Arts & entertainment briefs

CCHS PRODUCTION

The Churchill County High School Theatre Department will present Brent Hanson’s comedy-thriller “Time-Share” on Nov. 15, 16, 22 & 23 at 7 p.m. in the CCHS Theatre.

This lively comedy is full of misunderstandings and near misses. Hilarious mix-ups occur when two high school boys, a couple of college girls, a handsome Scandinavian skier and his grandmother, a member of the mob and a dead body all arrive at a time-share cabin on the same day.

“Time-Share” was originally staged at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for CCHS students, and $4 for younger students and senior citizens. Directed by Glen Perazzo and assisted by Rebecca Eckert and Jared Huston, the play features cast members to include Jacob Moulton, Jared Huston, Ethan Overlie, Dustin Gross, Madeline Robbins, Hannah Perazzo, Niya Kelsey, Justice Crowley, Aurora Smith, Sam Price, Bailey LaFleur, Ethan Smith and Rebecca Eckert.

WNC’S LES MISERABLES

A cast of nearly 60 performers has been selected for Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company’s first-ever production of Les Misérables in November.

WNMTC will present 10 performances of the famed international hit on weekends, November 8-24, at the Carson City Community Center.

Nick Favero has been cast in the lead role Jean Valjean, whose dark life as a convict is transformed by a saintly bishop after he nearly returns to prison for stealing.

Other cast members include Mark D. Williams as the diligent police inspector Javert, Melody Ricketts as the suffering Fantine, Kirk Gardner and Dianne Hale as the unscrupulous Thenardiers, Andie Anderson as the wistful Eponine, Maria Arrigotti and Andrew Collins as the lovers Cosette and Marius. Cosette Chamberlin and Grace McCully are double-cast as young Cosette.

The production is complemented by a professional orchestra. It is produced and directed by Stephanie Arrigotti, choreographed by Gina Kaskie Davis and conducted by Kevin Murphy.

Les Mis is the longest running musical in the world. The play won eight Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Musical Score, and has wowed more than 60 million theatre-goers in 42 countries.

Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 23. Tickets are $25 or $28 and are available at www.wnmtc.com or by calling 775-445-4249.

UNR’S WRITERS HALL OF FAME

The 26th annual Nevada Writers Hall of Fame will welcome its newest inductee, University of Nevada, Reno distinguished history professor emeritus Richard O. “Dick” Davies, at this year’s ceremony from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday at the university’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center.

Christopher Coake, who was named “Best Young American Novelist” by GRANTA in 2007 and is a creative writing professor at the University and Tupelo Hassman, a graduate of Colombia University’s Master in Fine Arts Program and debut author of girlchild, a novel about a young girl growing up in a cluster of mobile homes outside of Reno, will receive this year’s Silver Pen Awards as emerging writers.

The reception and silent auction begin at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m. The $40 ticket includes beverages and hors d’oeuvres and supports the services of the University Libraries. Complimentary parking for the event is available in the metered lot in front of the Knowledge Center, adjacent to the Brian J. Whalen Parking Complex. For information or reservations, call 775-682-6022.

WNC VETERANS DAY FILM

Western Nevada College offers veterans and the public the opportunity to spend a part of Veterans Day viewing a documentary film about one of the longest and deadliest battles of the Vietnam War.

“Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor” will be screened at 4 p.m. on Monday in Marlette Hall on the WNC Carson City campus. Admission is free.

The documentary is the story of the Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, and their struggles to survive during a 77-day siege of Khe Sanh in 1968. Isolated from military assistance and supplies, the Marines were confronted with heavy mortar, rocket and artillery fire, and very possibly, death.

Ken Rodgers, the film’s co-producer and co-director and a veteran of the Bravo Company and the Khe Sanh siege, will be present at the screening, along with his wife, Betty. In the film, more than a dozen survivors will contribute to retelling the story of one of the worst sieges in American warfare history. American casualties were estimated at 354, including 60 from the Bravo Company.

