Neil Simon’s Broadway hit comedy Barefoot in the Park closes the Lean Ensemble Theater season with a light-hearted look at a newlyweds Corie and Paul Bratter, who are just returning from their honeymoon.  Their bliss is punctured by reality in the dumpy Greenwich Village apartment they now share. To make matters worse, it’s February. 

PUBLIC ART PROJECTS BUILD PRIDE ON HILTON HEAD

Everyone on Hilton Head Island has the chance to be an artist this year— thanks to a dynamic new public art series sponsored to the town to promote community engagement.

Art and culture are catalysts for civic engagement, and by participating in public art projects people build a stronger connection with where they live, said Jennifer McEwen, director of the Town of Hilton Head Island’s Office of Cultural Affairs. 

ARTS CENTER CEO/PRESIDENT RECOGNIZED FOR DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY

Kathi Bateson is having her moment. In March, she earned South Carolina’s highest honor in the arts, the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts Individual. This award by the South Carolina Arts Commission recognized for her “outstanding achievement and contributions to the arts in South Carolina.”

While her role as CEO, president and executive producer at The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina requires her to wear many hats, teaching and learning are her strongest passions.

UNITARIAN CHURCH WELCOMES ALL, PROMOTES DIVERSITY

Almost every church prides itself on being friendly, but one Bluffton church is officially a “welcoming congregation.”

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religious tradition that values people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities. The Welcoming Congregation Program — with its slogan “Standing on the side of love” — is a volunteer initiative to help congregations take intentional steps toward the LGBTQ community.

Palmetto Animal League has something for everyone at its upcoming auction fundraiser.

“Want to golf in Hilton Head, shop in Bluffton and dine in Beaufort?” asked Stephanie Bashaw, who is heading up this year’s event. “The sky is literally the limit with items, including a zip line adventure and other family-friendly activities.”

JAZZ CORNER MARKS 20 YEARS OF WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES

For 20 years, some of the biggest names in jazz have flocked to Hilton Head Island to perform at The Jazz Corner, tucked away in The Village at Wexford. Since its opening in 1999, the restaurant has been a cornerstone of island entertainment, evidence of how one man’s vision can influence the community around him.

WINE DINNER FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT SPECIAL-NEEDS PROGRAMS

Enjoy “An Evening in Italy” without leaving the Lowcountry at a March 15 wine dinner fundraiser for the Children’s Relief Fund, to benefit local special-needs children and their families.

LEAN ENSEMBLE EXPLORES THE NATURE OF MEMORY

Following an accident, Kate’s fiancé is left with selective amnesia and does not remember her. Their engagement broken off, Kate returns to the comfort of her childhood home in the suburbs to pick up the pieces of her life. This dark comedy is an exploration of growing up, the nature of memory, and the process of letting go.