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OCTOBER 1-7, 2025
VOLUME 21, NUMBER 40
3 A frigid game of cat and mouse plays out in DEAD OF WINTER, an effective, polished thriller boosted immeasurably by the assured star turn of leading lady/executive producer Emma Thompson.
4 The first thing I noticed when I entered GOLDEN WOK was lots of framed certificates from YES! Triad’s Best Awards. This restaurant won second place in Best Chinese Restaurant/Take Out in Guilford County in 2024 and first place this year, in addition to high-level honors in several previous years.
5 Dan Sellers turned his lifelong a nity for scary and spooky into the “CAROLINA HAINTS” podcast, an ongoing — and very popular — series he co-created and cohosts with Je rey Cochran that delves into all things that go bump in the night in the tar heel state.
6 In explaining the rise in BAD BEHAVIOR among players, coaches, and fans involved with youth sports, Todd Nelson, a member of the N.Y. State Public High School Athletic Association, told USA Today, “We’ve lost some decorum in our society.”
8 This year marks the 90TH BIRTHDAY of the Little Theatre of WinstonSalem (LTWS), the oldest performing arts organization in the Piedmont Triad area.
11 Fall is here, y’all. Leaves are fallin’ and the festivals are poppin’, both new and old...The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting crisper. There’s a bounty of music in the air. Happy Fall, TRIAD MUSIC LOVERS!
12 When Carney was 25, her father, Mick Carney, was killed by a driver who ran a red light while talking on a cellphone. Thirteen years later, she found his LIST OF 60 THINGS he wanted to do before he died.
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YES!
Writers JOHN BATCHELOR
MARK BURGER
KATEI CRANFORD
LYNN FELDER
JIM LONGWORTH
IAN MCDOWELL
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We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2025 Womack Newspapers, Inc.
BY MARK BURGER
Afrigid game of cat and mouse plays out in Dead of Winter, an e ective, polished thriller boosted immeasurably by the assured star turn of leading lady/executive producer Emma Thompson, in a role far removed from the Nanny McPhee films or just about anything she’s ever done before.
Thompson’s Barb is recently widowed, and at the behest of her late husband, she’s dutifully depositing his ashes on Lake Hilda in a remote corner of Minnesota. By sheer happenstance — without which there would be no movie — she discovers a young girl (Laurel Marsden) imprisoned in the cellar of a ramshackle cabin and is determined to help her. This does not sit well with the unnamed couple (Judy Greer and Marc Menchasa) who live there. Thus commences a tightly wound and increasingly violent battle of wills between these ill-matched combatants.
The screenplay, by first-timers Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb (who also appears), takes a simple and straightforward approach, augmented by Volker Bertelmann’s nerve-jangling score and the impressive cinematography by Christopher Ross. Dead of Winter occasionally echoes the 1996 Coen Brothers classic Fargo — there’s even an early nod to the town of Brainerd — and A Simple Plan, the superb 1998 adaptation of Scott M. Smith’s best-seller directed by Sam Raimi, but there’s not much of a black comedy element here.
The film is also unrelated to the 1987 Arthur Penn film of the same name (which is worth a look), despite a similarly wintry setting and a resident damsel in distress (Mary Steenburgen).
Interestingly, the film has a distinctly feminist bent, as the three principal characters are women. Thompson, adopting a convincing accent, instills Barb with quietly fierce courage as she channels her inner resolve to extricate herself from a situation that grows more dire by the moment. It’s also a treat to see Greer cut loose as an antagonist facing her own
set of dire circumstances and hell-bent to resolve them by means mostly foul. Marsden remains unseen for much of the narrative until coming into her own in the third act.
The reason for Marsden’s abduction, which is not revealed until late in the game, may or may not be far-fetched depending on your point of view, but it’s certainly a plausible and possible one, if not an outright probable one. Besides, Dead of Winter is more concerned with providing a diverting and intense thriller, and on that count, succeeds across the board.
Director Brian Kirk, a small-screen veteran whose last feature was the 2019 Chadwick Boseman vehicle 21 Bridges, keeps things taut and tight throughout, even if the film relies on flashbacks a bit much. For those looking for a few chills and thrills as we approach the Halloween season, this certainly fits the bill and demonstrates — quite convincingly — how the mere sound of wrapping duct tape around a body is just as intense as any onscreen act of violence. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2025, Mark Burger.
BY JOHN BATCHELOR
The first thing I noticed when I entered Golden Wok was lots of framed certificates from YES! Triad’s Best Awards. This restaurant won second place in Best Chinese Restaurant/Take Out in Guilford County in 2024 and first place this year, in addition to high-level honors in several previous years. The next thing was a long line of cooks working the open kitchen. Watching a line like this is interesting, and the aromas that emerge give a hint about how the food is going to taste. This is primarily a takeout operation, at least for dinner. Seating on evening visits seemed to be occupied mainly by people waiting to pick up orders, although lunch seating was heavily occupied. Big bags, multiple orders, and numerous patrons characterized every visit.
My wife and I started our first visit with Steamed Dumplings. (These are also available fried.) We enjoyed the tender texture of the dumplings themselves, which give way to a filling of ground pork. To get the full impact, a soy-based dipping sauce with ginger and garlic is provided. It’s delicious!
In order to make my visits e cient and productive, I ordered a Pu Pu Platter the next time I went. This includes just about all the other appetizers available here. Egg Rolls come with several entrées as combinations. They are noteworthy for thickness — just bigger than any others I have seen — and fresh cabbage flavor, as well as a pleasantly crisp exterior. Boneless Ribs are strips of roast pork — firm and lean, smoked in-house, lightly fried at the time of order, coated with a homemade Chinese-style barbecue sauce. Fried Wontons are crisp and firm, filled with ground pork, seasoned a little di erently than the dumplings. Several Chicken Wings flank the presentation. They are tender and moist, yielding solid fowl flavor. Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick is novel — strips of fresh-tasting tender chicken, dipped in teriyaki sauce, and grilled. The crisp exterior of Crab Rangoons gives way to a light filling of cream cheese and imitation crab meat.
