The Back Track to Art

I read with interest the comments of Beth Benson regarding the upcoming production of “Sex with Seven Women” at the NAG theater. Allow me to respond wearing my NAG director’s hat:

The mission of the Northfield Arts Guild is to “stimulate artistic activity in the greater Northfield area.” The Northfield Arts Guild strives to “organize, support, and promote the efforts of the community in expressing, developing and appreciating art.”

Part of the reason we decided to produce “Sex with Seven Women” was because it fit in well with our mission. It was written by a talented local writer, whose growing skill has been increasingly lauded by the community (Brendon Etter is the writer, among other things, of the popular Jesse Jane Jamboree productions). It is also being acted by local actors, developed by local theater talent, performed in a local venue, and, above all else, its subject is relevant to a large portion of the community, many of whom are men and women who are familiar with sex and sexual issues.

That said, the Guild recognizes the right of adults to avoid attending productions that make them uncomfortable or that they find objectionable. That is why we included strong disclaimers–that this show was for mature audiences only–in all of our advertising for the show, a likely reason the newspaper was asking that question of Brendon in the first place. It’s a delicate line. There is so much in the play that isn’t objectionable, yet we still have to make the disclaimer for the small bits that might make small portions of the audience uncomfortable–and of course it all gets blown out of proportion.

The Guild recognizes the right of any individual to voice objections to material that may make them uncomfortable or that they may deem objectionable–even when they haven’t seen the materials. Still, owing to our mission, the Guild is of the opinion that all art–whether it be uplifting, depressing, shocking, soothing, challenging, enlivening, or objectionable–will always find the audience it was meant to find.

The Northfield Arts Guild hopes that while you may not want to attend, for your own personal reasons, a performance of “SWSW,” you may still consider attending future NAG productions that are geared toward other audiences. In coming months, we will be producing the musical “The Pajama Game,” the post-war comedy “The Lady’s Not for Burning,” the children’s tale “Holes,” and Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” And I’m not even mentioning the 10 art exhibitions we put on every year, the wonderful art by local artists that we sell in our shop, the dance classes for kids and adults, the CVRO concerts, etc etc.

As per our mission, there’s truly something for everyone at the Northfield Arts Guild!

Now, if I may, for just a moment, remove my director’s hat and comment as a citizen commenter:

I read a chunk of “Sex with Seven Women” when it came through the office (though I was careful not to read all of it–because I didn’t want to spoil my seeing it), and I have to say, it’s funny. And really good. While the situations are mature, Brendon’s writing is, as always, spot on–clever, witty, and full of sharp, unexpected observations about a subject that we all (may think we) know something about.

In the end, “Sex with Seven Women” has something for every mature adult to think about, chuckle over, and ponder–even as they might be grasping their armchairs to keep from falling out of their seat from laughter!

The arts need support in this country, on that we can all agree. But the tough question is how can a community ensure a stable source of support for the arts through the varied and ever-changing winds of politics, the economy, and simple social trends?

One community’s solution? Use a sin tax to support the arts! Apparently Cuyahoga County in Ohio (read: Cleveland an environs) has put in place a 1.5 cent per cigarette tax to fund the arts. Thus far, the tax has generated $500,000 that will be doled out in grants to individual artists by late 2008.

Pass me the smokes, wouldya? It’s for a good cause!

The Guthrie theater is offering free tickets to actors for the December 19-20 performances of Sweet William.

A large-spirited salute to the Bard, Sweet William is part biography, part analysis and part performance. Reflecting on his long international experience as a director and leading actor, and having spend some 20,000+ hours onstage performing Shakespeare, Michael Pennington sets out to celebrate the life and work of the theater icon.

A seasoned actor/director, Pennington’s career has spanned more than 40 years, during which time he has played leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and his own award-winning English Shakespeare Company, which he co-founded with Michael Bogdanov in 1986. Perhaps best known to younger audiences as Moff Jerjerrod, commander of the Death Star in Star Wars – Return of the Jedi, he has also published three “User’s Guides” to individual Shakespeare plays, and delivered the annual Shakespeare lecture at the prestigious British Academy.

