ENTERTAINMENT: Actors Theatre sets ‘Bard @ the Bar’ production | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

THEATER

Bard @ the Bar

Actors Theatre of Little Rock puts on its third “Bard @ the Bar” production, a reduced version (approximately 60 minutes) of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Camp Taco, 822 E. Sixth St., Little Rock. A cast of 13 plays a couple dozen characters in Shakespeare’s tale of two pairs of identical twins, separated by a storm at sea, who 18 years later are consistently mistaken for one another on the streets of a beach community. It’s part of the company’s Shakespeare programming “aiming to make the Bard more fun and approachable,” according to a news release. Seating starts at 6 and is limited. Admission is free. Visit actorstheatrelr.org or facebook.com/actorstheatrelr.

ART

Small Works in Hope

The Arkansas Arts Council’s touring 2024 Small Works on Paper exhibition is now on display, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday through Sept. 27 in Hempstead Hall at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, 2500 S. Main St., Hope. The exhibition, now in its 37th year, features work, no larger than 18 by 24 inches, by 39 Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, an online gallery maintained by the Arkansas Arts Council. For more information, call (501) 324-9767 or email cheri.leffew@arkansas.gov.

MUSIC

Singers sign director

The Little Rock-based Arkansas Chamber Singers have named Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities and voice area chair at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as their new artistic director. She replaces John Erwin, who retired before the 2022-23 season. The choral group auditioned seven candidates for the position over two seasons. At UALR, Mason directs the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Women’s Choir and teaches conducting and music education. She holds degrees from Texas Tech University and the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

The group is wrapping up auditions this week for the coming season (visit ar-chambersingers.org/auditions); rehearsals begin Aug. 27 and the first concert Oct. 11.

Meanwhile, two donors have given the Chamber Singers a $7,500 matching grant that will enable the group to double all donations made before Oct. 31. Visit ar-chambersingers.org.

TICKETS

‘Cirque Christmas’

Tickets — $47.50-$100 — are on sale via Ticketmaster.com for “A Magical Cirque Christmas,” 7 p.m. Nov. 20 at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. The show, featuring “world-class acrobats, contortionists and aerialists” and “loaded with nostalgia, charm, comedy, music and magic,” according to a news release, is on a 30-city tour. Visit MagicalCirqueChristmas.com.