Breath, Boom By NC A&T, Wayne Henderson, Stained Glass Playhouse and North Star, and Reynolda House

Today on the show we'll go from girl gangs to Georgia O'Keefe, and legendary luthiers to Martin Luther King. First up NC A&T State University takes its audience on an up close, and in-your-face tour of the mean streets of America with its production of Breath, Boom by Kia Corthron. Then, he's worked on guitars used by Neil, Eric, and Elvis (yes, THOSE Neil, Eric and Elvises): legendary Carolina luthier and picker Wayne Henderson is here to reveal the secrets of his success. Reynolda House reveals the magic behind American Moderns like Grandma Moses, and Norman Rockwell. And Stained Glass Playhouse celebrates National Black History Month with a powerful and personal look at the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of award-winning playwright Gloria Bond Clunie. We'll each follow our own inner “North Star”.

Breath, Boom

Breath, Boom by Kia Corthron comes to the Paul Robeson Theatre on the A&T campus in Greensboro courtesy of The North Carolina A&T State University Department of Visual & Performing Arts. This 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. 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. We'll also hear from beatboxers Trey Riley, and Julius Smith, Breath Boom director, and A&T Theatre Arts Program Adjunct Assistant Professor, Donna Baldwin-Bradby, and A&T Justice and Political Science professor and technical consultant Dr. Ernest Cuthbertson.

The scene and music from Breath, Boom that the actors will share with us depict acts of gang violence.

North Carolina A&T State University actors Brittany Timmons, Mia Sims, and Allison Wilson.  The original rap Breath, Boom is by Kirk Hill who was joined in this recording by beat boxers Trey Riley, and Julius Smith.  We also heard from A&T Theatre Arts Program Adjunct Assistant Professor, Donna Baldwin-Bradby, and A&T Justice and Political Science professor and technical consultant Dr. Ernest Cuthbertson. Kia Corthron's powerful play Breath, Boom comes to the Paul Robeson Theatre on campus Thursday night, February 13^th where it will run through the 23^rd with evening performances at 8:00PM and Sunday matinees at 3:00PM. 

Wayne Henderson

It's time for the country, Rugby, Virginia to be exact. That's where life began for one of the world's greatest living luthiers and guitarists: Mr. Wayne Henderson. You'll find Wayne's instrument building work on display at  The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History in the exhibit: “The Luthier's Craft: Instrument Making Traditions of the Blue Ridge.”  It's a collaborative exhibition between renowned regional luthiers Wayne Henderson, Audrey Hash Ham, Chris Testerman, and Johnny Gentry, and it focuses on the history of building three instruments: guitar, banjo, and fiddle.  This weekend can check out The Luthier's Craft during the Museum's regular hours, Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5pm, but the exhibit wraps up Saturday night, February 8^th with a dinner/concert. Wayne Henderson and Friends begins at 7 PM in The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. 

Wayne stopped by WFDD to talk about his guitar work and do a little picking of his own Live in Studio A with his good friend Herb Key.

[PLAY WAYNE HENDERSON]

The exhibit “The Luthier's Craft: Instrument Making Traditions of the Blue Ridge” wraps up at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History this Saturday night, February 8^th at 7:00PM with a dinner/concert featuring Wayne Henderson and Friends. It'll be a small venue show—limited to just 70 people—with a lot of audience interaction. Wayne will present the guitar he built for the exhibition, perform, share stories like the great one we just heard, and mingle with the crowd during dinner.  Dinner is provided by Old North State Winery.

North Star

This weekend “North Star” written by Gloria Bond Clunie and directed by Harold Claytor, Jr. comes to the Stained Glass Playhouse in Winston-Salem.  Harold is a 1997 graduate of the Portland Actor's Conservatory and he's performed professionally in numerous plays. As the son of two Civil Rights pioneers, Harold's perfectly suited in his new role with the Playhouse. Clunie's drama North Star centers on the movement of the '60s, humanizing the great issues surrounding it by zeroing in on one family and showing how they affected a child named Aurelia and her parents. Harold spoke with me recently about the play. In full disclosure, WFDD's own Kathryn Mobley plays the role of Relia's mother Kate Taylor in the Stained Glass production of “North Star”. 

“North Star” by Gloria Bond Clunie comes to the Playhouse Friday and Saturday, February 7^th and 8^th, and will run through the 22^nd with evening performances at 8 pm and weekend matinees at 3 pm. 

Alison Slaby and American Moderns

The Reynolda House Museum of American Art is poised to kick off this spring's Season of Modernism with an exciting new exhibit: American Moderns, 1910-1960: From O'Keefe to Rockwell. Reynolda House is one of only two venues in the entire Southeast to feature this touring exhibition organized by the Brooklyn Museum in New York. The 53 paintings and four sculptures by well-known early 20^th artists like Georgia O'Keefe, Stuart Davis, Grandma Moses and Norman Rockwell will be on view at the same time as works in Reynolda's collection by the same artists. Reynolda Curator Allison Slaby spoke with me about this rare opportunity to view these incredible works side by side.

The exhibition American Moderns, 1910-1960: From O'Keefe to Rockwell opens Friday, February 7^th and will remain on view through May 4^th. Visitors can learn even more from local art scholars in their 90-second videos available on the Museum's website. And this spring, Reynolda House is keepin' it modern in lots of ways including late night Thursdays. Beginning in March, the first Thursday of the month you'll find the doors open till 8:00 PM and the museum filled with a different music performance and new program each night through May 1^st.