Gold Top County Ramblers
2023-08-17 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Sperryville River District, River Lane, Sperryville, VA, 22740, United States
Sperryville Summer Concert Series

Gold Top County Ramblers—Bluegrass’esque String Rock band out of Sperryville, Va.
The band members include:
Adam Rogers – vocals,mandolinJesse Rogers – bassMatt Davis – BanjoJames Reid – drumsEvan Childress – fiddle

Auditions for Sleeping Beauty
2023-08-25 19:00 - 21:00, 2023-08-26 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-09-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Old RAAC Theatre, 310 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22747, United States
RAAC Community Theatre will hold auditions for its annual holiday play, Sleeping Beauty, on 3 days in August & September:

Friday, August 25, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 26, 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Sunday, September 3, 1:00 – 3:00 pm.

This year’s play is a fun and funny adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. “As usual, it’s a cast-of-thousands production and everyone is welcome to audition regardless of age or experience. There are roles for kids and adults,” says director Patty Hardee. All auditions will be held at the Ki Theatre (old RAAC Theatre), 310 Gay St, Washington. Questions? Email Patty Hardee at pahardee@gmail.com.

Romeo and Juliet
2023-09-10 17:00 - 20:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
The Cambridge University American Stage Tour (CAST) returns to perform Romeo and Juliet at the Little Washington Theatre. This production of Romeo and Juliet takes place in a world very different from fair Verona. In a futuristic setting in the year 2123, the rival houses of Capulet and Montague fight to survive and gain control over the territory. In the midst of such chaos and bloodshed is a tender love story that fights against the odds and shows the beauty that can be found in the most unlikely places and situations. It is a play that transcends geography and culture; a story that everyone knows, and everyone can feel a part of. To fight for what you believe in, whether right or not, to die for what you believe in, and for who you believe in, is possibly one of the boldest and most intensely moving narratives ever told.
Starting August 28, advance tickets will be on Eventbrite (17.85 includes processing fee) or $20 at the door. Get Tickets

RAAC Talk - Ben Raines
2023-09-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
Author/Filmmaker Ben Raines will talk about his acclaimed book, The Last Slave Ship. Raines will discuss this true story of the criminal transport of slaves to the U.S. in 1860, and his own discovery of the evidence on April 9, 2018.
That day, Raines— the son of Rappahannock resident Susan Raines— dove into a swampy river near Mobile, Alabama and emerged with a shard of The Clotilda, the vessel which had carried an illegal cargo of 110 West Africans to Alabama long after the U.S, had outlawed international trafficking in slaves. The suppressed history of America’s last slave ship came back to life, prompting a complex reckoning for Alabamans, who had largely chosen to neglect or even deny this strange chapter in the harrowing saga of plantation slavery in the American South.

The Nethers Hot Club
2023-09-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Sperryville River District, River Lane, Sperryville, VA, 22740, United States
Sperryville Summer Concert Series

The Nethers Hot ClubBand members: Linda Heimstra (guitar and accordion), Rannie Winn(sax and clarinet) Bob Williams (lead guitar) Joe Pipik (bass) and Bob McDugald (drums)

Staged Reading of The Matchmaker
2023-09-22 19:30 - 21:30, 2023-09-23 19:30 - 21:30, 2023-09-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
“Thornton Wilder’s uproarious farce about love and money stars the irrepressible busybody Dolly Gallagher Levi who inspired the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! Through Dolly’s subtle machinations, several unlikely couples come together to find happiness in 19th-century New York.” –The Thornton Wilder Society
Directed by Patty Hardee, RAAC presents a staged reading of The Matchmaker featuring some of the community’s most loved comic actors. Audiences have come to love the lively, unexpected physicality Patty’s direction brings to staged readings.
Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.

