Weekend Entertainment Roundup for July 16, 2026

Weekend Entertainment Roundup for July 16, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0ae9fc8/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1760x1056+0+0/resize/792x475!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fb3%2F14819c884a02aabc70a7296a8aa5%2Fdownload-42.png]( City of Little Rock) FUN  “Killers of Kill Tony” — comedians  [https://link.mail.arkansaslife.com/ls/click?upn=u001.ijYjwl5zKRjheg4sXPhE6O18ixuNIUhSyxGhrCtHq-2FIlBkk0tyEM4Gb54pDV1CRudaRR-2B-2FvVyjb-2BI5L-2BfwidQkKP-2FhjNCNBjV-2F7mb9j32tc-3DADoY_dgzT5RXlg9hZ30dZ0IrselE99G9gZ661iS9YrSXg73rrVMXnPENpCWs4K8-2Fl9lEYh4Q-2BjZPgqsKmtYxxxcR2ENt5gBNs7andszLzlc0yyU1urpT4eGWfdFIxd42PEsXFxzbE97xeDGF6sR9hqT-2FnqwqXO6QJvcHPf1SEAHSYnsFddLr-2Bkkw3Qajx5vNnZdX6Al1b9qeQUo5lom7t0A6zQAgSndhufZ39Xywd3e8yGCkjbO1TjKAcsidCM1jzpUsPP1luNzVfsD9LRhMmnRA-2FShPVqC4N9C-2Fzv1GHyLx64LiawU5-2BNiTdrFTjz9wuMWvaceS3dMoX7D1CASo-2B2RUQtq-2B97msAkHBevjN8h3Vrg3eerfF08oew8FPckN-2F79rhRD96-2BnNUolS7B-2BUWg1ZAZCjoo7I3Fh19M-2FzFmg-2BZ2tMILuIYAkvsx6fJkrZ74Glyyn37sqzNqRuRkuGV-2BdmajcBViSZwZSvQn3ZdWkqH7QfJtRct-2FHFy8jEqK5Tpn04MrH8cgF3lC6PX6eOPxaBUkkRqT9ymJ5i7zKovTsJGpesS-2F7A73Z3sff6xxP9vKhWT5OSKk0xC9Ks8a9xlEiGVth9cqGSd2RsK32m01AvWh-2F9dluvceE-2B4E2BpUq-2F5H-2B8xv3T5q5WxEFnmDaUYK7p-2FF8-2BT19fXAjn4-2FT8wCr0Uqlz9bTsmOorl7snbjnP3-2FlOSb]David Lucas, Hans Kim, Timmy No Brakes and Martin Phillips from the popular podcast — take the stage at 7 p.m. Friday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. Ticketmaster.com. [https://link.mail.arkansaslife.com/ls/click?upn=u001.ijYjwl5zKRjheg4sXPhE6NIIpz6OqWOVDFmdwJcXK8SgKjOw-2BcdTRvUHIBDxkLofgC6sq30yOU7tfz-2FYunX87uyzxB6wjf1tCoSev-2FG7RJFbTzRvFLqkPdxZCO4VdXFh2mzf43LlJsOTwzP-2BWrEfEAdF7BKJ1XWiygWJcB4nGOU16OsCixrB7NUG5up4zoEZxjtt4xPazyegQs5ocR34IMicSGc3y9hl2wB3w9PSa04R4Vy23SiMbmaB0l1jq-2Fw-2FuTm2vXv4lJipY4uNdBnmz5fmz3YCPQFcJUE6-2FytivYHDoqhzsKhpxGYcgbkbMJ-2FwOGiT7r6tJIh5GKFGrbs8o5VHWyLICbV43ewlHEky00mBwmvIlI2VFT8hK3tUtz9f8y1Dltrc5OXKCHaj170JWQqCpIPxk0kv5Ct8Q1vGhU1KQ8g5-2FMXdnmeORm9yhw77jjMvw-2BWnhQKjBuTVN-2BMibpMvucXFFec-2FY07um9VbVkGoY6m1QZUZztVaUz84-2BjIKCg3mZ6AXckYbouWh9wJjRR7ecE-2BhL-2BPC80oXdvpCfHbiIDgt85bycPZWIn1zzhDeIaktGQQAleMgRxU3bGatzdLj-2BZBjnZpcb8IIptotpR3IhABdwxU0vtLxlYVcHfBkjHQAnZi4edHvoiRxZbfZy2DJuZ4w-2BW0eMdKdjOb2Q2-2FvRtTLv0BQ-2Bl0WYleSLT1U2-2Fv1UnNEJ2v-2FRcreNMoIChhnMKSw1fZAN5zc-2BD3Ig2-2FS3AJvEOz9RFxtYlVI75FMHYqdFkRnGo07fJF7anQzRA-3D-3DA2RW_dgzT5RXlg9hZ30dZ0IrselE99G9gZ661iS9YrSXg73rrVMXnPENpCWs4K8-2Fl9lEYh4Q-2BjZPgqsKmtYxxxcR2ENt5gBNs7andszLzlc0yyU1urpT4eGWfdFIxd42PEsXFxzbE97xeDGF6sR9hqT-2FnqwqXO6QJvcHPf1SEAHSYnsFddLr-2Bkkw3Qajx5vNnZdX6Al1b9qeQUo5lom7t0A6zQAgSndhufZ39Xywd3e8yGCkjbO1TjKAcsidCM1jzpUsPP1luNzVfsD9LRhMmnRA-2FShPVqC4N9C-2Fzv1GHyLx64LiawU5-2BNiTdrFTjz9wuMWvaceS3dMoX7D1CASo-2B2RUQtq-2B97msAkHBevjN8h3Vrg3eerfF08oew8FPckN-2F79rhRD96-2BnNUolS7B-2BUWg1ZAZCjoo7I3Fh19M-2FzFmg-2BZ2tMILuIYAkvsx6fJkrZ74Glyyn37sqzNqRuRkuGV-2BdmajcBViSZwZSvQn3ZdWkqH7QfJtRct-2FHFy8jEqK5Tpn04MrH8cgF3lC6PX6eOPxaBUkkRqT9ymJ5i7zKovTsJGpesS-2F7A73Z3sff6xxP9vKhWT56vew1c-2Fps-2BgrD3w33c4-2F3aSSA6SDZmIEP2-2BHUPYfjxXMVGtuaBx7AzCl-2F6JihD70E-2BAkhLpbAL1Bhl7uwviBrBSAaP2UREcrw5P6KAXPDrpuTMjJAplhohwfNNpVGMdi] THEATER The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, teams up with Silver Lake, N.Y.-based Shake on the Lake, to stage a fast-paced, 90-minute adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the museum’s Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box. Five actors play both sets of identical twins, separated at birth, unknowingly finding themselves in the same city, whereupon chaos based in all sorts of mistaken identities erupts. The production is recommended for ages 12 and up. At 6:15 p.m. catch the pre-show performance of “The Revelers!”, a “young players” production written and directed by Brett Ihler. arkmfa.org [http://arkmfa.org/]. