This Syrian brown bear (Ursus arctos syriacus) at the Budapest Zoo is part of Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark project. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list.
Joel Sartore’s Photo Ark project is the inspiration behind the current production at the Rose Theater. The show’s creators hope to help kids understand the importance of protecting species like the critically endangered half-day-old hatchling leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).
Photographer Joel Sartore says he never imagined he’d be the subject of a stage play.
Sartore is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who works for National Geographic. He’s known for his Photo Ark project, an effort to document endangered species before they disappear.
The project inspired Omaha playwright Ellen Struve to create “How to Build an Ark: Searching for Joel Sartore,” onstage at the Rose Theater through Feb. 21. An online version of the show should be available in about a week.
“When I found out about the play, I was flattered,” Sartore said. “I thought, ‘I can’t wait to tell my wife so she’ll say ‘Oh, now you’re even harder to live with.’”
The play centers on Vita, a girl who has an affinity for anything endangered. She is encouraged by her mom to take pictures of animals and insects in the park so she can look forward to seeing them later.
When a butterfly appears, Vita tries to shoot its picture but she’s unsuccessful. Camera, an anthropomorphic character, magically appears to give Vita a new perspective on wildlife and the world.
They travel together through the National Geographic Photo Ark, encountering a frog, naked mole rats and more. At one point, dozens of Sartore’s images are projected across the stage.
The show’s creators hope to help kids understand how the actions of humans have an impact on all the world’s creatures and how to help animals whenever it’s possible.
“That’s what the Photo Ark is built for … We’re really hoping to give a voice to the voiceless,” Sartore said in a press release.
Rose Artistic Director Matthew Gutschick is the show’s director. He said producing it during the pandemic has been a challenge. Rehearsals for the small cast were both in-person and online, blocking was created to accommodate distancing, and actors wear clear masks that have been incorporated into their costumes.
Safety protocols, including a mask requirement, are in place at the theater near 20th and Farnam Streets. Rose personnel monitor the level of COVID-19 cases in the city and if numbers spike, they will cancel performances and either reschedule or make the virtual show available to people who hold in-person tickets.
Tickets are $20 a piece for the in-person performance and $30 per family for a digital link. Visit rosetheater.org or call 402-345-4849 for more information.
Joslyn Castle plans Speakeasy Series, Valentines date night
You can raise your spirits at Joslyn Castle on Thursday nights from February through May.
The Speakeasy Series will feature alcohol tastings and guidance from local experts Alzuri, at Spirit World, and Kari Korenchen.
Patrons attend the Joslyn Castle’s Speakeasy Series in 2019. The event features tastings of various liquors with expert commentary. One thing featured this year is agave.
The schedule:
Feb. 18: Gin. Monks first made it from juniper berries as a medicinal liquor. Alzari will feature some of the many varieties available today.
March 18: Agave and Mexican Spirits, from tequila to mezcal and beyond, with Korenchen.
April 15: Bourbon, with Korenchen, who is an executive bourbon steward.
May 13: Whiskey tour, featuring varieties from Japan, Israel, India and France, with Alzari.
Tickets are $75 for each event for Castle non-members and $67.50 for members. Registration is required.
“A Little Dinner Music,” with a themed menu, a signature cocktail and live performers, is Feb. 13. Cellist David Downing will play selections from Johann Sebastian Bach to Leonard Cohen. Tickets are $100 for non-members and $90 for members. Registration is required. Visit joslyncastle.com for information.
Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center reopens with new exhibit
“Ruinous Microcosm,” a new art installation by Jave Yoshimoto, now is showing at the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center.
The center had been closed but opened again on Jan. 22 with new safety measures and reduced capacity. An opening reception was held that night and the exhibit will be up through April 10.
Yoshimoto was born in Japan to Chinese parents and came to the U.S. at a young age. He has traveled and lived in various states. He creates art that is socially conscious and true to his authentic self.
His works include elements of satire and politics and themes of tragedy and hope. They’ve been featured in numerous publications such as the Huffington Post, Guernica Magazine and the Chicago Tribune.
“Yoshimoto’s work is extremely accessible and visually stunning,” said Danna Kehm, CEO of Pottawattamie Arts Culture and Entertainment, which operates the Hoff Center. “You can feel the struggle and emotion in his contemporary depictions of modern disasters.”
PACE plans virtual tours, social media outreach and online classes in conjunction with the exhibition. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. People who are interested in classes or want to register to attend the exhibit can visit paceartsiowa.org/calendar or call 712-890-5600.
Opera Omaha releases new entry in Black experience series
You Go Girl, a local group that works to empower, encourage and inspire girls and women, partnered with Opera Omaha on the latest entry in the musical organization’s series, Amplifying the Black Experience.
The music video, posted at operaomaha.org, features former Holland Community Opera Fellow Chabrelle Williams singing “Hold Fast to Dreams” as girls display signs stating their career aspirations.
Another video in the series, a discussion entitled “Black American Truths,” also is on the Opera Omaha website. Williams and Melanie Bacaling, a production and digital content associate for Boston Lyric Opera, are curators of the series.
