The Sentinel: Arts

Looking for a family fun activity? Urbana's PostMark set for Saturday fits the bill

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URBANA - 40 North and the Urbana Arts and Culture Program will host the year’s first PostMark Urbana event this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Elm City Roastery, located at 208 W. Main St. in Urbana.

PostMark Urbana is a family-friendly event series that highlights the fun things to do in Urbana through interactive activities, art, and food. PostMark - short for "post market" - is a monthly program designed to promote downtown Urbana as a cultural and shopping destination.

This weekend’s theme focuses on recycled and repurposed art and activities. The Elm City Roastery will serve as the hub for attendees to explore journal-making and vision board design, with materials sourced from Lincoln Square’s IDEA Store. More than 50 pieces of recycled art created by Urbana School District 116 students will also be on display at various participating locations.

40 North will have a table offering PostMark maps and hosting a puzzle exchange. Visitors are encouraged to bring old puzzles and swap them for new ones to enjoy during the winter months.

Other featured events include a free mindfulness session with crystal singing bowls led by instructor Vivianne Velazquez at Gallery Art Bar. The Gilbert Gallery will showcase new works from local artists, and The Enchantment Alley will display a collection of beautifully crafted junk journals.

Additionally, the event will feature a raffle for a $50 gift card. Raffle entries can be submitted at participating PostMark businesses.

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Illinois Theatre Association to honor 2024 Award of Excellence recipients

CHICAGO - The Illinois Theatre Association will recognize eight theatre professionals and educators as the recipients of the 2024 Award of Excellence. The awards will be presented at a brunch during the association's annual meeting on August 3, 2024, at the Copley Theatre in Aurora.

The keynote speaker is actor Gene Weygandt. He has appeared in a host of films, television shows, and on Broadway. His acting credits on screen include The Birdcage, Babe, and Mea Culpa. He has appeared in televised episodes of Home Improvement, Cybil, Murphy Brown, Chicago Fire, Empire, and Chicago Med.

The Chicago-based actor also had roles in Broadway productions, including BIG: The Musical, Wicked, and Come From Away.

This year's 2024 Awards of Excellence include:

Creative Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences:
The Children's Theatre of Elgin and Fox Valley Theatre Company Accepting the Award is Veronica Comings, President

Secondary School Theatre:
J.R. Willard-Rose (Homewood- Flossmoor HS)

College/University Theatre:
Kevin Long (Harper College, Chicago Shakespeare Theater)

Community Theatre:
Joseph Ennenbach (Stage 212, Morris Theater Guild, Streator Engle Lane, and Princeton's Festival 56)

Professional Theatre:
James Calitri (Artistic Director, Festival 56)

2024 Awards of Honor, ITA Non-Member:
John Collins (Executive Director, Goodman Theatre)

2024 Awards of Honor, ITA Member:
Richard Arnold, Jr. (Production Coordinator, College of DuPage)

Anne Thurman Mentorship Award:
Patricia Haynes, 1950-2024
Mother McAuley HS, founder of 99th Street Summer Theatre
Accepting the Award is Erin Fitzpatrick

For more information and registration to this year's event go to https://illinoistheatre.org/event-4897079.

Youth Orchestra to perform on Sunday

Members of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra performed at Smith Recital Hall in Urbana during their Winter Concert 2022. The 2024 concert will be performed this Sunday at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

URBANA - More than three dozen of the best orchestra students in Champaign-Urbana and the surrounding area will perform at the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra Winter Concert at Smith Music Hall in Urbana.

"It’s going to be cold on Sunday. What better antidote than an evening of heartwarming music?" asks music director Kevin Kelly. "The talented students of the orchestra have been working hard since mid-September on a challenging and worthy program."

The program starts at 7 p.m. and will include Richard Wagner’s Prelude to the opera Die Meistersinger, Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart, and Sibelius’s Karelia Suite. The orchestra will also perform Johann Strauss Jr.’s Emperor Waltz, and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor.

