In the Arts

Join the Seven Sisters as they travel back to the old South in the days of slavery in a riotous showentitled "A Stitch in Time" featuring song, dance, history, stories, skits and a display of quilts, as they depict the joys of sisterhood, the trials of slave life, and how quilting helped themcope.

Based on stories passed down through generations, theWilliams sisters educate all races, cultures and ages about the slaves' secret communication methods, touching the depth on every emotion through humor and song. Sit back while the sisters inform and entertain you. Great fun for the whole family. Sunday, Feb. 10, 2:30 p.m. atMiddletownMain Library.

Tickets are required for this free performance. Seating is limited. Pick up tickets at Library Reference Desk. MiddletownMain Library is located at 55NewMonmouthRoad. Formore information, call (732) 671-3700 ext. 320.

Soar Productions will present

"The Fantasticks," with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones, Feb. 8-23. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m., Feb. 8, 15, 22; and Saturdays, Feb 9, 16, 23, and Sunday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. The longest-running musical in theater history tells the simple story of a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall- with a score that has become a classic in the history of musical theater. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors and students. Performances are at 1110 Union Ave., Union Beach. For information or tickets call (732) 471- 8268.

More than 30 area artists will display their art at SicklesMarket, 1 Harrison Ave., Little Silver, during

Artists' Days, three consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 9, 16 & 23, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.Artwork will be for sale and artists will give demonstrations throughout the day. Take a winter reprieve and stroll through the colorful greenhouse stocked with spring flowers at Sickles Market while admiring the abundant local talent. Artists display their art free of charge. Sickles Market is a third generation family-owned market celebrating 100 years in business. For information, visit www.sicklesmarket. com.

"Grandma With a Gun"

Trinity Irish Dance Company will perform at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. Founded in 1990 to provide professional career opportunities for students of the prestigious Trinity Academy of Irish Dance in Chicago, the dancers' years of rigorous training are evident in every perfectly paced spin, leap and click, and the company has garnered an unprecedented number of team world titles for the U.S. in Irish dance. Tickets are $45-$20 at the box office, 99 Monmouth St., (732) 842- 9000, or www.countbasietheatre.org.

The Monmouth Conservatory of Music in Red Bank continues its Faculty Recital series at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, with a free concert of original piano music by local composer Julia Muench. Don't miss this opportunity to hear the musical artistry of this active composer. Muench is currently on the piano faculty at the conservatory. For more information about the recital, call the conservatory at (732) 741-8880 or visit www.monmouthconservatory. org.

"Singing"

Brookdale Community College's Visiting Writers Series - Spring 2008 will welcome Andre Dubus III Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. for the opening of the program series. His reading is in collaboration with Novel Brookdale and will be held at the Lincroft main campus, 765 Newman Springs Road.

Dubus is the author of a collection of short fiction, "The Cage Keeper and Other Stories," and novels "Bluesman" and "House of Sand and Fog," which was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. A $3 suggested donation is appreciated by the Creative Writing Club. For more information, contact Suzanne Parker at sparker@brookdalecc. edu or call (732) 224- 2650.

The Brush and Palette Art Guild will sponsor a series of classes, "Beach Scenes in Pastels," with Frank Csulak, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 22, and continuing Tuesday, March 4 and 11. Classes will be held 7-9 p.m. at the James Cullen Center, Union Avenue in Hazlet. Cost is $5 per class. New members welcome. For information, call Irene Neff at (732) 888-0993 or visit www.BrushAndPalette.org.

Brookdale Community College's Performing Art Center (PAC) Experimental Theater will swing for an evening of jazz improvisation by Art Deco. The Saturday, Feb. 23, concert will begin at 8 p.m. Brookdale's own innovative trio-inresidence features guitarist Doug Clark, bassist Gary Mazzaropi and trio founder and pianist, Joe Accurso.

Tickets are $17 for general admission, $15 for seniors age 62+ and $5 for Brookdale students with ID (limit of two; purchase at box office only.)

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at (732) 224-2411.

Brookdale Community College's Performing Art Center (PAC) will present "Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story" with book, music and lyrics by Stephen Dolginoff. Performances are

March 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. and March 8 and 9 afternoon at 2. & 7 p.m. The two-character musical drama recounts the true story of the about-to-be law students Leopold and Loeb, forever remembered as "the thrill killers" for their infamous 1924 murder of a young Chicago boy. Ticket prices are $10, $5 for Brookdale students with ID and a limit of two tickets purchased at the box office only. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the box office at (732) 224- 2411.

The Arts Coalition of Asbury Park has debuted its redesigned Web site, www.artscap.org, which aims to be the "one-stop shop" for all performing and visual arts in Asbury Park. Among the new features of www.artscap.org is an events calendar system of all upcoming events in Asbury Park, including concerts, art gallery installations, plays, film presentations, poetry readings and more. The site also generates bimonthly emails to list subscribers.

The Web site also provides links to notices and articles about artists and events in Asbury Park found in other Web sites and provides information about artscap as well as ways for people to get involved in artscap and its activities.

A new theater company ReVision Theatre, is in the formative stages in Asbury Park and organizers are seeking members.

The vision of Producing Artistic Directors Tom Morrissey, Stephen Bishop Seely and David Leidholdt is to found a professional regional theatre company "dedicated to producing invigorating theatre with a fresh new perspective reaching the diverse community of Asbury Park and Monmouth County." As a home for local artists and writers, the Revision Theatre will offer classes for children and adults and produce readings, workshops and mainstage productions.

For more information, visit www.Re- VisionTheatre.org or call (732) 775-0635.

Auditions for the "The Vagina Monologues," a production by Brookdale Community College Student Health Center and The Lincroft Business & Professional Women's Group, will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 1 & 2, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank, in the upstairs rehearsal room. Scripts will be provided at the audition. Performances will be held at Brookdale's Warner Student Life Center Navesink rooms, 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft. Show dates and times will be Friday, March 28, at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 29, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 30, at 4 p.m. For more information, call (732) 224-2106.

The themes of the February juried exhibit at theArtAlliance ofMonmouth County Gallery in Red Bank are "The Square Show" (works must be a square or cube), and "Road ... ." Juror is Charles Sills, whose large canvases (shown) will be displayed in the window gallery space. The show opened Saturday, Feb. 2, at the gallery, 33 Monmouth St. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For information, call (732) 842-9403. The Art Alliance is an all-volunteer co-op gallery dedicated to providing exhibition and studio space for area artists. Membership is open to all, and all media are represented. Learn more at www.artallianceofmonmouth. org.