Tag Archives: WJCT

To Listen Is to Understand Imagine how different a place the world might be if we took the time to listen with empathy and authenticity. Stories build understanding and reveal commonalities in an age of division. Since 2003, the independently funded organization StoryCorps has collected and archived 75,000 facilitated interviews with over 150,000 participants across the country (not including 150,000 additional interviews recorded and shared via the StoryCorps App). Archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, they compose the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. StoryCorps aims to eventually impact every American life.    …

Jacksonville’s Phase Eight Theater Company notably opened a two-week run of “Ruined” on August 3, with remaining performances scheduled for August 10 – 11, 2018. The production is being staged at in , a venue with ample free parking. The play, by Lynn Nottage, received the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  Nottage has received multiple awards for her work, including a second Pulitzer (in 2017 for “Sweat”) and the New York Drama Critics 2004 Best Play award for the well-known “Intimate Apparel.” The play was commissioned by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where it debuted in 2008. Before writing, Nottage travelled to …

Public Art Week (PAW) is an annual, week-long initiative that celebrates Jacksonville’s public art and highlights the benefits that are created when investments are made in art that is accessible by all.  It is led by the to encourage residents and visitors to explore and engage with works of art that comprise Jacksonville’s rapidly developing artistic and creative landscape.  In addition to advancing the community’s awareness of and engagement with the City of Jacksonville’s official public art collection, PAW also showcases public art initiatives led by private entities and individuals. PAW supports the Cultural Council’s role of ensuring broad accessibility …

A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW Jacksonville’s newest theatre company, Phase Eight Theatre Company, launched its first season in January, 2017. The company staged “Jesus Hopped the “A” Train,” the fifth show of the season, during September 28 — October l at a studio in ’s broadcasting facility in . ‘s latest play is contemporary, relevant, and thought-provoking. This play, by Stephen Adly Guirgis, debuted at the New York 2000 Fringe Festival. Guirgis has authored ten plays; “Between Riverside and Crazy” won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Several of his plays were originally directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman (1967 — 2014), a well-known …

A PHASE EIGHT THEATRE COMPANY REVIEW Phase Eight, Jacksonville’s newest theatre company, launched its inaugural season in January, 2017, and presented “Live Girls” as an end of summer show during August 10 – 13 at a studio in the Broadcasting facility in downtown Jacksonville. We were among those in the full house first night audience for the exclusive world premier of the work of playwright . He is a graduate of , with an MFA in Playwriting and Screenwriting, and now makes his home in Jacksonville. The production of is set in a brothel in an unnamed southern city, and …

PHASE EIGHT THEATER COMPANY REVIEW A DUAL CRITICS REVIEW BY DICK KEREKES & LEISLA SANSOM The new presented the World Premiere of “On Purpose” during April 7 – 9, 2017 on the stage at WJCT’s studio in downtown Jacksonville. This two-act production filled with original monologues was created, written, and performed by . She is a versatile actress, with a fantastic smile, a polished mastery of accents, and a fearless stage presence. Ms. Payne-English is a literary artist, performer, and educator and the author of “Secrets of Ma’at,” a prize-winning poetry collection (currently available on Amazon). Additionally, she has recorded …

10 Questions courtesy of our friends at the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville: According to the League of American Orchestras, fewer than two percent (2%) of professional classical musicians in the United States are African-American.  The 2010 Census, which is the most recent Census survey, showed that individuals who identify as African-American represent roughly thirteen percent (13%) of the US population. The disheartening statistic related to the number of African-Americans professionally involved in classical music is one of the motivators that led to the founding of the Ritz Chamber Players. Founded in 2002 by , the stopped charging admission to their concerts …

Located in the heart of at 933 Edgewood Ave S is : a boutique music store unlike any other in Jacksonville, which specializes in unique guitars, effects pedals, and amplifiers. Opened in July of 2016 by owner , Mockshop Music Exchange provides the urban core of Jacksonville with a locally owned and operated music store, fulfilling all of your music gear needs. After noticing a void in Jacksonville for a music store of this kind, Mock was finally able to open the store he had always dreamed of. “We’re going have products in here that you’re not going to see …