SECTION S • RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 • RICHMOND.

COM •••
 MuseuMs ..................... S4 Music ........................ S22 SECTION EDITOR
Karri Peifer
Visual arts ............... S10 t h e at e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S 2 5 kpeifer@timesdispatch.com

SECTION DESIGNER
B r O a D W aY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S 1 6 Dance ........................ S28
Kira Rider
krider@timesdispatch.com
classical Music ....... S20

“ H a m i lt o n ”
S2 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Joan Marcus
 • • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S3
Do Not Throw Away Your Shot
Last chance. Guarantee your seats to HAMILTON and subscribe by September 13th.

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BroadwayInRichmond.com | 804-592-3401
 Heirs of JosepHine n. Hopper/Artists rigHts society

R IC H M ON D M US EU M S HI G HLI G HT HAM I LTO N , H O PPE R

BY GABBY BIRENBAUM ton” coming to Richmond and Norfolk new capitol.
S4 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Richmond Times-Dispatch this fall will create publicity for the ex- Drawing on the lyric “Get in the
hibit, and said he expects the exhibit to weeds, look for the seeds of / Hamil-
In Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-win- drive people who have never set foot in ton’s misdeeds” from the song “Wash- The Virginia
ning “Hamilton: An American Musi- the museum before, particularly young ington On Your Side,” the exhibit will Museum of
cal,” Virginia’s Founding Fathers get a people, to come and check it out. feature articles from a Jeffersonian Fine Arts
mixed portrayal. While George Wash- Rasmussen and staff picked 10 songs newspaper in which the business of plans to
ington employs the “10-dollar Found- from the musical that depict important Jefferson’s investigation into Hamil- create a
ing Father” and refers to him as his political episodes between Hamilton ton’s finances is laid across the pages. room that
right-hand man, Thomas Jefferson and and the Virginians; museum-goers will For the closing song “Who Lives, replicates the
James Madison work tirelessly in the work their way through each one, en- Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” Ras- one depicted
play’s second act to dismantle Hamil- gaging with historical artifacts that re- mussen said visitors can learn about in Edward
ton’s financial system and legacy. late to the song and learning just how the history of remembrance and why Hopper’s
In a new exhibition opening Oct. 19 accurate Miranda’s musical is. the play’s Virginians were much more “Western
at the Virginia Museum of History & For “The Room Where It Happens,” well-known until the release of Ron Motel” as part
Culture, visitors will get the chance to a critical song in Act Two where a bar- Chernow’s book “Alexander Hamilton” of its exhibit
explore those historical characters in gain struck between Hamilton, Jeffer- and Miranda’s play. this fall.
“Founding Frenemies: Hamilton and son and Madison yields the placement “For us not to tell the Hamilton
the Virginians.” of the nation’s capitol in Washington, story, we’re leaving a huge gap in
Exhibit curator William Rasmussen D.C., Rasmussen said the exhibit will our coverage of Virginia’s Founding
said the traveling version of “Hamil- show period maps of the plans for the MUSEUMS, Page S6
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• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S5

Most of all, we welcome YOU to enjoy

Partially supported by:

DESIGN YOUR EXP

X ERIENCE

HEIRS OF JOSEPHINE N. HOPPER/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY
Edward Hopper’s “Rooms for Tourists”
S6 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •
Edward Hopper’s “People in the Sun”
Edward Hopper’s “Hotel Lobby”
Museums
From Page S4
Fathers, because you can’t tell
the story of any of them ... if you
don’t know Hamilton,” Rasmus-
sen said. “He’s the elephant in
the room. You’re ignoring if you
don’t tell his story. It’s so impor-
tant to the understanding of the
era in American history that we
in Virginia have always cherished
the most — the era of the Found-
ing Fathers.”
“Founding Frenemies: Ham-
ilton and the Virginians” will be
on display daily from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. from Oct. 19 until Feb. 2.
VMFA celebrates “Edward Hop-
per and the American Hotel”
The Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts will showcase more than
60 Edward Hopper paintings,
drawings and sketches in “Ed-
ward Hopper and the American
Hotel,” opening Oct. 26.
Leo Mazow, the exhibit’s cu-
rator, said the exhibit is the first
of its kind in highlighting the
importance of hotels and mo-
tels and being on the road to the
Hopper canon.
Mazow said the exhibit will
put the works — some extremely
well-known, such as Hopper’s
“Western Motel” and some
from private collectors includ-
ing Grateful Dead member Bruce
Hornsby — into the context of
being on the road with Hopper
and his wife Josephine.
The two traveled every sum-
mer, and Josephine’s diaries
were recently entered into the
public domain, making the VM-
FA’s exhibit potentially the first
major exhibition to ever display
those primary sources and pro-
vide firsthand commentary on
the hotels and motels in which
the Hoppers stayed, Mazow said.
“Hopper spent a lot of time
in hotels and motels and differ-
ent variations of hotels,” Mazow
said. “A lot of his best known
works are views out of hotel win-
dows or motels. It’s not a stretch
to say hotels and motels liter-
ally frame some of the works for
which this important artist is
best known.”
In addition to viewing the ex-
hibition, which also features 35
works by other artists related
to the theme of hotels and mo-
tels, viewers can more deeply
engage by spending a night at
the museum in a room designed
to replicate the one depicted in
“Western Motel.”
Even if you’re not familiar with
Hopper, Mazow said the exhibit
will be an opportunity to learn
about an artist’s process. With
both Hopper’s initial drawings
and the finished paintings, view-
ers will be able to see his decision
process regarding things such
as the gender of the subject, or
whether or not to add a staircase
into the painting.
“They are simply gorgeous pic-
tures,” Mazow said. “They are
pictures of America on the go, on
the road. ... They really show the
beauty and wow factor of some
of the most common vernacular
structures. And hotels, being on
the road, that feeling when you
walk into a place that you know
others have stayed in but has
been cleaned and prepared just
for you — I think that’s some-
thing everyone can relate to.”
“Edward Hopper and the
American Hotel” will be on view
from Oct. 26 until Feb. 23.
Check out these exhibits and
events happening this fall:
American Civil War Museum:
“Slavery and Its Legacies” will
feature a series of lectures and
conversations in September
and October on the lasting im-
pacts and historical analysis of
slavery, including an event with
writer Ta-Nehisi Coates on Oct.
25. Ticket prices and locations
vary by event. (804) 649-1861 or
acwm.org.
Black History Museum & Cul-
tural Center: Visitors can see
MUSEUMS, Page S8
• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S7
 MAC1PHOTOGRAPHY
The Science Museum of Virginia’s fall exhibit, “Bionic Me,” explores how technology takes inspiration from the natural world.
S8 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Museums St. www.1708gallery.org/inlight/.

Institute for Contemporary Art:
feature works from African Ameri-
can and Native American artists as
Suffrage”will examine the 100th anni-
versary of the ratification of the 19th
From Page S6 “Great Force” will explore the real- Virginia marks the 400-year anniver- amendment, guaranteeing women
ity of race using painting, sculpture, sary of the arrival of the first enslaved the right to vote. Five Richmond
“Sundry Souls,” a collection of works photography, video and performance Africans in English North America. viewpoints from the era will be high-
by 17 artists that explores the 400- art by 21 established and emerg- Open Nov. 6 to Jan. 12. $5 admission. lighted. $10 admission. Opens Nov.
year history of Africans in America, ing artists. Free. Opens Oct. 5. Hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through 21. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1015 E. Clay St.
from Sept. 14 through Dec. 21. $10 vary. 601 W. Broad St. (804) 828-2823 Friday, noon to 4 p.m. on weekends. 804-649-0711 or thevalentine.org.
admission. or icavcu.org. 603 Jamestown Road. Virginia Holocaust Museum: “Ho-
“Hey, Hey, Hey!,” a collection of Maymont: “Everlasting Love: The muscarelle.wm.edu. locaust by Bullets” presents research
black cartoons from Richmonder Bill Dooleys’ 150th Wedding Anniver- Science Museum of Virginia: “Bi- regarding the systematic killing of
Cooper, is already open and will be sary” will be celebrated every Tues- onic Me” is an exhibit geared toward Jews and Roma in the ex-Soviet
on display through Dec. 21. 10 a.m. day through Sunday Sept. 10 through children aged 5 to 12 that explores Union, beginning before the intro-
to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Nov. 1. Guided tours will focus on how technology takes inspiration duction of concentration camps and
122 W. Leigh St. (804) 780-9093 or tales of their love together and Victo- from the natural world. Open Sept. continuing until the end of World
blackhistorymuseum.org. rian-era wedding customs. Suggested 29 to Jan. 5. $13.50 for youth and se- War II. Opened July 26, available
InLIGHT Richmond: This year’s ex- $5 admission. Noon to 5 p.m. 1700 niors, $15 for adults. 9:30 a.m. to until Dec. 30. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon-
hibition of light-based art and perfor- Hampton St. (804) 358-7166 or 5 p.m. 2500 W. Broad St. (804) 864- day through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
mances hosted by the 1708 Gallery maymont.org. 1400 or www.smv.org. on weekends. Free. 2000 E. Cary St.;
will be held at Chimborazo Park on The Muscarelle Museum of Art at The Valentine: “#BallotBattle: (804) 257-5400 or www.vaholocaust.
Nov. 15 and 16. Free. 3215 E. Broad William & Mary: “1619 / 2019” will Richmond’s Social Struggle for org.
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF THE FILM WITH A LIVE ORCHESTRA

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• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S9

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Bonnie and Claire
Join the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Crossroads Art Center, and guest emcee, Lisa
A Late Morning [in America]
Schaffner, for an evening of art and inspiration where three of Richmond’s renowned
artists will be painting LIVE! Featured artists include: Guy Crittenden, Chuck Larivery with Ronald Reagan
and Sunny Goode. Live art will be auctioned off at the culmination of the evening for all
attendees to bid on beginning at 9 p.m. to benefit CultureWorks. CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Attendees will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and spirits throughout the evening while Tuck Everlasting
being surrounded by art and engaged in conversation. Crossroads Art Center is home to Harriet Tubman
more than 225 emerging and established mid-Atlantic artists – many of whom will be on
hand to meet and greet. Freckleface Strawberry
Elephant and Piggie’s:
To purchase tickets, visit Richmond.com/Wet-Art We’re in a Play!
For questions, call 804.649.6138
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 A R E A GA L L ER I ES C E LE B RATE EXPLO RATI O N S
O F N AT U R E, A RCHI T ECT U R E AND TH E BODY

BY CATHERINE BROWN
Special correspondent

Since the earliest cave paintings, artists have de-

picted nature to honor and understand the world
around them. Beginning in the Renaissance, art-
ists also became interested in depicting the beauty
of man-made surroundings— architectural monu-
ments — as a subject matter in their own right. Art-
ists continue to explore the patterns and beauty in
nature and architecture, and this fall, Richmond-
area art galleries provide many opportunities
to see how contemporary artists represent their
surroundings.
Through Nov. 1, The Highpoint presents “The
Hardest Hue to Hold,” featuring the photography of
Kimberly Witham and a floral installation by Rhea
Calpeno. Witham’s work has been influenced by
natural history dioramas, cabinets of curiosity, and
ART, Page S12
S10 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Kimberly Witham
Kimberly Wheaton “The Hardest Hue to Hold,” an exhibit featuring the photography of Kimberly Witham
Exhuberant Springtime and a floral installation by Rhea Calpeno, will run through Nov. 1 at The Highpoint.
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SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Jewish Film Series- A NEW LOOK!

