Auction donations sought
BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts is seeking donations of household items, unusual objects, antiques, collectibles and any unwanted thing of value for its 42nd-annual Benefit Auction.
Items may be dropped off at the arts center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday through June 30. Clothing, mattresses and electronics won't be accepted, a press release said. Call 352-7715 to arrange pickup or for more information.
The auction will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4.
Actors sought for summer shows
WHALLONSBURG — Boquet River Theatre Festival's summer lineup will include a junior program presentation of "Willy Wonka Junior," based on the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl.
The senior theater troupe will stage "Pippin," with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Auditions will be at the Essex Community Church on June 13. Actors for the junior program will audition from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with senior actors called from 1 to 3 p.m.
Rehearsals and all performances will take place in the newly renovated Whallonsburg Grange Hall located centrally between the five Boquet Valley towns of Willsboro, Essex, Westport, Lewis and Elizabethtown.
Tuition for the session is unchanged from last year, at $175 per actor.
Rehearsal for "Willy Wonka" begins July 20 with shows scheduled Aug. 7, 8 and 9.
Senior program rehearsals run evenings, Monday through Thursday, beginning July 27; "Pippin" hits the stage Aug. 21, 22 and 23.
The program is supported, in part, with grant funding from the Arts Council for the Northern Adirondacks.
Tickets available for Broadway Bonanza
ESSEX — The Essex Theatre Company will present its Broadway Bonanza II fundraiser at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 21, at the Masonic Lodge in Essex.
Performers include the vocal trio of "Ya Got Treble" (Gigi Carroll, Katherine Houseal, Susan Hughes), a preview of ETC's summer musical GYPSY and many other Theatre Company performers, past, present and future.
Tickets are $25 for the evening of entertainment and refreshments. Reserve by calling 524-7708 or by e-mailing: tickets@essextheatre.org.
Arts center offers photography workshops
BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts and the Adirondack Photography Institute will offer digital photography workshops this summer.
Adirondack Photography Institute instructor Carl Rubino will teach "Improving Your Digital Photography — Basic Skills" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 20, at the arts center. "Digital SLR Photography — Beyond the Basics" will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, and 6:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20.
For information and to register, visit www.adirondackarts.org or call 352-7715.
For information about the Adirondack Photography Institute, visit www.adkpi.org.
Mountain Lake
PBS wins award
PLATTSBURGH — Mountain Lake PBS has won the regional Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement in electronic journalism for a special edition of its weekly news and public affairs show, "Mountain Lake Journal," titled "Mission of Hope: A North Country Helping Hand."
The program was produced in part by a grant from Frontline/World Social Entrepreneurship Series.
The station's own photojournalist, Jared Stanley, traveled with Plattsburgh-based humanitarian organization North Country Mission of Hope in August 2008 to the town of Chiquilistagua, Nicaragua, and for a week followed the volunteers as they built shelters, provided medical service and empowered villagers to become more self-sufficient.
To see the full program online, visit www.mountainlake.org/Programming/Mission_of_Hope.html.
Arts Auction deemed
a success
PLATTSBURGH — Mountain Lake PBS raised $83,990 with its 25th Anniversary Arts Auction in April.
Held over three days, the station auctioned off more than 200 pieces of donated artwork through its live televised auction, silent auctions and, for the first time ever, online, which raised more than $2,500.
Mountain Lake recruited volunteers for the event, including participation from PrimeLink, Studley Printing, Fessette Realty, Plattsburgh State's Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program and sorority sisters from Alpha Epsilon Phi's local chapter.
Ralph F. Passonno Jr., president of Uncle Sam Auctions & Realty Inc., was the CAI licensed auctioneer for all three evenings, and the artwork was presented by veteran presenters Jane Ashley, who was also spotlighted as the Arts Auction 25th Anniversary Honoree; Bonnie Black, from Clinton Community College; and Mark Davison, regional artist and art educator.
The Arts Auction is the station's largest fundraiser, with the proceeds benefiting the nonprofit public television station's local productions, outreach and educational initiatives.
Writing Competition winners announced
BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — Heidi LaPoint of Merrill, a senior at Northern Adirondack Central School, won third prize in the Harry G. Remington
Adirondack History Writing Competition.
LaPoint wrote about the mining community of Lyon Mountain.
First place went to John Proske of Northville, and Ashley Griffin of Port Lyden placed second.
The prizes are $500 for first place, $300 for second and $200 for third and will be presented at the
Adirondack Museum at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6.
The Writing Competition was open to students in grades 9 through 12 in school districts wholly or partially within the Adirondack Park.
"Good Thief" documentary
wins awards
DANNEMORA — The documentary "Church of the Good Thief," by Michael Raab, about the chapel at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, recently took first place in the Short Documentary Category of the SkyFest Film & Script Festival in Asheville, N.C.
In October 2008, it received a Redemptive Storyteller Award at the Redemptive Film Festival in Virginia Beach, V.A., a Christian-based competition. In December 2008, it was screened at the Myrtle Beach, S.C., Film Festival.
On Aug. 8, the North Carolina man's documentary will be screened at the Ballston Spa Film Festival.
See "Church of the Good Thief" on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVuftGUjRBE.
Auditions open for 'The Sunshine Boys'
ESSEX — Essex Theatre Company Inc., a community theatre in Essex, N.Y., is looking for adult males to play in Neil Simon's comedy "The Sunshine Boys" in an August production at the historic Masonic Lodge, opening August 13 for eight performances.
Call 963-4591 to schedule an audition.
