EAT

Nov. 30-Dec. 24: Christmas Village

501 Light St. Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Inner Harbor will transform into an authentic German Christmas market. Starting on Saturday, Baltimoreans can stroll along rows of vendors selling traditional German food and drinks, as well as handmade crafts, toys, and ornaments. With live Christmas music and an atmosphere of cheer, the market is sure to stoke your holiday spirit.

DRINK

Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Eve

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Over the past few years, the night before Thanksgiving has become known as a night of late-night revelry as Baltimore natives return to their old stomping grounds to reconnect with friends from near and far. This Thanksgiving Eve, make your way through the crowds at mainstay neighborhood haunts like the Waterfront Hotel, Cross Bar, and Looney’s for all-night drink specials and live music, or catch up over rounds of beer at Jailbreak Brewing Co. and Black Flag Brewing Co.

SEE

Nov. 30-Dec. 22: Men On Boats

Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Times vary. $20-74.

A one-armed man makes his way through the American West on—you guessed it—a boat during this hilarious play opening this weekend at Baltimore Center Stage. Follow the journey of an explorer John Powell and learn about the untold history of the Grand Canyon, as well as the trials and tribulations of traveling through uncharted lands. Return for performances on the 12th, 15th, and 19th to join the artistic staff of Center Stage for AfterThoughts, a post-show discussion with company members.

HEAR

Nov. 29: Planned Parenthood Fundraiser with Eze Jackson, Wume, and Joe Keyes

Rituals: Bar & Venue, 12 W. North Ave. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. $10.

Whether you spent Black Friday scoring deals on holiday gifts or recovering from a turkey-induced food coma, make your way to Rituals on Friday night to support this annual Baltimore Planned Parenthood fundraiser. With a can’t-miss lineup of local acts like hip-hop legend Eze Jackson, Joe Keyes and The Late Bloomer Band, and synth-drum duo Wume, as well as appearances by a host of rising visual artists, this do-good concert brings together some of the city’s best talent in support of a worthwhile cause.

DO

Nov. 23: Cross Street Holiday Market

Cross Street Market, 1065 S. Cross St. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

If you haven’t yet visited the newly revamped Cross Street Market and experienced the historic market’s wide range of local food and drink purveyors, this annual holiday shopping extravaganza is the perfect opportunity. Get into gift-shopping mode and browse through wares by more than 40 Baltimore makers and vendors, and, after snagging something for everyone on your list, stick around to grab lunch from Cross Street favorites like Pizza di Joey, Gangster Vegan, Phubs.

A quick turn down the hall from the Hippodrome Theatre’s Fayette Street side entrance reveals a strange sight for visitors to Baltimore’s base of operations for glitzy Broadway tours. Open double doors reveal two stories of windows pouring sunlight over long-hidden marble and steel beams, and pieces of the walls and floor seem to be missing. It’s hard to place what exactly what was there before. Were these doors always here? Did the building always go this far?

Take the time to look over a couple of project boards posted at the entrance and, if you’ve spent some time around the theater, it clicks. These walls were once a funny shade of tan, right? And those windows weren’t always so big, were they? No, they definitely weren’t. The space was once the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center’s ballroom, closed off to most and open only during special events (more than a few Best of Baltimore parties, for example).

The M&T Bank Pavilion, as the ballroom is officially known, was originally built as the Eutaw Savings Bank around 1881 and has been part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center since the adjacent buildings were acquired by the state of Maryland in the 1990s. But the building has sat mostly unused for the past 15 years, and now work is finally underway to follow through on the original plans for the space: to turn it into a new venue, one that could be a gateway for audiences of all ages and stripes to interact with the Hippodrome in a whole new way.

Once complete, this historic space will be home to a 25,000-plus-square-foot flexible performance space that will expand the nonprofit Hippodrome Foundation’s ability to present shows, events, and educational programs, in addition to hosting cultural institutions around the city and providing them with a place to perform without the struggle of lugging or renting technical equipment. The new space will also allow the foundation to run its free camps and workshops for Baltimore-area schoolchildren year-round instead of only during the summer when the Hippodrome stage is free.

The expansion is just one of the forward-thinking projects currently underway among Baltimore’s theaters. There’s something stirring behind the scenes in the local theater community—and in many ways, the Hippodrome and theaters like it are taking their cues from their smaller, more experimental brethren. To be clear, there are still plenty of chances to bring the family to a classic retelling of Romeo and Juliet or a Disney musical, but there’s a radical streak running through the rehearsal halls and stages across the city, one that’s hoping to bring people back into their dimmed halls by exploring new voices and lending power to those who need their voices amplified.

In some ways, that streak has been around for ages, inspiring storytelling in neighborhoods across the city. In Fells Point, The Vagabond Players, one of the oldest continuously operating community theaters in the country, has been sustained by actors volunteering time and energy beyond the responsibilities of their daily lives to bring drama to its audiences for more than 100 years. Downtown, the African-American community theater company Arena Players is nearing its seventh decade in Baltimore, having first sprung up at what was then Coppin State College a decade ahead of the Black Arts movement elsewhere in the country.

There’s something stirring behind the scenes in the local theater community.

Then there’s the wealth of independent theaters and companies throughout the city—groups like Baltimore Theatre Project and Charm City Fringe and Spotlighters and Iron Crow—that have consistently been exposing city audiences to diverse works and new types of performances. This year alone has brought artist-owned performance space Le Mondo to a long-awaited home on Howard Street, marked color-conscious theater troupe ArtsCentric’s move to a permanent home in Remington, and sent experimental troupe Single Carrot Theatre away from its marquee and into new corners of Baltimore in hopes of “activating different neighborhoods in different parts of the city that may be less seen,” according to artistic director Genevieve de Mahy.

But, now, as we roll toward a new decade, the city’s larger companies have caught up as well. The Bromo Arts District, home to Everyman Theatre, The Hippodrome, Le Mondo, Arena Players, and several other venues, is abuzz, and there’s talk among this tight-knit group of creative leaders of bringing new voices to new audiences. They want to engage with people in new ways, encourage a new generation of theater-goers, and sate current audiences’ appetites for more diverse and inclusive works.

Just how to tackle all those goals is the question of the hour for Baltimore’s theaters, and its creative community in general. How do these cultural stewards reach out to people and get them to engage with the art they’re producing? Part of the answer is producing stories that are more representative of the diverse world in which we live. At Center Stage, that means highlighting works by women, people of color, and LGBTQ playwrights and reexamining the way they work with artists. The same is true at Everyman, where founding artistic director Vincent Lancisi is using this new season to blend classics with highlights from the current “golden age of female playwrights.” The theater is gambling on the idea with its biggest season ever, eight total plays, four of which are written by women and three of which, including the premiere of the final play in Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ Queens Girl trilogy, are part of the first-ever New Voices Festival. The festival will also launch an intimate new upstairs space.

“There’s a renaissance of playwriting and women authors out there. How long have we been suppressing this? We just haven’t seen them because they haven’t had opportunities and see the light of day. . . Now the opportunity has presented itself,” Lancisi says. “Let’s take the best of the best famous plays, pay homage to those who came before us, but let’s create a lot of opportunity for some of these new voices to be heard. The world is changing faster than we care to recognize or are even able to keep up with, and the theaters have to catch up.”

With greater representation and dedication to wider populations, there’s hope that, like it has during so many eras before, the theater can become a gathering place and center of education and activism. It’s the reason why socially conscious Single Carrot left the stage and started scouting spots to bring their immersive performances to new neighborhoods. And it’s the idea that compelled the folks from Center Stage to bring a truck bearing an invitation to Miss You Like Hell, a “joyful musical about an undocumented mother and her U.S.-born daughter” to the September meeting of GOP leaders in Harbor East because, as they explained, they thought the House Republicans would find the play “illuminating.” Escapism, this is not. As Center Stage puts it, they want to meet audiences where they are.

When new director of artistic partnerships and innovation Annalisa Dias joined Center Stage this summer, she put that intention into action by meeting with both local independent theaters and social justice organizations with the aim to better understand the work already being done in the city to engage audiences and connect them to resources. One such meeting was an education event hosted by Guerrilla Theatre Front’s Dogs of Art that covered immigrant rights, ICE detentions in Baltimore, and how people can help. The event helped inspire programming for Miss You Like Hell, for which Center Stage created a lobby installation that offered information on direct service providers working with the local immigrant community.

