Shreveport Farmers Market is back on Sats, 7 am to noon, and Tues, 3 pm to 6 pm

The Shreveport Farmers Market has returned. Crowds are heaviest at the beginning of the season; plan your parking.

The Numberlys authors at Toy Fair, Shreveport, 3 pm to 5 pm Sat, May 31: Bill Joyce and Christina Ellis

Toy Fair will host a book signing for Bill Joyce and Christina Ellis’s co-illustrated new picture book, The Numberlys, on Saturday, May 31st from 3pm-5pm at the Toy Fair store in Pierremont Mall, on Line Avenue. Waiting lines will close at 4:30pm.

Books will be available for purchase at Toy Fair prior to the signing. And attendees will have the opportunity to meet both Joyce and Ellis while having their book signed.

318-865-3558.

Building a neighborhood image, month by month: art tour of Highland on Sun, June 1, 11 am to 4 pm

Historic Highland neighborhood has her monthly art tour on Sun, June 1, 11 am- 4 pm. "Artists open the doors to their homes and workshops to show you all the creative and organic fun that is Highland," says Liz Swaine.

Begin at 436 Topeka Street at the workshop of artists Su Stella and Curt Harville. Get tour maps here.
· 436 Topeka Street- paintings, jewelry and other items by Su Stella and Curt Harville; beaded jewelry by Rena Brittenham, plus lagniappe.
· 226 Columbia Street- ethereal pop art paintings & prints and glass and hand-stamped metal jewelry by E.D. Stewart. Also, Courtney Gaston’s art made from vintage books.
· 1173 Louisiana – Carolyn Manning’s popular Blue Comfort Food with its new pet-friendly patio and pet ‘play yard.’
· 424 Dalzell- New Orleans-trained artist Karen La Beau: a wide selection of NOLA and Shreveport-themed prints that capture life in Louisiana.
· 829 Kirby- Wendy Tisdale’s creative yarn art and yarn art furniture.
· 309 Merrick- Nancy Ferrari’s hand crafted wheel-thrown and slab built pottery in the colors of nature.

Illustration: new post cards by Karen La Beau.

Printable map: www.restorehighland.com.

On the Hot Rod parking lot, Youree near Kings Hwy, four food trucks on Fri, May 30, 10:30 am to 3 pm

Grill of the Dead, The Missing Link, Lilah's Bakery, and Jester Catering & Mobile Food Cart are getting together this Friday to fill your belly, says Lisa Pliler Tike of Lilah's. From 10:30am to 3pm the mobile food vendors will park in the giant lot at 2915 Youree Drive - just north of Kings Hwy.

Zombie-themed Burgers and Sandwiches. Gourmet Hot Dogs. Tamales - and whatever else Tina may dream up, says Lisa. Gourmet Grilled Cheese sandwiches and cupcakes, too.

Highly rehearsed young dancers: Louisiana Dance Theater performance at Strand Theater on Sat, May 31, 6 pm

In a performance that will encompass ballet, jazz and modern dance, Carol Anglin will present a program called Stars of Tomorrow at the Strand Theater, 619 La Ave, downtown Shreveport, on Sat, May 31, 6 pm.

As a person who has followed this group of dancers, I highly recommend the show. The LDT dancers are comely, well costumed and well rehearsed.

Tickets are $25, 20 and 15. Buy Strand tickets online.

See Calanthean Canyon, the New Orleans Airlift-designed installation, with Twang Darkly performance on Sat, May 31, 7 pm

Twang Darkly presents its original music and original instruments in a free, all-ages show at Calanthean Canyon, 1001 Texas Ave. The performance is sponsored by Unscene Shreveport, says Michael Futreal.

Sat, May 31, 7 pm, 1001 Texas Ave. Easy parking: it is across Texas Ave from the Municipal Auditorium.