Chop suey is a Chinese-American entrée composed of stir-fried bok choy, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and celery,
plus a protein of choice. We ordered beef. The moderately firm strips produce good depth of flavor, extended in a rich soybased brown sauce. Crisp fried noodles are served in a little envelope on the side for takeout, a smart detail, so they don’t get soggy during travel.
Chow Mein is, of course, another classic, essential for any Chinese restaurant in the U.S., certainly in the Triad. I ordered mine with shrimp, and I was pleasantly surprised on two levels. The shrimp themselves, medium-small, are present in abundance, and they are cooked justright — tender, quite an accomplishment in a dish delivered this hot (temperature, not intensity). Crisp fried noodles are provided on the side, in a cellophane bag. Bok choy and onions are the primary vegetables, plus fried rice on the side. That rice is especially tasty, studded with onions, green peas, and corn.
(Many people get chow mein and lo mein mixed up. Chow mein is a vegetable dish, cooked in sauce. Lo Mein is basically like spaghetti, where soft noodles are cooked with vegetables.)
One of my favorite Chinese dishes is General Tso’s Chicken. Pieces of deboned chicken are deep-fried and coated with a hot, spicy, and sweet sauce. I like hot food, and I would consider the standard level here moderate. It is probably just right for most people, but if you like it hot, don’t be afraid to have the kitchen kick it up. Fried rice and al dente broccoli accompany the chicken.
A Chef’s Special, Tai Chin Chicken, takes this concept to a higher level. Deep-fried crispy chicken is combined with mixed vegetables in General Tso’s sauce. Both these dishes are the same as Sesame Chicken, another entrée, but
spicy, without sesame seeds. This turned out to be my favorite dish here.
Seafood Delight, also from the Specials section of the menu, provides large shrimp, scallops, and imitation crabmeat sauteed with snow peas, bamboo shoots, broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, baby com, and carrots, all stir-fried. I could do without the imitation crabmeat, and there is a lot of it. But the shrimp and scallops really won me over, and there is enough of them to satisfy me. Again, it’s really unusual to get either shrimp or scallops cooked to just the right temperature, even for sit-down, but in takeout, it’s just this side of phenomenal!
Fortune cookies predicted a successful future.
Brothers Eddie and John Shi are the owners/managers. Their parents started the business in 1998. Longevity like that is rare in the restaurant world. It testifies to lots of satisfied customers over a long period of time. Count me among them! And I would add that Charles Womack, publisher of YES! Weekly, has identified Golden Wok as his personal favorite.
Gee — YES! readers, publisher, and restaurant columnist all agree: Golden Wok is a winner. !
JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@ gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.
Golden Wok
1216 Bridford Pkwy. Unit N Greensboro 336-855-6161
goldenwokgreensboro.dine.online
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Sunday
Appetizers: $3.45-$14.95
Soups: $6.20-$14
Entrées: $10-$24.40
Desserts: $2.45
Most recent visit: Sept. 24
BY MARK BURGER
Dan Sellers turned his lifelong a nity for scary and spooky into the “Carolina Haints” podcast, an ongoing — and very popular — series he co-created and cohosts with Je rey Cochran that delves into all things that go bump in the night in the tar heel state. He also channeled that fascination into Wreak Havoc Productions (http://www.wreakhavocproductions. com/), an independent film company he co-founded with Sammie Cassell, which yielded the Wreak Havoc Film Bu s podcast and later the annual Wreak Havoc film festival, which took place earlier this month at Marketplace Cinemas in Winston-Salem. Although Sellers wasn’t directly involved with this year’s festival, his spirit was certainly felt.
Sellers is also an award-winning filmmaker, having made such locally made indie shockers as Hank vs. the Undead (2014) and Uncle Otto’s Truck (2019), an adaptation of the Stephen King short story, as well as the documentary Sammie the Comic Book Man (2016), an a ectionate portrait of Cassell. In 2021, Sellers and Cochran collaborated on their first book, “Carolina Haints: Ghosts, Folklore and Mysteries of the Old North State,” an oshoot of their “Carolina Haints” podcast, and the two are currently working on a second volume “that includes stories from North and South Carolina and is more focused on monsters and legends than spooks and specters,” said Sellers.
This week sees the release of Sellers’ second book, the self-explanatory “Haunted High Point,” and it’s only fitting that the o cial publication date is Wednesday, Oct. 1, right on time to ring in the Halloween season.
“‘Haunted High Point’ is all original work and a compilation of various tales from the furniture capital and surrounding areas,” Sellers explained. “Some of these stories are well-known — such as ‘Lydia’s Bridge,’ and some have been forgotten for over a century. A handful of these tales came from first-hand sources who told me about their encounters in High Point, so it’s a good mix of traditional research, finding old writings and newspaper articles, and interviewing folks.
The impetus for writing the book was simple, according to Sellers. “I’ve worked in High Point for many years, and I used to be one of those people who ignorantly complained, ‘High Point doesn’t have any good ghost stories’ — and, honestly, there are plenty of books about Greensboro and Winston-Salem stories and Piedmont Triad tales, but never one specifically devoted to High Point and its surrounding areas. Once I started digging, I was surprised how much I was able to find. The book has 18 chapters, and I could probably fill another book with the amount of leads I have left to explore.”
