Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Some of what’s going on:
-Thousands of people (an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 people) marched through downtown Asheville on Saturday as part of the Women’s March on Asheville. The local march, as well as dozens of others around the U.S. and around the world, were offshoots of the Women’s March on Washington, drawing millions, all told. The Washington march was organized in opposition to the President Donald Trump administration, but local organizers insisted their event was not against Trump, but for a variety of social justice and human rights issues. In Asheville, singer Rhoda Weaver was a star of the peaceful event, which featured speakers, a ton of creative signs and pink “pussy” hats. In Washington, a group of nine women from Asheville were singled out by speaker, activist and filmmaker Michael Moore.
-On Sunday Jan. 29, trustees from the Awesome Foundation will be out on the streets of Asheville to give away cash to random people, according to a press release. The group will be giving out $5 bills in pink envelopes and inviting recipients to keep the money, with the option of sharing some of the cash with others, according to the release. The organization gives out “grants of $1,000 to those who can articulate and deliver great projects to make our town even more vibrant and awesome to live in,” according to the organization’s website. The Awesome Foundation has 83 chapters in 18 countries and has given more than $2 million micro-grants since it’s inception, according to the website. The Asheville Chapter has given out $10,000 over the past year.
-UNC Asheville will host the North Carolina debut of the traveling historical exhibition, Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945, produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The university will also host the traveling exhibition Pioneering Voices: Portraits of Transgender People, created by the nonprofit organization Family Diversity Projects based in Amherst, Mass. Here’s more from a press release:
Both exhibitions will be on view from Feb. 12-April 7, and are free and open to everyone. Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945 will be on view in Ramsey Library, open during regular library hours. Pioneering Voices: Portraits of Transgender People will be on view in Karpen Hall, weekdays from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Through reproductions of historic photographs and documents, Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945 examines the Nazi regime’s attempt to eradicate homosexuality, which left thousands dead and shattered the lives of many more. Pioneering Voices: Portraits of Transgender People features photographs and interviews with transgender people of all ages, and with their partners and children.
Lectures, film screenings and discussions will complement the exhibitions:
· Keynote lecture by Miami University Associate Professor of European History Erik Jensen, a specialist in the history of Germany and of gender and sexuality. 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, in Humanities Lecture Hall. Free and open to everyone.
· Screening of Paragraph 175, a documentary which takes its name from the part of the German penal code used by the Nazis to arrest homosexuals and send thousands to concentration camps where many perished. The film was directed by Academy Award-winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Fine Arts Theatre, 36 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. Tickets at the box office 30 minutes before show time.
· Beyond Kinder, Küche, Kirche’ (children, kitchen, church): Gender and Sex under National Socialism, a lecture by Eric Roubinek, UNC Asheville assistant professor of history. Noon on Tuesday, March 7 in the Highsmith Union Intercultural Center. Free and open to everyone.
· Panel discussion: Gender Minorities in Faith Traditions, featuring members of Asheville’s clergy. 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 in Karpen Hall, room 038. Free and open to everyone.
To arrange docent-led tours and for more information, contact Deborah Miles, director of UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education, at [email protected] or 828.232.5024.
–Montford Park Players is holding an open staff call for the 2017 season, according to a press release. More:
MPP is seeking directors for all shows of the season, as well as technical staff, including stage managers, lighting designers, sound designers, board operators and all backstage crew. This call is open to all members of the community, regardless of level of experience.
The 2017 season includes The Merchant of Venice and Othello as part of its indoor offerings, and Timon of Athens, The Taming of the Shrew, Troilus and Cressida, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) and JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, a Montford Park Players first, during the summer at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre.
Directors should have a strong theatrical vision and the ability to communicate with and lead large groups of people in a fast-paced environment. Anyone applying for technical positions should have a basic understanding of the position for which they are applying, and also the ability to learn as they work. All positions will be filled by individuals of good humor and pleasant demeanor, who are eager to bring great theater to the Western North Carolina community.
Montford Park Players is proud of their history of inviting members of the community into their fold. Many of the regulars of Montford’s stage, front and back, are those who, at one time, sought to learn new skills, create art and find a place to feel like they belong and where they can make a difference. This call continues that tradition.
Although many of the position are paid, some are voluntary, but may include a stipend based upon experience. To apply for any position, please send a cover letter expressing your specific interest and a resume via e-mail to [email protected]. For more information about the various positions, please reach the Montford Park Players Managing Director, John Russell at [email protected] or (828) 254-5146. Deadline for submissions is March 1st.
