Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go. In an economy motel room, an embezzling mayor is supposed to meet with his female accountant. In the room next door, two undercover cops are supposed to catch the meeting on videotape. But there’s some confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s watching the video, who’s taken the money, who’s hired a hitman, and why the accountant keeps taking off her clothes. Unnecessary Farce is an award-winning stage comedy by Paul Slade Smith that combines all the elements of classic farce with a contemporary American plot. Unnecessary Farce is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service. Directed by Ron Heiss. Unnecessary Farce contains occasional strong language and characters in compromising positions for comedic effect.

ALL ABOUT COLOR!  

Instructor: Sonsoles Shack

Dates: Nov 4-5, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Fee: $220, (Early Bird Special $200 if paid in full by October 7, 2025)

Last Day to Register: November 2, 2025

During the painting process, artists spend over 80% of their time trying to mix the correct colors, since colors are rarely used “straight out of the tube”. We, as pastel painters, mix colors by applying them directly on the paper, but color accuracy is just as important (their value, hue and saturation). In this class, we will focus on everything you need to know about color; how to depict colors in light and shadow; color temperature; harmony; their context in your painting; and techniques to achieve accurate color and value, no matter what your subject is, particularly on your focal point. I will help you make your paintings more engaging, appealing, vibrant, and three-dimensional. 

Founded in 2023, classical vocal ensemble Fourth Wall Ensemble has quickly established itself with performances at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall at The Kaufman Music Center, and a collaboration with Death of Classical featuring works by Monteverdi and Caroline Shaw’s Partita for 8 Voices. Other highlights include a series at Power Station at Berklee NYC, a residency at Avaloch Farm Music Institute, and the ensemble’s debut album, created in partnership with GRAMMY® Award-winning trio Time for Three and five-time EMMY® Award-winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards).

This season, Fourth Wall Ensemble continues to expand its presence with performances at National Sawdust, where Artistic and Creative Director Christopher Allen will lead the group in Dark Sky, a program featuring works by Kaija Saariaho, Caroline Shaw, and Andrew Yee. The ensemble will also return to Carnegie Hall for Echoes of Ireland, performing alongside tenor Emmet Cahill, and has been re-engaged for the 2025–2026 season at Merkin Hall. The ensemble will also be featured in the world premiere of SENSORIUM EX, a new opera by Paola Prestini and librettist Brenda Shaughnessy, presented by Beth Morrison Projects. In November 2025, Fourth Wall will embark on its first West Coast tour, bringing its distinctive sound to new audiences. Under the Artistic leadership of Christopher Allen, the Fourth Wall Ensemble continues to redefine vocal performance, blending tradition with bold new artistic explorations. This concert will feature the vocal works of Monteverdi, William Byrd, and Caroline Shaw, including selections from their debut album AD MANUS as well as improvisations on Medieval chant.

PERSONALIZED PAINTING

Instructor: Fran Sutherland

Dates: Every Wednesday, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10, 17, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Fee: $270          

Deadline: October 29, 2025

Fran has designed this series of sessions to create a painting based upon photos from a personal trip, hike, garden, special place and/or person. During this series of classes, she will lead the students through the steps of planning a composition using their photos for inspiration. This will include thumbnail sketches, value studies, and enlarging a photo to scale. Examples of how personal photographs inspired Fran’s artwork will be discussed. She will address the appropriate media (oil, acrylic, watercolor, and/or pastel) for interpreting the participant’s photo. Now the fun begins. Students will work on their pieces during the last three weeks of the course. Exploring color theory as it relates to the special qualities of opaque and transparent paint media (watercolor, acrylic, oil and pastel). Participants will also learn how to analyze their work. As the painting progresses, the elements and principles of design and composition will be addressed to critique the artwork as it relates to the original idea. 

Award winning pianist Arthur Migliazza returns with his trio to bring the Boogie Woogie and Blues piano tradition back to life through truly unbelievable piano playing and highly engaging storytelling. This musical historian takes you on a one of a kind journey through the origins of this extremely influential and important African-American music and uncovers its connections and relevance to all of American pop music that followed, including Jazz and Rock and Roll. But this is no mere history lesson; Arthur Migliazza is a virtuoso pianist who grew up playing Boogie Woogie and Blues piano, learning directly from several contemporary masters in the style. Arthur began playing professionally at the tender age of 13, right here in Tucson! He first played in Green Valley as a teenager with his piano and drums duo called “The Blues Kats”. Arthur has since moved to the east coast and currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife and 2 children. Let’s welcome him back to the Southwest for this special evening of Boogie Woogie!