The impact of Sellers’ research and the “Carolina Haints” podcast has far exceeded what he ever envisioned. “I’ve been writing about folklore for quite a while, have done a great deal of research and writing about Carolina stories,” he said. “Several years back, I turned ‘Carolina Haints’ into a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and prompting folklore storytelling throughout the Carolinas. We’ve been able to get two ‘Legends and Lore’ markers erected in 2023 and 2024, and we’re in the process of getting more. In addition, I’ve been making the rounds all over the Carolinas, giving speaking engagements and book readings at libraries, conventions, and bookstores.”
Throughout the month, Sellers will be promoting the book with various appearances throughout the state. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a launch party or anything like that planned, but I do have a few local appearances coming up: On Oct. 12, I’ll be meeting folks and selling copies of both books at the Jamestown Fall Festival. On Oct. 14, I’ll be doing a virtual storytelling event with the Oberlin Public Library in Raleigh. On Oct. 24 and 25, I’ll be a guest speaker at the Devil’s Tramping Ground for the inaugural Chatham County Vortex Paracon. On Oct. 31, I’ll be doing a book reading at the Kiwanis Club of High Point at the String and Splinter. I’ll probably be doing more, but as of right now, that’s what’s scheduled.”
For more information, visit the o cial “Carolina Haints” website: https://www. carolinahaints.com/. !
SUBMITTED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER GREENSBORO
Bring on the brass! The North Carolina Brass Band (NCBB) is entering its 11th season. Founded by Brian Meixner in 2014, the 28-member ensemble is one of only a handful of professional brass bands in the United States.
“Most cities have a professional symphony orchestra. Many have professional jazz bands, choirs, or other types of musical ensembles. But very few communities have a professional brass band,” Meixner shared. “We should take pride that right here in the Triad, we have this nationally and internationally recognized ensemble.”
The NCBB has released two acclaimed albums, both praised in international journals and even distributed overseas. The ensemble has performed at prestigious events, including the Great American Brass Band Festival in Kentucky, the Best of Our State Festival in Pinehurst, and most recently, a national brass festival in Washington, D.C.
NCBB’s programming is built with variety in mind. “In our concerts, you’ll hear a dozen musical selections or more, designed to keep the listener engaged,” Meixner explained. Audiences can expect everything from patriotic works to jazz, pops, orchestral transcriptions, movie soundtracks, and familyfriendly multimedia performances.
This season promises something
for every member of the family. The “Brass and Blue Ridge” concerts in September explored the history of brass band music while celebrating the beauty of Appalachian North Carolina. In December, NCBB will launch the new NCBB Chorale, a 100-member choir joining forces with the band for a holiday spectacular. And in early 2025, the group will present “Peter and the Wolf” alongside a live soundtrack performance of the Wallace and Gromit classic “The Wrong Trousers.” For Meixner, what makes these performances special is both the music and the people. “The joy I see from our concert attendees, the notes and emails I get afterward, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “We’re providing an outlet and giving local brass players the opportunity to do something they love. The musicians are amazing, and many folks will tell you the NCBB is one of the finest ensembles in the region. We’re sort of a hidden gem, but we won’t remain hidden.”
The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro has been a proud supporter of NCBB, helping the organization connect, grow, and share its artistry with more people. “The ACGG makes us feel welcome, like we’re important and included in this arts community”.
The North Carolina Brass Band regularly performs in Greensboro, WinstonSalem, and beyond. Learn more and purchase tickets at ncbrassband.org. !
Having a longtime inter-
est in ACC sports, I recall vividly watching the 1978 Gator Bowl in which the Clemson Tigers faced Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State, coached by the legendary Woody Hayes. With about two minutes remaining in the game, OSU was poised to score and take the lead when the Buckeye quarterback threw an interception. The recipient of that errant throw was Clemson’s Charlie Bauman, who eluded a number of tackles before getting knocked down out of bounds along the OSU sideline. As Bauman
got to his feet, Hayes punched him in the throat and continued the beating until he was pulled away. Hayes was later fired for the incident. Well, that was then, and this is now. Back then players, coaches, and fans did lots of macho stu like fighting and spitting, but thank goodness we’re more civilized today. NOT! If anything, incidents of bad behavior at all levels of youth sports are far worse and far more frequent than ever before.
Last month, 38-year-old Daniel Fazio, coach of a youth football team in Connecticut, shoved an opposing player to the ground. The player was all of 7 years old.
That same week, federal civil rights charges were filed against the football coach at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio. He was charged with allowing hazing and assault of his own players during a football camping trip, then covering it up. As it turns out, that
same coach was also accused of abusive behavior at his previous coaching job, including threatening to burn down the home of one of his players.
Also, last month, a Rhode Island High School coach was sentenced to probation for having his players strip naked so he could perform a hands-on inspection for body fat. Although that perverse behavior didn’t result in any physical harm to the players, it was abuse, nonetheless.
None of this comes as a surprise to researchers at UNCG and Stanford, who earlier this year released the results of a joint study on the health and wellness of college-age athletes. They concluded that one in five coaches are abusive to the kids in their charge. For mathematically challenged individuals such as myself, that means 20% of coaches inflict physical or emotional damage on their players.
OK, so much for coaches, now let’s turn to parents and fans. In October of 2023, the coach of a youth football team in St. Louis was shot four times by a parent who was angry that his son wasn’t getting enough playing time.
USA Today’s Stephen Borelli reported a number of similar incidents that same year in Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, and California.
In February of this year, a Seattle dad was arrested for shoving two ice hockey referees to the ground for calls they made against his son. The man was 38 years old, and the volunteer refs he assaulted were 12 and 14 years old.
Increasingly, volunteers who o ciate youth games are frequent targets of parental violence, so much so that there is now a nationwide shortage of men and women who want to referee youth sports. This is backed up by a report from the National Association of Sports Officials, in which 50% of all referees and umpires feel unsafe while doing their job.
