Sundays in September
William Allen White, it’s said, hosted many people on the porch of his home “Red Rocks.” This September, the William Allen White Community Partnership and the Kansas State Historical Society are hoping to revive the tradition.
Beginning Sept. 9, the two groups will hold “Sundays in September,” a series of events and performances on the porch of the historic home, 927 Exchange St. All programs will start at 2 p.m.
The first program, “Singing on the Porch” will be Sept. 9 and feature the Twin Rivers Chapter of the Sweet Adelines, performing music from the 1860s through the 1940s. On Sept. 16 will be “History on the Porch,” at which Emporia State University graduate student Lacey Whetstone will talk about White’s campaign to drive the Ku Klux Klan out of Kansas. The afternoon of Sept. 23 will be “Poetry on the Porch” with readings by ESU professor Kevin Rabas and local poets. Finally, “Politics on the Porch” will conclude the series Sept. 30, with ESU professor Karen Manners-Smith and a guest panel discussing aspects of politics in White’s lifetime.
Tours of the home are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for students. Those who wish to attend the program without touring the house are encouraged to make a contribution of their choice.
New season
The Emporia Arts Council opens its 2007-08 season Sept. 14 with the fast-paced comedy troupe “The Second City” followed by the Jupiter String Quartet in concert Oct. 11.
The quartet has performed at such venues as New York’s Lincoln Center, Boston’s Jordan Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall. Their concert will feature a wide selection of classical music.
On Feb. 5, (Mardi Gras Party) Gaelic Storm will perform Celtic music, while on March 28 Davis and Dow, will give “tribute to the great lady legends of the golden era of jazz” with the show “Great Jazz Divas,” the release stated.
The season concludes with The Tweaksters, described as “the Blue Man Group without the paint,” on April 24.
The Missoula Children’s Theatre will bring “The Little Mermaid” at 7 p.m. April 4 and at 2 p.m. April 5.
For more information and/or tickets, call 343-6473.
White signing
Beverly Buller will sign copies of her new children’s biography “From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White” at 10 a.m. on Sept. 8 at the Town Crier bookstore., 716 Commercial St. The book will be available for sale after Labor Day.
Head for ‘The Center’
“The Center of Everything” by Laura Moriarty will be the next book discussed in the Kansas Connections 2007 Book Discussion Series at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Emporia Public Library, 110 E. Sixth Ave. Copies of the book are available for checkout. For more information, call Lynette Olson at 340-6451.
Rock the Light
The Emporia Christian band Die to Self will perform at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the “Rock the Light” festival in Kansas City.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.rockthelight.com/tickets.htm or by contacting the Starlight Theatre box office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (816) 363-STAR. The festival takes place Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City.