'Locals for Locals' concert celebrates WICA's 5th anniversary

"Tom Fisher, Gordy Adams, Tom Walker and Randy Hudson are The Rural Characters. They are among the performers in the Locals for Locals concert at WICA on Saturday.Whidbey Island Center for the Arts opened its doors in May 1996, culminating a 10-year grassroots effort to build a community performing arts center. Its mission was to provide and maintain a community arts facility, and to promote, develop and present diverse programs of entertainment, education, and cultural enrichment to the Whidbey Island community and its visitors. Since then, more than 5,000 patrons have experienced theatre, music, dance and film at WICA. The arts center will celebrate its fifth anniversary this weekend with a series of arts events, including a playwrights festival and a concert showcasing seven local musical groups. *The 4th Annual Women Playwrights Festival presented jointly by A Contemporary Theater and Hedgebrook writers' retreat has added a second weekend of readings at WICA. All seats are $5.On Friday, May 18, at 6 p.m., WICA will welcome Jamie Pachino from Chicago, whose play Visible/Invisible, seeks answers to questions of love, loss and faith through the lens of science. Pachino is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter with national and international credits. At 9 p.m. on Friday, Theresa Rebeck of Brooklyn, N.Y. will read from a newly commissioned play, The Bells. Rebeck has had productions at Playwrights Horizons, Longwharf Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, and others. On Sunday afternoon, May 20, at 1 p.m., Lydia Stryk from New York City will present a new play that explores a German bureaucrat's personal and mythic journey in search of Bob Dylan, moving from America's heartland to an employment office in Berlin during the fall of the wall. Valetta Anderson from Decatur, Ga. will be on stage at 4 p.m. Sunday, with her work in progress, Leave Me in Limbo, with roots in a story from the Gullah Sea Islands. *Locals for Locals, WICA's anniversary concert, is on Saturday, May 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. Designed as a fund-raiser for WICA's 2001-2002 Local Artist Series, which will start in September, the evening will include music by Beverly Graham, Tim Hull, Tina Lear, No Band Is an Island, Maureen Rorex and Friends, the Rural Characters, and SisterMonk Harem. Graham is a noted singer/songwriter/musician who recently released her new CD, Behind the Doors Where I Live, in a Mother's Day concert at WICA, while Tim Hull has been singing songs of the environment and the spirit that have made him a popular here and abroad.The Rural Characters -- Tom Fisher, Gordy Adams, Tom Walker and Randy Hudson -- came together to perform as Wandering Cowboys for the Flip Sideof Langley in 1998. We changed our name to the Rural Characters and have been pleased to note that every time folks on the Island are polled, they consistently state that what they value the most about Whidbey Island is 'the Rural Characters,' Hudson said.Hudson is also a member of No Band Is an Island, which includes Devin Ossman, Phil Marple and Susan Morris, playing a variety of traditional and contemporary acoustic music - American, Celtic, early music, original compositions - and some tunes that don't fit well into any category.Tina Lear needs little introduction. Her piano artistry is heard on three CDs, the most recent, The Road Home, and her music is now being playedby more than 100 public, college and commercial radio stations nationwide. Jazz pianist and teacher Maureen Rorex is also a well-known South Whidbey musician. For this concert, she brings her friends: Greg Barnes on bass, Roy Gabelein on drums and special guests Brent Purvis and Chris Harshman, who recently won several honors with their jazz bands from South Whidbey's high school and intermediate school. SisterMonk Harem is recently returned from an East Coast tour with what they call their brand of Gypsy Funk. These nomads are on an adventure with a collection of songs and instruments that reflect a world music sensibility.Jim Freeman, South Whidbey's Conductor of Fun, will host the evening. During intermission and following the concert on Saturday night, audience members are invited to a wine tasting reception hosted by The Star Store, also celebrating its anniversary.Tickets are $15 and $12; at the box office, 221-8268 or by e-mail to wica@whidbey.com. For more information, visit the WICA Web site: www.whidbey.com/wicaWe are working hard to raise funds to underwrite facility rental and box office costs to help us meet our goal of making WICA accessible to local performers, said Stacie Burgua, WICA's executive director. During the 2001-2002 season, WICA will present four performances featuring different local artists. Those wishing to apply for a spot in the Local Artists Series are encouraged to call WICA for more information. "

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