Community Calendar

The University of West Florida Department of Theatre presents “Akeelah and the Bee.” Performances will be held November 1, 2, and 3 and November 8, 9 and 10 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. All performances will take place in the Mainstage Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus.

Tackling the universal struggles of adolescence, community and belonging, “Akeelah and the Bee” was adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West, based on Doug Atchison's original screenplay.
In a city where being book-smart gets you nowhere and being street-smart is essential, 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson feels trapped. She is brilliant, but her home life often makes school feel like a chore. When Akeelah finds herself winning her school’s spelling bee, her book-smart brain is suddenly on display for the world to see. Determined to find meaning in spelling, she sets her sights on the National Spelling Bee. Will passion and determination be enough for Akeelah to take home the coveted win? Or will struggling to connect with her peers, family and community be the true challenge?

In addition to being an accomplished actress and director, Marci Duncan, Director of the production, serves as the Director of Acting and an Assistant Professor of Acting at UWF. Duncan is currently in her eighth year of teaching and continues to be an active director, performing both on stage and on screen. Her credits include professional camera appearances for Disney, Verizon Wireless, Neaxium Films and Lifetime TV. Among her credits include roles in the Lifetime TV Network movie, “Life is not a Fairytale: Fantasia Barrino Story” and the urban drama, “Just Another Day.” Most recently, Duncan was featured in the NBC comedy “Young Rock”, the one-woman show, “Florida Girls”, at Emerald Coast Theatre Company as well as directing “The Mountaintop” and James Webb’s award-winning play, “The Contract” at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, VA. As playwright and actor, Duncan tours frequently in her award-winning original play “DISSONANCE.” In addition to her performing and directing work, Duncan also provides actor coaching through her acting studio, Artists at Play.

Duncan currently chairs the Southeastern Theatre Conference Auditions Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Florida A&M and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Florida.

From Broadway showstoppers to Disney favorites, a cappella sensation Voctave brings their gorgeous harmonies to beloved songs in "The Corner of Broadway & Main Street." It's a treat for music lovers of all ages, presented by the Choral Society of Pensacola and Foo Foo Festival 2024.

Formed in 2015 by producer and arranger Jamey Ray, the eleven-member vocal ensemble hails from Central Florida and features professional singers representing diverse backgrounds, training, and experience. Group members have professional roots in Walt Disney World entertainment, but their range encompasses gospel, musical theatre, contemporary Christian, barbershop, pop, and other styles. Their family-friendly repertoire ranges from show tunes and songs from Disney movies to selections from the Great American Songbook and holiday classics. Voctave has toured around the world and performed with Grammy, Dove, and American Music Award winners. They’ve released ten albums, available digitally on all platforms and on CD, with multiple #1 songs on Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify.

Rev. John Dukes, an Episcopal Priest, psychotherapist, and church consultant, will be our guide as we integrate ecology and theology, explore our spirituality, and experience spiritual growth and transformation.

As a living exhibition, the works and curation of the gallery space will continue growing as viewers are invited to participate in the art-making process. UWF and the surrounding communities are can visit TAG, in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus to view and interact with the exhibition. Public workshops, facilitated by Jarrod Goldman and inspired by game-based art activities, will take place in TAG from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13th. DRAW TOGETHER: A Living Exhibition will run Oct. 17 through Nov. 21.. The final iteration of the exhibition can be viewed during the closing reception, held in TAG on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

TAG at UWF seeks to challenge, stimulate, and engage students and the greater public through direct interaction with modern and contemporary artworks.

"FALLing for Roses" Yes, roses are grown in Florida! and they bloom during the fall as well as spring.
Each year a FREE exhibition, of roses grown by members of the Pensacola Rose Society, is open to the public.
The location this year is St. Luke's United Methodist Church,1394 E. 9 Mile Rd., Pensacola, Fl 32514
Saturday, November 9, 2024 from 1 until 4 p.m.

Founded in the Spring of 1981, the Pensacola Rose Society is an affiliate of the local Federation of Gardens in Pensacola and the national American Rose Society.

LIZZIE: THE MUSICAL is an electrifying, wall-rattling, rock musical. It is a unique retelling of the saga of Lizzie Borden, who in 1892 was tried and acquitted of two murders in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her story, an infamous tale in American Folklore, has been the subject of many films, novels, and even a popular children’s jump rope jingle. The cult status of Lizzie Borden is such that the house where the Borden family lived and where the murders took place, has become one of the most popular “Haunted Bed and Breakfasts” in the country. While the innocence of Lizzie Borden has long been debated and no one was ever convicted of the murders, Lizzie Borden has consistently remained the main suspect.

PenArts, Pensacola's professional theatre company, is thrilled to bring this musical to Pensacola for the first time ever. It will be presented at The Gordon (306 N DeVilliers St). There is a free parking lot adjacent to The Gordon as well as free street parking. The doors to the lobby will open at 7pm.

Tickets: www.penarts.org

The University of West Florida Department of Theatre presents “Akeelah and the Bee.” Performances will be held November 1, 2, and 3 and November 8, 9 and 10 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. All performances will take place in the Mainstage Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus.

Tackling the universal struggles of adolescence, community and belonging, “Akeelah and the Bee” was adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West, based on Doug Atchison's original screenplay.
In a city where being book-smart gets you nowhere and being street-smart is essential, 11-year-old Akeelah Anderson feels trapped. She is brilliant, but her home life often makes school feel like a chore. When Akeelah finds herself winning her school’s spelling bee, her book-smart brain is suddenly on display for the world to see. Determined to find meaning in spelling, she sets her sights on the National Spelling Bee. Will passion and determination be enough for Akeelah to take home the coveted win? Or will struggling to connect with her peers, family and community be the true challenge?

