Report card from the trenches: the ‘Solving Sacramento’ experiment 16 months in
By Scott Thomas Anderson “Is there no play, To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?” Shakespeare pondered in Act III of ‘A Midsummer Night’s…
Read MoreRebooting the Arts
Sacramento’s theaters hit hard by declining audiences, face serious challenges ahead
Several are struggling, though Sacramento Theatre Company is reportedly in the murkiest of waters By Patti Roberts The news that iconic theaters across the country…
Creativity in the Capital: Sacramento artists Peter Petty and Mike Rodriguez talk about identity, representation and the peaks and valleys of the creative process
By Casey Rafter Peter Petty is a Sacramento-based band leader who celebrates swing music with a repertoire that includes jazz, blues, holiday favorites and uproarious…
Creativity in the Capital: Faith J. McKinnie and Gerry “GOS” Simpson discuss Sacramento’s art scene, Black artist visibility and how it can be improved
By Katerina Graziosi Faith J. McKinnie and Gerry “GOS” Simpson laugh often and easily throughout a recent Zoom conversation. They have been friends since 2019…
Neon city lights: Reliving and passing down personal cinematic experiences in Sacramento
The Crest and The Tower each bring their own touch to the city’s cultural life, but after the pandemic, one is struggling with its future…
Creativity in the Capital: Josh Fernandez and Frank Stockton talk artistic struggles, commitment to craft and how to carry on
By Sena Christian On a recent Monday morning, with finally a break in the rain, Josh Fernandez and Frank Stockton met for the first time…
The Iron 88: After almost nine decades, Sacramento appreciates the past and ponders the future of Old Ironsides
The venue that launched a thousand bands is now midway through a potential sale By Jennah Booth Kim Kanelos calls herself the “black sheep” of…
Dancing in place: The ups and downs Sacramento’s next generation of dancers faced as California staggered through the pandemic
By Patti Roberts Dance is both a personal and a collective art – live performances a melding of the two. On stage, dancers have a…
‘Infinity’ live: Sacramento’s Loose Engines and Two Rivers Cider plan a new festival for re-shaping creative connections
March 19 fest at Hollywood Park cider house includes multiple bands, chefs and artists of all stripes By Casey Rafter With the first-ever Infinity…
‘Capture the chaos’ – Sacramento photographer Cam Evans keeps illuminating the city’s most exciting artists and shows
By Casey Rafter Sweat was everywhere. On a misty stage at Harlow’s last October, Henri Cash and Arrow de Wilde of the band Starcrawler seem…
The show DID go on: How passion, tech and resolve saved local college theater programs during the pandemic
By Patti Roberts In spring of 2020, Folsom Lake College’s Theatre Arts department was in the middle of planning and producing various drama projects when…
From big upheaval to Little Saigon, the artists of Sacramento’s Vietnamese-American community yield powerful voices
Creatives of all sorts originated from nearly 8,000 miles away, but are thriving in California’s capital By Casey Rafter Citrus zest carries on wisps…
Orchestrating above the chaos: Part I on teaching performing arts in Sacramento during COVID
By Patti Roberts Performing arts such as theater, orchestra and dance are usually done before a live audience – and often based on a wide…
House of a thousand laughs: Comedy at Sacramento’s ‘Orange House’ hints at new possibilities in entertainment
By Luis Gael Jimenez “Everything you see was either found, built, or stolen,” David Samuel says, taking a drag from a spliff.His long mustache hides…
Sacramento’s Mr. P Chill keeps up the crate diggin’ and spittin’ rhymes
By Casey Rafter One of Sacramento’s longest-running hip hop performers is a tall-ass white dude with a goatee. That description – along with a hat,…
Hips don’t lie: Belly dancer Bridggett Bess charms Sacramento with a life of storytelling through the arts
She dances, sings and acts: Whether taking the stage as Badia, or grabbing the mic as Pandora Gunn, Bess sees no limits to connecting with…
Theater creator takes his final bow in Sacramento
Buck Busfield looks back on decades of bringing life to the local stage By Patti Roberts After more than 35 years as one of the…