Page 36 - the NOISE June 2013

FROM LEFT: Clan Tynker (PHOTO BY RICK MEINECKE, lightsviewphoto.com); All three will be performing throughout the 9 days Nemacatacoa Teatro (PHOTO BY GUILLERMO CASTELLANOS); of Tsunami on the Square beginning June 8. The Carpetbag Brigade (PHOTO BY RICK MEINECKE, lightsviewphoto.com)
Summertime is the right time to get out and enjoy some seriously awesome arts and culture in Prescott. The art scene really jumps
into full swing, with a wide array of outdoor events, concerts, shows and gallery events. There is absolutely no excuse not to get your art groove on.
On the theater front, The@trics Theatre is presenting the Pet Plays Festival featuring 12 shortie plays based on, inspired by or featur- ing – you guessed it – pets. The theater group is once again partnering with the First Congre- gational Church to provide a venue for the per- formances. Not surprisingly, the Yavapai Hu- mane Society is including the festival as part of their outreach calendar. Unlike previous The@ trics ventures, submissions were open to play- wrights across the US and includes one play from a Canadian writer. For more info, tickets and performance times for the June 6-8 festival, hit up their website, theatricstheatre.org.
Also in theater news, the Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) will be throwing a heckuva good time with their production of The Pro- ducers in mid-June. This ridiculously awesome comedy by Hollywood legend Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan should be a fun (and very adult) addition to the PCA production calen- dar. There will be singing, there will be danc- ing, and there will be plenty of naughty adult humor. For more info, tickets and show dates/ performance times, hit up the PCA website at pfaa.net.
History buffs might want to check out Shar- lot Hall’s 40th Annual Folk Art’s Fair on June 1-2. Over the course of the weekend, visitors to the Sharlot Hall Museum can step back in time to the fabled frontier days of Arizona. The grounds will be split up into different areas populated by historical re-enactment actors and living history volunteers that demonstrate just about every aspect of life in the late 19th
Century imaginable. Head over to sharlott. org for details.
On the music front, there are a few shows worth mentioning. First up is a performance by Birds of Chicago at the Raven Café on June 4. This group is a collaborative effort featuring singer/songwriter JT Nero (JT and the Clouds of Chicago) and Canadian singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell (Po’ Girl). Expect a blend of pop, folk and roots music from this über-talented duo. Head over to the Raven Café at 142 N. Cortez St. to hear for your- self what the critics have been raving about.
events ranging
from a Commu-
nity Drum Circle
on June 8 to their fabulous Highlights at the Highlands concert on June 16. This music fes- tival explores a range of classical and folk mu- sic. Chaparral’s unique mix of workshops and performances has helped keep this event fresh and relevant for several years. This festival is a local favorite for music enthusiasts of all ages. For details, event dates and tickets, visit their website at chaparralmusicfest.org.
On a less intimate, but no less satisfying scale, the 32nd Annual Prescott Bluegrass Festival presents a full slate of live bluegrass music on June 22. This event is a local favorite for good reason. From its humble beginnings as a local fiddle contest, the Prescott Blue- grass Festival has turned into a world-class event. And did I mention that it’s free? Because let’s face it, great music in the chill setting of Prescott’s Courthouse Square for free is just about as good as it gets. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and your dancing shoes for this one. For more info on this year’s line-up, head over to prescottbluegrassfestival.com.
There are, of course, plenty of visual art shows going up along gallery row that are worth a gander. Make sure to stroll through gal- lery row at the Courthouse Square and check out the shows at Mountain Artists Guild, Van Gogh’s Ear, Newman Gallery and the ‘Tis Art Center and Gallery. Be sure to stop by the brand spanking new Plaid Peacock Exchange at 131 N. Cortez. The Plaid Peacock is not only featuring up-cycled art from local artists, but are also committed to offering CDs of music by local musicians.
The absolute number one don’t-you-dare- miss-this event is the 15th Annual Tsunami on the Square Performing Arts and Culture festival. This year’s festival is extra epic, fea- turing special international guest performers, Nemcatacoa Teatro (acrobatic stilt group from Bogota, Colombia) and Hojarasca Música An- dina (Andean musical group from Carmen de Viborral, Colombia).
As part of the Southern Exposure grant pro- gram, these two performance groups from Bogota, Colombia and will bring a whole new wave of arts and culture fabness to Prescott. Taking full advantage of these international guests, Tsunami has expanded even more this year. Tsunami week this year stretches over nine days packed with events, performances
and activities. Nemcatacoa
Teatro kicks off the Tsunami madness with a Tsunami first — a per-
formance in Prescott Valley. Head over to PV’s Civic Circle on Saturday, June 8 to catch a pre- view of their Landscape Reinvention Society piece. The show starts at 11:30AM.
