The series is performed at The Joint Theater at 301 Main Street in North Little Rock, AR. It is a 100 seat theater with a proscenium stage. There is a full bar with service in the theater.
Potluck and Poison Ivy is a live dinner and storytelling event in Argenta, Arkansas that invites you to bring your story to the table by sharing a meal and some good ole Southern storytelling. It’s a potluck of people, themes, and ways to tell a story, served with a hearty helping of laughter, Southern exaggerations, and even some unexpected poison ivy. Whether it’s scripted, unscripted, or an open mic storytelling casserole, this is one picnic you don’t want to miss.
Our venue for Potluck & Poison Ivy is THE JOINT, a cabaret theater and coffeehouse in the heart of the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock, offering live entertainment 5 nights a week and the best locally-roasted coffee in Central Arkansas from morning till night. THE JOINT is also home to Arkansas’ number one professional comedy team, The Main Thing, starring veteran performers whose work has been featured on Saturday Night Live, Off-Broadway, on Dick Clark’s United Radio Network, and in thousands of live stage performances all around the country.
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Sponsors
Patrons of the Arts
Judge Barry & Jeanne Hyde, Greg Nabholz, Dr. Corky Patton & John Gaudin, Dr. Tracy Windham & Dr. Gladwin Connell, Josh and Beth Ann Davenport, Charley Penix and Richard Estelita
Art & Illustrations
C Spencer Morris of Wild Fish Circus
About Potluck & Poison Ivy
Potluck and Poison Ivy is a live dinner and storytelling event in Argenta, Arkansas that invites you to bring your story to the table by sharing a meal and some good ole Southern storytelling. It’s a potluck of people, themes, and ways to tell a story, served with a hearty helping of laughter, Southern exaggerations, and even some unexpected poison ivy. Whether it’s scripted, unscripted, or an open mic storytelling casserole, this is one picnic you don’t want to miss.
Our venue for Potluck & Poison Ivy is THE JOINT, a cabaret theater and coffeehouse in the heart of the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock, offering live entertainment 5 nights a week and the best locally-roasted coffee in Central Arkansas from morning till night. THE JOINT is also home to Arkansas’ number one professional comedy team, The Main Thing, starring veteran performers whose work has been featured on Saturday Night Live, Off-Broadway, on Dick Clark’s United Radio Network, and in thousands of live stage performances all around the country.
2018 Season Sponsor
Dr. Tyler Thompson
2018 Food and Music Sponsors
Patrons of the Arts
Judge Barry & Jeanne Hyde, Greg Nabholz, Dr. Corky Patton & John Gaudin, Dr. Tracy Windham & Dr. Gladwin Connell, Josh and Beth Ann Davenport, Charley Penix and Richard Estelita
Art & Illustrations
C Spencer Morris of Wild Fish Circus
Sponsored By
Paula Martin
Producer and Creative Directør An Arkansas native, Paula Martin (formerly Morell) is an award-winning writer, teacher, and editor who earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Her writings have appeared in numerous literary journals, anthologies, and magazines, and three times she has been featured as an Emerging Writer at the International Conference on the Short Story. Paula is the 2017 Inductee into the Arkansas Writers' Hall of Fame, and the recipient of the 2013 Arkansas Arts Council Governor’s Arts Award for Folklife. Paula created and produced the internationally-syndicated Tales from the South Radio Show, which aired for ten years on NPR, WRN, PRX, and Stitcher and garnered multiple regional, national, and international awards. Her second novel, Bone by Bone: A Love Story is set to release Summer 2017. She lives in Little Rock with her three children and multiple animals and is a barefoot trail runner and martial artist.
Drue Patton
Food & Drink Directør A Pine Bluff, AR native, Drue graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, Drue performed with the Ole Miss Men’s Glee Vocal Group. He spent over six years as Director of Development and Marketing for the Argenta Downtown Council and the Argenta Arts Foundation. In this role, Drue oversaw the Argenta Friends of the Arts program, Argenta Art Walk, and coordinated food and music for ADC/AAF events. Drue joined Argenta Wealth Management in 2015 as Business Development and Client Relationship Manager. Drue and his wife, Rachel, are empty nesters living and working in Argenta with their dogs, Buddy and Lily, and their children, Caleb, Coker, and Lilly.
John Gaudin
Founder & Board President Originally from St. Martinville, Louisiana, John has made Arkansas his home since 1982. Since that time he has gone on to become a pillar of the community and devotes most of his energy to developing Argenta into one of the nation's fastest growing art communities. In 1990 John founded his holistic wealth advisory business (now called Argenta Wealth Management) and continues to advise clients on a wide range of financial matters. In the 1990s he developed a passion for painting, which led him to become involved in the non-profit art world, and volunteer on a range of boards including the Thea Foundation and City Year. In 2010 John founded Argenta Friends of the Arts and the Argenta Arts Foundation, both of which fund art initiatives in the region. In 2012 John was nominated to represent Arkansas to the Mid-America Arts Alliance, a position he continues to hold. John also sits as the board president of the ACANSA Arts Festival, and co-founded the Art Connection as part of the Arkansas Innovation Hub. John is immensely proud to bring rich Arkansas stories to the table through Potluck & Poison Ivy.
Wythe Walker
Music Director Wythe Walker has been making music for nearly fifty years, played in more than ten bands, written and co-written more than 100 songs and been a featured player on four CDs. Specializing in '60s singer-songwriter stylings and '60s guitar-oriented rock, Wythe plays guitar, piano, sings and appreciates all kinds of music. A native of Little Rock, he loves words, reading and writing and spent twenty years as a working journalist.