“This is a documentary with actual combat footage and shows what really happened,” said Kevin Burns, an adviser for Student Veterans Club of Western Nevada College and a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps. “It can be a springboard to discussion and be very cathartic for the Vietnam guys.”

The film is dedicated to the memory of the 58,272 men and women who didn’t return from the Vietnam War.It is sponsored by the Nevada State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, VVA Chapter 388 and the Student Veterans of Western Nevada College. Refreshments will be served.

NEVADA MAGAZINE

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2013 issue, featuring former president Abraham Lincoln on the cover, is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are parallel feature stories: one about the logistics of modern mining in the state and a partner piece that focuses on Nevada’s mining history and how the innovative and lucrative Comstock district propelled Nevada into statehood on October 31, 1864.

Lincoln was president during the Civil War, when Nevada become a state, earning it the “Battle Born” moniker. This is the second of eight Sesquicentennial Special Editions the magazine will produce through November/December 2014. The State of Nevada celebrates its 150th birthday in 2014.

Also highlighted in the issue are the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitor Center, Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Sand Springs Pony Express station, the Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnapping of 1963, South Lake Tahoe’s new Gunbarrel Tavern, and The LINQ, an open-air retail, dining, and entertainment district now under construction on the Las Vegas Strip.

he magazine is currently offering a number of great holiday gifts, including the Historical Nevada book, the 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar, and its special 75th-Anniversary Edition of 2011. Find out more at nevadamagazine.com, or by calling 775-687-0610.

NAC GRANT WORKSHOPS

The Nevada Arts Council is hosting a series of 12 free grant workshops in November to help artists, nonprofit organizations, educators and public institutions apply for the many grants available through NAC’s state programs. “Gaining the Competitive Edge,” workshops are designed for both novice and experienced grant writers, and focus on creating competitive grant applications using the agency’s Grants OnlineTM system

To support programs throughout the state, NAC offers a dozen grant categories. New for 2013, NAC is presenting two types of workshops, one for artists and educators who would apply for grants as individuals, and one for representatives of nonprofit organizations, schools and public institutions that would apply for grants as organizations.

“We continue to see an increase in requests for NAC grant funding. We strongly recommend that both new grant-seekers and existing grantees join us for these training opportunities that have been designed with both types of users in mind” said Ann Libby, grants program coordinator for the Arts Council. Registration is at nac.nevadaculture.org, http://bit.ly/17ra4lM or call (775) 687-6680.

Northern Nevada:

Carson City

Artists and educators: Nov. 15, 9 a.m. to noon

Organizations: Nov. 15, 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Western Nevada College, Room BRIS 332

2201 W. College Parkway, Carson City

STREMMEL GALLERY

Stremmel Gallery presents Phyllis Shafer’s “Beneath On Sky,” the preamble to the Nevada Museum of Art’s (NMA) February 2014 exhibition for the artist.

Shafer’s exhibition of new paintings catalogs her observations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from Yosemite to Lake Tahoe. “Beneath One Sky,” the fifth solo exhibition for the South Tahoe artist at Stremmel Gallery, will run from through Saturday.

RANGE HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Online shopping is hot these days, and RANGE magazine’s gift shop has more than 30 reasons to check out its merchandise.

The collection ranges from clothing, a cowboy-themed wall calendar, subscriptions, fine art, and books. Prices are reasonable and there are a number of specially priced holiday combos and sale items. All prices include shipping and handling. Visit www.rangemagazine.com and click on Shopping Cart for information.

RANGE is an award-winning national publication devoted to the issues that threaten the West, its people, lifestyles, lands and wildlife. RANGE was recently recognized with 20 journalism awards, including the coveted Freedom of the Press, Outstanding Journalist and Outstanding Visual Journalist awards.

For information visit www.rangemagazine.com, or call 1-800-RANGE-4-U.

COWBOY POETRY

The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is turning 30 in 2014, and the nation’s greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions, will turn its focus to the future of the region.

