SARTA seeking Elly Judges

Elly Judge Mixer
Saturday April 30th
11am - 2pm
SARTA Office
2721 Fulton Ave Ste D upstairs
Sacramento, CA 95821

Mix and mingle with current Elly judges and get the insider's perspective on the roles and responsibility and fun that comes with being a volunteer Elly judges. Refreshments will be served. Elly Judges serve for one year from July 1 through June 30. Judges must have reliable transportation, a computer and a strong interest/background in theatre. Training provided.

Interested individuals may fill out an application online at

http://www.ellyawards.com/JudgeMixerRegistration.aspx

Seeking Host Families for Foreign Exchange Students (Courtesy Post)

Host families are sought in the El Dorado County area for students age 15-18 to attend the local high schools for the 2016-2017 school year.  Families will be matched by May so the student can be registered in the high school they would attend. Students arrive in August, so it's a great opportunity to correspond with the student and get to know him or her better.  

Many of these students have an interest in drama and theater.  For further information, please contact Bridget Wright at 530-621-4490 or
Gymandi96@comcast.net 

Ready Player One

Courtesy listing for Ready Player One Casting

WE'RE THRILLED TO EMBARK ON AN EXCITING NEW CASTING -- Steven Spielberg's film "READY PLAYER ONE" (based on the novel by Ernest Cline). Please follow directions on how to submit or FWD! Feel free to spread the word! Another incredible opportunity!! Note: We're working in partnership w/Ellen Lewis. If you've already submitted to her or her office (or previously auditioned) - it's unnecessary to resubmit via us. We're working together!

CASTING:

• WADE WATTS: To play 18-19 (up to age 24 if able to portray 18-19) yrs old, male, clean cut w/a sense of humor. Overweight or underweight. A sincere & passionate player in the Oasis. Not the most confident guy outside the Oasis, but Wade gains boldness & nerve as his worlds collide. He uses his skills & the support of his friends to rise above each challenge.

• SHOTO: To play 10-13 yrs old, male; to play Chinese, hip & knowing for his age. He speaks MANDARIN & English FLUENTLY. Wade's friend in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Mandarin & English (applicants must be submitted by parent or legal guardian if applicant is under 18 yrs of age).

• DAITO: To play 20 yrs old, male: to play Japanese. He speaks JAPANESE & English fluently. One of Wade's friends in the Oasis who joins with him to complete the competition. Please note: Actor should be bilingual: Japanese & English.

To submit: Go to http://www.readyplayeronemoviecasting.com/. All instructions are on this website (Warner Brothers Pictures). Individuals (& agents/mgrs) are able to submit via the site. As word of our casting spreads, please note: There is NEVER a fee to submit. Any such claim is fraudulent & should be reported at once. Casting Directors are Ellen Lewis & Debbie DeLisi. 

SARTA looking for Elly Judges

Exceptional Elly Judges Wanted

It's officially Spring! And, that means that it's time to start looking for Exceptional Elly Judges. An Elly judge is a super-human volunteer that ADORES community theatre and is willing to travel up to 70 miles one-way to view and score anywhere from 20 - 50 shows a year. There is space available in the following categories - Original Scripts and Young People's. It is a BIG time commitment but it allows you and a guest to see some of the BEST community theatre in the greater Sacramento region.


Qualifications include the following - must own a computer, laptop or smart phone; must have reliable transportation; must attend all shows in assigned category; must commit to a one-year season starting July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016; must be willing to attend FREE training sessions. Additionally, all Elly judges receive two FREE tickets to the Elly Awards and are invited to a Volunteer Thank You event.


