Little Rock Local | August Edition
Image via Facebook.com/TheasArtsDepartment
August 1: Block on Rock at Stone's Throw Brewery
Stone's Throw Brewery celebrates year 2 with a birthday block party. From 3-10 p.m., the block surrounding Stone's Throw will be alive with food trucks, music, and a community of beer lovers. Arm bands are $5 the day of the event, and parking might be tricky, so check the event's Facebook page for a map and helpful details. And if you're looking for still more foam and suds, the second annual Great Arkansas Beer Festival will be happening at the Statehouse Convention Center from 6-9 p.m.
SHOWS YOU SHOULD SEE
Aug. 6: Bonnie Montgomery at White Water Tavern. 9:30 p.m.
Aug. 7: John Bush Quintet at Ron Robinson Theater. $10, 7 p.m.
Aug. 18: Andy Grammer at Rev Room. $20, 8:30 p.m.
Aug. 21: Diarrhea Planet at Rev Room. $10-$12, 9 p.m.
Aug. 22: Mulehead at White Water Tavern. 9 p.m.
Aug. 22: Canopy Climbers at Juanita's. $8, 9 p.m.
Aug. 27: Pokey LaFarge at South on Main. $17-$25, 8 p.m.
August 6: The Outsiders Comedy Tour at The Joint
If you're digging the growing comedy scene in Little Rock, it might be worth your time and $5 to check out this trio at The Joint—James Curtis, Jackson Curtin, and Michael Mann will have come all the way from Oklahoma to make the good people of central Arkansas laugh. The North Little Rock stop is among tour dates in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Northwest Arkansas. RSVP on Facebook here, and find more details about the comedians and the tour here.
August 7: The Art Department featuring Sally Nixon
Thea Foundation's quarterly event The Art Department features illustrator Sally Nixon this time around. Nixon is known for her painstakingly detailed drawings of characters captured in everyday scenes—even when they're sleeping in a pizza bed or actually a zoo animal, they're probably binge-drinking Diet Coke and have to wear reading glasses, just like you and me!
The Art Department is 6:30-9 p.m. A $10 admission charge gets you in, plus heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open wine and beer bar, music by the Funkanites, and the chance to win an original piece of art. Check out more of Nixon's work here or follow her drawing-a-day project on Instagram here. RSVP to The Art Department on Facebook here.
August 7-8: Shakespeare at The Shelter
Our House, a Little Rock home for the working poor, presents its fourth annual fundraiser Shakespeare at The Shelter at which clients and alumni present a night of Shakespeare's work. From Our House's website: "This program invites our clients to challenge themselves intellectually and provides opportunities to hone skills necessary in the workforce (team work and confidence chief among them). It also invites our community to challenge their assumptions about homelessness." All proceeds from the event go toward improving Our House; this year's funds specifically support improvements to the kitchen and computers for the shelter's learning center.
Shakespeare in the Shelter is 7:30-8:30 p.m. both nights at Our House, and tickets are $20. You can find more info about the project here and RSVP on Facebook here.
August 14-28: Film Screenings at Ron Robinson Theater
Ron Robinson Theater's fall movie lineup gets rolling with a series of throwbacks, starting with Beetlejuice on Aug. 14. The next day offers back-to-back screenings of Dr. Strangelove and Good Will Hunting, followed by Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Great Gatsby (1974) on Aug. 22 and Aug. 28. All shows are $5 and times vary. See the full schedule of films and music at Ron Robinson here.
August 20/all month: Local theater around Little Rock
There are no summer breaks for central Arkansas's local theater troupes—they've been busy all summer performing and preparing for upcoming shows. On Aug. 20, The Studio Theatre opens the regional premiere of Dogfight, a musical adapted from the 1991 movie. It's a short run of only four performances, and you can find show times and ticket info here. The Weekend Theater opens Pulitzer Prize-winning Two Trains Running by August Wilson on Aug. 21 with shows through Sept. 5. (TWT closes out its current show, Green Day's American Idiot, Aug. 9.) The Main Thing's most recent comedy Hognado, which opened in June, will be wrapping up Fridays and Saturdays this month with a final show at The Joint on Aug. 29. (On the subject of final shows—the last chance to see Mrs. Miniver at Argenta Community Theater is Aug. 1!) And finally, save the date for Community Theatre of Little Rock's 2015-2016 season opener Sept. 3, Deathtrap.
August 25: Visions Choreographic Competition
This competition, presented by Ballet Arkansas, features five choreographers from around the country competing for the chance to create a new work for the ballet company's 2016 season. The participants' original works will be judged by three professionals—including guest judge Glenn Edgerton, artistic director at Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago—as well as the audience. The competition begins at 7 p.m. at the UALR Center for the Performing Arts, and tickets are $40. Find more information here.
