Auditions for “Once on This Island,” a Clayton Youth Theater production, are scheduled for 6 p.m. May 28 and 1 p.m. May 30 at The Clayton Center, 111 E. 2nd St., Clayton. The show revolves around Ti Moune, a poor peasant girl who falls in love with Daniel, a boy from a wealthy family. Auditions are open to students in grades 7-12. For more information, visit claytonyouththeater.com.

Music in Smithfield

Guitarist Scott Aker will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, at Orchard House Booksellers, 117 N. 3rd St., Smithfield. Admission is free; refreshments will be available.

Films in Smithfield

River City Arts will screen a number of short films on Saturday, May 23. The screenings will start at 8:30 p.m. River City Arts is on South Third Street in Smithfield.

Concerts in Clayton

The Town Square concert series in Clayton will open May 21 with Liquid Pleasure. Here’s the rest of the summer lineup: June 18, Abbey Road Live; July 16, Legends of the Beach; Aug. 20, Zydecopious; and Sept. 17, Band of Oz. All concerts will be at 7 p.m. on the Town Square, located at Main, Fayetteville, Second and O’Neil streets.

Variety in Selma

Here’s the June schedule for the American Music Jubilee, the variety show at The Rudy Theatre in Selma: June 6, 7:40 p.m.; June 11, 1:40 p.m.; June 13, 7:40 p.m.; June 20, 1:40 p.m.; and June 27, 7:40 p.m. Also, one May performance remains: 7:40 p.m. May 30. For reservations, call 202-9927.

Blues in Clayton

Blues musician “Cool John” Ferguson will headline this year’s Millstock Music & Arts Faire in downtown Clayton. Ferguson will perform from 4 till 6 p.m. June 6 on East Second Street behind the Flipside restaurant. Here’s the rest of the music schedule for the day: 10-11:30 a.m., Mister Mustard; noon-1:30 p.m., Dread34; and 2-3:30 p.m., Johnny Orr & South Station. The fair will feature a sidewalk chalk-art contest, and throughout the day, artists will have their works for sale.

1930s on display

The Johnston County Heritage Center has a new exhibit about the 1930s, “A Few Good Things from a Great Depression.” The exhibit features examples of Johnston County progress in public works and business in spite of hard times. For instance, Smithfield landmarks that took shape as Depression-era projects include the Howell Theatre (a product of private enterprise) and the American Legion Hut, or “Log Cabin,” (a federal public-works project). Also, government-paid laborers built the rock walls that still surround public cemeteries in Smithfield, Selma, Clayton, Benson, Four Oaks and elsewhere. Other examples of community progress from the 1930s: the Town of Princeton’s “first garbage wagon and collectors,” Smithfield High School’s first organized band and “Opportunity Hall,” a new building at Smithfield’s African-American high school. The Heritage Center has several books written as personal memoirs about the 1930s. The books are for sale in the main hall and through the Web site, www.johnstonnc.com/heritage. The Heritage Center is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the former First Citizens Bank building at the corner of Market and Third streets in downtown Smithfield. Admission is free. For more information, call 934-2836 or send an e-mail to heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com.