If you are an actor, and you are interested in these tickets, please contact me at michael(at)northfieldartsguild(dot)org.

The Carleton College Advisory Council on College and Community Relations will hold a community gathering on Wednesday, December 12 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Boliou Hall, room 104, on the Carleton campus. The purpose of the gathering is to provide updates on emerging plans for the development of the former Northfield Middle School and on the construction of a new student residence hall.

For more information, visit the original post on Northfield.org.

Thanks to all who helped with and participated in the Northfield Arts Guild’s ninth annual Festival of Trees. With your help we raised about $5000 at the event. This income will contribute to the quality artistic experiences we provide for the community of Northfield. Below are a handful of photos taken by “citizen journalist” extraordinaire Griff Wigley (you can see more here).

For those of you who missed this year’s event, you should be aware you missed out on a lot of great holiday cheer, food, wine, song, hand-crafted ornaments, and much more! You also missed out on some fantastic holiday steals. Just to name a few, two opera tickets (value $170) sold for just $50; a $100 gift certificate for dance classes sold for $25; two tickets to a Minnesota Orchestra concert (value $136) sold for just $30; and a three-month membership at the Olympus Health Club (value $300) sold for just $80.

If I were you, I’d mark my calendar now for next year’s event, lest you miss out on another chance to commit (legitimately, courtesy of your Northfield Arts Guild) grand holiday larceny!

In the meantime, if you’re still looking for a bargain, I have ONE free movie pass for a December 13 preview screening at the Landmark Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis of the new movie by Guillermo Del Toro, The Orphanage. You can’t get much cheaper than free!

The first person to contact me at michael(at)northfieldartsguild(dot)org gets the tix.

Did I mention gifts? There’ll be lots and lots and lots of gifts–just perfect for your holiday shopping needs–at this year’s Festival of Trees.

 Here’s the full scoop:

Coinciding with Northfield’s annual Winter Walk, the Northfield Arts Guild will host its ninth annual Festival of Trees beginning Thursday, December 6 and running through Saturday, December 8.

The Northfield Arts Guild’s Festival of Trees is a homegrown holiday tradition that shines with community spirit. Wonderfully whimsical, the Festival of Trees is an excellent opportunity to showcase the outstanding creative and artistic talent of the Northfield community—and to provide holiday shoppers with a fantastic assortment of one-of-a-kind gifts. Attracting up to 1,000 visitors each year over its three-day run, the Festival of Trees also helps the Arts Guild raise essential funds in support of its year-long arts programming. In previous years, the event has raised up to $5,000.

“We deck the halls of our Division Street arts center with specially-decorated trees and wreaths, along with a wide selection of hand-made ornaments and gift items created by area artists and crafters,” explains Northfield Arts Guild executive director Michael Fallon. “Then, beginning with Northfield’s city-wide Winter Walk, the public is invited to stroll through our gallery and take in the beautiful sights of the season. It’s a wonderful way to kick-off the holidays.”

The Festival of Trees culminates with a fun and festive party Saturday evening, December 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. At the party, all of the items on display will be available for purchase by way of a silent auction running through 7:30 p.m. and a live auction beginning at 8 p.m. “There will be live music, specially-prepared treats to nibble on—and of course, lots of holiday frivolity,” promises Fallon. In addition to large trees, table-top trees, holiday wreaths and hand-crafted decorations, partygoers will also be able to bid on a wide variety of gift items, gift certificates and services, and tickets for in-demand Twin Cities theater and sporting events. “It’s your chance to find the perfect holiday gift for Uncle Bob and Aunt Helen,” notes Fallon.

Admission to the party is $10 and tickets will be available at the door. Advance tickets can also be purchased at the Arts Guild office. As a special bonus to those attending the Northfield Youth Choirs winter concert also scheduled for December 8, a $3 discount off the party ticket price will be offered for those who bring along their concert program.

The Northfield Arts Guild Center for the Arts is located at 304 Division Street South. Admission to the Festival of Trees display is free. Hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. December 6, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 7 and 8. The Festival of Trees party then takes place on December 8 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a $10 admission.