And that brings me to the players themselves.
Last week, North Carolina A&T football coach Shawn Gibbs dropped one of his players from the team for squirting water at the opposing coach in a game against N.C. Central. Gibbs referred to the incident as an “issue with team culture.”
Team culture is also a problem at Smith High School, where two recent
games had to be called o early due to violence.
Back in August, while competing against Northwest Cabarrus in the Mount Tabor football jamboree, Smith players got into two separate fights along the Northwest sideline. Then, last month, in a game against High Point Andrews, a Smith player punched a referee in the head. Following that incident, Que Tucker, commissioner of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, issued a press release saying, “A concerning rise in ejections related to unsportsmanlike behavior this year undermines the values of education-based athletics.”
I agree with Tucker’s rather obvious conclusion, but I doubt that isolated and individual suspensions of players and coaches are going to change the current culture of violence in youth sports. Certainly, fans and parents who assault players, coaches, and referees can be dealt with by the courts, but I fear that the only way to break the cycle of on-field violence is to severely penalize entire programs. In the case of Smith High School, it might be time to suspend the remainder of their football season altogether.
In explaining the rise in bad behavior among players, coaches, and fans involved with youth sports, Todd Nelson, a member of the N.Y. State Public High School Athletic Association, told USA Today, “We’ve lost some decorum in our society.” Nelson is correct, and we have social media and vitriolic elected o cials to blame. Ten years ago, you never would have seen a grown woman take a home run ball away from a child. You also didn’t used to see as much road rage, and political debates used to be more civil. Folks today seem to be more empowered to feel more entitled, and that’s just not a good formula for how we should treat one another.
The one thing all sports have in common is that participants must follow a specific set of rules. Too often, though, the one rule they forget to follow is the golden one. !
BY MARK BURGER
This year marks the 90th birthday of the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem (LTWS), the oldest performing arts organization in the Piedmont Triad area, and such a momentous milestone demands a celebration that is likewise momentous. This Friday, the Little Theatre will host its 90th birthday bash from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Nash, 840 N. Liberty St., WinstonSalem. The event, which includes live entertainment, food and beverages, and special displays commemorating the Little Theatre’s illustrious history, is open to the community and admission is “Pay What You Can.” To RSVP for the event, visit https://www.ltofws.org/.
Those involved in the planning of the event are determined to make it the biggest bash the Little Theatre has seen in, well, 90 years. That the party takes place on Oct. 3 is intentional, said Little Theatre Executive Director Joelle Irons, because “it’s 90 years to the day of the first meeting that created the Little Theatre of Winston. It’s going to be a fun night to celebrate 90 years of the Little Theatre.”
Whether one is a long-time fan of the Little Theatre or a newcomer considering attending — or even participating — in one of its productions, this is a party designed to celebrate both the Little Theatre and the community at large. It’s a community theater: Everyone is welcome.
The event will bring together many Little Theatre veterans, with Mark Pirolo and Charlie Lovett having created
a one-night-only staged presentation dramatizing the theater’s history, starring such Little Theatre favorites as Rene Lynn Walek, Christine Gorelick, John Furr, Mark March, Jim McKeny, Janice Lovett, and Chad Edwards. There will also be a comprehensive selection of archival displays meticulously organized by volunteers Kristina Ebbink, Jim Knight, and Heidi Shafer, featuring vintage programs, photographs, and other memorabilia.
Pirolo, whose first Little Theatre production was “Brighton Beach Memoirs” in 1989, has also served two terms on its board of directors and two stints as its executive director. “I think that any not-for-profit arts organization that can remain productive and viable for almost a century is really quite remarkable,” he said. “I’m quite proud to be a part of the Little Theatre’s history and laudable record, and especially proud of the artistic achievements I’ve been a part of, particularly such remarkable productions as ‘Equus,’ ‘Evita,’ and ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ — to name a few amongst so many. To date, I have directed 32 productions for the theater. The 90th birthday celebration will be my 33rd.”
More than that, “my biggest takeaway from my association with the Little The-
atre of Winston-Salem is gratitude,” he said. “The Little Theatre has given me the opportunity to stretch my creative wings as director, actor, and leader — and that is, I truly believe, the vital contribution that community theaters make to cities and towns across the country … indeed, around the world. Many a professional career has sprung from participation in community theater.”
Brian Joyce, another veteran of the Little Theatre, made his stage debut in 2003 and joined the board two years later, serving for six years, including two as president. He then served another two terms on the board (2019-25) and two more as president (2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons). “Like any other theater, we’ve had our share of financial challenges, but we’re extremely fortunate to have such a large, loyal base of supporters and volunteers who help ensure we remain viable. We also developed a strategic plan in 2023 that assumed less financial support from outside organizations — as we don’t receive any government funding on a regular basis — and forced ourselves to identify paths to financial independence. Making it 90 years is no small feat, and we know how hard we’ll have to work to make it another 90!”
At 90 years old, the Little Theatre qualifies as a venerable arts organization, but it’s also a very active, progressive, and vibrant one. For the first time in its history, the organization will be moving into its very own space, at 4015 Brownsboro St. To that end, it has launched its capital
campaign “Building Our Future: 90 Years in the Making,” an initiative to purchase and renovate the facility to include expanded classroom space, rehearsal studios, administrative o ces, and a 70-seat performance space.
“This new space represents hope, creativity, and connection,” said Kathy Anne Cissna, president of the Little Theatre’s board of directors. “It’s a place where stories will be born, friendships will grow, and imaginations will thrive. We’re not just expanding a theater company — we’re investing in the heart of our community.”
