“I wanted to use the arts to bring diverse communities together, so we could share our likenesses instead of our differences,” says Joseph Robinson, organizer of Tales on Market Street. The formerly homeless artist gained inspiration from Haywood Street Congregation‘s Story Circle, where he heard underlying similarities in experiences of the “rich, poor, middle-class, black, white, old and young.” He hopes to attract African-American individuals (and those of all backgrounds) back to the historically minority-based Market Street neighborhood with two performances: “Ron Rash is Funny, Too” stars Barbara Bates Smith with musical accompaniment by Jeff Sebens, while “Mark Twain: Tall Tales and Anecdotes” features Marvin Cole. The show starts at Ray Auditorium in the Young Men’s Institute Cultural Center on Saturday, March 14, at 4 p.m. Donations benefit the YMI. ymiculturalcenter.org. Photo of Smith, Robinson and Cole, from left to right, by Ann Merritt
Smart bets: Tales on Market Street
![Barbara Bates Smith, Joseph Robinson, Marvin Cole](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/BarbaraJoeRobMarvin.jpg)
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