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: https://www.epageflip.net/i/442382
JANUARY 7-13, 2015 UCW 9 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Avery Hurt got her first guitar when she was 10 years old. It was a gift from her grandfather Wayne Canady, who is also a musician. At the time, Hurt didn't think a lot about the guitar. But in the ensuing years, that guitar became very important to her. Shortly after receiving the guitar, Hurt's father, Master Sgt. David Hurt, a Green Beret with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), was killed in action while deployed to Afghanistan. As Hurt struggled to find a way to deal with her grief, she turned to the guitar and used it and the songs that she wrote as an outlet for her grief. "I was really very bad at expressing myself at that time," said Hurt. "Music became my outlet. I didn't play for anyone else. I would just go up to my room and play and work out how I felt." For several years, it was something she did just for herself but as her confidence grew, her mother, Kelly, let the cat out of the bag. "Our church's youth pastor started talking about putting a band together to play for the youth group," recalled Kelly Hurt. "I told him that Avery could play and that maybe if he asked her, she would help out." The younger Hurt took that first step and started playing with the worship band on a weekly basis and she started writing more songs. She also put in extra work in school, and graduated from high school at the age of 16. With a plan to take on Nashville, Hurt wants to attend Belmont University. Both she and her mom agreed that it would be better for her to wait until she turned 18 before heading to Nashville, which is giving her time to work on her music. To that end, her cousin, Lisa Ness, introduced her to Gary Fisher of Elderock Music, who was looking for someone to open Warrior Jam. Fisher saw Hurt's potential and started booking her at live-music venues around the community. Hurt has several venues she plays each month including 22 Kliks in Hope Mills, the Sandtrap and the Creek Bar and Grill in Gray's Creek, the community in which she was raised. She also plays special events, weddings and other social events. Most recently, she played a fundraiser at the Creek to raise funds for her friend Josh Durden, a freshman at Gray's Creek High School who is undergoing treatment for bone cancer. She plays an eclectic selection from country to Taylor Swift pop to Rehab to her own songs. "I really would love to play somewhere every night," she said. On Friday, Jan. 9, she will play during half time at the Faytteville FireAntz Military Appreciation Night. If you catch her at one of her gigs, you will immediately know what keeps her grounded and moving in the right direction. Sharing the stage with Avery is her grandfather who plays the drums. Her mom and numerous cousins are in the audience. For Hurt, music is definitely a family thing. Avery Hurt Making Her Mark on Fayetteville's Music Scene by JANICE BURTON JANICE BURTON, Associate Publish- er. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. Avery Hurt, a 17-year-old Cumberland County resident, is making her mark on the Fayetteville music scene. Most everyone knows who William Shakespeare is — not only because of his works, but also because he inspired so many other artists. The Sweet Tea Shakespeare organization is one such group of artists. The group makes live performances fun, inviting and educational to the community of Fayetteville. With help from Fayetteville State University and many other local organizations, Sweet Tea Shakespeare is able to host a diverse body of productions. The Winter's Tale is a well-known story complete with romance and drama. It's not surprising as Shakespeare is known for works that include a forbidden love that ends in the tragedy of heartbreak. This play was one of Shakespeare's last works, published in 1611. The Winters Tale is Sweet Tea Shakespeare's 10th main stage production. Its cast has a diverse group of actors. Jeremy Fiebig, the artistic director, said, "We started winter productions last year and had great success with Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. We think The Winter's Tale is a great fit, both for the time of year and as a great story after the rush of the holiday season." Shakespeare's writing, like all 16th century writing, is written in old English. The English language builds with time and learning his works can help youth learn to express themselves, not only though writing but also in speech. The three goals of Sweet Tea Shakespeare are: 1. To vitalize the performance of Shakespeare and other dramas. 2. To foster community and fellowship around the enterprise of theatre in outdoor and other beautiful spaces. 3. To provide exceptional avenues for artists and audiences of all backgrounds. Sweet Tea Shakespeare encourages participation from all ages, recognizing that the involvement of children in theater is a great way to encourage creativity, while building the kind of confidence and self-esteem that come from being on stage. The majority of the performers are from Fayetteville, with many of the actors being students at FSU. "Last year's winter show was one of our highest attended. We have a total of 11 showings over three weekends and look forward to a healthy crowd to join us at the Capitol Encore Academy building downtown," said Fiebig. "We have a small budget that's generated from ticket sales and the generosity of the Arts Council and other donors," Fiebig explained. "We put together our productions with these resources and with help from FSU and other local arts groups, volunteers and friends." Sweet Tea Shakespeare's house band, The Suspenders, will perform live music and refreshments will be served prior to the show's beginning and during the brief intermission. Tickets are $12 for general admission. To purchase tickets in advance, visit http://sweetteashakespeare.com or call (910) 672- 1724. Performances are Jan. 9-11, 16-18, 23-25 at 7 p.m. Matinees are on Jan. 17 and 25 at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Capitol Encore Academy, 126 Hay St. Sweet Tea Shakespeare Presents Winter's Tale by CANDICE CARR CANDICE CARR, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com.