This is the true story, not the movie version, of the Chiricahua Apache. Here Jack shares with us who they were as a people, some fascinating stories of their two leaders, Cochise and Geronimo, how their resistance lasted for some 25 years, and what happened to them in the end. This is quintessential Jack, who brings them alive and makes them real. After hearing this talk you will want to go to the Chiricahuas where Cochise was born, to Apache Pass where he fought, and to his Stronghold in the Dragoons where he died.

Historian Jack Lasseter served as a JAG officer in the United States Air Force and enjoyed a decades long career as an attorney in the state of Arizona. He currently gives presentations and talks at venues such as Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and the Western National Parks Association, as well as at numerous historical sites throughout the Arizona. 

Michael DeSchalit is an Internationally Award Winning Magician and Hypnotist who has spent the last three decades amazing audiences all over the globe, from Tokyo to Tucson and Canada and Australia, as well as 29 of the United States. He has spent the past five years as a Resident Headliner in “The House of Magic Show” and “Hypnomania” in Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas. His show, “Magic Misbehaved” is a mix of classic magic with a side a comedy that will surely leave your sides hurting from laughter. Michael describes it as “Comical Hocus-Pocus with a Side of Sarcasm”. The show is family friendly, but it is not the same kind of magic show you would see at a Kid’s birthday party. This show is real mind blowing magic, but don’t worry, no animals are harmed in the making of this show, BUT, it was written in a factory that uses tree nuts and nut products… Mainly the NUT that is doing the performing!!!

Join us for a celebration of the music of guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, winner of six Grammy Awards, and widely considered one of the greatest rock guitarists in music history! The show also celebrates the music of his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan, a world-renowned Texas guitar slinger in his own right. Both brothers enjoyed major label success throughout the 1980s and recorded one album together entitled Family Style, which was released shortly before Stevie’s untimely death at the age of 35. This concert strives to capture the electrifying performances of his live shows and features Arizona Blues Hall of Fame guitarists Mike Blommer and Mike Hebert backed by vocalist Mike Yarema and an all-star rhythm section with John June on bass and Goran Miletic on drums! Be sure to attend this night of Soul, R&B and Rock and Roll as we capture the excitement of the one and only, Stevie Ray Vaughan!

This complete Pink Floyd concert experience will feature note for note classics from one of the best-selling musical artists of all time. With more than 250 million records sold worldwide, Pink Floyd’s legacy is nearly unmatched. You will hear songs from hit albums like The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here, Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Dark Side of the Moon. Shine On Floyd are one of the leading Pink Floyd Tribute bands touring the United States today.

Mikey Dunlavey (Mícheál Duínnshléibhe) was raised in a large Irish family in Erie, PA with descendants from Port Salon, Donegal. Irish music became his lifelong passion he began his solo career in 1997 singing Irish Ballads. Major influences included Luke Kelly, The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, and Tommy Makem. In 2009, Mikey formed The Celtic Hooligans along with founding members Tommy Wilkinson and Randall “Merf” McCaslin in Erie, PA. They were joined by outstanding Irish folk musicians Louis Nicolia, Paul Rogers and Brian Gray and played throughout Northwestern PA/NY until 2021. Mikey and spouse Katie moved to Tucson, Arizona and formed their own band The Wild Swans in 2023 after attending the Ceol na Coille School of Irish Music in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland. Their performances consist of Traditional Irish ballads, sea shanties, Sean Nos singing (Gaelic) and session tunes. Featured instruments include the guitar, harmonica, six-string banjo, penny whistle, bodhran and uilleann pipes played by Mikey and Katie Dunlavey and guest musicians Peter Rodger, Michael Tomcal, Mary Bouley and Keith Reins. Enjoy this Celtic New Year Celebration as they feature songs of love, laments, and fairies!

Enjoy this truly heartfelt tribute to “The Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight performed by the enchanting Deandra Johnson and her band who recreate the energetic stage presence, persona, and powerful vocals, of this legendary act. Experience a journey of transformation through renditions of Knight’s timeless hits including Neither One Of Us, and Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, and so many more! Get ready to be transported to a world where Rock ‘n’ Roll meets Soul. Glady’s Music is performed by artists, Jim Porter, Chris Strong, Shaun Johnson, Todd Sisk and Kent Moody. Prepare to come abord and be wowed by this breathtaking tribute to one of the greatest performers of all time.

With the sounds of classic songwriting in their music and the future in their sights, The Farmer & Adele are reimagining the modern cowboy/cowgirl while respecting its beginnings. Based out of Nashville, TN, The Farmer & Adele – led by Grace Adele and Farmer Keenan – leads the pack of a new wave of musicians revitalizing western swing music. From garnering multiple awards to developing a one-of-a-kind live puppet show, The Farmer & Adele are a classic-meets-modern band that is entertaining for all ages. Their songwriting is uplifting, heroic and simple, but reaches back to the time of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

With two Ameripolitan Awards under their belts (2019 Western Swing Female of the Year and 2020 Western Swing Band of the Year), The Farmer & Adele continue to innovate with each project. After the success of their daily radio show, “On The Trail with The Farmer & Adele,” the group released an album in 2024 titled Old + New Western Classics.

