Humanities Council director to retire
Jane Renner Hood will retire as executive director of the Nebraska Humanities Council at the end of the year.
A native Nebraskan, Hood was assistant director of the Illinois Humanities Council in Chicago before coming to the Nebraska Humanities Council in 1987. During her tenure in Nebraska, the council's annual budget grew from $481,500 to $1.6 million and private support went from $64,225 to $375,000.
The council has appointed a search committee to look for a new executive director. The council plans to have a new director in place by January. For information or to apply go to www.nebraskahumanities.org.
Des Moines center unveils season's plays
“Mary Poppins” will headline the 2010-11 Broadway season at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. The musical will run from Nov. 26-Dec. 12.
The show is among five Iowa premieres this season, including the musicals “Rock of Ages,” April 19-24, 2011; “Young Frankenstein,” May 3-8, 2011; “9 to 5 the Musical,” Oct. 12-17; and the Pulitzer-winning “Next to Normal,” March 15-20, 2011. An optional add-on to the season is the returning musical “Chicago” Feb. 25-27.
Current season ticket holders can renew in early May online. New season subscriptions also will be accepted at that time at civiccenter.org.
Directing debut set for Omaha's Elkins
Omaha film editor Tom Elkins (“A Haunting in Connecticut”) will make his directing debut on a follow-up to that movie titled “A Haunting in Georgia.”
Casting is under way, and filming is expected to begin in August. The movie, written by David Coggeshall, centers on the true story of a young family imperiled by mysterious entities inhabiting its rural property.
Elkins is editing producer Joel Silver's supernatural thriller “The Apparition.” Elkins previously was assistant editor on the feature films “Red Eye” and “Cursed.”
“What's really cool is I can do part of the pre-production and post-production in Omaha,” Elkins e-mailed last week. He said he'd gotten many congratulatory e-mails, including personal notes and advice from a couple of directors he's worked with, Ron Howard (“The Da Vinci Code”) and Kevin Reynolds (“Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”).
Film Streams to screen environmental film
In conjunction with the Earth Day Omaha Coalition and the World Environment Day Arts Week, Film Streams' nonprofit movie theater will screen a 2009 documentary, “No Impact Man,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
The screening at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, 14th and Mike Fahey Streets, will be followed by a panel discussion about living an environmentally low-impact life.
Panelists include Craig Moody, principal of Verdis Group; Trilety Wade, who tries to live a low-impact life; Daniel Lawse, coordinator of sustainable practices at Metropolitan Community College and a co-principal of Verdis Group; Andrea Lawse, a doctoral student in cultural dietary ideologies; and Melissa Kopplin, a life coach.
For more information, call 933-1259, ext. 11, or visit www.filmstreams.org.
Art troupe to perform Wednesday at Kaneko
The performance art troupe aetherplough will perform a half-hour piece titled “human:nature” as part of the World Environment Day Arts Week hosted by Green Omaha Coalition.
The adult performance piece is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kaneko, 1111 Jones St., and will be preceded by a 7 p.m. panel discussion of environmental/green artists.
Troupe member Susann Suprenant describes “human:nature” as a “movement ritual that explores the struggle between consuming and being consumed.” Katie F-S opens with a spoken introduction, and a community of dancers choreographed by Wai Yim ends the piece. In between, Thom Sibbitt, Abby Queal and Suprenant will perform their movement piece.
Admission is free.
Lincoln Arts Council to expand website
The Lincoln Arts Council will launch a new and expanded website May 7.
The site, www.artscene.org, will include an artist registry with interactive profiles of the artists and organizations. It also will list resources for artists and organizations and include a searchable calendar with more than 2,000 events.
A launch party is scheduled for May 7 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Government Square Park, 10th and O Streets in Lincoln.
Screenwriting colony to return to Superior
Lew Hunter's screenwriting colony is gearing up for its ninth annual two-week session in Superior, Neb., June 19 to July 2.
Hunter, an emeritus professor from the University of California at Los Angeles film school, lectures on screenwriting at a number of seminars each year.
The colony in Superior is for all levels of screenwriters, from beginner to advanced. Participants will progress from a story idea to treatment, step-outline to finished first act of the screenplay.
For information, see www.lewhunter.com.
Auditions
“Brick: A Ben Folds Acapella Musical,” SkullDuggery Theatre, 7 p.m. May 3 and 4 at the theater, 222 S. 19th St., Suite 320. Original musical will run July 8-31. Information: 317-7893.
“Come Back, Little Sheba,” John Beasley Theater, 7 p.m. Tuesday at the LaFern Williams Center, 3010 Q St. Show runs June 18-July 11. Information: 502-5767 or e-mail meghan@johnbeasleytheater.org
“Mountain Birds,” Shelterbelt Theatre, 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at SNAP/Shelterbelt, 3225 California St. Show runs July 8 to Aug. 1. Information: 341-2757 or e-mail executive@shelterbelt.org
Compiled by Bob Fischbach and John Pitcher
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