After their gig in Prescott Valley, Nemcatacoa will pull a quick change and head over to the Peregrine Book Company. At 2PM, also on June 8, they will present a free slide show lec- ture to give folks some insight into what it’s like to create and perform in a country known for its ongoing struggle with violent conflict. They will also have a Q & A session after the lecture. For more information on “Creating Art in a So- ciety of Conflict,” visit the Peregrine website at peregrinebookcompany.com.
Nemcatacoa Teatro will be presenting a sec- ond slide show lecture on Sunday, June 9 at the downtown Prescott Public Library, “The Tradition of Stiltwalking in Colombia.” Co- lombia in particular has a strong tradition of stilt performances and currently has 13 differ- ent groups that are either entirely comprised of stilt work or incorporate stilts into their perfor- mances. Again, this lecture is free, so head over to the Founders Suite at 2PM on Sunday.
Tsunami’s Circus Camp for Kids kicks off on Monday, June 10. This year’s camp features both Nemcatacoa Teatro and The Carpetbag Brigade (San Francisco based acro-stilt group) as guest instructors. Plus, Tsunami’s favorite family circus group, Clan Tynker will be return- ing for a second year to teach juggling, balance, dance and music. Throw in the amazing Cole Lahti as hula hoop instructor and a host of local performers and arts educators, and the kids are sure to have an amazing time. Spots are limited, so register your child for camp now at tsuna- mionthesquare.org/circus-camp/
No sooner is Circus Camp over than its time for Tsunami’s secret jewel, Flourish Before the Flood. This year’s Flourish will feature a collab- orative piece between Nemcatacoa Teatro, The Carpetbag Brigade and local dancers Breanna Rogers, Ashley Fine and Lily Ruffner. This sin- gle showing performance along Granite Creek starts at 6:30PM at the creek entrance near El Gato Azul (316 W. Goodwin St.). So show up early, grab a drink and some tapas and prepare to stroll through a wonderland performance. This event is free and is presented in partner- ship with the Prescott Creeks organization.
The semi-regular Neptune’s Tea Party re- turns at this year’s Tsunami with a stilt-acular
bang. Head over to Granite Creek Park on
th
June 14 at 7PM and prepare to be amazed
by a performance of “Dios de Adrenalina.” This bi-cultural performance will feature the acro- stilt work of both Nemcatacoa Teatro and The Carpetbag Brigade, with music provided by Tucson’s Verbo Bala and Colombia’s Hojarasca Música Andina. Show up, grab a good spot to park your lawn chair or blanket, and prepare to be blown away.
Tsunami on the Square’s main festival
takes over the Prescott Courthouse Square pla- za for the 15th year on Saturday, June 15. The Tsunami parade kicks off the event at noon, led by this year’s Circus Campers and the famous whale/koi. Tsunami’s second stage just for the young‘uns, Kids Cove, is being hosted this year by local musical phenom, The Gurley Gurls. Besides some great, kid-friendly tunes, the Kids Cove will also feature puppet shows and dem- onstrations from main stage performers so the younger audience members can really see how the magic is made.
Expect a diverse range of performances, including several Tsunami favorites (Clan Tynkier, Axé Capoeira, Troupe Salamat, Ce- dar Creek Apache Crown Dancer, Komeza- karanga AZ Burundian Drummers). Throw in performances from Nemcatacoa Teatro, The Carpetbag Brigade and a closing fire show by local group Pyro Klectic, and you have an un- forgettable day of awesomeness.
The wave of arts and culture crests on the day of the main festival, but you won’t want to miss Clan Tynker’s Tsunami Sunday perfor- mance at the Prescott Library. This show on the lawn is an intimate and mellow experience. Bring a blanket and head over to 215 E. Good- win at 1pm for a last bit of Clan Tynker magic.
Before the wave recedes entirely, Hojarasca Música Andina will perform at 3pm on June 16 at the Highland Center for Natural History. This concert is presented in conjunction with the Chaparral Music Fest’s “Highlights at the High- lands” concert. This large gazebo venue is espe- cially beautiful and should be a perfect setting for Hojarasca’s traditional Andean instrumental music. For tickets and more info, visit chapar- ralmusicfest.org. For a full listing of Tsunami on the Square’s events and more information on Circus Camp registration, visit tsunamion- thesquare.org.
| Angie Johnson Schmit wears so many hats she may need a new closet. slackerwriter@gmail.com
The Chaparral Music Fest has a ton of
36 • JUNE 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us