Day of the Legs in the Times Free Press!

Thanks to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for highlighting Saturday's Day of the Legs extravaganza in this weekend's Chattanooga NOW. The event will be a blast, while serving as a fundraiser for CoPAC, the non-profit that keeps Barking Legs going. Be a part of it this Saturday at 8 pm! 

CoPAC, Barking Legs Theater get their day

In 1993, Ann Law merged her appreciation for the work Frank Zappa did through his Barking Pumpkin record label and her love of dance by starting Barking Legs Theater with her husband, Dr. Bruce Kaplan. Along with the theater, they created Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga.CoPAC will celebrate that joint anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 24 with Day of the Legs, featuring eight performances by area artists, four altars created by visual artists in the lobby and a backyard bonfire with a few more performances.Day of the Legs will take its inspiration from the Latin holiday that honors the Day of the Dead, Halloween and other traditional harvest festivals, says event chairman and CoPac board member Marcus Ellsworth.“The theme for the first hour will be ancestry, exploring what has come before. After an intermission, performances in the second hour will explore fear, death and the morbid glee that art can find in those themes.”Each performance will pair artists in different disciplines, such as dance and drumming, poetry and music, storytelling and dance, improv comedy and musical improv.The theater lobby will be dressed in the style of Day of The Dead, with four artistic/scary altars created by visual artists. Guests will be encouraged to take a sweet treat — maybe a sugar skull or a pumpkin tart — and leave a small offering to support CoPAC.“This is CoPAC doing what we do best, providing a unique and eclectic experience, working with local artists in creatively collaborative ways and creating a sense of community among artists and audiences,” says Law, a dancer/choreographer.Ric Morris, who was hired this summer as CoPAC’s executive director, says the evening isn’t just about the artists.“It’s about the community around CoPAC — this space, these people, the legacy of Barking Legs and CoPAC,” he says. “We’ve always been an eclectic gathering place.”Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with performances starting at 8 p.m.Admission is $22 in advance — $1 for each of the theater’s 22 years — or $25 at the door.Attendees should note that this is not an age-restricted performance, but CoPAC gives performers unlimited freedom to create their art. There may be adult themes and controversial content onstage.To purchase tickets, call 423-624-5347 or visit www.barkinglegs.org. Barking Legs is at 1307 Dodds Ave.