R.A.D. Studios, The Scout, farmers markets, art and music and more coming up this week

There is so much to write about this week. I'm shifting gears from writing about how COVID-19 is affecting literally every aspect of everyone's lives, to letting you -- yes you! -- readers know what's actually happening, live and in person, and I could not be happier about it.

Auditions

R.A.D. Studios, Shakers Bar at 2 North Main Street in Cape Girardeau, and The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri are teaming up to present "'80s Cabaret!", a show scheduled for July 25, holding video auditions now.

The show will include singing and dancing to favorite '80s hits, according to the Facebook event page. It's a fundraiser for R.A.D. Studios and for The Humane Society.

The video auditions are open now through June 7. Audition forms are available by email at radstudioscg@gmail.com, and should be completed and returned with the video submission. Email subject line should read "'80s Cabaret Audition -- *insert your name*"

Then, June 7, an in-person audition session will be held, location TBA.

Auditions are open to those age 21 and up.

The video should include at least one full act; for example, singing, dancing, burlesque, magic, live instrumental music. For multiple acts, please submit an audition for each.

The event is on a volunteer basis, and all ticket sales go toward supporting youth theater and The Humane Society.

R.A.D. Studios owners Dimitri Gann and Robb Davis started the production studio and performance school in 2019, to give area students interested in theater performance a chance to learn and perform.

Gann said the classes give students a chance to learn, grow and build skills in musical theater, show choir, music theory and more -- "and we do productions," he said.

Or, at least, that was the plan before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're trying to find our own niche," Gann said, "and not interfere with Cape Girardeau's established theater offerings."

Gann said the idea is to offer classes to help support the performances, and keep them self-sustaining, while also giving students a chance to learn and demonstrate what they can do.

Davis graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in music.

Gann is from the Washington, D.C., metro area originally, and said the area had more than 100 community theater companies. Instead of competing, they built on each other's production values and worked to provide their own specialties -- something Gann would love to see in Cape Girardeau.

"We do need everyone," Gann said. "R.A.D. Studios is trying to be another part of the arts community here."

More information on the company and the upcoming production is on Facebook @radstudioscape, or by email at radstudioscg@gmail.com.

Upcoming conference this fall

Nadine Saylor

Carla Jordan, who helms both the Cape Girardeau County History Center in uptown Jackson and the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum in Altenburg, Missouri, announced the artist in residence for the Immigration History Conference 2020, in a May 7 blog entry at www.lutheranmuseum.com. The conference isn't new to the region. For years, this event has drawn history and art enthusiasts, and this year, the featured artist is Nadine Saylor, renowned glass artist and instructor at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale.

If Saylor's name sounds familiar to you, that could be because she and some of her students gave a blown-glass demonstration at the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization's February Annual event earlier this year, with Aunt Gladys," a mobile glass-blowing studio complete with heavy propane tank and molten glass.

"Glass blowing is an important part of German and German-American culture-as a trade and as an art form," Jordan wrote in the announcement.

Saylor's artist-in-residence turn will include a lecture at the conference and an exhibition of her blown-glass giant buttons. Jordan wrote that she hopes to schedule a glass blowing demonstration, as well, so if you missed the cold and blustery February demo, this could be a chance to see it live.

The conference will also include an exhibit of 17 quilts from the National Quilt Museum, with an autumn theme, and keynote speaker will be Bill Eddleman, Associate Director at The State Historical Society of Missouri and researcher at Eddleman Genealogical Consulting LLC.

Said conference is scheduled for Oct. 29 to the 31. Jordan acknowledged that travel is uncertain in these times, but in the event of a cancellation, registration fees will be returned.

More info: contact@lutheranmuseum.com

The Scout

I've wanted to write about The Scout for several months now, since I started covering this culture and events beat actually, and now seems like a good time to do that. I sat down with Jeff Rawson, director at rustmedia and the voice behind the daily email and on-hiatus podcast, to shed some light on the project.

"The Scout is a daily email created to keep folks connected with all the good things that happen in Southeast Missouri," Rawson said.

The focus is on food, music, events and the interesting people we live around every day, but The Scout is also about keeping readers connected to and plugged into the world at large, Rawson said.

"The idea is basically to help us all be more interesting people at dinner parties," Rawson quipped.

The long-term goal is to be a broader provider of not just content, but events, too, Rawson said. Shipyard Music Festival came from The Scout. So did Food Truck Friday, and more projects still in the works.

"Every morning, we want to be there in your inbox, brining you good news and helping you connect," Rawson said.

Now that events are starting to happen again, Rawson said, Monday's message will likely focus on events set to happen that week. Tuesday through Friday, the focus is more on happenings around the world, he said.

The Scout also has a podcast, but that's on hiatus at the moment "because we can't get in our studio," Rawson said. An archive of about 20 episodes is online, and people can visit either www.thescoutdaily.com or www.thescout.io to sign up.

Live music, in person

Jason Heeter

River Ridge Winery will host Cape Girardeau-based singer/songwriter Jason Heeter for a handful of dates this season, beginning Sunday. He'll take the stage outside from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, at this all-ages, no-cover-charge show, where social distancing is encouraged.

Heeter's music draws from several wells, blending influences such as The Grateful Dead and Bill Withers with lyrics drawn from his own real-life encounters to create a uniquely relatable and American sound, if you want my opinion on it.

Heeter has regularly held online concerts since the COVID-19 stay-at-home started, and Sunday is his first in-person concert in several weeks. Check out the event on Facebook, if you're so inclined.

Farmers markets!

Bollinger County Farmers Market opens at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Bollinger County Eagles Aerie 4473, 104 Sample Street in Marble Hill, Missouri.

Speaking of markets, #CapeRiverfrontMarket is returning to a walk-up format, and will still be held at Century Casino Cape Girardeau -- 777 North Main Street for your GPS.

Social distancing requirements mean the market will not include public seating, live music or demonstrations, and customers are strongly encouraged to wear face masks to the market, and stay home if they don't feel well, according to the market's Facebook page.

Preorders are welcome. More information about vendors and items available is at www.downtowncapegirardeau.com/cape-riverfront-market/

Vendor Line Up: Menard Farms, Fuel at Catapult, Tamales Dona Trini, Gabriel's Food + Wine + Speck Pizza + Street Food, Farrar Out Farm, Glass Gardens by Stacey, The German Cook, Grandma's Old Fashioned Donuts, The Natural Way Soaps and Herbal Products, Pearson Farms, Gihring Family Farm, Resurrection Goatsmilk Soaps, Mama Fatoula, Sandy Bottom Farms, Riverbend Honey, Bass Farms, Lewis' Little Homestead, Oehl's Bakery LLC, Pa Pa's Jerky, Renaissance Man's Stand, Jewelz by Judy, Twice As Nice Lemonade, Root + Holler, The Mushroom Spot, Indian Creek Hives, Sweets Unsweetened, Soy Candle Co., Poppa Moose Gourmet Popcorn, Windborn Creations, Sweitzer Farm.