Public Works Stages Capote Tribute as Midtown Gallery Hosts Dog Days Pantry Benefit

Two very different corners of Mobile's cultural scene are drawing attention this week: a stripped-down staged reading honoring Monroeville-raised author Truman Capote, and a Midtown art gallery event raising money and food donations for families facing hunger.

A Staged Tribute to Truman Capote's Voice

The local theater troupe Public Works is presenting "Capote Compote," a staged reading built from three pieces in Truman Capote's 1980 collection "Music for Chameleons," which blends narration, dialogue, fiction and reportage. Capote, who was born in New Orleans and spent much of his childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, became one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, and his roots in the region left a lasting mark.

Mobile writer Eugene Walter, a contemporary of Capote's, used to recall crossing paths with him as children — when Capote went by the nickname "Bulldog" — while wandering downtown streets during the Great Depression. Capote's work drew on that upbringing, channeling empathy shaped by hardship alongside a sharp wit and intellectual edge. Four actors will bring the three selections to life. The evening opens with a scene drawn from the essay "A Day's Work," featuring Charlie Kelly reading as Capote opposite Ravyn Otis as a Martinique woman known as Madam. The second piece, "A Beautiful Child," pairs an actor identified as Faust in the role of Capote with Katie Anderson Jeansonne as Marilyn Monroe.

The scene imagines the pair crossing paths at the funeral of an acting coach before heading out to bar-hop together across Manhattan. The performance closes with "Nocturnal Musings," a piece built around the author's own interior dialogue, performed jointly by the two actors who portrayed Capote earlier in the show. Organizers estimate the full program will run 80 to 90 minutes, including an intermission between the second and third pieces, and admission is free. "Capote Compote" marks the eighth production from Public Works, a company that has been staging similar literary readings since before 2020, when it was based out of the former Mobile Theatre Guild space on Lafayette Street. Earlier offerings have included a non-musical staging of "Sweeney Todd," Steve Allen's "Meeting of Minds," A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters" and Irish author Claire Keegan's "Foster." The company deliberately avoids sets and costumes, requiring only six or seven rehearsals to mount a show, and it limits audiences to just 50 seats to preserve an intimate feel. "The front row is only five feet from the actors, so it's a chance for the audience to be up close without that distance you have at Joe Jefferson [Playhouse] or Chickasaw [Civic Theatre]," Faust said. That closeness lets actors underplay their performances rather than project to a large room, putting the emphasis squarely on Capote's language. Because the material comes from published works in the public domain, Public Works is also able to offer every performance free of charge, reinforcing its mission of making literary theater accessible.

Looking ahead, Faust said future productions could include "Agnes of God," Noel Coward's "Private Lives" and another script being held for a specific actress.

Innova Arts Hosts 'Dog Days of Summer' for Love All Pantry

Across town, Innova Arts at 1803 Old Shell Road is using the late-summer heat as a hook for a good cause. The Midtown gallery, located across from the Dew Drop Inn, is reviving its "Dog Days of Summer" event to raise awareness and money for Love All Pantry at Central Midtown, 1260 Dauphin St. The gathering runs Friday, Aug. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Love All Pantry describes itself as an inclusive community of volunteers and donors working to provide nutritious groceries to families dealing with food insecurity. Demand for the pantry's services spiked during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and has stayed elevated ever since. The organization has also taken on responsibility for the annual Art Soup event, which has raised money for people in need in the Mobile area for 24 consecutive years. Guests attending "Dog Days of Summer" are asked to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the pantry, and a portion of proceeds from event sales will go directly to Love All Pantry.

A raffle will also benefit the cause, headlined by a "Dog Days of Summer" monogrammed quilt donated by local artist Mary Ann Holland, along with additional prizes offered throughout the evening.

Capote's Alabama Ties

In Monroeville, Capote lived with relatives next door to Harper Lee, who became a lifelong friend and drew on him for the character Dill in "To Kill a Mockingbird." "Music for Chameleons" was among the last books Capote published before his death in 1984.