Arts Alive San Antonio

NEWS ROUNDUP

Let’s start with what’s happening tonight!

Munoz Public Relations and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center have teamed up to bring us Ballet Nepantla, a young New York-based dance company founded by Andrea Guajardo, a S. Texas native and a dance innovator. The enigmatically named company will present its evening-long show, Valentina, a choreographic hybrid of ballet and Mexican folkloric styles of dancing. It tells the stories of brave and desperate women of the Mexican Revolution who joined the fight against Mexican governmental forces, and whose courage was celebrated in folk songs, that are still part of the Mexican cultural landscape. Guarjardo explained that there’s no specific Valentina in the show. The name represents all the resilient, courageous Valentinas of the time. (See feature story on this site) Valentina, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.; Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St.78207; for tickets call 210-271-3151 or guadalupeculturalarts.org

Note: For the curious, “Nepantla” means “space in-between.”

Also tonight, the Public theater of San Antoniois opening the edgy, provocative play, Admissions, in its smaller space, the Cellar Theater. Featuring top guns of the local thespian scene, Tim Hedgepeth and Anna Gangai, it promises to be entertaining, engaging and controversial. Written by Joshua Harmon, the play looks at a family of white liberal professionals whose liberal principles are challenged when they find out that son, Charlie, was not accepted at Yale while his ¼-black buddy was. It’s a kind of play that’s likely to make people uncomfortable, even as they laugh at the funny parts. (See feature story on this site) Feb. 28-March 22, Thursday-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.; Public Theater of San Antonio, San Pedro and Ashby, in San Pedro Park; tickets $20-$45, 210-722-7258, www.thepublicsa.org

Another stage show, that’s definitely worth seeing is An American in Paris, at the Tobin Center, where it will have only one performance March 1. Yes, it’s based on the iconic movie and features all the beloved songs by George and Ira Gershwin, such as ­“Stairway to Paradise,” “I got Rhythm,” “‘S Wonderful” and all the others. But this is a somewhat different version from the 2015 Broadway production directed and choreographed by famed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, which also toured a couple of years ago. We are told that this is “a brand-new production, offering a more intimate perspective than the Broadway version.” It also has brand-new choreography by Bob Richard. March 1, 7 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts; tickets 210-223-8624 or www.tobincenter.org/box-office/2020-03/amarican-

March is Contemporary Art Month, which means lots of visual arts events and exhibits, giving us a great opportunity to find out what’s going on the San Antonio art scene.

Already on view is the so-called CAM Perennial, hosted by The McNay Art Museum this year, which features works by nine San Antonio artists, selected by guest curator Lee Hallman, an associate curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Titled Topographies of Truth, “the works on view are representative of the range of visual languages and points of view I encountered during my studio visits” said the curator in the press release. “The exhibition brings together artists whose practices engage – critically, humorously, earnestly or otherwise – with the complex world we live in.”

The nine artists are: Jimmy James Canales, Anthony Francis, Nicholas Frank, Raul Gonzalez, Mari Hernandez, Megan Harrison, Buster Graybill, Jasmyne Graybill, and Amada Miller. (We’ll tell you more about the show in a few days.) While you are at the McNay, it’s a good idea to take a look at the museum’s big exhibition, Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday, a display of fashion design where you’ll see clothes by all the famous designers of the 1990s. It’s fun!

2020 CAM Perennial: Topographies of Truth will be on view through May 17; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels; included with general admission, including periods of free general admission every Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., and the first Sunday of every month; for information call 210-824-5368 or www.mcnayart.org

 Next week, San Antonio will also be the host city for the national Association of Writers and Writing Programs which will likely attract well over 10,000 participants, who will attend readings, panel discussions and classes while also mingling with colleagues, publishers, editors and other literary professionals over four days. The conference features over 2,000 presenters and 550 readings, panels and (writing) craft lectures. However, the only event open to the public is the huge book fair, hosted by 800 presses, journals and literary organizations from around the world. We plan to explore it.

For info, call the AWP’s local partner, Gemini Ink, at 210-734-9673. They need volunteers to help them manage the massive conference. March 4-7, Convention Center, 900 E. Market St.; to see the full schedule and registration info go to www.awpwriter.org

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