River Laker and the Roanoke City library system are full of surprises. Not only will the library stage “The Sneakerhead Show” Thursday night (Jan 21) – with pairs and pairs of sneakers on display – but also patrons can be on the lookout for a unique partnership with Studio Roanoke soon … Not to mention a golf course inside the library on Jefferson Street.
Beginning in March, the library will collaborate with Studio Roanoke, the off-off-off Broadway playhouse on Campbell for “Lunchtime Theater,” consisting of three five minute shows in the mezzanine once a month, at least to start. That’s also where the popular Emerging Artists series is held monthly. “Hopefully we’ll expand it if it goes well,” said Laker, the library system’s development coordinator.
Studio Roanoke, owned by Kenley Smith, nurtures budding playwrights by offering them a small space for readings or first stagings of new plays. Laker hopes to stage acting workshops at the library as well. Laker and Studio Roanoke artistic director Todd Ristau announced the partnership in a video recently. “I think it will help to raise the profile [for Studio Roanoke],” said Laker. (Logistics and the time slot for the series could change in the next few months.)
Believe it or not Laker and several others are also installing a portable nine-hole miniature golf course on the second floor of the library, using a “book” theme that Laker is still working on for each hole. They may create a public league once the course is up and running. That should be open to the public in the next few months. “We’ll take it outside in the summer and have ice cream and bands. It’ll be a huge hit,” promises Laker, who enjoyed a great deal of local fame recently as the “Carless Brit,” after selling his car on a whim.
By Gene Marrano [email protected]
gosh, you moved on this quickly!