What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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JUNE 5-11, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 7 FYI NWA Playwrights Festival Schedule June 14 6:45-7:30 p.m. — Pre-show music by Still on the Hill 7:30 p.m. — "Armadillo Man" by Jules Taylor June 15 6:45-7:30 p.m. — Pre-show music by Dandelion Heart 7:30 p.m. — "Sunshine No. 11" & "The Speed of Light in Memphis" by Garland Standrod June 16 6:45-7:30 p.m. — Pre-show music by Jori Costello 7:30 p.m. — "Brickman's Comet" by Hana Mironoff June 17 6:45-7:30 p.m. — Pre-show music by Mark Summerlin 7:30 p.m. — "Prisoner of Walls" by Nathan V. McKinney June 18 1:15-2 p.m. — Pre-show music by John Joseph Ray 2 p.m. — An Afternoon of Short Plays 6:15-7:30 p.m. — Pre-show music by Rob Button 7:30 p.m. — "The Sin Eater" by Dan Boren- gasser June 19 2:15-3 p.m. — Pre-show music by The CD Players 3 p.m. — "Little Rock 1957" by Brynda Pappas FAQ NWA Playwrights Festival WHEN — June 14-19 WHERE — Ozark Mountain Smokehouse, 1725 S. Smokehouse Trail in Fayetteville COST — Free; donations benefit Magda- lene Serenity House INFO — smokehouseplayers@gmail.com FYI — No reserved seating. Doors open one hour before curtain. Beer, wine and chips available for sale prior to the show. Words And Music Playwrights Festival shows off NWA talent BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette T he Smokehouse Players love local and this event is about as local as you can get." That's how Terry Vaughan begins a conversation about the first-ever Northwest Arkansas Playwrights Festival, set for June 14-19 at the company's home, the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse in west Fayetteville. "We have a company of 21 actors and directors working on 14 scripts by great local playwrights, with local musicians providing 45 minutes of pre-show music before each performance," Vaughan goes on. "And it's all free! I think a lot of folks in the community don't realize the depth of talent that can be found in their own back yards. So, my goal is to get people to come to the Smokehouse and enjoy!" The event brings together Smokehouse Players, founded by Vaughan and her husband, Tim Gilster, in 2017, a few years after the couple moved to Fayetteville from New York City, and the Arkansas Playwrights Workshop, which dates back to 2012. "Tim and I started reading plays at Arkansas Playwrights Workshop in 2012," Vaughan remembers. "We have listened to and read the words of the playwrights we are honoring in this play festival for 10 years. We respect all of them so much that we wanted to properly celebrate them, along with APW, which supports their efforts so powerfully. That is why we created this festival and why we reached out to APW to co-present with us." The mission of Smokehouse Players is to "provide free bare- bones theater to the Northwest Arkansas community while raising awareness and funds for Magdalene Serenity House," explains Vaughan, referring to the nonprofit that "helps rebuild the lives of women who have experienced trauma, sexual exploitation, addiction and incarceration through safe housing, long-term support and community partnerships." While all Northwest Arkansas Playwrights Festival performances are free, all donations will go directly to Magdalene Serenity House. COVER STORY The acting troupe for the first-ever Northwest Arkansas Playwrights Festival includes David Wright, Alex Mironoff, Collin Roddey, Tim Gilster, Charlie Riedmueller, Brandi Taylor, Amy Eversole, Mark Landon Smith, Evan Crawford, Mark Beasley, Justin Fletcher, Lara Hightower, Sarah Riedmueller, Pamela Marks, Jonelle Grace Lipscomb, Vickie Hilliard, Terry Vaughan, Kathy Forbes, Jules Taylor and Alissa Gaithe. (Courtesy Photo) See Playwrights Page 8