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Story, Song, and Soup This Friday to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Ludington Visiting Writers.
 Come join us for the exciting, second installation of Story on Stage, a quarterly event at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts, featuring local actors and musicians performing the work of Michigan writers live on January 21st from 7-9 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door and an extra $5 if you want to sample the soup in the soup competition.
The Ludington Area Center for the Arts caught up with George Dila, a featured writer in the upcoming Stories on Stage, to ask him about the upcoming episode. Dila is also director of the Ludington Visiting Writers, the in-house, literary arts organization for the Ludington Area Center for the Arts.
Q: Stories on Stage is the Ludington Area Center for the Arts spin on the popular NPR program Selected Shorts. How is Stories on Stage different? How is it the same?
Dila: Stories on Stage is the same as Selected Shorts in that it consists of trained actors reading short stories, rather than hearing the writer read his or her own story, as is more common at readings. Selected Shorts is, of course, a radio program and Stories on Stage is not. Also, Selected Shorts often uses classic short stories, while Stories on Stage uses only fairly new short stories (although they can [or] have been published) by only Michigan writers. After all, the Ludington Visiting Writers raison d'etre is to "honor Michigan writers in a small town on a big lake," so our focus is much narrower. The music component of Stories on Stage also makes it different from Selected Stories. The idea is to have musicians perform a song that tells a story, in keeping with the "story on stage" idea. Mike Lenich, chair of the Art Center's music committee, arranges for the musicians.
Q: What local writers, actors and musicians will be featured in the upcoming January 2011 edition of Stories on Stage?
Dila: Stories on Stage will have stories by authors George Dila, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Lisa Lenzo, and Michael Delp. The stories are to be preformed by actors John Gerts, Sam Stein, Kathy Hansen, and Laura Powers. Musicians accompanying the performers are Andy Thomas and Carrie Klemm.
Q: What literature genres will be highlighted in this installment? Music genres?
Dila: Regarding story genres, we stick pretty much to contemporary "literary" fiction - which is a pretty broad category of course, but excludes other genre fiction like Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Children's literature, romance, mystery, etc. Re: music genre, no limit, I think, as long as the song tells a story.
Q: In your opinion, what is the importance of celebrating local artists in their local community?
Dila: There are never enough opportunities for local artists to be seen, heard, read. That's why Ludington Visiting Writers has as many opportunities for local writers as we can fit in and afford. For instance, we have a monthly Open Mic, we publish the work of local writers (just released a chapter book by local poet Jim Stewart called Our Lady of the Morels, and other chapter book called Three True Voices is in the works which will feature the poetry of three women members of our writers group, the Westside Gang), and we feature the work of local writers in our new Ludington Public Poetry Project effort. Of course, we don't only do Story on Stage for the writers, actors and musicians involved, but for the public as well. We want to give people a reason to get out of the house on a cold and snowy night, and be entertained - offer cultural opportunities to the people.
Did we pique your interest? Come support Ludington arts for this must-see event! And don't eat dinner before you come. There will also be a soup competition of which your taste buds are required! While you are enjoying the storytelling, eat up and vote for the best soup with your dollars.
And, to top it off, this month marks the 10th anniversary of Ludington Visiting Writers -- come join the Celebration this Friday.
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Hours at the Center:Tuesday-Saturday, 12-5:30Have questions or want more information about programs, membership, or how to make a donation?Website: www.ludingtonartscouncil.orgEmail us: info@ludingtonartscouncil.orgCall us: 231-845-2787
Parking for Center events is available in the lot south of the Center at the southeast corner of Loomis and Harrison Streets.
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800 Entries Still Wanted
for Annual Photo Contest!
Deadline to enter is 1/31/11
Amateur and professional photographers alike are invited to submit photos for the 3rd annual photo contest sponsored by the Ludington Area Arts Council (LAAC) and Todd and Brad Reed Photography.
The goal for this year is to have over 1,000 photo submissions, which equals $5,000 in donations. The money raised from this year's contest will go towards the purchase of a professional lighting system for the main gallery at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts.
For every $15, contestants may enter up to three separate images and can enter as many images as they like in quantities of three.
Winners of the photo contest will win gift certificates to the Todd and Brad Reed Photography Gallery in downtown Ludington.
For more information on the contest and to enter, go to our website.
The deadline to enter is midnight EST on Monday, January 31, 2011.
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"Visions of Winter" Exhibition
Through Early February
View the works of area artists and their visions of this cold season, like John Lipa's "Dormant" (below).
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Third Coast Film Society presents, "The Owl and the Sparrow"
Friday, Jan 28 at 7 p.m.
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Save-the-Date:
Friday, Feb 5 - Taste of Mason County, sponsored by the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of the Commerce.
Saturday, Feb 19
Jazz It Up: featuring the MSU Jazz Orchestra. Click here for more information and to buy your tickets online.
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Join the Ludington Area Arts Council!
Become a member by making a donation. Find out more about member benefits at the Center's website.
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