It’s 2003, Thursday afternoon, in a quiet little town called Eberndorf, in the deep south of Austria, surrounded by fields, trees, and medieval churches; 10-year-old me is in my parents’ living room, glued to the...
Photo by Cat Laine. The logistics, physical, and emotional demands of the production are mind-boggling – one actor spending 80 minutes morphing among 12 characters with unique accents and mannerisms while delivering lines almost non-stop and,...
Henry Nwaru in SAME DIFFERENCE at Wilbury Theatre Group. Photo by Erin X. Smithers. It’s 1993 in Providence. A gang leader from Harlem lands at his ex-girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night — wounded,...
A reimagined production of the international, award-winning musical The Bodyguard will arrive at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), October 23 – 25, 2026, as part of the Theatre’s 2026/2027 *Encore Series. Based on the 1992...
All photos by Lillian MK Photo. RI Battle of the Bands had a smooth run this year, every performance dodging the monsoons that have plagued past iterations. The year started out with 16 highly accomplished, but...
Okee dokee folks… I mentioned this in my column a few months ago and now it is coming close to being (IS) a major issue. GASOLINE. Before the mango moron started his war of distraction...
We all know that women were the first to make beer, right? It was discovered by accident when grains were used to make other foods digestible. Dried grain was stored and used to make bread....
Haunted Attractions 1. Factory of Terror Terror experience for all ages, including a variety of imaginative themes and thorough design. 120 Pearl Street, Fall River, MA 774-415-0153 factoryofterror.com 2. Scary Acres Fall festivities with the main attraction - a three-part terror experience...
Cover artist Nilton Cárdenas of Cranston refuses to stand still. “I am constantly moving, and creating art,” he says in an interview at Sharks Peruvian Cuisine on Broad Street in Central Falls. And when he’s not...
Photos by the author. Magda León is more than a multidisciplinary artist; she is an immigrant woman who uses art to explore her identity, her roots, and her connection to community. When I asked her how...
Photo by Scott Lapham. For the Rhode Island artist, educator and muralist, creativity has become a way to open doors, strengthen community and help others discover possibilities within themselves. For Nilton Cárdenas, giving back does not begin...
Every Hispanic Heritage Month, we are given an opportunity to look back.We celebrate the pioneers who came before us, the traditions they preserved, the institutions they built, and the sacrifices they made so generations that...
Photo by Dave Cantelli. Ever rummaged through your spouse’s sweater drawer expecting to find argyles, yet instead stumbling across a secret fetish so utterly demented that it immediately sent you bolting toward a new life? Deftly...
Rachael Warren as Clare. Photo by Mark Turek. If there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, The Getaway Driver at Trinity Repertory Company is it. The world premiere of the two-person play...
Photo by Jesse Dufault. Hark, spectators of the realm! If thy soul doth hunger for a "reverent irreverence" turning a 77-seat black box into a roaring arena of wretched romance, get thee to the Burbage Theatre...
RI Music Hall of Fame plaque honoring Rudy Cheeks/The Fabulous Motels/The Young Adults. (Photo: Michael Bilow) Much has already been written on the passing Sep 18 at age 76 of Bruce McCrae, who used the stage name...
Crook Point Brewing Company, 65 Massasoit Ave., East Providence; photo credit: Sean Carlson Over the past year, The Grind has gleamed as one of Rhode Island’s coffee gems. Set up at Crook Point Brewing Company (65...
Natasha Hodgson in the Broadway Company of Operation Mincemeat. Photo by Matt Crockett. The Tony Award® and Olivier Award®-winning musical launches the North American leg of its world tour at the Providence Performing Arts Center September...
Hunter Brown, Allie Seibold, and Seth Eliser in You've Still Got a Friend, playing at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea from August 20 - September 13, 2026. Photo by Michael Derr Okee dokee folks… Tonight, at Theatre By The...
Photo by Steve Ahlquist. The unionized workers of the Community Libraries of Providence have been without a contract for two years now. Their patience, which had been wearing thin, was stretched to the breaking point by...
Photo: L-R: Pénélope Rose, Manya Glassman, Emeline Easton, and K. Elisa Garcia. by Mike Ryan. The Rhode Island International Film Festival, also known as Flickers, took place August 4 through August 9, bringing filmmakers, actors, industry...
I think museums and the culture around them have historically gotten a bad rap. When you think of museums, you might associate them with classism, inaccessibility, and wealthy donors and patrons. There’s also the issue...
