GBU Movie Review: The Grinch

2018 PG 1h 26min Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Pharrell Williams, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury. See it if you enjoy: Christmas movies, Kids movies, Illumination Films. Skip it if you prefer: Excellent animation, original versions, Pixar. The Good: My nine-year-old son enjoyed the movie and there was a lot of laughter... Read More

Arts + Music, Smokestack Theatre Company

December 12, 2018

STC in the Spotlight! with Justin Hall

Justin Hall Costume Shop Supervisor Averett University STC: What made you interested in theatre? Justin: When I was a kid growing up in Georgia, I loved going to the movies and to see plays. My mom would take my sister and I to the Puppetry Arts Center in Atlanta, to see storytellers at our public... Read More

Arts + Music, Smokestack Theatre Company

December 12, 2018

GBU Movie Review: Suspiria

2018 R 2h 32min Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller Director: Luca Guadagnino Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mia Goth See it if you enjoy: Slow Burn, Disturbing Imagery, Artsy, Cults, Witches. The Witch, Hereditary, Mother!, Black Swan, Drag Me to Hell, The Evil Dead, The Haunting of Hill House. Skip it if you... Read More

Arts + Music, Smokestack Theatre Company, Web Exclusive

November 20, 2018

Movie Review: Beautiful Boy

2018 R 2h Biography, Drama Director: Felix van Groeningen Cast: Steve Carell, Timothée Chalamet, Maura Tierney, Amy Ryan See it if you enjoy: Drama, Biographies, Addiction, Oscar Movies, Cultural Issues. Manchester by the Sea, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Dallas Buyers Club. Skip it if you prefer: Fun Movies, Blockbusters, Happy Endings, Romantic Comedies... Read More

Smokestack Theatre Company

November 15, 2018

Area High Schools Take the Stage

Every day young people work hard to make a mark on the world. The young people in this area also strive for greatness. The students in Southside Virginia are driven but often deprived of creative opportunities. Students always need more chances to explore their creative outlets and showcase their talents. Performing at the high school... Read More

Arts + Music, Smokestack Theatre Company

October 20, 2018

Smokestack Theatre’s “Ghosts and Gravestones” Brings History to Life

With Halloween around the corner, many different ghostly attractions will open their doors to the public. Smokestack Theatre Company, however, decided to take a different, more historical approach to the holiday by hosting historical tours in the Grove Street Cemetery called “Ghosts and Gravestones.” The event lasts from Thursday, October 25 to Saturday, October 27... Read More

Arts + Music, Smokestack Theatre Company

October 9, 2018

Smokestack Theatre: Bringing Art Back

Passion, in its truest form, is sensory. Passion is meant to be seen, it is meant to be heard; it is meant to be felt. Passion is what The Smokestack Theatre Company is built upon. Danville’s River District welcomed The Smokestack Theatre Company (STC) to the community in September. At its roots, STC is a... Read More

Arts + Music, Culture, Smokestack Theatre Company

August 2, 2018

The Journey Along Smith River

Gathering volume below Bassett, the Smith River meanders through Henry County, channeled by historic structures such as a Native American fish weir, rocky navigation sluices and diversions for water intakes along the industrial corridor. At times of normal water flows, this section is rated as suitable for novices and low to intermediate paddlers. Mid-way down... Read More

Arts + Music, Local

June 8, 2018

Out Of This World: A look at the Space Festival at VMNH

Space. We’ve all dreamed of it, but few of us have ever had the opportunity to venture into the final frontier. On Saturday, June 16, the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville is set to bring us all closer to our unrealized, intergalactic dreams, when it hosts its first-ever Space Festival from 9 a.m.... Read More

Arts + Music, Culture, Local

May 9, 2018

Preserving Firefighter History Through Art

For the past 13 years, Billy Scearce, Jr. has been a captain with the Danville Fire Department at Station 6 on Westover Drive. He began his career protecting the residents of Danville in 1981 with the Danville Sheriff’s Office where he spent seven years as a deputy sheriff. ” I had the opportunity to switch... Read More

Arts + Music, Culture, Local, People