By John Harper | Correspondent
Theatre of Dare: ‘Five Women Wearing the Same Dress’
Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 6-9, 13-16
The local troupe kicks off the new year with eight performances of the 1993 comedy-drama written by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood.”
He also won an Oscar for his original screenplay for the film “American Beauty.”
Set at a posh estate in Knoxville, Tennessee, the play centers on five bridesmaids who take refuge in an upstairs bedroom to escape the proceedings below.
The women, including the bride’s sister and cousin, have their own reasons for hiding. But as conversation heats up, they quickly discover a common bond.
“Not one of them likes the bride,” says Evan Tillett, 25, who’s directing his first Theatre of Dare production.
The five women with disparate personalities spend the afternoon far from the madding crowd talking about myriad of subjects, including relationships, religion, marriage and sexuality.
Also in the mix is a charming bad-boy usher who becomes a love interest of one of the women.
“It’s dark, irreverent and sentimental,” says Tillett, who joined Theatre of Dare in 2018 and has performed in eight shows. “And very, very funny. But really it’s about the spirit of women.”
A word of caution: The play contains adult language and situations and may not be suitable for all ages.
The local cast includes Emmi Franklin, Kim Plyler, Missy Eppard, Alexis Narron, Chelsea Jenkins and James Ulrich.
When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15; 2 p.m. Jan. 9 and 16
Cost: $10
Where: Dare County Arts Council, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave, Manteo
Info: threatreofdareobx.com
‘Peace, Love and Time’ EP everything
Singer-songwriter Craig Honeycutt hasn’t played a live gig in more than two years. But the Nags Head-based musician has hardly been slacking.
He recently launched a weekly podcast (“The Honeycutt Scenario”) on which he waxes poetic on a wide range of topics (nature, art, music and breathing, among them), all infused with a sense of humor and spirituality.
Not to mention he’s always working on new tunes.
In the middle of December, his band “everything,” which includes Honeycutt on acoustic guitar and vocals, Steve Van Dam on bass and Nate Brown on drums and vocals, released a 3-song EP titled “Peace, Love and Time.”
Known for their funky, alternative-rock tunes, including the irresistible 1998 jam “Hooch,” everything, which formed in 1989 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, goes for a more atmospheric sound on their first record since 2006.
The band, originally a quartet, released a half-dozen albums, including one on a major label, before taking a break after the last recordings.
They also were a touring machine for a decade and gave dozens of electrifying performances on the Outer Banks, including several rip-roarers at the legendary Atlantis nightclub in Nags Head.
“It’s very organic, very mellow,” Honeycutt says of “Peace,” which was recorded at Van Dam’s home studio in Richmond, Virginia. (Brown lives in Charlottesville). “We just wanted to let the music flow, with no expectations.
“It was three friends in a room.”
“Peace” is as comforting as a warm blanket during a winter nor’easter on the Outer Banks.
With Honeycutt’s clear tenor voice upfront, the trio imbues the right amount of dignity and low-fi instrumentation on remakes of Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” and Nick Lowe’s “(What’s so Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
The latter tune was made famous by Elvis Costello.
Brown is equally good as lead vocalist on the everything original called “Time Will Heal Me,” which brings to mind the terrific Beach Boys music (“Surf’s Up,” “Sunflower”) of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
“We just had moments we had prepared for,” Honeycutt says of the recording process.
Info: The EP is available on most streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music and the website thebandeverything.com.
Trivia Nights
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
The answer is Greg Smrdel (pronounced smur-dell).
The question probably is who’s the hardest working man in show business on the Outer Banks?
Smrdel, who lives in Manteo, owns and operates an internet radio station (radiofreeobx.com), performs standup comedy, writes books, edits local magazines and hosts four trivia nights every week.
For this story, we’ll focus on the trivia.
His free games are six rounds, run about 90 minutes and feature questions (mostly multiple-choice) in categories that include, among others, movies, sports, history, geography and music.
You can play solo or on a team of up to 10 players. Prizes are awarded to the winners.
The games are lively and loose, and that’s when the part-time standup comedian is in his zone.
“Some questions are hard, some are easy,” Smrdel says. “But they’re all fun.”
The Friday night game at Rundown Cafe in Kitty Hawk, which is on pause in January, will resume at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18.
When and Where: 6 p.m. Monday at Shipwrecks Tap House and Grill, 4020 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk; 6 p.m. Tuesday at Sandtrap Tavern, 300 West Eckner St., Kitty Hawk; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Noosa Beach Grille, 2003 S. Croatan Hwy., Kill Devil Hills; and 6:30 p.m. Thursday at NouVines, 105 Budleigh St., Manteo.
Cost: Free
Info: Greg Smrdel page on Facebook