As the leaves change to amber hues, so do fall beers. Our local brewers are excited about the opportunity to offer these loved styles of craft beer. If you are looking forward to cozy sweaters...
Illustration by Sadie Levine. 1. Adams Farm (pumpkins, hay rides, corn mazes) Plus: Variety fall farm stand 158 Burnt Swamp Road, Cumberland 401-714-4425 2. Appleland Orchard (apples) Plus: Cider, wine, and donuts 135 Smith Avenue, Greenville 401-949-3690 3. Barden Family Orchard (apples, pumpkins) Plus: Farmers...
Okee dokee folks… I just realized that I have been attending concerts for 50 years now. In that span of time I have seen countless shows. I honestly have no idea how many I have...
Moon Leone didn’t set out to make your run-of-the-mill pop songs. They build whole worlds, embodying different characters and using visuals to tell stories that ultimately help people heal from trauma. Performing as YourFriendM00n, they...
On August 12, Motif cohosted a forum on the Arts in Providence featuring Democratic Primary Mayoral candidates Brett Smiley and David Morales. In Providence, the real election typically happens in the primary. The winner will go...
Every election cycle, Motif brings you the candidates in their own words so you can try to compare apples to apples. It’s our way of contributing to the political process while not having the fact-checking...
Environmental Organizations Endorse Foulkes for Governor PROVIDENCE — The Providence Streets Coalition, a grassroots activist organization devoted to increasing funding, safety, and reliability in the state’s transit network, announced July 21 that it is backing former...
For the cover of Motif’s Fall Guide, painter and muralist Nicholas “Niko” Tolentino of Cranston drew inspiration from his childhood days, he relates in an interview at White Electric Coffee Co-Op in Providence. Roger Williams Park...
Pawtucket’s Arts and Culture Commission hosts a major exhibit of the work of 90-year-old internationally acclaimed artist Mihail Simeonov, running from September 19 through December 31. An opening reception to meet Mihail will be held at Pawtucket City Hall, Thursday, September 19 at 4:30pm, 137 Roosevelt Ave, Pawtucket. Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien says, “As […]
One night this summer, I emerged from the darkness of some club I can’t recall and saw something unusual on Washington Street. Puffy loops of light had been hung on a parking garage. Nylon tubing weaved together, floating above the sidewalk, its flesh illuminated by slow streams of color. It was an unexpected sight against […]
In September 2018, 17-year-old Joel Loarca shot and killed William Parsons outside of Providence Career and Technical Academy. This shooting happened as we planned our annual education issue and inspired our cover design and content within the issue. Loarca was tried as an adult and last month pleaded guilty to five criminal counts, which resulted […]
There’s something oddly soothing about the harmonograph at the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA). For the uninitiated (which included me, until my visit), a harmonograph uses mechanical arms attached to pendulums to control the movements of a pen. You clamp the pen in place, swing the pendulums, drop pen to paper like […]
If you consistently take part in RI’s vibrant and eclectic culinary scene, you’ve probably noticed that over the years there has been a steady increase in plant-based food and eateries populating the landscape. I talked to a few of the area’s most notable vegan and vegetarian restauranteurs about the push toward a meatless existence. Karen […]
On September 28, WaterFire becomes a science timeline of sorts, celebrating everything from early humans’ ability to control fire to modern physics. The Big Bang Science Fair provides visitors with opportunities to stargaze, hang out at the intersection of art and science, code robots and generally explore how science impacts our everyday lives. Lecturers, including […]
Ever wanted to learn a second language, but didn’t know where to start? Ryan Dean, owner of LUMUKU, might have the answer. His playfully illustrated bilingual playing cards and matching games, called Half + Medio, give foreign language learners a simple, fun and whimsical way to pick up a few words. Dean spent five summers […]
Okee dokee folks…I have been so busy over the past couple of months that I almost forgot that I recently passed the 15 year mark writing for Motif! When I was asked to contribute to the fledgling magazine for their third issue, I was skeptical that it was something I could do. I wasn’t a […]
Another “Got Beer?!” column, and another new brewery has joined the 401 craft crew! The General’s Crossing Brewhouse, at 34 Narragansett Ave in the heart of Jamestown, opened on August 23 – it’s the 28th brewery in the Ocean State. And yep, that’s the same address as Conanicut Brewing, the home-brewing/wine-making supply shop run by […]
There’s no mistaking it; some RI public schools are at the pit of a crisis that might prove irreversible. On the hill, state leadership scrambles for resolution, bickering over details and debating the value of education as they clamber to regain control of a problem that should have been addressed a decade ago. But in […]