The concert free to the public. Those who wish to make a much appreciated donation can do so through The Conservatory of Central Illinois.

Craft happy hour this Wednesday at the Urbana Free Library

URBANA - The Urbana Free Library and Urbana Arts & Culture will host the January Craft Happy Hour for adults tomorrow from 6-7 PM on the main floor of the library near the east wing.

The first installment of the 2024 series of meetings will focus on creating Vision Boards. A vision board is a visual collection of photos, graphic images, words, phrases, and slogans that form a collage to inspire and motivate the creator to complete their goals. Vision boards help users through the self-efficacy theory and the reticular activating system to achieve success.

Crafting supplies and light refreshments will be provided.

This month's guest speaker is Lauren White, a local mixed media artist who will happy hour guests create a 2024 vision board to display in their home or office.

Dolittle play comes to Station Theatre this week

URBANA - The Absentee, a play by Julia Doolittle, starts its opening run on Thursday at the Station Theatre. The play will run for ten days through June 25. Directed by Christiana Molldrem Harkulich, The Absentee is about a beacon operator who finds herself alone in deep space with only her ship’s A.I. for companionship and is later contacted by a political canvasser requesting that she vote in absentia for the 2088 election.

The Operator, played by Kat Cordes, who can't share her full name due to the Space Force code, she takes the job on the outer rim of space as a form of self-exile to avoid problems she left behind back on Earth. The cast also includes Kimmy Schofield as The Beacon, Courtney Malcolm as Lt. Zal, and Trent Sherman plays Glen, the canvasser hoping to secure the Operator's vote.

A rising star as a playwright, Julia Doolittle is also a screenwriter. In 2018 her play, "Tell Them I'm Still Young," was featured at the American Theater Group. She was a finalist for the 2017 Heideman Award at the Human Festival, and a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Summer Conference. Her work was featured at the South Coast Repertory, the Sam French Off-Off Broadway Festival, and the Victory Gardens Theatre.

The Station Theatre production staff includes Clayton Young as Assistant Director; Stage Manager Lyn Sampley and assistant Max Deremiah; Scenic Designer Henry Collins; Lighting Designer Jesse Folks; Costume Designer Susan Curtis; Logan Dirr running sound; Daryl McGee handling props; and graphic design created by Law Welle. The play is produced by Nicole Frydman & Melissa Goldman.

Tickets can be purchased online at here. The opening night and reception starts at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Spanish dancers introduce Sevillanas to Urbana

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

URBANA - Flor Quiroz and members of the La Fuerza Flamenca perform at Lincoln Square Mall on Saturday during this year's Boneyard Arts Festival. Earlier, she and dancers from the University of Illiniois student dance troupe taught Sevillanas to workshop participants at the mall. Quiroz, a sophomore at the UofI, has studied the cultural dance form for just under a year. Influenced by Flamenco, Sevillanas is a style of dance from the Sevilla region in Spain.

Illinois theater convention September 24

CHICAGO -- The Illinois Theatre Association will hold its 2022 ITA Annual Membership Meeting & Award Celebration at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center in Downers Grove on September 24. In addition to presenting annual excellence awards to Illinois thespians, the all-day event will include the induction of the 2022-2024 Board of Directors, workshops sponsored by the ITA, a special presentation on intimacy direction, and its Red Carpet Gala Award Luncheon.

The keynote address will presented by Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Novak has danced in 57 roles in 50 Taylor dances, and created gigs for five of the Taylor Company Commission choreographers.

This year's award winners include Teatro Vista, a Chicago-based theater group created in 1990, Dr. David Allan Kuester director of the IVCC Theatre, Judy Ruzevich Klingner, and Marjorie Hillocks.

Hillocks won the award for Creative Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences and Klingner is the recipient of the Anne Thurman Mentorship Award.

Festival 56, a Princeton Theatre Group, that won this year's Award of Honor, along with Streator High School and the Vermillion Players, a community theater group, will also be honored with awards the gala.

