ARTifacts 2/17/12

RCP announces first show of 2012 season

The River City Players' first show of the 2012 season, "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" opens Friday at Port Cape Girardeau with a new menu. The Ed Graczyk comedy/drama will also be presented Feb. 25 and March 1 to 3. Call Port Cape at 334-0954 for reservations.

Crisp Museum offers historical workshop

The Crisp Museum at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus is offering a historical performance workshop for adults from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Glenn Convocation Center. Ride into History, the historical performance touring troupe, will teach participants how to create first-person narratives, develop interesting characters and become confident performers telling local history. Lunch will be provided. Registration is required. Call 651-2301.

Poet Stein headlines Wordsfair at SEMO

Wordsfair, a biannual celebration of creative writing, music and art hosted by Journey Student Literary Magazine, will be held from noon to 5 p.m. today in the University Center Ballroom A at Southeast Missouri State University. The event is free and open to the public. Headlining the event is a reading between 1 and 2 p.m. by Dr. Kevin Stein, poet laureate of Illinois and director of the Creative Writing Program at Bradley University. In edition, Wordsfair will feature readings by creative-writing students, musical performances and displays of artwork. Door prizes from local businesses will be awarded at three times during the afternoon. For more information, call Dr. Susan Swartwout at 651-2044 or upress@semo.edu.

Sundays at Three series continues

The Chamber Music Sundays at Three series will continue its 2011-2012 season with "Percussion and Strings" at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Shuck Recital Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. Shane Mizicko (percussion), Southeast associate professor of music, joins Brandon Christensen (violin), Southeast assistant professor of music, for this combination of percussion and string music. Also performing will be the Southeast Percussion Ensemble and student cellist Chris Skyles. Tickets may be purchased at the River Campus box office, or by calling 651-2265. More information on the series is available at www.chambermusicsundays.com.

Acclaimed flutist, composer performs

Ian Clarke, one of the leading player/composers in the flute world, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Shuck Recital Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. He will also give master classes to Southeast students and local high school students during his time in the area. Clarke's music is performed throughout the world by leading artists and extensively used at universities and music conservatories. Clarke is a professor of flute at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Idol auditions to be Saturday at Cape mall

The Kenny Rogers Children's Center will hold auditions for the seventh annual Telethon Saturday in the Macy's wing of West Park Mall. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. and auditions at noon. There is a $10 registration fee, and all ages are welcome to audition a cappella. This is a singing competition only. Contestants are asked to bring a photo of themselves. Past Idol winners are eligible to compete. If selected, contestants will perform for a $1,000 grand prize at the telethon March 24. For more information, call 573-472-0397, extension 207.

Arts council hosts Saturday Social

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will host a Saturday Social with local business owner and children's book author Jim Riley and Cape Girardeau artist Don Greenwood, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the arts council gallery, 32 N. Main St. The pair, who have worked together on children's books such as "The Saving of Dogtown" and "The Life Lessons of Wise Old Leo," will describe the process behind writing and illustrating books intended for a younger audience. Riley will also conduct a reading of some of the books he has written, while Greenwood will host an workshop to demonstrate some of the challenges involved in illustrating a story. This Saturday Social is hosted in conjunction with the 2012 Children's Arts Festival, and school-aged children and their parents are urged to attend.

-- From staff reports