When Wire Was King: The Transformation of Telecommunications
2023-09-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
When Wire Was King is a documentary that puts the telecommunications revolution into historical context. Commerce, technology, entertainment, travel, health, and all societal interaction are now so dependent on secure and reliable telecommunications that, if the plug were pulled, our nation and world would likely collapse. As our digital world grows increasingly complex, it’s critically important for Americans to understand what drives, threatens, and governs the technology on which we all depend.
When Wire Was King explores three interconnected themes – innovation, competition, and regulation – and the shifting balance among the three that sparked the telecommunications revolution, beginning in the early 1970s. The liberalization of regulations and opening of the telecommunications market covering satellite, cable, wireless, and telephony led to an explosion of innovation that brought us the Internet and wireless.
When Wire Was King is a visual journey through our telecommunications history, using archival photos, footage, newscasts, advertising, and entertainment clips to transport viewers. The film captures the story of this revolution through the voices of key players still with us today – innovators, economists, policy makers, industry executives, and Congressional leaders.
The version shown at the Theatre will be a 55-minute film, not the feature length film Here is the trailer: https://www.whenwirewasking.com/trailer.html
The event is free. It is co-sponsored by Rapp at Home.

RAAC Talks - Creative to Creative
2023-10-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
Creative to Creative: an exploratory dialogue about the process of creating what isn’t already here. Expect the unexpected arising from deep humor and unflinching originality, when accomplished stage and screen actress Betsy Brantley collaborates and collides with the irreplaceable Rappahannock painter Ruthie Windsor-Mann. Environmentalist, painter, writer and former Rappahannock resident Ruth Anna Stolk will moderate the laughs, memories and insights. This program is free.

Blackberry
2023-11-17 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
Our next film is the highly acclaimed Blackberry–considered one of the best films of 2023— about the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone that revolutionized communications. It’s a captivating tale of ingenuity and conviction, hubris and naivety, drive and ambition, success and failure. Admission is FREE. ($10 suggested donation).

Talkback Film, Ripple
2023-11-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC presents a film and talk featuring Freeman Allan and Sharon Smith. The film, Ripple, is a 20-minute retrospective about a small group of the many back-to-the-landers who settled in Rappahannock County in the 1970’s. Freeman Allan and Sharon Smith were among those settlers. Titled from the well-known Grateful Dead song and centered around a memorial Thanksgiving dinner in 1973, the film is a kind of “home movie” composed of archival photographs collected from this community and interviews that the filmmaker, Sharon Smith, conducted at a reunion held in 2003. Some of those featured in the film have passed on, some are still residents of the area while others have “rippled” out into other locations, taking the ethos of this seminal time period with them. Sharon now lives in NYC and after a career as a photographer and award-winning filmmaker, now teaches Tai Chi and Quigong. Freeman, now an author living in Charlottesville, was instrumental in leading Rappahannock County arts initiatives in the ’70’s and early ’80’s, including bringing movies to 291 Gay Street, which was then called Gay Street Theatre. Please join us for an evening of reflection about Rappahannock County in the 1970’s. Admission is FREE. No reservations are needed.

Sleeping Beauty
2023-12-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2023-12-02 15:00 - 17:00, 2023-12-08 19:30 - 21:30, 2023-12-09 15:00 - 17:00, 2023-12-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC’s Christmas play this year is a playful and funny adaptation by Mickey Coburn of the Sleeping Beauty story. Full of adorable sparkly fairies, the show also features the regular characters—a beautiful princess, a gallant prince, a jester/narrator, evil fairy and her henchman, the royal court and others.
Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite

RAAC Movie - Love Actually
2023-12-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC’s Movie Night at the Little Washington Theatre continues December 15 with a special holiday offering: Love Actually, a beloved 2003 comedy which for many fervent fans has become a seasonal ritual. And it will be free, a holiday gift from RAAC.

Auditions for Steel Magnolias
2024-01-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
The RAAC Community Theatre will be staging a production of Steel Magnolias on April 26,27, 28 & May 3, 4, 2024. We will be holding auditions on Jan. 13 & 14 (2 – 5 pm) at the Little Washington Theatre. The cast will include the following roles:
1 female 40s to 50s2 females 20 to 251 female 50s2 females 60sNo male cast members.
If you plan to audition for Steel Magnolias please follow this link to complete an audition form.

A Rappahannock Songwriters’ Showcase: The Stories Behind the Songs
2024-01-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC is pleased to announce the return of Songwriters in the Round — The Stories Behind the Songs. Last January marked the first songwriters event thanks to an idea spearheaded by local musician Ben Mason. After rave reviews, RAAC has decided to make this an annual event! The January 13th lineup will include Rappahannock’s own Kiaya Abernathy, Paul and Cheryl Reisler, Lorraine Duisit and Ben Mason performing their original music and sharing their stories behind the songs, stories rooted here. Tickets are $23.18 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.

