Arts

The North Carolina A&T State University Department of Visual & Performing Arts presents Breath, Boom by Kia Corthron. The hard-hitting, in-your-face play chronicles the cycle of violence, and abuse that leads girls in the mean streets of the Bronx to join gangs. Prix, played by A&T actor Brittany Timmons, struggles to come to terms with her own inner demons during her 14 years as girl gang leader. In the powerful scene from Breath, Boom that we're about to hear, Brittany is joined by A&T actor Mia Sims who plays Cat—a young girl vying to join Prix's gang—and rapper/actor Allison Wilson who narrates with an original rap written for the play by A&T's Kirk Hill. Warning: the following scene and music depict acts of gang violence.

We listen back to interviews with Hoffman from 1999 and 2008, when he told Fresh Air's Terry Gross that carrying the emotional life of a character could be "burdensome." He was found dead on Sunday at age 46.

So many of the actor's roles dealt in appearances and self-doubt. Perhaps you don't get that good at communicating insecurity without knowing a little something about those things.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Hoffman's award-winning performance in Capote wasn't so much an imitation as it was a channeling of "a man whose peculiarities mask great intelligence and deep wounds." Hoffman, 46, was found dead Sunday.

The oil fields of western North Dakota are bringing vast economic opportunity to a region that just 10 years ago was in decline. Yet, this vitality is rough around the edges and high art and culture are rare commodities. One organization is trying to change that by sending two professional writers into towns most impacted by the boom to conduct creative writing workshops.

The silent-film comic was a flop in the 13-minute Making a Living. But only a few days later, he'd introduce his iconic Little Tramp character — and take the first step toward immortality.

Legendary comedian David Steinberg is the subject of a new Showtime documentary called Quality Balls. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Steinberg, whose controversial routine was responsible for the cancellation of the Smothers Brothers' TV show in the 1960s.

Diane Johnson often writes about American heroines living in France, but when she began her memoir, she found herself drawn back to her native ground in America's heartland. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Flyover Lives "lets scenes and conversations speak for themselves, accruing power as they lodge in readers' minds."

Last week we jumped all over the Piedmont with artistic jaunts to Greensboro, Yadkin, and all the way out to Boone. Today we're going to plop ourselves down right here in lovely, lively Winston-Salem for a while, and enjoy a little Triad music history 101. First, we'll take a look at Salem's 19^th century Moravian community in the waning days of the Civil War. The 26^th regiment bring will bring music to our ears and the New Winston-Salem Museum puts it in perfect historical context. Then, Salem Band is alive and well since its founding 243 years ago, and Music Director Eileen Young is keepin' it real for us in 2014! We'll continue full circle with more great music, this time an old-timey string band that really swings: Unbroken Circle is back in concert raising money for yet another worthy cause, and Wake Forest University's Martha Allman is here to share. We'll wrap things up today with a quick trip to the heart of downtown Winston-Salem and the art house cinema that's doing its part to keep things rockin' on fourth street: Aperture Cinema's Lawren Desai updates us on new screenings, Oscar picks and more.