“We’re going to start opening these doors and really trying to activate the space in a new way,” Dias says. “It’s trying to rethink the experience of walking through these doors and going to a show and what you do before and after. How do we make this a space where people want to hang out and interact in a different way?”

For many companies, that “meet people where they are” mentality extends to area schools. Giving students the opportunity to experience drama and see themselves reflected in it is a common thread among the leadership of the city’s theaters both big and small. Whether it’s introducing school groups to the Bard at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company or building and performing an in-class puppet show with Black Cherry Puppet Theater, these troupes are finding ways to connect kids to the performing arts and hopefully start a lifetime of participation in the city’s creative landscape. Partnerships between the Hippodrome Foundation and the Baltimore Design School have even opened up theater as a career path by offering older students interested in costuming opportunities to learn from area professionals and network with local costume warehouses that work with national productions.

Student matinees at theaters across the city feature talkbacks with casts and crews, and students often say these class visits are the first time they have ever seen a professional production, a trend Everyman’s Lancisi has seen grow over the past decades.

“Sadly we’ve lost entire generations [of theater-goers] to date, and we like to say it’s because of price, but I think it’s also because of theater-going traditions,” Lancisi says. “It always requires somebody or some place to provide the exposure. The first time that the students come and see a play can be a life-altering experience for them. They see themselves on stage, or represented in some way, or their point of view matters when they’re encouraged to talk to us about it and react out loud as a community together.”

“The world is changing faster than we care to recognize . . . and the theaters have to catch up.”

Making the younger generations a part of this community is one of the keys to Baltimore theaters’ broader vision for the future, but the hope is that new voices and experiences will be the siren songs that bring people both young and old back into the theaters, away from streaming at home and back downtown. And once those audiences are in the seats, that they’ll engage with all the little things that add to the experience —local art inspired by the shows on the walls, chances to discuss work with the cast, interactive elements of the performance itself —but also with one another.

“[Center Stage] could be activated as a space where people really want to gather and unpack and process, a fun, joyful space of healing, resistance, power-building, democratizing. . . all these things,” Dias says. “We have power to change the way things have always been done and uplift and amplify artists who are living in the city.”

And as these spaces expand and diversify, the whole community benefits. More so than some other industries, there’s a feeling of camaraderie and support among Baltimore’s creative class. The larger venues are inspired by experimentation and new ideas coming from the smaller companies, and smaller companies can be assisted by the resources of the large as each inspires its audiences to seek out more from the wealth of options around it. The Hippodrome Foundation has already been in talks with 56 groups, including local concert series, art spaces, and other theater companies, about using their new state-of-the-art location once the renovation is complete.

“There are 70 arts organizations that don’t have permanent homes. We want to be the incubator for the growth that’s happening,” says Ron Legler, president of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. “What we’re hoping to do is take some of the smaller things that are out there that are gems in the city and help them grow and help them find different revenue sources to stay competitive.”

That growth and support means bringing works and performers to new audiences, and giving those audiences what has always worked in the theater, stories that connect and contribute to the conversation. If successful, they have the power to change the way people think and feel. It’s a big ask, but Baltimore’s casts and crews and creative leaders are willing to do the work. They’re used to doing things the hard way.

“The best case scenario for me has never changed, which is that all the theaters of Baltimore are full of audiences hungry for the work they’re doing, that their marquees are bright, that they’re reaching a wider audience, a more diverse audience, that people are willing to try new things or go to a theater they’ve never heard of before,” says Lancisi. “Doing things live is the most labor-intensive and challenging thing to do, but we do it because it’s magic. There’s nothing like it. You’ll have a communal experience, and it’ll just blow you away.”

Visual Art

Grace Hartigan: Works on Paper

Track the evolution of 20th-century artist Grace Hartigan through decades-worth of watercolors, collages, and paintings at C. Grimaldis Gallery starting this month. The local gallery has represented Hartigan’s estate since 1979, and this new exhibition covering 50 years of her works will offer visitors the chance to experience her early contributions to Abstract Expressionism all the way through the vibrant, representative pieces that marked her later career. Nov. 14 through Jan. 11, 2020. Opening reception Nov. 14, 6-8 p.m. C. Grimaldis Gallery, 523 N. Charles St.

Literature

Brown Lecture Series: Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys

Colson Whitehead is a literary force, and his latest offering, The Nickel Boys, based on a true story of a Florida reform school and the lives it affected over a century, is a must-read. Pick up your copy of Whitehead’s hard-to-put-down novel, and then stop by the Central Library to hear from the award-winning MacArthur Genius himself. 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St.

Jubilee: A Celebration of Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking with Toni Tipton-Martin

Welcome author and recent Baltimore transplant Toni Tipton-Martin to her new home by attending this lunch and discussion toasting Jubilee: A Celebration of Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking, hosted by the D.C. chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. Tipton-Martin’s new cookbook is a lesson in both great meals and underrepresented history, and the luncheon is sure to include wonderful discussions of both. 12-2 p.m. Nov. 23. Gunther & Co., 3650 Toone St.

Music

WTMD First Thursday Festival

Did you skip the rainy WTMD First Thursday Festival at Canton Waterfront Park in September? If so, you missed out on a doozy of a lineup and an incredible night out. Whether you’re looking to get your chance to listen to those sets or relive the magic, Maryland Public TV and WTMD are here to help. The two local stalwarts have partnered to turn the concert into a 1-hour special set to premiere on MPT Nov. 7, with a simulcast of the performances by Robert Randolph, Super City, and Emily Wolfe on WTMD. 10-11 p.m. Nov. 7 on MPT and WTMD.

Caleb Stine & The Revelations Album Release Party

It’s a known fact that Caleb Stine is a Baltimore treasure. Join the celebrated songsmith and friends for an evening of good vibes and new tunes at the Creative Alliance to welcome his latest album into the world. Also on hand will be Arty Hill, the Honey Dewdrops, Ben Frock, and other local favorites. 8 p.m. Nov. 23. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Theatre

Freedom: An Evening of LGBTQ Storytelling

Gather your people and settle in to listen to eight LGBTQ storytellers present their personal interpretations of the theme “freedom.” Come early to mingle and listen to live music at the cocktail hour, then sit back and enjoy these sometimes heartfelt, sometimes humorous, tales. 7-10 p.m. Nov. 16. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.

Fluid Movement’s 20th Birthday Galapalooza

Grab some glitter and head over AVAM to help Fluid Movement cap off their 20th birthday festivities with what’s sure to be an unforgettable night of quirky company, good eats, and joyous dance and musical acts from the quintessential Baltimore performers. Get a VIP ticket to enjoy an extra hour of signature cocktails and snacks, as well as a bonus performance before the dance party gets started. 7-11 p.m. Nov. 23. American Visionary Art Museum, Jim Rouse Visionary Center, 800 Key Hwy.

Film

The Chesapeake Bay: A Look Back in Film

Sail back to days gone by with this presentation of ‘70s and ‘80s 16mm films celebrating Baltimore and the Chesapeake at the Heron Room. Local film presenter Bob Wagner will screen the archive footage that covers everything from growing environmental concerns in the bay to a crab race and Ms. Crustacean 1985. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 18. The Heron Room, 3000 Falls Rd.

Shen Yun
Feb. 17-19. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 2 & 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. $91-230. 410-837-7400. In the dead of winter, travel to the mystical world of ancient China with this colorful performance by the world-famous Shen Yun dance and music company. Marvel at the vibrant costumes, breathtaking sets, and an awe-inspiring soundtrack as you embark on a journey across 5,000 years of Chinese culture.

Timeless Weft
Feb. 1-July 30. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. In this intimate exhibit, explore exquisite tapestries from the decades-long career of local artist Louise B. Wheatley. Using ancient techniques with homegrown dyes and hand-harvested fibers, she presents unique textiles with earthy colors, a deep connection to nature, and a celebration of philosophical and religious thought.

Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
Feb. 1-March 5. Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St. Times & prices vary. 410-752-2208. Ever since last season’s remarkable rendition of August Wilson’s Fences and impressive repertory productions of Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire, we’ve been keeping our eye on Everyman. This month’s premiere is sure to impress, as the local theater takes on the timeless Charles Dickens classic, where six actors will play a staggering 35 characters.

