Center for the Arts at Kayenta offers February events
By Dawn McLain
The Center for the Arts at Kayenta has several offerings slated for February. If you have not seen a show at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta, now is the time!
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”
If you are looking for a rip-roaring good time, look no further than the Center for the Arts at Kayenta’s presentation of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” Jan. 30–Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. You don’t have to be an English major to laugh out loud at the parodies of the plays of William Shakespeare. All of them will be performed in comically shortened or merged form by only three actors. Typically, the actors use their real names and play themselves rather than specific characters.
Improvisation plays an important role, and it is normal for the actors to deviate from the script and have spontaneous conversations about the material with each other or the audience. It is also common for them to make references to pop culture or to talk about local people and places in the area where the play is being performed as directed by the script’s footnotes. As a result, performances differ, even with the same cast.
The concept comes from the genius minds of playwriters Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield — former founding members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company — first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1987 and later played at the Criterion Theatre in London where it ran for nine years.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” has become one of the world’s most popular shows, playing frequently in a variety of languages. This play holds the world record for the shortest-ever performance of “Hamlet,” clocking in at 43 seconds, as well as the fastest performance of “Hamlet” backwards, at 42 seconds. Don’t let the title fool you. This is not a Shakespeare play, it’s a parody!
Coyote Tales
Coyote Tales are live, open-mic style storytelling events with amateur and experienced storytellers. Each event has a theme on which stories are to be based. Potential storytellers may address that theme in any way they choose. Prior to the event, storytellers craft their true, on-theme stories, practice the telling (5 minutes or less), and work on eliminating excess detail to nail the perfect ending. When the doors open, potential storytellers put their names in the hat in hopes of being chosen to share their tales. If chosen, a storyteller takes the stage to delight the audience.
The theme for this evening’s stories is “Flawed.”
If you are interested in getting on stage Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m., please visit the Coyote Tales website to learn more about speaking tips and coaching opportunities.
Soirée Musicale celebrates Beethoven with Mykola Suk and friends
On Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Soirée Musicale celebrates the 250th birthday of the great Ludwig van Beethoven with some of his compositions featuring world-renowned Ukrainian pianist Mykola Suk returning to Kayenta to present definitive interpretations of Beethoven’s immortal music, accompanied by St. George performers.
Love Stories in Song with John D. Smitherman and Rachel Cox
Broadway tenor John D. Smitherman will visit from New York a third time Feb. 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. to serenade lovers on Valentine’s Day joined by St. George soprano Rachel Cox.
Tickets are $30 and $10 for students. For $25 more per ticket, you can dance your hearts out to fun romantic tunes played a live big band and partake from a delectable dinner and dessert bar hosted by Chef Alfredo.
Movie Night at Kayenta: “Murphy’s Romance”
The Kayenta Arts Foundation’s movie night at Kayenta will show films from the private collection of Richard Kinsman, a resident of Kayenta, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m.. Kinsman loved movies and had a private collection of over 2,500 films. He had hoped to hold regular movie nights as a fundraising activity for the Kayenta Arts Foundation as well as a way for people to connect. Kinsman did not live to see his vision come to life, but we think he’d be very happy to know that his generous donation of his collection is still raising funds and bringing people together.
The movie is free and open to the public. There will be bottled water, soda, popcorn, candy, and other concessions available for sale. Bring some cash to make a donation to help pay for licensing and labor costs. Everyone is welcome!
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
The globally acclaimed Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will perform Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m. It was formed in 1964. Four years later, it began to receive invitations to perform from all around the world. It has been called to teach and dance in Canada, South Africa, former Yugoslavia, China, the Philippines, Singapore, American Samoa, and many places in Europe.
Just one month before the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the dancers performed in East Germany and were the first modern dancers to perform in Karl-Marx Stadt in the former Soviet Union and East Berlin in 15 years.
In 1993, the company traveled to Slovenia. Ririe-Woodbury performed a benefit fundraiser for 70,000 Bosnian war refugees who were seeking shelter in Slovenian collection centers.
In 2004, Ririe-Woodbury was one of five dance companies invited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival. In 2006, the company presented Nikolais’s “Tensile Involvement” at the Fall for Dance Festival in New York City.
Recently, the Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance selected Ririe-Woodbury as the dance company to house the works of modern dance innovator Alwin Nikolais, as his company, Nikolais Dance Theatre was no longer in operation. Ririe-Woodbury’s performances of works by Nikolais have received five-star reviews in the New York Times and the LA Times.
The Kayenta Arts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and create an environment where diverse artistic endeavors can flourish. The Center for the Arts at Kayenta is where people in the greater southern Utah area gather to enjoy, learn, express, appreciate and celebrate art in all forms.
The Kayenta Arts Foundation is supported in part by funding from Washington County and Ivins City RAP funds. It is also supported in part by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, with funding from the State of Utah and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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