Fiddler: A NEW SEASON!
Miracle of Miracles

THE STORY OF BROADWAY

SENSATION, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF AND
ITS PHENOMENAL IMPACT AROUND
THE WORLD. FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF

• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S11

MIRACLES CHRONICLES THE BIRTH, LIFE, AND
CONTINUED RESONANCE OF THIS SINGULAR
ICON OF THE STAGE AND SCREEN. FEATURING
INTERVIEWS WITH JOEL GREY, ORIGINAL
LYRICIST SHELDON HARNICK, AND STARS OF
THE CURRENT BROADWAY REVIVAL, JESSICA
HECHT AND DANNY BURNSTEIN

Artist-in-Residency:
Hillel Smith

Telling Their
Stories: AN EVENING
OF Cabaret buy tickets TODAY
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AND ADMIRED PERFORMERS, DEBRA CLINTON
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#opendoors
 FRANKIE SLAUGHTER
Overflowing
Bloom
Art Europe and North America; Virginia
Hickey, who highlights Earth’s beauty
From Page S10 through oil, watercolor, and porce-
lain paintings; and Beverly Jane, who
still-life painting and has been de- depicts the fall of light and shadow
scribed in Wired magazine as “Mar- on buildings in the Fan.
tha Stewart Roadkill mashups [that] uptowngalleryrichmond.com/
put a fly in the design-porn soup.”
❖❖❖
Calpeno uses locally sourced flow-
ers, hand-dyed silk, and copper to Through Oct. 18, The Reynolds
S12 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •
create impermanent sculptures that Gallery presents “Infinity Fields,” by
are both wild and cultivated. thehigh- Joan Elliott, who received her BFA in
pointrichmond.com painting from VCU and has taught
for more than 25 years at the VMFA’s
❖ ❖❖
Studio School. Elliott brings together
In the ink drawings by Bizhan the lushness of nature with architec-
Khodabandeh of James Moffitt’s se- tural geometric patterns seen during
rial comic “The Art of the Little Red her travels in Europe.
Fish,” depictions of animals become The gallery also presents work by
political allegory — in this case, in- Alison Hall, who became interested in
spired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution the repetitive patterning in 13th-cen-
in Iran. On view at Artspace through tury Italian art and architecture when
Sept. 22. artspacegallery.org/ studying abroad in Corciano, Italy.
In “Blind Arcade,” UVA alum Matt
❖ ❖❖
Kleberg displays abstract paintings
Beginning this month, the Uptown inspired by “little architectural mo-
Gallery exhibits the work of Ellen ments” the artist encounters in Brook-
Wakefield, whose impressionistic lyn. Artist and writer Ray Kass exhibits
acrylics evoke the grace and strength a series of paintings that evoke the es-
of trees; Joyce Satterwhite, who sence of the natural world beginning
paints landscapes and cityscapes of Nov. 1. reynoldsgallery.com
JOAN ELLIOTT
❖❖❖
In September and October, the Pe-
tersburg Area Arts League displays
the work of La Milpa owner Mar-
tin Gonzalez, who uses the Mexican
Popotillo technique of producing art
with colored straw to depict nature.
paalart.org
❖❖❖
“Land, Sea, & Sky: Explorations
in Collage, Print, and Stitch” opens
Sept. 20 at the Crossroads Art Center,
with works by Jan Hodges, who con-
veys the essence of nature.
crossroadsartcenter.com
❖❖❖
From Oct. 30 to Dec. 20, the Wein-
stein JCC presents “Lynn Goldstein:
Process.” An award-winning art-
ist who exhibits worldwide, Gold-
stein uses texture, light, shadow,
and color to express the emo-
tional experience of being in na-
ture. weinsteinjcc.org/cultural-arts/
sara-d-november-gallery
❖❖❖
From Nov. 1 to 23, Glavé Kocen
Gallery presents the works of Rich
BENJAMIN FREY
A New Perspective
Bowman, who creates atmospheric
skylines and landscapes, and Fred
Lisaius, who focuses on botanicals.
glavekocengallery.com
❖ ❖ ❖
Beginning Nov. 5, The Visual Arts
Center of Richmond will present
the work of artists-in-residence Lily
Cox-Richard and Michael Demps, in-
spired by their walks along the James
River. www.visarts.org/exhibitions/
❖ ❖ ❖
On Nov. 15 and 16, 1708 Gallery’s
InLight Festival brings art to nature
with a free, public exhibition of con-
temporary light-based artworks at
Chimborazo Park. www.1708gallery.
org/inlight/about.html
❖ ❖ ❖
Nude bodies, clothed bodies. Sa-
cred bodies, secular bodies. For mil-
lennia, when artists haven’t been
depicting nature, they have dedicated
their talents to capturing the human
body in its varied forms.
VCUarts Art Foundation and
Graphic Design adjunct faculty
ART, Page S14
 • • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S13
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 Art
From Page S12

member Emily Sara displays new

work exploring the realities of people
battling long-term or chronic illness
in The Anderson’s Excellence in Ad-
junct Research Exhibition from Aug.
20 through Sept. 25.
❖ ❖❖
From Sept. 18 through Oct. 23, The
Anderson displays photographer
and performance artist Liz Cohen’s
video work “Hydro Force,” which
suggests parallels between her trans-
formed custom car and her own
body during pregnancy, exploring
the culturally enforced combination
of the sexualized female body and
stylized car. arts.vcu.edu/programs/
theanderson/
❖ ❖❖
Damien Davis’ “Color Cargo,” on
view at the Visual Arts Center of Rich-
mond from Sept. 6 through Nov. 3,
addresses representations of race, cre-
ating a space for confronting bias and
dehumanization. visartscenter.org
❖ ❖❖
Glavé Kocen Gallery presents
“Configuration,” a group exhibition
featuring figural artists, including FRED LISAIUS
Elisabeth Ladwig, Nils Westergard, Solstice
S14 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Elizabeth Coffey, Christopher Peter,

Rob Browning and Stanley Rayfield,
Sept. 6-28.
From Dec. 6 to 28, the gallery pres-
ents the Richmond premiere of Tom
Chambers’ “Tales of Heroines,” a
series of figurative photomontages,
alongside Kimberly Wheaton’s fan-
tastical anthropomorphic figures.
❖ ❖❖
“In Search of Our Mother’s Gar-
dens We Made Armor and Sanctuary”
is on view at Sediment from Nov. 1
through Dec. 8. The exhibit provides
a space for black-women-identifying
artists Mahari Chabwera, Taylor Sim-
one, Nastassja Swift, Christa Pratt
and Abigail Lucien to challenge rep-
resentations of black womanhood. CASSANDRA KIM RICH BOWMAN MATT KLEBERG
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 “ H A M I LT O N ”
B R O A D W AY I N
RICHMOND SEASON
“We’ve seen a steady increase
in subscriptions over the past 11
years,” said Steve Traxler, president
and co-founder of Chicago-based
Jam Theatricals, the presenting “WICKED”
company for Broadway In Rich-
mond. “We are pleased with the
support we are receiving in the
Richmond community. ‘Hamilton’
has helped underscore our com-
mitment to the community and to
bringing in high-quality Broadway
programming.”
The season starts at Altria The-
ater with Roald Dahl’s “Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory” from
Sept. 17 to 22. Willy Wonka is open-
ing his marvelous and mysterious
chocolate factory and five golden
ticket winners embark on a mes-
merizing joyride through a world of
pure imagination.
“‘Charlie’ is perfect for families
and adults. What’s not to like about
BROADWAY, Page S18
JOAN MARCUS

JOAN MARCUS

BY JOAN TUPPONCE
Special correspondent

T
his Broadway In Richmond
season marks a year of firsts.
It’s the first season with
S16 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 • • •

• • • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 ♦ RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH S17

2016, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
full-week engagements, the first
time presenting a non-musical
comedy, the first time the subscrip-
tion base has risen to over 15,000,
and the first time bringing in a na-
tional tour — “The Band’s Visit” —
in its first year of touring. 15K-PLUS SUBSCRIPTIONS
“The 2019-2020 Broadway In
Richmond subscription sales are AMONG THE MILESTONES
unprecedented, and we are thrilled
about that,” said Dolly Vogt, re-
gional general manager of SMG
Richmond. “Certainly a percentage
of this growth can be attributed to
‘Hamilton,’ but it is also represen-
tative of the collaborative effort of
all of those involved.”
Subscriptions are more than
double the previous season. JOAN MARCUS

“ C H A R L I E A N D T H E C H O C O L AT E F A C T O R Y ”
 Broadway
From Page S17

chocolate, golden tickets and

Oompa Loompas in the fac-
tory?” Traxler said.
The following month
marks the opening of “The
Play That Goes Wrong” from
Oct. 22 to 27. It is the first
non-musical comedy that
Broadway In Richmond
has brought here. The clas-
sic murder mystery is full of
mishaps and hilarity that in-
cludes an unconscious lead-
ing lady, a corpse that can’t
play dead and actors who trip
over everything, including
their lines.
From Nov. 19 through
Dec. 8, the mega-hit “Ham-
ilton,” winner of 11 Tony
Awards, commands the
stage. The show with book,
music and lyrics by Lin-
Manuel Miranda is the story
of Alexander Hamilton, an
immigrant from the West
Indies who became George
Washington’s right-hand
man during the Revolution- MATTHEW MURPHY
ary War and was the new “ C AT S ”
nation’s first Treasury secre-
tary. The score blends hip-
hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B
S18 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

and typical Broadway music.

The Tony-Award-winning
musical “Cats” by Andrew
Lloyd Webber takes the stage
from Feb. 4 to 9 to tell the
story of one magical night
when an extraordinary tribe
of cats gathers for its annual
ball to rejoice and decide
which cat will be reborn.
“‘Cats’ is a perennial favor-
ite with audiences across all
markets,” Traxler said. “And
for young and first-time audi-
ences, it’s a terrific introduc-
tion to the world of Broadway
musicals.”
From April 7 to 12, the clas- JOAN MARCUS JEREMY DANIEL JOAN MARCUS

sic revival of “Fiddler on the

Roof” tells the heartwarming “FIDDLER ON “ T H E P L AY T H AT “ H A M I LT O N ”
story of fathers and daughters, THE ROOF” GOES WRONG”
 husbands and wives and the timeless tradi-
tions that define faith and family.
“This production directed by Tony-win-
ning director Bartlett Sher is one of the top
Fiddler productions in a long time to tour
the country,” Traxler said.
“The Band’s Visit” plays Altria Theater
from April 28 through May 3, during its
first year of touring. Set in an Israeli desert
town, the show tells the story of local café
owner Dina, who takes in a lost band of
Egyptian musicians for a night and discov-
ers a sense of renewal to her life.
Fan favorite “Wicked” flies in to Altria
from June 3 to 14. The ever-popular musi-
cal reveals the untold story of the Witches
of Oz. In the show, a young woman with
emerald-green skin and extraordinary tal-
ent meets a bubbly, exceptionally popular
blonde and forms an unlikely friendship
... until the world decides to call one good
and the other one wicked.
Contact Joan Tupponce at jtuppo@verizon.net.
“The Band’s Visit” EVAN ZIMMERMAN

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& SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS
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 ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TimEs-DispATCH

N EXT YEA R I S S H AP I N G U P TO BE FETE-FI L L ED

FOR R IC H MON D’S C L ASSI CAL MU S I C LOV E RS
S20 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

