The Beaufort Theater Company takes on an American classic that’s every bit as relevant today – and maybe just as shocking – as it was 50 years ago.

To Kill a Mockingbird has been on my mind for a while now. Last year – as the novel celebrated its 50^th anniversary – I reread it for my book club, attended a birthday party for it at our local library, and wrote about it in my column.

From Rants & Raves, June 2010: “I can’t imagine Harper Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird in hopes that her readers would come away feeling “comfortable.”  I don’t think any serious author writes for that reason. What I found, upon revisiting TKAM as an adult, was a beautiful, funny, poignant story… that made me deeply uncomfortable. And I needed it. I needed to feel – really feel – how things were at that time, in that place, for those people. I needed to wrestle with their contradictions, recognize their flaws and their gifts, watch as some of them evolved while others stagnated. I needed to see my own resemblance to these characters – even some of the “bad” ones – and acknowledge our kinship. I needed to feel uncomfortable.”

Old Town Bluffton has maintained its reputation as a sleepy little village even as the maelstrom of annexation and development has raged around it in recent years. Recently though, a mini-boom in the restaurant and bar scene is keeping Old Town up at night. On May River Road stalwart favorites like Pepper’s Porch and the May River Grill remain popular, while The Promenade offers a growing set of options all within a few steps of one another.

Junior Artists of the Lowcountry, an exhibit of artwork by the art students of Nela Beyer, will open with a reception on May 20^th from 6 – 8 pm at 314 Charles Street in Beaufort. In addition to several silent auction pieces, all artwork will be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Hope Haven/Seewall Child Project.  The purpose of the art show is to give young artists the opportunity to display and sell their artwork while raising money for a worthy cause.

Read more Art

The words fresh and light perfectly describe the kind of innovative, delicious food that so many of us want to cook and eat today.  We like peak-of-the season ingredients prepared in simple ways that best enhance their flavors. Not so long ago, if friends said they were cooking and eating fresh and light food, we would automatically assume they were on a diet.  I suspect that the majority of people do so for one simple reason – low-fat, high-quality foods, imaginatively prepared, taste great!