Offshoot Productions’ original audience-participation mystery, Rehearsal for Murder, is one in growing list of brand-new scripts and company-developed shows for this professional Southside company.  Slated for two venues in November, Rehearsal for Murder revolves around three theatre artists, one of whom meets a premature death in a malfunctioning freight elevator.  The audience takes on roles of detectives and elevator repairmen, and also has the opportunity to grill the characters and determine the guilty party.

Dog lovers and football fans are invited to the Peachtree City Dog Park’s third annual Birthday Bash on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the dog park. The event will feature costume contests, a football fetch competition,  birthday cake, vendors, dog adoptions and more. Admission is free.

The Senoia Optimist Club will be hosting a pork barbecue fundraiser (including brunswick stew) on Saturday, Oct. 18.  Serving time will be approximately 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until the food is sold out).

A small town torn apart by a tragic drowning and the devastating effect of the Great Depression is the setting for Jim Leonard Jrs. powerful, poignant, and deeply humorous play “The Diviners” opening October 22 at the Starr's Mill High School Willie Duke Auditorium. Under the direction of Mr. David Spearman, the play will be performed by the Starr's Mill High School Drama Department October 22, 23, and 25. All performances are scheduled at 7 p.m.

The Georgia Academy of Dance will hold a “Nutcracker Tea” at 5 p.m. at Bennett’s Mill Middle School on Dec. 13 and 14.

Back again this year will be the 57th annual Fayette County Kiwanis Fair. The fall festival, which opened on Oct. 9, will run through October 18. Although the fair grounds were sold to the Fayette County School System in 2006 and the future of the fair came into question, the fair will once again be held at the old Kiwanis Fair Complex, located at 939 Goza Road in Fayetteville.

It’s October, where the weather in Georgia turns, well, a little less balmy. Every year in October I get the urge to watch more horror movies than usual and last week I saw two. “Quarantine,” which opened in theaters on Friday, and “Wicked Lake,” which went on sale at Best Buy last Tuesday. These two movies serve as perfect examples of how I feel genre pictures, especially those in the horror genre, deserve to be judged.

The Colorful Arts Society, Inc., a nonprofit arts organization supporting the metro-Atlanta area, will host its ninth annual Fundraiser Gala Concert and Scholarship Awards Program on Sunday, October 19. The event will be held at 4 p.m. in the Georgia International Convention Center. This year’s theme is the Harlem Renaissance.

Aviation fest returns for 11th season

Peachtree City, Ga. will begin its second decade of aerial theatrics when it hosts the 11th annual edition of The Great Georgia Airshow (GGAS) on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12 at Falcon Field. The air show, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City and the Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF), Dixie Wing, will showcase modern and historic military aircraft, thrilling aerobatics and activities for the entire family.

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The new romantic comedy “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” won’t split your sides, bust your gut or sting your knee with lots of slapping. It will entertain and amuse you though, as it has you tapping your toe to that “infinite playlist” of indie and college rock (bands you’ve never heard from but will probably want to look up after the film).

Here’s a question for you – if a summer movie comes out in the first week of fall, is it still a summer movie? By definition, a summer movie is a bit of escapism wrapped up in a shiny package filled with car chases, explosions, derring-do, some good chuckles and beautiful women.

Join fellow nature lovers on a fun and informative Bird Walk on Saturday, October 4 at 9 a.m. at Fayette’s newest preserve, Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary. Expert bird caller David Cree will lead the guided walk at the preserve, which has just been opened to the public by Southern Conservation Trust.

Motorcycle enthusiasts and local business commit to raising funds for The Joseph Sams School

The Joseph Sams School, a private, not-for-profit, special-needs school in Fayetteville, Ga., has created a new event to help raise funds and awareness for their school: the Ridin’ for a Reason 2008 Joseph Sams School Poker Run.

Felix Cavalier, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is set to take the stage at The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this Friday and Saturday nights.

The Sept. 26 and 27 concerts will be the final shows in the Lexus of South Atlanta 2008 Summer Concert Series.

For the second year in a row, Peachtree City will play host to an event aimed at shedding light on cultural diversity while having a good time.

Hey, fans. Kevin here, saying sorry I haven’t been in the paper lately. I had to take a break because I needed to hit the books. Having said that, my first review of the new school year is…“Igor”!