RAAC Movie - Air
2024-02-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC’s next movie offering at The Little Washington Theatre will be AIR, a critically acclaimed sports and business drama directed by Ben Affleck that unfurls the thrilling story of how Nike won Michael Jordan’s endorsement of the company’s now famous sneaker. Matt Damon plays the unstoppable force inside Nike who pulls off the long-shot endorsement, which changes the company’s fortunes and its status across America. Michael Jordan is the inspiration at the center of the film, but his part is pure presence. His remarkable mother, brilliantly played by Academy Award winner Viola Davis, holds the audience with her uncompromising determination to see her son’s sentiments honored. Affleck himself plays Nike’s bold, but fretful, CEO, and gorgeous basketball footage is woven in strategically. Anyone interested in sports, business, and families— along with possible and impossible dreams—will love this film. Critics also loved this movie–Golden Globe nominee for Best Actor (Matt Damon) and Best Motion Picture. Free Admission. Donations welcome to offset RAAC’s production costs.

RAAC Movie - Anatomy of a Fall
2024-03-15 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
This sensational and engrossing film won the Palme d’Or, top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and ran away with the top European Film Awards for best film, best director, best actress, best screenwriter for 2023.
The movie propels its audience through a mystery that begins with Samuel dropping to his death from the upper window of a French chalet he shares with his wife Sandra and their eleven-year old son Daniel. The immediate and obvious question is whether Samuel jumped or was pushed, but the courtroom drama that follows leads us into other mysteries. One involves Samuel and Sandra’s conflicted relationship; another is about why she writes and why he wishes to but doesn’t; then there is a running subtext about language itself; and finally, there’s young Daniel. This movie challenges its viewers in how they understand and believe things. As noted by The New Yorker, “we can’t help wondering: when, and under what emotional pressure, does a memory shift from being a reliable account of something to a story that we tell ourselves about what we wish had occurred?”
Anatomy of a Fall is R rated and there are some subtitles. The movie will be free, with donations welcome to help offset production costs.

Improv Workshop
2024-03-30 13:00 - 16:00 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
The popular improv group, Playback Theatre, will be leading an improv workshop for people interested in learning their unique improv techniques. Boomie Pedersen, a talented actress and long-time member of the Playback troupe based in Charlottesville will help lead the workshop.
To register for the 3 hour improv workshop contact Patty Hardee at pahardee@gmail.com.

Improv Performance
2024-03-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
The performance features the Playback Theatre actors listening to true stories from audience members. The “teller” then casts the actors in different roles and they use all their creative resources to immediately play the story back to the audience. The resulting “re-enactments” are often poignant as well as funny, finding the heart and the funny bone embedded in each tale.
“We’re pleased to be bringing back Playback,” says RAAC Theatre Artistic Director Patty Hardee. “Before covid, the group led a well-attended workshop that drew people interested in learning Playback’s unique improv techniques. That evening they demonstrated in performance the range and fun of Playback improv.” Boomie Pedersen, a talented actress and long-time member of the Playback troupe based in Charlottesville will help lead the workshop. Last September in the Little Washington Theatre Boomie performed the one-woman show “The Man Who Eats Books,” a play by the late Julie Portman.
“Playback brings to the stage stories and story fragments suggested by the audience,” says Boomie. “The workshop introduces the participants to the forms used to play back stories, starting with the simplest one-word story and moving to fully casted longer stories. Everyone has stories and feelings and those are really the only two requirements for Playback, along with a spirit of adventure and a ‘yes, and’ attitude.”
Tickets are $17.85 and can be purchased at Eventbrite.

Steel Magnolias
2024-04-26 19:30 - 21:30 | Little Washington Theatre, 291 Gay Street, Washington, VA, 22740, United States
RAAC presents Robert Harling’s play about the bond a group of women share in a small-town Southern community and how they cope with the death of one of their own. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite
The performances will be:

Friday April 26th at 7:30 PM
Saturday April 27th at 7:30 PM
Sunday April 28th at 3:00 PM
Friday May 3rd at 7:30 PM
Saturday May 4th at 7:30 PM

Steel Magnolias
2024-04-27 19:30 - 21:30, 2024-04-28 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-05-03 19:30 - 21:30 | VA