Staying true to their multidisciplinary approach to western swing, the group is currently developing a live puppet show – with Nashville Metro Arts – focused on food sustainability, roots music, and celebrating our differences. Co-written with Texas Bix Bender of Riders Radio Theatre fame, the show features a colorful cast of characters including Hank Snowpea, Elvis Parsley, Tater Swift, and many more.

“Live from Laurel Canyon – Songs and Stories of American Folk Rock” is an evening of live music and narrated stories of some of the most influential songwriters who lived in Laurel Canyon in the mid 1960’s and 70’s. Similar to other legendary rock and roll neighborhoods of the same era like Haight Ashbury in San Fransisco or Greenwich Village in NYC, Laurel Canyon was a community of artists who would forge a new genre of music (Folk Rock) and forever change the look, sound and attitude of American pop music. Live from Laurel Canyon celebrates The Mamas and The Papas, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, America, and the Eagles with their own unique interpretations of some of the most iconic songs of the era.

Much more than a ‘tribute’ act, Live from Laurel Canyon not only performs the music you love in a new and unique way but shares with you the stories that inspired them. Live from Laurel Canyon is a journey through a special time in American pop music!

Don’t miss Tony nominee, Ann Hampton Callaway, in her new show “Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics and Originals”. Ann’s show is comprised of classics from her songwriting inspirations – Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Paul Simon, and many more. Also, the recent inductee into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame shares songs from her new CD “Finding Beauty: Originals Vol. 1.” Expect AHC hits like Streisand’s “At the Same Time” as well as new songs she’s co-written with Oscar winner Alan Bergman, Grammy winner Melissa Manchester, and Grammy nominee, Amanda McBroom. Spoil yourself with a spellbinding show of rousing showstoppers and exquisite ballads, as we follow the arc of Ann’s musical inspiration!

Ann Hampton Callaway is one of America’s most gifted artists in pop and jazz. A leading champion of the great American Songbook, she’s made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Voted by Broadwayworld.com as “Celebrity of the Year” and two years in a row as “Best Jazz Vocalist,” Ann is a born entertainer. She is best known for Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical “Swing!” and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series “The Nanny.” She made her feature film debut opposite Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in the Robert De Niro film “The Good Shepherd.” Callaway is a Platinum Award selling writer whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s. She’s recorded over 50 CDs as a soloist and guest and her latest critically acclaimed CD “Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration!” has been in high rotation on Siriusly Sinatra. Ann’s honors include The Theater World Award, 16 MAC Awards, several Bistro Awards, The Mabel Mercer Award, The Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting, The Blanton Peale Award for Positive Thinking and her induction into The Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her new record Finding Beauty, Originals Volume 1, was recently released via Shanachie Entertainment.  

“For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“…superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Streisand, Ronstadt, Shirley Horn and Dianne Reeves…” – Christopher Loudon, JazzTimes

“Just as Ella Fitzgerald was the greatest jazz singer of her era, so too is the magnificent Ann Hampton Callaway of hers.” - Musical Theatre Review

Anthony Hernandez is a magician and illusionist based in Los Angeles, CA. He is a “Top Five Best Performer” with IAAPA, the 2012 Press Enterprise “Reader’s Choice” for “Best Entertainer”, Hot List 2014/2015 Best Theatre Show, and was the promotional magician for the movie, “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Hernandez has been the resident magician at the Welk Resort Theatre in Escondido, CA for the past decade. He has performed corporate gigs for the Marriott Corporation and is the best-selling entertainer at the Pearson park Amphitheater in Anaheim, CA, performing for up to 1600 people per show. He performs strolling magic, parlour shows, and large illusions across the country year round. 

THE EXPRESSIVE PORTRAIT

Instructor: Tonja Vojacek Sell

Dates: Dec 2-3, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (bring a sack lunch)

Fee: $270, (Early Bird Special $300 if paid in full by November 3, 2025)

Last Day to Register: November 25, 2025

This class will approach portrait painting in an experimental, fun way. Together we will learn to take risks and explore abstraction while working toward the goal of a finished portrait(s).  We’ll focus on loosening up, learn how to embrace and utilize “mistakes” while discovering the joy of the journey! I encourage experimentation while creating mixed media portraits from start to finish.  

We will not only discover how to improve our classic portrait feature painting skills, but also, how to build up interesting layers by experimenting with a variety of mark making tools. 

I’ll show you ways to improve your drawing skills and touch on value and color mixing to improve your confidence while creating expressive but harmonious non-traditional portrait paintings.