Computer-generated animated films that don’t come from Pixar, Blue Sky or Dreamworks tend to feel like a slap in the face. They look uglier, run clunkier and are nowhere near as entertaining as their predecessors in the big three (which is really the big one and two that are hit or miss). “Igor” comes from the depths of CGI entertainment and you can tell right away, despite some of the best voice talent in any animated film. The animation is inconsistent, the story, while amusing, is kind of boring, and it misses what should be a wide target audience (kids and the young at heart) by a country mile.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Fayette County Public Library will host local entrepreneur and author Quincella Geiger, who will offer a free information session on how to start up a baking business from home.

The newly formed Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra is ready for their introductory concert at the Villages Amphitheater on September 27. Gates open at 7 p.m. with the concert set to begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for the concert are available at the Villages Amphitheater box office, located at the Old Train Depot 250 Lanier Avenue West in Fayetteville, or they may be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet as well as the Ticketmaster online service. Prices for adult tickets are $25, students 15 years and younger and lawn seating is $15. Orchestra Circle tables for eight are $240.

Fayette Coweta Family Theatre, Inc. is holding open auditions for their upcoming fall musical "Disney's Mulan Jr." on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Fayette County High School Band Boosters have announced that the 2009 Miss Pride Pageants will be held March 6 and March 7, 2009. Keeping with tradition, the Jr. Miss Pride Pageant will be held on Friday night, March 6, 2009; and the Miss Pride Pageant will be held on Saturday night, March 7, 2009. The Tiny Miss Pride, Little Miss Pride and Young Miss Pride Pageants will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2009, with times to be announced closer to the pageant. The pageants are only open to girls that are residents of Fayette County and are 3-4 and grades K-12. Contestant hopefuls must reside in Fayette County and be 3 years of age by September 1, 2008. Applications will be available during the fall of 2008.

Fayette Senior Services invites the public to enjoy a dinner and show evening in their own Center Theater presenting "Some Show!" The October 23 performance, from 6-9 p.m., will include a prime rib dinner prepared by the Center's own chef Todd Rossi. Tickets are $22.50 per person for members and $25 per person for non-members. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Fayette Senior Services Center located at 4 Center Drive, Fayetteville. Cash or check is accepted. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The Gallery Players, a lively, professional improvisation troupe, will appear once again at the Gallery Row coffee shop, 1255 North Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree City’s Kedron shopping center.  The Sunday, September 28, show begins at 7:00 p.m.  Advanced reservations are Since the ensemble depends upon audience input, every performance of this Offshoot Productions troupe is different.  “We have hours and hours of material,” said Offshoot artistic director Susan M. Steadman, Ph.D.  “But we’ve found that the audience responds strongly to certain structures that have become mainstays of our performances.  For example, one of the most enthusiastically received scenes is ‘genres.’  The audience provides the situation and the actors play the scene in constantly A $10 cover charge includes complimentary coffee, with delicious desserts available for purchase. 

In 1991 the world of music welcomed a new singer to the country music stage. That’s the year Trisha Yearwood debuted her first single, “She's in Love with the Boy.” The song topped the Billboard country singles chart in August 1991 and kicked off the career of one of the most successful female performing artists of all time.

This weekend, local audiences will get the chance to see the native Georgian in concert at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. Yearwood will take stage Friday and Saturday nights as part of the ongoing summer concert series at the amphitheater.

Peachtree City’s Parks and Recreation Department will host the 31st annual Shakerag Arts and Crafts Festival next weekend, September 20 and 21, at Shakerag Knoll in Peachtree City.

Two time Grammy Award-winner Rita Coolidge will perform the final concert in the summer series at Fayetteville’s Villages Amphitheater on Sept. 13. Rounding out the sixth season at the Villages, Coolidge brings her own unique blend of musical styles to the concert venue.

Cookbook author and lecturer Susan Delaine is teaming up with Fayette County Library to share her expertise with members of the community who would like to learn more about how to prepare balanced, healthy meals.

Fayetteville Main Street and the Fayette County Development Authority will present the third Lunch on the Lawn on Friday, September 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the historic Fayetteville Courthouse.

Let me start by saying the musical number “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” needs to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. It’s a catchy tune, quite funny and better than any of the numbers in the “Hairspray” movie.

Voices is finalizing details for their upcoming fall benefit concert, scheduled for September 6 at Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan. The concert brings together talent from the Southern Arc, including the female solo ensemble Zaphyra; the Southern Nights Chorale – a men’s precision a capella ensemble; and Matthew Roberts, a young and talented violinist.