UPTOWN hits the Skokos Performing Arts Center with a Motown Re-Mix Mulberry, Arkansas – September 13, 2024 One Show Only: Saturday, October 12, 2024 7:30 PM 103 E. Main, Alma Arkansas With the class of young Temptations, moves like the Jackson 5, and the energy of Bruno Mars….Everyone’s going Uptown! Motown has never been this sexy! Chuck King, director of the Skokos Performing Arts Center says, “We booked UPTOWN to bring a celebration of soul to the River Valley. It’s soul with a twist on old school songs for a New Generation.” From New York City, the epicenter of contemporary Pop and Soul, Uptown is a group of men who combine the smooth stylings of R&B with the fresh hits of today. The perfect mix of Bruno Mars caliber stage presence with the vocals of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. You’ve never seen anything like Uptown! Each member of the collective is a soloist, bringing a unique flavor of performance that will have any crowd on their feet dancing and singing along. Regardless of the genre or era of music, The Uptown Show exudes freshness and fun in a way that everyone will enjoy. Choreography, Vocals and Stage Presence…You do not want to miss out on Uptown. For complete press kit including photos and video: https://www.epicartsmanagement.com/uptown TICKETS: Website: skokospac.org BOX OFFICE: (479)632-2129 Contact: Chuck King, Executive Director cking@almasd.net (479)632-2129

 

Chart topping Country Duo THOMPSON SQUARE to Play at the Skokos PAC, Alma, AR. Mulberry, Arkansas – July 8, 2024 Shawna and Keifer Thompson will help kick off the 2024-25 Season of Entertainment at the Skokos Performing Arts Center by playing their live acoustic show on Saturday, September 7th. Everyone remembers where they were the first time they heard Thompson Square, with their multi-platinum mega-hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”, and crowds remain hungry for more. The Grammy-nominated duo has toured the world; won multiple ACM, ACA, CMA, and CMT awards; appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s TODAY Show, CBS This Morning as well as numerous primetime tv specials and awards shows; earned No. 1 records in three countries, and even launched their own podcast. They’ve been praised as “remarkable” by Taste of Country, “deeply personal and emotional” by Sounds Like Nashville, and “vivacious” by Rolling Stone. And now Thompson Square has come home. After taking time out over the last few years to focus on family (venturing out briefly to release their critically lauded Masterpiece album), the pair are back on the scene in full force and have reunited with Benny Brown, the veteran label head who spearheaded their chart-topping success. “Keifer and I really got back to our roots,” says Shawna of this country music homecoming, “But we’ve grown too, and the music reflects all of that.” The duo’s new material promises all the hallmarks that made audiences fall for the Thompsons in the first place, as well as showcasing everything that life, touring and starting a family has taught them. Thompson Square’s music has always been quintessentially grounded in their identity as a couple. Whether basking in the light of one another in the No. 1 smash, “If I Didn’t Have You,” or shocking the neighbors with flirty, distracting thoughts in Top 10 hit “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About,” Thompson Square’s openness with its audience has always made them one of the most intimate acts working today. And Thompson Square’s new music is no exception. Each song tells a story of a life-lived romance that encapsulates both the dizzying highs and paralyzing lows of love and partnership. “We’ve started a family together, we’ve lost parents together,” explains Keifer, with Shawna adding “This is real stuff.” The duo’s prodigal return to recording with Benny Brown for his new label Quartz Hill Records has allowed them to craft music that cuts to the core of everything Thompson Square is. Indeed, each of Thompson Square’s offerings – including latest single “Without You” and “Country In My Soul” – celebrate different facets of the pair. Their debut single with Quartz Hill at the helm – the breezy, vintage ballad “Country In My Soul,” clearly resonated with country fans from coast-to-coast, charging out of the gate as the No. 2 Most Added Song at U.S. Country Radio upon impact. Next, the pair embarks on the release of upbeat show-stopper “Without You.” Banjo-backed and laden with their refreshing, husband and wife harmonies, Keifer takes the lead, lamenting over all he’d be (or wouldn’t be) in the absence of his loved one. Co-written by Tim Nichols, Anthony Olympia, and Brent Rupard, “Without You” released to DSPs on 3/10, and was the #1 most added song at country radio the week of 5/1. From the moment Keifer and Shawna met, playing a game of pool after a show during their first week in Nashville, there has been nothing but electricity coming from Thompson Square. As much as the duo has constantly evolved, in many ways, they’re the same as they’ve ever been. “We’re best friends, and that’s it,” Shawna says, “God just blessed us with each other. We love making music, and to be able to do it together is extra special.” THOMPSON SQUARE Saturday, September 7th 7:30 pm Tickets $36-$42 Reserved Seating Box Office: (479)632-2129 www.skokospac.org Sponsored by CITIZENS BANK https://thompsonsquare.com/ Media Contact Chuck King Executive Director, Alma’s Education and Art Foundation Cking@almasd.net 479.629.5646 Jason Barnes Creative Director Jason@productionsdesign.com 870.917.8829