Downtown photo op circuit: skateable sculpture, rideable chicken and performable frame called Portal

Exploring the historic Texas Ave area has more possibilities with the advent of an Alan Dyson installation called Portal. It is a stage-like structure dominated by a large (16' tall) black wooden proscenium frame.

Recently installed, "It's a platform for artists to interact with," explains Dyson. Tightly constructed by Lawhon Myers Builders, it is located in Shreveport Common near 836 Texas Ave. It's on the open area to be developed as Caddo Park.

"My influences are Richard Serra and James Turrell," said Dyson, who is a successful designer (Shoppes at Bellemead, Ristorante Giuseppe,etc) as well as musician (Planet Unity Orchestra, "Louisiana Jive," etc) and visual artist ("Tablet," East Bank Gallery, 2013).

"Portal was intended for the downtown Oakland Cemetery, but the 'Friends of the Oakland Cemetery', felt that the structural requirements could result in the disturbance of remains. The final location was determined by negotiation with SRAC. SPAR is interested in relocating the piece to a city park after the year-long tenure in the common is complete," added Dyson.

"We used the black background of Portal as a backdrop for photographing our Softie ladies, a doll-size series," said Kathryn Usher. "It turned out well. I think Portal can be useful but the challenge is that the population in Shreveport Common is so light. But photographers and videographers should enjoy using it. Maybe someone making a La Film Prize movie will use it."

Dyson hopes it will be used by poets, visual artists and others as a frame for their work.

Visitors to the Calanthean Canyon musical houses, open weekends (Sat, May 31, 7 pm, free performance by Twang Darkly), will find that Portal and the Steve Olson skateboard sculpture are nearby and are cool spots for snaps. "The challenge for both Portal and the skate sculpture," believes Usher, "is that they're pretty big. They're not the right size for selfies."

Texas Ave Community Association's Dan Keele says, "Portal is a viewfinder for things to come; it's a focal point for future stagings and presentations."

Props to Prof Porkchop from Blues Blast Magazine: catch him at Chianti's Green Room, 2Johns, El Dorado's The Vintage or on iTunes

"Chris McCaa has a great voice, but he also has keen keyboard and writing skills," writes Rex Bartholomew as he reviews "U R My Everything" in Blues Blast Magazine. "His comfort in his abilities is evident as he chose to start the CD off with four original songs. The title track begins with a mellow vibe flavored with electric piano, but solidifies quickly as the chorus adds in organ and heavier guitar chords. But this is not a one man show, as the backline is solid and the guitars are spot on.

When “Blame it on the Moon” gets going, you can see where the Randy Newman comparisons come in. Chris’ voice is similar, and indeed he has a deft touch on the piano. When you add in the sadly clever lyrics and creative rhymes, we get to see that he really has the whole package.

The band did not forget their Sportsman’s Paradise heritage, as they crafted a fabulous homage to the Crescent City in “Move to New Orleans.” Any locals that have moved away will be made jealous during this tour of all the great spots in town. Then they move on to Shreveport for the next track, “Sprague Street Rag” which is a short instrumental with full-blown ragtime piano accompanied by only a pair of spoons. Chris McCaa certainly has fine chops! George Hancock brings plenty to the table too, as his jazz flute work in “Puerto Rican Hotel” is both tasteful and skilled. Throughout this selection he is in perfect sync with McCaa’s electric piano and the rhythm section. I was surprised to find a second instrumental tune on the album, but this Afro-Cuban fusion piece really works well into the mix of other styles."

Sample two solid-as-a-rock albums by Prof Porkchop at iTunes:"U R My Everything" and "Grits and Graveyards." Catch the Prof pounding the keys on Sat, May 24, at El Dorado Casino's steakhouse, The Vintage, on Sun, May 25, 6-10 pm, at the Green Room, Chiantis and Wed, May 28, 6-9 pm, at 2Johns Restaurant - with George Hancock.

