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.”

EAT

Aug. 18: Fiesta Del Mar

Clavel, 225 W. 23rd. St. 12-6 p.m. Prices vary.

We’re a sucker for firsts, and this inaugural Mexican seafood festival hosted by hometown chef Carlos Raba of Clavel—and special guest TJ Steele of Brooklyn’s Oaxacan restaurant Claro—is certainly an original. Stop by the Remington staple on Sunday afternoon for an array of ceviches, grilled whole snapper, and head-on prawns, as well as The Local Oyster’s signature bivalves. It’s an a la carte menu that is sure to make a seafood lover out of almost anyone.

DRINK

Aug. 16: World of Beer Block Party

World of Beer, 1724 Whetstone Way. 5-9 p.m. Free.

Summer may be winding down, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the warm weather while you still can. This last McHenry Row bash of the season will have festivities for everyone in the family, including a moon bounce for the kids, Union Craft Brewing glassware raffles for the adults, and a dunk tank for anyone with a good arm. Spend the evening noshing on seafood from Chesapeake Food Works, bopping along to a set by local band The Unofficial, and knocking back a few Duckpins or Skipjacks to celebrate the end of summer.

SEE

Aug. 17: Wet Hot American Summer Staged Reading

Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 5-8 p.m. $10.

If your summer hasn’t been nearly wet, hot, nor American enough for you, no worries, the nomadic Single Carrot Theatre company has got you covered. The avant-garde group will take over Peabody Heights Brewery for a reading of the 2001 cult-classic film as part of their Screen2Stage series, featuring the same wacky antics and secret rendezvous as the movie. Stick around after the performance to participate in group activities and field-day events to become a true member of Camp Firewood.

HEAR

Aug. 17: Hot August Music Festival

Oregon Ridge Park, 13403 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville. 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. $73-199.

The 27th iteration of this hometown throwdown is finally here, and the forecast for this end-of-summer blues and roots festival is shaping up to be just as its name promises. Make the quick trip to Oregon Ridge Park to hear an all-star lineup of acts, including Turkuaz, Billy Strings, Vanessa Collier, and none other than Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (the band, although avian athletes would also be cool). To make a full day out of it, check out the Power Plant Live! pre-party featuring Psycho Killers or the after-party at The Greene Turtle in Hunt Valley.

DO

Aug. 17: Big Sticky Summer Hampden Sidewalk Sale

The Avenue on 36th St. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Free.

Make the most out of Tax-Free Week and shop local during Hampden’s third and final sidewalk sale of the summer. Whether you’re looking for vintage clothing or vinyl records, you will be sure to find a few steals from shops in the neighborhoods’ business district, including Best of Baltimore-winning places like Hunting Ground, Keepers Vintage, and Six2Six Society. Since the sale overlaps with Baltimore Vegan Restaurant Week, check out nearby participating spots like Golden West Cafe or Harmony Bakery for a post-haul snack.

Visual Art

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Finalists Exhibition
Don’t miss your chance to catch some of the art world’s brightest rising stars at this exhibition celebrating the seven finalists for the prestigious Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. The winner of the $25,000 fellowship will be named in July, but works by Negar Ahkami, Akea Brionne Brown, Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, Schroeder Cherry, Phylicia Ghee, Jackie Milad, and Stephanie Williams will stay on display through August 11. June 15-Aug. 11. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

RAW Baltimore Presents: Impact
This gathering of independent artists will bring beauty, fashion, music, digital art, and more to Baltimore Soundstage. Whether you’re looking to pick up something to hang on the wall or be inspired by creative new takes on genderqueer fashion and vegan beauty, there’s something to be found for everyone at this showcase of local talent. 7 p.m. June 28. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl.

Music

Outer Spaces Record Release
Grab some friends and head to Current Space’s backyard for this outdoor show celebrating the release of dreamy indie-pop act Outer Spaces’ new record, Gazing Globe, featuring guests Smoke Bellow, Cigarette, and Wheatie Mattiasich with Steve Santilla. The sticky summer evening will fit perfectly with Cara Beth Stalino’s exploration of what it means to lose someone but find yourself all over again. 7-11 p.m. June 29. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.

