Shepherd Shakespeare to perform two holiday plays at Randolph libraries

ASHEBORO – It’s double the holiday fun with two Christmas tales from Shepherd Shakespeare at the Randolph County Public Libraries in December. 

Pick A Christmas Dream or choose ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas — or see both — December 9-20.

Aimed at children but fun for the whole family, the shows, supported by the Friends of the Library, are free and the public is invited.

A Christmas Dream is the troupe’s version of Louisa May Alcott’s famous short story, a “Christmas Carol”-like tale of a young boy who learns that the greatest gifts are not the ones you receive, but the ones you give.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas follows Clement Moore, author of the famous poem, as he overcomes writer’s block by acting out his ideas with the help of puppets, found objects and friends from the audience, as the magical tale comes to life.

A Christmas Dream is scheduled as follows:

• Asheboro (201 Worth Street): 6 p.m. Monday, December 16.
• Franklinville (111 Sumner Place): 3:30 p.m. Monday, December 16.
• Randleman (142 W. Academy St.): 4 p.m. Monday, December 9.
• Seagrove (530 Old Plank Road): 3:30 p.m. Friday, December 20.

’Twas the Night Before Christmas is scheduled as follows:

• Archdale (10433 S. Main St.) : 5-7 p.m. Friday, December 13 (show at 6 p.m.; join Mr. and Mrs. Claus for a storytime and photos from 5-6 p.m.).
• Liberty (239 S. Fayetteville St.): 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 18.
• Ramseur (1512 S. Main St.): 1 p.m. Wednesday, December 18.

For further information, call 336-318-6804.

True Grass to perform a ‘Country Christmas Concert’ at Asheboro library

 ASHEBORO -- The popular and long-lived local bluegrass and gospel band True Grass will present a “Country Christmas Concert” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The performance, supported by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

Over 20 years, the group has played numerous local venues including the Sunset Theatre, the NC Zoo, Randolph Community College, at churches and at corporate events for Klaussner and Energizer, among others.

Founding members Tim Moon and Gary Callicutt remain with the group.

Moon, a well-known music teacher for over 30 years, plays mandolin and sings lead vocals. Callicutt plays bass and sings tenor vocals.

Matthew Nance plays banjo and sings baritone vocals. William Britt plays guitar and sings most lead vocals. Moon’s 17-year-old son Nolan Moon plays blistering fast solos as well as beautiful waltz styles on fiddle. 

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. Call 336-318-6803 for further information.

Asheboro library to close for one day Monday, November 25, for HVAC replacement

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro Public Library will close for the day on Monday, November 25, to accommodate construction work during replacement of the building’s heating and air conditioning systems.

Other libraries in the Randolph County Public Libraries system including Archdale, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur and Randleman, will be open as usual. The Seagrove library is closed on Mondays.

The Asheboro library is expected to reopen on Tuesday, November 26, with normal hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

While the library is closed, contractors will lift the new heating/air conditioning units onto the roof of the building using a crane. The library is closing for safety reasons, out of an abundance of caution so that no one will be in the building, or entering or leaving, while the operation takes place.

The library generally will remain open and accessible to the public while work is going on, although there may be some disruption in services. The City of Asheboro is providing a temporary heating system during the project.

Work is expected to be complete by January 12.

Friends Bookshop to hold 50% off sale during Asheboro’s Christmas On Sunset

ASHEBORO – Looking for a great way to support your library while getting a head-start on your holiday shopping?

Take 50 percent off everything at the Friends of the Library Bookshop, 226 Sunset Avenue, during downtown Asheboro’s Christmas on Sunset event, 6-9 p.m. Friday, December 13. The sale will continue from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, December 14.

Proceeds go to support the Randolph County Public Libraries. The bookshop, staffed entirely by volunteers, is open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

For more information, call the bookshop during operating hours at 336-629-1536 or visit randolphfriends.org.

Bestselling author Charlie Lovett to visit Liberty

Charlie Lovett

LIBERTY – The Liberty Book Club will host New York Times bestselling author Charlie Lovett at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 21, and the public is invited. 

Lovett will discuss his novel The Enigma Affair and talk about his writing. The event will take place in the Liberty Town Council Chamber/Senior Center beside the Liberty Public Library at 239 S. Fayetteville Street.

In The Enigma Affair, a librarian and a professional assassin team up to solve a seventy-five-year-old Nazi mystery and stop a nefarious opponent from wreaking havoc on the world.

Lovett also is author of the novels The Bookman’s Tale, Escaping Dreamland and The Lost Book of the Grail. He has penned five books on Alice in Wonderland author Lewis Carroll, including the biography Lewis Carroll: Formed by Faith, and has lectured internationally on Carroll.

He’s also a playwright, and recently adapted Escaping Dreamland for the stage at the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem.

A Winston-Salem native, Lovett is a graduate of Davidson College and the Vermont Academy of Fine Arts.

For further information, call the library at 336-622-4605.

Local historian to explore Johnstonville, first county seat, in Asheboro library talk

Ryan Beeson

ASHEBORO – Before Asheboro was established in 1793, Randolph County government called Johnstonville home.

The first county seat was located about two miles west of present-day Randleman, on old U.S. 311, about where the WGHP Fox8 transmission towers stand.

Local historian Ryan Beeson will explore the origins of the settlement in “Johnstonville: Randolph’s First County Seat at the Crossroads of North Carolina” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 14, at the Asheboro library.

Before it was named Johnstonville, after the governor at the time of its founding, the place was known as Cross Roads because it sat at the junction of two important byways, the Indian Trading Path and the Cape Fear or Old Moravian Road. The Indian Trading Path predated European exploration and settlement, and the Old Moravian Road was established in 1754 to link Cross Creek (now Fayetteville) with the Moravian settlements that would become Winston-Salem.

Beeson will talk about the importance of these roads in colonial and post-colonial North Carolina, and why their intersection was chosen for Randolph County’s first courthouse and county seat. He also will illuminate early sessions of the county court at Johnstonville, illustrate the layout of the town based on his extensive research, and discuss its likely exact location.

A Randolph County native, Beeson grew up on a dairy farm in Sophia. A history enthusiast, he spends his free time researching local history from the Colonial era through the American Revolution.

A descendant of many early Quaker settlers of North Carolina, he also enjoys researching genealogy and Quaker history. He is a birthright member of Marlboro Friends Meeting, where he serves on Ministry & Counsel.

After graduating Randleman High School, he earned a B.A. in Political Science and a M.S. in Accounting from East Carolina University, where he served as president of the student body.

He lives in Asheboro with his wife Claire and their son Winslow.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Film prof to discuss social commentary in horror films during Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO – The history of disability and deformity as represented in horror films is the topic of a talk by UNC School of the Arts film professor Kara Andersen at 4 p.m. Monday, October 28, at the Asheboro library.

The talk is designed for teens and their families, but is open to the public.

Andersen will use stills or clips from classic movies such as James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) and William Castle’s The Tingler (1959), as well as more recent films, to reflect on how monsters in film often are a reaction to or social commentary on questions of personhood and belonging, disability and fear of physical deformity.

Andersen is Associate Professor and Chair of the Cinema Studies Department at UNC School of the Arts. Her research interests include film theory, American animation, stop motion animation, and materiality, or how physical characteristics of the film itself impacts viewer’s experience watching a movie.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 3336-318-603.