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 SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4, 2022 UCW 15 The Gilbert Theater's season is off to a galloping start by ASHLEY SHIRLEY EVENTS "e Man Who Shot Liberty Va- lance," the Gilbert eater's first show of the season, is a classic western with modern themes and an optimistic view of what's to come. e play, directed by Chris Walker, is every bit as gritty and gripping as you'd expect a western to be. Clear- cut archetypes: the naive scholar, eloquent villain, reticent cowboy, and street-wise queen come together to tell an old story in a fresh, unique way. e stage, designed as a charming and spot-on wild-west saloon, is a capable backdrop to the goings-on in Two Trees, the town where this story takes place. For those with an affinity for west- erns — this story has it all. ere are plenty of gunslingers, cowboy hats, denim and plugs of whiskey to get the bells of nostalgia ringing. Still, for audiences searching for a story with a bit more substance than yee-haw, "e Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" delivers, and then some. Ransome Foster (Dan Adams) breezes into town with a sack full of books and a head full of ideas about justice and the importance of learnin'. Left for dead after running afoul of the titular Liberty Valance (James Dean), Foster is picked up by the grumpy Burt Barricune (Michael Ormiston) and delivered to saloon owner Hallie Jack- son (Claudia Warga-Dean) and her faithful negro companion, Jim Mosten (Quentin King). As Ransome heals and makes a place for himself, his charm and love for the written word bewitch Hallie and Jim. Soon, word travels that an outsider is bringing education to women and negroes, and that just don't sit right with certain folks in Two Trees, namely, Liberty Valance. Just as the story's central romance finally unfolds, Ransome's earnest at- tempt to better those around him ends in tragedy, and he's forced to become what he hates to protect what he loves. e play is well-paced, and the necessary arcs reveal themselves in a natural way — like the audience is experiencing life along with the char- acters as they grow and change. e central drama, a slow-rolling but very obvious love triangle be- tween Hallie, Ransome, and Burt, is thoughtful and restrained, allowing the audience to see Hallie as Foster and Barricune do — all wiseacre quips and fierce independence played to perfection by Warga-Dean. Her treatment of Hallie's singularity — a modern woman who knows who she is and what she's worth, isn't pushy or preachy. It comes across as authentic and relatable in 2022. Adams and Ormiston do an excellent job as reluc- tant rivals drawn together to deal with the often unpleasant nature of "men's things." "e Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" boasts a fabulous support- ing cast, and I'd like to especially point out the chilling performance of James Dean as the purely evil Liberty Valance. His name is thrown around the play like that of a boogeyman, a looming menace who throws a dark pall over the happy developments on stage, but his presence, encompassing only two scenes in the entirety of the performance, is captivating. Vicki Lloyd, who wears both the Assistant and Technical Director hat for this production, creates a space ripped from the pages of history through lighting and set design. e hazy sepia-toned stage looks exactly right for the period and context. Saw- dust floors and the swinging doors of the wood-paneled saloon work fully to support the subtle but effective cos- tume choices of Elizabeth Andrews. "e Man Who Shot Liberty Va- lance" demonstrates how artfully the Gilbert eater handles sensitive top- ics and uncomfortable subject matter. Director Chris Walker clearly under- stands how to tell a story truthfully; the audience must sometimes travel to places they'd prefer not to go, but he makes the journey worth it. What could be another superficial look at an educated man with a white savior complex, unaware of his ignorance or the destruction it causes — is instead a powerful look at people grappling with the weight of their choices in their quest to become better people. "e Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" will run until Sunday, Oc- tober 2nd. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.gilberttheater.com/. ASHLEY SHIRLEY, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Methodist University plans recitals, workshops in visiting artist series a STAFF REPORT A trombonist, a violinist, a vocalist and a drummer will perform as part of Methodist University's Friends of Music Guest Artist Series, according to a news release. Each year, the series sponsors live classical and contemporary music demonstrations and recitals for as many as 500 youths and adults. "ese amazing musical enrich- ment opportunities are open to everyone in the Cumberland County area free of charge," said Susan Durham-Lozaw, chairwoman of the university's performing arts department. Each visit will include an 11 a.m. master class in Hensdale Chapel on the Methodist campus; a private workshop at Capital Encore Acad- emy; and a 7:30 p.m. recital in Mat- thews Chapel on campus. For the first time in the series, one artist also will lead a drum workshop at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, the release said. omas Burge, a trombon- ist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra kicked off the series on Sept. 16. Originally from Australia, Burge earned his master's degree at Julliard School and now lives in North Carolina. He has taught brass instruments at the college level and performed with orchestras interna- tionally. He also has been a guest clinician and soloist across the country. Burge hosts a radio show and conducts brass ensembles, the release said. e schedule for the rest of the series includes a violinist, a vocalist and a drummer. Oct. 14: Violinist Megan Kenny is a member of the Fayetteville Sym- phony Orchestra. A military spouse, she is originally from Montana. Ken- ny has a master of music degree in violin performance from Yale School of Music. She currently teaches at UNC-Pembroke, Campbell Univer- sity and Red Lodge Music Festival. Feb. 10: Yolanda Rabun is a North Carolina-based singer who performs and records across genres, includ- ing jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, folk, and contemporary music. Rabun also performs throughout the region in musical theater, opera and radio programs, the release said. March 24: Liz Broscoe is a drum- mer and a facilitator who specializes in West African djembe and dunun drums. A resident of Lake Tahoe, California, she performs a theatri- cal solo drumming show, with her drum group, and as a member of a funk, jazz and blues band. With the support of local and national grants, she is currently a teaching artist in several schools and facilitator of social development drumming in juvenile treatment centers. For more information about the guest artists, visit www.methodist. edu/about-mu/arts/friends-of- music/. Methodist University received a grant of $3,000 from the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County to support the artists series, the release said. Megan Kenny Liz Broscoe Yolanda Rabun