BY WENDY ELLIOTT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

Screening for charity

A group of students at Horton High School are calling their new charity The Invisible Children after the documentary of the same name.

The film is about the children of Uganda who are kidnapped and forced into being child soldiers, and/or raped, beaten, maimed, tortured or killed. Co-organizer Grade 10 student John Thompson says, “if you see the film, you can’t not want to do something (to help).”

Initially his sister, Laura, a student in Moncton, saw the film at a conference in Atlanta. She went back to university and held a screening. Atlantic Baptist University then raised $1,200.

The local students have already fundraised over $100 for this cause and hope to collect a significant amount of money to send over to help establish safe places for children to stay, schools, medicine and safe water.

The Horton students are hosting a public showing of this documentary Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. in the school's Performance Centre, with a discussion afterward and freewill donation. A bake sale is also in the works.

The two co-founders, Thompson and Sarah Machan, said they started the club in late September with assistance from teacher Tracy Webb.

New season

Two Planks and a Passion Theatre has announced its 17th season, presenting two large-scale outdoor productions on the grounds of The Ross Creek Centre for the Arts in the summer of 2008.

Running from July 1 until Aug. 17, the company will build on the success of its first outdoor season this year, which featured its critically acclaimed production of The Odyssey.

“Our 2007 season surpassed our most optimistic expectations, artistically and otherwise,” says artistic director Ken Schwartz, who will direct both productions in 2008. “The incredible response we had to our production of The Odyssey made us realize that we had embarked on a very special creative journey, one that’s challenging, unique and fulfilling for audience and performer alike.”

In 2008, the company will present Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town, staged in the forest adjacent to the centre, as well as the world premiere of Jerome: The Historical Spectacle.

This new play by Ami McKay, bestselling author of The Birth House, is based on a true story of the mysterious man who washed ashore at Sandy Cove, N.S. in 1863.

It will begin previews Aug. 1 and run until Aug. 17. “Both plays have great resonance with each other” says Schwartz, “as they are both moving explorations of love and loss against the backdrop of a small town 100 years ago. Each evokes a time and place, which richly resonates with our rural context. They’re perfect companions in this special season.”

Both productions will be staged in daylight hours (2 and 6 p.m.) and feature some of the finest performers and creative artists working in Canada today. Zuppa Circus Theatre Company will return to the Ross Creek Centre as company-in-residence for the season, as well as 20 other Canadian performers, designers and crew.

“We are all tremendously excited by what we have to offer in 2008,” Schwartz says. “The Ross Creek Centre and the grounds that surround it are the perfect backdrop for a unique marriage of nature and the imagination. Every performance is unique.”

Special advance season tickets called Double Plays are available for Christmas gifts and can be ordered by calling 582.3842 or visiting www.twoplanks.ca

On sale

The Fundy Film Society will be selling pre-paid Six-Pack tickets for the Winter Series Saturday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lobby of the Al Whittle Theatre (Wolfville).

These Six-Packs are $36, which is a savings of $2 per ticket over admission at the door and are good for any Main, Edge or Documentary Winter series features. The new season opens Jan. 6 and runs through March 31, with 17 Canadian and foreign films. For complete details see www.fundyfilm.ca.

Call to artists

The Annual Acadia Art show is in its 17th year and focuses on the arts in this community. Acadia Art Gallery director Laurie Dalton says she and her volunteers are looking for visual expressions that have been recently produced, such as paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, ceramic art, sculpture and video.

“In addition,” she says, “we’re also looking for individuals who might want to present a performance, play an instrument or present a poetry reading.”

Entry forms with submission guidelines are available at the Acadia University Art Gallery and on the gallery’s website.

Works may be submitted Jan. 11–17, 2008 during gallery hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 1–4 p.m. Exhibition dates are Jan. 25 to March 28, with an opening reception Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

Seasonal music

One Small Child, A Christmas Musical, will be presented by The Kentville Baptist Church 40 Voice Seasonal Choir Dec. 14, 7 p.m., and Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. in the Kentville Baptist Church. Free event and all are welcome to attend.

January alert

The Acadia Theatre Company will present Noel Coward’s timeless comedy Fallen Angels Jan. 15-20, 2008. The production is directed by Anna Migliarisi, professor of Theatre Studies at Acadia University.

Coming up

Dec. 13

14 Wing Greenwood Concert, West Kings High School, 7 p.m.

The Lost Boys, Fundy Film, Acadia Cinema, Wolfville, 7 p.m.

Dec. 15

Singalong Sound of Music, Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville, 1:30 and 7 p.m.