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...
The excitement in the air was evident as women, men, young adults and children entered the Dunkin Donuts Center last Thursday evening. Who could bring so many walks of life together? A hip-hop artist, Disney on Ice, George Clooney? Better that that — much, much better. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Malala Yousafzai, came […]
On May 18, I went out to see a local band in Providence. I used public transportation, had a great evening with friends and left for home around 11pm. The last stop on the bus line is conveniently at the top of my street, so I exited the bus and began the five-house walk home. […]
It is the food, of course, that has drawn in tens of thousands of people over the past three decades. That and a bed, for those who had nowhere else to go. In 1987 Westerly Area Rest Meals — or WARM — began as a volunteer effort by a coalition of area churches. It has […]
Newport Folk Fest The book is closed on the 2016 Newport Folk Fest, which showcased a mix of rising stars, modern day heavyweights and bona fide legends. Friday’s highlights included Raury, who mixes folk and hip-hop to create a soulful uplifting vibe. Dan Auerbach’s side project The Arcs had the feel of The Black Keys […]
Urinal Rises from Dead As Vo Dislunders slip a mirror under the nose of The Biggest Little’s organ of record, The Urinal, to detect any signs of life, the Old Lady of Fountain Street staged a comeback of Lazarus proportions with its Saturday, July 30 front page. Under a bold headline saying, “Four years later, […]
August 4 Sojourner House Donation Day: 10% of the day’s proceeds will go to Sojourner House at this restaurant & bar with kitschy trailer park-inspired decor serving American comfort food & cocktails. 4pm, Ogie’s Trailer Park, 1155 Westminster St, PVD. sojournerri.org August 5 Gary Fish Tree-O, With Thatcher Harrison and Michael Jupin: Specializing in songs […]
In this crazy year we need punk rock more than ever. We need to listen to some amplified, angst-filled, guitar-driven music that ignites the rambunctiousness in all of us. Seems like the perfect time for the Descendents to put out their first album in 12 years, right? The punk legends from Manhattan Beach, California, have […]
1. Saturday, August 13: Foo Fest with Dan Deacon, Arc Iris, Churchburn, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Harry And the Potters, AS220 Youth Zukrewe, Taina Asili, Houseboy, Leiko, Gertrude Atherton, Powermonster, Hussy, Secret Lover, Lovesick, Sidy Maiga, The Quahogs, Snowplows, Theosophia, Flintstones, XR-Tabs; 1pm; $7 advance / $10 day of; All ages; Empire St Block Party, Providence. […]
Okee dokee folks … I am once again writing my column in a speeding car. Last year I did the same while coming home from South Carolina, this time I’m heading up to Burlington, Vermont. No, I am not going to visit Bernie Sanders, though it would be cool to meet him. I am going […]
As a little girl, I can remember how I felt sitting with my mother watching Dorothy and her loyal friends travel the yellow brick road. It is a memory I will forever cherish. Having the opportunity to see a staged version of it with my 4-year-old brought me pure excitement and anticipation of sharing the […]
