Shakespeare wrote of Hamlet’s father being poisoned by a substance poured into his ear while he slept. And, of course, Juliet used a drug to fake her own death as part of a misbegotten plan to return to Romeo.
But the Bard wasn’t the first to essay the power of poison, as anyone who reads the Bible knows.
On Feb. 7, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History will dive into this rich, historic topic when it opens the exhibition “The Power of Poison.”
Organized by New York’s American Museum of Natural History, the exhibit explores poison’s paradoxical roles in nature, human health, history, literature and myth.
Among other information, exhibit-goers will glean which tales of illness, enchantment or death by poison contain kernels of truth; explore poisoning cases, some still unsolved, throughout history; and discover toxic species that live in a remote Colombian forest where poisons are a tool for survival.
Beyond "Poison," which continues through May 3, Fernbank has announced its 2015 special exhibits lineup:
- June 6-Aug. 23: "Brain: The Inside Story," exploring the way the powerful organ works — as it relates to senses, emotions and thinking; and how it ages as well as how technological advances may change its functioning in the future.
- Sept. 26,-Jan. 3, 2016: "Queen of Sheba," bringing together ancient artifacts from Yemen, contemporary Ethiopian artwork, archaeological reconstructions and modern media to explore this legendary yet mysterious figure. Running concurrently will be "Women of Vision," gathering the work of 11 female National Geographic photojournalists.
- Nov. 20-Jan. 10, 2016: "Winter Wonderland," the annual holiday tree display celebrating the world's cultures.
$18, $17 students and ages 62 and up; $16 ages 3-12. 767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-929-6400, www.fernbankmuseum.org.
ATTRACTION
‘Orchid Daze’ ready to pop
Having mounted orchid exhibitions inspired by impressionism and surrealism, the Atlanta Botanical Garden opens the final in its series of plants-as-art shows, “Orchid Daze: Pop!” on Feb. 7.
Continuing through April 12, the Fuqua Orchid Center exhibit will arrange colorful Cattleya orchids to reference iconic pop art images by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring.
For those who’d like to trade brown thumbs for green ones, the Garden will offer orchid classes, care clinics and markets.
$18.95, $12.95 ages 3-12. 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-876-5859, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
THEATER
Plays respond to bullying at 7 Stages
Starting this week, 7 Stages and Théâtre du Rêve will be presenting plays in repertory on the topical topic of bullying at 7 Stages’ Back Stage black box theater.
On Feb. 5, 7 Stages opens Sarah Gubbins’ “Fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life,” about a lesbian teen’s struggle to survive bullying and to embrace a teacher’s efforts to bring hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.
Starting Feb. 7, Théâtre du Rêve stages “Jane, le renard et moi” (“Jane, the Fox and Me”), an adaption of the graphic novel by Fanny Britt about a bullied young girl who seeks comfort in the novel “Jane Eyre” and from a special visit from a fox. Some performances of the family-friendly show, featuring projections of Isabelle Arsenault’s illustrations from the novel, will be presented in English, others in French.
“Fear and judgment of others creates abusive action, and, by responding with collaboration, connection and creativity, we are able to write a better tomorrow,” 7 Stages artistic director Heidi S. Howard said of the shows.
Both continue through Feb. 22 and offer extensive related programming, including:
- Gubbins gives a talk following the 8 p.m. Feb. 6 performance of "Fml."
- On Feb. 15, between the 2 p.m. performance of "Jane, the Fox and Me" and the 5 p.m. "Fml" show, there will be a panel discussion on bullying behavior.
"Fml": $22.50 advance, $25 door. 404-523-7647, www.7stages.org. "Jane": $5-$15. 404-875-3829, www.theatredureve.com. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta.
ARTS
Aurora Theatre hosts two awards shows
ArtWorks Gwinnett, a nonprofit that promotes Gwinnett County’s arts scene, will present its fourth annual Fusion Awards at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville. The 15 awards recognize contributions of artists, arts organizations, educators and corporate supporters.
Nominated in the Vision Award category, for instance, are Sherry Ingbritsen, president-artistic director of Duluth’s New Dawn Theater Company; Teresa Osborn, executive director of Duluth’s Hudgens Center for the Arts; and Aurora producing artistic director Anthony Rodriguez and associate producer Ann-Carol Pence.
The ceremony will feature performances from Gwinnett artists and will be followed by a champagne and dessert reception. Tickets, $20: artworksgwinnett.org
Aurora itself will stage the fifth annual Barbara Awards Gala, recognizing the best shows and performances from its 2013-14 season, at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23. The evening also will feature performances, food and the announcement of Aurora’s 20th anniversary season.
Tickets, $40, $75 couples: www.auroratheatre.com. 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222.
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