More Connecticut Arts Connections You Won't Want to Miss

Mary Wilson

The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University opens its Retro Concert Series with Mary Wilson of The Supremes – Live in Concert! on stage on Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 pm. Tickets ($40 - General Public; $25 – Students/Faculty/Staff/Senior Citizens) may be purchased at 203-371-7908 (Mondays through Fridays from noon to 4 pm; at the lobby of the Edgerton Center two hours prior to each performance or online at EdgertonCenter.org.
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The deadline for submissions will be October 1 for Hartford Stage's Annual Young Playwrights' Competition, Write On, for students in grades 9-12. Students are asked to submit an idea inspired by a topic that is important to them and relevant in their world. Entries include characters, setting, and as much of the story as possible. Students can submit their idea at www.hartfordstage.org/write-on. For the selected playwrights, Hartford Stage's Education Department will help with the rest. There will be 5-6 students chosen to participate in the program and winners will be notified during the week of Oct. 8. Winning playwrights sit in on rehearsals for Hartford Stage's Brand: New Festival, participate in writing workshops lead by Hartford Stage's Aetna New Voices Fellow, and see their own plays performed for the public by professional actors and directors. Professional playwrights who have worked with the writers in the Write On program include Marcus Gardley, Will Power, Hana Sharif, Quiara Hudes, Michael Elyanow, Daniel Beaty and Luis Alfaro. This year, the writers in the Write On program will work with Aetna New Voices Fellow, Matthew Lopez (The Whipping Man).
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Live Radio Drama: “Criminals and Evil Deeds” 8 pm Friday, Sept. 28, 2012; 3 and 8 pm Saturday, Sept. 29. Wien Experimental Theatre, Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Tickets: $25. (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396. (1-877-278-7396).
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Westport Country Playhouse will present an education and community engagement initiative, “What Happens to a Dream Deferred: Lorraine Hansberry and A Raisin in the Sun", in conjunction with the Playhouse’s production of Hansberry’s landmark drama, directed by Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad. Scheduled now through Nov. 3, the initiative will offer speakers, panel discussions, talkbacks, film screenings, art exhibits, and more, to explore the playwright and her creation – the historical context, contemporary relevance, and lasting influence. The enrichment programs are designed to deepen the audience’s experience of the play. 203-227-4177, 888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online at www.westportplayhouse.org.
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Casting has been announced for The Great American Mousical, to be directed by Julie Andrews in a developmental run Nov. 8 - Dec. 2 at Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre in Chester. The diva Adelaide will be played by Emily Skinner; Harold will be played by Paul Carlin. Larry Cahnwill play Emil; Toby will be the Box Office (860.873.8668), open seven days a week, or on-line at www.goodspeed.org.played by Laura Jordan; Pippin will be played by Noah E. Galvin and Curly will be played by Christian Delcroix . Alessa Neeck will play Wendy. Rose will be played by Allie Schauer, Sky will be played by Jeremiah James, Hysterium will be played by Caesar Samayoa and David Beach will play Henry.
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Legendary ESPN sportscaster Bob Ley will be the celebrity host and auctioneer for Swing for the Arts, a spectacular evening of dining and dancing to benefit the Farmington Valley Arts Center (FVAC) Friday, Oct. 19 from 7 to 11 pm.  Swing for the Arts is the FVAC's largest fundraising event of the year, and with Ley emceeing the festivities, the non-profit is hoping to hit it out of the park at a critical time in its history. The Avon-based arts organization, established nearly 40 years ago to bring about greater public awareness of practicing, professional artists and to further quality arts education, will use proceeds to hire an Executive Director to guide the organization as it looks toward the future.
Arts supporters will spend a memorable Friday night feasting on creative fare at historic Belle Terrace at Avon Old Farms and dancing as the Street Vipers play the hot hits of the '60s through today. This (almost) all-attorney, nine-piece rock band appears at just a handful of charitable events each year. Tickets, which are $100 per person, include an expansive dinner and four-hour open bar, dancing and a chance to bid on fabulous auction items. Reservations must be made by calling 860-678-1867. Each ticket includes a $48 tax-deductible charitable donation to the FVAC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides arts-related programs and opportunities for thousands in the region each year. Belle Terrace at Avon Old Farms is located at One Nod Road in Avon, Connecticut. For information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.artsfvac.org or call 860-678-1867.