The Darien Arts Center is presenting a staged reading of Madeleine L’Engle’s The 24 Days Before Christmas on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m.
Refreshments and a holiday craft for ages 5 and older will be available at 4:30 p.m. and a talkback takes place after the performance at 6:15 p.m. with Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter, Charlotte Jones Voiklis. — an announcement from the DAC
The play was adapted for the stage by internationally produced playwright Jason Pizzarello and is directed by Carole Claps, director at Curtain Call. In The 24 Days Before Christmas, the Austin family has a cherished tradition of doing something special every day counting down to Christmas — from baking cookies to decorating the tree. This year is a stressful one for Vicky Austin as she’s cast as the youngest angel in the Christmas Pageant.
Adult students will be inspired to shape their ideas and start, rewrite or complete their scripts with internationally produced playwright Jason Pizzarello, in the new Playwriting Workshop at the Darien Arts Center. The workshop, available to those 18 and older, takes place on Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 20 through Nov. 1. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center
Over the six-session workshop, students will conquer the blank page together by focusing on core story building blocks: character, conflict, structure, dialog, dramatic action, and theatricality.
The Darien Arts Center has added a fun new way to be a winner in their talent show, Darien’s Got Talent. In addition to competing on stage for cash prizes, contestants can now compete to help raise money for the DAC. The public is encouraged to vote online at darienarts.org, as many times as they wish, for their favorite contestant(s) in order to elect the winner of the Darien’s Got Talent 2018 People’s Choice Award.
The contestant with the most votes will be awarded the People’s Choice Award trophy at the conclusion of Darien’s Got Talent, which takes place at 7 p.m. on June 23rd at Darien High School. — an announcement from Darien Arts Center
Voting for the recipient of the People’s Choice Award is open to all and will remain open until June 22nd at darienarts.org.
The Darien Arts Center has announced 14 winners in its 3rd annual Smartphone Photo Contest, Pic Darien. The contest garnered close to 400 entries in six categories, with submissions from all ages. Here’s a video showing the entries:
[Editor’s note: The Darien Arts Center website linked to last year’s video, which this article linked to. The DAC corrected the link and Darienite was informed, so now, at 2:07 p.m., Thursday, June 14, we’ve changed it to what we’re told is this year’s video showing the entries.]
First place ($100) and runner up ($50) cash prizes in all categories were awarded to adults and children at a reception June 1 in the DAC Weatherstone Studio. Here are the winners:
Food category
Student Winner: Anya Napoli Student Runner up: Anya Napoli
Adult Runner Up: Tara Claps
Abstract
Student Winner: Anna Passaretti
Student Runner up: Georgia Sheehan
Adult Winner : Julie O’Connor
Adult Runner Up: David Gioiella
People & Pets
Student Winner: Georgia Sheehan
Student Runner up: Katie Walsh
Adult Winner: Susan Mackenzie
Adult Runner Up: Jackie Stoddard
Travel, Near & Far
Student Winner: Harrison Slotkin
Student Runner up: Quinn Connolly
Adult Winner : Lee Smith
Adult Runner Up: Lee Smith
Adult Honorable Mention: Pam Lindberg
Landscape & Nature
Student Winner: Matthew Taylor
Student Runner up: Robbie Gaaserud
Adult Winner: Chad Knight
Adult Runner Up: Lee Smith
Adult Honorable Mention: Diane Farrell
Award-winning photographer, filmmaker and producer Jeffrey Wyant, judged the contest, a fundraiser, which was sponsored by Nola Physical Therapy and Performance, E.C. Scott, Blue Wave Taco, Blue Wave Orthodontics, Big Shots Custom Framing and Photolab, Beautycounter and Heights Pizza.
The Darien Arts Center encourages entertainers of all ages to register to audition for its popular talent competition, and registrations are being accepted from April 9 to May 11 at the DAC website. The DAC’s popular talent contest returns on June 23. The fundraising event for the arts center features prizes for adults and children, and accomplished entertainment industry professionals as judges for the auditions and finals. A total of 20 finalists will compete for top prizes in front of a live audience at Darien High School. Auditions for the competition are open to all ages and contestants are not required to live in Darien.