Black Memorabilia Fine Art & Craft Show
Feb. 11. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$8. 443-263-1800. Celebrate Black History Month with a full day of African-American culture and heritage at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Throughout the day, meet baseball players from the Negro League, grab autographs from Tuskegee Airmen, and learn about the upcoming Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on the Eastern Shore.

Capturing Pablo
Feb. 12. The Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. 7 p.m. $35-45. 301-960-9999. With “Netflix and chill” consuming our social lives, perhaps you’ve followed suit and become deeply addicted to Narcos. The hit series is inspired by the real story of Colombian cocaine king Pablo Escobar and the DEA agents who helped bring him down. For those who didn’t want last season to end, make your way to Silver Spring for one night only as real-life agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena, pictured above center beside their respective actors, tell their version of the tale.

Riverdance
Feb. 17-19. Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 Mount Royal Ave. Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. $35-85. 410-900-1150. One month before the green-covered, beer-filled festivities of St. Patrick’s Day, celebrate Ireland with the critically acclaimed high kicks of Riverdance. Now in its 20th year, the Irish dance production returns to the U.S. with awe-inspiring dance numbers (including the all-new “Anna Livia”), eye-catching costumes, mesmerizing lighting effects, and serious athleticism to boot.

Infinity Mirrors
Feb. 23-May 14. Hirshhorn Museum, Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Free. 202-633-4674. Grab your cellphones, fire up your Instagrams, and practice your best selfie. Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is coming to the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., to present her immersive installations that drip in color, dazzle with light, and mesmerize with floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Delve into the legendary artist’s sensory immersions with some of her most famous works on view, including six mirror rooms, whimsical installations, colorful sculptures, and large-scale paintings that have never before been seen in the U.S.

American Craft Council Show
Feb. 24-26. Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$36. 612-206-3100.
At the country’s largest indoor craft show, more than 650 makers of all disciplines come together to present their wares. Weave your way through contemporary crafts, including jewelry by Rebecca Myers of The Village of Cross Keys, ceramics by Ronni Aronin of Baltimore Clayworks, metal sculptures by Devin Mack of Drawn Metal Studios, and woodworks by Darryl Patterson of D. Patterson Design Studio.

The White Snake
Feb. 24-March 26. Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Dates & times vary. $20-74. 410-986-4000. After many months and a $32-million renovation, experience the grand reopening of Center Stage. Described by Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah as “transformative,” the newly redesigned Head Theater sets the stage for this ancient Chinese fable of two magical animal spirits.

You recently started as the artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage after spending seven years at The Public Theater in New York. What has it been like to transition from New York City’s theater scene to Baltimore’s scene?
New York is crawling—just crawling—with theaters, ensembles, and collectives of all shapes and sizes. It’s like a proliferation of them. It’s amazing, and it’s a lot to sift through. To me, Baltimore feels like a much more intimate and focused community of art makers, and that is really exciting. In New York, you can’t even keep track.

You’ve shown interest in sociopolitical shows and the relationship between theater and community. How, in your opinion, do they connect?
The intersection between theater and social justice, civic engagement, and community engagement really calcified for me when I went to a training a few years ago called Facilitation for Social Justice at the Interaction Institute for Social Change. I was the only arts and culture worker inside a room full of healthcare workers, educators, and social service providers. I thought to myself, ‘I might be in the wrong room.’

But a big chunk of the curriculum was spent breaking down the importance of narrative inside of social justice work. A light bulb went off in my head: stories! Our society is fueled by stories and the most compelling will change people’s hearts and minds for better or worse. They’ll influence entire communities of people; they’ll influences policies and laws.

What upcoming programming are you excited about at Center Stage?
[Former artistic director] Kwame Kwei-Armah and [executive director] Michael Ross worked to put this season together. This spring, Fun Home is a successful mainstream musical that puts the LGBTQ community at the center of its narrative, which feels revelatory. Indecent does the same thing from a completely different point of view, and so does How to Catch Creation.

Those are all subverting the dominant narrative in different ways. You can expect more of that as I am planning the 2019-20 season, and I am standing squarely on the shoulders of Center Stage’s rich legacy of inviting masterful storytellers to start to subvert and challenge who’s telling what story.

What is your vision for the future of Center Stage?
It goes back to the idea of community engagement. I’m really hopeful that the Center Stage building will become even more central to the civic life of Baltimore City and the surrounding areas. I’m equally excited to get out of the building— for our activities and programs to live just as fully outside of the walls of Center Stage.

Visual Art

Artesanas Mexicanas y Artesanitos
Don’t miss your chance to view and purchase handmade piñatas, corn husk flowers, and traditional embroidery from the talented women of Creative Alliance’s Artesanas Mexicanas program and their child apprentices, who are part of a year-long program to learn these intricate arts. Stop by opening night for a reception that will include a traditional Mexican dinner and performances. Reception from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 16; On view from Nov. 16 to Dec. 1. Amalie Rothschild Gallery at Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Baltimore Beneath the Surface
This exhibit pairing Baltimore-based street photographers Lashelle Bynum and Angelia Carter has been extended through the end of November, meaning there’s no reason to miss this series of portraits of the city and its people. Covering both individuals’ stories and the communities that surround them, these images offer a look at the many pieces that create the whole of Baltimore. On view through Nov. 30. Eubie Blake Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St.

Lizzie Fitch/Ryan Trecartin
Longtime collaborators Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin have shown their videos, sculptures, and installations around the world, and their latest stop at the BMA brings all those elements into the museum’s hallowed halls. Venture into either of the sculptural theaters (one made to look like a bar and the other a sort of gymnastics center) to view films exploring the ideas of technology, identity, and communication in the 21st century. On view through Jan. 6, 2019. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Music

The Art of Prelude and Fugue
This brand-new concert series from the Peabody Institute pairs Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich’s book of Preludes and Fugues with the Baroque Bach compositions that inspired it. Join pianist Lura Johnson at the intimate Leith Symington Griswold Hall for the first of four explorations of these two composers and how their pieces, created 200 years apart, can work together. Pre-concert lecture at 6:30, Concert at 7:30, Nov. 19. Leith Symington Griswold Hall, 1 E. Mount Vernon Pl.

Joy Postell Album Release Show at the Ottobar
Local indie R&B artist Joy Postell has had a big year, and she’s closing it out with a bang. New music, new videos, and a mention in The New York Times’ piece “The Changing Sound of Baltimore” have all created buzz around the local singer, and now her debut album, Diaspora, is finally here. Get in line early to catch this free performance to celebrate the release. Doors at 8 p.m., Show at 9 p.m., Nov. 23. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Theater

A Wonder in My Soul
In a story that feels rooted firmly in the world around us, two Baltimore beauty shop owners must weigh their love of their neighborhood against moving away from the pressures of crime and the rising cost of gentrification. Friendship and community anchor this work from celebrated playwright Marcus Gardley. Nov. 29 through Dec. 23. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.

Drunk Classics: Shakespeare
Watch as the cast at Single Carrot and their guests deliver their tipsy interpretations of some of the Bard’s greatest scenes. Enjoy a live Drunk History-style biography of Shakespeare to start, and then who knows what the night will bring? A blitzed Benedick and Beatrice? A plastered Puck? An intoxicated Iago? Only the Carrots know what’s coming. 8-11 p.m., Nov. 17. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Baltimore’s Strange Fruit Film Screening & Celebration
Celebrate the Black Yield Institute’s third anniversary this screening of the group’s documentary, Baltimore’s Strange Fruit: A Story of Food Apartheid and the Struggle for Sovereignty at the BMA. The event, which will also include entertainment and and a discussion with the filmmakers, will benefit the BYI’s food sovereignty work throughout the city. 3-6 p.m., Nov. 17. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Literary Arts

Writers LIVE: Antero Pietila
Antero Pietila’s new book, The Ghosts of Johns Hopkins, may not include any spirits. But the ghosts examined in these pages are still haunting the city nearly 150 after the death of the Baltimore titan. Join Pietila to discuss the complicated legacy of Johns Hopkins and how his institutions helped shape the problems of the city we live in today. 7 p.m., Nov. 28. Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

Festival of Jewish Literature
Catch the final weekend of this two-week celebration of Jewish literature throughout the Baltimore area. Head to Beth El in Pikesville Thursday night for a community reading with Eternal Life author Dara Horn, take in a Jewish Variety Hour Saturday night at The Ivy Bookshop, or bring the kids to a series of children’s programs at Chizuk Amuno Congregation on Sunday evening. Through Nov. 18, Times and locations vary.