Between Jan. 27 and Feb. 1, in Elko, the Gathering will present poetry, music, fine western gear, films, workshops, dances and discussions with a clear focus on encouraging the next generation and working together to ensure the sustainability of the occupational and artistic traditions of the rural West.

The theme of the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is Expressing the Rural West — Into the Future!

Through performances of poetry and music, thought-provoking films and fruitful discourse, artists and audiences of all ages will share their art and their opinions on meeting the challenges of rural life in the modern West.

In particular, the next generation of cowboy artists will present their work and discuss their brand of ranch life — with one hand on the reins and the other on the cell phone.

More than 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S. and Canada will perform on seven stages at four different venues.

The line-up includes cowboy poets Baxter Black, Paul Zarzyski, Waddie Mitchell, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Joel Nelson, Doris Daley, Pat Richardson, Randy Rieman and many others.

Music is as integral to the Gathering as poetry; the musical line-up includes Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphey, Riders In The Sky, Don Edwards, Dave Stamey, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, Caleb Klauder Country Band, Martha Scanlan and more. Scroll down for a full list of participating artists and their hometowns. Visit www.westernfolklife.org for full bios.

Special guests this year include renowned animal welfare advocate, professor and author Temple Grandin, who will deliver the keynote address, and Stephanie Davis and her Trail’s End Ranch Radio Show, broadcasting poetry, humor and wisdom from a fictitious radio station on the range. A special exhibition will celebrate the new renaissance of western artistry among young gearmakers and visual artists.

THE GERONINO ARCHIVE

Battle Born Digital Media announced they have released The Germino Archive, a project aimed at turning the work of prolific Comstock Photographer William Germino into a coffee table book, postcard collection, calendar and website. Using the crowd funding platform KickStarter, Battle Born Digital Media hopes to secure funding for the first edition of The Germino Archive coffee table book, a 1,000 book run.

Bill Germino was a fixture on the Comstock Lode in the 70s and 80s taking pictures of people, places and things on the Comstock Lode and surrounding areas as well as other parts of Northern Nevada and California. The KickStarter project can be viewed by visiting www.kickstarter.com. To view selected images of the collection, visit www.germinoarchive.com or the FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/germinoarchivecom.

“The detail and dynamic range of the images is remarkable” said Battle Born’s Sam Toll.

He is a 25-year veteran of the printing industry, magazine publisher and son of renown Nevada Historian, Author and Publisher David Toll.

“I remember Bill Germino as the chain smoking photographer of the Gold Hill News back when my dad published the newspaper in our front room. He was always lugging around that camera and tripod.”

Bill carried the camera across Northern Nevada and California taking pictures commercially and for his vast personal collection. There are images of Ely, Wells, Jarbidge, Kingston Canyon, The Ruby Mountains, Lamoille, Stillwater, The Dayton Valley, The entire Carson River system and The Comstock Lode as well as the Gold Country and Delta areas of Northern California.

“I have about 3000 man hours into the project so far and I am about half way done. There is an astonishing amount of work required to scan (at least three scans passes are required for images that make it into the book), retouch, color and tone correct.

Then scans need to be tagged and have metadata created with location and date. Finally the scans are numbered and organized and then the collection is copied to a website so the public can enjoy them. I am using the crowd funding platform KickStarter to raise the cost of printing the first run of 1000 coffee table book as well as postcards and a wall calendar for 2014.” said Toll

For those unfamiliar with crowd funding, here is how the process works. Battle Born has established a budget of $ 16,000 to cover the costs of production, printing and fulfillment of all the orders generated by the project (books calendars, postcards and prints) as well as 5% that KickStarter takes and the 3% that Amazon.com takes to handle the individual transactions. They then create pledge levels and assign rewards for those pledges. When a person pledges a dollar amount, they register that pledge with Amazon.com and agree to pay the money should the project reach it’s goal. There is a time limit set , in this case 30 days. If the project does not attain the predetermined amount, no money changes hands.