LIVE FROM MEMPHIS

This Friday, join local artists and musicians at "Art for Earth's Sake," an art auction benefiting the National Wildlife Federation. Proceeds will go towards the restoration of wildlife in the Gulf.

Artists featured include Greely Myatt, Beth Edwards, Tad Lauritzen Wright, and others.

Marshall Arts will host the event, and local restaurants like Tsunami and the Hi Tone have agreed to provide food. Local musicians Holly Cole, Blaire Combest, and Bryan Hartley will each perform during the silent auction. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., is free and open to the public, and donations will be accepted from those who do not wish to participate in the auction.

Marshall Arts, 639 Marshall, 522-9483

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• Christopher McCollum

Intermission Impossible: Did you always want to be a scenic designer?

Christopher McCollum: Yes, at least from the time I was about 15 or 16. I’ve been very blessed to have a family that always encouraged and supported me in a career path that is less than “mainstream”.

Complete this sentence: Every good set has at least one...

strong choice.

Nice. Will you be outdoing yourself next season? What's the one set everyone should look out for?

Hopefully outdoing but not overdoing. As far as what to look out for, there are so many exciting projects that it is like picking the proverbial “favorite child”. That said, I think one of the projects that I and the rest of the production staff are most excited about is a new set design for A CHRISTMAS CAROL. After 32 great years we wanted to create a fresh look for this classic that will serve us and our patrons for many years to come. The bed does not change but everything else about the set will be new. It remains most certainly a period piece, but hopefully one that has a flow and atmosphere that is slightly more theatrical and contemporary.

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All the People Who Died, Jonathan Postal’s exhibit at the Robinson Gallery, is more than a collection of his photographs of erstwhile friends; it is an exploration of reproduction and depreciation, objects of value, and the preservation of photography as art. Postal uses light boxes, "ghost boxes," old TVs and various other objects to control the viewer's observation of his photographs.

• Jonathan Postal
• Michael and Deedee

I’ve been a photographer my whole life. I was in San Francisco and involved in the punk scene, with my band, the Readymades. Before that I was in a band called the Avengers and we played with Blondie. I was there at the last Sex Pistols concert. That’s where I got the Sid Vicious picture that’s in one of the boxes. And we played with Talking Heads and the Stranglers. But I didn’t always pull my camera out. I was actually pretty good friends with the Clash, but I don’t know, somehow I just felt it was inappropriate to pull my camera out. The same thing happened with Alex Chilton. I never felt like I should ask ‘Hey can I take some pictures?’ I took one later, and that’s the one shot I have of him. After doing that I moved to NYC and I wound up getting a position at the SOHO weekly news, and every week I was shooting somebody. I was out every night being friends with people.

• Jonathan Postal
• Sam Phillips

My dilemma was I walked in Jay Etkin Gallery for my last show and looked at my show and I thought ‘I wouldn't pay $1500 dollars for these. I wouldn't pay over $100 for these.’ Because they're digital prints and in my mind, just a digital print alone is not worth that much money. You’ve put it into your computer and generated it from your computer and part of the value of photography is how many editions there are of the print and how was the print made. I’ve talked to people who say it doesn't matter, but I can't see how it wouldn't matter.

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The Robertson Gallery, 44 Huling Avenue, 521-0400

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Here's what Crist has to say about the show, which is at Theatre Memphis through August 1st

Intermission Impossible: Music is a big part of this show, and it's all very thoughtfully chosen. Was there a lot of trial and error or did you know what you wanted?

Irene Crist: John Hemphill [who plays Benedick] was the sound designer and we collaborated with the music choices. Lots of texting and listening and texting some more. I am "of the era" so several of the songs were mandatory, from my perspective. John had some wonderful ideas, and even the pre-show and intermission music are carefully selected. Pre-show music is anti-love, intermission is pro-love.

Turning the party sequence into a Laugh In segment works beautifully. How did that come about?

I knew we wanted a 60's party with unusual masks and that each vignette was a kind of joke. John was mowing the lawn one day and Laugh In came to him. Would love to claim it, but it is his. Lots of collaboration in this show. I would say that just about everyone in the cast and crew made a major contribution to what you saw on stage, besides the parts they played.

What compelled you to take on the original independent production of Much Ado? A labor of love?

Actually, backstage during Orson's Shadow, we were shooting the breeze about parts we loved that had passed us by. Mary said she would love to play Beatrice but she felt she was too old now. I have always thought Beatrice and Benedick should be older, and I shared my thoughts with Mary. John decided to shop the idea of them playing Beatrice and Benedick with me directing, and Bartlett Community Theatre was interested and willing. I do love the play. There is high comedy, low comedy and drama. The journey of Beatrice is fascinating to me. Much Ado has two major couples, and I added a third (Dogberry and Verges.) These three couples all love each other and they are totally different kinds of love. So yes, it was a labor of "love" on many levels.

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