3 fun things in metro Atlanta
CUMMING
“An Evening with Rick Bragg” at Forsyth Conference Center
The Forsyth County Public Library opens up a special chapter of its 2013 Forsyth Reads Together Program. The program encourages reading by suggesting Forsyth County residents dive into the same book. This time Rick Bragg’s memoir, “All Over but the Shoutin’,” takes the spotlight. And Bragg, a New York Times correspondent and Pulitzer Prize-winning scribe, will step onstage at Lanier Technical College’s Forsyth Conference Center to chat about the book. “All Over but the Shoutin’” chronicles Bragg’s formative years in Alabama hill country, where he was raised by a violent father and a mother intent on shielding her kids from poverty and ignorance. A book signing follows the author talk, and copies of “All Over but the Shoutin’” will be available for purchase. Guests must register online in advance.
7 p.m. Sept. 17. Free. Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming. www.forsythpl.org.
LITHONIA
Gil Scott-Heron: A Tribute at Stonecrest Library
Acclaimed jazz poet, musician and spoken word artist, Gil Scott-Heron, died in 2011. Yet his work, including the composition “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” continues to influence new generations. Award-winning poet and essayist Gwen Russell Green hosts this tribute. Fans will share their thoughts on Scott-Heron’s work, which helped make him a strong voice during the 1970s’ black protest movement. Scott-Heron’s spoken word cadence and stylistic approach arguably laid the groundwork for hip-hop artists who followed.
2:30 p.m. Sept. 14. Free. Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia. 770-482-3828, www.dekalblibrary.org/branches/stonecrest.html.
ROSWELL
“Almost Heaven: John Denver’s America” at Roswell Cultural Arts Center
Georgia Ensemble Theatre opens season 21 on a Rocky Mountain high. This musical showcases the works of John Denver, the spectacled troubadour whose compositions provided a soundtrack to the ’60s and ’70s, heralding environmentalism before going green was cool. Robert J. Farley directs the show, which breathes new life into 25 Denver tunes, including “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Leaving on a Jet Plane” and others. The ensemble cast includes Dolph Amick, Mary Nye Bennett, Christopher Damiano, Scott DePoy and Jeremy Wood.
7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 4 p.m. Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Through Sept. 22. Added shows: 7 p.m. Sept. 15; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17. $28-$39. Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-641-1260, www.get.org.