Workshop sessions include "OUCH! Hits, Kicks, and Other Combat Tricks" by Kyle Cassady from the Society of American Fight Directors, "Creating the Best Audition Package for You" with Paul Stancato & Felicia Finley from the Timber Lake Playhouse, and "Collaborative 10 Minute Play Writing: Hearing Every Voice" presented by Friar Dominic Garramone from Saint Bede Academy.

For more information and registration to this year's event go to https://illinoistheatre.org/event-4897079.

Classical musicians give winter concert

Members of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra performed at Smith Recital Hall in Urbana on Sunday. The orchestra, made up of 49 students from the local area, including Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, Monticello, and Danville, delighted parents and guests pieces from Verdi, Malcolm Arnold, and Dvorak at the music building on the University of Illinois campus. Here, the cello section plays during the Hungarian Dance No.5 in G Minor by Johannes Brahms conducted by Kevin Kelly at the Winter Concert 2022.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Weekend 2Do: May 10-12

ANNUAL SPRING PLANT SALE • May 10, 9am-5pm, Sola Gratia Farm, 2200 South Philo Road, Urbana. Choose from a wide selection of organically grown veggies, herbs, as well as locally sourced flowers.

SPRING USED BOOK SALE • May 10, 9am-7pm, St. Joseph Township - Swearingen Memorial Library, 201 N. Third, St. Joseph. Books, DVDs, videos, music cds, audiobooks and large print books are for sale on a donation basis. Information: Swearingen Memorial Library

WIENERS AND WINE • May 10, 5pm-9pm, Sleepy Creek Vineyards, 8254 East 1425 North, Fairmount. Buy your favorite adult beverage and they provide the hot dogs, fixings and a fire to roast them over while listening to live music. If it rains, enjoy free chili dogs inside! Kid friendly. Information: Sleepy Creek on Facebook.

AQUILA AT WATSON'S • May 10, 10pm-1am, Watson's Shack & Rail, 211 N Neil St, Champaign. Listen the jazz fusion, neo-soul, experimental indie sounds of the five member band. Limited Cost: No Cover.

PARKLAND PRIDE DRAG SHOW • May 10, 7pm-10pm, Jean Miner Theatre, 2400 W. Bradley Ave., Champaign. While the show is family friendly music during the show may contain adult language. Parking for the event will be available in Lot C4. Admission: Adults $5.00, $3.00 for ages 6-17, and free for children 6 and under.

LATIN DANCE NIGHT • May 10, 8-11pm, Urbana Dance Company, 122 W. Main Street, UNIT D, Urbana. DJ Sebastian will light up the house spinning popular salsa, bachata, merengue, and cumbia music. Free lesson from 8pm-8:30pm. Cover: $5.00 per person.

COMEDY WITH CHRIS SCHLICHTING • May 11, 8:30pm-10pm, C-U Comedy Club inside Soma, 320 North Neil Street, Champaign. Schlichting is a touring headliner at comedy clubs, private events, and corporate shows. He has appeared on nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show. Cost: $12.

THOMAS GABRIEL - PARADIGM OF TIME TOUR • May 11, 8pm, The City Center, 505 South Chestnut, Champaign. The oldest grandson of Johnny Cash will be performing live in Champaign. Cost: General Admission $10, Reserved Table seating $20. Information: Tickets available on EventFly.

MARY MAGDALENE • May 11, 7pm, The Art Theater, 126 West Church St, Champaign. Free-spirited Mary Magdalene flees an arranged marriage finding refuge and a sense of purpose in a radical new movement led by the charismatic, rabble-rousing preacher named Jesus. Admission: Student $8.50, Adult $10.00, Senior Citizens $8.25. Information: Additional showtimes.

SPRING SUCCULENT WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP • May 12, 1pm-2pm, Riggs Beer Company, 1901 South High Cross Road. Urbana. Have fun on Mother's Day with Farmer Holly as she leads a class in crafting custom wreaths on grapevine frames in the cozy confines of Riggs Brewery. For kids ages 10+ and adults. Cost: $30 per person. Information: Website