George Orwell was one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century and Animal Farm is his most widely read book, but that is because it is short rather than because it is good. Orwell was primarily an essayist: His journalism and non-fiction, although no longer commonly read, demonstrated remarkable prescience and ability. His […]
Racism is the curse of American history and slavery was America’s original sin. Abraham Lincoln warned that expiating the sin of slavery might demand that “every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword.” Seven score and 11 years later, #BlackLivesMatter is a hashtag adopted as the […]
The first warning Burbage Theatre Company’s Titus Andronicus was not to be the usual Shakespeare performance was seeing everyone in the front rows at a sold-out show covering themselves with dark green, plastic, 30-gallon trash bags because they were in the “splatter zone.” Although the play is notoriously Shakespeare’s bloodiest, Burbage presents the extraordinary goriness […]
Combining a screening of the film Deli Man with an actual “pop-up” deli traveling from New York City, the Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island will host the aptly-named “A Night at the Deli” on the PVD East Side on Thursday, Feb. 18. Deli Man is a documentary about, according to its web site, “More than […]
Looking for something a little more exciting than dinner and drinks this Valentine’s Day? Try New England’s biggest Fetish Fair Flea Market, which takes place February 12 through 14. Put on by the New England Leather Alliance (NELA), the annual flea market takes place at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick and might be the perfect […]
“We are stardust, we are golden… and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Joni Mitchell As icy winds howl outside, I feel as if a part of my soul has died. Spring is a distant dream … but the annual Spring Flower and Garden Show at the RI Convention Center is coming, […]
Despite its Homeric inspiration, Happy Birthday, Wanda June is not a play that wallows in subtlety, as emphasized in its opening lines: “This is a simple-minded play about men who enjoy killing – and those who don’t.” In the hands of Burbage Theatre Company, it’s a well-acted, viciously funny comedy, a dark satire that shows […]
Back in a former life, I was a scientist — a biologist, technically — and somehow I managed to excel in the intricacies of genetic mapping, tracing the effects of divergent and convergent evolution and explaining why males and females have varying levels of investment based on the principle of anisogamy. Yet certain fields of […]
If we are anything alike, you have a list of “emergency” events and activities for mandatory engagements with people you have nothing in common with. Ah the HOLIDAYS: An excellent time for connecting with people you genuinely enjoy dotted with periods of contact with those you do not – in-laws, distant cousins, a crowd of […]
Festival Ballet Providence’s popular “Up Close On Hope” returns for yet another season. Set in the company’s intimate Black Box Theatre, audience members are treated to a unique viewing experience sitting just a few scant feet from the performers. The current offering takes this experience one step further by incorporating live music courtesy of Community […]