BY HOLLY PRESTIDGE gifted musicians ages 8 to 19 in Eng- Symphony associate conductor and
Richmond Times-Dispatch land in 1963. the current music director for the Steven Smith, then
The year 2020 also marks the Baltimore Symphony and the Sao the music director
Next year is shaping up to be fete- 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s Paulo Symphony Orchestra. Open- of the Richmond
filled for Richmond’s classical music birthday, and arts organizations all ing night features a performance of Symphony,
lovers. around town are hosting celebratory Stravinsky’s “The Firebird: Suite,” conducted a
For starters, dozens of the world’s performances. as well as pieces from Brahms and rehearsal at the
best young violinists will descend But there’s a lot happening in the Zemlinsky, and it features the Rich- Carpenter Theatre in
upon Richmond in May for the meantime, starting with the Rich- mond Symphony Chorus. The night the Dominion Energy
Menuhin Competition, an interna- mond Symphony kicking off its sea- also includes Paganini’s Violin Con- Center in March.
tional showcase of young musicians son in September without a director certo No. 1 with former Menuhin Smith left in May
for which an international host city as it searches for someone to replace Competition finalist and Paganini after nine seasons.
is chosen each year. Think the Olym- Steven Smith, who left in May. Violin Competition winner Inmo The symphony kicks
pics, but for violinists instead of ath- Specifically, six guest conductors Yang. off its new season in
letes. The competition pays tribute — five of them candidates for the job The remaining five guest conduc- September without
to the late Yehudi Menuhin, a New — will take to the stage throughout tors who each hope to make linger- a director.
York City-born violin prodigy who the season, which begins Sept. 21 ing impressions — and potentially
went on to open a violin school for with Marin Alsop, former Richmond secure the job — include Roderick
 Cox in October; Ankush Kumar
Bahl in January; Laura Jackson
in February; Valentina Peleggi in
March; and Farkhad Khudyev in
April. Their repertoires include
Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mo-
zart, Bruckner and more.
The symphony’s Pops series
brings Michael Cavanaugh in Oc-
tober performing the music of
Elton John, while the Union Atlan-
tic LolliPops series in March fea-
tures Appalachian Spring with the
School of Richmond Ballet.
The University of Richmond’s
Modlin Center for the Arts begins
its classical and chamber series in
October with the Shanghai Quar-
tet, which will be joined by two
sought-after soloists, violinist So-
ovin Kim and pianist Orion Weiss.
Later in the month, to celebrate
Beethoven, pianist Simone Din-
nerstein and cellist Matt Haimov-
itz join forces to showcase the
great artist’s works along with con-
temporary music icon Philip Glass.
Ahead of Menuhin, the Modlin
Center welcomes Daniel Hope and
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 GO O GO O DOL L S, DWIGHT YOAKAM, SNOOP D OGG AND MORE COMING
BY HAYS DAVIS
Special correspondent
As the fall season approaches,
the region’s concert schedules
suggest new budget consider-
ations. For instance, turning once
more to last year’s sweaters and
jackets frees up clothing money
that can go toward concert tickets.
And with that sense of guilt-free
joy in mind, here’s a look at a few
S22 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •
Courtesy of gorDon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Courtesy of snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
of the highlights ahead.
The weather should still be
comfortable outside for the band
Bastille at Virginia Credit Union
Live! at Richmond Raceway on
Sept. 28. Don’t miss a day of the
Richmond Folk Festival (Oct. 11-
13), with Cajun greats Beausoleil
avec Michael Doucet, honky-tonk/
country artist Dale Watson and
blues players Super Chikan & the
Fighting Cocks among the many
performers. On Oct. 20, the Altria
Theater will present ’70s Classic
Soul featuring The Whispers, The
Spinners, Harold Melvin’s Blue
Notes and more.
On the schedule at Dominion
Energy Center is Gordon Light-
foot (Oct. 2), progressive rockers
Dream Theater (Oct. 6) and the
pop/rock hits of Goo Goo Dolls
(Nov. 19). Look for Robyn Hitch-
cock at Capital Ale House on Nov.
Goo Goo Dolls
16, while the Broadberry’s full slate
includes Bob Mould (Sept. 25) and
Seattle legends Mudhoney (Oct. 7).
The Tin Pan will feature Loudon
Wainwright III (Oct. 11), soul/gos-
pel singer Oleta Adams (Nov. 1)
and blues/rock guitarist Eric Gales
(Nov. 10). Coming to the Univer-
sity of Richmond’s Modlin Center
for the Arts are Lucinda Williams
and Buick 6 (Sept. 25) and Leo
Kottke (Nov. 10).
Courtesy of goo goo DoLLs
 The National has another
busy fall in the works, where
you’ll find Calexico + Iron
& Wine (Sept. 24), the two-
night return of Lake Street
Dive (Oct. 11-12), X Ambas-
sadors (Oct. 26) and some big
country dates with The Band
Perry (Oct. 14) and Dwight
Yoakam (Nov. 7).
Pianist George Winston
will appear Oct. 25 at the Cul-
tural Center at Glen Allen.
At the Beacon Theatre in
Hopewell, plan for Lorrie
Morgan (Oct. 4), classic rock-
ers Blue Oyster Cult (Oct. 5)
and Bill Anderson (Nov. 9).
Looking up the road a bit
in Charlottesville, John Paul
Jones Arena offers Miranda
Lambert with Maren Morris
(Nov. 7) and Ariana Grande
(Nov. 15). Pianist Jim Brick-
man will be at the Paramount
Theater on Dec. 16, and the
fall lineup at the Jefferson
Theater includes two nights
with rising bluegrass star
Billy Strings (Nov. 7-8) and
Robert Earl Keen (Dec. 8).
And you can enjoy a few
more evenings outside at the
city’s Sprint Pavilion, with THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Elvis Costello and The Im- The Band Perry

posters (Oct. 23) and Wilco
(Nov. 8) counted among its

• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S23

performers.
Heading south, The Nor-
VA’s lineup includes Elvis
Costello and The Imposters
(Nov. 1), Billy Strings (Nov.
6), rapper Big K.R.I.T. (Nov.
8) and country singer Riley
Green (Dec. 14). The Chris-
tian music band MercyMe
will be at Scope Arena on
Oct. 19 with Crowder and
Micah Tyler, while Chrysler
Hall will present Patti LaBelle
on Nov. 10.
Jazz fans should check the
schedule for Attucks Theatre,
which includes saxophon-
ists Mark Shim (Oct. 5) and
Bobby Watson (Nov. 2), plus
guitarist Ken Navarro and sax THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COURTESY OF DWIGHT YOAKAM
MUSIC, Page S24 Ariana Grande Dwight Yoakam
 Music Home Loans Amphitheater
on Oct. 18. A little farther up
From Page S23 Interstate 95, at Jiffy Lube
Live in Bristow, celebrate
player Jeff Kashiwa (Nov. the seasonal change with
16). At the Ferguson Cen- Snoop Dogg and Wu Tang
ter for the Arts at Christo- Clan (Sept. 27) and Brantley
pher Newport University, Gilbert (Oct. 12).
look for George Thorogood And for a few major
and the Destroyers (Oct. 3), shows to carry you up to
Clint Black (Nov. 16) and the holidays, grab tickets to
Christmas shows with Dave Capital One Arena in D.C.
Koz and Friends (Dec. 7) for Carrie Underwood with
and Chris Tomlin (Dec. 8). Maddie & Tae and Run-
ODU’s Constant Convo- away Jane (Oct. 4), Chance
cation Center is bringing the Rapper (Oct. 11), Post
Logic (Oct. 27) and a night Malone (Oct. 12), The
of rock with Five Finger Chainsmokers (Oct. 15)
Death Punch, Three Days and Cher with Nile Rodgers
Grace and more (Dec. 2). & Chic (Dec. 10).
Get some air with Chris Sta- Contact Hays Davis at THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
pleton at Veterans United haysdavis101@gmail.com. Chris Stapleton

Details online Modlin Center for the

Arts: modlin.richmond.
University For complete schedules, edu
of Richmond ticket prices and other
President Ronald Richmond Chapter,
information, follow these
Crutcher spoke American Guild of
links:
in April 2018 Organists:
Alexander Paley
S24 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

following the richmondago.org

announcement Music Festival:
Richmond Choral
that Richmond paleymusicfestival.org
Society:
won the bid Atlantic Chamber richmondchoralsociety.org
to host the Ensemble:
Richmond Philhar-
2020 Menuhin acensemble.org
monic: richmond
Competition. Capitol Opera philharmonic.org
Richmond: capitol
Richmond Public
operarichmond.com
TIMES-DISPATCH Library Gellman
Central Virginia Room series:
Classical and Design. As spirituality was
big in 1919, this performance,
Gellman Room Concert Series.
For more information on all
Masterworks Chorale:
cvamc.org
rvalibrary.org/events/
gellman-concerts/
From Page S21 called “A Bach Séance,” com- of these performances, as well as Chamber Music
bines music and theater to ex- many others from such groups Richmond Symphony:
Society of Central richmondsymphony.com
In November, the Chamber plore the lasting spirit of Johann as the Central Virginia Master- Virginia: cmscva.org
Music Society of Central Vir- Sebastian Bach. The society works Chorale, Classical Revolu- Virginia Common-
ginia celebrates the 100th anni- will also have two free perfor- tion RVA, the Richmond Choral Classical Revolution wealth University Music
versary of Richmond’s Branch mances on various themes — Society, the Richmond Philhar- RVA: classicalrevolution Department: arts.vcu.
House, the former home of one in September and another monic, the James River Singers rva.com edu/music
renowned architect John Rus- in December — at the Rich- and more, visit their websites. James River Singers: Virginia Opera:
sell Pope and now home to the mond Main Public Library, in hprestidge@timesdispatch.com thejamesriversingers.org vaopera.org
Branch Museum of Architecture conjunction with the library’s (804) 649-6945
 2018, AAron Sutten

STO R IES O F IN T EGRI T Y, RES P ON S I BI L I T Y A N D HERO I S M

H IG H LIG H T 2 0 19 -2 0 T H E AT E R S E ASON I N RI CHMO N D

• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S25

BY TONY FARRELL season with “Rosencrantz and Guil- Quill Theatre’s current artistic direc-
Special correspondent denstern Are Dead,” playwright Tom tor. “I think we’re going to bring the
Stoppard’s absurdist 1966 tragicom- cadence, the jazz, the decadence of
Given even the slightest chance, edy that highlights two mostly un- that era to life as much as we possi- Quill Theatre
the best theatrical works will get in seen characters from Shakespeare’s bly can.” performed “Romeo
your face, shout in your ear, and “Hamlet” by imagining their activi- Quill also returns once more to the & Juliet” for the
maybe even kick you down a flight of ties during the course of the famous Elizabethan stage at Agecroft Hall Shakespeare
stairs. play (Jan. 23-Feb. 16). Quill then fol- and Gardens for the annual sum- Festival at Agecroft
But isn’t that the job and duty of lows up with “The Great Gatsby,” mer Richmond Shakespeare Festival Hall and Gardens
all great art? With new approaches Simon Levy’s stage interpretation of with “All’s Well That Ends Well,” the last summer. The
to stagecraft, fresh interpretations F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal Ameri- Bard’s incisive take on one woman’s company returns
of classic works, and a willingness to can novel that casts an unforgiving persistent efforts to win the love and to the Agecroft
push the boundaries of the theatri- eye on greed, hubris and corrosive devotion of a diffident male (June stage from June
cal experience, Richmond theater obsession (March 5-March 21). 4-June 28), followed by “Henry V,” 4 through June
companies will launch the 2019-2020 “Gatsby” will be staged at the Vir- Shakespeare’s portrait of a humble, 28 with “All’s Well
theater season by taking direct aim at ginia Museum of Fine Arts with Jan untested prince who ultimately soars That Ends Well.”
stories of personal integrity, human Powell, Quill Theatre’s former artistic to heroic heights in medieval Eng-
responsibility and the individual ca- director, slated to direct. “It’s a pretty land (July 9-Aug. 2).
pacity for heroic acts. compact little novel, and the themes TheatreLAB explores the theme
Quill Theatre will open its new are recognizable,” said James Ricks, THEATER, Page S26
 Theater
From Page S25

“Power and Privilege“ as it launches

its seventh season, beginning with
“Admissions,” Joshua Harmon’s look
at how progressive white educators
rethink their commitment to diver-
sity when their son applies to top-tier
colleges (Sept. 12-Sept. 28).
The TheatreLAB season continues
with “Urinetown,” the Tony Award-
winning spoof of politics, capital-
ism, social irresponsibility — and
even musical theater itself (Nov.
2-Dec. 28); “The Revolutionists,” a
girl-powered comedy set during the
French Revolution’s Reign of Ter-
ror (Feb. 27-March 21); “Dutchman,”
the Obie Award-winning 1964 drama
by the late playwright LeRoi Jones
(later known as Amiri Baraka) about
a white seductress who preys upon
a naïve black man (May 14-June 6);
and “PUFFS: or, Seven Increasingly
Eventful Years at a Certain School of
Magic & Magic,” the humorous tale
of three potential heroes trying to
make their way through magic school
DON LONG
(summer 2020).
Firehouse Theatre Project’s season is dedicated on the theme “A Season of Risk.”
5th Wall Theatre takes up resi-
dence in The Basement at The-
atreLAB to stage four shows next glass animals are a substitute for real title role (November 2019); “Stupid club singer who finds redemption
season, beginning with “Lost Boy at interaction.” Kid,” an East Coast premiere of Sharr after a show-business-tinged angel
Whole Foods,” the story of a recently The 5th Wall season continues White’s new play about the tyranny of named Albert pays her a visit (Nov.
divorced Pittsburgh resident who with “Fulfillment Center,” the story of poverty, injustice and family (January 13-Dec. 21); “The Cake,” a drama
S26 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