“The Little Theatre has played an integral role in the cultural life and vitality of our city,” said Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. “The wide array of o erings over the years has done much to further enhance our claim to the City of the Arts and Innovation. Being able to boast about such a wonderful theater company is very helpful in our e orts to recruit and retain businesses in our community. I believe the new location will be a boon for the Little Theatre as it begins its next chapter of producing wonderful productions for our citizens and residents across the Triad.”
As the Little Theatre is a community theater, it depends strongly on the support of its community, so for more details or to access pledge forms and explore donor opportunities, visit https://www. ltofws.org/building-our-future. (It should be noted that mainstage productions will continue to be performed in Hanesbrands Theatre and Reynolds Place Theatre.)
“This new space is a dream come true for our sta , students, and artists,” Irons said. “For over 90 years, the Little Theatre has rented, borrowed, and made do with a variety of spaces — from people’s living rooms to backyards and even, for a time, the upper level of a barn, complete with cows on the ground floor. These past few years, at least one production has had to rehearse o -site in a classroom or borrowed conference room simply because we didn’t have room in our current building.”
In addition, “the education department has quadrupled the past four years, reaching a point where we can’t o er more classes or youth productions because there isn’t a room available. Our new space will give us that extra room. None of our productions will feel separated or ‘less-than’ by having to find a rehearsal space. We’ll be able to o er more classes and workshops, as well as more opportunities for our youth to perform on stage.”
“Far longer than I’ve been around, we have wanted our own home,” McKeny said. “For decades, our residency at the Hanes Community Center felt like our home, but the reminders that we were mere tenants were never far from our hearts and minds. I am excited about this new chapter in our long and storied history and hope that this move into our own base of operations will be the first step toward a long-overdue artistic, educational, and entertainment expansion for the community and the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem.”
Irons sees direct parallels between the Great Depression, when the Little Theatre was founded, and the current day, when government arts funding is on shaky ground, to say the least.
“There is a reason the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem began during the Great Depression when people were worried about the future and everything seemed uncertain,” she said. “This is when people need theater and arts the most. Community theater — especially — brings people together in a positive, supportive environment. That community of support has kept the Little Theatre going for all these years. Through good times and very slim times, the board, volunteers, and the community have worked to keep this company moving forward. The same is true now. We intentionally created our 91st season, ‘A Season of Love & Friendship,’ because we knew people needed a place to come and be uplifted by their community. It is inspiring and rejuvenating to hear stories of people helping each other through hard times and supporting each other as they strive to be their best selves.”
“At a time when the arts are being cut from schools, and government programs like the National Endowment for the Arts and other organizations are being gutted or shut down, locally funded and produced theater is more important than ever,” Lovett added. “With ticket prices soaring on Broadway and professional companies closing around the country, the Little Theatre provides a ordable theater for our community as well as opportunities for actors and other creative people
to hone their craft. The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem has launched artistic careers, entertained and enlightened audiences, and most importantly, built community around artistic endeavor.”
Having kicked o its 91st season with Ken Ludwig’s send-up “Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure” earlier this month and its first home in the o ng, hopes are high for what the future of the Little Theatre holds.
“The simplest answer is another 90 years,” Pirolo said, “but beyond that, I would really like to see a commitment to introducing challenging scripts to Winston-Salem — plays that are perhaps not as well-known as much of what we see being produced at community theaters. I would really like to see original works produced, encouraging local and regional playwrights, and I would like to see the movers and shakers of the Triad — the money people — to recognize what a treasure they have and give it the same respect and support that they give to the symphony and opera.”
Lovett concurred. “I hope the theater will continue to thrive and grow,” he said. “With its recent purchase of the first building it has owned in its 90-year history, the theater is perfectly positioned to move forward — expanding educational opportunities and programs for youth, especially. I hope the new space will allow the theater to continue to produce some smaller plays that may not draw audiences as large as those produced at the Milton Rhodes Center, but will challenge audiences and provide opportunities for actors and directors, and with the success of ‘Escaping Dreamland’ and ‘A Christmas Carol,’ I hope the Little Theatre will continue to find ways to produce new works.”
“My hope is that we continue to grow exposure to theater for all members of the Triad community,” Joyce said, “[and] to be sure we continue to nurture the relationships with those who have made what we do possible and to maintain — or exceed — the high production standards our patrons would come to expect. I think it would also be great if we have the resources and flexibility to produce edgy, original, and even locally created material.”
For Irons, it’s simple: “Certainly to see another 90 years! I hope we continue to be a place where people can come together to be entertained and inspired.”
For more information, call 336-7254001 or visit the o cial Little Theatre website: https://www.ltofws.org/. !
BY KATEI CRANFORD
Fall is here, y’all. Leaves are fallin’ and the festivals are poppin’, both new and old.
Getting to the classics, the first weekend of October means it’s time for the 21st annual autumn round of the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, October 2-5, in Pittsboro. Triad favorites like Sam Fribush (who’ll pull double-duty in his organ trio and the Fonville x Fribush project with Corey Fonville) are among the lineup, along with Folkknot and N.C. favorites like The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Fancy Gap, ¡TUMBAO!, The Glorifying Vines Sisters, The Shoal Diggers, Josh Moore, and Onyx Club Boys. There’ll also be a touching “Rowdy Life” tribute show dedicated to the late hip-hop scholar (and Triad educator) J Rowdy.
Ripping into the new festival o erings, the inaugural Raleigh Wide Open will launch across downtown Oak City Oct. 3-4. Produced by PineCone, a “local nonprofit organization committed to preserving, presenting, and promoting roots music in the Triangle,” the lineup features a gamut of wide-spanning “roots” artists like Sonny Miles, Sunny War, Blue Cactus, Big Fat Gap, Holler Choir, Mason Via, Omar Ruiz-Lopez, Palmyra, Charly Lowry, Dom Flemons, and many more.
