Arts Hound

Oregon’s story wouldn’t be complete without Ken Kesey, and OPB took that to heart with “Ken Kesey,” part of its Oregon Experience film series. The one-hour special premieres 7:30 pm Thursday, Jan. 16, at the McDonald Theatre; tickets are free on a first-come, first-served basis at mcdonaldtheatre.com or at the door. OPB TV will air the special on Jan. 20 at 9 pm.

Here we go again! Mamma Mia!, the romantic musical that sets ABBA’s feel-good songs on a Greek island, runs at the Hult, Jan. 22 and 23, temporarily wiping away the 

winter doldrums.

Before the Kara Walker exhibit opens at the Jordan Schnitzer (see cover story), a quieter but magnificent show, We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live, taking its name from a collection of nonfiction by the quiet powerhouse Joan Didion, debuts Jan. 18 in the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Gallery at the JSMA. The cross-disciplinary exhibit features the work of 12 Oregon artists who received the first Hallie Ford Fellowships in the Visual Arts. EW got a sneak peek and highly recommends checking out the eternal ice cube.

“The clitoris is pure in purpose. It is the only organ in the body designed purely for pleasure.” If you find yourself nodding your head while reading that quote from The Vagina Monologues, you may want to get involved with the upcoming 6th annual Eugene-Springfield community production of the pioneering play, running April 4-6, benefiting Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS). The V-Day crew is looking for volunteers to help with poster distribution, makeup and costumes, fundraisers and more. Interest meetings will be held 1 to 3 pm Sunday, Jan. 19, and 6 to 8 pm Wednesday, Jan. 22, at The Wesley Center, 1236 Kincaid St. Contact vdayeugene@gmail.com for more info.