LOCAL HAPPENINGS: Final week to be served up Shakespeare on a tennis court

ASHEBORO — This weekend offers the third and final batch of opportunities to see the frenetic performances of three willing and eventually sweating actors in tights (and plenty of costumes) as they perform all of William Shakespeare’s 37 plays in a pretty tight hour-and-a half performance.

RhinoLeap’s production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” still has showings this week on Thursday through Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

It all takes place on (and, at one point, off) the Championship Tennis Court at the back of the Memorial Park tennis courts in Asheboro, located at 898 S. Church St.

Tickets are $32 and can be purchased online at rhinoleap.com or in person at Brightside Gallery, 170 Worth St., Asheboro.

RhinoLeap regular Patrick Osteen joins Alex Bodine and Allen Tedder in this production.

Pillows are provided to sit on in the bleachers or you can bring your own bleacher seat. Popcorn and drinks are available to purchase.

Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, it’s known for its irreverent humor, breaking the fourth wall, and a chaotic, vaudevillian style that makes Shakespeare accessible and funny, even for those who dislike the Bard.

THIS WEEK

Retired colonel speaks at Sunset Series event

ASHEBORO  — Medal of Honor recipient retired Col. Joe Marm will tell his story in a Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series event on Saturday, May 23, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Ave.. The talk is free and the public is invited. 

In 1965, Marm was a 2nd lieutenant leading a platoon of the 7th Cavalry Regiment during the Vietnam War when his unit joined what became the battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement between the US and North Vietnamese armies. The battle is recounted in the book “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young” by Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway, and in the film “We Were Soldiers.” Marm retired as a colonel in 1995, and resides in eastern North Carolina. For more information, call the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau at 800-626-2672.

Randleman holds fishing tournament on Saturday

RANDLEMAN  — The Reel-In-Randleman event sponsored by the Randleman Chamber of Commerce is set to set sail on Saturday morning at Randleman Lake. Four prizes are available: $2,000 for first, $1,000 for second, $500 for third and $250 for big fish. Entry fee of $120 includes Bojangles’ food for breakfast and Sir Pizza for lunch. Online registration is encouraged. 

Next monthly cruise takes place Saturday in Asheboro

ASHEBORO  — Asheboro’s monthly Summer Cruise Series continues Sunday night in the parking lot of C4 Church, 1128 N. Fayetteville St., Asheboro. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m., beginning as a cruise-in and including actual cruising out on Fayetteville Street during the event, with food and good times in between.

Party @ The Pond offers Memorial Day option

RAMSEUR  — The 2026 Party @ The Pond at Millstone Creek Orchards, 506 Parks Crossroads Church Road, Ramseur, is offering some blues, jazz and pig pickin’ fun on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Tickets are $10 for ages 13-plus and $4 for ages 3-12. Other options include sweet orchard treats, Cider House specials and catch and release fishing. Space is limited. Check bit.ly/MCOPondParty for reservations.

UPCOMING

The ZooKeepers are coming! The ZooKeepers are coming!

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro ZooKeepers, Asheboro’s summer league Coastal Plain League team, begin play on Wednesday, May 27, with a free exhibition contest against Randolph County Post 45, an annual pre-season event for both teams who call McCrary Park home and share the field during the summer months. The ZooKeepers’ first home game will follow two days later against Forest City. Gametime is 6:30 p.m.