Things get jazzy down in Durham for the first-ever Missy Lane’s Block Party on Oct. 4. The Missy Lane’s Block is a ”bold reimagining of Dr. Cicely Mitchell’s Art of Cool Festival — bringing the spirit of Black music, culture, and community back to downtown Durham,” the party will host Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Teedra Moses, Bilal, and an expanse of curated nightlife at the ticketed event on the 300 block at Missy Lane’s. The festival is also o ering free community programming at the Durham County Main Library, with family activities, workshops, and discussions.
The following weekend is a free-for-all of festival delights. In Durham, the 9th Annual Beats N Bars Festival continues to advance a similar mission through a di erent genre set and the eponymous “beats and bars” on Oct. 10, with an indoor event at the Pinhook and an outdoor stage experience on Parrish Street (also known as Black Wall Street). Over at the Fruit, Slingshot Festival,
the international festival of music and electronic arts in the South, returns for its sixth edition, Oct. 10-12. Featuring dance, electronic, avant-pop, and experimental music from around the world — the festival will bring acclaimed Peruvian DJ and producer, Sofia Kourtesis, to North Carolina for the very first time, along with Grammy-nominated and British dancefloor tastemaker Special Request, the dark and dance-heavy Marie Davidson (Canada), Mexican producer Paurro, and Miami producer Nick León.
Looking to highlight North Carolina artists in tandem with welcoming international visitors, “many of the state’s most notable DJ’s and musicians such as GRRL and others, will be intermixing with and welcoming everyone,” organizers said, highlighting that the 2025 Slingshot Fest “isn’t all dancefloor.”
“This year, electronic and avant pop artists such as the acclaimed James K and the ambient and operatic R&B music of Niecy Blues, will join in,” they added, ”as well as the floaty melodics of ambient musician Lightbath and a variety of musicians who work with modular synthesis.”
On the modular ends, Matthew Cha (a D.C.-based electroacoustic musician from Seoul) is among the o cial Slingshot lineup, and he’ll be in Winston-Salem as part of the Slingshot Festival pre-party, at NCMA W-S on Oct. 3. The party marks the 10th installment of the museum’s Night Moods electronic concert series and features Cha along with NYC-based DJ Rose Kourts, Winston’s own DJ NÄTIVA, and visuals from B.L.E.W. (aka Greensboro-Raleigh synaesthetic video rat, Je Bechtel). Night Moods attendees can also snag discounted tickets to the Slingshot Festival the following weekend.
Meanwhile, the fourth annual Sleepy Fest from Sleepy Car Records rolls into the Haw River Ballroom on Oct. 11. Establishing itself as a community tradition in tandem with a platform to promote North Carolina musicians, organizers “take pride in using Sleepy Fest as a platform to promote the social justice work that is already happening in our community as well as the kind of thoughtful work we hope to encourage moving forward.”
Free programming, in the spirit of the long-running Saturdays in Saxapahaw
series, will take place at Haywagon Stage and Artisan Market, with ticketed performances on the main Ballroom Stage and in the Amphitheater. Greensboro’s Kill the Buddha and Quilla are among the lineup that also features Alice Gerrard, Made of Oak, Hard Drive, Stormie Daie, Joseph Terrell, Quran Karriem, Delver, Josh Moore, Lonnie Walker, Trippers & Askers, Sugaree String Society, Slow Teeth, Stella Rosalie Rosen, Ancestor Piratas, Brooks Emanuel, and more.
Down in Charlotte, the Confluence Industry Conference and Showcase Festival returns Oct. 8-10, with a focus on elements of the music industry during the day and nighttime blockparty programming at area venues, featuring artists like Ali Forrest, Blue Cactus, Dr. Bacon, Nia J, Oceanic, Sluice, Skylar Gudasz, and more.
Closer to the Triad, the inaugural Hook and Line Festival will o er a weekend celebration of the art, music, and impact of Odell and Joe Thompson, Oct. 10-11 at the Mebane Arts and Community Center and Mebane Community Park.
Headed by Grammy and Pulitzer Prizewinning musician, recording artist, and music scholar Rhiannon Giddens, the free events will feature a cavalcade of touring and community musicians, panels discussing history and heritage of old-time music, square dancing, frolic, food, music, and a formal dedication of the Knee to Knee statue by Brad Spencer, honoring Joe and Odell Thompson.
And in Elkin, the Milltown Get Down (Oct. 10-11) will build on the memories and music of Reevestock, o ering a fresh chapter in a well-loved story.
Founding artist Time Sawyer remains stitched into the lineup that features a mix of N.C. heavy-hitters and Triad favorites like The Nude Party, the Charlie Hunter Trio, Maia Kamil, Mason Via, Emanuel Wynter, Drew Foust and The Wheelhouse, Dashawn and Wendy Hickman, and many more!
In Greensboro, Oct. 18 is festival day with the long-running Tate Street Festival returning to bring art, music, and vendors stretching the titular street in the heart of College Hill. Music runs from 1 to 7 p.m., featuring returning favorites and newcomers alike, including: Dreemy, Katie Blvd, Laura Jane Vincent, J. Timber, TeleVolt, Dr. Shug, Corporate Fandango, Sugar Meat, Sonic Blooms, and Rabbit
Fighter. Plus, a new “Hidden Gems Unearthed,” special talent showcase hosted by the fabulous Don Ravonne.
