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...
Do you love Rhode Island history and enjoy being around people who are enthusiastic about it? Then the annual Gaspee Days string of events is for you! Gaspee Days is an annual series of events in Warwick celebrating RI heritage and history. The Gaspee Days celebration has been taking place for more than 50 years to commemorate the burning […]
After decades of growth, craft beer in Rhode Island has reached a fever pitch event the wildest dreams of local beer enthusiasts couldn’t conjure. Whereas once we could count on one hand the number of breweries, including brewpubs, in our state, now it’s getting difficult to attempt to keep up with the new brewery openings. […]
Opened Burnside Beer Garden: Long a pop-up feature of the Burnside Summer Music Series, Trinity Brew Pub’s beer garden is becoming a permanent fixture of the park in Kennedy Plaza. Kennedy Plaza, PVD. Website pending. Daisy Jo’s Hot Chicken and Biscuits: Quick and spicy, when you’re ready to fly. 63 Airport Rd, Warwick. fb.com/daisyjoschicken High […]
It all goes back to Roger Williams’ original idea of creating Providence as the first sanctuary city. Barnaby Evans is the creator of WaterFire, one of PVD’s signature events and a public art installation that has global appeal and reach. Evans is a graduate of Brown University, and during a multi-decade run of creating, innovating […]
If you’re like me, you have two major thoughts in life. One is, “When will I see my dog again?” and the other is, “Oh look, a strange dog! I wonder if I can pet it?” With my affinity for canine companions not being a secret, I wanted to take the opportunity to show you how […]
Ah, summer. The birds, the bees and 10,000 sunflowers planted where 195 used to be. At least that’s been the goal each summer for Adam E. Anderson, creator of the 10,000 Suns art installation, which has the lofty goal of having 10,000 mature sunflowers in the space throughout the summer months. Anderson had the idea for 10,000 […]
Pride returns to PVD this June 15 and it promises to be more energetic than ever! The theme of this year’s celebration of the LGBTQ community is Live Your Truth. “The Live Your Truth theme for 2019 reflects what’s at the heart of Pride: an opportunity to be exactly who you are, out in the […]
For classical music lovers, there are some great events to look forward to over the next few months. Here’s what’s coming up for summer 2019: The 2018 Music On The Hill festival presents seven concerts of chamber music from June 2-12 at various locations throughout the state, including Cranston, Warwick and Westerly. For more information: […]
In addition to writing about culinary adventures in Motif, I lead guided food tours every weekend with RI Red Food Tours. We traverse the streets of downtown PVD, eating small bites from seven different restaurants, and one of our stops is Knead Doughnuts. At least once every tour, I hear the comment, “Wow! I’m not […]
Dip, drip, drop! Why ease your way into summer this year when you can make a splash by riding out the best electronic dance music events Lil Rhody has in store? These three shows provide the rare and much-needed opportunity to get down and dirty (musically speaking!) on the beach, in the pool and in […]
