The Avenue | Art And Theater

The Gainesville Community playhouse is seen on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021.

The Gainesville Community Playhouse presents Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’

By Averi Kremposky | May 19

The Gainesville Community Playhouse will debut its rendition of Green Day’s “American Idiot” May 20.

The collective features members with all levels of art experience.

Local art collective Artithesis merges psychology and art

By Allyssa Keller | May 16

The "Hipp Humans" exhibit, which opened April 22, features portraits of change-makers and prominent figures across Gainesville.

Hippodrome art gallery holds a mirror for its latest installment

By Anna Ward | May 10

The UF Pazeni Sauti Africa Choir performs at Afro Roots Fest at Bo Diddley Plaza on Friday, April 8.

Dancing to the drum beat at the Afro Roots Fest

By Eileen Calub | Apr. 13

“Dia Days” musical production inspired by the music-making process featured record label Dion Dia’s signed artists as the playwrights Thursday, March 17 at Bo Diddley Plaza. (photo by Dazion Prosser)

'Dia Days' embodies the late Bo Diddley through music, art and fashion

By Dazion Prosser | Mar. 22

‘Make art, not war’: Gainesville, UF community show solidarity with Ukraine

By Amanda Friedman | Mar. 21

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ACPS annual showcase highlights youth art at the Historic Thomas Center

By Alexis Carson | Feb. 26

The Alachua County Public Schools Art Exhibit, which is on display from Feb. 16 to Feb. 27, features over 100 pieces of artwork from the district’s K-12 students. Located at the Historic Thomas Center, the art exhibit aims to showcase the artistic talent of local youth.

Teroy Roberts and Jay Nixon in the performance "Terrence." (Courtesy of Michelle Bellaver)

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

New Works Festival Returns in person to Hippodrome Theatre

By Ben Crosbie | Feb. 24

Last year’s New Works Festival took place over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marked the festival’s return from the digital stage.

Makena Vargo (left) and James Bilderback (right) act out a scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on the Reitz Union North Lawn during the event hosted by UF Shakespeare in the Park on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Student actors shake up Shakespeare at Reitz

By Veronica Nocera | Dec. 6

UF's Shakespeare in the Park Fall Selected Scenes showcase was a celebration of Shakespeare in popular culture. The performance on Dec. 4 and 5 featured notable scenes from adaptations of Shakespeare works alongside corresponding scenes from the original plays.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

‘Oliver!’ at the Gainesville Community Playhouse is back two years later

By Karter Nancy | Nov. 19

The Gainesville Community Playhouse opened its curtains to its first large-scale musical since the onset of the pandemic. After two years of delays, “Oliver!” is set to open Nov. 19.

"High School Musical Jr." is condensed version of the original show with cut musical numbers and two roles combined into one.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Gainesville High School performs 'High School Musical Jr.'

By Elliot Tritto | Nov. 15

Gainesville High School Drama and Tech Club were ‘all in this together’ for their production of “High School Musical in the school's auditorium. The performance was directed and sponsored by theater and drama teacher, Frank Considine.

Amarisa Harrison-Conwill, (left) 5, and her father Mo Harrison-Conwill (right) draw during the 40th Downtown Festival & Art Show at Bo Diddley Plaza on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. "Daddy's an artist," Amarisa said.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

‘Inviting the Gaze’: Figure on Diversity spotlights diverse bodies with outdoor drawing series

By Veronica Nocera | Nov. 8

Local arts project Figure on Diversity launched Figure Drawing in the Parks. The series started outside Bo Diddley Plaza at the Downtown Festival & Art Show Nov. 7 with a two-hour figure drawing session featuring two models.

The Phillips Center for Performing Arts will host 25 performances for its spring season

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Phillips Center previews spring performances

By Elliot Tritto | Oct. 21

The Phillips Center for the Performing Arts presented its spring preview in front of a live audience Oct. 5. The presentation included a slideshow of 25 performances available in the spring.

The Hippodrome Theatre, located at 25 SE 2nd Place, will open its doors on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 for “Murder For Two,” one of the first in-person performances since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

The Hippodrome Theatre to debut ‘Murder For Two’ after a year of online performances

By Alan Halaly | Sep. 16

After a year of online performances, “Murder For Two” is opening for a live, socially distanced and masked audience at the Hippodrome Theatre this weekend. The premiere will be split between Friday and Saturday to allow for smaller audiences.

Sachs' exhibit, on display at the Libby Gallery from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30, included a collection of hand-painted playing cards.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

UF MFA student’s thesis show examines addiction’s multiple realities

By Kristine Villarroel | Sep. 2

UF Grad student Marina Sachs’ MFA thesis project, titled “IF NOTHING CHANGES” examines addiction. The exhibit was broken into a series of events that took place in UF’s Libby Gallery between Aug. 27 and Aug. 30.

Graphic by Shelby Cotta. Photos courtesy of Paige Arneson.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

4Most Gallery premieres ‘Plasticity’ Exhibit

By Heather Bushman | Aug. 2

For Morgan Yacoe, inspiration strikes as soon as she looks in the mirror. As an artist in the medical field, Yacoe creates sculptures inspired by the human body. Her newest exhibit at the 4Most Gallery, “Plasticity,” features four of these pieces.

Oka and Mango posing with their commissioned Samm Wehman Art Pet Portrait. (Courtesy by Samm Epstein)

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Gainesville ‘ARTrepenur’ dedicates artwork to animal advocacy

By Melissa Hernandez de la Cruz | Aug. 2

Samm Epstein has been painting her entire life. The 31-year-old from New Jersey focuses her art on animals, wildlife and the essence of life. But beyond her vivid portraits, she's dedicating her artwork towards animal advocacy through an interactive community painting.

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Spooky Season came early with summer showings of 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'

By Alexis Carson | July 29

Musical theatre and horror fans started their fall festivities early with High Dive’s July run of “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Miranda Campos, 20, the stage director at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, steps outside before a showing of "The Complete Works of WIlliam Shakespeare” on Saturday, July 24, 2021. The show runs from July 22 to August 8 at the theater’s 619 S Main Street location; the compilation production transforms 37 historical plays, tragedies and comedies into a single 90 minute show.

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Acrosstown Repertory Theatre reopens with ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare’

By Bryce Brown | July 26

Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, a Gainesville-based non-profit organization, reopened July 23 after a year and a half of being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jessie Dominguez (left– Co-host of Dance Alive's new podcast), Tim Cannon (middle– First guest speaker on the podcast), and Roberto Vega (right) dancing at a Dance Alive performance. (Photo by Ani Collier)

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Dance Alive National Ballet premieres weekly visual podcasts

By Brenna Sheets | July 15

Dance Alive, a professional ballet company based in Gainesville, started a new visual podcast titled “On Stage With Dance Alive.” The podcast premiered live July 12 on Dance Alive’s Facebook page and will be recurring every Monday at 4:30 p.m.