 

Alma Theatre to Stage OUR TOWN ahead of Broadway Revival Mulberry, Arkansas – June 12, 2024 The Pulitzer Prize winning play by Thornton Wilder is slated to be performed by a local cast August 9-11 at the Skokos Performing Arts Center in Alma, just ahead of a limited run on Broadway. The original play debuted in 1938, and will reopen at the Barrymore Theatre in September, starring Jim Parsons, Katie Holmes, Zoey Deutch, and Richard Thomas. Called the “greatest American play ever-written”, OUR TOWN is a timeless drama, capturing daily life in the fictitious rural town of Grover’s Corners at the turn of the 19th century. Through the experiences of childhood sweethearts George and Emily, universal themes of love, life and death, and what it means to be human, are explored. Appropriately, OUR TOWN is being staged as a part of the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Alma’s founding in 1874. Chuck King, who serves as the Executive Director of the Alma Education and Arts Foundation, is producing the play. King has appeared in multiple live and video productions locally, nationally and internationally, as a writer, producer,director, and performer. “Our Art Gallery will be transformed into a living museum of Alma history, featuring rarely seen photographs of Alma’s original main street, family photos, heirlooms, artifacts and documents from the same time period as the play,” said King. “We hope to immerse the audience in the experience so deeply that they will feel they are part of the Grover’s Corners community.” Director Audra Bocksnick concurs: “We are making an effort to invite the audience into the world of our play. We are creating different experiences for the audience to move through before, during, and after the play. While we are honoring Wilder’s vision of this play, we are making it our own. Our cast is a bit bigger than traditionally done. Compared to other productions I’ve seen, we’ve made a serious effort to really go back to the script and listen to it. I have also made the directorial decision to keep our accents exactly the way they are, thank you very much! I didn’t want rehearsals to turn into vocal/accent workshops. Plus, this absolutely holds true with the integrity of this story. It doesn’t really matter where (or when) it takes place. Small town America could as easily be in California, a block in New York City, a village in Italy. So, our production will have a very ‘Arkansawyer’ drawl to the Grover’s Corners speech. Beyond all of this, I always know something special is happening when I feel that magic spark — that tingle of something special.” Audra Bocksnick is well known among theatre circles in Arkansas; she has appeared on the Arkansas Arts Council Arts in Education roster, and has worked with the Young Actors Guild, and was the founding teacher of the Alma High School Theatre Department, currently directing the Middle School program. She has served as Chapter Director for the Arkansas Chapter of the International Thespian Society. In 2010, she and her husband Shane, who appears as the Stage Manager narrative role in the production, were honored by the Arkansas Thespian Society by being inducted into their Hall of Fame. Bocksnick received her MA from New York University where she spent time in New York City, London, England, and Dublin, Ireland, studying Educational Theatre. “My time in New York was both blissful and grueling,” says Bocksnick. “The degree was created for both Theatre teachers and Theatre performers — these two groups work together to become better stewards of the theatre. I know it fundamentally altered my work and my life.” Bocksnick has assembled a cast of local professionals and adult community members, as well as students from local middle and high schools. “This cast is one created in my dreams — literally,” says Bocksnick. “It is a mesh of ages and experiences, and it includes students I had from 20 years ago and students that are currently in my classroom. There are actors and crew members who are learning on the fly and those who have worked professionally. It is truly a spectacular assembly of talent. This is an incredibly gracious group; Everyone has been so willing to be vulnerable, to take risks, and to follow me on this journey. And, it will be magical.” Part of that mesh of magic will come through Alma alums Hunter Seegers and Maddie Cochran, who play the next door sweethearts, George and Emily. Hunter, a 2013 grad of Alma High, has recently appeared in THE 39 STEPS under Audra Bocksnick’s direction, as well as recent dinner theatre productions with Chuck King at Chester’s Beard and Lady Inn. Hunter is the quintessential leading man,” says King, “and delivers George with insight and sensitivity.” Maddie Cochran, a 2023 Alma alum, is an upcoming sophomore at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, majoring in Theatre. “Playing Emily Webb is a dream role for me,” says Maddie. “The story is an important one, teaching us all to be grateful for our everyday life. When I first heard that the Skokos Performing Arts Center was going to put on OUR TOWN, I knew I needed to be involved in some way. I recently saw a production of OUR TOWN in Little Rock, and it resonated with me in a way that no other show has. Having my dad, Amos Cochran, be a part of the show makes it a million times more special for me as well. The music he has written for OUR TOWN adds an important emotional depth that wouldn’t be reached otherwise. I’m honored to have the opportunity to perform this beautiful story with a cast and crew of incredible artists.” Composer Amos Cochran joins a lineup of other creative professionals who are contributing to the production, including: Lighting designer Steven Sellers, Foley Artist Logan Sloan, Actor Amy Pumphrey, Theatre Teacher at Southside High School, and Costume Designer Abigail Freeman, whose work is featured in multiple Arkansas film productions. Above all this, Director Bocksnick underscores her motivation to tackle one of the most frequently staged plays in the world: “Honestly, initially it was the simplicity of the show, she says. “I was drawn to the fact that the artistry of this show is the acting. No serious scenery, props, only simple costumes — the actors are what you see. They tell this wonderfully beautiful story with a complexity brought solely through their performances, and this is the reason audiences will always continue to return — is the purity of its story. One of the younger actors in our cast came to rehearsal the other day and was just mesmerized by the script. He talked about when he reads contemporary scripts, he sees “characters”, but with this script he sees people. Thornton Wilder absolutely captured the essence of a small town — the life, the people, the relationships.” Bocksnick continues: “It is a story that maintains its truth as steadfastly in 2024 as it did when it was first produced in 1938. It is the story of life — specifically of small town America, but its truths are of humanity.” See OUR TOWN at The Skokos Performing Arts Center 103 E. Main Alma, AR August 9, 10, 11 Directed by Audra Bocksnick A PAC’D HOUSE Production produced by Chuck King for the Alma Education and Arts Foundation. TIckets start at $29 Limited “Parlor Box” seating available. An Immersive intermission includes wedding cake and strawberry ice cream sodas served by “Hometown Alma” in the Art Gallery Living Alma History experience. Skokospac.org or call the Box Office 479-632-2129 Media Contact Chuck King Executive Director, Alma’s Education and Art Foundation Cking@almasd.net 479.629.5646 Jason Barnes Creative Director Jason@productionsdesign.com 870.917.8829