In addition to being an accomplished actress and director, Marci Duncan, Director of the production, serves as the Director of Acting and an Assistant Professor of Acting at UWF. Duncan is currently in her eighth year of teaching and continues to be an active director, performing both on stage and on screen. Her credits include professional camera appearances for Disney, Verizon Wireless, Neaxium Films and Lifetime TV. Among her credits include roles in the Lifetime TV Network movie, “Life is not a Fairytale: Fantasia Barrino Story” and the urban drama, “Just Another Day.” Most recently, Duncan was featured in the NBC comedy “Young Rock”, the one-woman show, “Florida Girls”, at Emerald Coast Theatre Company as well as directing “The Mountaintop” and James Webb’s award-winning play, “The Contract” at Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, VA. As playwright and actor, Duncan tours frequently in her award-winning original play “DISSONANCE.” In addition to her performing and directing work, Duncan also provides actor coaching through her acting studio, Artists at Play.

Duncan currently chairs the Southeastern Theatre Conference Auditions Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre from Florida A&M and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Florida.

As a living exhibition, the works and curation of the gallery space will continue growing as viewers are invited to participate in the art-making process. UWF and the surrounding communities are can visit TAG, in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the Pensacola campus to view and interact with the exhibition. Public workshops, facilitated by Jarrod Goldman and inspired by game-based art activities, will take place in TAG from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13th. DRAW TOGETHER: A Living Exhibition will run Oct. 17 through Nov. 21.. The final iteration of the exhibition can be viewed during the closing reception, held in TAG on Thursday, Nov. 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

TAG at UWF seeks to challenge, stimulate, and engage students and the greater public through direct interaction with modern and contemporary artworks.

309 Punk Project brings the spectacle to the streets during NIGHT ON THE TRACKS with an array of lively arts and culture events along the railroad tracks near Downtown Pensacola.

See the NOTT Google Map for details: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7C8CAnQEoitutYih9

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/418751753891427/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22groups_highlight_units%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

NIGHT ON THE TRACKS features a menagerie of experiences, including a Night Market, film festival, live music, live entertainment such as puppet shows and circus acts, a sculpture installation, an illuminated experience, food trucks, and a participatory parade that will snake through the festivities, enlivening each event in turn.

Entertainment is offered at staggered times and is interspersed throughout the area.

🌟 The PARTICIPATORY PARADE is a celebratory, community-oriented, immersive experience. Featuring a drum line and puppet troupe, the parade will traipse through the Night on the Tracks event starting at 3pm. Attendees are invited to step out of the observer role and into the participant role by joining the parade, wearing a costume or colorful attire, making or bringing their own props, carrying a puppet, playing an instrument, and/or decorating their bike, wheelchair, wagon, or stroller. Parade gathers at 230pm and kicks off at 3pm at 813 E LaRua St for a half-mile walk.

🌟 NIGHT ON THE TRACKS FILM FEST hosted by Calliope Films features short films from local, national, and international filmmakers. Films are presented in blocks that range from 45 minutes to 90 minutes in length starting at 115pm with breaks at 2pm, 315pm and 515pm so that attendees can enjoy other aspects of the Night on the Tracks events. Submissions to the film festival are now open on FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/NightOnTheTracks. 1-730pm. Culinary Productions, 201 E Wright St. All ages with parental discretion.

🌟 OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC featuring a solo performance by guitarist and vocalist KEVN KINNEY, lead singer and songwriter for the Atlanta band Drivin N Cryin. 130-330pm. From the Ground Up Community Garden, 501 N Hayne St. Free (love offering accepted). All ages.

🌟 STREETSIDE SCULPTURE exhibition by JENNIE ANDREWS and ART SHOW BY FAMOUS GABE presented by the 309 Punk Project. 3-7pm. The Rails on Wright Street, 502 E Wright St. Free. All ages.

🌟 NIGHT MARKET with artisans, crafts, vintage clothing, collectibles, gifts, food trucks, and community resources. During the market, Birds of a Feather and Bread Box Puppet Troupe will perform Acts of Puppetry, and members of URU Yoga Studio will perform colorful, jaw-dropping circus acts. 3-7pm, The Rails on Wright Street, 502 E Wright St. Free. All ages.

🌟 ILLUMINATE: LIGHT, an encounter with light featuring RGB light mixing, a light pendulum, phosphorescence, an infrared camera, and UV fluorescing rocks. 3-7pm, Pensacola MESS Hall, 418 E Wright St. Free. All ages.

🌟 POSTPUNK SHOW featuring Show Me the Body (New York) with MSPAINT (Hattiesburg, MS) and The Mid Evil Times (Pensacola). 7-11:45pm (doors at 7, music at eight). The Handlebar, 319 N Tarragona St. Tickets will be available for advance purchase at https://thehandlebar850.com/ or at the door while supplies last. 21+ only.

As part of the Foo Foo Fest lineup, Jazz for Justice is a free community event presented by Legal Services of North Florida featuring the smooth sounds of New Orleans jazz! Enjoy family fun activities, food trucks, and a VIP lounge is also available for an upscale experience. Legal Services of North Florida provides no cost civil legal assistance to vulnerable individuals across Northwest FL, currently serving 16 counties.