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock, continues its run of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday through July 26. The show is a contemporary take on the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors; inspiration for this production comes from ’90s video games. (501) 378-0405; TheRep.org. Argenta Contemporary Theatre stages “The Cake” by Bekah Brunstetter, 7 p.m. today and Friday and July 21-24, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and July 25, 2 p.m. Sunday and July 26 in the Sharon Heflin Black Box at the theater’s Act II space, 315 Main St., North Little Rock. The play includes adult themes and language and is recommended for mature audiences. argentacontemporarytheatre.org [http://argentacontemporarytheatre.org/]. Benton’s Young Players close out their production of “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Youth Edition,” 7 p.m. today-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at the Royal Theatre, 111 S. Market St., Benton. theroyaltheatre.org [http://theroyaltheatre.org/]. And “Footloose the Musical” is onstage through Aug. 15 at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday (but Wednesday matinees only July 15 and 22), 12:45 and 6:45 Sunday. Buffet opens 30 minutes before curtain time. (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com [http://murrysdp.com/]. ART AND EXHIBITS New this week: “Icons in Transformation,” three-dimensional paintings inspired by traditional Russian icons by Ludmila Pawlowska, goes on display with a reception at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Parish Hall at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 20900 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock. The installation remains up through Nov. 8 in The Oasis at St. Margaret’s. Gallery hours are 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, 1-5 p.m. Saturday. theoasisatstmargarets.com [http://theoasisatstmargarets.com/]. “Play in Arkansas,” an exhibit examining how people have created joy through play and how the history of play can contribute to understanding of both past and present, is on display through Dec, 15 at the University of Arkansas Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The exhibit includes handmade and mass-produced toys, dolls and game paraphernalia, as well as a memories section, where individuals can share their personal reflections on childhood play. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Continuing: “The Art of Friendship,” watercolors by Kim Perkins and Laura Powers, is up through July 25 in the Gallery at the William F. Laman Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (501) 758-1720; NLRlibrary.org. “Thomas Hart Benton,” a traveling exhibition of original artwork created by the artist during World War II, is up through July 31 at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602; littlerock.gov/macarthur [http://littlerock.gov/macarthur]. “Arkansas Black Voices: Shaping a Nation at 250,” personal histories, artifacts, photographs and stories highlighting “the lasting impact of Black Arkansans whose lives and legacies have helped shape the United States,” is on display through Aug. 29 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. The exhibit includes. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday- Saturday. (501) 683-3593; mosaictemplarscenter.com [http://mosaictemplarscenter.com/]. “The Three SoMa Sisters: History, Nature, Wellness, and Anita Davis’ Mission to Thrive in SoMa” is on display through Aug. 30 at ESSE Museum & Store, 1510 Main St. in Little Rock’s SoMa neighborhood. (501) 916-9022; essepursemuseum.com [http://essepursemuseum.com/]. “Will Barnet: Seasons of Life,” works on paper by Barnet from the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation Collection, is on display through Oct. 11 at the museum, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. arkmfa.org [http://arkmfa.org/]. “Kuimeaux’s World,” drawings and paintings by late Little Rock native Dwight “Kuimeaux” Drennan, is on display through spring 2027 at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 324-9351. “Manufacturing Victory in Arkansas: Supplying the Battlefront and Changing the Homefront During World War II,” “highlight(ing) the role and contributions of ordnance plants in Arkansas during the war,” remains on display through Dec. 31, 2027, at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602.