 

The Outsiders: A Timeless Tale of Friendship and Belonging Mulberry, Arkansas – March 8, 2024 The Alma Airedale Theatre proudly presents S.E. Hinton’s enduring classic, “The Outsiders,” at the Skokos Performing Arts Center in Alma, Arkansas. This compelling stage adaptation by Christopher Sergel, produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois, captures the essence and challenges of adolescence, friendship, and the stark realities that divide us. Join us for this riveting production that brings to life the struggle and solidarity of Ponyboy, Johnny, and the rest of the Greasers. Performances are scheduled for April 4th and 6th at 7 PM, with a special matinee on April 7th at 2 PM. Location: Skokos Performing Arts Center, 103 E. Main Street, Alma, AR 72921. This timeless narrative, set against the backdrop of the 1960s, and its themes of loyalty, resilience, and the quest for identity resonate as deeply today as they did when first published. Guided by a talented local director, Danny Hobson, featuring a cast of passionate young actors from Alma High School, this production of “The Outsiders” is a must-see for audiences of all ages. Don’t miss your chance to experience this powerful story of friendship, belonging, and the fight to find one’s place in the world. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at the Skokos Performing Arts Center Box Office or online. For more information, visit https://www.skokospac.org/ or call the box office at (479) 632-2129. Join us at the Skokos Performing Arts Center for a performance that promises to be both moving and memorable. Media Contact Chuck King Executive Director, Alma’s Education and Art Foundation Cking@almasd.net 479.629.5646 Jason Barnes Creative Director Jason@productionsdesign.com 870.917.8829