Guest storyteller: Kashmira Sheth

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Musician Sean Gaskell will combine a music and educational presentation on the West Africa Kora, a 21-string harp native to the Mandinka people and dating back 300 years.  Between songs, he will talk about the Kora, how it is built, who plays it, what its cultural significance is, and what it was like to live in the Gambia while he studied with master Kora players.

Wisconsin Film Festival Sneak Peeks

You're invited to one of four free previews of this year's Wisconsin Film Festival (March 30 - April 6, 2017) happening throughout Dane County in March of 2017. Watch trailers from this year's films, learn about the ins and outs of the Festival from Festival organizers, and bring your questions about this year's festival.

View all programs in this series.

The Life and Music of Charlie Parker. Join us for this informative and entertaining event featuring UW-Madison's Professor of Saxophone Les Thimmig.  Professor Thimmig will discuss the importance of Charlie Parker and the history of bebop jazz, and will also offer short musical performances!

This program is part of Madison Opera's Extending the Stage: Charlie Parker's Yardbird (performances will be 2/10 & 2/12).

An Evening of Rare Jazz Films

Jazz historian Gary Alderman will present and explain films of the historically-significant innovators of modern jazz, including the only two existing videos with sound of Charlie Parker. Among the other musicians shown will be those relevant to Parker’s music and career, including Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sonny Sitt, and Cannonball Adderly. ​

Play Club extends a successful Forward Theater Co. program into the library world.  Through Play Club, participants receive a copy of FTC's current play to read, after which participants engage in discussion, which includes watching live scene work of the play by actors working with a director.  Participants will have the opportunity to engage in conversation with one another and the performers to reach a greater understanding of the play, its issues and struggles, and how a piece is brought from a written work to life.