Daily Newscast for Thursday, July 16, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Thursday, July 16, 2026. - The Pulaski County Quorum Court voted to send a new ordinance sponsored by Justice of the Peace Dianne Curry to the full court for its July 28 meeting - A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows people in Arkansas are at the highest risk for Alpha-gal syndrome - Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Barbara Webb is recovering after being hospitalized due to a fall in early May - Missy Wardlaw, a veteran's healthcare coordinator and the wife of District 94 State Representative Jeff Wardlaw, is set to run in the special Republican primary for Senate District 1 - The Arkansas Plant Board has approved the use of bait containing warfarin for killing feral hogs - Bryant City Council member Walter Burgess says he is running for mayor Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Daily Newscast for Wednesday, July 15, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Wednesday, July 15, 2026. - The Arkansas Department of Health has identified 10 cases of cyclosporiasis in Arkansas this year. - Representatives from the City of Sherwood presented a plan on Tuesday to create a new school district - The company behind a $6 billion data center proposal in Pulaski County hosted a meeting with community members on Monday - Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is heading overseas for a trade mission this month - State officials are releasing a new tranche of funding for infrastructure and construction in communities across Arkansas - Little Rock’s former police chief will now lead the state's Division of Law Enforcement Standards and Training - A judge has issued an order recommending two years of probation rather than disbarment for Bentonville-based lawyer William Hutchinson III - The city of Benton could be switching its power supplier to a Florida-based nonprofit energy trader Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Daily Newscast for Tuesday, July 14, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Tuesday, July 14, 2026. - The city of Fayetteville is now offering paid parental leave to all of its employees - New literacy requirements have led to about 50 third graders in the Little Rock School District being held back next year - Members of the Arkansas State Medical Board have suspended a south Arkansas physician’s license - The daughter of a former state lawmaker is facing criminal charges related to a fight at a central Arkansas shopping mall - University of Arkansas officials are countersuing a professor who they allege defrauded the university - Federal dollars are helping Arkansas researchers return ancestral remains and items to Native American tribal officials Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Little Rock-based filmmaker screens documentary at Obama Presidential Center

"Evidence of Our Existence" is the latest film from filmmakers Antonio Tarrell and Castel Sweet. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5556f9d/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/792x446!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffd%2Fbb%2F825a82e94bd2b279fb9bed287fa8%2Fimg-6626-1.png]"Evidence of Our Existence" is the latest film from filmmakers Antonio Tarrell and Castel Sweet. ( Courtesy Antonio Tarrell) A documentary short film co-produced by Little Rock-based filmmaker Antonio Tarrell premiered at the newly-opened Obama Presidential Center on June 24, during the Every Child Thrives Festival. Tarrell has embedded himself in the central Arkansas film community since moving to Little Rock in 2022. But he has deep roots in his home state of Mississippi, and often travels to produce films. His