If you are interested, please email our Elly Judging Coordinator, Larry Russ, atellycoordinator@ljjoey.com or visit
http://www.ellyawards.com/JudgeApplication.aspx

IT! Acting Veterans Offering Summer Camp (Courtesy Listing)

For Rising 2nd through 6th grade students:
3 one-week Mini-Musical sessions starting June 15th 

Jeff and Jennifer Jackson are offering a summer camp at Cedar Springs Waldorf School.  They will be doing three mini musicals, one per session/week. They are short, simple, and fun and do-able in a week. Students will be creating costumes and scenery and practicing during the week to perform for the younger campers and parents at the close of each Friday. They will also be mixing it up with animal care, gardening, cooking, and outside games and movement so it should be a full week of fun for a reasonable cost. 

Call today to enroll or inquire!! 530-642-9903 or enrollment@cedarspringswaldorf.org.

Courtesy Listing from QuestTheatreworks

Calling all lively artists!!!

Introducing,

An eclectic and exciting collection

of performances from all genres

 

  

We want your art!

The Nugget Fringe Festival was formed to encourage the production of new and established works that might not otherwise enjoy a commercial run on their own.  Through collective marketing, equal attention is afforded to pieces stretching the boundaries of their genres, as well as to the tried and true.  It is our wish that The Nugget Fringe Festival will serve as a home for new, unusual, bold and exotic works of all forms of live entertainment that may fall well beyond the bounds of the conventional in a way that will feel welcoming and expansive to all.

We've already scheduled over seventy different performances of eight different and unique shows.  There are many ways to get exposure and share your lively art with the world. Whether your art is dance, music, theater, comedy, spoken word, experimental or indescribable performance art, we'd like to talk with you.

Tims is short. This festival runs January 29 to February 8.

We need to make final plans in just a couple of weeks.

For more information on presenting your art at the festival,

please email Scott Ewing at Scott@QuestTheaterworks.com

We would love to include you in this inaugural year.

Poetry Out Loud Update

Dear Poetry Out Loud lovers, judges, volunteers, and aficionados,

Get thy poem on! Poetry Out Loud season will soon be upon us! This will be the Arts Council’s sixth year sponsoring this wonderful literary event! Yowza! Can you believe it?

We never forget that this program’s success is in large measure due to the generous, lively cadre of POL community volunteers who’ve immersed themselves in poetry and in judging (or tallying) at our participating high schools since 2009! Thank you for helping out all these years! You guys rock! Naturally, I’m hoping that all of you are still game to participate again for our 2016 Poetry Out Loud competition!  Please say YES!—that you wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Since I recognize that you are all awash in emails and holiday solicitations, I’ll do my best to be brief and to the point here:

First, if you wish to participate in Poetry Out Loud this year, please fire off a quick email to me saying that you’re on! Or you can call me at the Arts Council: 530.295.3496.

Second, if you want to sign up for a refresher training course, or if you’ve never participated in Poetry Out Loud before but wish to do so, please sign up for one of the following training dates & times:

1.       Monday, December 15, 2:30 to 5:00 pm @ the Fausel House, 772 Pacific St., Placerville.

2.       Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2:30 to 5:00 pm @ the Fausel House, 772 Pacific St., Placerville.

3.       Monday, Dec. 22, 6:30 to 8:30 pm @ the Fausel House, 772 Pacific St., Placerville.

As of today, four high school programs have committed to this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition—Oak Ridge High School, Charter University Prep, El Dorado High School, and Golden Sierra. I’m waiting to hear back from Ponderosa, South Lake Tahoe, and Union Mine. The juvenile hall facilities—Golden Ridge in Placerville and Blue Ridge in Placerville—are also on board, but they recruit their judges from the inside. And thus far, El Dorado High School has been the only school to sign up for a date: Tuesday, February 4, probably from 1:45 to 3:00 in the afternoon.

As soon as I hear back from the other schools, I’ll let you know!

Third— our county final will be held on Tuesday, February 10, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Imagination Theater! Come one! Come all!

Fourth—our California state POL competition will be Sunday-Monday, March 15-16 in Sacramento, probably in the Senate Chambers.

Fifth—the National Finals will be Saturday-Sunday, April 28-29, in Washington, D.C.

