Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage native Taylor Hanes visits the Mat-Su for two performances of his one-man show, "Arthur and Esther," by playwright Ross Howard. The shows are sponsored by Valley Arts Alliance.

• The plot: Arthur Huey is facing a crisis. His job as community librarian is evaporating and his marriage is on the rocks. What's left to live for? Billed as a dark comedy, the script by playwright Ross Howard explores "one man's spectacular and unorthodox attempt to reconcile the ghosts of the past with the promise of the future," according to the play's Web site.

• About Taylor Hanes: He grew up in Alaska, taking his first theatre class at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1982. Since then, he's appeared in more than 60 productions and appeared in the New York Fringe Festival as "Arthur." Hanes is a teacher for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas.

• About Valley Arts Alliance: This organization was formed to encourage the expression and promotion of the arts in the Mat-Su for artists of all types. The nonprofit group meets 11 a.m. Thursdays and 6:30 p.m. Fridays at Sophia's KafeNeo on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway.

• The performances: 7 p.m. today at the Red Beet Cafe, 320 E. Dahlia Ave., in Palmer; 7 p.m. Saturday at Make-A-Scene, Meta Rose Square, 290 N. Yenlo St., Wasilla. Tickets are $10 in each location. The two-act play runs approximately 90 minutes.

Online: www.valleyartsalliance.com.

Compiled by Melodie Wright, Anchorage Daily News

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