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Teen Theater Troupes Offer Powerful Drama, Classic Comedy

Richard Kamins | In Our Towns

May 1, 2008

The Oddfellows Playhouse's Teen Repertory Projectpresents "The Laramie Project" tonight at 7 and for the next two Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. The play, created by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Company, looks at the brutal beating and death of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay student at the University of Wyoming. Kaufman and the theater troupe spent months in Laramie, Wyo., interviewing many people, to create a program that investigates the roots of hatred and the healing process that followed Shepard's death. Director Missy Waryas and her cast of 19 talented actors have created a powerful production. The playhouse is at 128 Washington St., Middletown. For reservations, call 860-347-6143.

The drama department at Haddam-Killingworth High School, Little City Road in Higganum, presents "The Dash In Between" Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The play, a contemporary update of the Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman classic "You Can't Take It With You," has been reshaped by Middletown playwright-director Lee Godburn and his creative cast of 32. Performances are 7 p.m. and take place in the school auditorium. For more information and tickets, call the office at 860-345-8541 or 860-345-3593.

Today

•The New Main Street Theater in Chester presents "Gulf View Drive," the third play in Arlene Hutton's "Nibroc" trilogy, tonight through Sunday at the historic Chester Meeting House, 4 Liberty St. The young man and woman who met in the first play are now married and settled down when several members of their family decide to move in, creating all kinds of havoc. Performances are 8 p.m. through Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. For ticket information, call 860-767-8943.

•The final screening in The Russell Library's Alfred Hitchcock film series is the 1958 classic "Vertigo." The film, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, follows a detective as he investigates the odd behavior of the wife of an old friend, and becomes obsessed with her. The detective suffers from acrophobia (extreme fear of heights) and Hitchcock brilliantly portrays that fear with unique camera angles and shots. Richard Alleva will lead the discussion after the movie. The screening begins at noon, so bring lunch; the library staff will provide the drinks and dessert. For more information, call 860-347-2528, Ext. 135.

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•The Heart Gallery is a unique event, an exhibition featuring photographs of young children available for adoption in the state of Connecticut. Kidcity Children's Museum, 119 Washington St., Middletown, hosts the exhibition during May. You can view the images during the museum's regular hours of operation. For more information, call 860-347-0495.

•The Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven, presents the Chris Norman Ensemble in a free concert at 5:30 p.m. The program is described as "foot-stomping English, Scottish and Irish maritime songs from the 16th to 18th centuries." For more information, call 203-432-2800.

Friday

•This weekend, ending on Monday, the Friends of the Russell Library present its annual "Bag Book" sale, offering great savings on used books and raising money for library programs. Call 860-347-4957, Ext. 135, for more information.

•1968 was a year for assassinations (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy) and civil unrest. The new exhibition in the Zilkha Gallery at Wesleyan University is Andrea Ray's "Desire" — a multimedia sound installation that looks back at the 1968 student unrest in Paris. The opening reception takes place today from 5 to 7 p.m. and the artist will talk at 5:30. The exhibition is on view Tuesday through Sunday noon to 4 p.m. and runs through May 25.

•The winners of the Wesleyan University Orchestra's concerto competition perform with the orchestra's music director at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall. Joining the fun will be the Wesleyan Concert Choir. The event is free and open to the public.

•The Old Lyme Town Band plays a free concert at 7:30 p.m. in Christ The KingChurch, 1 McCurdy Road in Old Lyme. For more information, call 860-434-2671.

Saturday

•The Russell Library welcomes the Parker String Quartet for a 2 p.m. show in the Hubbard Room. Violinists Daniel Chong and Karen Kim, violist Jessica Bodner and cellist Kee-Hyun Kim came together as students at the New England Conservatory of Music and have been touring for the past five years. The event is free and open to the public.

•The Wesleyan Gamelan Ensemble performs with puppet master Sumarsam for a Javanese Wayang puppet play at 8 p.m. in the World Music Hall, Wyllys Avenue. This is fascinating art from halfway around the world. Call 860-685-3355 for ticket information.

•The Unitarian Universalist Church of Meriden, 328 Paddock Road, presents blues singer-guitarist D.W. Ditty in concert at 7 p.m. Joining the gravelly voiced vocalist will be saxophonist Kenny Mack. For more information, call 203-237-9297.

•The final concert in the Musical Masterworks festival takes place at 5 p.m. in the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Ferry Road and Lyme Street. The Miami String Quartet joins with pianists Jeewon Park and Charles Wadsworth (the series host). The show will be repeated on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the same venue. For ticket information, call 860-434-2252 or go to musicalmasterworks.org.

Sunday

•The Greater Middletown Chorale presents its annual spring concert at 4 p.m. in the Church of the Holy Trinity, 381 Main S., Middletown. The chorale will be joined by internationally known soprano Adele Paxton on several arias composed by Mozart. For ticket information, call 860-633-6198.

•The Neighborhood Music School of New Haven presents the Tony Rice Unit in concert at 3 p.m. in the Little Theater, 1 Lincoln St., New Haven. Rice, one of the finest acoustic guitarists in bluegrass music, has played alongside Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krauss. For ticket information, call 203-624-5189.

Monday

•The Ebony Singers present their spring concert at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall at Wesleyan University. This evening of gospel music is usually crowded, so call 860-685-3355 for tickets.

•The final talk in the spring lecture series at Wesleyan's Center for the Humanities takes place at 8 p.m. in The Russell House on High Street. Faculty fellow Cecilia Miller will discuss "Reading Fiction for Political Theory: Alessandro Manzoni's 'I promessi sposi' ('The Betrothed'), the Manifesto for Italian Nationalism." Call 860-685-3046 for more information.

Tuesday

•The Wesleyan University Wind Ensemble presents its annual spring concert at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

Wednesday

•Wesleyan professor-composer-saxophonist Anthony Braxton presents his small ensemble concert at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall.

Richard Kamins is a free-lance writer and the host of a Jewish music show on WMRD-WLIS AM. Please send contributions to his weekly arts column by writing to him at The Courant, 373 E. Main St., Middletown, CT 06457 or at richard_b_kamins@snet.net.