Providence, Lowell & Boston offering free outdoor performances

Providence, July 28, 2022

Summertime is a good time for outdoor performing arts. And when the location is the Waterplace Park in Providence for a performance by Trinity Rep, put it on the calendar! 

"Meet the cast of "La Mancha!" This Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote" is part of Teatro en el Verano, produced by @rilatinoarts in association with Trinity Rep. It features local Latinx artists, and is completely free to attend.

"Don Quixote" ... closes with a special performance on the Waterplace Park  in Providence on July 28. 

For more information, visit trinityrep.com/lamancha."

Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote"

Lowell Folk Festival Returns July 29-31, 2022

The 35th Anniversary Lowell Folk Festival, a staple cultural event of the region since its inception in 1987, will take place in person on July 29, 30, and 31. The 2022 festival will feature close to 20 performing groups sharing their unique musical traditions on stages throughout downtown Lowell. The Lowell Folk Festival attracts more than 150,000 people for three days of music, food, and art.

Ethnic food vendors will serve traditional dishes representing over a dozen different cultures. In the Folk Craft Area, the theme is Crafting Sound: Making & Restoring Musical Instruments, which will feature demonstrations playing and building the instruments. The Foodways Area will explore comfort foods from an array of communities. Art In The Courtyard will offer the opportunity for visitors to view and purchase some of the finest art and craftwork. The Family Fun area is back on Shattuck Street.

Check this site to stay up to date on all Lowell Folk Festival updates.

The Lowell Folk Festival is produced by the Lowell Festival Foundation, the City of Lowell, Lowell National Historical Park, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For more information visit -> https://lowellfolkfestival.org/

35th Anniversary Lowell Folk Festival

Boston, through August 7, 2022

Shakespeare on the Boston Common -  Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and Artistic Director Steven Maler are pleased to announce the return of Free Shakespeare on the Common in the summer of 2022 – William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian. Performances will begin on The Boston Common on Wednesday, July 20 at 8PM (with press opening on Wednesday, July 27 at 8PM) and end on Sunday, August 7.

Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and frequently performed plays. The plot revolves around two couples — witty Beatrice and Benedick, who publicly proclaim their disdain for each other but fall madly in love; and naïve Hero and Claudio, who fall quickly in love only to be thwarted and then reunited (in both cases, with a bit of help from their friends). But it’s more than just a comedic romp. The play tackles serious themes too: trust and betrayal, power and privilege, gendered expectations around chastity and violence. This is a comedy entangled with a tragedy, where love and justice nevertheless manage to prevail with vigorous joy — a perfect play for our uncertain times.

For more info please visit -> https://commshakes.org/2022/01/28/free-shakespeare-on-the-common-2022-much-ado-about-nothing/

Shakespeare on the Boston Common

Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote"

Summertime is a good time for outdoor performing arts. And when the location is the Waterplace Park in Providence for a performance by Trinity Rep, put it on the calendar! 

"Meet the cast of "La Mancha!" This Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote" is part of Teatro en el Verano, produced by @rilatinoarts in association with Trinity Rep. It features local Latinx artists, and is completely free to attend.

"Don Quixote" runs at La Galería del Pueblo in Central Falls July 15 - 24, with a special performance on the Waterplace Park  in Providence on July 28. 

For more information, visit trinityrep.com/lamancha."

Complete press release and performance schedule

https://www.trinityrep.com/teatro-en-el-verano-presents-la-mancha/

(Yes, there is nothing wrong with Central Falls but the schedule for the Providence performance is better for me.)

Spanish/English bilingual adaptation of "Don Quixote"

Boston Globe: "A pop-up gallery fills a vacant spot in Providence with joy and light"

Franklin received a grant to create a Pop Shop downtown. From the Boston Globe we share what Providence has done with a popup shop as an example.

"During the pandemic, downtown Providence was living in its own shadow, with empty storefronts and restaurants that were “hibernating” for the winter or closed for good.But these days, cobblestone-lined Westminster Street has started to feel alive again, thanks in part to three Rhode Island-based women and their new pop-up art gallery, “Reflection-Delight.”

Curated by Sheryl Kopel, a freelance artist manager and facilitator, the temporary exhibition has filled 233 Westminster St., a space that is usually vacant. She’s chosen two artists whose styles are vastly different, but whose work looks to project “joy and inner strength that fly in the face of darker trends in the wider world.”

Continue reading the article online  (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/14/metro/pop-up-gallery-fills-vacant-spot-providence-with-joy-light/

 

In case you missed the grant announcement:

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/05/town-of-franklin-ma-pop-shop-franklin.html

 

Pop Shop Franklin

 

Trinity Rep performs A Christmas Carol - "Brimming with creativity and innovation"

A Christmas Carol Online = Unlimited free streaming through Jan. 10

Trinity Rep's A Christmas Carol Online is now streaming for free. Simply register at the links below for your access link. Watch as many times as you want and on your schedule!

"The results offer delightful contrasts — traditional yet trendy, spooky yet warm, edgy yet endearing — that will prove appealing to audiences of all ages...streaming for free through Jan. 10, is a show for the ages, brimming with the creativity and innovation Trinity audiences have missed for months...  - Providence Journal

"...bringing invention and tradition together in a celebration of innovative spirit and holiday cheer...In a year when we have lost so much and so many, Trinity Rep's A CHRISTMAS CAROL ONLINE is an inspired holiday transformation that - much like Scrooge's own - feels nothing short of a Christmas miracle." - Broadway World

For detailed information about viewing the show, including tips for technical set up, view our FAQ page  https://www.trinityrep.com/box-office/how-to-watch-faqs/

Check out our Viewer Guide to read more about the show and artists, and get family activities, games, and recipes   https://www.trinityrep.com/app/uploads/2020/12/ACC-viewer-guide-2020.pdf

A Christmas Carol Online = Unlimited free streaming through Jan. 10

In the News: Social consumption pilot possible; self driving shuttle in Providence

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Social consumption pilot possible

"As state regulators prepare to discuss and possibly vote on a policy to allow marijuana use in certain public social settings, Gov. Charlie Baker indicated Monday he could be open to a pilot program for things like pot cafes and lounges. 

