TGIF! If you’re bummed about NFL off-season, rest assured you can get your weekend dose of football – and drama – with Playing the Assassin playing at TheaterWorks this weekend through the end of the month. Literary fans won’t want to miss Oscar Wilde’s most adored play, The Importance of Being Earnest opening tonight at Playhouse on Park (attend an hour before the performance for a wine and cheese reception!). And environmentalists and fashion people will want to check out the Community Trashion Fashion Show this Sunday featuring creative fashion pieces made with Doritos bags,newspapers and other unconventional materials. Peruse the rest of the list for more and remember to tag your arts explorations with #LetsGoArts on Instagram. Have a good weekend!
When you see [UA] in the heading, it means the organization is supported by the contributions made to the Arts Council’s Annual United Arts Campaign.
Friday
Playing the Assassin [UA]
When: Friday, April 17, 8PM (through April 26)
Where: TheaterWorks
Decades ago, NFL star Frank Baker was dubbed “The Assassin” for his brutal tackles. Inspired by a true story, this new play tackles the NFL’s thorniest issues: race, hero worship, violence and its repercussions.
Admission: www.theaterworkshartford.org
Opening Night: The Importance of Being Earnest
When: Friday, April 17, 8PM (through May 3)
Where: Playhouse on Park
Effervescent romantic exploits meet scintillating social satire in one of the most celebrated comedies of all time by Oscar Wilde. Pre-performance wine and cheese reception at 7PM.
Admission: www.playhouseonpark.org
4th Annual Writers’ Weekend! [UA]
When: Friday, April 17 (through April 19)
Where: The Mark Twain House & Museum
Workshops throughout the weekend will focus on both the craft and publishing aspects of writing, lectures, panels, readings, receptions, and book signings featuring exemplary writers from all over the United States.
Admission: $170. www.marktwainhouse.org
Saturday
Lighthouse [UA]
When: Saturday, April 18, 7:30-10PM
Where: Wadsworth Atheneum
Judy Dworin envisions “Lighthouse” as a modern-day fable, telling of the need to maintain and develop social connections in a technology-driven world that increases isolation. Depicting a lighthouse, its keeper, and shipwrecked survivors suddenly cut off from cyberspace, the dance-theater work explores how stranded individuals will establish community and what it means to be truly seen by each other.
Admission: $25. www.jdpplighthouse.bpt.me
Musical: Next to Normal [UA]
When: Saturday, April 18, 8PM-11PM
Where: Little Theatre of Manchester
Follow the story of a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness, and the attempts to alleviate it, have on her family. She dreams of being next to normal.
Admission: $29. 860-6479824. www.littletheatreofmanchester.org
Fundraiser: From Wired & Tired to Inspired
When: Saturday, April 18, 1:30-3PM
Where: Vito’s on the Park
Learn how to go from wired and tired to inspired with Carol Ann Small, Motivational Humorist and Stress and Work/Life Balance Expert. As CEO and founder of Laughter with a Lesson, Carol Ann teaches how to take your work seriously, while taking yourself lightly. The event benefits the dogs at the City of Hartford Animal Shelter.
Admission: $25 (includes food and drinks). Tickets can be purchased at Naturally Dogs and Cats in Hartford.
Sunday
The Pianist of Willesden Lane [UA]
When: Sunday, April 19, 2PM (through April 26)
Where: Hartford Stage
An expression of hope and the life-affirming power of music, The Pianist of Willesden Lane tells the true story of a young Jewish musician, who was sent from Nazi-ruled Vienna to the relative safety of London during the Blitzkrieg. Based on the book, The Children of Willesden Lane.
Admission: $20-$85. 860-527-5151. www.hartfordstage.org
Community Trashion Fashion Show
When: Sunday, April 19, 1-3PM
Where: Hartford City Hall
Discover creative, sustainable fashion designed by local artists from materials diverted from the waste stream.
Admission: $10. Purchase tickets online.
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