LITTLE ROCK — All the Governor’s Mansion was a stage, and the men and women who gathered there Feb. 18 were players - and guests - of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre during Bard Ball 2011, the troupe’s annual fundraiser.
“Arkansas Artists Pay Tribute to the Bard” featured original vignettes by area writers, musicians, actors and filmmakers ... all celebrating venerable playwright William Shakespeare, and his work, in their way. Distinguished guests included native Arkansans Harry Thomason, who made opening remarks, and film star Joey Lauren Adams.
Josh Rice served as master of ceremonies and performed. Mary Ruth Marotte, the theater’s executive director, also spoke. Performances and presentations - from the laugh-out-loud funny to the surreal - were made by Warwick Sabin, Trenton Lee Stewart, Stephen Feldman, Paige Reynolds, Philip Martin, Graham Gordy, Frank Thurmond, Greg Alan Brownderville, “The Conway Twitties,” Tyrone Jaeger, Suzanne Loerch and Norman Boehm. Highlights included humorous comparisons of Shakespeare, his life and his environment to life in the American South.
Guests nibbled on heavy hors d’oeuvres and browsed silent-auction items before, during and after the evening’s program.
High Profile, Pages 44 on 02/27/2011