Artifacts 8/29

Benton Neighbor Days today, Saturday

BENTON, Mo. -- The 35th annual Benton Neighbor Days celebration will be held today and Saturday at the ballpark in Benton.

The midway will open at 5 p.m. today and at 10 a.m. Saturday. Activities will include races, pie-eating, bubble-blowing and seed-spitting contests, a kiddie tractor pull and a talent contest.

The band Night Shift will provide entertainment from 9 to midnight Saturday.

Exhibits will be on display in the old school building both days.

Travis Lee Band performs tonight

Tonight's Tunes at Twilight will feature the Travis Lee Band.

The band recently performed before the ZOEgirl concert at the Show Me Center. They play original and contemporary Christian songs. Lee is a native of Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

The free show will begin at 7 p.m. at the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo in downtown Cape Girardeau. Bring lawn chairs.

Labor Day Festival at Olive Branch

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- The annual Labor Day Festival will be held Monday at the Horseshoe Lake Community Center.

A pancake breakfast will be served beginning at 6:30 a.m. A barbecue will begin at 10 a.m., with gospel and bluegrass music under the pavilion. There will be crafts, games, a baby contest and a raffle.

Bluegrass gospel bands to perform

LAKE WAPPAPELLO -- The popular bluegrass gospel bands Just Us and Crossroads will perform Saturday at the Lake Wappapello Outdoor Theatre.

The Theatre is 2 miles south of the dam on T Highway, adjacent to Fisherman's Net Restaurant at Lake Wappapello.

Jam sessions will be held at the theater tonight. Both performances are free. Bring lawn chairs.

Sifferman in Sept. 11 piano recital

Dr. James Sifferman will give a faculty recital Sept. 11 to kick off a new Faculty Showcase Series to be presented this year by the Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State University.

The concert will be at 8 p.m. in Brandt Room 205. He will play works by Bach, Mozart, Liszt and Brahms.

Sifferman holds degrees from the University of Washington, the Julliard School and the University of Texas at Austin. He has performed in solo and chamber music recitals and as a concerto soloist with orchestras throughout the U.S.

Tickets in advance are $7 for the general public, $6 for faculty, staff and senior citizens, and $5 for Southeast students. All tickets are $7 at the door. Phone 651-2265 for tickets.

St. Louis plans busy Labor Day weekend

ST. LOUIS -- The 27th annual Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival in the Central West End are among several events taking place this Labor Day Weekend in St. Louis.

The schedule also includes the St. Louis County Fair and Air Show beginning today at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport, the seventh annual Big Muddy Blues Festival Saturday through Monday at Laclede's Landing and the Missouri-Illinois football game Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome.

For more information, visit www.explorestlouis.com.

Swingle signs with literary agent

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney has signed a contract with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc., to represent a manuscript he has written for the child and young adult market.

The agency is based in Palo Alto, Calif. Before forming the agency in 1981, Andrea Brown worked at Random House, Dell Publishing and Alfred A. Knopf. Some of the authors she worked with include Dr. Seuss, the Berenstains, Judy Blume, Roald Dahl and S.E. Hinton. Her agency has sold more than 1,000 books to publishers.

Last year, the Southeast Missouri State University Press published Swingle's first book, the historical novel "The Gold of Cape Girardeau."

Auditions upcoming for 'Proof'

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Auditions for the upcoming production of the drama "Proof" will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Market House Theater Main Stage.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play requires two men and two women: Hal is in his late 20s to early 30s, Robert in his 50s to 60s, Catherine is in her mid- to late 20s and Claire in her mid- to late 30s.

"Proof" will be performed Oct. 16-Nov. 1.

For information, phone (270) 444-6828.

SCC show features Cape Girardeau painter

ANNA, Ill. -- An exhibition of watercolors and oils by Richard Webb of Cape Girardeau is now on display at Shawnee Community College's Anna Center.

Webb worked for Procter & Gamble for 32 years. He has won awards from the Texas Woodcarvers Guild, Texas State Fair, North Texas Woodcarvers, the DeSoto Art League and the Society of Knickerbockers of New York.

Confederate Railroad to perform Sept. 18

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Confederate Railroad and special guest Brook Burrows will perform Sept. 18 in a benefit for the Missouri State Troopers Association.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Farmington Civic Center.

Discounts offered on theater tickets

A 20 percent discount is available on season tickets to productions of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Southeast Missouri State University.

The season includes the drama "Two Rooms" opening Sept. 24, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opening Oct. 24, "The Glass Menagerie" Dec. 5, the dance showcase "Full Tilt 2004" Feb. 19, "Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends (A Final Evening with the Ulliminati)" March 30 and the children's show "Rapunzel" April 20.

For information, phone the box office at 651-2265.

Youth acting program seeks students

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Footlights, the Market House Theatre's youth acting program, is accepting new members for classes beginning Sept. 6.

The acting troupes for ages 7-18 will meet most Saturday mornings through Dec. 6. The fee is $40 per semester.

For information, phone (270) 444-9084.

Delta Fair seeking art, photo entries

KENNETT, Mo. --The Delta Fair is seeking submissions for its annual art show and photography show.

Entries will be received from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the American Legion Building on the Delta Fairgrounds in Kennett and will be on display from Sept. 23-27.

'Best of Broadway' at Sikeston Little Theater

SIKESTON, Mo. -- "The Best of Broadway -- Past and Present," a musical revue, will be presented Sept. 12-14 by the Sikeston Little Theater.

Shows are at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 and 13 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Albritton-Mayer Center for the Arts, 506 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston. Tickets are $6 and will be sold at the door.

The cast includes performers from Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Charleston, Dexter and New Madrid.

Car show Sept. 14 at Capaha Park

The River City Rodders of Cape Girardeau will host their 26th annual car show Sept. 14 at Capaha Park.

The entry fee is $10 per vehicle. Vintage motorcycles (up to 1978), street and dirt bikes are $5 per entry.

For more information, phone Mark at 334-8194.

The event is free to the public. Registration will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Awards will be presented at 3 p.m.

-- From staff reports