As the dog days of summer give way to the crisp winds of fall, Baltimore’s art season kicks into full gear. Come September, theater seasons launch, galleries host their biggest shows, and an abundance of art-centric colleges and universities—including the renowned Maryland Institute College of Art and Peabody Conservatory—means a swelling of cultural and educational activities. Here, we round up our recommended events to catch from now through the end of 2018.

Kubrick 90: A Would-Be Birthday Retrospective
Through Dec. 2018. Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.
In honor of what would be Stanley Kubrick’s 90th birthday, the Parkway will screen a retrospective of work by the celebrated filmmaker, semi-chronologically, including classics such as Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, Eyes Wide Shut, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Each film will play twice throughout the festival, and many will be presented on 35mm.

Baltimore Comedy Festival
Aug. 29-Sept. 3. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
More than 100 comedians from around the U.S. will be in town for the second Baltimore Comedy Festival, where Motor House will serve as headquarters and a performance venue for this five-day, citywide event.

The Institute of Visionary History and the Archives of the Deep Now
Sept.-Dec. The Peale Center, 225 Holliday St.
With the historical Peale Center as its backdrop, Submersive Productions will present its latest theatrical experience, featuring a different production each month. It will culminate with a December shadow performance themed around a 1980s movie set in pre-World War II Germany.

The Thing is Close
Aug. 31-Sept. 29. School 33 Art Center, 1427 Light St.
Cindy Cheng and Jackie Milad will present work in a two-person exhibit that examines identity and home. Cheng creates sculptural installations that reference the interior of her parents’ house in Hong Kong, with meditations on the importance of particular objects within the space. Milad’s work on paper explores ethnic backgrounds through actual and invented symbols associated with her Egyptian and Honduran heritage

Baltimore Taxidermy Open
Sept. 6. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.
The Walters Art Museum’s Chamber of Wonders houses treasures from around the world, among them taxidermied birds, beasts, and reptiles. But only during this annual event does the museum play host to an array of contemporary taxidermy artists (the term “taxidermy” is used loosely in this context) alongside these antique ones for a pop-up exhibit and taxidermy competition.

DOS-à-DOS
Sept. 7-30. Hamilton Gallery, 5502 Harford Rd.
Baltimore artists L. Nef’fahtiti Partlow-Myrick and Jenny O’Grady, who met as students in the Creative Writing and Publishing Arts master’s program at the University of Baltimore, exhibit a collection of their art books, made from a variety of materials both traditional and unorthodox. The show’s title references a bookbinding technique that ties together two text blocks with a shared spine—that spine being the MFA program in this context.

Survival Bias
Sept. 8-29. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.
This two-person exhibition of sculptures, wall works, and video by Brittany De Nigris and Adam Milner investigates what defines the immediate present and how things are often an accumulation of past subjects, places, and times. The show’s title is based on the term “survivorship bias,” which describes how our history is shaped, in part, by the artifacts that survive.

Putin On Ice (That Isn’t The Real Title of This Show)
Sept. 12-Oct. 7. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.
A mix of fable, melodrama, and theater, the satirical Putin on Ice elevates the man to myth, from dictator to deity, in a collaboration between theater companies Single Carrot and The ACME Corporation.

Balancing Act: Paintings, Drawings, Collages. Works by Joseph Paul Cassar
Sept. 12-Oct. 20, artist talk from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 13. Y:ART Gallery, 3402 Gough St.
Art historian, author, and artist Joseph Paul Cassar will show recent drawings in ink and pastel, paper cutouts, collage, and acrylic on canvas.

Repurposed with Purpose: Meaning in the Materials of Making
Sept. 20-Nov. 10. Maryland Art Place, 218 W. Saratoga St.
This large group exhibit, curated by former Baltimore Museum of Art director Doreen Bolger, nudges viewers to look deeper into pieces and think about the materials used and why, what statement they make, and whether they are a reflection of the artist’s personal story or have a broader significance.

Lovelight Yoga and Arts Festival
Sept. 21-24. Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center, 5425 Mount Gilead Road, Reisterstown.
Music, art installations, and lots of yoga and meditation will be held in a serene, natural setting at the annual Lovelight Festival in Reisterstown, featuring Krishna Das and Rising Appalachia, among others, plus more than 40 classes and workshops.

Mark Bradford: Tomorrow is Another Day
Sept. 23, 2018-March 3, 2019. Opening Celebration, 1-5 p.m. Sept. 23. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.
This major exhibition by renowned contemporary artist Mark Bradford will bring together work he showed at the 2017 Venice Biennale and a new site-specific installation. The Los Angeles-based artist explores themes from his personal life, black identity, Greek mythology, and the universe through mixed-media works, abstract paintings, and video.

Fades and Fellowship Barbershop Stories
Sept. 28. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
Baltimore-based theater troupe Fades & Fellowship brings black barbershop culture to the stage. Not only does the cast of actual barbers perform the conversations and stories—true and embellished—as overheard in barbershops, but they finish the show by giving a few lucky audience members haircuts onstage.

High Zero
Sept. 28-29. Theatre Project, 45 W Preston St.
Experimental music in all its glory will be performed during this two-day festival by musicians who will expand your definition of music and instruments. Performers include Wendel Patrick, Ada Pinkston, Neil Feather (who plays invented instruments), Carrie Fucile (who plays objects and cassettes), Orlando Johnson (who plays found objects), and several others.

Baltimore Book Festival
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 28-30. Baltimore Inner Harbor.
The annual Baltimore Book Festival along the Inner Harbor is a free, three-day celebration of the written and spoken word, featuring presses from indie to university and every genre imaginable. Hundreds of authors will participate in readings, talks, book signings, panels, and workshops, and more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers will line the Inner Harbor Promenade, from the Inner Harbor Amphitheater to Rash Field. Highlights this year: authors A.J. Jacobs, April Ryan, Bill Whitaker, Jonathan Abrams, Carol Anderson, D. Watkins, Nic Stone, Tim Junkin, and Wayétu Moore, plus numerous stages and tented areas, including Tablers Tent, Charm City Comic Pavilion, CityLit Stage, Food for Thought Stage, Ivy Bookshop Stage, Literary Salon, Maryland Romance Writers’ Stage, Red Emma’s Radical Books Pavilion, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America Stage, and a music stage.

Chinese Snuff Bottles
Sept. 30-Dec. 9. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.
Chinese snuff bottles—historically used to hold a medicinal blend of tobacco, spices, and herbs and worn around the neck—were not only intriguing and practical pieces but also intricate works of art. The Walters will exhibit nearly 250 snuff bottles made from stone, glass, porcelain, ivory, lacquer, enamel, and precious metals. The show coincides with the 50th annual Convention of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, which will be held in Baltimore in October.

Afro Punk Ballet
Oct. 4-6. The Peale Museum, 225 Holliday St.
This sci-fi, futuristic ballet opera is the second in a trilogy produced by Afro House. As the story goes, mad scientist Levi created a second sun that is drying up the lands and bringing the nation’s inhabitants to near extinction. His descendants are left with his mess to clean up.

Parenting: An Art Without a Manual
Oct. 6, 2018-Sept. 1, 2019. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy.
AVAM’s next annual mega-exhibit is a meditation on the art of parenting—from cultural wisdom to scientific breakthroughs in cognitive and behavioral research. Work by three dozen artists will incorporate a wide spectrum of media and styles, such as Allen Christian’s life-sized torso sculptures of Mother, Father, and Child made from antique piano parts; Leon Borensztein’s black-and-white photos documenting his daughter, who was born legally blind; and a group of women who sewed their fathers’ old ties into hexagonal assemblages and provided six-word stories to accompany them.

John Waters: Indecent Exposure
Oct. 7, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019. Opening Celebration, 1-5 p.m. Oct. 7; Artist Conversation with John Waters and Senior Curator Kristen Hileman, 6 p.m. Nov. 1. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.
Enter the wonderfully absurd world of John Waters in this retrospective exhibition of photos, video clips, early films, photocopied drawings, and sculpture from the legendary Baltimore filmmaker. The artist’s penchant for black humor is evidenced in the more than 160 pieces he has made since the early 1990s that criticize, dramatize, and exploit popular culture and celebrate the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities.

