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...
Centerville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket hosted its first live music event in August. It started big with the Island Roads Fest, featuring popular reggae/ rock bands including Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Action Bronson, DENM, Bumpin...
Roaring out of Boston with authority, triumphant metal act Worshipper have given their local scene an exhilarating jolt. The quartet, consisting of John Brookhouse on guitar and vocals, Dale Jarvis on drums, Bob Maloney on bass and Alejandro Necochea on lead guitar, exude an energy that’s rare in the music that’s coming out of Boston […]
With the majority of the summer season shrinking in the rear view mirror and the journey into fall rapidly gaining momentum, it leaves us with the topic at hand, our destination: fall wines. We tend to be at the mercy of Mother Nature’s schizophrenia during the fall season, not really knowing if she’ll churn out […]
Okee dokee folks… We are in that grey (yes, I spell it that way!) area that is the end of summer/beginning of fall. We can thankfully, hopefully bid adieu to the heat of that nasty season of summer. The festivals and outdoor events begin to wind down and the indoor shows start kicking back up. […]
Guitar Wolf Japanese super fuzz troopers Guitar Wolf return to town for the first time in over a decade to blast out some primal rock ‘n’ roll. This may be the best show we have coming to the area this fall. Expect some heavy ear damage, and you’ll love every minute of it. Guitar Wolf […]
1.Sunday, September 4: Scurvy Dog Parking Log Mega Show II; 2pm; Free; 21+ but children with parents welcome; Scurvy Dog, 1718 Westminster St, Providence. Here we are at the end of the summer, and running out of options to be outside and drunk while listening to music. Here is your chance to do so and catch […]
Thru Sunday, September 4 Sister Act, Theatre by the Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd, Wakefield. Based on the classic film starring Whoopi Goldberg, a show featuring lots of singing nuns. theatrebythesea.com Friday, September 2 Rhode Island Peace Fest 6: Promoting Love, Unity and Culture: A forum showcasing local poets, emcees, deejays, musicians, artists and dancers […]
The fall beer season has been underway for a few weeks – the pumpkin brews and Oktoberfests are abundant on shelves and taps. ’Tis also the season for the year’s biggest beer bashes and other autumnal attractions. So here’s the Got Beer? guide to where to find the Big Get Beer! events in the coming […]
What Would a Moron Do? Anyone who was even vaguely surprised at the Ryan Lochte Karioca Kops incident at the Olympic Games in Rio evidently missed his former reality show, “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” on the E! network back in 2013. Probably because it only ran for eight episodes before the producers evidently did their […]
Thursday, August 25 – Sunday, August 28 Templecon: An array of costumes, classic arcade games, panel discussions, charity events, and non-stop live music and performances, this festival is no side-kick to larger gatherings of its kind. Crowne Plaza, Hotel 801 Greenwich Ave. Warwick. templecon.org. Saturday, August 27 The Big Kahuna 2: Feat. Mushroomhead, Carnivora, Crossing Rubicon […]
Almost from its inception into mainstream America with Elvis wiggling his hips on “The Milton Berle Show,” rock music has had an awkward and sometimes downright tumultuous relationship with Christianity. In its earliest years, Baptist preachers across the nation chastened their primarily Caucasian congregations that the very rhythms of this nascent genre would drive their […]