Fresh at SciPort: Festival of Innovation on Sat, May 24, 10 am to 5 pm

Join us, says Michele McKee, as we showcase the creative work of Makers, and learn about their love for innovation and creativity, as well as an educational spirit to inspire and encourage new Makers! Visitors of all ages can take part in complementary hands-on programming. It's the first Festival of Innovation.

Admission to the Center is free for those 18 and younger.

Maurice Loridans and Henri Loridans of A Better Shreveport, plus Stephen Pederson of SBC Bike Social, are doing workshops at 11am & 1pm on "How to Fix Your Bike!" Ride down and raise your skills.

UnScene feast in the Municipal Auditorium on Fri, June 20, curated by Sarah and Evan Rich, hot chefs from San Francisco

Coming to Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium on Fri, June 20: an UnScene public feast curated by the hottest chefs in San Francisco. They are Sarah and Evan Rich.

Their Gough St bistro has won numerous rave reviews, notes local artist Kathryn Usher. An example: the food-oriented city blog sfist.com calls their restaurant, Rich Table, "One of the 25 best restaurants in the Bay Area - according to statistics." The blog also says they have a Top Ten Bay Area vegetarian dish. Writes Andrew Dalton,"Sarah and Evan Rich's celebrated Hayes Valley spot has been a hot ticket since opening in 2012 and features a number of excellent veggie-forward dishes on their constantly evolving menu. But one item, the airy and earthy porcini doughnuts, are a meatless standout that would have us popping in daily for a bite, if only we could get a reservation. The light, fluffy dough has a hint of sweetness balanced by the rich umami flavor of the dried porcinis."

UnScene has engaged them partly, says Pam Atchison, because Sarah Rich grew up in Shreveport.

Joanne Wen, who posted the above photo, said of her supper, "The Rich Table in SF lived up to the hype. They had some of the most unique dishes I've had in a while: sardine chips with horseradish creme fraiche, porcini donuts which had the texture of Mister Donut, and Douglas Fir levain bread."

The Rich couple will guide a dozen local chefs in creating a Shreveport supper that meets their ambitious standards. The chefs will be surrounded by art installations. UnScene Rich Table: Fri, June 20, 5:30 - 11 pm. See the UnScene Calendar, too.

Kendrick Lamar Jackson dances Michael Jackson with Latasha Williams and dancers at Centenary College, Fri, May 30, 7 pm

Michael Jackson impersonator Lamar Jackson will perform on Centenary's campus on Friday, May 30, 2014 at 7 pm at the Anderson Choral Atrium Building, says Cherie Gray.

Along with him will be Nothing but Heart community dance group. The director and head choreographer is Latasha Williams.

They will perform some of the popular songs of Michael Jackson and also perform to popular American songs of the 20th century. It is a two hour dance show. Concessions will be sold during intermission.

Tickets $10 @ (318)840-8280 and (318)562-9494.

Super Water Sympathy and Dirtfoot at Mudbug Madness on Thurs, May 22, beginning at 5 pm

Mudbug Madness presents Dirtfoot and Super Water Sympathy at Festival Plaza on Th, May 22, 5 - 7:30 pm and 8 - 11 pm.

Teens get top teachers and software at Animation and Visual Effects Academy, June 2 - 26, 9:30 am - 2 pm, no fees

"There will be a tour of Moonbot and Blade Studios, including guest speakers, during the session. The end result of this camp is a 3-4 minute film that the students make which we will premiere at the Robinson Film Center," says Elizabeth Simons. "Instructors are professional visual affects editors and film compositors with a total of at least 50 years of experience in the field."

Go to www.lsus.edu/laprep or 318 797 5356.

Rocky Maddox, Ruben Reyes, Christopher Allen and a dozen Broadway belters at SLT June 6, 7, 8

Shreveport Little Theatre will present a cabaret of Broadway songs, featuring a dozen of our area’s popular vocalists, says Robert Darrow. It is a fundraising event celebrating SLT's 93rd season.

