Editor’s Picks: Coming Up in COMO
Latin dance party, ‘Freund at Fifty,’ and the next Talking Horse New Play Festival
Dia De Los Muertos
Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) with Jonny Fuzion, KAAS, and Rafa Carta Friday night at The Blue Note. The Latin dance party begins at 8 p.m. and will go until 1 a.m.
Get more details and dive into the Latin dance vibe at thebluenote.com/event/dia-de-los-muertos-halloween/
Birthday for our Freund
Five original chamber music compositions created by renowned University of Missouri Professor of Composition Stefan Freund will be performed at a special “Freund at Fifty” concert on Saturday, November 2, in Columbia. The performance will also celebrate the cellist, composer, and conductor’s 50th birthday on October 31.
Freund will be joined on the program by fellow faculty members Rachel AuBuchon, Natalia Bolshakova, Eli Lara, Peter Miyamoto, Julie Rosenfeld, Leo Saguiguit, and Dan Willett, plus Siri Geenen and Carol Elliott, Columbia Civic Orchestra concertmaster and principal cellist, respectively.
The recital will be held at 7:30 p.m. November 2 in the Sinquefield Music Center’s Sheryl Crow Hall, 1101 University Avenue in Columbia. Admission is $5 for the public and free to University of Missouri students, faculty, and staff with ID.
Talking Horse’s fest turns 10
For the 10th year in a row, the Talking Horse Productions Starting Gate New Play Festival will debut brand-new works from local playwrights. The 2024 event will take place from November 8 through November 10.
For initial consideration, local playwrights submitted a 10-minute play. A panel reviewed and rated the submissions, with the top three playwrights invited to participate. Subsequently, the playwrights received a theme to interpret however they wished. All of this year’s plays are based on the words “above/below.”
According to a news release from Talking Horse Productions, Starting Gate is unique because the playwrights have two workshops where they can see their plays in action and receive feedback during their writing process. The playwrights attend both workshops, rehearsals, and the final performances in November.
“Starting Gate is a great entry into theatre, whether it is writing, acting, or directing. I know so many people who had their first experience with Starting Gate,” said Dana Bocke, Talking Horse board member and general manager of the festival. “Ten-minute plays are a great way to test the waters when you have an idea with potential for more. I also love that this year features three female-presenting playwrights.”
Talking Horse New Play Festival runs November 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and November 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 each. Talking Horse Productions is located at 210 St. James Street in downtown Columbia’s growing northeast arts district. Tickets are available online at www.TalkingHorseProductions.org
See all the great things happening in Columbia here.