Open Studio Tour
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-14. Assorted venues citywide.
More than 100 artists open their studio doors across the city for this two-day, self-guided tour, where visitors can watch the artists in their element and talk with them about their work.

A Charmed Life
Oct. 13-Nov. 24. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.
This retrospective of more than 130 photographs will span Jim Burger’s 30-plus years as a photojournalist with The Baltimore Sun and City Paper. Burger will present an illustrated talk of his life’s work from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 to coincide with the exhibit.

Leonard Bernstein’s Mass
7:30 p.m. Oct. 26. New Psalmist Baptist Church, 6020 Marian Dr.
This massive theatrical spectacle, conducted by Baltimore Symphony Orchestra director Marin Alsop, will feature hundreds of Baltimore performers—Peabody Conservatory instrumentalists, singers, and dancers; Preparatory students including members of the Peabody Children’s Chorus; and others from the community including the Morgan State University Choir and students from the Baltimore School for the Arts. The show is loosely based on a Catholic Mass and uses song and dance to raise questions about faith.

Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 1-11. Various venues in the Bromo Arts District.
Experimental theater and performance art will be highlighted in this 11-day festival that brings performers from across the continent to Baltimore for more than 90 performances in theater, comedy, dance, crankies, film, and more.

Romare Bearden: Vision and Activism
Nov. 10, 2018-March 3, 2019. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
Romare Bearden is considered one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th century. As an artist, educator, scholar, writer, songwriter, and social activist, he examined race through his work: paintings, editorial cartoons in the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, collages, and other artwork. More than 50 of his pieces will be displayed at this major exhibition.

A Wonder in My Soul
Nov. 29-Dec. 26. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.
Set in a Baltimore beauty shop, this story of friendship and community confronts the issues of gentrification and crime as its co-owners decide whether or not to move the shop.

Violinist Joshua Bell
8 p.m. Nov. 30, 3 p.m. Dec. 2. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.
Joshua Bell, one of the most celebrated violinists of his era, with appearances on The Tonight Show and Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, will perform Dvorák’s romantic Violin Concerto under the baton of Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru.

Alice Gadzinski
Dec. 7, 2018-Jan. 12, 2019. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.
Baltimore sculptor Alice Gadzinski was a resident artist at the Creative Alliance when she passed away earlier this year from cancer. In honor of her creative spirit, the art center is hosting an exhibit of work she made at the Creative Alliance, as well as never-before-seen pieces.

Black Nativity
Dec. 7-30. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.
Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, a musical originally performed Off-Broadway in 1961, is a retelling of the Nativity story with an entirely black cast. The show, presented in Baltimore by ArtsCentric, includes Hughes’ poetry as well as traditional Christmas carols sung gospel-style.

Stephanie Ybarra, from New York’s Public Theater, has been named the new artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage.

Kwame Kwei-Armah left his seven-year run in the position earlier this year to become artistic director of Young Vic Theater in his native London.

Ybarra will begin this fall, and she brings to Baltimore an impressive resume of nearly 20 years of experience in theater, especially as to how it relates to social justice.

She explored socio-political theater in Peru, as part of a Theatre Communications Group Continuing Education Grant, and cofounded the grassroots Artists’ Anti-Racism Coalition, to help enforce inclusion within theater communities.

The Texas native also worked at Dallas Theater Center and Dallas Children’s Theater, Two River Theater Company and its Crossing Borders Festival of Latinx plays, the Playwrights Realm, Cherry Lane Theater’s Mentor Project, New Play Development for Yale Repertory Theater and Yale School of Drama, where she earned an MFA in theater management, and she won the Josephine Abady Award for producing from New York’s League of Professional Theatre Women. She currently serves as director of special artistic projects at The Public Theater, where she has worked for the past six years.

While at The Public, she helped spearhead a Cuban-inspired version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night for the theater’s Mobile Unit, which brought the Bard’s work to non-traditional spaces like homeless shelters and prisons.

“[She] is equally grounded in artistic excellence and a passion for social justice,” said Public artistic director Oskar Eustis. “She is a superb choice for Center Stage; Baltimore is lucky to have her.”

Center Stage board president Terry Morgenthaler calls Ybarra the future of American theater: “Her vision is broad and inclusive.”

Ybarra will start on a part-time basis in October and transition to full-time in December.

“To say I’m ‘thrilled’ doesn’t do justice to the wellspring of excitement and anticipation I’m feeling right now,” Ybarra said in a statement. “I’m standing on some formidable shoulders, and in awe of the view.”

On August 8, Thomas Dolby will bring his tour home to Baltimore armed with a classic Roland TR-808 drum machine (the 8/08 date is no coincidence), a projector screen, 40 years of experience, and no setlist.

For the final show of his tour, Thomas Dolby: An Evening of Music and Storytelling, Dolby will take apart hits and deep cuts as chosen by the audience and put them back together again using a couple of keyboards, a drum pad, and a laptop. The whole process will be shown onscreen behind the artist, giving those in attendance an exclusive look inside the creative process.

“In many cases, my songs sound quite complicated and sophisticated,” Dolby says. “But when people see them built from the ground up, they realize that actually they’re built on quite simple building blocks. They can see on those large video screens the output from my laptop, and then see me actually building the songs as I go and hear the components and then hear them performed in full, so it gives people a very powerful insight into the process behind those songs.”

While most people might recognize Dolby from the video for his 1982 hit “She Blinded Me with Science” or 1984’s “Hyperactive!,” he says he actually gets the strongest response from fans with deeper cuts. Luckily for them, they’re the ones choosing what direction the night at Center Stage might take. And there are many paths to go down. Some lead to anecdotes about playing with Roger Water at the Berlin Wall, others toward memories of performing at Live Aid with David Bowie, who introduced him to the estimated 1.9 billion watching as “very brilliant.”

Whichever direction the audience decides to go, Dolby is prepared with his setup and a lifetime of photo and video archives to help illustrate his long and collaborative career.

The show caps off a summer of touring, but there won’t be any rest for Dolby, who has been at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute since 2014. This fall, he welcomes his first class of students in the Music for New Media program, many of whom he personally recruited. These students will be the next generation of experimental musicians, learning to compose for virtual and augmented reality.

“Linear media like film and TV have a hundred years of history and legacy behind it, but with a VR experience, for example, there is no formulaic way to approach it,” Dolby say. “So it will be fascinating to see how the students take it on. They’ll be the ones that will create the new guidelines, not people of my generation.”

How do you teach a line of work that is only just getting it’s start? Well, that’s the tricky part. Students and teacher will be learning the intricacies of composing for new forms of media together, but Dolby’s lifetime of experimentation and looking at problems new ways will lend themselves to the task.

“These are super smart kids,” he says. “Some of them are brilliant virtuoso violinists or concert pianists that have been trained in a classical sense to far higher degree than I ever was. But what I have to share with them is a career of experience and a sort of willingness to experiment with new technology and techniques. And that’s hopefully what will rub off on my students.”

Visual Art

MICA ArtWalk
Maryland Institute College of Art undergrad class of 2018 will showcase their work in the three-hour ArtWalk extravaganza on May 11. Expect to see art in all genres and mediums: painting, sculpture, illustration, ceramics, graphic design, film, animation screenings, and more. New this year, the event is free to the public, complete with food trucks to give the event a festival feel. “The entire campus becomes one huge art gallery,” says Erin Baynham, social media manager at MICA. This is a great way to see what these talented kids are up to, with the added bonus of meeting them face to face and buying work to take home. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 11 throughout the MICA campus. Work will remain on view through May 14. 

Music

The Björk Songbook
The Evolution Contemporary Series will conclude its season on May 8 with a concert of songs by Björk, taken from her newly released 34 Scores for Piano/Organ/Harpsichord & Celeste. Baltimore artists including Outcalls, Joy Postell, and The Witches will play renditions of songs by the legendary Icelandic pop star. Judah Adashi, founder of the series, is known for breathing new life into symphonic music, and this concert is sure to be no exception. 8 p.m May 8 at An die Musik, 409 N. Charles St.

