Fralin Fun Day - February 7th
The Fralin welcomes community members of all ages to celebrate the opening of our spring exhibitions! Join us throughout the day for a variety of free art-making activities and refreshments.
‘The Fifth Step’ at The Paramount Theater 1/8
Experience critically acclaimed British performances with National Theatre Live in HD’s presentation of The Fifth Step. Olivier Award-winner Jack Lowden (“Slow Horses,” Dunkirk) and Emmy- and BAFTA-winner Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, “The Responder”) star in the subversively funny play by David Ireland, directed by Finn den Hertog. In a story built around recovery from alcoholism, the lead characters trade stories, bond over black coffee, and build a fragile friendship based on shared experiences before dangerous truths emerge.
January Book Club: Three Dystopian Novels to Ring in the New Year
With the arrival of the new year comes reflection on the past one, and 2025 was a year ripe for reflection. While it is impossible to condense a year into one defining moment or cultural trend, 2025 felt marked by an explosion of advances in artificial intelligence technology. The increased presence of AI technologies in everyday life — from enabling pervasive surveillance and data collection to spreading political misinformation and stoking partisan division — have resulted in people labeling 2025 as “dystopian” online.
My Book: ‘Being Dope: Hip Hop & Theory Through Mixtape Memoir’ By Dr. A.D. Carson
By now, the phrase “Hip-Hop changed my life” is a well-worn cliché, but that won’t stop me from saying it. I’m from the small Central Illinois town of Decatur. My hometown is one of the sites where the war on drugs and many of its battles took place. In 2018, Decatur was listed at number seven in USA Today’s “15 worst cities for Black Americans” and ranked third nationally in their 2019 “America’s fastest shrinking cities” poll.
The Grand Kyiv Ballet Presents: Snow White at The Paramount Theater 1/4
You’ve likely seen the classic Disney cartoon—and maybe even the Magic Kingdom’s live action $270 million stinker from earlier this year. Now you can witness the beauty of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in ballet form when this family-friendly version arrives in town for a Sunday afternoon show.
Don’t Tell Comedy is Charlottesville’s Most Mysterious New Forum for Laughs
Founded in 2017 in Los Angeles, Don’t Tell Comedy has since expanded to over 200 cities around the country. Recently, they found a new home in Charlottesville and have put on several events around Albemarle County. Local comedian Chris Alan brought this chapter to Charlottesville in 2024 after establishing a comedy open-mic presence in the City and performing at Don’t Tell shows in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Washington, D.C..
What’s Next in Pop Culture?
The new year may have just begun, but 2026 is already set to be a busy year in pop culture. From music to movies to books, UVA Today talked to University of Virginia experts in pop culture to see what upcoming releases they are looking forward to the most. Here’s the list.
Jane Austen Was Not Popular in Her Lifetime. Why Do We Love Her Today?
In 1811, Thomas Egerton, who primarily printed military texts, published a novel about two sisters and their widowed mother, “Sense and Sensibility.” It was written anonymously, “by a lady.” More than 200 years later, readers know that lady as Jane Austen, one of the best-known writers in the English language. “Sense and Sensibility” alone has been adapted more than 10 times for stage, screen and radio, while dozens of movies, TV shows and web series are based on other Austen titles, like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma.”
The University Student Producing Theater Class Performs ‘Where Words Once Were’
This Wednesday, DRAM 3652 “Producing Theatre” put on their semester-long culminating performance of “Where Words Once Were.” Free to all, the play was performed in the Helms Theatre. With audience members seated on three sides of the stage — a configuration known as black box theatre — and a stripped down set, viewers were able to immerse themselves within the dystopian universe.
Starry, Starry Night: Dome Room Constellations Will Shine For the Public
Thomas Jefferson wanted to bring the stars indoors. Jefferson, in designing the University of Virginia’s iconic Rotunda, planned to paint constellations on the ceiling of the Dome Room. He never completed this part of his vision, but in 2019, three graduate students set up projectors to display the constellations on the Dome Room’s ceiling.