latest documentary short, “Evidence of Our Existence,” is a co-production with Mississippi-based Sociologist and fellow filmmaker Castel Sweet. This is the fourth documentary the two have made together. The film is about Behind the Big House, a historic site tour in Holly Springs, Mississippi that tells the stories of enslaved people who lived behind antebellum homes. Sweet, who has a background in sociology, said their work tries to highlight communities that often don’t see themselves on film. “I got into filmmaking by wanting to capture some of the things that are happening in communities that people don't know about,” Sweet said. “So how do we amplify some of the stories and some of the work, some of the people, some of the voices that you may not be aware about, but the world should know about. And so that's what led to this film.” The “Behind the Big House” tour was created in 2012 to coincide with the Annual Holly Springs Pilgrimage tour of historic homes and buildings. It later spawned Arkansas spinoffs in Hempstead County, Chicot County, and the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. Sweet says the project directly inspired the film’s title. “The title is called ‘Evidence of Our Existence’ because the way that they provide the context and the history [is] to talk about the structures, the foodways, the skills, the expertise and the knowledge that we kind of see in material culture,” Sweet said. “Such as buildings, such as food, such as the way that we do things is evidence of the existence of people that we don't often talk about.” Sweet developed the documentary while participating in a short film lab called “How We Heal” earlier this year. The program was launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and invited filmmakers to submit films or concepts for films based on the topic of shared humanity. Sweet and Tarrell had been filming at the annual Behind the Big House tour since 2023 but didn’t have specific plans for the footage until Sweet was accepted into the program. Sweet said she was drawn to the program’s theme. “It was exciting to have the film selected. One, to be selected for the theme of how we heal,” Sweet said. “So that's a lot of the work that we do. A lot of our films center around communities, around healing, around work that still needs to be done around things that people are doing to heal their community. Again, that may not be on the front page of a newspaper that may not be, you know, mainstream news.” Sweet was one of ten semifinalists to participate in the lab, which provided the filmmakers a four-month-long virtual mentorship with industry professionals to develop their projects. Sweet was then one of five finalists chosen to premiere her film at The Obama Presidential Center in June. Tarrell described the moment he got the news from Sweet. “Chills kind of went through my body… to be a part of something and working with her again,” Tarrell said. “She's an amazing storyteller. Also, it kind of confirmed all of the hard work that you're doing is paying off. And also to be from a small town, being recognized for that work.” Tarrell’s and Sweet’s other films have been recognized at film festivals around the country, including Arkansas. The two hope to screen “Evidence of Our Existence” here soon. Like their past projects, “Evidence of Our Existence” is rooted in Southern Black History. Tarrell said storytelling is crucial to preserving this history. “For me, just continue telling those Southern stories; that rich history.” Tarrell said “Because without people like us, filmmakers and storytellers, if we don't do that, then those stories become lost.” Tarrell and Sweet are submitting “Evidence of Our Existence” to film festivals now. More information about the film and their work is at antoniotarrellfilms.com [http://antoniotarrellfilms.com] and sweetsoilnarratives.com [http://sweetsoilnarratives.com]. More information about Behind the Big House can be found at behindthebighouse.org [https://behindthebighouse.org/].