The Cannabis Control Commission is expected to have a “policy discussion” on Thursday about social consumption, or a policy that would allow adults to use marijuana in some form in a social setting. The commission initially drafted regulations to allow so-called social consumption but put the issues on the back burner after pushback last year from Baker. 

“It’s not up to me, it’s up to the CCC,” Baker said Monday when asked about the policy the CCC plans to discuss Thursday. “What I’ve said many times about most of the issues associated with the rollout of recreational marijuana, is it’s really important that they, the CCC, understand what they’re doing and why they’re doing it as they make these decisions.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190514/social-consumpton-pilot-for-marijuana-would-make-lot-of-sense-says-gov-baker

self driving shuttle in Providence

"Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza rode in a self-driving car for the first time Tuesday when they inaugurated the state’s autonomous vehicle pilot program. 

They circled the State House without incident and declared Rhode Island a leader in transportation technology. 

Raimondo “got a little nervous” when the vehicle attendant took his hands off the controls, she said after stepping out of the shuttle on Smith Street. “But after a couple minutes it felt great. It felt safe and smooth. ... It swerved around the curb that juts out. It stopped at a red light, took a left when it needed to.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190514/ri-state-leaders-get-first-ride-on-providence-self-driving-shuttle-service

Local Runners: The first Tour de Patrick price increase is Jan 1, 2018. Register early and save.

The Pawtucket and Providence running routes are good; the races well organized.

Tour de Patrick March 2018 www.tourdepatrick.com Prices increase January 1, 2018Run any one, two or all three Tour de Patrick 5k's and complete the Tour de Patrick.  Save $6 when you register for all three 5k's online or  save  $4  when you select any two 5k's online.  * These discount options are available when registering at any of the three 5k websites. Pawtucket, March 3, Providence, March 10 and North Kingstown, March 24 Register for all three races online and receive this BONUS beanie hat free in addition to the t-shirts shown below. ________________________________________________________________________ Irish 5k Race 1 of Tour de Patrick March 3, 2018 Pawtucket RI ________________________________________________________________________ St Pat's 5k Race 2 of Tour de Patrick March 10, 2018 Providence RI ________________________________________________________________________ Shamrock Shuffle 5k Race 3 of Tour de Patrick March 24, 2018 North Kingstown RI Shown below are the unique Key chains finisher medallions for each of the three races. Tour de Patrick Sponsors.

Downtown 5K Inc, PO Box 1940, East Greenwich, RI 02818 Sent by help@tourdepatrick.com in collaboration with Try it free today

In the News: Exelon generator heaviest load on roadways

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A massive truck - weighing in at more than 560,000 pounds - will be on the move soon, as it continues its mission to deliver a generator to the Medway Exelon facility. 

The 16-axle truck - 5.6 times more than the Massachusetts truck weight limit - was in Uxbridge this week, awaiting Massachusetts Department of Transportation approval to complete the final stage of its trip. It began its journey at a North Kingstown, Rhode Island port, and is reportedly the largest load to travel through Rhode Island in 17 years. 

A spokeswoman with MassDOT said Thursday the department had granted the truck’s permits. The truck had been in Uxbridge since Monday."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170713/medway-massive-truck-set-to-deliver-exelon-generator

While visiting family in RI last weekend, the Providence Journal was reporting on the ordeal of getting the generator to the plant. The story was updated with this article posted Thursday, July 13.

"It’s not every day that a 16-axle truck weighing more than 560,000 pounds comes through town. In fact, it’s the heaviest load - seven times the federal truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds and 5.6 times the Massachusetts 99,000-pound limit - to traverse Rhode Island, on its way to Medway, in at least 17 years, the Providence Journal reported. 

The Bay Crane tractor-trailer carrying a generator from a port in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, to the Exelon power plant in Medway was sidelined for two weeks by Rhode Island Department of Transportation officials after it was discovered the truck did not have the proper permits to carry such a heavy load. 

Among the concerns was that the truck’s planned route was over major highways: Interstates 95 and 295. Bay Crane was required to reroute along back roads through small towns, to minimize public safety risks."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170713/truck-hauling-heavy-load-from-ri-generates-concerns-in-mass-too

screen grab of Providence Journal article image on overweight truck for Exelon plant

The Lion King - Great Tickets Available

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 10

Special Ticket Offer - Terrific Orchestra Seats CONTACT US BY NOVEMBER 10 TO TAKE ADVANTAGE The Lion King at Providence Center for Performing Arts A Great Holiday Gift for the Family     Special Ticket Price: $87* More than 80 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney's THE LION KING, and now you can, too.  There is simply nothing else like          THE LION KING.                                                SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2:00 PM                        PPAC, Providence, RI                       $87 per person*   *Call 508-613-1480 by November 10 to take advantage this special offer    About Us The Center for Adult Education and Community Learning at Franklin is a program of the Lifelong Learning Institute, dedicated to providing quality learning experiences for residents in the Town of Franklin and surrounding communities. Diverse and enriched education and experiences are the goals of The Center for Adult Education and Community Learning.                                 www.FranklinLifelongLearning.com               508-613-1480

FPS- Life Long Learning, 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by adulted@franklin.k12.ma.us in collaboration with Try it free today