Through the Eyes of a Child
The Through the Eyes of a Child performance is inspired by the work of Clara Han, associate professor of anthropology and co-director of the Program on Racism, Immigration, and Citizenship at Johns Hopkins University, who is exploring in a new book how violence is passed down through generations of families. The concert will be presented as part of Music of Reality, a series that brings musicians and scientists/researchers together and intersperses lectures with music. Music will include pieces by Leonard Bernstein as well as contemporary composers. 7 p.m. May 4 at 1025 S. Potomac St.

Theater

Life or Theatre?
With Baltimore Annex Theater’s production of Life or Theatre?, Charlotte Salomon may very well become a household name alongside Anne Frank. The play is written and directed by Carly J. Bales (founding producing artistic director of EMP Collective) and based on the life and art of Salomon, a German-Jewish woman in Nazi-era Berlin who completed nearly 1,300 autobiographical paintings (the largest singular body of work by a Jew during the Holocaust), gave them to a friend, and was murdered shortly thereafter in Auschwitz. The play combines her intimate prose and expressionist painting with music to bring to life her story, 100 years after her birth. This is Bales’ first full-length play. Thursdays through Sundays May 24 to June 17 at Annex Theater, 219 Park Ave.

Follow No Strangers To The Fun Places
The Acme Corporation will dissect the process of art making (specifically theater) in their new play Follow No Strangers To The Fun Places, by Lola B. Pierson (creator of Baltimore’s Ten Minute Play Festival). It’s loosely based on Italo Calvino’s novel If on a winter’s night a traveler, though we’ve been told not to get too excited about that point, as the play bears little resemblance to the book. May 3 to 19 at The Great Hall at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1900 St. Paul St.

SOUL The Stax Musical
Go back to the birth of soul music at Baltimore Center Stage’s production of SOUL The Stax Musical, which revives the songs of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, and other classic R&B stars during its world premiere. The musical tells the story of the Memphis-based Stax Records and music’s power to unite us, then and now. May 3 through June 10 at Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.

Dance

Moving Walls: A Performance of Body & Sculpture
Baltimore Independent Dance Artists examines human experience in relation to architecture in its new, experimental show at The Peale Center. Dance combines with a large sculptural installation and animation for the experience, though the set alone, created by Noa Heyne, is worth a visit to the museum. 8 p.m. May 3 and 5 at The Peale Center, 225 Holliday St.

Film

Maryland Film Fest
There is much to be excited about when it comes to this year’s Maryland Film Fest in Station North. There’s Matt Porterfield’s latest, Sollers Point, starring McCaul Lombardi; 10 blocks of shorts; a screening of the film I, Olga Hepnarova, selected and introduced by John Waters; an after party in the Ynot Lot and Windup Space; and much in between. Get ready to laugh, cry, and contemplate life every which way with more than 40 feature films across all genres and cultures. Learn more about it here and here and here. May 2-6 at the Parkway Theatre and MICA.

Miscellanea

Baltimore Portrait: Artists in Conversation
As part of the VOICES speaker series at The Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore artists Amy Sherald and Stephen Towns will be in conversation with Baltimore Museum of Art director Christopher Bedford this month. Both have become Baltimore celebrities recently after receiving national attention for their work—Sherald with the unveiling of her official portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Towns with his first museum exhibition (currently on view at the BMA). 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 30 at The Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

This weekend, Everyman Theatre opens its second production of the season, Intimate Apparel, which has themes of class, culture, and circumstance. It centers on an African-American seamstress in turn of the century New York, who makes intimate garments for a variety of clients, and shares lingering affections with a Jewish fabric maker. Intimate Apparel’s playwright Lynn Nottage is the first woman to win two Pulitzer Prizes for her work, and this is the third of her plays that Everyman has produced. Everyman Resident Company member Dawn Ursula, who plays the lead Esther, joined us to talk about preparing for the role, the power of live theater, and getting star struck.

This is your third leading role in a Lynn Nottage play at Everyman. Nottage is one of the most acclaimed playwrights around right now, as she won the Pulitzer Prize for drama last year. Are you starting to feel like you know her characters and her style?

That’s a good question. I think with some playwrights and their work, you might be able to say that. But I think what’s so brilliant about Lynn Nottage is how varied her plays are. [Last year’s prize] was the second Pulitzer that she’s won, she won for Ruined previously, and when I think about Ruined [about the plight of women in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo] versus Intimate Apparel, you could convince me, if I didn’t know better, that different playwrights wrote those plays. She can really craft something so uniquely that you can’t quite peg the way she’s going to channel the story. Although I could find and draw similarities between the characters and their struggles, they are such wonderfully different people. It’s a real joy to be able to start fresh and really begin, asking, “Ok, who is this person? How do they walk in the world?”

Even if they are so different, they seem like such complex characters.

And that’s a gift from the playwright to us as the actors that these characters are so wonderfully human. And when a playwright crafts something like that, you’re able to give it full body, and that’s what makes that much more of an impact on the audience. Human beings are such complex creatures, we can have such empathy and be so brilliant and yet so brutal. She knows how to draw that out.

Do you ever get star struck when you’re performing Nottage’s works because of who she is and the quality of what you’re preforming?

Yes, I can admit to that happening. I think it probably manifests itself in some good, positive nervousness. It’s like, ok, we’re doing a Lynn Nottage play, and we really can’t mess this up, ya’ll, because it’s her. (laughs) There’s a little bit of good intimidation and fear that we’re able to recognize and put into the work, and that drives us all that much more. It’s the same with an August Wilson piece—it’s of that caliber. We recognize how precious it is.

Intimate Apparel has a history in Baltimore. It had its premier at Center Stage in 2003, and Esther seems like a character who could have easily existed here. What’s your process been like researching and preparing to play her?

Luckily for us, we have a director, Tazewell Thompson, who has directed it before, and even the way he conducts rehearsals, he sets up what the world was like for us in Manhattan in 1905. The character of Esther is based off of some facts and information about a relative of Nottage’s, and she puts pretty much all the information you need in the text—which also shows how amazing a playwright she is, because the character is clear because of the circumstances she is going through, what she says, what people say about her.

How do Lynn Nottage characters compare with others you’ve played in terms of how deeply you feel them?

I grow immensely and so quickly affectionate towards the characters that I play, and it’s easy with Lynn Nottage pieces. Even Mama Nadi, the madam in Ruined. I might have my issues with her, but I loved me some Mama Nadi. I will know when Intimate Apparel is done based on how long it takes Esther to leave me alone. Sometimes, when a show is closed and I’m ready to move on, a character will leave me quickly. But others might still be rattling around. With Mama Nadi, I had to ask her to go. I had to be like, “I love you, I’m so glad we got to tell your story, but you need to leave now.”

What’s it like to bring this play at this time in history? And what has really resonated about the story with you?

Hopefully one day this play is done and it’s just done for the beautiful story that it is and it doesn’t feel so timely. But it’s such an immigrant story— it’s about this new country where people want to come and work hard and make a life and be prosperous and fruitful and good and the hardships that they encounter. And then the discrimination and the classicism that occurs and the socio-economic barriers that come up. There are also challenges that these women are experiencing. I fully expect there to be lots of moments in the play when the women in the audience, and hopefully the men too, cringe at the fact that though it’s set in 1905, that incredibly sexist thing that’s happening on stage could happen in 2017. Hopefully, that gives us all pause.

In some ways, I’m sure that’s frustrating, but in other ways, that also serves as a connection point between you and the audience.

I do think about it that way. So much about what the gift of theater is for us to acknowledge and see ourselves where we are and where we want to go. We watch these real people on stage living these lives and it is for us as an audience to take a moment to reflect, to be empathetic, to make a discovery. That’s like a good bowl of chicken soup when you’re sick, and that’s one of the wonderful things that a play like this does.

Curtain Classics

THE GLASS MENAGERIE
9/8–10/1: Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway. The work that propelled Tennessee Williams to fame and cemented his status as a premier playwright takes center stage in Fells. 

THE CRADLE WILL ROCK
9/29–10/8: Iron Crow Theatre, 45 W. Preston St. In the reimagining of this 1937 musical (originally directed by Orson Welles), fiery class struggles ensue as townspeople challenge an affluent man’s exploitation of power.

TWO TRAINS RUNNING
9/8–10/8: Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St. In this 1960s play, originally conceived by legendary playwright August Wilson, Memphis Lee’s coffee shop serves as a bastion of eclectic African-American characters.