And there you have it, all the Poetry Out Loud news that’s fit to print!

Do let me know if you wish to participate and if you wish to sign up for a Poetry Out Loud training. And, if you’ve any friends or family who might be interested in participating as well, send them my way!

Poem on!

Moira Magneson
Poetry Out Loud Coordinator
El Dorado Arts Council

Poetry Out Loud Season Here

Calloo! Callay! Poetry Out Loud season comes our way once again! The Arts Council is seeking out judges, tabulators, and prompters for California's 2015 Poetry Out Loud competition.  If you wish to learn about poetry, poems, and participate as a judge in our local high school and county Poetry Out Loud contests, we invite you to sign up for one of our FUN 2 ½ hour workshop trainings at the Fausel House in December:

Monday, December 15, from 2:30-5:00 pm

Tuesday, December 16, from 2:30-5:00 pm

Monday evening, December 22, from 6:00 - 8:30 pm

And . . . save the date-the Poetry Out Loud 2015 County Competition-our sixth year--will be on Tuesday, February 10, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Imagination Theater! Woot!  Vintage Poetry Out Loud judges looking to refresh their poetry chops are also invited to these workshops. 

To sign up for the POL workshops, please call or email Moira Magneson @ 530.295.3496 or edac@eldoradoartscouncil.org 

Poem on, people!

Lucile "Lucy" Lora Langston

Feb. 17, 1920 — Oct. 11, 2014

Lucile "Lucy" Langston, a resident of Diamond Springs, Calif., passed away peacefully with her family by her side, on Oct. 11, 2014, at the age of 94 in Placerville, Calif. She was born on Feb. 17, 1920, in Hulbert, Okla., to Bessie Lee (Mauck) Mitchell and Charles William Mitchell. She grew up in Tahlequah and Tulsa, Okla., and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in Tulsa in 1938. After high school she attended a business school in Tulsa, where she received a certificate in business. She always wanted to be an executive secretary to a movie star.

Lucile was the second oldest of seven brothers and sisters. She was very proud of her Native American heritage, being from the Cherokee Nation. Her great-great-great-grandmother walked the Trail of Tears from Georgia to Oklahoma. While in high school she met and fell in love with her husband of 74 years, Virgil Langston. They married on Dec. 14, 1940. They moved to California, where Virgil got a job at McDonald Douglas in Santa Monica. They have one son, Lanny Langston, born Oct. 9, 1945, in Santa Monica. During their time together they divorced for seven years but remarried each other in 1960.

Lucile worked for J.C. Penny as an executive secretary. She also was a hostess at the exclusive Santa Monica Bay Swim Club for seven years, where all the movie stars hung out. She and Virgil moved to Placerville in 1965 and along with her sister and brother-in-law, bought the 7 UP Bar Ranch in Fairplay and became dude ranch owners. She worked for El Dorado County over at the tiny El Dorado Justice Court working with Judge Richard Pacileo. He hired her and Lucile stayed with him for 11 years, where eventually he became Sheriff of El Dorado County.

After retiring from the County Lucile and Virgil traveled all over the United States. In fact, they saw all 50 states during their traveling years. She adored her two granddaughters. Lucile was a great lady — hardworking, beautiful inside and out and had a great love of her family and her Lord Jesus Christ. She was interested in everything her family was involved in; theater with Lanny, volunteering at PRIDE and Joy's Diaper Bail, painting and planning family gatherings and reunions.

Lucile is survived by Virgil, her spouse of Diamond Springs; Lanny and Tish Langston, her son and daughter-in-law; two granddaughters, Amy (Bennett) Langston and Kathryn (Orindgreff) Langston and their husbands; five great-grandchildren; three sisters; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and wonderful friends. She was preceded in death by her mother and three brothers.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 11 a.m., at the Federated Church, 1031 Thompson Way in Placerville. The family wishes to thank the doctors and nursing staff at Marshall Hospital and Western Slope for their kindness and professional services offered Lucile during her final days. In lieu of flowers donations to celebrate Lucy's life may be sent to Imagination Theater, P.O. Box 3303, Diamond Springs, CA 95619. Arrangements entrusted to Chapel of the Pines Funeral Home in Placerville
.

