A few brief arts notes for a hot Wednesday:
- Is your undergraduate humanities degree gathering cobwebs some dark corner, along with your artistic aspirations? Fear not, for UVA feels your pain. Check out the School of Continuing and Professional Studies arts and music class listings for the fall. There’s a nice array of classes that range from the Art of Listening to Music, and the Art of Screenwriting, both a very reasonable price of $190. Check out the complete listings here.
- Remember when I told you that Neko Case had postponed her August 21 date at the Jefferson Theater because of an "overextended work schedule," and then, like, you thought to yourself, "boo-hoo, I go to work every day so why shouldn’t Neko Case have to, and gee whiz, I was really looking forward to it?" The bad news is that it’s still true; the good news? Sarah White and the Pearls will step in for $5 show there with Audra Mae.
- If there’s one thing you should know about this blog, it’s that any excuse is good enough to bring up The King of Kong, the documentary about a showdown between two astounding characters at a "Donkey Kong" arcade tournament. (Added bonus: Charlottesville expat J. Clay Tweel served as an associate producer and editor on the film.) One of the documentary’s main characters is a hot sauce mogul and veteran gamer named Billy Mitchell, previously known to the gaming world as the first to ever play a perfect game of "Pac-Man." Mitchell walks away shamed at the end of the film, unable to break the Donkey Kong record. But at an induction ceremony at the International Video Game Hall of Fame in Ottumwa, Iowa last weekend, Mitchell took the record for both "Donkey Kong" and "Donkey Kong Jr."
Would ya get a load of this Billy Mitchell guy?
Is it time for a sequel?