ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210068
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
ABINGDON - "Ellen Foster," a play adapted by Barbara Bates Smith from Kaye Gibbons' award-winning novel, will be performed through March at Barter Stage II.
Set in 1960s Alabama, it depicts a young girl's search for a happy home. She is rescued from an alcoholic father by an alert teacher and sent to a foster family.
"Ellen faces life directly and, as a result, she is an amazing survivor," said Constance McCord, the play's director. "She survives with her integrity and hope battered, but intact."
"Ellen Foster" provides a child's-eye view of life and explores an interracial friendship between two children at the height of the Civil Rights movement.
The cast includes T. Cat Ford, Melissa Maxwell, Michael Pantone and Joanna Olson. Six young Abingdon residents appear in the play, alternating in three roles. Rachel Lewis and Channa Pickett play Ellen at age 11, and Britney Hagy and Adrienne Kiss play her at age 9. Brittany Barnes and Tara Ray alternate playing Starletta, Ellen's best friend.
The play is performed at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. Reservations and further information are available by calling (800) 368-3240.
Fleming class of '46
William Fleming High School class of 1946's 50th reunion will be held Sept. 7 at the Sheraton Inn-Airport in Roanoke. Call 366-9295.
Mrs. Virginia
The Mrs. Virginia International Pageant will open with preliminaries April 13 at 7:30 p.m. and conclude with the finals April 14 at 2 p.m. in the Roanoke Civic Center Auditorium.
Tickets are $10 for preliminaries, $12 for the finals and are available at the box office (981-1201), Ticketmaster outlets or charge-by-phone (343-8100).
Older Worker of the Year
The League of Older Americans Area Agency on Aging is seeking nominees for the Roanoke Valley's 1996 Older Worker of the Year.
Nominees must be at least 55 years old, employed and nominated by their employer. Judging will include categories such as outstanding personal characteristics, positive influence in the workplace and outstanding life achievements.
The winner will be announced at a luncheon May 9 at the Roanoke Airport Marriott.
Nomination forms are available at Roanoke Valley Revco stores or by calling 345-0451. Nominations must be postmarked by April 30. A $20 fee must be enclosed to cover the cost of the luncheon for the nominee and one employer representative.
Fleming class of '76
Plans are being made for William Fleming High School class of 1976's 20-year reunion. Call Paul L. Andrews at 366-4355.
George Chavatel exhibit
ABINGDON - The Spotlight Gallery at the Abingdon Arts Depot will exhibit the works of educator George Chavatel starting March 30.
The exhibit will include drawings and watercolors, but mainly opaque works in acrylic polymer on panel and canvas along with several of the artist's older works.
Abstraction as a major part of Chavatel's work goes back nearly 40 years. His art has been widely showcased. Now retired after teaching for 38 years, he lives in Abingdon and is active in regional art shows and competitions.
The public is invited to meet Chavatel at an opening reception from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 31 at the Arts Depot. Call 628-9091.
Forum on Education
EMORY - David C. Berliner, professor of education at Arizona State University, and Wayne M. Worner, acting dean of Virginia Tech's College of Education, will be the featured speakers for Emory & Henry College's eighth annual Forum on Education on March 28.
Registration and a social hour begin at 3:30 p.m. in the King Center lobby. Afterward, educators from Southwest Virginia will have a chance to meet the speakers in a round-table discussion in the Van Dyke Center.
The public part of the forum will start at 5 p.m. in the King Center with Berliner's keynote address, "The Manufactured Crisis in Education." His book, of the same title, questions the popular claim that there is such a crisis in American education.
Worner will speak at 6:30 p.m., before participants move to the Van Dyke center for dinner. Question and answer sessions will follow Berliner's talk and the dinner. Those wanting to register or make dinner reservations should call Anita Coulthard at the Neff Center for Teacher Education at 944-6214.
Highlands Festival show
ABINGDON - Applications are now being accepted for the Juried Arts & Crafts Show for the 48th annual Virginia Highlands Festival, to be held Aug. 3-18.
The entry deadline is April 1. Results of the jurying will be mailed May 1.
Artists must be at least 18 years old, and all work exhibited must be original and done by the entrant. Paintings, watercolors, pen-and-ink drawings, etchings, photography, clay, metal work, fibers, leather, glass, paper, wood and other kinds of works can be entered.
Application forms are available by writing to: Virginia Highlands Festival 96-03, P.O. Box 801, Abingdon, Va. 24212, or telephoning 628-5266.
The festival attracts an estimated 200,000 people each year. It was organized in 1948 by Robert Porterfield, who also started Barter Theatre in Abingdon.
Shawsville class of '81
Shawsville High School class of 1981 will hold its 15th reunion Aug. 17-18. For information or to update names and addresses, call Jimmie Link at 268-1126.
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