Free Fall Festival Begins

Oct. 25, 2006

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Students and faculty across the University of Arkansas campus have worked together to create a Free Fall Festival that showcases the diversity and creativity of the arts. Dance, drama, music, film and the visual arts make our communities richer and more livable. The arts deepen the connection to culture and the cultures of others and inspire people to see and hear life from varied and often provocative perspectives.

On average, the university offers more than 300 concerts, eight main stage drama productions and 10 art exhibits each year. The majority of these are free, or offered at a very affordable cost. The Walton Arts Center also offers an amazing number of diverse events in the arts throughout the year.

The festival will kick off from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, in the Connections Lounge of the Arkansas Union. Illuminati, the university’s improvisational acting group, will perform, as will the music department’s Steel Drum Band. Refreshments will also be served.

Explore the various festival offerings and join in celebrating the value and the vitality of the arts. The following is a schedule of events and exhibits associated with the Fall Free Festival.

Events List:

Friday, Oct. 27
The Art of Etiquette
8 p.m. Anne Kittrell Art Gallery, Arkansas Union
Are you dying to attend an arts event, but are worried that your art etiquette is a little rusty? Whether you’re not sure what to wear or not sure when to clap, join University Housing and the Walton Arts Center staff in a fun evening of do’s, don’ts and everything in between. Also, don’t miss your chance to win tickets to upcoming Walton Arts Center performances. Sponsored by Walton Arts Center, University Housing and the Free Fall Festival of the Arts Committee.

Wednesday, Nov. 1
Free Fall Festival of the Arts Opening Ceremony
Noon to 2 p.m. Connections Lounge, Arkansas Union
Come celebrate the Arts at the University of Arkansas’ Connections Lounge in the Union where Illuminati, the UA’s improvisational acting group, will be performing; as well as the music department’s Steel Drum Band. Join us for free refreshments.

Thursday, Nov. 2
Ceramics Symposium 2006
9 to 10:30 a.m. Gallery Talk in the Anne Kittrell Gallery
11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Demonstrations in the Ceramics Studio
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Slide Lectures in Giffels Auditorium

Drama & Movement with Kassie Misiewiz of Theatre Squared
4 p.m. Fayetteville Public Library

Friday, Nov. 3
Ceramics Symposium 2006
9 a.m. to noon Demonstrations in the Ceramics Studio

Art Under the Sole: Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest
9 to 11 p.m. Arkansas Union Mall

Saturday, Nov. 4
Bharatanatyam Dance Program featuring Lakshmi Ramanarayanan
2 p.m. Fayetteville Public Library
Performer Lakshmi Ramanarayanan has trained since she was five years old and performed in India and the United Kingdom.

Sunday, Nov. 5
Bonnie Rideout Trio
2 p.m. Walton Arts Center ($20, $24, $28)
Scottish tradition reigns as music from the Highlands wafts through the air in Baum Walker Hall. Bonnie Rideout, award-winning Scottish fiddler, is joined by the world-champion City of Washington Pipe Band in a celebration of traditional Irish and Scottish music.

Monday, Nov. 6
Bonnie Rideout Scottish Trio at Cooper Chapel Bella Vista
3 p.m. Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista ($20)
Take a break from routine and experience the beauty of Scottish music in the unique setting that is Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista. In an unusual mid-afternoon presentation, Bonnie Rideout and the Scottish Trio perform Scottish and Gaelic music in a beautiful and intimate setting. Guest artists add to the lush sounds as guitar and percussion accompany the group.

Tuesday, Nov. 7
Percussion Ensemble Concert
8 p.m. Walton Arts Center (performed by UA Music Department) $10 General Public, $5 Senior Citizens, $1 UA students with ID

Thursday, Nov. 9
Gallery Open House
Featuring Art in the 'Toon Age & Feelin’ Groovy Exhibitions
Noon to 5 p.m. Fine Arts Center

Arsaga’s Concert Series: Bill Justice
4 to 6 p.m. Fayetteville Public Library Terrace

Friday, Nov. 10
STREB - Wild Blue Yonder
8 p.m. Walton Arts Center ($18, $22, $26, $10 Student ticket)
Scaffolding, bungee cords, trampolines, and hoops are just some of the equipment that fills the stage when Elizabeth Streb and her dancers come to town. In Wild Blue Yonder, dancers soar through the air, slam into walls, and defy gravity in a tribute to the dream of taking flight.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by William Shakespeare)
8 p.m. University Theatre, Fine Arts Building
$10 Faculty, Staff, Seniors; $5 Children, Non-UA students, $3 UA students.

Call 575-4752 for reservations.
One of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, Midsummer contains some wonderfully lyrical expressions of lighter Shakespearean themes, most notably those of love and dreams. The story involves two couples (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius) whose midsummer dreams are fantasies of the unconscious, freed from the banality of convention. Their cross-purposes are complicated by their entrance into the play’s fairyland woods where the King and Queen of the Fairies (Oberon and Titania) preside and the impish folk character of Puck plies his trade. Mythic warriors, artisans and spirits are conjured up in this exhilarating, poetic and transforming tale of romantic love and communal joy. Our uniquely designed theatrical production of Midsummer will take place in mesmerizing India.

Saturday, Nov. 11
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (by William Shakespeare)
8 p.m. University Theatre, Fine Arts Building
$10 Faculty, Staff, Seniors; $5 Children, Non-UA students, $3 UA students.