very funny but sometimes very uncomfortable. I hope it sparks conversation and makes people think about race in America and what their own blind spots are when it comes to that subject." General admission tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.gilberttheater.com or by call- ing 910-678-7186. Discount tickets for first respond- ers, military, students and seniors are also available. e Gilbert eater is located at 116 Green St. inside the Fascinate U Children's Museum building. Gilbert production of 'Fairview' to close out season by ASHLEY SHIRLEY ASHLEY SHIRLEY, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. FTCC Prepares to Seek Next College President We Value Your Input! www.faytechcc.edu • (910) 678-8400 Dear Business Leader: Fayetteville Technical Community College, North Carolina's third largest community college, is an important part of Cumberland County's workforce and economic development team. The College provides instruction to about 25,000 students annually and has been led for the last 15 years by its president, Dr. J. Larry Keen. Dr. Keen recently announced his plans to retire at the end of the calendar year, and the College Board of Trustees is beginning the important work of finding the College's next president. We seek your advice as we begin the presidential search process. Specifically, we would like to know what you believe are the most important issues our community and college will face in the next decade and what characteristics, skills, and traits you believe the College's next president should possess. Any thoughts you share with us will be considered as we create the profile of our next president and begin efforts to recruit applicants that align with that profile. Thank you for your consideration and for sharing your thoughts with us as we search for the College's next president. Sincerely, David R. Williford Chairman, Board of Trustees The College invites your participation through the completion of an online survey or through your attendance at one of the upcoming community forums the College will hold in late April. The online survey can be completed in as little as ten to fifteen minutes at https://www.research.net/r/FTCC_Search, and the community forums will be held as follows: April 26 – 10:30 AM until Noon Fayetteville Technical Community College - Fayetteville Campus Cumberland Hall Auditorium, 2211 Hull Road April 27 – 2:30 PM until 4:00 PM Fayetteville Technical Community College - Fayetteville Campus Cumberland Hall Auditorium, 2211 Hull Road April 28 – 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM Fayetteville Technical Community College - Fayetteville Campus Cumberland Hall Auditorium, 2211 Hull Road April 28 – 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM Spring Lake Campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College – Spring Lake William S. Wellons Auditorium, 171 Laketree Boulevard • • • •