bonds with a displaced Sudanese
“lost boy” (Oct. 11-Nov. 2). Next up
will be “The Glass Menagerie,” Ten-
nessee Williams’ iconic portrait of a
dysfunctional Southern family (Jan.
17-Feb. 8).
“It’s about lonely and disenfran-
chised people, and today we’re even
more cut off from society,” said Carol
Piersol, 5th Wall’s artistic director,
who hopes modern audiences will
notice the connection between the
play’s reclusive characters and the
isolation that is so often a part of our
modern digital era.
“In this day and age, social media
takes the place of social interaction,
and those people in the play were in
their own world,” Piersol says. “And
they, especially Laura, weren’t able
to function with real people. The
three alienated individuals who con-
nect through an online retailer’s ship-
ping warehouse in New Mexico (April
3-April 25), and “Bloody, Bloody An-
drew Jackson,” a biographical por-
trait, warts and all, of the country’s
seventh president being co-produced
with TheatreLAB (July 17-Aug. 22).
Firehouse Theatre Project launches
its 26th main stage theater season, al-
ready in progress, with the theme “A
Season of Risk,” beginning with di-
rector Tawnya Pettiford-Wates’ stag-
ing of “Passing Strange,” the Tony
Award-winning mash-up of rock
concert music and African Ameri-
can coming-of-age story. Firehouse
will also present “Lombardi,” Eric Si-
monson’s deft, incisive portrait of the
famous Green Bay Packers football
coach featuring Ken Moretti in the
2020); “A Single Prayer,” playwright K
Jenkins’ portrait of a teenager trying
to find her place in a confusing world
(March 2020); and “The Club,” a new
musical that celebrates the world of
cabaret (May 2020).
Richmond Triangle Players will
bring six plays covering the depth
and breadth of LGBTQ theater to the
Robert B. Moss Theatre in Scott’s Ad-
dition beginning with “Falsettos,” an
award-winning musical that follows
the travails of Marvin, a neurotic gay
man juggling a wife, lover, teenage
son, family psychiatrist and lesbian
neighbors (Sept. 4-Oct. 5).
The RTP season continues with
“The Rocky Horror Show,” Rich-
ard O’Brien’s crowd-pleasing musi-
cal cult classic (Oct. 17-26); “Times
Square Angel,” the story of a bitter
that examines how a North Carolina
mother must decide whether to bake
a cake for the wedding of her daugh-
ter to another woman (Feb. 12-March
7); “Sugar in Our Wounds,” the story
of a young man’s persistence — and
brush with romance — on a plan-
tation during the Civil War (April
1-April 25); “A New Brain,” the comic
musical about a composer whose
brain runs amok when he suffers a
medical emergency (May 14-May 30);
and “Head Over Heels,” a laugh-out-
loud love story set to the music of the
iconic ’80s all-female band The Go-
Go’s (June 17-July 8).
Virginia Rep opens its new season
on the November Theatre’s Arenstein
Stage with “A Gentleman’s Guide to
Love & Murder,” the bawdy tale of a
commoner who will stop at nothing
to rise to the lofty peerage position
of earl (Sept. 27-Oct. 20); “Rodg-
ers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” a
musical version of the classic fairy
tale based on the 2013 Broadway
charmer (Nov. 29-Jan. 5); “Fences,”
playwright August Wilson’s Tony
and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama
about a black baseball player de-
nied a spot in the major leagues
who takes out his frustration on his
ballplayer son (Feb. 7-March 1); “A
Doll’s House Part 2,” Lucas Hnath’s
imagining of what happens after
Nora Helmer slams the door be-
hind her in the famous final scene
of Ibsen’s 1879 masterwork (April
10-May 3); and “Chicago,” Kander &
Ebb’s dazzling dance musical about
two murderesses vying for the spot-
light in the 1920s (June 26-Aug. 9).
Cadence Theatre Company kicks
off the first of three season offer-
ings in partnership with Virginia Rep
with “13,” a musical drama about
the social and personal challenges
faced by a New York City child of di-
vorce transplanted to a sleepy Indi-
ana town (Oct. 26-Nov. 17).
Cadence then follows up with
“Small Mouth Sounds,” playwright
Bess Wohl’s look at how six strang-
ers embarking on a backwoods si-
lent retreat grapple with the human
need to converse and connect
(March 7-March 29); and “True
West,” the late Sam Shepard’s Pulit-
Swift Creek Mill Theatre is celebrating its 54th season.
relationship [of] two very different
brothers coming together during
very unlikely circumstances. Each
man desperately needs something,
and throughout the course of the
play we witness a shift in power,
revealing the universality of the
human experience.”
Swift Creek Mill Theatre launches
its 54th season with “Holmes and
Watson,” playwright Jeffrey Hatch-
er’s look at how the famous detec-
tive’s assistant must contend with
Theaters
Cadence Theatre Company
Theatre Gym at Virginia Rep,
114 W. Broad St.
(804) 233-4894;
www.cadencetheatre.org
Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
319 N. Wilkinson Road, Henrico
(804) 262-9760;
www.cattheatre.com
Firehouse Theatre Project
1609 W. Broad St.
(804) 355-2001;
www.firehousetheatre.org
HATTheatre
1124 Westbriar Drive, Henrico
2003, ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH (804) 343-6364; www.hattheatre.org
Quill Theatre
(804) 340-0115
HATTheatre currently has two
shows scheduled for the season with www.quilltheatre.org
“In Love We Trust,” a theatrical trib- Richmond Triangle Players
ute to the spirit and impact of pop
music (Dec. 6-Dec. 14), and “The 1300 Altamont Ave.
Atheist,” Ronan Noone’s study of a (804) 346-8113; www.rtriangle.org
cynical news reporter and his im- Swift Creek Mill Theatre
probable climb up the journalism
ladder (March 6-20). 17401 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Chamberlayne Actors Theatre South Chesterfield
kicks off its 56th season with “Art of (804) 748-5203;
Murder,” the study of husband-and- www.swiftcreekmill.com
wife painters tempted to kill an art

• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S27

zer Prize-nominated drama about
brothers Austin and Lee, one a suc-
cessful screenwriter and the other a
troubled drifter, who come together
at their mother’s house after five
years apart (May 9-May 31).
As staged by longtime Richmond
director Rusty Wilson, “True West”
will alternate the main characters’
roles on each night of the play’s run,
following the lead of actors John
C. Reilly and the late Philip Sey-
mour Hoffman, who continuously
switched roles during the show’s
2000 Broadway run.
“There is a point in the play where
the brothers actually flip, and one
becomes the success and the other
becomes angry and resentful,” said
Anna Johnson, Cadence’s artistic
director. “‘True West’ reveals the
charlatans claiming to be Holmes
after he is presumed dead (Sept. 14-
Oct. 12). More theater classics follow
with “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,”
the whodunit based on Dickens’
final unfinished novel that invites
the audience to choose the mur-
derer’s identity (Nov. 16-Dec. 28);
“Daddy Long Legs,” a rags-to-riches
story of newfound love in the spirit
of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters
(Jan. 25-Feb. 22); “I Love You! You’re
Perfect! Now Change!,” an update of
the long-running off-Broadway re-
view skewering every aspect of love,
romance and family (March 21-May
2); and “Unnecessary Farce,” Paul
Slade Smith’s comedy about the ne-
farious goings-on in a cheap motel
(May 30-June 27).
In Richmond’s far West End,
dealer (Sept. 27-Oct. 12).
CAT Theatre continues with “The
Wild Women of Winedale,” a joy-
ful, touching look at three Virginia
women at a crossroads in their lives
(Dec. 6-Dec. 21); “Bloomsday,” Ste-
ven Dietz’s time-travel love story
about two lost loves who reunite
as their younger selves in Dublin,
Ireland (Feb. 7-Feb. 22); “The Un-
expected Guest,” Agatha Christie’s
story of a stranger who seeks refuge
in a house but stumbles into a web
of family intrigue (April 17-May 2);
and “Fireflies,” a drama focusing on
a retired schoolteacher who allows
a mysterious drifter into her house
and, ultimately, her life (June 12-
June 27).
Contact Tony Farrell at tlcoryell@aol.com.
TheatreLAB
The Basement, 300 E. Broad St.
(804) 505-0558;
www.theatrelabrva.org
Virginia Repertory Theatre:
Children’s Theatre of Virginia
1601 Willow Lawn Drive
(804) 282-2620; va-rep.org
Virginia Repertory Theatre:
Hanover Tavern
13181 Hanover Courthouse
Road, Hanover
(804) 282-2620; va-rep.org
Virginia Repertory Theatre: Sara
Belle and Neil November Theatre
114 W. Broad St.
(804) 282-2620; va-rep.org
 R I C HMON D BA LLET CELEBRAT ES ARTISTIC DIRECTO R’S 4 0TH YE A R
BY CATHERINE BROWN season, Richmond Ballet
Special correspondent will celebrate Winslett while
showcasing its depth of talent
Forty years ago, former bal- with both innovative contem-
lerina Stoner Winslett joined porary works and well-loved
Richmond Ballet as artistic classics.
director. In this role, she has From Sept. 27 to 29, at the
commissioned nearly 75 origi- Carpenter Theatre, Richmond
nal works from more than 35 Ballet will perform “Contem-
choreographers worldwide porary Classics,” with the pro-
and has overseen the compa- duction of two ballets. The
ny’s debuts in New York, Lon- first, “Carmina Burana,” is an
don, Beijing and Shanghai. often-repeated contemporary
One of the few female ar- ballet that was first set in Rich-
tistic directors in the U.S., mond in 1987 by John Butler
Winslett has been a leader in and then restaged by Malcolm
diversity and inclusion in the Burn. The VCU Common-
world of ballet. wealth Singers and the Rich-
She took part in the launch mond Symphony Chorus will
of The Equity Project, led by perform the score by Carl Orff.
the Dance Theatre of Harlem, “Carmina Burana” will
and, more locally, introduced be paired with George Bal-
a community access program, anchine’s elegant classical bal-
Minds in Motion, now offered let “Theme and Variations,”
in 27 Virginia schools. performed by 26 dancers.
Throughout the fall 2019 From Nov. 5 to 10, Rich-
S28 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Sarah FerguSon
Richmond Ballet
mond Ballet will hold its first
performance of the studio
series at its Canal Street loca-
tion with an old favorite and
a world premiere.
“Ancient Airs and Dances,”
the first piece Winslett cho-
reographed for the profes-
sional company, explores the
phases of relationships.
That performance will be
paired with a world premiere
ballet by Ma Cong, who
began his dance career at the
Beijing Dance Academy and
has created several other in-
novative works for Richmond
Ballet.
From Dec. 13 to 23, Rich-
mond Ballet will perform
its 40th “Nutcracker” set by
Winslett. “The Nutcracker”
has become a fan favorite
and a holiday tradition for
many in Richmond.
New York Times dance
critic Alastair Macaulay once
wrote, “Stoner Winslett’s
staging [of The Nutcracker]
for Richmond Ballet was so
satisfying all round … that
I formed an ideal version of
America in which every state
in the Union has at least one
local production that’s this
perfect.”
www.richmondballet.com
❖ ❖ ❖
The Latin Ballet of Virginia
has two performances this
fall. On Sept. 14, from 1 to
3 p.m., the performers will
help the Virginia Museum
of Fine Arts celebrate the art
of Latin America with dance
from Patagonia.
On Oct. 27, the ballet will
perform at the Dia de los
Muertos Festival at the Cul-
tural Arts Center at Glen
Allen. www.latinballet.com
❖ ❖ ❖
From Sept. 19 to 22 at the
Grace Street Theater, Starr
Foster Dance will present six
works, including three pre-
mieres choreographed by
Artistic Director Starrene
Foster.
For one of the original
works, “Here,” Foster collab-
orated with Lisette Johnson
from the Shameless Survivors
Organization to support sur-
vivors of domestic violence.
At all performances, attend-
ees will have the opportunity
to donate gas and grocery
cards to the YWCA.
The event also includes
the premiere of the visionary
“Land Shadows,” performed
by the full company, and the
Richmond premiere of “At
Your Darkest,” performed
by senior company mem-
bers Erick Hooten and Caitlin
Cunningham.
www.starrfosterdance.org
Starr Foster Dance
❖❖❖
On Sept. 27, the Mod-
lin Center for the Arts will
present Camille A. Brown &
Dancers, with highlights from
the award-winning choreog-
rapher’s critically acclaimed
African American trilogy.
On Oct. 9 and 10, the cen-
ter will present the Martha
Graham Dance Company’s
“The Eve Project,” which
commemorates the 100th an-
niversary of the ratification of
the 19th Amendment, which
gave women the right to vote.
http://modlin.richmond.edu
❖❖❖
As part of the fourth an-
nual Dogtown Presenter’s
Series, Dogtown Dance
Theatre will present a col-
laborative work by local cho-
DOUG HAYES
reographer Kara Robertson
of the modern-dance com-
pany KARAR DANCE COM-
PANY. The performances will
be Oct. 18 to 26. The piece,
“Circadian,” is inspired by
Fan Ho’s architectural pho-
tographs of 1950s and 1960s
Hong Kong and showcases
the beauty of simplicity and
the value of routine. www.
dogtowndancetheatre.com
❖ ❖ ❖
On Dec. 11, Studio 4 Dance
will present the 2019 RVA
Dance Awards at the Hof-
heimer Building at 6 p.m.
with performances by Rich-
mond artists.
www.rvadanceawards.com
❖ ❖ ❖
K Dance, a company-in-
residence at the Firehouse
Theatre, will present the 21st
annual YES! Dance Festival
on Dec. 20 and 21. Through
the festival, a showcase of
contemporary choreogra-
phers and dance compa-
nies, K Dance has introduced
more than 140 choreogra-
phers and performers to the
Richmond area. Developed
by Artistic Director Kaye
Weinstein Gary, the produc-
tion has featured guest artists
from Dance Magazine’s “25
to Watch,” a list of up-and-
coming artists featured in the
magazine’s January issue.
www.kdance.org
❖ ❖ ❖
For those who prefer don-
ning their own dance shoes
to sitting in a theater seat, the
RVA Salsa Bachata Founda-
tion is hosting the RVA Salsa
Bachata Congress at the
Delta Hotel by Marriott from
Sept. 6 to 8.
Attendees will enjoy cho-
reographed dance perfor-
mances and opportunities to
participate in workshops for
dancers of all levels.
www.rvasalsa.com
• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S29
❖ ❖ ❖
Richmond Urban Dance
presents the I AM HIP HOP
Dance Convention from
Sept. 13 to 14 at the Dog-
town Dance Theatre. Rec-
ommended for intermediate
and advanced dancers ages
11 and up, the convention of-
fers workshops with world-
renowned choreographers
and opportunities to partici-
pate in a freestyle battle and
showcase.
www.richmondurbandance.
com
Catherine Brown writes about the
arts, parenting, health and interesting
people for local and national
publications. She can be reached at
writercatherinebrown@gmail.com.
 Advertiser Content Advertiser Content Advertiser Content