Its mission statement says it “seeks to honor, celebrate and bring awareness to the multifaceted stories of the Black community.”
Our best Omaha staff photos of January 2021
An empty seating area is seen through a window at Mr. Toad's Pub in the Old Market.
Snow blankets a neighborhood near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.
'GBR', for 'Go Big Red', is written with footprints in the snow near Standing Bear Lake in Omaha on Friday, January 29, 2021.
Snow covers cars and Blondo Street east of Northwest Radial Highway on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. The Omaha area recorded almost 12 inches of snow the day before.
Steve Snow (yes, really) uses a tractor to clear his driveway in Bennington on Tuesday. The Omaha area recorded almost a foot of snow the day before, which lefts roads slick in many spots.
Juan Lentz walks north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.
Juan Lentz pauses while walking north on 42nd Street towards Leavenworth Street during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021. Lentz estimated he had gone about four miles on his five mile walk. He normally takes the bus, but the winter weather canceled bus service, so he had to walk home.
Rob Baum, 68, takes a break from shoveling the sidewalk near his home along Davenport Street in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. At least a half-foot of snow is expected in the Omaha-metro on Monday.
Eliza Rijal, 10, her brother Aryan Rijal, 11, and their neighbor Jordan Rine, 7, run in the snow by their homes near 170th and Fort Streets in Omaha on Monday, January 25, 2021. Forecasters were expecting 10-12 inches of snow in the Omaha-metro area on Monday.
Two people hold hands while walking south on Madison Street toward 27th Avenue in Bellevue during a winter storm warning on Monday, January 25, 2021.
Diesel, a 3-year-old tiger born in Moscow, eats raw ground beef in his enclosure at the Simmons Safari Park in Ashland.
Billy Bluejay reacts to a call against Creighton.
Omaha's McKenna Ruch spikes the ball past the fingertips of Creighton's Jaela Zimmerman in the UNO vs. Creighton volleyball game at the Sokol Arena at Creighton University in Omaha on Friday, January 22, 2021. The Jays won the match in three sets.
Rose Pokorny and her son Ryan Pokorny look through an old plat map book at their business, RK’s Bar and Grill, in Malmo on Friday.
Sydney Sehi’s plant collection has grown to between 75 and 100 since she and husband Sam recently purchased a house in Benson. At top left, a, Monstera deliciosa albo, one of Sehi’s specialty plants. At right, visitors can brew up the perfect mix for their plant at Nodest in downtown Omaha.
Mike West looks over orders at Dirty Birds inside The Switch Beer and Food Hall in Omaha. The pickled fried chicken place is doing brisk business its first month of operation.
Players gather UNO goalie Isaiah Saville before the start of their game at Baxter Arena on Wednesday, December 09, 2021. Saville has "BLM" and a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. on his helmet.
Thomas Wilkins conducts the Omaha Symphony in a performance at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021.
UNO's Claire Killianm left, tries to keep South Dakota State's Regan Nesheim from passing the ball late in the game at Baxter Arena on Friday, January 15, 2021.
A Nebraska license plate is seen covered in snow during a blizzard in Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.
Snow falls in front of a mural near 60th Street and Ames Avenue as a blizzard whips through Omaha on Friday, January 15, 2021.
Jon Jacobs cleans the snow off of his car in downtown Omaha as residents woke up to a blizzard warning on Friday, January 15, 2021. Jacobs works downtown.
About 50 Creighton students were moved into other campus housing after a ricin scare at Davis Square apartments late Thursday.
Jody Weible, a former member of Mead’s Village Planning Board, said she has developed a persistent cough because she lives near the town’s AltEn Ethanol plant. “You can’t open your windows; you can’t hang your clothes on the line,” she said.
Creighton's Shereef Mitchell takes off on a fast break as St. John's Vince Cole, left, and Greg Williams Jr. pursue in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.
Creighton's Alex O'Connell gets hit by a ball as St. John's Rasheem Dunn falls over while trying to grab the loose ball in the first half on Saturday, January 09, 2021.
Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner dunks the ball against Seton Hall's Ike Obiagu.
Seniors Aysha Ridley and Quintin Idt work during a math readiness class at Gretna High School. The class is in partnership with Metro Community College.
Deer walk through snow at Zorinsky Lake in Omaha on Thursday, January 07, 2021.
A snowball is thrown at a counterprotester driving by on K Street on the north side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Wednesday. Protesters had gathered to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Fog begins to lift as the downtown Omaha skyline starts to appear as viewed from the Lincoln Monument in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Monday, January 04, 2021.
The front room at the Hepburn home. Megan loves using color; she thinks it’s more fun for daughters Harriet and Georgie. She painted the flower picture.
The Holiday Lights Festival’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular fireworks show filled the sky over downtown Omaha Thursday.
elizabeth.freeman@owh.com, 402-444-1267
Betsie Freeman
Betsie covers a little bit of everything for The World-Herald's Living section, including theater, religion and anything else that might need attention. Phone: 402-444-1267.
