DANCE
Love stories sought
Ballet Arkansas has opened a community-wide search for Little Rock’s greatest love story in connection with its Feb. 14-16 performances of Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet “Romeo & Juliet” with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall.
Leading up to Valentine’s Day, Arkansans can share their love stories on social media by tagging Ballet Arkansas and using the hashtag #LRLovestory. “Contestants” must reside within Little Rock city limits and must share a photo of themselves with their loved ones on Facebook or Instagram and tell their love story.
On Feb. 1, Ballet Arkansas will select one couple to win a bottle of fine wine, a signed cast poster and two complimentary tickets to the Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) performance of “Romeo & Juliet,” including a backstage tour.
For more information, visit balletarkansas.org/lr-s-greatest-love-story-campaign or call (501) 223-5150. Tickets are available via balletarkanas.org/tickets.
This production of “Romeo & Juliet” carries special meaning for Ballet Arkansas’ executive and artistic director, Michael Fothergill, and its associate artistic director, Catherine Fothergill: They met and fell in love after being cast in the title roles of “Romeo & Juliet” with the Alabama Ballet in 2014.
THEATER
‘Primary Trust’
Fayetteville theater company TheatreSquared stages “Primary Trust” by Eboni Booth, winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opening Wednesday and running, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, through Feb. 23 on the theater’s Spring Stage, 477 W. Spring St., Fayetteville. The comedy follows a mild-mannered, 36-year-old, set-in-his-ways bookstore worker who spends most evenings sipping mai-tais with his (imaginary) best friend at the local tiki bar. When he’s suddenly laid off, his world turns upside down — in more ways than one. Tickets are $20-$58. Call (479) 777-7477 or visit theatre2.org/primary-trust.
A large crowd gathers in front of billboard showing President Franklin D. Roosevelt calling for contributions to the USO at 43rd Street and Broadway in New York City. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
FILM
‘USO: For the Troops’
The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, screens “USO: For the Troops,” 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The documentary examines the United Service Organizations and their more than seven-decade record of lifting the spirits of American soldiers and keeping service personnel connected to families and country while abroad. It’s part of the museum’s Movies at MacArthur series. Admission, popcorn and soft drinks are free. Call (501) 376-4602.
“Reimagining the Masterpiece,” on display through Feb. 19 at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado, includes James Volkert’s “Blow winds and crack your cheeks!: After JMW Turner,” “Evidence (Gravity): After Raphael,” “Evidence (Water), Schuylkill River: After Eakins” and “Bellows Erector #1,” based on George Bellows’ “Blue Morning.” (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
ART
Beyond masterpieces
“Reimagining the Masterpiece,” 11 paintings and installations from the Evidence Series by Conway artist James Volkert, each paired with authentic objects sourced from the sites Volkert depicts, is on display through Feb. 19 at the South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado. The artist will attend a reception, 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission to the reception and galleries is free. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.
Cézanne talk
George Shackelford, deputy director at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, bridges the Impression, Post-Impression and Art Nouveau eras and sets the stage for the arrival of the exhibition “Rivera’s Paris,” opening Feb. 7 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, in a talk titled “The Cézanne Effect,” 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Performing Arts Theater museum, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. Shackelford will cover the long career of French artist Paul Cézanne, his influence on a generation of painters and the development of many artistic movements in the 20th century. Admission is free; the talk will feature live open captioning. Visit arkmfa.org/event/the-cezanne-effect-art-talk-with-george-shackelford.