Envious machinations and evil intentions take hold in American Shakespeare Center’s Othello, live streaming on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7pm. The show will be shot in 3-camera cinema-quality and presented live from the stage of the Blackfriars Playhouse.

Directed by celebrated ASC Artistic Director Ethan McSweeny, this stunningly relevant production of Shakespeare’s tragedy of racism and jealousy promises to bring audiences to the edge of their seats. Acclaimed actress Jessika D. Williams, who has won a cult following from her appearance on the popular television series Doctor Who, appears in the title role of Othello. Opposite Williams is veteran actor-manager John Harrell as the malevolent Iago. It’s a struggle between good and evil when these two titanic talents square off.

BlkFrs LIVE offers Schaefer Center Presents audiences synchronized live viewing of ASC’s new production of Othello. The comprehensive “Virtual Tour” program is designed to make it possible for people to experience the joy of Shakespeare in performance and the magic of the Blackfriars Playhouse from far away.

The American Shakespeare Center’s productions are intimate in scale, yet epic in scope. The company utilizes Shakespeare’s staging conditions (universal lighting, minimal sets, character doubling, cross-gender casting, and live music) to blend Shakespeare’s stagecraft with a modern sensibility. This engaging approach to the work of Shakespeare and his contemporaries is what led the UK Telegraph to call ASC “one of the most accomplished Shakespeare companies in the United States.”

Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.

Let’s gather together VIRTUALLY to celebrate the goddess Lada Nada and discover our own inner divine feminine.

The Invitation

“You are the keepers of sacred magic, the template of the divine feminine protector of the Holy Grail, the Goddess, the Holy of Holies.

She is known by many names: Diana, Mary Magdalene, Isis, Hathor, Quan Yin, Hecate, Venus, Aphrodite, Diana, Freya, and Gaia. Keepers of the sacred flame, you are being called to come together in community to be held, scene, and to heal your wounds – our wounds of separation, of struggle, and profound forgetting.

The Resurrection of Alice was filmed on the Schaefer Center stage exclusively for this series!

The Resurrection of Alice is a novel and play inspired by the countless forgotten lives of young, black girls who found themselves in arranged marriages to men that were usually community pillars, financially comfortable and old enough to be their grandfathers. This type of arrangement, prevalent throughout many countries and cultures, was once a fairly common practice amongst African Americans through the mid-1900s.

In rural 1948 South Carolina, 15-year-old Alice looks forward to graduating from high school (a family first) and attending college on the scholarship she has earned. But her plans are devastated when she learns that she must honor her parents’ secret marriage arrangements for her to Luthern Tucker, the lonely, old family benefactor who had been eyeing her since she was seven years old. Alice’s next 20 years of overcoming trials are a tribute to the power of nurturing and healing that can cause a broken spirit to be reborn.

Because the tradition of arranged nuptials continues, The Resurrection of Alice has a contemporary, universal social appeal to anyone seeking to understand how and why this tradition remains as well as some possible emotional, psychological, and physical tolls that may plague both the betrothed and their families, if the union is not a happy one.

The Resurrection of Alice is recommended for ages 12 and older. It’s an adventure that informs, enlightens, excites, and inspires through characters that will stay with you long after the story ends.

Friday Nights October 30 – November 20. 7pm ~ 8:15pm. Each talk will be available for one Week.

Modern Kadampa Buddhism is flourishing across the South, because folks have discovered that meditation is a powerful and practical method to maintain a peaceful mind no matter what.

Please join these Southern teachers from across NC, GA and SC (online)! They will share their love for meditation by offering practical advice and simple tips for finding happiness within our own good hearts.

You’re welcome to register for any individual week or the entire series at a discount. Individual weeks $10 each. Package $30, Discounts for Monthly Members.

October 30 Letting Go with Gen Tilopa from KMC North Carolina
November 6 What’s the Meaning of Life with Gen Norden from KMC Georgia
November 13 From Anger to Compassion with Kelsang Jangchen from KMC South Carolina
November 19 TBD: Ethan Lechner from Kosala Buddhist Center

Silent Disco tickets include 1 pair of RF wireless personal headphones for everyone at your table/pod so that you can listen to the music without violating time limits on amplified sound. The headphones are sanitized thoroughly with an EPA-approved cleaning agent between our weekly events, and stored in a no-touch, safe and sealed manner to allow further decontamination so that they are completely safe.

No-Frills Halloween Dance Party!

We all know: this year is different. So, this is the deal and it’s not fancy:

We have no DJ; it’s a play list with some of our favorite dance music.

You have to dance outside in our parking lot. And, wear a mask. And, dance six feet apart from people you don’t know. And, don’t take candy from strangers. Just joking. But, it’s a good rule in general.

We’ll probably have a costume contest but guess what the prize is. Nothing. Simply the honor of winning. Which is something.

If you’re out, stop by. We’d be honored to be a part of your celebration because it’s our most favoritest time of year.

