Bard lovers and brew lovers unite! Argenta Community Theatre will be transformed into a lantern-lighted beer garden, as we share an evening of beer sampling, hearty appetizers, and revelry, with special appearances by AST actors performing selections and songs from the upcoming shows. You’ll also be treated to the infectious live folk/jazz/rock/pop tunes of Don’t Stop Please.

Last night’s Shakespeare in the South episode of Tales from the South was pure magic. Many thanks to Graham Gordy, Trenton Lee Stewart, Warwick Sabin, and the folks at Starving Artist Cafe for making it possible!

A reflection on 2011 from Mary Ruth Marotte… As the year draws to a close, I write to express my gratitude to you, our loyal AST members. This past season is one that will forever remain with me, as it was a year of becoming fully acquainted with what makes this organization tick and with what it takes to sustain a professional theater. In taking on the role of Executive Director, I forged relationships with so many wonderful people in Central Arkansas, impressive people who value the arts in their community and who are now dedicated friends, willing to put in mighty long hours to see that Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre becomes a sustainable organization and a destination for tourists well beyond the limits of Conway.

Since I was a kid, I always thought of the Mississippi River as magical.  I loved imagining the explorers making their way down the mighty Mississippi and “discovering” new lands and people.  My childhood reading of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, coupled with visits to Mud Island in Memphis, reinforced those romantic images.

Over the next several weeks, I will be posting about each of the plays in our upcoming summer season.  We’ll begin with the opening production—Tweflth Night. AST’s 2012 season was put together with the theme of journey in mind.  I suppose I had that theme on the brain after having just taken a journey myself—a journey that brought me back to my home state of Arkansas after fifteen years of being away.  So it is fitting to begin my inaugural season at AST with the journey of the twins Viola and Sebastian in Twelfth Night.  

On behalf of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre Volunteer Guild, I’d like to thank everyone who came out to support live theatre in Arkansas. Enjoy!