Meanwhile, a few blocks over, the third annual FCS (Food Clothing Shelter) Fest also runs that afternoon, from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m., bringing a community-powered day of music, art, and giving back to the Back Table in downtown Greensboro. Serving as a drive for basic necessities, admission includes donations of nonperishable food, children’s coats (new or used), hygiene products, and menstrual products. Organizations like the GSO Working-class & Houseless Organizing Alliance, GSO Urban Ministry, and Food Not Bombs GSO, will be on-site, along with music and art vendors, including Soul Relief Records. Laura Jane Vincent will hop over from Tate Street to perform, along with artists like Drew Shamir, Sno the Maker, Zac Lassiter, holdenxcess, Eggy Strange, King M Dot, and more.
“Let’s come together for Music, Art, Fun, and community,” organizers said. “See you there!”
Let’s come together, indeed. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting crisper. There’s a bounty of music in the air. Happy Fall, Triad music lovers! !
KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Thursday Tour Report, a radio show that runs like a mixtape of bands touring NC the following week, 5:307pm on WUAG 103.1fm.
(Winston Salem, NC): Teaching mathematics at the undergraduate & graduate level. Conduct mathematics research leading to publication. Incidental travel to conferences, domestic & international, is expected. Reqs. incl. PhD in Math, or rel., & demonstrated study, research, scholarship, & teaching in the areas of mathematics.
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Ian McDowell
Contributor
When par-
ents die, they can leave things behind, tangible and intangible, that change their children’s lives.
For author Laura Carney, it was her father’s bucket list.
When Carney was 25, her father, Mick Carney, was killed by a driver who ran a red light while talking on a cellphone. Thirteen years later, she found his list of 60 things he wanted to do before he died. He’d begun it in 1978, the year she was born, and completed only six. As a way of connecting with him and processing her grief, Carney did the rest. The result was her acclaimed 2023 “My Father’s List: How Living My Dad’s Dreams Set Me Free.”
Now “My Father’s List” is Greensboro Public Library’s One City, One Book community read, hosting Carney for six weeks of readings, conversations, and workshops, as well as free screenings of movies her father loved.
“There’s something powerful in a bucket list, even if it’s not yours,” Carney said. “Living out my dad’s dreams for him helped me to not only accept his death,
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but also clean up unfinished business with him and appreciate all the wonderful things he gave me.”
Pursuing her father’s dreams led to Carney meeting Jimmy Carter, jumping out of an airplane, corresponding with Pope Francis, and recording a song made famous by a Muppet.
“The last item I checked o was ‘Have five songs recorded.’ I was nervous because I wasn’t a songwriter or the singer my dad was, but I chose songs with a personal meaning, that I remembered my dad singing most.”
One was “Rainbow Connection,” Kermit’s opening number in 1979’s The Muppet Movie. That’s how she became friends with Paul Williams, the Oscar and Grammy-winning composer, singer, and actor who co-wrote that film’s soundtrack with Kenneth Ascher.
“In 2022, I recorded vocals in my bedroom closet. It made me feel like, rather than someone taking my dad away, I was gently tucking him in. This mirrored his funeral, when my brother asked the organist to play “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral,” the Bing Crosby song my dad sang while tucking us in.”
Three months later, her brother sent her The Muppet Movie soundtrack as a birthday gift.
“I shared a picture of it on Instagram, set to my recording of ‘Rainbow Connection.’ A woman whose podcast I was on told me her neighbor was Paul Williams’s daughter. I emailed Sarah Williams to thank her for her dad’s song.”
This was shortly before CBS Sunday Morning aired a segment on Carney’s book, on which she sang “Rainbow Connection.” When Sarah Williams replied to Carney’s email, she said her father watched that segment.
“Two years later, when Greensboro o ered me the One City, One Book Award, we planned a film festival inspired by my book. I emailed Sarah and asked if her father might record a short intro to The Muppet Movie. ‘Why don’t you ask him yourself,’ replied Sarah, cc’ing her dad. It turns out Paul Williams lives by the magic of humility and kindness, just like my father did. Five days later, I was sitting across from Paul via Zoom. He gave me a two-hour interview. This is why I often teach my students, you never know until you try. I will share this story when we teach our letter-writing workshop on Oct.
16. In the meantime, the full interview is on bylauracarney.com/paulwilliams.”
The Muppet Movie, with a video introduction by Paul Williams, kicked o the One City, One Book Film Festival. Free screenings of more of her father’s favorite films continue through mid-November at the Hemphill Branch Library; with Wild at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9; The Wizard of Oz at noon on Oct. 12; The Sound of Music Sing-Along at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 18; Forrest Gump at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 6; and The Thin Man at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 15.
The films are just one example of how One City, One Book Greensboro 2025 expands the boundaries of literary events.
“Starting Oct. 8, we’ll do a fun experiment, a citywide Bucket List Challenge in Greensboro.”
For this, Carney worked with her partner Stacey Lauren, creator of the podcast “Do The Thing,” to modify the class they teach for Melissa Gilbert’s brand Modern Prairie.
“We’ll o er two weeks of daily online prompts that make you think more about your own list of life goals, and help you realize them. What we do for the women in Melissa Gilbert’s group is bigger than helping them tell their stories, though that’s important, too; we help them change the direction of their lives and how they view themselves. We are teaching them how to lead.”
On Oct. 7, An Evening with Laura Carney will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Piedmont Hall at 1921 W. Gate City Blvd. Carney will discuss her book in conversation with Donna Washington and Melanie Brooks. Afterwards, there will be a book signing with the author.
The Bucket List Challenge Kicko begins on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Glenn McNairy Branch of the Greensboro Library. After the live event, prompts and challenges will be posted to the Greensboro Public Library’s Facebook Page. The finale will be held at the library’s main branch at 219 N. Church St. at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 22, where it will be moderated by Dr. Love Jones, Human Rights Director for the City of Greensboro.
For details about these events and more One City, One Book programming, check “One City, One Book” at library. greensboro-nc.gov.