Soloists: Linnea Fayard, Barry LeBlanc, Rocky Maddox, Seva May, Carolyn Bryant, LisaAnn Kemper, Laura Beeman, London Todd, Nancy Carey, Adam Philley, Amanda Geneaux Ericson, Robert Darrow, and the students of SLTAcademy.

Rocky Maddox has coordinated the benefit and will serve as host. Pianist Ruben Reyes and bassist Chris Allen will accompany. Lighting: David White; sound: Phil Stewart.

Performances: June 6, 7 at 8 p.m. and June 8 at 2 p.m. at SLT. Tickets $25; 424-4439.

Photo from SLT's Sondheim: Company, 2013.

Calanthean Canyon: more to come, including a Wed, May 21, 8 pm, Omen Art presentation at the Calanthean Temple

Still somewhat a pleasant mystery in the presentation of the New Orleans Airlift musical village residency in Shreveport - at the Calanthean Canyon - is the number of Shreveport artists who joined the team. The above photo, shot for the cover of Heliopolis, includes Delaney Martin, a founder of Airlift and head of the project, and well-known singer Brittney Maddox (Peekers, Songbird). You will also see Chrissy Wise and Rachel McDonald tucked into the gang. They were present as reps for Omen Art.

"Omen Art, a women's collective, has been around since 2012. We are not on SRAC's artists' registry and we are not an LLC or a non-profit. We are just a lowly underground group of women creating installation events for Shreveport," says Chrissy Wise.

"We were allowed to do our exhibit on the Court of Calanthe with permission from N.O. Airlift. We have not yet taken "official" documenting photos of our installation. We are throwing a mini event this Wednesday at 8pm at the Calanthean Temple focusing on the history and symbolism represented in our exhibit. Historian Chris Brown will be guest speaking. An Omen Art collective meeting will be held earlier in the evening in the space featuring a special artist's chat with New Orleans Airlift's Delaney Martin. This "mini-show" will follow it."

Also coming to the Calanthean Canyon / Airlift site are 4 weekends of performances, said Pam Atchison. Says Casey Jones, who eyeballed the Fri Airlift event, some 200 people may have packed themselves into the space. Standing room was maxed, he added.

Atchison was not prepared to announce the names of the artists next to perform, but noted that the original musical village in New Orleans was in demand by touring bands as a very desirable venue.

The best documentation of a performance to hit the ether at this point must be the 30-minute Youtube video by Marion Marks entitled "Calanthean Canyon Performance by New Orleans Airlift - Shreveport, LA."

In the photo above: Taylor Lee Shepherd, Jon Mackey, Jimmy Cousins (white cap), Peter Fetterman, Brett Roberts, Ross Harmon, Frank Pahl, (front row), Chrissy Wise, Delaney Martin, Rachel McDonald, Brittney Maddox. See photos from the Omen Art event as well as development of Calanthean Canyon.

What's next at UnScene? SRAC Juried Roster Artists' meeting Mon, May 14, 5:30 pm, Central ArtStation

Shreveport Regional Arts Council's Juried Roster Artists meet on May 19 to offset the Memorial Day weekend, says Vickie Marshall.

To become a Roster Artist see more at shrevearts.org.

Savoy, Keys and large cast present musical Ragtime at Hook Center from Th, May 22 to May 31

Stage Center director Jared Watson has captured a powerhouse cast for the musical Ragtime. It opens at Emmett Hook Center on Th, May 22.

Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the US in the early 20th century: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia.

A selection of names from the large cast: Thomas Keys III, Nia Savoy, Seth Taylor, Kate Davis, Lindsey Fileccia and Katie Dupont. Choreography, Anna Kirkes; musical direction, Bryan Grisham & Seth Taylor.

Runs May 22 to May 31, 2014. Emmett Hook Center, 550 Common St. Thurs & Fri 7:30PM | Sat 2:00PM & 7:30PM

Tickets: Call or Text 218-9978 or CLICK. $20, Adults; $18 seniors; $15, students.