Capital Stage - Tribes (Courtesy Listing)

There is a new play called, TRIBES that is performed at the Capital Stage Theater located at 2215 J Street, Sacramento Ca. 95816

 

The Wall Street Journal Calls TRIBES " the best-written, best-plotted, deepest, most daring - and funniest - new play in recent years."  Winner of the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, TRIBES has received critical acclaim in both the US and UK.  Synopsis of the play:  Billy was born deaf into a hearing family. He was raised inside its fiercely idiosyncratic and politically incorrect cocoon.  He has adapted brilliantly to his family's unconventional ways, but they've never bothered to return the favor.  It's not until he meets Sylvia, a young woman on the brink of deafness, that he finally understands what it means to be understood.  With sharp dialogue and compassionate insights, Nina Raine ( the playwright) crafts a penetrating play about belonging, family, and the limitations of communication.

 

If you are interested you, can call the box office ( 916) 995-5464  The performances are as follows: 7pm on Wednesdays, 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays.TRIBES has started on September 3rd and will run through October 5th.  

Fairytale Town Intern Needed - Courtesy Listing

Theatre intern needed at Fairytale Town

Fairytale Town Volunteer Program Children's Theater Intern The Children's Theater Intern works with Fairytale Town's Program Department and reports to the Education & Program Manager. The Intern will support and assist with the planning, production and implementation of Fairytale Town's Sacramento Children's Theater. Sacramento Children's Theater is the longest running community theater program in the region and celebrates its 76th year in 2015. The program is primarily operated by a group of community volunteers and has been under the direction of professional actor Tina Cole for several years. Sacramento Children's Theater offers a completely free theater experience for over 11,400 elementary school children in the Sacramento area annually. The intern will be expected to attend rehearsals and performances, assist with set design, prop construction, ushering, tech, and related, approved activities. Please note: This is an unpaid internship. Duties may include but are not limited to: · Open and close the facility venue for the day's rehearsals & performances and monitor use of the venue, its tools and space. · Help build props and assist with and help construct sets, as needed. · Serve as understudy and/or possible casting in the production. · Follow direct orders in regards to safety and health requirements. · Serve as liaison between Fairytale Town, the venue administrators and volunteers. · Serve as theater usher during performances including communicating with teachers. · Check in school groups and make sure classes get seated appropriately. · Demonstrate a positive, courteous and enthusiastic attitude at all times. Minimum Requirements: · Minimum age - 18 years old. · Submit a complete resume and cover letter. · Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds. · Willingness to follow direct orders at all times. · Interest in theater, acting, set design and/or theatre arts in general. · Ability to work with others in a team environment. · Must be able to work the entire 2015 season of Sacramento Children's Theater, January - March. Ability To: · Possess sound judgment and be able to work in a safe manner preventing accidents. · Work collaboratively, as a team member. · Be self-motivated, confident, energetic, and creative. · Strong communication skills. Time Commitment: The internship will last for three months, January 2 - March 13, with a total of approximately 100 hours. The intern must be available to work either a Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday schedule, with shifts scheduled from 8:30AM - 12PM. To Apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to programs@fairytaletown.org by October 17, 2014.

State Theatre in Auburn seeks feedback (courtesy listing)

It's always great to hear about improvements to venues for the performing arts.  Please take a few minutes to see what is happening at our theater neighbor in Auburn.

Exciting progress on the renovation of Auburn's historic State Theatre is happening: "The Wall" is down, the new stage is going up, and we look forward to re-opening the expanded venue in fall 2014, with 320 seats and a dance floor. We believe the expansion will allow for a large increase in theatrical presentations and are excited about bringing a greater variety of talent, and bigger name artists to Auburn.