Balanchine and Butler passed to the next wave of dancers

CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY RICHMOND BALLET
Have you ever wondered how ballet is passed
from one generation to the next? In today’s
world, you may think it’s through archival video.
However, there’s much more to a ballet than the
individual steps, and all parts of the performance,
including mistakes, are captured on video. So, it
is up to répétiteurs to teach the choreography, the
musicality, and the intent behind the movement to
each new generation.
Richmond Ballet ballet masters Malcolm Burn
and Jerri Kumery, répétiteurs for The John Butler
Foundation and The George Balanchine Trust,
respectively, have set choreography on dancers
around the world. Something special about
Richmond Ballet’s upcoming Contemporary
Classics performances, featuring George
Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations” and John
Butler’s “Carmina Burana,” is that both Kumery
and Burn worked firsthand with the legendary
choreographers on these very ballets.
A former New York City Ballet dancer, Kumery
performed “Theme and Variations” in the ‘80s.
Kumery explains that “I always go back to the
period when Balanchine was here, and I stay
true to his last words and versions of the ballet.”
When speaking about “Theme and Variations,”
Kumery states that “the energy and beauty that
comes through Balanchine’s movement and
Tchaikovsky’s music is in perfect harmony; it’s
heaven in a tutu.”
Burn first performed “Carmina Burana,” set
to the iconic Carl Orff score, on the Richmond
stage in 1987. He notes that Butler “was a master
of both classical and modern dance” and that this
powerful ballet is filled with Butler’s “uncanny
ability to create physical pictures that describe the
human condition.”
See the current generation of dancers perform
these magnificent works, alongside the Richmond
Symphony, VCU Commonwealth Singers, and
Richmond Symphony Chorus, when Richmond
Ballet presents Contemporary Classics Sept. 27-
29 at Dominion Energy Center.
RICHMOND BALLET. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Malcolm Burn in “Carmina Burana” by John Butler.

Advertiser Content Advertiser Content Advertiser Content

Cultural Arts Center season offers theater, music and dance

Capitol Steps, Golden Dragon Acrobats,
Semi-Toned, and Richmond’s Finest
featuring the Richmond Symphony and
S30 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

Commonwealth Bluegrass Band. Plus, enjoy

CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY THE
CULTURAL ARTS CENTER AT GLEN ALLEN
The Cultural Arts Center is kicking off
its new 2019-2020 season with an exciting
lineup of exhibits and performances, with
tickets starting at $12 for select shows.
The Center Season performance series
features exceptional performances in
theater, music and dance. From fan favorites
to exciting new performers, there’s truly
family-friendly performances including
Hansel & Gretel and Jolly Old St. Nicholas –
with tickets at $15.
The 2nd Stage concert season, the best
value in live music, is back to kick off your
weekends with a different genre of live
music monthly on Fridays. Held in The
Center’s beautiful Cardinal Ballroom with
cabaret-style seating, music lovers can relax VA REP ON TOUR
Musical fun for the entire family. Don’t miss
in an informal setting with performances by
Hansel & Gretel on Oct. 12.
amazing local and regional talent. Highlights
include Josh Grigsby and County Line, four onsite galleries include works from
Brass 5, Honky Tonk Experience, and more. The Mid-Atlantic Pastel Society, jewelry
Plus, make the evening complete with a full design by Wanda Hollberg, and the return
bar and complete dinner available for sale of celebrated mosaic artist Brian Korte/
at the show. Subscribe to the season with Brickworkz with an all-new LEGO® exhibit.
four or more shows at only $15 per show. Learn more and purchase your
Otherwise, individual tickets are $17 in tickets today at (804) 261-ARTS or
advance, or $21 if purchased at the door. artsglenallen.com.
VA REP ON TOUR

something for everyone. Highlights include Golden Dragon Acrobats: Cirque Ziva will
New art exhibits throughout The Center’s thrill everyone on March 14.
 Advertiser Content Advertiser Content

A season of Arts + Ideas Virginia Repertory Theatre presents

at the Weinstein JCC
CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY WEINSTEIN JCC
Kicking off in September, the Weinstein JCC’s season of Arts + Ideas explores the
many stories that make up our peoplehood – from around the world to within our own
community. With musical and theater performances, art experiences, speaking events and
film screenings, audiences will be entertained and engaged. Our door is open – come in,
take a seat, and connect.
The season kicks off with one of the most beloved “stories” of all time. The second
annual Jewish Film Series will show five films over the course of the season. Its first, the
award-winning documentary film, “Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles,” is the story of Broadway
sensation “Fiddler on the Roof ” and the phenomenal impact it has made around the
world.
The opening art gallery exhibit, “Parsha Posters,” offers a unique artistic interpretation
of the Parsha by Hillel Smith, an Israeli-born graphic artist and muralist. He will be in
residency at the Weinstein JCC for two days in September and there will be opportunities
for the community to engage with him over the course of his stay.
The Arts + Ideas subscription series kicks off with “Telling Their Stories: A Cabaret.”
Join Natan Berenshteyn and Debra Clinton, iconic figures of arts and culture in the
Richmond Jewish community, for an intimate evening of stories and songs.
Come for the entertainment, stay for the community. To be a part of the conversation and
find out the latest Arts + Ideas news and events, visit weinsteinjcc.org.
exceptional shows, and much more
CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE
As a nonprofit, regional professional theatre, Virginia Repertory Theatre offers musicals,
dramas, comedies, new plays and children’s classics at four distinct venues. We stage the
Signature Season at our Broadway-style mainstage theatre downtown, co-produce the
Cadence Season with Cadence Theatre Company in the Theatre Gym downtown, the
Children’s Season at Willow Lawn and the Hanover season at Hanover Tavern.
And, we work to create new plays and musicals that are presented first in Richmond, and
then move on to be enjoyed in other major markets.
But Virginia Rep is so much more. We firmly believe that theatre has the power to change
lives for the better, and offer theatre access for all through community ticket grants to area
nonprofits, audio described shows for the blind and vision impaired, and sensory friendly
shows for those on the autism spectrum.
We also address vital social issues, such as child sexual abuse, opioid addiction, bullying
and human trafficking, through our Community Health + Wellness programs.
Our tour productions are seen by 181,640 students in RVA and across Virginia, plus
248,050 more who see our shows that tour the rest of the country. We offer youth camps,
home-school programs and theatre classes for area youth and adults.
From the legacies of Barksdale and Theatre IV, to the 2012 merger that created Virginia
Repertory Theatre, and on to our new 2019-2020 Season, we continue to play a big role in
the cultural, educational and economic life of Richmond and the region.

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Broadway In Richmond season presents classics, premieres and favorites

CONTENT CONTRIBUTED BY BROADWAY IN subscription base certainly impacts the shows
RICHMOND AND JAM THEATRICALS RVA
we are able to bring to Altria Theater, and
Jam Theatricals is delighted to kick off the we appreciate the continuous support,” said

• • • Sunday, September 8, 2019 ♦ richmond timeS-diSpatch S31

2019-2020 Broadway In Richmond season with
the premieres of “Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The
Chocolate Factory,” Sept. 17-22, “The Play
That Goes Wrong,” Oct. 22-27 and “Hamilton,”
the story of America’s Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton, Nov. 19-Dec. 8. In 2020,
theatergoers will be smitten with the kittens of
the record-breaking musical spectacular “Cats,”
Feb.4-9, 2020, and the Tony-nominated, newly
staged revival of “Fiddler On The Roof,” April
7-12, 2020. The season also features “The
Band’s Visit,” winner of ten 2018 Tony Awards
including Best Musical, April 28-May 3, 2020,
and the two-week return visit of Richmond’s
most popular musical, “Wicked,” June 2-14,
2020.
“We are so excited to bring ‘Hamilton’ to
Richmond along with what just may be our
strongest lineup of classics, premieres and
favorites! The size and strength of the Richmond
Steve Traxler, president and co-founder of Jam
Theatricals. “Our desire to bring a season of
full-week engagements has been realized, and
that creates great opportunities for new and
existing subscribers and patrons.”
Tickets are on sale now for “Roald Dahl’s
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory,” the
perfect recipe for a delectable treat, and “The
Play That Goes Wrong,” Broadway and
London’s award-winning smash comedy. Season
subscription packages are still available for
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings,
which means the best seats in the house are
available to new subscribers. Individual
tickets for “Hamilton” and other shows will be
announced as each performance approaches.
All Broadway In Richmond shows are engaged
at Altria Theater. Purchase tickets online at
BroadwayInRichmond.com, by phone at 1-800 JOAN MARCUS
514-3849 (ETIX) and at the Altria box office. The award-winning musical “Hamilton” will be presented at the Altria Theater
beginning in November.
 19|20 s e a s o n
c o n t e mp o r a r y
c l a ss i c s
featuring Carmina Burana and
Theme and Variations
September 27-29, 2019

IN THE
stu d io o n e
November 5-10, 2019

t h e n u tc r ac k e r
December 13-23, 2019

s wa n l a k e
February 14-16, 2020

st u di o t wo
April 14-19, 2020
S32 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, September 8, 2019 • • •

st u di o t h r e e
May 12-17, 2020

Tic ke ts on S ale Now

ETIX.com or 804.344.0906x224
richmondballet.com

Richard S. Reynolds
Foundation CultureWorks & The Arts and Cultural Funding
Consortium supported by City of Richmond
E. Rhodes and Leona B. and the Counties of Hanover & Henrico
Carpenter Foundation
SECTION S • SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 • RICHMOND.COM •••

As we mark Women’s
History Month in March,
the Richmond Times-Dis-
patch launches its inaugural
“Strong Voices” program to
celebrate the power and sto-
Laura Lafayette .................................. S4 ries of Richmond women.
“Strong Voices” spotlights
Christy Coleman ................................. S6 nine women whose vision
Lisa Sims ............................................. S8 and dedication have ben-
efited our region and Vir-
Pamela Reynolds ............................. S10 ginia. The RTD has served
Richmond since 1850, and
Kelli Lemon ........................................ S14 as part of our commitment
Nancy Thomas .................................. S16 to storytelling, we featured
these nine “Strong Voices”
Cynthia “Cheryl” Marin .................. S18 at a March 20 event. Their
Lakshmi Challa ............................... S20 stories — reprinted in this
special section — are both
Heidi Abbott .................................... S22 personal and universal, and
they touch on the past, the
present and the future.
The event was sponsored
Cover and seCtion design
Kira rider
krider@timesdispatch.com
A native of Wilmington, Del., Paige Mudd came to Richmond in 2000. She is
the first female executive editor in the history of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
being designated as Wom-
en’s History Month. It is also
the centennial of Congress
passing the 19th Amend-
ment on women and voting.
In fact, when that amend-
ment was sent it to the states
for ratification, it landed with
a thud in Richmond. Eight
months later — in February
1920 — Virginia rejected giv-
Paige Mudd ing women the right to vote.
pmudd@TimesDispatch.com
Of course, lawmakers did
get around to ratifying the
by Sonabank’s P.O.W.E.R. amendment, but not until 32
program, and a beneficiary years later. Clearly, progress
of the program was fundrais- can be slow.
ing for “Voices from the Gar- I think of that now as debate
den — The Virginia Women’s over the Equal Rights Amend-
Monument.” Located at Cap- ment has returned to Virginia
itol Square, this monument this year — 47 years after it
is recognizing extraordinary was sent to the states for rati-
women who have shaped fication. But my thoughts
the commonwealth in nota- aren’t really about the politics
ble ways. or the arguments themselves.
This year marks just the Instead, it got me think-
32nd anniversary of March ing about the notion of un-
finished business — that as
women, the path forward is
often about reckoning with
the past.
Through “Strong Voices,”
we hope to amplify the spirit
and hope of women who
continue to persevere, who
continue to inspire and be in-
spired, and who are extending
the path for new generations.
The nine women featured
here have walked this path in
their own way. They pave the
way for people like my daugh-
ter, who want to do what they
want to do, be what they want
to be — without judgment or
barriers.
By example, they have
demonstrated courage, lead-
ership, compassion and com-
mitment — and shaped the
Richmond region and beyond
with those same qualities. We
hope you’ll find inspiration in
their “Strong Voices.”