Shakespeare Revisited

JULIUS CAESAR
9/29–10/29: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 S. Calvert St.
Corruption, deception, and murder are just some of the themes embedded in this Shakespearean classic. 

I HATE HAMLET
9/8–10/1: Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S. Ann St.
A young television star, who bemoans the Bard’s title character, finds hilarious adventure when he’s offered the titular role.

New(ish) Acts

M. BUTTERFLY 
9/6–10/8: Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St. The adage “love knows no bounds” is both tested and realized in this provocative play. 

THE CHRISTIANS
9/7–10/8: Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. This new American play explores the ways differing values of the same faith can be as divisive as the ideals separating all religions.

Center Stage’s newest production has actually been six years in the making. When artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah first came to the Mt. Vernon theater company, the script for Jazz—an iteration of Toni Morrison’s novel of the same name—wasn’t ready yet.

“Then the Morrison estate went to another writer and when I heard, I was like, ‘I want to do it,’” he says. “Part of it is set in Baltimore, so it feels like something naturally meant for us.”

Following productions of White Snake, Twisted Melodies and That Place, Jazz debuts in the newly renovated Center Stage on May 19.

Playwright Nambi E. Kelley was tasked with transforming the vivid imagery of Morrison’s tale of love, violence, and music in turn-of-the-century Harlem into a stage play. The style of Morrison’s novel is similar to jazz with its unpredictable rhythm and variety of voices.

“I think she writes with an ancestral melody that haunts and enchants,” Kwei-Armah explains. “It is the empathy that she shares and shows and explores and articulates that I find intoxicating. I really loved the book and I wanted to dance with Toni.”

He worked with Kelley to decide which parts of the story are relevant and still provide the audience with a clear understanding of what Morrison was originally trying to portray. Miraculously, Kelley finished the script in just a year.

“It’s hard doing an adaptation. You know, it’s really stressful,” Kwei-Armah says. “A book has three days worth of reading; you’ve got two hours to tell the same story.”

The actors and crew are currently in their third week of rehearsals preparing to bring Morrison’s rich imagery to life. Fittingly, Jazz will feature the American-made genre throughout the production—including an on-stage trombonist and other musicians playing the sultry sounds of 1920s Harlem. 

“That’s the beauty of theatre,” he says. “It’s an open art form and that’s really been our guiding principle.”

Previews for this highly anticipated show begin on May 19 with the official opening night on May 26 running until June 25.

The way Kwei-Armah waxes poetic about Morrison, it is clear he has a bit of an intellectual crush on the writer and is anxious to bring her words to his stage.

“Toni has created something that says, ‘Come to me,’” he says. “And you are required to use a lot of your imagination to make it come to life. We will be giving it our all to explore the complexities and the beauty of her words.”

Kinetic Sculpture Race
May 6. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m. Free. 410-244-1900. The American Visionary Art Museum’s wonderfully wacky Kinetic Sculpture Race returns for the 19th time this month. Across 14 miles from Federal Hill to Canton and back, contestants compete on handmade, human-powered works of art that navigate over land, mud, and water to win awards such as “Worst Honorable Mention” and “Next to Last.” Watch the awesomely awkward spectacle from sidewalks across the city.

Maryland Film Festival
May 3-7. Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave. Times vary. $10-400. 410-752-8083. It’s lights, camera, action as the Maryland Film Festival kicks off with an unveiling of the newly renovated Parkway Theatre in Station North. Renowned across the country, this five-day fete features more than 100 films from around the globe and right here in town.

FlowerMart 2017
May 5-6. Mount Vernon Square, 699 Washington Pl. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. 410-274-5353. For the 106th year, the square around the Washington Monument will bloom with flowers, festivities, and festival food, like the classic lemon stick. Join in the Maypole dance, follow the floral pet parade, and purchase some petunias to brighten up your home.

The XX
May 6. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7 p.m. $40-55. 410-715-5550. In 2009, The xx seemingly came out of nowhere, their sultry minimalist pop snaking its way onto our playlists and earning endless buzz (including a spot on Rolling Stone’s roundup of best debut albums of all time). Eight years later, there’s still an air of mystery about the English trio. On their third album, I See You, the group’s cool, calm, atmospheric sound has unexpectedly evolved into something richer, brighter, even dance worthy––and it works. Listen to their new single, “On Hold,” and prepare to be enchanted at Merriweather at the start of the month. 

Ryan Adams
May 12. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7:30 p.m. $40-55. 410-715-5550. Ryan Adams may have won us over in decades past with albums like Heartbreaker and Love Is Hell, but if last year’s 1989 Taylor Swift cover album is any indication, the alt-rocker has still got it. Catch his heartfelt, angst-riddled sound this month at Merriweather with new songs from his latest, Prisoner, hopefully a few oldies (like “Hallelujah” and “New York, New York”), and opening act Jenny Lewis.

Jazz
May 19-June 25. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Tue.-Wed. 8 p.m., Thu. 7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. 2 & 7:30 p.m. $20-69. 410-332-0033. Set in 1920s Harlem, this world-premiere play—based on the novel by Pulitzer and Nobel prize-winning author Toni Morrison––embodies the essence of its musical title. The story skits and scats as it follows Joe and Violet, in love and living in their new city, New York. Naturally, their paths take on different rhythms––at times slow and steady, at others hot and fast and unexpected. Adapted by New York-based playwright Nambi Evelyn Kelley and directed by Center Stage’s inimitable artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, this dissection of the jazz experience––and the human experience––is a performance not to miss.

Preakness Stakes
May 20. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. Doors open at 8 a.m. Rain or shine, racing fans will gather for the 142nd time to cheer on this second jewel of the Triple Crown. Partake in the tradition as part of the ever-raucous InfieldFest (which this year features country star Sam Hunt, rising country duo LoCash, and Waldorf’s own pop-punk favorites Good Charlotte) or during one of many events leading up to the big day. Above all, revel in the chance to see America’s next great horse racing champion.

Bon Iver
May 24. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 8 p.m. $46-76. 410-715-5550. It’s been nearly 10 years since Bon Iver strummed onto the scene and stirred our souls with the wistful ballads of his debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. With each earthy melody, Iver, aka singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, created a brand new kind of indie folk, conjuring up images of pastoral love, dreary countrysides, and introspective men wearing flannel and beards. His full-length follow-up was equally ambitious, and now he returns to showcase his much-anticipated third album, 22, A Million. A breathtaking feat, it’s more experimental than his previous works, but even with the electronic influence, Iver finds a familiar, yet completely new, way to pull our heartstrings.

Brew at the Zoo
May 27-28. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1 Safari Pl. 1-7 p.m. $25-75. 410-396-7102. Grab a cold one and make some furry friends this Memorial Day weekend during the zoo’s 16th annual day-drink with the animals. Sample sips from more than 80 breweries (including homegrown favorites like Flying Dog and The Brewer’s Art), listen to live music (with local talent like The Kelly Bell Band), and enjoy all-day admission for peeks at the penguins or a visit with Willow, the new baby giraffe.

If you’ve walked down the 700 block of Calvert Street in Mount Vernon recently, you may have noticed that Center Stage is undergoing quite a transformation.

What was once a dark brick lobby is now a luminous entrance, painted gleaming white and featuring a new box office and cafe. There are even more architectural changes hidden from street view, including the redesigned, fourth-floor Head Theater—which boasts a high-ceilinged, naturally lit lobby of its own—and a new costume shop and a studio for education and community programming.

These changes echo a new emphasis in Center Stage’s mission, says Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah—to make the 54-year-old state theater of Maryland more accessible to everyone.

“When I arrived [in 2011], I found that, architecturally, the building was just not welcoming. You had to go through the side door to get to the box office, which had bulletproof windows. The board of trustees and I wanted a structure that built upon its historic roots but opened itself out, that breathed a little more, that was brighter,” says Kwei-Armah. The purpose of the renovation is “to look after those who have been loyal supporters of Center Stage, but also for those who will be new to it.”

The $28 million project—which also includes needed infrastructure updates to the electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems—is unprecedented in the theater company’s history. It will be unveiled March 3 with a grand re-opening that coincides with this season’s second production, The White Snake.