Along with being an author, journalist, copy-editor and illustrator, Carney advocates with the National Safety Council,
End Distracted Driving, the Safe Roads Alliance, and similar organizations to end distracted driving.
“I met my mentor in advocacy, Joel Feldman, when an article about him came across my desk at Good Housekeeping in 2013. This happened around the 10th anniversary of my dad’s passing.“ Feldman’s 21-year-old daughter Casey was killed while crossing a street when the driver of a tractor-trailer was distracted by his phone.
“As I copyedited the story, I realized for the first time that a phone call had been part of my dad’s death. I called Joel the next day and asked how I could help. He guided me, nine months later, through my first talk in a high school. Joel also encouraged me to write about my dad publicly.”
This allowed her to process grief by celebrating her father’s life, and gave her a new direction for her own.
“What I’ve always valued most about my profession is being a voice for the voiceless. So, I was never just honoring my dad in finishing this mission. I’ve always been honoring my friends’ loved ones, too. Deep down, we’re all the same. We all have dreams. And isn’t it lovely when they come true?” !
IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.
1 Slogan
6 Like horses o ered for breeding
12 “You played well!”
20 Knot on a tree branch
21 Like Lowell’s “day in June”
22 Anomalous
23 Creature in the Philippines’ capital?
25 Former British prime minister Benjamin
26 Geronimo or Cochise
27 Voting “no”
29 Final inning, usually
30 Best Picture of 2012
32 El — (1961 epic film)
33 Horse-drawn carriage in Angola’s capital?
37 Sobieski of the screen
39 — Plaines
40 Olympic swimmer Tom
41 Skating couples in France’s capital?
44 Like charged atoms
45 Pear variety
49 Melodramatic
50 Privy to
51 Massey of old movies
52 A iction for some war vets
56 Mineo of old movies
57 Pollen-bearing organ from a flower in Iran’s capital?
60 Golfer Hale
62 Insect’s egg capsule
64 Boise loc.
65 State Fair actor Ayres
66 Ring thrown at a peg in Ecuador’s capital?
72 Abbr. on a navy vessel
73 Website ID
74 Showed up at 76 Narratives
77 Feudal lords in Greece’s capital?
80 TV captain Jean- — Picard
83 Big shindig
Has to have
Like a desert
Workforce newcomer
Harper of No Country for Old Men
89 Doughnut-shaped
Small parasite in South Korea’s capital? 96 Primitive-based kind of diet
97 “OB-viously!” 98 Striped stinkers
69 Public square in Bolivia’s capital?
Comedian in Lesotho’s capital?
104 — Fridays (eatery chain)
Feudal toiler
“Who — thunk it?!”
Said “OK” to silently
Gym sweatboxes in the
Madrid’s land, to its
“It’s nobody — business”
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Week of October 6, 2025
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Someone from your past could arrive with welcome news concerning your future. Meanwhile, avoid taking sides in a workplace confrontation until you have more facts to go on.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A decision about a relationship could have longer-lasting consequences than you might imagine, so be sure of your facts before you act. A trusted friend can help.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A strained relationship could be restored with more personal contact between the two of you. Letting others act as your go-between only adds to the ongoing estrangement.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) New facts could mean taking a new path toward a goal you’ve been hoping to reach. However, be sure that all your questions are answered before you undertake to shift directions.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) This is
a good week for all you fine Felines to turn your attention to some important considerations such as your health, your job situation, and the status of important relationships.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Avoid making a quick decision about a matter that needs more study. Keep your mind open for possibilities, even if they don’t seem plausible — at least not yet.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might welcome the emphasis on openness in relationships that mark this period. But it’s a good idea to avoid sharing personal secrets with people you hardly know.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) There are still some questions that need to be asked and answered before you can feel confident enough to make a potentially life-changing decision.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Some lingering e ects
by Fifi Rodriguez
[1. TELEVISION: What was the name of the dog on The Brady Bunch?
[2. U.S. CITIES: Which major U.S. city was called Yerba Buena until 1847?
[3. GEOGRAPHY: Where is Bryce Canyon National Park located?
[4. HISTORY: Where did the Renaissance begin?
[5. MOVIES: What is the nickname of the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs?
[6. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the 20th president of the United States?
[7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many amendments are in the United States’ Bill of Rights?
[8. ASTRONOMY: What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?
[9. MUSIC: Which rock band sings the theme song to The Big Bang Theory?
[10. LITERATURE: What is the last name of the family in “Little Women”?
Barenaked Ladies.
Spiral.
The first 10 amendments (of 27 to date).
6. James A. Garfield.
from a now largely resolved workplace confrontation could make things difficult for you. Act on this before it becomes serious.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You feel like you’re finally in control of your own life after months of making compromises and concessions you never felt comfortable with. Congratulations!
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) No sooner do you decide to pass on one job offer than another suddenly turns up. This one might not have everything you’re looking for, but it’s worth checking out.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Congratulations! With Jupiter’s strong influence dominating this week, don’t be surprised if you get some good news about a troubling financial matter.
[BORN THIS WEEK: You are usually kind and loving, but you can be highly critical of those who don’t measure up to your high standards.
2025 by King Features Syndicate
Side by Side with Nido Qubein is a series of in-depth, 30-minute conversations with leaders, storytellers, and influential voices shaping North Carolina and beyond. Hosted by internationally known author, business consultant, and High Point University President Nido Qubein, each episode dives beneath the surface to reveal insights and inspiration from each special guest. Featuring timeless and topical themes, the program airs year-round on PBS North Carolina. Season Five begins October 7.
Boris Johnson
Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Writer October 7
Jane Seymour
Award-winning Actress, Author, and Producer October 14
Dr. John Maxwell #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, and Pastor October 21