21+

Join Spartan Photo Center and a Fujifilm Technical Representative for an unveiling of the new Fuji X-S10 camera and discussion and question and answers on Fujifilm digital cameras and lenses. Runs about an hour, not counting the Q & A.

The Zoom meeting link is https://fujifilm.zoom.us/j/96658468564?pwd=SGVZZnlYUWt4VHZsVWZKSTJ3OU5yZz09.

Whether you are picking up a camera for the first time or have been doing photography for many years, there is always that one tip that will help you to improve. Join Professional Photographer, and Tamron Image Master, David Akoubian, as he shares his “10 tips to Improve your Landscape and Travel Photography”. David has been photographing for over 40 years and has made most every mistake that can be made, but he has also learned how to avoid making those mistakes repeatedly. David will share tips such as knowing your camera, creating good exposures, how to compose beautiful landscapes and capturing the mood of the places you travel to. David will set out to educate and inspire you in this quick paced 2-hour lecture that will leave you ready to go out and start capturing amazing images yourself.

We are hosting photographer and Sigma tech rep, Aaron Norberg for this introductory course in night sky photography. Learn the basics of how to find the best locations, how to schedule an outing, what gear and equipment to take with you and how to get the right exposure. Sign up to join the online ZOOM meeting.

Friday Nights October 30 – November 20. 7pm ~ 8:15pm. Each talk will be available for one Week.

Modern Kadampa Buddhism is flourishing across the South, because folks have discovered that meditation is a powerful and practical method to maintain a peaceful mind no matter what.

Please join these Southern teachers from across NC, GA and SC (online)! They will share their love for meditation by offering practical advice and simple tips for finding happiness within our own good hearts.

You’re welcome to register for any individual week or the entire series at a discount. Individual weeks $10 each. Package $30, Discounts for Monthly Members.

October 30 Letting Go with Gen Tilopa from KMC North Carolina
November 6 What’s the Meaning of Life with Gen Norden from KMC Georgia
November 13 From Anger to Compassion with Kelsang Jangchen from KMC South Carolina
November 19 TBD: Ethan Lechner from Kosala Buddhist Center

Returning to the studio as Watkins Family Hour, Sean and Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek fame) consider brother sister a duo-centric record – yet one that feels bigger than just two people. With Sean primarily on guitar and Sara on fiddle, and with both of them sharing vocals, the siblings enlisted producer Mike Viola (Jenny Lewis, Mandy Moore, J.S. Ondara) and mixer-engineer Clay Blair to harness the energy and honesty of their live sound.

Friday Nights October 30 – November 20. 7pm ~ 8:15pm. Each talk will be available for one Week.

Modern Kadampa Buddhism is flourishing across the South, because folks have discovered that meditation is a powerful and practical method to maintain a peaceful mind no matter what.

Please join these Southern teachers from across NC, GA and SC (online)! They will share their love for meditation by offering practical advice and simple tips for finding happiness within our own good hearts.

You’re welcome to register for any individual week or the entire series at a discount. Individual weeks $10 each. Package $30, Discounts for Monthly Members.

October 30 Letting Go with Gen Tilopa from KMC North Carolina
November 6 What’s the Meaning of Life with Gen Norden from KMC Georgia
November 13 From Anger to Compassion with Kelsang Jangchen from KMC South Carolina
November 19 TBD: Ethan Lechner from Kosala Buddhist Center

Presented by the Office of Sustainability, the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs

This public presentation is a rebroadcast of a private live interactive question-and-answer session with Dr. Goodall and Appalachian State University students that will occur on Wednesday, November 18th.

Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. From earliest childhood, she was fascinated by animals and the Africa she discovered in the storybooks of Tarzan and Dr. Doolittle. In 1957, she traveled to the Kenyan farm of a friend’s parents and met the famed anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey. In 1960, at his invitation, she began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Tanzania. Her field research at what was then called Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve — most notably, her discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools — revolutionized the world of primatology and redefined the relationship between humans and animals.

Event is free, but pre-registration is required.

The astrology of 2020 has already turned the world upside down. So what can we expect in 2021?

AFOA founding member Benjamin Bernstein will give his annual forecast lecture via Zoom on Friday, November 20 at 7 PM US Eastern Time. This call may reach capacity, so consider joining 10 minutes early to guarantee your space. The Zoom info is at the end of this announcement.

Benjamin will put special focus on 2021’s headline event, a powerful Saturn-Uranus square that lasts the entire year. (One of its central themes will be the rapid breakdown of existing structures, as well as the quick rise of new ones.) He’ll also predict when this square’s effects will be most powerful, based on the timing of Mars-Saturn-Uranus T-squares and other catalyzing events.

Benjamin will also discuss the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in the first degree of Aquarius on 12/21/20, and its continuing effects in 2021. Does the extraordinary timing of this Great Conjunction mark the true beginning of the Aquarian Age?

Additional topics will include Saturn in Aquarius and Jupiter in Aquarius and Pisces. We’ll also explore the 2021 eclipses and the surprising prominence of Vesta in 2021’s aspect patterns. Is it time to devote more time and energy to serving the greater good?