The 12 women to be depicted her husband in 1656 and was Printer / Williamsburg yielded a high patient lay leader / smyth County
as bronze statues in “Voices an astute and skillful leader. Rind (c. 1740 - Sept. 25, 1774) survival rate. Copenhaver (Aug. 29, 1868 -
from the Garden — The Vir- exemplifies Colonial business- Dec. 18, 1940), who like her
ginia Women’s Monument” women and was appointed by family served the Lutheran
S2 Richmond Times-dispaTch ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •

represent women — some

well-known, others not —
MAry drAper IngLes
Frontierswoman /
from all corners of the state. new river valley
Ingles (1732 - 1815) was
acclaimed for escaping In-
Anne BurrAs LAydon dian captivity in modern
Colonist / Jamestown Ohio and her return home to
Laydon (c. 1594 - after 1625) Virginia, much of it across
represents the women who rugged terrain.
sailed from England to
Virginia and survived depri-
vation to establish a MArthA WAshIngton
thriving colony. First lady / Fairfax County
Washington (June 2, 1731 -
May 22, 1802) managed oper-
CoCkACoeske ations at Mount Vernon and
Pamunkey chief / helped set a precedent for the
Middle Peninsula wives of future presidents.
Cockacoeske (flourished 1656
- 1686) became leader of the
Pamunkey after the death of CLeMentInA rInd
the General Assembly as the
colony’s public printer.
eLIzABeth keCkLy
seamstress and author /
dinwiddie County
Keckly (February 1818 - May
26, 1907) was a seamstress
and confidante to Mary Todd
Lincoln who aided black refu-
gees during the Civil War.
sALLy L.toMpkIns
Hospital administrator /
Mathews County
Tompkins (Nov. 9, 1833 -
July 25, 1916) was a Confed-
erate hospital administra-
tor in Richmond whose work
MAggIe L.WALker
entrepreneur and civil rights
leader / richmond
Walker (July 15, 1864 - Dec.
15, 1934) was a pioneering
businesswoman and activist
whose efforts were based in
Richmond’s Jackson Ward.
sArAh g.Jones
Physician / richmond
Jones (February 1866 - May
11, 1905) was the first African-
American woman to pass the
Virginia Medical Examining
Board’s examination.
LAurA s.CopenhAver
entrepreneur and Lutheran
Church, promoted Southwest
Virginia’s economy.
vIrgInIA e.rAndoLph
educator / Henrico County
Randolph (May 1870 -
March 16, 1958) developed an
innovative teaching style and
an international reputation as
an education leader.
AdèLe CLArk
suffragist and artist /
richmond
Clark (Sept. 27, 1882 -
June 4, 1983) helped establish
the Equal Suffrage League of
Virginia as well as Virginia’s
Art Commission.
VIRGINIA WOMEN
ARE MAKING
HISTORY
The Virginia Women’s Monument: Voices from the Garden
is the first monument in the nation celebrating the full range of women’s
significant achievements and contributions to a state’s history.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S3

BE A PART OF HISTORY.
Make a contribution today at VirginiaCapitol.gov to ensure that
the whole story of Virginia’s 400-year history is told.
S4 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
The sTrong voices from my early life
When I reflect on the first half of my
life, there is no one memory that stands
out. Rather, when I think about life’s
lessons learned, what comes to mind
are my encounters with and observa-
tions of the strong women who have
graced my life.
From my grandmothers I learned the
value of working hard and without com-
plaint. I certainly haven’t mastered the
no complaining.
Until she was 90, my paternal great-
grandmother lived in Keysville, Va.
She fetched her water from a well and
chopped the wood that heated her
house and fueled her stove.
To ensure that her children had
a roof over their heads, my paternal
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TimEs-DispATCH
grandmother proudly worked as a ca-
shier at Ukrop’s.
My maternal grandmother managed
a school cafeteria.
An “honorary” grandmother who
lived with us served as one of Virginia’s
first public health nurses.
These women lived modestly, but
they gave generously.
 My mother had something
my grandmothers did not — a
choice in life. And she chose to
be a homemaker.
Like most teenagers, I failed
to appreciate what I was witness-
ing when I watched my mother
lead the PTA, chair her Christian
Women’s Club, serve as the Sun-
day School superintendent, or
open our home to anyone who
needed rest and refuge.
My mother showed me what
true servant leadership looks like
— humbly orienting one’s life
toward others and respecting the
inherent dignity and worth of
each person.
Perhaps because I grew up
surrounded by strong, inde-
pendent, confident, opinion-
ated, warm, nurturing women, it
never occurred to me to be mild
or meek.
The self-confidence my family
and others — most notably some
wonderful educators — nurtured
in me came in handy (and was
sorely tested) when in the sum-
mer of 1989, I found myself turn-
ing 24 and serving as the press
secretary for the gubernatorial
campaign of L. Douglas Wilder.
From start to finish, a wom-
an’s right to choose was the
dominant issue of the campaign.
While the candidate and most
of the campaign staff were men
with strong personalities, never
did I feel patronized because of
my gender and youth.
The men were well-aware
that I could and would dish it
as well as I took it. And when
Wilder won and asked me to
serve as his gubernatorial press
secretary, I asked for and re-
ceived equal pay.
My early life taught me to
stand up for myself.
I learned as well that one can
speak truth to power without de-
monizing others and shouting
over them. It takes strength to
lead with compassion. And until
each person has an opportunity
to thrive, our work is not done.
If my daughters are watching
me, I hope these are the lessons
they’re learning, too.

A native of Richmond, Laura Lafayette is CEO of the Richmond Association of Realtors. As a leader of the Maggie Walker Com-
munity Land Trust and other regional initiatives, she links housing to critical issues such as education and workforce development.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S5

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S6 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
GivinG voice to women of the past
The voices of strong women have al-
ways called out to us — both in the past
and present. They have called to us to
seek justice, human dignity and a higher
purpose to lift all of humankind.
I’ve built a career in public history,
where I’ve advocated that women and
other marginalized people be given
their rightful place in the story of Amer-
ica — the story of us.
When European nations were ex-
panding the trans-Atlantic slave trade
and attempting to colonize Western
Africa, Queen Nzinga initially sought
diplomatic solutions to maintain the
sovereignty of her nation and end the
barbarous practice. When that failed,
she waged war against the Portuguese.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TimEs-DispATCH
It was from her nation that the “first
20 and odd negroes” arrived on Virginia
shores.
As British colonies were debating
independence, Abigail Adams admon-
ished her husband to “remember the la-
dies” by granting women equal status to
men in the new nation.
It was Phyllis Wheatley who put pen
to paper to decry the abuses of
slavery and express the desire for
freedom that all people shared
and deserved — at a time when
every single colony enslaved per-
sons of African descent.
It was Harriet Tubman who
chose not only to self-emanci-
pate but to aid hundreds of other
freedom-seekers. She formed al-
liances with other women like
Harriet Forten Purvis — who,
along with 17 other women,
formed the Philadelphia Fe-
male Anti-Slavery Society after
being denied membership in
the movement based on their
gender.
But it was Sojourner Truth
who asked the ultimate question:
“Ain’t I a woman?”
Her speech wasn’t one of ac-
quiescence — rather, it was one
of strength, as she laid forth
the fortitude that she and other
women share.
But intersectionality often
was — and continues to be — an
issue. In the pursuit of voting and
property rights, racism and class
often prevented the powerful
from seeing common struggles.
We laud Susan B. Anthony,
Lucretia Mott and others for ad-
vocating suffrage and the rights
of women, but they did not align
themselves with black women.
Rather than be deterred, the in-
comparable Ida B. Wells and
Mary Church Terrell sought
their own venues to extend their
messages. These black women
fought not only for voting rights
but for social justice against the
rising tide of domestic terrorism
against black people.
Into the 20th and now 21st
century, the voices of women
surround us. They are shaping
national and international poli-
tics, arts and culture, education,
social justice movements and
much more.
If we listen, we may hear
things we’ve never considered
before.
We may grow in ways we
never imagined.
We may find ourselves on the
verge of greatness.

A native of Williamsburg, Christy Coleman came to Richmond in 2008. As CEO of the American Civil War Museum,
she has broadened the dialogue and storytelling about race and history in Richmond and the South.

CONGRATULATIONS!
CHERYL MARIN
Dominion Energy

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S7

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home. These brave and strong women
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S8 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
Facing a challenge head-on
During the summer of 2002, my mom
was diagnosed with metastatic breast
cancer. A tiny tumor from 18 years earlier
had come roaring back. She had between
six months and two years to live.
I took a short leave of absence to be
with her during her initial treatments in
Nashville. That September, I came home
to my own mammogram — and I also
was diagnosed.
How was it possible? I felt great. I was
healthy, 42 years old. I had a mammo-
gram every year — I was diligent!
But here I was, with stage 3A cancer,
facing a bilateral mastectomy, months
of chemotherapy, more months of radi-
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TimEs-DispATCH
ation — the whole thing.
The day of the diagnosis, I was in a
daze. A fog. I called my husband from
the doctor’s office, my best friend as I
walked to my car and my mom once I
got home. It was a very bad day.
And the days got worse for a while ...
until eventually they got better.
 Because despite now being a
“Cancer Patient,” I came to the
realization that I was still me.
The same me I’d been when
I walked into the doctor’s of-
fice before my diagnosis. And I
began to approach the cancer
as we women do so many things
— as something to be dealt with
so that I could move on with my
life.
I armed myself with all the
information I could find —
both good and bad. I stood up
straight, put my shoulders back
and went to work on surviving.
And it might sound crazy, but
I never believed that I was going
to die. Not then, anyway. I felt
that cancer might get me some-
day. But as I was going through
treatment, it became simply one
more thing in a thankfully busy
life.
I was surrounded by people
who told me how strong I was,
what a great attitude I had —
and I spent much of that time
consoling my loving friends and
family who were terribly fright-
ened for me. In the years since,
I’ve been lucky to help many
other friends and strangers deal
with a cancer diagnosis and its
aftermath.
My mom did not survive. But
she lived another two years. And
she helped me as I went through
my own battle. She was strong.
And some of the sweetest mem-
ories of my life are the times
we spent together during those
years when we were both fight-
ing for our lives.
So my greatest personal rev-
elation is this: Until we’re tested,
we have no idea how strong we
are. My friends speaking today
didn’t become “Strong Voices”
because life was perfect. They
became strong because life chal-
lenged them in some way — just
as each of you has challenges
that make you stronger.
I didn’t feel remotely strong
when I was going through
cancer treatment. But living
through it — through any chal-
lenge — is precisely what gives
us strength.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Lisa Sims came to Richmond in 1998. As executive director of Venture Richmond, she
unites business and community leaders to highlight the city — particularly downtown — as a destination.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S9

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S10 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •

DANIEL SANGJIB MIN/TIMES-DISpATch

A letter to myself
I hope these thoughts will inspire and for you. world around us better.
represent the feelings of other women: Normal for you is also knowing that You have believed in setting high goals.
the way to achieve success requires It has been said by friends that you
Dear Pam, hard work and building teams of more never sleep — since finally after em-
When you were 4, you didn’t love accomplished persons than yourself. bracing technology, your emails hit
wearing bangs and were told that plaids, You read obituaries not just in The their inboxes at 2 and 3 a.m.
stripes and flowers didn’t go together. Times-Dispatch but in The New York You have told friends that they must
How is it they all became your signa- Times — so that you have a better un- have a very understanding and strong
ture even if it was unusual? Maybe it still derstanding of what people have ac- supporter in a partner — like you have
is. But of course, we know it’s normal complished or sacrificed to make the in Major.
 You were once inspired by the Let them know you care. Send went on a fundraising call that you important rule of all.
saying, “If there’s one thing we emails or texts — perhaps things thought would be successful? The Affectionately,
all need to stop doing, it’s waiting you have read during the day. person across the table said, “Do Pam
around for someone else to show Drop off flowers or notes and just you know what I think of this pro-
up and change our lives.” The leave them on their doorsteps. posal?” He looked at you, tore it P.S. I want to say how grate-
best way to do this is to look in Say “I love you” and give them up and tossed it in the trash can. ful and humbled I am. I will keep
the mirror and say: “Have I done hugs. Have lunches with them You were mortified and your working for the arts community
the best I can do?” even if you must work to get a legs got weak. But you got up, and the commonwealth I love. I
Pam, it is very important to date. Forgive those who hurt you. went to the water pitcher, got a know I cannot do it without you.
have friends. Maya Angelou said, If you are to become a leader, drink, turned around and said I can have a vision, but without
“Try to be a rainbow in some- then you must convince others thank you. You went right to the a voice, I am nothing. Winston
one’s cloud.” to believe in what you are doing. car and cried. It was a powerful Churchill once said, “We make a
You must work hard to have If they say no, then smile and say lesson not to be forgotten. living by what we get. We make a
friends because they have many thank you. Remember to always do as life by what we give.” Thank you
choices besides you. Remember when you once you say you will. That is the most for giving me a strong voice.

A native of New York, Pamela Reynolds came to Richmond in the mid-1970s. She is a longtime patron of the arts
whose advocacy has elevated the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond Ballet and many other cultural institutions.

