via ‘Story Slam! Update: Meet Dr. Sketchy! Party Invite & More…’.

Theatre veteran and scribe for hire John Hartness will once again host an evening with writers/artists who will read poetry, essays and more!

Joining John for “…Of A Certain Age” will be Creative Loafing columnist/author John Grooms (“Deliver Us From Weasels,” a collection of award-winning essays, news features, and memoirs), writer Steve Stoeckel (who also happens to be in the Spongetones) and author Pat MacEnulty (her latest is ” Picara”)

Tickets: $10 @ door. There will be a Q&A and an open mic section. For more on the authors:

John Grooms
John Hartness
Pat MacEnulty
Steve Stoeckel

Click here for a video from the November showcase: Charlotte Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson reading his essay “Chevy Van” with help from Stoeckel.

Enjoy three hours of figure-drawing and some awesome contests.

Admission: $10.

Bring your own art supplies.

Dr. Sketchy visits the Slam the second Tuesday of every month.

Click here for more info on the Charlotte sessions!

Click here for more info on Dr. Sketchy!

“Platonic Voyage” is a 24-hour performance/exhibition by Dugg Dugg that uses Google Earth 5.0 to simulate the experience of an ocean voyage.

The adventure is Jan. 21-22 at Story Slam! Charlotte arts center, 1401 Central Ave.

Equal parts allegory and video game, “Platonic Voyage” by Charles A. Westfall and Layet Johnson uses the Internet and computer technologies to explore ways in which virtual spaces and activities have come to function in contemporary society as a surrogate for the real.

Doors open at 7 pm Thursday with a pre-departure chat at 8 pm and launch at 8:15 pm.

“Platonic Voyage” will be on exhibit for 24 hours.

Arrival at destination: 8:15 pm, with a post-arrival discussion.

Admission is free but donations will be accepted.

beverages will be available to purchase.

Video by Carlisle Kellam.

Story Slam is proud to present “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” a family-friendly holiday tale by Dylan Thomas.

In poetic language, filled with funny, eccentric characters, Thomas paints a warm and nostalgic picture of a young boy’s coming of age in a simple Welsh village.

Using beautiful Celtic music coordinated by Albert Dulin, this classic tale features Caroline Bower, Rob Simmons and Randell Haynes. Musicians include Dulin on Irish bouzouki and fiddle; Mary Fluke on concertina and voice; and Jason Dulin on guitar and bodhran.

Performances

Saturday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. (doors open at 1 p.m.)

Tickets

Advance on CarolinaTix: $8 adults; $5 for 18 and under. Door: $12 adults; $8 for 18 and under.

Special dinner offer from Cafe Central

Cafe Central, a cozy restaurant & bar just two doors down from Story Slam, has two very exciting dinner options for those attending the Saturday night (Dec. 19) performance of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”

Stop by the theater before heading to Cafe Central to collect the “snowflake” token for the dinner special.

Cafe Central will offer a dinner special inspired by traditional Welsh cooking: Queen Victoria’s Windsor Soup ($4.95) and Gilded Saffron & Butter Basted Roasted Cornish Hen with Herb Garland, served with Welsh Cheese & Bacon Muffins ($14.95).

If you prefer more of an American fare, savory options abound on the menu. Present the “snowflake” token prior to ordering for a 15% discount (excluding beer, wine, liquor, and taxes). Plan to arrive at Cafe Central by 6 p.m. at the latest to allow plenty of time to enjoy dinner and make the 7 p.m. show. Cafe Central will be open after the show.

From the Nov. 12 issue of The Charlotte Post by Ryanne Persinger:

Play Reaches Out To Couples

Two years ago, Brian and Valerie Daye were looking for a spicier way to reach married couples at New Covenant AME Church. “We needed something different,” Brian Daye said. “My wife said, ‘why don’t you write a play?’ and so I did.”Brian Daye penned “One In The Spirit,” a one-act play focusing on three African American couples tackling marital issues, betrayal, tragedy and renewal of faith.

Val Daye, a life coach, says she and her husband wanted to use their artistic abilities in connecting with other couples. “I think it’s important that the church finds creative ways to reach various types of people,” she said. “There’s so many different levels of marriages to tell, like the father/son relationship, the sister/girl relationship…those are all embedded together.”

For Brian Daye, writing turned out to be the best of both worlds because the play not only entertains, it is used as a teaching tool for husbands and wives, dating couples and single folks, too. “I’ve been acting for 30 years but this is my first time writing something,” Brian Daye said. “It’s kind of like a new muscle that you haven’t discovered.”

The play premiered in Greensboro at a marriage enrichment conference in 2007. Since then, it has played at a few other venues, but now it is revving back up. “My wife said I needed to dust (the play) off the shelf and take it back on the road,” Brian said.

There are eight characters in “One In The Spirit.” Six are married, one is a friend of a spouse and the other is a preacher. Brian Daye says the cast is exemplary and includes actors Karen Abercrombie, John W. Price, Ife’ Moore, Willie Stratford Jr., Angela Shannon, Chris Bretscher, Steve Boyd and Granville Caldwell.

The play, Brian Daye says, is for everyone. It contains contemporary issues between young, middle-aged and senior couples. “(The performance) speaks to everyone who is going through something and are looking for ways to move their lives forward,” Brian Daye said. “We’re telling a great story. I’m not trying to preach, but maybe it will change someone’s life.”

Val Daye said there has not been a person who has not come back after seeing the show and said, “‘you carried out a snap shot right out of my relationship.’“ Brian Daye says any church or venue interesting in hosting the play can also contact him.

For more information or for tickets, call (704) 724-1516. To contact Brian Daye, email bwdaye@aol.com.

Join us on Saturday, Dec. 5, for another of Ross Wilbanks’ entertaining film-related programs.

Ross Wilbanks

Three sets of musicians and one film-maker mix it up in a specially designed singular show.  Instead of letting each group play through their set uninterrupted, one big set list will be drawn up alternating between the four players.

Exciting connections abound as one song hops to another, followed by a film, then back to another set of songs,
another set of films and so on…

Don’t worry you can still get a drink or use the restroom.  Get up and dance if you like. The 150-minute show suits all moods.

Doors open @ 8:30 p.m. Show @ 9 p.m.

Admission at door: $5

On Nov. 20-21, it will truly be all about story-telling at Story Slam!

Join John Hartness, Iesha Hoffman and, on Friday only, Tommy Tomlinson and Steve Stoeckel of the Spongetones as they share stories, poems and laughter. Two nights of great entertainment from some of Charlotte’s favorite storytellers!

Hartness will read selections from his book “Returning the Favor” and other slices of life, as well as new work. Tomlinson will share some of his favorite stories and columns from The Charlotte Observer, and Hoffman will share her short fiction and poetry. Stoeckel will play along with Tomlinson and then read his essay from “Making Notes: Music of the Carolinas.”

Open mic time will be available for audience members who want to bring something to share!

Tickets are $14 at the door.

Doors @ 7 p.m.; program begins @ 8 p.m.