Have you ever looked at a painting and wanted to know the story of the painter or the people in it? If your answer is “Yes!” or “Duh, I’m an art history major,” then seeing MF’s current production of Sunday in the Park with George is the perfect way to spend your weekend.

Sunday in the Park with George, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, takes the audience straight into 1884 France as crazed painter Georges Seurat works on “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” This work, pictured above, is done in Seurat’s complex pointilistic style (aka all tiny dots). The first act of the musical focuses on Seurat and the many people in the park — including his love interest Dot and their dysfunctional affair.  Then the second act jumps to the 1980s where Seurat’s alleged great-grandson is putting on an art exhibit of his own. Sunday focuses on what it means to be an artist, what it means to see light and beauty in unseen places, and how to keep moving on in an ever-changing world. [Read more →]

Have you ever wanted to see a live version of Dora the Explorer, American Idol, Kidz Bop, and a Disney Channel TV show all rolled into one? Well, that is probably impossible, BUT this weekend’s production of Spring Awakening, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik ‘92, is the closest you’re gonna get. Some of the most accomplished theater students at Brown have come together to fill this year’s PW Week in the Space.

Inspired by the work of theater company Fiasco Theater, created by Brown Trinity Rep graduates, Sami Horneff ’12 decided that she wanted to spend her last semester at Brown creating a musical theater company. As Horneff says, “[Brown’s theater department] pushes us to be theater artists instead of just performers.” After setting on Spring Awakening as the show of choice, Sami began to gather performers and artists on campus who were also passionate about creating a student company.  [Read more →]

If you’re involved with or interested in Brown student productions, this week’s true holiday event has yet to come (sorry, Leap Day William). Starting this Friday, two separate student-created theater pieces will be taking their respective stages. We’ve already hyped up one of them — Deepali Gupta ’12 and co.’s We Can Rebuild Him — and we thought it’d only be fair to give the other, Guests, some well-deserved spotlight.

Guests is a movement piece that premieres TONIGHT (3/2) at Production Workshop’s downspace in T.F. Green (7 Young Orchard Avenue) at 8 p.m. PW only chooses seven shows a year to put on in its downspace, so it’s bound to be good. If you needed more convincing (or you don’t feel prepared for back-to-back shows this weekend), we’ve got three reasons why you should go see Guests after the jump.

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The 25^tr Anuall Puttnamn Counti Spellingh Bie, sorry, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee directed by Emily Kassie ’14 finished its four night run with a side-splitting, heartwarming and just plain f-u-n finale Monday at the PW Downspace. Spelling Bee, which revolves around the titular Bee and the six eager spellers who yearn to take home the coveted trophy, is filled with strong performances and equally dazzling musical numbers thanks to the musical direction of Diego Ramos Rosas ’12. Each speller honestly portrays a particular adolescent insecurity and an unbridled enthusiasm for life as they are skillfully guided through the competitive process by Rona Lisa Peretti and Vice Principal Douglas Panch, played by Ellora Vilkin ’14 and Will Ruehle ’13, respectively. It might not be Scripps, but it surely has songs. More on the Bee after the jump. [Read more →]

If final exams/papers misery hasn’t set in yet and you’re lucky enough to still have free time to go out and enjoy the world, seize the moment while you can with some of these activities.

The Sound
8 pm
PW (7 Orchard St.)
Free
“A new play about wizards” that opened to a great review in The Herald. Tickets available for reservation are gone, but go early to try for one at the door!

The Beary Keys Holiday Concert
9–10 pm
Salomon 001
Free!
Go get some holiday cheer with the Bear Necessities and the Higher Keys, who also promise “an epic finale” you won’t want to miss.

Speakeasy Sessions, IV
10 pm – 2 am
Grad Center Lounge
Free!
BCA presents several student bands (which you can read about here), with some dizzy DJ-ing to finish off the night.

2010 Annual Sigma Chi Christmas Party
10 pm – 1 am
Olney House
$3 entry, $1 drinks
Promises irreverent nativity scene, terrible holiday sweaters and vile fun.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

8 P.M. – 10:30 P.M., Production Workshop

Part drama, part comedy, “Judas” tells the story of one Purgatory-trapped lawyer on a mission to get Judas’ sentence reversed. Witnesses for the defense include a handful of apostles, Sigmund Freud and Satan, or Lou as he is familiarly called here. Throw in a sassy Saint Monica and a zealot or two and we’re good to go. Enjoy the laughs, debate the big questions at the Ratty tomorrow morning and try not to do anything else this weekend that will get you in this court’s docket. Free tickets available on the Blueroom and one hour before the show at the door.

BTS (Brown Taiwan Society) Nightmarket

8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M., Sayles Hall Auditorium

Well I’ve never been to a Taiwanese Nightmarket but if BTS puts together anything like this I’m sold. Food, fun ‘n games and performances from Tae Kwon Do, Badmaash, Impulse Dance Company, among others. Sounds like a deliciously fabulous evening.

I’m Still Here

Cable Car Cinema, 6:00, 8:10, 10:20

Casey Afflek makes his directorial debut with this documentary chronicling a year in the life of Joaquin Phoenix. The film starts a few months before Phoenix’s memorable announcement to retire from acting and devote himself to becoming a hip-hop musician on Letterman. Whether it tells the true story of a tortured artist or is a hoax from start to finish is up to you to decide.

Location: PW Main stage

By Anton Chekhov
Directed by Morgan Ritchie
Tickets available beginning Wednesday the 10th at 11:59pm online at http://pw.brown.edu/. Tickets will also be available 1 hour before showtime at the door.