Skip to content

THIRD THURSDAY WITH REV. RENEE KESLER


March 19, 2020

Our special guest presenter at our next Maple Hall event will be our colleague in Knoxville history, Rev. Reneé Kesler, executive director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, speaking on the Delaney family, including artists Beauford and Joseph. Beauford has been the subject of a high-profile series of events, including the Knoxville Museum of Art Show, "Through the Unusual Door"--and last weekend's astonishing play, Shadowlight, by California composer Larry Delinger and local librettist Emily Anderson, and performed by Marble City Opera with Brandon Gibson as Beauford Delaney himself.

It played to two packed houses of close to 200 each last weekend--and made the website Opera Wire's list of the top six operas to see in North America. The musical play, with a jazzy small orchestra, demonstrated with both humor and horror the heights and depths of the Knoxville native's life, with some scenes set here, as he descended into madness. We trust Shadowlight will have further life, with further productions here and elsewhere.

The Beck Center is currently involved in an ambitious effort to renovate the old Delaney house, which happens to be next door to the Beck. Rev. Kesler will let us know more about that project.

Thursday, March 19 - 6:30pm