This multi-use venue will be suitable for workshops, concerts, dance, films, festivals and we are asking for your input on shows, programs, and performers that will entertain you. Please let us know what you want by participating in this short Audience Survey at: www.livefromauburn.com

New Casting Website Created (courtesy listing)

A new Sacramento area focused casting website has just launched. Sacramento Casting, at SacCasting.com, allows local talent a new way to easily and efficiently connect with those looking to cast local film, TV, web, stage and other types of acting projects. It also allows those casting these projects a simple and expedited process for posting casting calls, reviewing submissions and exporting submittals for easier casting outreach and management.

Sacramento Casting is a project of the Rensa Group, a local business and marketing management firm run by Placer County Supervisor Kirk Uhler. "This is something the big cities, where the major productions are happening, already have," says Uhler. "We realized having a site like this that focused on more local projects would help the local talent better connect with the local film production and theater community."

The website and its software are a custom built program designed exclusively for the purpose of talent casting. SacCasting.com is free for producers, directors and casting directors to post projects and free for actors to create profiles. There is a monthly subscription fee for those actors wishing to submit to projects through the platform.

For more information, visit SacCasting.com.

To contact Kirk Uhler, please email kirk@rensagroup.com

Shakespeare Workshop for Teachers at Mondavi Center

August 29 - 31, 2014
Registration is $375. Purchase Orders Accepted. 

We understand that many teachers may not have the chance to request funds to cover this professional development opportunity from their districts until school resumes in the fall.
We encourage all teachers and administrators who would like to attend to register now, and we will follow up for payment in early August. Contact Cindy Smith, event manager, at (530) 752-­7740 or chcsmith@ucdavis.edu with any questions or concerns.

Kick off your fall teaching with a fresh set of strategies for bringing the Bard to life for your students. Teaching Artists from some of the world's most respected Shakespeare theaters will share active and playful approaches to enliven the teaching of Shakespeare. All workshops are aligned with Common Core Standards.

Continuing Education Units
We are pleased to announce that you can earn up to 1.5 continuing education units when you attend the conference. The cost will be $115. You can register and pay for the units on the first day of the conference.

Visit our website for more information on how the workshops incorporate the Common Core, a list of invited presenters, and how to book your hotel room at a discounted rate.


The weekend is presented by the UC Davis School of Education and the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis in association with Globe Education (Shakespeare's Globe, London) and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.

Contact Cindy Smith, events manager, for questions about the event at
chcsmith@ucdavis.edu

Triple Threat Weekend at Hawkins

A New York based organization "The Broadway Dreams Foundation" (BDF), a national non-profit performing arts training program, will be presenting their Triple Threat Weekend at the Hawkins School at the end of this month.  Students will receive first-rate training in acting, dance and vocal performance by Broadway professionals and industry insiders.   Please see attached flyer for faculty credits.   Exceptional talent will be invited to be showcased in New York this summer. 

 

The classes are 10 am - 6 pm, Saturday-May 31st, and Sunday-June 1st.   Sixteen hours of instruction ($235).   

http://mybroadwaydreams.com/triple-threats/

Below is the link to a Playbill article on Stafford Arima (Alter Boys, Ragtime) who will be a contributing director at the Triple Threat Weekend.    An upcoming industry reading of The Me Nobody Knows will be composed entirely of students from The Broadway Dreams Foundation.  

http://playbill.com/news/article/190802-Stafford-Arima-and-Taye-Diggs-Will-Helm-Industry-Readings-of-The-Me-Nobody-Knows-Featuring-BDF-Students?tsrc=nx

Mr. Arima will also be directing Chorus Line for Sacramento's Music Circus this summer. 
We hope you will share this wonderful event with your talented triple threats!   