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• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S11

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• • • SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2019 ♦ RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH S13

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S14 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
Finding inspiration in richmond
The monuments, statues, museums,
landmarks — you can’t go far in Rich-
mond without being reminded of our
journey as a city and who we are.
As a woman, where do I find inspi-
ration in this city rich with history and
culture? It’s on a street where I envi-
sioned myself when I arrived here in
1992. And it’s who was there before me.
My favorite Richmond native is Mag-
gie Lena Walker. What she did as a
pioneering businesswoman and philan-
thropist — and how she achieved great-
ness from the Jackson Ward community
— is both inspirational and honorable.
Broad Street was my holy grail when
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TimEs-DispATCH
I came to Richmond — and it’s where
I find myself now. I think about the
statue to Walker that’s just down Broad
Street from my business. I think about
her mansion on Leigh Street and the lo-
cation of her bank on Marshall Street.
These are great monuments to her
story.
 Walker was the breadwinner
in her family — to the point that
she literally purchased her fami-
ly’s freedom. It’s so incredible to
think of how she was able to do
this at a time when women were
not seen to legitimately hold
that role of breadwinner — let
alone her being a black woman
during those times.
My fears today are differ-
ent than hers were then. I worry
about whether people will come
to my business, but imagine
what Walker faced — and think
of how her legacy continues
to create opportunities to this
day. I thank her for laying the
foundation for me and other
women to be independent and
entrepreneurial.
A man once told me I would
never be respected, and I’m for-
ever grateful to him. To know
that I opened a business, right
where Walker’s presence feels
strongest — it inspires me to
continue pushing to connect a
divided city. It inspires me to
support the agendas of other
women moving forward, much
as it was a woman who walked
me into Third and Broad — and
walked me into my dream.
The more I learn of Rich-
mond’s history — the good and
the bad — the more I realize
that women have been at the
forefront of every industry that
I am a part of: sports, arts, edu-
cation and food. For centuries,
Richmond women have found
ways to impact all areas of our
community.
I have a T-shirt that says:
“I am my ancestors’ wildest
dreams.” Today, Richmond
women are in the forefront of
change in this city, and we are
finally getting recognized. We
are community advocates, care-
givers, decision makers — the
glue that holds this community
together.
As with Maggie Walker, there
is much symbolism through-
out the city to inspire us. But
we must remember that we, as
women ourselves, are symbols
of inspiration, too.

A native of Hampton and Yorktown, Kelli Lemon came to Richmond in 1992. She is a social entrepreneur, consultant
and radio personality whose efforts include the Urban Hang Suite social cafe and the “Coffee with Strangers” podcast.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S15

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S16 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
A mother And dAughter living in the moment
You never know where you are going
to find some of life’s most important
lessons.
For me it was 4½ years ago at an Al-
coholics Anonymous meeting.
It was Nov. 7, 2014. My daughter, Caro-
line, was just hours into day one of detox.
The day before, her psychiatrist had
looked at me and said, “This is a going
to be a hard road for Caroline and your
family.”
Are you willing to go to the AA meet-
ings with her? My mouth said yes. My
brain was thinking: “When I am going to
wake up?”
The nightmare of my family’s genetic
disposition to the diseases of alcohol-
ism, drug addiction and mental illness
was now coming to life.
Watching a loved one go through
DANIEL SANGJIB MIN/TIMES-DISpATch
detox makes you feel helpless, desper-
ate and angry. Caroline also had been
recently diagnosed with bipolar II dis-
order after years of struggling with de-
pression and anxiety. To say we were
overwhelmed was an understatement.
We found an AA meeting in down-
town Richmond, parked, and before we
could go in, Caroline was vomiting curb-
side and profusely sweating. She looked
up at me with eyes saying, “Please
help me.” I handed her a tissue
and said with frustration, “Wipe
your mouth and let’s go.”
In an AA meeting, you share
your struggles and successes, and
it serves as a safe space where no
one is judged or blamed.
Inside was a circle of chairs —
12 African-American men of all
ages and us, these two frazzled
white women.
To this day, I call them the
12 disciples. When the meeting
ended, every disciple came over
and told Caroline how proud they
were that she was there and en-
couraged her to return.
One older gentleman ap-
proached us and told Caroline to
keep coming back. Then our eyes
locked.
He said: “This is a hard road.
Always remember this: Yesterday
is gone. Today is a gift. And to-
morrow is a mystery.
“Keep that in mind, mama,
and you will be all right.”
At this point, I could barely see
him with tears filling my eyes.
I was so trapped in feelings
of fear and worry that I couldn’t
stay in the present moment. I was Do not let fear and worry rob
anticipating problems that may you of your energy. It takes an
never happen. I jumped into a pit enormous amount of focus that
of self-pity — a very dangerous could be better spent in our pro-
place to be. fessional and personal lives.
Anticipating certain challenges This is especially difficult for
has helped me in my professional women, because we are the har-
career. But anticipating personal monizers, the peacemakers, the
life problems is very different. fixer-uppers.
The strength of my daughter Live within the boundaries of
and her day-by-day fortitude to today, the present. The future is
stay clean pulled me out of that not for us to know.
pit — along with support from As a strong voice once said to
my husband, Jeff; our son, Mac; me in an AA meeting: “Yesterday
and good friends who made me is gone. Today is a gift. And to-
feel safe. morrow is a mystery.”

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Nancy Thomas came to Richmond in 1976 as a college student. As president of
Retail Merchants and a former small-business owner, she promotes community support of local business.

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• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S17

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S18 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
Aspiring to greAt heights
My roots in Virginia run deep, as
I spent much of my childhood on a
sprawling family farm near Smith
Mountain Lake. I was blessed with
strong role models on both sides of my
family who were creative, self-reliant,
public-spirited and nurturing.
Growing up in the 1960s, I was en-
couraged to run free and follow my
dreams. At 5 years old, after watching
a Mercury space launch, I announced
that I wanted to work in the space
program.
Amazingly, no one tried to talk me
out of it ... although I later learned
they thought I wanted to be a flight
attendant!
I loved to tinker, solve problems and
JOE MAHONEY/TiMEs-DispATcH
build things. In school, I excelled at sci-
ence, math, technology and engineer-
ing. I loved anything fast and loud.
That fascination led me to enlist in
the Air Force at 17. But even as I pro-
gressed, I quickly learned that “accep-
tance” into the avionics program didn’t
really mean acceptance by my male
colleagues.
 It came as a shock that no
matter how hard I tried to prove
myself worthy, many didn’t think
a woman could or should be
working on aircraft — let alone
F-15 fighter jets. In the 1970s, less
than 3 percent of the military was
female, and most women were
assigned traditional administra-
tive or medical roles.
Surely, if I scored higher on
exams, worked harder and certi-
fied faster than my male coun-
terparts, the bias against me and
other women would change. But
the needle barely moved toward
inclusion.
Occasionally I received a
compliment from my male col-
leagues: “She works like a man.”
I thought to myself, “I work
like a woman.”
I found ways to persevere. I
earned a leadership role as a shift
chief supervising a team of air-
men. I sought out ways to change
the bias against women by be-
coming a leadership instructor
for new military supervisors. My
classroom was a safe space where
bias and inclusion were discussed
freely, with dignity and respect.
I didn’t let the naysayers stop
me, and I was always up for a
challenge. I completed my elec-
trical engineering degree and
was commissioned as an officer.
As an engineer on 26 Depart-
ment of Defense and NASA space
launches — including the space
shuttle — I achieved that 5-year-
old’s dream.
Today I serve with Dominion
Energy. I’m proud to be a part
of a “best company for women”
and a leading employer for
veterans.
I’ve learned over the years
that bias is part of our human
condition. We must resist putting
labels and limits on people. True
equality comes when we accept
each person as an individual.
In my son John and his gener-
ation, I see great potential. I hope
they and their children follow
their unique voices and dreams
— and that they always encour-
age others, like the 5-year-old
me, to reach for the stars.

A native of Pittsylvania County, Cynthia “Cheryl” Marin came to Richmond in 2016. The Air Force veteran was among
the military’s first female engineers to work on fighter jets and spacecraft, and she now works for Dominion Energy.

FROM THE RTD ARCHIVES

Peace activist Marii Hasegawa, shown at her home in 1968, was born in Japan
in 1918. She came to the U.S. as an infant and, during World War II, was sent to
a Japanese internment camp. In the 1960s, she moved to Richmond. She was a
leader of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and helped
establish the Richmond Peace Education Center. She died in 2012.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S19

In June 1944, to mark the Fifth War Loan campaign, Richmond hosted a parade
that included Women’s Army Corps members. The organization was formed in
May 1942 as the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and took on its new name in
1943. Aside from nurses, the WACs were the first women to serve in the Army,
and other military branches had similar groups during World War II.
S20 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
A lessoN from A youNg wArrior
My lesson in resilience came from a
14-year-old client.
She was born on the streets of Guate-
mala and abandoned by her birth fam-
ily. A woman unofficially adopted her
and gave her a name and birthday. The
woman raised the child as her daughter
— until the young girl was 12. Then she
turned the child into her commodity.
One day — combating the betrayal,
trauma and constant assaults — the
young girl escaped. Her 966-mile pas-
sage from Guatemala to Mexico was
laden with treachery, introducing her to
a new set of villains eager to exploit the
desperate plight of their latest prey.
Shelby lum/TimeS-DiSpaTch
She eventually was trafficked into the
United States, where immigration au-
thorities placed her in a detention cen-
ter until a foster care placement was
secured. It was at this time that I was
asked to consult on her immigration
options.
Amid all the horrors she had battled,
amid the immigration chal-
lenges she faced, she walked in
our office emanating a radiance.
Her big, beautiful brown eyes
sparkled with youthful inno-
cence, showing no evidence of
the monstrosities she endured.
She had an effervescence —
a bubbly disposition — and her
first question to me was: “Do
you like Bollywood movies?”
She was excited about edu-
cation. “I wish school was in
session all year,” she enthused,
articulating that excitement
with expressive gestures. She
spiritedly outlined a greater to-
morrow — her career and her
home.
Her dreams were rooted
not just in hope but, more sig-
nificantly, an unrelenting faith.
Her outlook was not in the
least dampened, diminished or
haunted by the tribulations of
her past.
As our meeting ended, she
walked toward the door, and she
suddenly turned around. She
ran up to me and gave me the
biggest, warmest hug, and then
she flashed her radiant smile
and walked out the door.
As a lawyer, you often are
presented with grim tales and
stories of unsung heroes. But
this encounter was different.
I kept thinking about her.
Her resilience was not ordinary.
It was sprinkled with a special
kind of fairy dust that illumi-
nated an unfettered trust of a to-
morrow full of promise.
Most people do not have to
endure such atrocities, yet we
not only ruminate about our dif-
ficulties, we marinate in them.
We soak up all the negative
thoughts, the hopelessness and,
yes, the self-pity, debilitating
our efforts to move forward.
Instead of letting our prob-
lems sit on our shoulders like
weights holding us down, we
should wear each struggle like a
piece of armor. We will be better
prepared to combat the next test
that life offers. We can move to-
ward a tomorrow full of promise
— just as that young girl did.

A native of Petersburg whose family is from India, Lakshmi Challa is founder of the Challa Law Group that focuses on
immigration law. Her pro bono efforts include assisting immigrant victims of violence who seek freedom in America.

FROM THE RTD ARCHIVES

In February 1951, members of the Woman’s Exchange consignment store

inspected their new location at 3141 W. Cary St. in Richmond. The store was
founded by the Richmond Woman’s Club to help women make a living on their
own. From left to right are club officials Mrs. John Russell, Mrs. Coleman Wortham
Jr., Mrs. Fielding Williams and Mrs. James Cohen.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S21

In March 1976, Rose Hill (left) conferred with Kay Pope Lea, who found
work as a welder on a Richmond construction site. Hill was a local recruiter-
counselor for the Women in Apprenticeship program, a federal initiative tied
to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act that supported women’s
employment in nontraditional and male-dominated fields.
S22 RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH ♦ Sunday, March 24, 2019 • • •
A messAge to young girls todAy
Years ago, I passed a sign that read
“Great Good is Often Born Out of One
Small Act of Kindness.” I’ve kept a pic-
ture of that sign as a constant reminder
of how I hope to live every day.
As women, we constantly receive
mixed messages about what it takes to
be successful. Should we lean in or lean
out? Be aggressive or be deferential?
One message that is crystal clear is
from that sign. While it’s easy to be kind
to your friends, it’s much harder to step
out of your comfort zone and be kind to
those who are different from you. And
true kindness cannot come without
awareness.
Mark GorMus/TiMes-DispaTch
Empathy is defined as the ability to
imagine what others are thinking and
feeling. Never was there a truer state-
ment than “put yourself in someone
else’s shoes.”
Awareness of those around us elimi-
nates fear and enriches all of our lives.
Sometimes just noticing and sharing a
kind word with the person who’s
sitting alone can go a long way
and have a lasting impact.
Several years ago, one of my
friends became aware of a young
homeless student who needed
a ride to the DMV to get a birth
certificate. The document was
critical to the student’s ability to
apply for financial aid for college.
That student has now graduated
from college with honors and is
giving back to our community.
The key is that my friend
stepped out of her comfort zone
because she became aware
that the student — a complete
stranger — needed a ride. While
the ride to the DMV was a simple
act, it had an enormous impact.
Just as small acts can result
in great good, the lack of op-
portunities that many of us take
for granted — like being able to
drive to the DMV — can have
enormous consequences and
can stop people from moving
forward.
Most importantly, my friend
and that student have created a
lifelong friendship that has en-
riched and broadened both their
lives.
So you might be wondering:
What can I do?
There are thousands of small
acts of kindness I could suggest,
but that clearly defeats the pur-
pose. What is important is to de-
velop into the type of woman
who steps outside of your com-
fort zone to learn about and sup-
port those around you. As you
truly become aware of others,
kindness inevitably follows.
And here’s the most impor-
tant part: Kindness and empathy
are signs of strength and beauty.
Don’t ever let anyone convince
you otherwise.
The most successful women I
know are keenly aware of those
around them, and they are kind.
They are also strong, brave, as-
sertive and powerful.
Following the simple truth
from that sign will not only set
you up for success. It will enrich
your life in ways you can only
begin to imagine.

