Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts this weekend:
ART: Rural, urban art
"Common Ground," paintings depicting local rural and urban scenes by Sean LeCrone, goes on display with a reception, 5-8 p.m. Friday at Art Group Gallery, Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. The show remains up through Oct. 31. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Call (501) 690-2193 or visit artgrouparkansas.com.
'Pop-up' exhibition
"Cultural Elements," 16 paintings by Little Rock-based artist Shakeelah Rahmaan, a member of the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas staff, goes on display with a reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m. today at The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. The exhibition, on display through Nov. 1, depicts elements from Rahmaan's background representing her experiences and narrative as a Black woman, including hair, street ball, pop culture and hip-hop. Gallery hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Call (870) 395-7009 or email kearnest@asc701.org.
Sculptures, photos
A series of wood sculptures by Sandra Sell, abstract paintings by Donnie Copeland and landscape photographs by Robbie Brindley taken on his travels in New Mexico go on display with a Hot Springs Gallery Walk reception, 5-9 p.m. Friday at Justus Fine Art Gallery, 827A Central Ave., Hot Springs. The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 31. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and by appointment. Call (501) 321-2335 or visit at justusfineart.com.
Paintings for men
Artwork of horses and ducks by Bob Snider are on display at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
"Horses, Ducks and Other Paintings that Men Like," watercolors and impressionist oil paintings by Bob Snider, is on display through Nov. 29 in the Price and Merkle galleries at the the South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.
MUSIC: Texarkana kickoff
Cellist Zuill Bailey helps the Texarkana Symphony open its Masterworks season, soloing in the "Cello Concerto No. 1" in a minor by Camille Saint-Saens, 7 p.m. Saturday at the Perot Theatre, 221 Main St., Texarkana. The program also includes the "Captain Blood" Overture by Erich Korngold and "Scheherazade" by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Philip Mann conducts. Tickets are $35-$59, $15 for children 6-12, $10 for children 5 and younger. Call (903) 792-4992 or visit tinyurl.com/vsjaa9sc.
Coterie concert
Members of the Little Rock Musical Coterie perform for its monthly session, 2 p.m. Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1101 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock. Admission is free. Call (214) 893-9185.
The program will feature two pieces for two pianists — Sabrina Shivley and Sherry Mashburn playing "Slavic Tale" by David Karp and Kathryn Coleman and Kristin Duckworth playing "The Moldau" from "Ma vlast" by Bedrich Smetana. Soprano Katie Howell, with pianist Janine Tiner, will sing "How Can I Keep from Singing" American folk song and "Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen ("Hell's vengeance boils in my heart"), the Queen of the Night's aria, from "The Magic Flute" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tiner will accompany flutist Sharon Burrall in the second movement, "Rondo-Presto," from the "Hamburger Sonate" in G major by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and the "Vocalise en forme de habenera" by Maurice Ravel. And pianist Lei Can will play "Toccata," op. 11, by Sergei Prokofiev.
THEATER: 'Sensitive' illusionist
Illusionist Kevin Spencer performs Friday and Saturday at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Illusionist Kevin Spencer puts on shows at 10 a.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. Spencer's work focuses on using the art of magic to change the lives of children with autism, developmental disabilities, intellectual challenges, emotional behavior disorders and those who have experienced trauma.; the one-hour shows are labeled as appropriate for children and adults with sensory sensitivities and developmental or intellectual disabilities. Tickets are $10, $5 for children. Call (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012.
LITERATURE: Beckett conference
Lyon College will host an international conference titled "Samuel Beckett and Nature," Friday-Saturday at the college's location in the Heifer International headquarters, 1 World Ave., Little Rock. Scholars will focus on nature, the environment and "all its associated catastrophes in and around Beckett's works," according to a news release. It is a sister conference with one at Trinity College Dublin in 2020 on "Beckett and the Anthropocene." Co-host is the Consulate General of Ireland and the French Embassy's Villa Albertine.
The conference will have two keynote speakers — Jean-Michel Rabate of the University of Pennsylvania at 3:30 p.m. Friday and Stanley Gontarski of Florida State University at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Lyon alumna Kendra Bell will direct and perform Beckett's short play "Cascando," at 7 p.m. Friday; a short film, "Beckett on the Baltic," directed and presented by Gontarski, will screen at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
Recitals featuring compositions by Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven related to Beckett's works will take place at 7 p.m. Friday in Bevens Music Room in Brown Chapel on Lyon College's Batesville campus (2300 Highland Road) and at 7 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 723 Center St., Little Rock, with a reception to follow.
Visit lyon.edu/samuel-beckett-and-nature-conference.
ETC.: Military vehicles
The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, hosts its annual Vintage Military Vehicle Show, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, with Jeeps and other military vehicles on the parade ground behind the museum. The event also features living history re-enactors and free hot dogs, provided by WoodmenLife and free ice cream provided by Blue Bell Creameries. Central Arkansas Water will distribute water. Admission is free. Call (501) 376-4602.
Friendship festivities
Friendship Community Care marks its 50th year in serving Arkansans with disabilities with a "50 Years of Friendship" festival, noon-4 p.m. Saturday at Bishop Park, 6401 Boone Road, Bryant. The event will feature food trucks, local vendors, a silent auction, bounce houses and a photo booth and musical performances by bluesmen Gil Franklin and Ben Brenner and blues band TBJ and Friends, guitarist Jason Burnett and Americana-Southern rock band Sam Allbright and the Southern Heat. The Central Arkansas Corvette Club will offer a "Trunk or Treat" and rides around the festival grounds. Admission is free; take chairs and/or blankets. Call (501) 653-2255 or visit fccare.org.
AUDITIONS: 'Titanic' musical
Benton's Royal Players will hold auditions for "Titanic — The Musical" (music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, book by Peter Stone), 2-5 p.m. Oct. 15 and 2-4 p.m. Oct. 16 at Birch Tree Communities, 1502 Mary Kay Lane, Benton. The auditions are open to teenagers and adults 16 and older of all genders, races and ethnicities. There are no roles for children, though there is an opportunity for one male teen, approximately 14, and one boy, approximately 8-10, for which auditions will take place at a later date. All roles require singing; there is one one major dance number with a featured duo and others as needed.
Make audition appointments at signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44AAA82AA6F4CF8-titanic and complete a Google form at tinyurl.com/43n9e8ak. Once you sign up for an audition time, you will be sent 16-bar cuts of four songs; select and prepare the one that fits your vocal range (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone). A rehearsal pianist will be on hand (no a capella auditions). Auditioners could be asked to do a cold reading from the script. A list of available roles and character breakdown is available via the theater's Facebook page (facebook.com/bentonroyalplayers). Production dates are Feb. 9-12 and 16-19.