 

Please contact me if you have interest or questions.
Best regards,
Deirdre Hawkins
Hawkins School of Performing Arts

916-355-1900

info@hawkinsschool.com

Elly Judges Needed

SARTA is currently looking for Elly judges for next season. We need to fill spots in Education, Young People's Musicals, Young People's Plays, and Original Scripts.   If you know of someone who might be interested in volunteering for one of these positions, please contact, Larry Russ, EllyCoordinator@ljjoey.com or 916 524-4602

Sarta 2014 Elly Information

SAVE THESE IMPORTANT ELLY DATES!
This year's theme is Masquerade!

Sunday, August 3 -
Elly Nomination Party
Location - TBA

Sunday, September 7th -
Youth Elly Award Ceremony
Roseville Theatre Arts Academy

Sunday, September 21 -
Adult Elly Award Ceremony
Red Lion Inn - Woodlake

For more information please contact SARTA at sarta@sarta.com or 916-443-8229.  

California High School Musical Honors - Regional Awards

From CMT San Jose & Broadway San Jose
CA High School Musical Honors 

CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL HONORS will be held in time for the 2013-2014 school year, thanks to sponsorship of the new regional program by CMT San Jose and Broadway San Jose, a Nederlander Presentation.  

This new, regional awards competition will recognize outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre north of Santa Barbara, and will send winners to The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (www.nhsmta.org) - also known as the Jimmy™ Awards - in New York City, where they will perform on a Broadway stage before industry experts and compete for scholarship opportunities to NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.  

Local competitions dates are as follows:
San Luis Obispo- April 29th at the Performing Arts Center of SLO
San Jose- May 5th at CMT San Jose
Sacramento- May 6th at California Musical Theatre
San Francisco- TBA

More information is available here: http://cmtsj.org/content/california-honors. 
An application can be found on-line at arts.cmtsj.org/honors.html.  
For additional questions, contact Program Director Clint Williams at honors@cmtsj.org. 

Video submissions will be accepted for equal consideration for the Best Overall Production award (though we suggest attending our regional competition in your area), but it is strongly suggested that nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress audition in person.  A team of qualified evaluators will critique productions and performances, and recommend for nominations those participants who exhibit outstanding achievements.

Based on evaluator recommendations, schools and individuals will be invited from all regions to compete at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on May 19 in front of a panel of nationally recognized judges.  Two eligible performers will then be chosen to represent our California region at this year's Jimmy™ Awards to be held on June 30th at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

The California High School Musical honorees will join winners of the Jerry Herman Awards (LA Regional) and the Ben Vereen Awards (Southwest Regional) in sending top California talent to the Jimmy™ Awards.

Eligibility 

Any public or private high school can be represented by sending an entire production to compete, or by sending a few performers.  It is also optional for individual performers to enter into the competition without school supervision.  Individual performers who would like to be seen in these categories must submit an application along with the $80 enrollment fee.

An entire cast or solo/duet performers are eligible - provided they are performing material from an approved, licensed musical produced in the 2013-14 school year.  In order to compete a high school and/or student must submit a completed application along with a registration fee of $80 by April 16, 2014.  Then promptly submit a DVD copy of your production for consideration in multiple awards categories and/or attend one of the regional competitions listed above (a combination of the two is recommended.)

About CMT San Jose
Currently in its 46th season, Children's Musical Theater (CMT San Jose) impacts over 10,000 youth per season through multiple educational programs. CMT produces 10 shows a season encompassing 107 performances at the Montgomery Theater in San Jose.  (www.cmtsj.org)

About Broadway San Jose
Broadway San Jose - the northern California affiliate of the Nederlander organization - presents touring Broadway musicals at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts in partnership with Team San Jose, and is a member of the Broadway League. (www.broadwaysanjose.com)

About James Nederlander
James M. Nederlander or "Jimmy" as the theatrical community knows him, is the Chairman of the Nederlander Producing Company of America Inc., which recently marked its 100th anniversary, and is in his 70th year as a producer of distinguished entertainment. He has produced innumerable Broadway plays and musicals, winning 11 Tony® Awards, and has presented operas, ballets, concerts and artists ranging from Nureyev to Sinatra to Billy Joel to U2. Nine of his theatres are on Broadway and the balance in Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Durham, Chicago and London. (www.nederlander.com)

El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud Winner Off to State Finals

CONNOR RICKETTS REDUX AT EL DORADO COUNTY'S FIFTH POETRY OUT LOUD COMPETITION!

