Ms. Sylvia Ann Soares is a legend in RI with many accolades, including a certificate she received this year from the mayor for her hard work and dedication in the arts. She is an actor, poet and historical educator, and I recently spoke to her about some of the lessons she’s learned throughout her life. […]
Hosted by The Wilbury Theatre Group, WaterFire Arts Center and WaterFire Providence, Fire Flowers and a Time Machine is a community experience by travelers of both time and space. The Wilbury describes this installment as “a journey where we encounter both ancestors and descendants from our history and future. These guides bring forth knowledge and […]
On the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Granite Theatre in Westerly will be presenting a one-night only virtual event. “Readings from Tower Stories,” collected by author Damon DiMarco, chronicles the experiences of six different people who escaped the World Trade Center on that tragic day, and what transpired in the weeks that […]
The show must go on… That’s how theater troupes felt in the 14th century during the bubonic plague, and that’s how it’s playing out now in the face of COVID-19. Written by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1352, post Black Death plague of 1348, The Decameron has again become an inspirational piece for creative performing artists. The […]
Mixed Magic Theatre is a non-profit organization in Pawtucket with a mission to create more literate and arts-active communities. Mixed Magic often combines expressive artistic forms, such as poetry, acting, singing, dancing through plays and open mic. I recently spoke with Ricardo Pitts-Wiley and we delved into the importance of artistic expression, discussed what’s happening in today’s society […]
The time for a summer of theater is here, and it can all be accessed through whatever screen you feel the most comfortable with or even through an exclusive performance on your front porch — but stay tuned for more information on that with the 2020 Providence Fringe Festival. What is the Fringe? Founded by […]
When Rhode Island schools closed in March, cutting students off from in-person arts education, FirstWorks, a nonprofit that works to ensure equitable access to the arts, stepped in to bring their educational opportunities virtual. Kathleen Pletcher, artistic director of FirstWorks said, “We are always concerned about students’ access to the arts because the arts do […]
Station 11 is one of my favorite books. It’s about a pandemic called the Georgia Flu that wipes out most of the world’s population. It’s probably not the best time to read it if you haven’t already done so, but I do recommend it in the future when we’re vaccinated and feeling safe (or safer, depending […]
Those of us in the performing arts are finding ourselves facing a new reality. As a member of the theater community, I’m lucky enough to be able to speak with leaders of artistic organizations all over the state about how they’re coping and what their plans are for the future, and I think it’s important […]
As digital programming begins to explode, one playwright who is continually produced is the always omnipresent (and cost effective) William Shakespeare. I was able to speak with two artists about an acclaimed adaptation of the Bard set in a unique environment — the Old West. Desperate Measures is a musicalized version of Measure for Measure, […]