A native of Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., Heidi Abbott came to Richmond in 1984. She is an attorney with Hunton An-
drews Kurth, and her civic engagement has touched on education, community development and violence prevention.

FROM THE RTD ARCHIVES

This September 1953 image shows Dorothy Davis (front), who was elected
mayor of the Virginia town of Washington in 1950. Davis was the first female
mayor in the eastern United States and the youngest (age 28) in the country.
The Rappahannock County town also had an all-female Town Council. Davis’ run
for mayor started as a joke – until she defeated her male opponents.

• • • Sunday, March 24, 2019 ♦ richMond TiMeS-diSpaTch S23

In January 1962, Mrs. William Cox recorded numbers from sample cans at
a Reynolds Metals Co. test kitchen in Richmond. Cox, who was a food service
manager at Reynolds for 10 years, had a background in bacteriology and helped
set up the kitchen in the packaging research division. Cox previously performed
chemical analysis in the shipyards in Newport News.
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 INSIGHT
SECTION C • RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH •
THICKNESS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2019 • RICHMOND.COM ••• DISTANCE
OF THE FROM EARTH
SUN’S
LAYERS
The scale to
the left shows
the thickness
of the sun’s
layers — both
internal and
in the solar
atmosphere.
THE

HEART
It takes light
*If the yellow from the
line to the left, sun about 8
representing minutes to
the corona’s reach Earth.
thickness,
were to scale,
it would be 17 Less than
times longer
than it is here.
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM 5%
of the stars
in the Milky
Way are
The sun is a star — a hot ball of glowing gases — in the center of brighter or
our solar system. Its gravity holds the entire solar system to- more mas-
sive than
gether, keeping everything in its orbit. The sun is by far the larg- the sun.
18 million
miles* est object in the solar system, making up 99.8% of its mass.
Without the sun’s energy, there would be no life on Earth.
IMPACT
Interactions
TRANSITION REGION CORONA between the
sun and Earth
ANATOMY SOLAR ATMOSPHERE ROTATION drive the sea-
CONVECTION
Photosphere: The sun sons, ocean
INTERNAL ZONE 35 days 31 days currents,
STRUCTURE does not have a solid sur-
PHOTO- weather,
RADIATIVE face. The visible layer is 28 days
Core: This is the SPHERE climate,
CORONA

ZONE
called the photosphere.
central region of CORE 26 days radiation
This is where the sun’s
the sun where belts and
energy is released as 25 days auroras.
nuclear reactions light.
consume hydro- Equator
CHROMOSPHERE
gen to form helium. Chromosphere: As hy-
drogen burns offoff,, the chro-
Radiative zone: This
zone extends from the
core to the convection
mosphere emits a reddish
glow that can be seen only dur-
NASA
93
zone. In this zone, energy from
the core is carried outward by photons
ing a total solar eclipse.
Transition region: This is a thin, irregu-
The sun rotates, but it moves at a million
much slower pace than the Earth.
before being absorbed by gas molecules. lar layer of the sun’s atmosphere that
separates the chromosphere from the
Since the sun is a ball of gas with no
solid form, different regions rotate
miles
Convection zone: This is the outer-
corona. at different rates. At the equator, the (1 astronomical unit)
most layer of the sun’s interior. In this
zone, energy moves toward the surface Corona: This is the sun’s outer atmo- sun spins once about every 25 days,
through convection currents of heated sphere. It appears as white plumes of ion- but at its poles it rotates once about
and cooled gas. ized gas that flow outward into space. every 35 days. THE SUN
Diameter
864,337.2
TEMPERATURE SOLAR ACTIVITY miles
The electric currents in Star type
Photosphere the sun generate power- Yellow dwarf
Radiative zone ful magnetic fields that
10,000 F 3.5 million F extend out into space. Surface
These forces are con- temperature
Corona
Core stantly moving, which 10,000 F
2-5 million F
27 million F creates what is known as Composition
Convective zone solar activity. This includes Hydrogen,
Chromosphere phenomena such as sunspots, helium
3.5 million F - 10,000 F - solar flares, coronal mass ejections
10,000 F NASA
36,000 F (CME), prominences and solar wind.
EARTH
(Find details on solar activity on Page C2.)
Diameter
ENERGY — The sun generates its energy by nuclear fusion of 7,917.6 miles
hydrogen into helium. It sends different kinds of energy to Earth: (109.2 times
infrared radiation, visible light and ultraviolet light. Infrared waves SOLAR CYCLE smaller than
have less energy, while ultraviolet waves have more energy. the sun)
The sun doesn’t behave the same way all the time. It goes
through cycles of high and low activity that repeat ap- If the sun
More energy Ultraviolet light proximately every 11 years. A solar minimum refers to a were as tall
period of several Earth years when the sun’s activity is as a typical
Visible light front door,
lowest. During the solar maximum, activity on the sun and
Less energy Infrared radiation the effects of space weather on Earth are high. Earth would
be the size of
a nickel.

TRANSITION ZONE Shortly after this

60 miles solar flare oc-
curred in 2013, the
CHROMOSPHERE same region of the
sun emitted
1,050 miles
CONVECTION ZONE

a CME.
PHOTOSPHERE
250 miles

124,000
miles

SOLAR ACTIVITY
Learn more about the
types of phenomena
produced by the sun
and how they can
affect the Earth.
RADIATIVE ZONE

INSCIENCE, PAGE C2

233,000
miles

Sources: NASA, Live

Science, space.com,
nineplanets.org

KIRA RIDER/
TIMES-DISPATCH
CORE

86,000
miles
NASA
C2  Saturday, November 16, 2019  • • • Richmond Times-Dispatch
Types of Solar activity
Sunspots are areas that appear dark
on the surface of the sun. They are
cooler than the other parts of the sur-
face — usually around 6,500 F — and
they form in areas where magnetic fields
are particularly strong.
Solar flares are sudden explosions of
energy caused by the crossing of magnetic
field lines near sunspots. These eruptions
release radiation into space. They are
seen as bright areas on the sun and can
last anywhere from minutes to hours.
Solar flares are sometimes accom-
panied by a coronal mass ejection
(CME). This is a large bubble of gas and
particles from the sun that explode into
space at a high speed. Solar flares and
CMEs are the most powerful explosions
in our solar system.
A solar prominence is a large, bright
feature anchored to the sun’s surface
that extends outward. It forms in about
a day, and stable prominences may last
for several months. Scientists are still
researching how and why prominences
are formed.
Solar wind is a stream of electrically
charged gas and particles that blows
outward from the sun in all directions.
It carries the sun’s magnetic field out
through the solar system. Solar wind is
weak compared with the wind on Earth,
but it is much faster. Its speed is typi-
cally measured at 1-2 million mph.
Coronal holes appear as large, dark
areas on the sun’s corona. They are asso-
ciated with open magnetic field lines that
allow a continuous outflow of solar wind.
Coronal holes are often found at the sun’s
poles and can last for weeks to months.
Sources: NASA, NOAA, UCAR, How Stuff Works, space.com, spaceweather.com, Science Museum of Virginia
InScience Mike Szvetitz
(804) 649-6456
mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com
Solar
ACTIVITY
Getty Images/NASA
Space weather
Just as the sun drives weather on Earth,
it is also responsible for weather in our
space environment. Space weather
includes any conditions or events on
the sun, in the solar wind, in near-Earth
space and in Earth’s upper atmosphere
The surface of the sun has electrically charged gases that that has an effect on technological sys-
tems in space and on Earth.
generate areas of powerful magnetic forces. These are called
magnetic fields. The magnetic fields around the sun are
Effects on Earth
constantly moving, which creates what is known as solar activity. Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere
This activity isn’t constant, but instead comes in cycles of varying serve as a shield and deflect solar wind.
The particles are redirected around the
levels. Sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, prominences
planet. However, when solar wind is in-
and solar wind are all different forms of solar activity. tense enough, some particles can leak
Some of these events can even affect the Earth. through. These particles can trigger au-
roras near the poles.
Magnetic activity within the sun can
sometimes cause intense solar storms.
Solar cycle During a solar storm, solar flares and
The sun goes through cycles of high and low activity that repeat approximately every 11 years. CMEs break out, sending energy through
One way to track the solar cycle is by observing the number of sunspots each year. space at the speed of light. All of this
extra radiation can cause damage.
300 Different type of space weather can af-
Average number of sunspots each year fect different technology on Earth. Solar
flares can interfere with radio commu-
250 nication. Solar energetic particles can
Solar maximum
damage satellite electronics and cause
electrical failure. CMEs can disrupt elec-
200
tric power grids and cause outages, and
geometric storms can interfere with
150
navigation systems like GPS.
One of the best-known examples of a
space weather event that impacted
100 Earth was on March 13, 1989. Due to
geomagnetically induced currents, the
Hydro-Québec power network col-
50 lapsed. A transformer failure led to a
11 years Solar minimum blackout that lasted more than nine
hours and affected more than 6 million
0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 people. This event was a result of a CME
ejected from the sun on March 9, 1989.
Source: World Data Center — Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations
The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum. This refers to a period of several years
when the number of sunspots is lowest. The sun may go days without any sunspots visible.
Over time, solar activity and the number of sunspots increases. A solar maximum occurs
during the middle of a solar cycle when the number of sunspots is at its peak. During this time,
there may be hundreds of sunspots on any given day. As the cycle ends, it fades back to a solar
minimum before a new cycle begins.
Getty Images
Auroras are an example of the
impact of space weather.
Effects on other bodies
Earth isn’t the only place affected by
solar wind. Unless protected by an
atmosphere or magnetic field, the par-
ticles and radiation from solar wind can
affect the surface of celestial bodies.
Asteroid: An asteroid has no protection
around it, so solar wind can easily dam-
age its surface. The incoming particles
can kick material off into space.
Moon: Because the moon’s atmosphere
is so thin, solar wind hits its surface di-
rectly with just a little bit of deflection.
This deposits ingredients that could
make water.
Mars: When solar wind crashes into
Mars’ atmosphere, the energy creates
NASA a layer of electrified particles called an
The 11-year span of a solar cycle is shown, as it progresses from solar minimum to ionopause. This helps shield the surface
maximum and back to minimum. of the planet.
Jupiter: Jupiter’s magnetic field is simi-
Solar cycles have had number assignments since 1755 when extensive recording of solar sun- lar to Earth’s, but much larger. It creates
spot activity began. The way to differentiate between cycles is to look at the sun’s polarity. Ac- a bubble that directs solar wind around
cording to Hale’s Polarity Law, sunspots switch polarities from one solar cycle to the next. the planet.
We are currently experiencing a solar minimum as the sun is switching from Solar Cycle 24 to
Solar Cycle 25. It is normal for solar cycles to mix at their boundaries. So far this year, sunspots
likely belonging to Cycle 25 have been reported. These were interspersed with a similar number
of Cycle 24 spots. On Nov. 5, there was a small solar flare that originated from a sunspot with
opposite polarity from Cycle 24, meaning it belongs to Cycle 25.
According to the Science Museum of Virginia, we are still officially in Solar Cycle 24. Cycle 25
is expected to begin in the coming months. Low solar activity will most likely continue for at
least another year.
Based on the number of sunspots that formed during Cycle 24, scientists considered it a weak NASA
one. Scientists believe it is likely the next cycle will be weak as well. Cycle 25 is expected to An artist’s concept shows a solar
reach its maximum between 2023 and 2026. storm approaching Mars.
Kira Rider/Times-DIspatch