Busy Bees

For 28 years, Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road, has celebrated western art and artists through its annual "Rendezvous" event, this year's scheduled for April 17-June 21.

"Gilcrease Museum continues the prestigious history of 'Rendezvous' with this year's selection of artists," said Duane King, vice president for museum affairs for The University of Tulsa and Gilcrease Museum executive director. "These artists represent the best in their field today, and they continue Gilcrease's legacy for showcasing artist's talent."

'Rendezvous 2009' participating artists include Cyrus Afsary, Joe Anna Arnett, James Asher, Gerald Balciar, Joseph Bohler, Tim Cherry, Fred Fellows, Daniel F. Gerhartz, Walt Gonske, Glenna Goodacre, Tony Hochstetler, Harold T. Holden, Doug Hyde, Oreland C. Joe Sr., T.D. Kelsey, Steve Kestrel, David A. Leffel, Sherry Salari Sander, Sandy Scott, Tim Shinabarger, Matt Smith, Gordon Snidow, Sonya Terpening, Shirley Thomson-Smith, Kent Ullberg, Fritz White, Jim Wilcox and Wayne Wolfe.

Each artist has one to four pieces of work on display and the media represented include bronze, stone, oil, watercolor and graphite.

"These artists' work is sought after by collectors both nationally and abroad, and Gilcrease is thrilled at the opportunity to host these acclaimed artists and their work," said Deacon Turner, 'Rendezvous 2009' event co-chair. "For 28 years, this event has drawn the most talented artists of the day to showcase the best in western art."

The event opens with an "Evening with the Artists and Art Sale" Friday, April 17. Tickets to the event are $150 each and proceeds are used to support the museum's exhibits and educational programs. The event begins at 6pm, and patrons may make reservations by calling 596-2760 or visiting gilcrease.utulsa.edu/rendezvous2009.

'Rendezvous' is open to the public from April 18 until June 21.

Museum staff has designed special programming around the event, including a master class with two of the artists, Asher and Arnett, Thursday, April 16 from 9am-2pm. The couple will instruct amateur and professional-level artists interested in studying the techniques employed in the two's artwork. Arnett works in oils and Asher in watercolors.

Additionally, on Friday, April 17, Balciar and Terpening will participate in informal talks, Balciar at 10:30am and Terpening at 1:30pm.

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, and museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm. More information at gilcrease.utulsa.edu.

A Critical Time

Oral Roberts University's Theatre Department presents The Vertical Hour by David Hare April 16-19 in the Liddy Doenges Theatre of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Second St..

The "vertical hour" is the first hour after an injury, when assistance has the greatest chance of being beneficial. In the play, a former war correspondent turned Yale political science professor joins her British boyfriend, Philip, for a visit to his father, Oliver. She has a pro-Iraq viewpoint, while the father, a doctor with liberal leanings, is against the war and many other opinions Nadia holds.

Nadia is both offended by and attracted to Oliver. The fact that they have established any relationship at all irritates the son, who is distant from his father and blames him for the breakup of their family.

The role of Nadia is played by Brittany Wilson, while Kevin Abrams plays Philip and Tony Schneider plays Oliver.

Performances begin at 8pm Thursday through Saturday and at 2pm Sunday. Tickets are $12, $7 for students at www.tulsapac.com.

Off the Cuff

Heller and Clark Theatre host a weekend of improv, with Heller's Laughing Matter Improv performing Friday, April 17, and Clark's Youth Laughing Matter Improv performing Saturday, April 18.

Each company presents an interactive night of improvised theatre and comedy in which the audience helps determine what happens next.

Friday night's performance begins at 8pm at the theater's new home at Henthorne Park, 4825 S. Quaker. Saturday's is at 7:30pm at Clark Theatre, 11440 E. Admiral Place. Tickets to each are $5. Call 746-5065 (Heller) or 669-6455 (Clark) to make reservations.

Battle of Wits and Words

On Saturday, April 18, Living ArtSpace, 308 S. Kenosha, hosts its "Umpteenth Annual Poetry Slam," a battle between spoken word artists, beginning at 8pm.

Local poets compete, two or more at a time, in front of an audience, five of which will judge their performances and declare a winner at the battle's end.

Interest in and attendance at the battle has increased every year, said Living Arts Spoken Word Committee Chair and Poetry Slam coordinator Tony B., and he expects this year to be the biggest yet, both in terms of number of poets competing and audience members. February's "Love and Lust" poetry/spoken word even had about 75 attendees, said Living Arts Artistic Director Steve Liggett, and he expects at least 100 at the Poetry Slam.

Tickets to the event are $10, $7 for Living Arts members. For more, visit www.livingarts.org.

Say What?

On Sunday, April 19, at 6:30pm, Tulsa Spotlight Theatre, 1381 Riverside Drive, presents an evening of theatre and improv with a performance of Jane Martin's Talking With and "Talk Improvisation," directed by Billie Sue Thompson.

Martin's Talking With is a series of monologues, performed by 11 women, whose characters are eccentric, endearing, comical and heartwarming. The characters, all of whom come from various backgrounds, appeal to their audience in very raw, revealing vignettes.

I love this show, and I performed in my high school's version, playing "Clear Glass Marbles," the story of a woman sorting through her emotions following the death of her mother. Other characters include a Pentecostal snake handler, a baton twirler, a French fry fanatic and a diva.

Following the 45-minute play, Thompson directs the Actor's and Children's Theatre Improv Troupe in theatre on-the-spot.

Admission to the event is $5, $3 for children and seniors. Proceeds benefit the Spotlight Theatre Building Fund. For more information or to make reservations, call 587-5030 or visit spotlighttheater.org.