Spaces are available for the youth programs Fiber Art for Youth and Afterschool Art Adventure at the Dorchester Center for the Arts. Call 410-228-7782 for more information.

The Dorchester Center for the Arts (DCA) offers classes and programs for adults and children. Coming in October are two unique art opportunities for young people.

• Fiber Art for Youth - Instructor: Windy Karpavage

Students will learn the basics of knitting and hand sewing in this four-week session. Suitable for ages 9 and up, the class meets on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon beginning on October 3 and meet for 4 weeks.  Fees are: $25 members; $40 non-members

• Afterschool Art Adventure

Enroll youngsters in this weekly program to support children’s natural creativity with this series of visual arts enrichment classes. Each week will feature a new hands-on art project, and the class is suitable for ages 6-10. The cost is $5 per child per week. A DCA membership is encouraged, but not required. Space is limited, so weekly registration is advised.Scholarships are available. The session will run on Mondays, October 5 through November 9 from 4 – 5:30 p.m.

For adults, there are two special presentations in the month of October.

• The LITERARY LUNCHBOX

Stop by during lunch hour for a monthly bite of culture along with lunch. Local authors will read from and/or discuss their books. A question and answer period is provided, and participants should bring a lunch; a beverage provided. These sessions take place on the first Friday of each month at noon from October-December. The event is free; all are welcome, and a DCA membership is encouraged, but not required.

On Oct. 2 the featured author will be Veronica Li. Ms. Li will present her new book “Confucius Says,” a novel about caring for aging parents in a Chinese American family.

It explores Confucius’ philosophy on parental care, discovering universal truths about caregiving that are still relevant today. Veronica Li grew up mostly in HongKong and immigrated to the U.S. at 15. She holds a B.A. in English from University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. She was a journalist for the Asian Wall Street Journal and other news organizations prior to joining the World Bank. Confucius Says is her third book. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a former colleague of the World Bank, and also maintains a home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

• Dorchester Drama Guild welcomes the Hugh Gregory Gallagher Theatre for The Sunshine Boys by Neil Simon.

The Dorchester Center for the Arts and Hugh Gregory Gallagher Theatre partner for comedy, presenting Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys” on Oct. 9 at 7 pm and Oct. 11 at 2 pm. Simon’s comedic play features aging Al Lewis and Willie Clark, a one-time vaudevillian team known as “Lewis and Clark” who not only grew to hate each other but never spoke to each other off-stage their final year together. The obstinate Clark, who was not ready for retirement, resented the shrewder Lewis for breaking up the act when he opted to leave show business. Hilarity ensues when there is an effort to reunite the two for a TV special on the history of comedy. This reluctant reunion brings the two back together, along with a flood of memories, miseries, and laughs. Neil Simon authored Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Biloxi Blues, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Chapter Two, and numerous other plays and film adaptations. Simon received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play for The Sunshine Boys. Director Ed Langrell provides a talented cast to perform the hysterics. Craig Brittingham is Al Lewis and Brian McGunigle is Willie Clark. Erik Murray is Willie Clark’s nephew, Ben Silverman. John Norton portrays Eddie, the TV assistant. Sharon Gilroy and Nicole Millette appear as the nurses.

Call 410-228-7782 to order tickets. There will be two shows: Oct. 9, 7 pm; and Oct. 11, 2 pm matinee. This is a Gallery Stage performance. Tickets are: $10 DCA members; $12 non-members.

Don’t forget, the 39th Annual Dorchester Center for the Arts Showcase is this Sunday, September 27 from noon to 5:00 p.m. This rain or shine event is presented by DCA and sponsored by the Nathan Foundation and the Maryland State Arts Council.

Editor’s note: Spectrum is the weekly column of the Dorchester Arts Center. It is written by Mickey Love, executive director.