Connor Ricketts, 2013 & 2014 Poetry Out Loud 1st place winner, El Dorado County

For the second year in a row, Connor Ricketts, a sophomore at Charter University Prep in El Dorado, garnered first place honors at the El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud competition held at the Imagination Theater on Thursday night, February 6th. Connor won with his inspired performances of Matthew Arnold's classic poem "Dover Beach"  and Delmore Schwartz's "The True Blue American," a comic poem on the paradoxical nature that inhabits American individualism. Arts Council Executive Director Deb Jensen presented Connor with a $100 check for his efforts.

Earning second place honors and a $75 check was El Dorado High School senior Evan Lucero who mesmerized attendees with his haunting rendition of Linda Gregg's "The Lamb," a poem about the resilience of the human spirit in the aftermath of war, followed by Amy Clampitt's "Dancers Exercising," a philosophical inquiry into the elusive nature of memory.

(l-r) Evan Lucero, Connor Ricketts, Leora Mazumdar

Leora Mazumdar, a sophomore at Oak Ridge High School, placed third, reciting Gwendolyn Brooks' "a song in the front yard," a saucy poem about a young girl's yearning for independence. In the contest's second round, Leoras performed Ha Jin's "Ways of Talking" which addresses the immigrant's loss of homeland. Leora received $50 in prize money from the Arts Council.

Four other high school champions also took center stage that evening, enchanting the audience with their poem selections, including Glen Carlisle of Golden Sierra High School, Nicole Sutherland of Independence High School, Sam King of the County Office of Education, and Becky Glaister of Union Mine High School. All students received gift certificates from the Bookery and verse-inscribed dog-tags from the Arts Council.

Poetry Out Loud El Dorado County High School Champions Back row, left to right: Glen Carlisle, Evan Lucero, Leora Mazumdar, Becky Glaister, Nicole Sutherland Front row, left to right: Sam King, Connor Ricketts

Connor Ricketts now goes on to the California State Poetry Out Loud Competition held in Sacramento at the Sheraton Hotel on Sunday, March 23, and in the California State Senate Chambers on Monday, March 24. In turn, the winner of the state competition will compete against 52 other state and territory champions at the Poetry Out Loud Nationals held in Washington, DC at the end of April, National Poetry Month. The stakes are high at the nationals, with the first place winner awarded a grand prize of $20,000 and the second and third place winners receiving $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.

The Arts Council is grateful to the fifty plus volunteers who so graciously gave of their time and brain power to be part of our county's Poetry Out Loud contest! You know who you are! We thank you a thousand times and then some!

Please join us in congratulating Connor and wishing him well at the state competition! Know that all of El Dorado County is rooting for you, Connor!   

All POL photos courtesy of Betty Sederquist. 

From the El Dorado Arts Council March 2014 Newsletter, ArtBeat

15 Days in Ireland this Summer

July 18- August 1, 2014

15 Days in Ireland.   No culture captivates like the Irish, Rich in folkloric tradition, full of literary treasures, covered with breathtaking green landscapes. Ireland is one of the most welcoming countries. Experience history at Blarney Castle, awe inspiring scenery along the Ring of Kerry and a creativie flair in the colorful Georgian Doors of Dublin. Trip includes round trip airfare, guided tours, hotels with private baths, breakfast daily, nine dinners, entrance fees to select attractions. Contact Lanny Langston at 530-903-6361 for more information about the trip.