One aspect of the renovation that Kwei-Armah is particularly excited about is an intimate 99-seat stage called The Third Space, which is also on the fourth floor. He anticipates using that theater for newer, more experimental works.

“We hope that this space will be attractive to theatergoers in their 20s and 30s, the ones who are looking for challenges in content,” Kwei-Armah says. “It’s really about how we can make sure we offer work for everyone.”

The additional areas will put Center Stage in an elite group, as it will be only one of a handful of the country’s regional theaters to have three spaces, says J. Wynn Rousuck, former theater critic for The Sun and current theater critic at WYPR.

“This renovation will take Center Stage to a whole new level of possibility,” she says, adding that she believes the enthusiasm surrounding the project will trickle down to other local theater companies. “Baltimore’s theater scene is just burgeoning,” she says. “I’ve never seen it as vibrant as it is now.”

Animal Collective
Nov. 3. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl. 7:30 p.m. $25-28. 410-244-1131. It’s been more than 15 years since Animal Collective got together in Baltimore. Their otherworldly, electronic sound changed the indie music scene, and brought us memorable albums like Merriweather Post Pavilion and enduring songs like “My Girls.” This spring, they released their first new record in four years—an accomplished, colorful collection made just in time for summer. For one night this month, come out and support this local-turned-international band and hear the new tracks for yourself.

Great Baltimore Oyster Festival
Nov. 5. West Shore Park, 501 Light St. 1-5 p.m. Free. 410-779-4700. After a successful inaugural launch, the Waterfront Partnership is back with its second annual Great Baltimore Oyster Festival. Benefiting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, the festival pairs an impressive array of Maryland oysters with local food trucks, beer, and wine on the waterfront. Slurp down shucks, listen to live music, and celebrate the rich waters of our Chesapeake Bay.

Baltimore Blast
Nov. 5-Mar. 5, 2017. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times & prices vary. 410-732-5278. Start the month off right by cheering on Baltimore’s most underrated sports team—the Baltimore Blast. Returning to their home field at the Royal Farms Arena as last season’s reigning indoor soccer champs, their jam-packed lineup includes evening matches against teams from across the country. With Lucas Roque and Tony Donatelli leading the charge, the Baltimore Blast is set to impress as they aim for yet another indoor championship.

Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 3-13. Locations, times, & prices vary. With fall finally upon us, Baltimore’s bigwig theater institutions are back in full swing, but it’s once again time to celebrate the underdogs. At the fifth annual Charm City Fringe Festival, get to know the city and country’s independent thespians with nearly 20 productions across Hampden and Station North. For 11 days, enjoy off-center comedy and cutting-edge drama, plus ballet, puppetry, and magic.

Ferocious Beauty: Wrathful Deities From Tibet and Nepal
Nov. 13-April 16. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. See Buddhist deities in a new light through artworks of the Himalayas. Despite their at times intimidating appearance, these supreme beings used their fearsome power for good, protecting their followers from obstacles on the journey to spiritual enlightenment.

Amy Schumer
Nov. 12. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $47.50-113. 410-347-2020. Over the past few years, Long Island native Amy Schumer has skyrocketed to raunchy-humored stardom, but many Baltimoreans still like to claim the onetime Towson University student as one of our own. Luckily for us, even after a hit television series and a Judd Apatow-directed and LeBron James-starring film (that she wrote and starred in, too), Schumer hasn’t been a stranger. At a no-holds-barred show at her alma mater this spring, she joked about her days on campus, from freshman year and Greek life to heavy drinking and bad decisions. This August, in her bestselling debut memoir, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, she reprinted an angry journal entry from her early days at TU, some 15 years ago, followed by an affectionate footnote: “Baltimore is not bullshit; I grew to really love it.” This month, she returns to the heart of the city for one night of cringe-worthy memories and unapologetic humor.

Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 26. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-244-1900. The holidays come early at AVAM each year with Bazaart, the museum’s annual shopping spectacular. Whether you’re grabbing gifts for family and friends or simply treating yourself, meet more than 40 regional makers selling paintings, sculptures, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, and textiles. Don’t miss the early bird preview day on Black Friday, Nov. 25.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Nov. 26-Dec. 23. Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St. Times vary. $20-64. 410-332-0033. Admire the brand new renovations of this Mount Vernon mainstay during the first play of the new season. Translated as Dangerous Liaisons, this scandalous French tale follows two aristocrats who start a twisted game of seduction, love, and betrayal. Some scenes from the 18th-century novel might feel familiar, as it inspired the 1988 film of the same English name and the 1990s pop-culture classic, Cruel Intentions.

Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 26-Jan. 1, 2017. 700 block of W. 34th St. 5-11 p.m. Free. Just like the iconic Hollywood movie, Hampden’s aptly named Miracle on 34th Street is a classic Christmas tradition. Celebrating its 70th year, the annual lighting is an eclectic display of hundreds of glittering holiday lights. Locally organized, this Charm City custom touts everything from dancing Santas and reindeer to Maryland crabs, Mr. Natty Boh, the Utz Girl, and the legendary hubcap tree. Join hundreds of locals and tourists alike to wander the street and soak up the sights. You’ll be sure to leave with a twinkle in your eye.

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One event is held per day, starting with timed envelope stuffing on Monday, a lobby obstacle course on Tuesday, a costume change competition on Wednesday, and continuing today with a speed-reading of Hamlet’s famous monologue before wrapping up tomorrow with a time scenery change competition on the stage at Everyman.

Some of the events, like the obstacle course and Friday’s scene change, are hosted at Everyman, while the others are conducted by the individual staffs at their respective theaters and shared via Facebook Live videos, which have generated thousands of views already.

“I’ve been filming the events and we’re having lots of people from different departments participating, so it’s generating a lot of excitement internally as well as building some great camaraderie with other theater companies in town,” says Lisa Lance, the public relations manager at Center Stage. “I think there’s a healthy sense of competition but everybody’s having a lot of fun with it.”

Indeed, the videos emit a contagious sense of high-spirited hijinks as coworkers cheer each other on and engage rivals with quasi-ironic posturing and trash talk. But there is real affection underneath the bravado, maintains Horan, who used to work at Center Stage as a box office manager before accepting his current position at Everyman.

“We’re all trying to elevate the theater scene together . . . and we’re all friends,” he says.

The event will wrap up on Friday when all the participants will head to Westside restaurant Forno for happy hour, a final medal count, and a closing ceremony that Horan jokes will be “a high five in a sort of ’80s freeze-frame kind of way.”

As for whether or not this is a one-off, Horan says he doesn’t know for sure, but he’s already dreaming big.

“Maybe if we do it again, it will be even bigger.”

See that guy sitting in the chair above? Remember that face, because you’re going to be seeing a lot of it on your TV this month—and likely in the future, as well.

Towson-raised actor Peter Mark Kendall is “blowing up,” as the kids say, with appearances on three highly anticipated series set to debut or return this month.

First, he’ll appear in three episodes of HBO’s much-lauded dramedy Girls, which returns for its fourth season on January 11. Then, the next night, MTV’s new cyber-crime police drama Eye Candy, on which Kendall has a recurring role, will debut. Finally, on January 28, the acclaimed spy drama The Americans resumes on FX with Kendall in yet another recurring (and top-secret) role.

And let’s not even get started on his upcoming appearances in movies with the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, Isabelle Huppert, and Richard Gere. Not bad for a kid from Rodgers Forge.

A talented musician who plays several instruments, Kendall entered McDaniel College thinking he’d be a music major but found he disliked the almost monastic lifestyle music study required. Having acted at Towson High, he got involved in McDaniel’s theater program and quickly switched majors.

“I started resenting music and having to practice for four hours in a room by myself, but I never really felt that way about acting. I couldn’t really think of anything that I’d rather do more,” says Kendall, 28.

After college, he moved to Hampden and began auditioning, supporting himself by waiting tables and walking dogs. Appearances at Baltimore Shakespeare Festival and Center Stage earned him his equity card and then, after auditioning three years in a row, he was accepted into the prestigious Brown University and Trinity Repertory Company MFA acting program.

“That was a big thing for me creatively and professionally,” he acknowledges. Now living the actor’s life in New York, he still returns to visit his parents, who have since relocated to Pikesville. “I love Baltimore so much. I’d like to come back more,” he says.

Somehow, we doubt he’ll have time.