Carpetbag Theatre celebrates its 40th year with a series of performances this weekend as it promotes its longtime mission and plans for its future.

The "homecoming celebration" is Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9-11. A monthlong visual arts exhibit also focuses on Carpetbag, one of the Southeast's longest operating professional African-American theater groups. All events aim to showcase Carpetbag's work, welcome artists, supporters and participants of its programs, and raise awareness for the organization.

Founded in 1969, Carpetbag has a written mission to give "artistic voice to the issues and dreams of people who have been silenced by racism, classism, sexism, ageism, homophobia and other forms of oppression."

The weekend highlight is a free slate of theater, performance, dance and music on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2743 Wimpole Ave. Carpetbag will present 10- to 15-minute excerpts from eight original works. Other area artists will perform.

On Oct. 9, Carpetbag members will perform sections from three to four works at the Knoxville Museum of Art. An Oct. 11 jazz brunch is at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St.

Work by seven artists influenced by Carpetbag is exhibited through Oct. 30 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St. Those artists are Jeffrey Cody, Terry Collins, Eddie Davis, Walt Fieldsa, Alan Jones, Aisha K, Melody Reeves and Sister Rakiah.<0x00A0>People attending the Saturday "Picnic in the Garden" will be asked their input about Carpetbag and what they'd like to see in its future. The ensemble company is developing a five-year plan about "how we do our work," said Carpetbag Artistic Executive/Artistic Director Linda Parris-Bailey.

Looking back and forward is fitting for an anniversary of four decades, says Parris-Bailey, who has been part of Carpetbag for 35 of its 40 years. "We joke around and say, 'Lordy, lordy, Carpetbag's 40, but 40 is a significant number. At 40 you are going through some transitions. And we feel like it is a really important time for people to know about our work."

Carpetbag is often thought of as a performance troupe that creates and presents ordinary theater. Past works include "Dark Cowgirls and Prairie Queens," "Red Summer," about Knoxville's 1919 race violence, and "Between a Ballad and A Blues." The company's "Cric! Crac!' based on African folk tales was a children's touring standard in the 1980s. Its "SWOPERA (A Spoken Word Opera)" incorporates theater with spoken word performance. Its "Black Box Theatre" at the Emporium Center is a venue for performances and open microphone events.

But Carpetbag, whose 2008 budget was $242,000 in grants and revenues, isn't only about theater. And Parris-Bailey says the public isn't as familiar with those programs.

Carpetbag sponsors art and storytelling programs for young people and adults, and collaborates with area and national groups in that work, she said. Teens have worked in the group's Tennessee Renaissance for Youth program to learn about digital storytelling and present workshops for their peers. Carpetbag has held a summer art retreat for adults and partnered with Appalshop of Whitesburg, Ky., in youth storytelling and art programs.

In recent years, Carpetbag has developed digital storytelling and has given presentations and workshops about the art. In 2008 it developed a series of digital stories for the Knoxville African American Tours of Cultural Heritage project.

Carpetbag also marks four decades by hosting the Dec. 10-14 annual meeting of the National Performance Network. Some 300 people are expected to attend. National and regional artists will give performances open to the public.

Amy McRary may be reached at 865-342-6437.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel
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