Blung-jing, zzzt, do-ong, twee: performers animate a sonic village at 1001 Texas Ave on Fri, May 16 and Sat, May 17, in UnScene performances

Percussion via wood, glass and metal, melody via glass, electronics and voices and creative mayhem is what to expect at UnScene on Fri, May 16 (8 pm and 9 pm) and Sat, May 17, 3 pm to 9 pm. The fantasy village adjacent to Calanthean Temple (nearly across the street from the Municipal Auditorium) was constructed for both rough charm and for sonic exploration.

Delaney Martin, Taylor Lee Shepherd and Ross Harmon, the lead designer-builders, learned how to make a musical village in their home, New Orleans. They've since built similar hives around the world. In Shreveport their ranks were swelled by designers Peter Fetterman, Chris Maes, Joshua October, Jimmy Cousins, John Christopher Martin, James Marks, Michael Futreal, Brett Roberts and Jon Mackey. Additionally, the gathering of materials and building included Srac staff including Josh Porter and Mitch Landry as well as performers such as Brittney Maddox, Nathan Treme and many volunteers. Additional designers were Detroit artist Frank Pahl and New Orlean artist Viktoria.

It represents an exceedingly unusual experiment in art and entertainment. If you miss the opening weekend, be aware that additional performances by a series of cool musicians is being scheduled.

The team from New Orleans, called Airlift, dubbed the village site the "Calanthean Canyon." It is a unique site, which is rare enough in this world.

Highly recommended at 1001 Texas Avenue, Shreveport.

"Annie McCune, I presume?" Meet Shreveport's historic characters at Shreve Memorial Library on Sat, May 17, 1 pm

Shreve Memorial Library downtown presents Hidden History III: The Story Comes Alive, on Sat, May 17 from 11 am- 3 pm. Meet famous and infamous persons from Shreveport’s history, witness a duel, learn about St. Paul’s Bottoms shotgun houses, and experience the con men and loose women of the river bank district, says Liz Swaine.

$5 Tickets can be purchased in person at the library or at www.downtownshreveport.com

At 1 pm at the ‘old’ Shreve Memorial Library- 400 Edwards Street- Drs. Gary Joiner and Cheryl White give a talk on Wicked Shreveport: Stories From a Frontier Town. All tour ticket holders are welcome to attend.

318-222-7403

Review / Mesmerized by Schubert and Sledge in Venus in Fur: River City Rep performances extended to May 16, 17, 7:30 pm

River City Rep's production of Venus in Fur was a mind-whipping evening of laughs, shocks and aftershocks on Fri, May 9.

Professional actors Charity Schubert and Logan Sledge trippingly threw down some 90 mins of clever, perverse romance.

The imprint of director Patric McWilliams was apparent in the balletic loops, lunges and parries executed by the duo. Cues and verbal jabs were sharp and propulsive. The ebb and flow of the evening seemed natural and powerful.

Charity Schubert was masterful in her numerous head-snapping changes between the auditioning actress character and the role-in-the-play actress. Her appealing smile, red lips and well-lashed eyes dominated the stage. In fact, her articulated smile became a character in the drama. She also used her blonde hair as a property. One moment her hair was a veil, the next, a helmet, the next, a dagger.

Logan Sledge was a protean foil to the explosion of female energy. His timing, turning and stalking matched the force in Schubert's character. Early in the play his persona was a bit stiff. As the night wore on, Sledge warmed. He seemed to entirely inhabit the writer. In one memorable scene the author allowed himself a private moment with a pair of exquisite woman's boots. Ahh.

The script is witty, literarily loopy and enthusiastically depraved. The actors were so confident of their duet that we were borne deep into their grand psychosis.

Highly recommended.

Fri, May 16, Sat, May 17, 7:30 pm, East Bank Theater. Tickets, $35: 318-868-5888, Mon- Sat 11 am – 4 pm. Or at brownpapertickets.com.