Theater

Mortified: PRIDE Edition
Some of us dread those childhood journal entries and notebooks full of poems coming back to haunt us. Mortified embraces them. This Pride-themed version of the Creative Alliance storytelling series will feature adolescent artifacts exploring sexual and gender identity, coming out, and other experiences from the LGBTQ+ community. 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. June 15. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

A Midsummer Night’s Bash
Say a fitting farewell to Single Carrot Theatre’s Remington home with full night of Shakespearean shenanigans. Start the evening with the troupe’s raucous performance of Drunk Shakespeare [and other dead white guys], then stick around for bites, drinks, dancing, and more at the Howard Street theater. 7 p.m. June 22. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Literature

D. Watkins in Conversation with Lisa Snowden-McCray
Five years ago, D. Watkins found a national audience with his viral essay “Too Poor for Pop Culture.” Now a professor, Editor at Large for Salon, and founder of the BMORE Writers Project, Watkins has become an essential voice. In honor of the fifth anniversary of his first print publication, Watkins joins Baltimore Beat editor Lisa Snowden-McCray for a conversation about how things have and haven’t changed since that first essay and what his latest book, We Speak for Ourselves, can add to the story. 7 p.m. June 26. Red Emma’s, 1225 Cathedral St.

Barbara Bourland—Fake Like Me
Humor, mystery, and sharp observation abound in Barbara Bourland’s follow-up to 2017’s I’ll Eat When I’m Dead, Fake Like Me, in which she moves the focus from a Manhattan magazine to the dueling egos of the contemporary art world. Settle into Greedy Reads’ cozy Fells Point home for a conversation with Bourland and BMore Art’s Cara Ober to celebrate the new release. 7:30 June 21. Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St.

Film

First Look: Dark City: Beneath the Beat
This celebration of community and Baltimore Club comes from one of the genre’s greatest voices, TT The Artist. Head to the SNF Parkway and follow the red carpet in for a first look at Dark City: Beneath The Beat, TT’s documentary following some of the city’s best local musicians, DJs, poets, dancers, and producers as they build and perpetuate a close-knit creative community that rises above Baltimore’s less-than-sterling reputation. 6:30 p.m. Red Carpet Pre-show, 7:15 p.m. Film Presentation, 8:30 p.m. Director Interview and Q&A, June 26. SNF Parkway Theatre, 3 W. North Ave.

After 12 seasons, alternative theater company Single Carrot Theatre will perform their final show at their Remington home this June. But while the theater on North Howard Street will be closing, the ensemble isn’t going anywhere. Well, rather, they’re going everywhere.

In an effort to continue their socially relevant shows without being tied to one location, Single Carrot Theatre will start performing in various spaces—early ideas include private homes and abandoned school buildings—around the city. The idea of incorporating unique aspects of each venue into the experience is not a foreign concept to the experimental company, which once performed Promenade on various city streets while the audience rode a bus from location to location.

“We’re just honing in on the elements of the work we’ve been doing that excite us the most and that we think have been the most exciting for audiences,” says artistic director Genevieve de Mahy. “We’re thinking about social relevance and activating neighborhoods in different parts of the city that may be less seen.”

Single Carrot Theatre now has a brand-new mission and format, but before they move into this new era, there’s one more story to tell in Remington. On April 26, the company will premiere Pink Milk, a reimagining of codebreaker Alan Turing’s life story from Chicago-based playwright Ariel Zetina, who is working with Single Carrot to revisit the play’s text and score for the first time since writing it in 2014.

“It’s a piece about Alan Turing and the parts of his life outside of his work, who he might have been internally, and the interpersonal relationships in his life,” says director Ben Kleymeyer. “The play is a look back at Turing as this queer figure from history through the eyes of a modern trans woman who is now reclaiming the history that has been erased.”

That Pink Milk will be the last piece performed on the Single Carrot stage is no coincidence. The play not only epitomizes the types of experimental, inclusive theater that the company has become known for, but its psychedelic, Technicolor setting offers a final chance to use their performance space to its fullest potential.

“This felt like a really good fit in terms of the tricks we’ll be pulling out of our sleeves for lights and sets and things like that,” says de Mahy. “It felt right for this to be the last show we do in a traditional theater space for a while.”

Visual Art

Voices: Joyce J. Scott, Oletha DeVane, Christopher Bedford
Don’t miss your chance to hear from two of the guiding voices of the Baltimore art scene, jewelry maker and sculptor Joyce J. Scott (who was recently named the 2019 Smithsonian Visionary Artist) and multimedia artist Oletha DeVane. In this conversation moderated by BMA director Christopher Bedford, the pair will discuss their works, their inspirations, and the city they both call home. 7-8 p.m. April 10. Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

TAPROOT
Two artists with varying backgrounds but shared experiences meet in this exhibition examining colonialism, consumption, and how they work their ways into the other parts of life. Working from their distinct perspectives “one of assimilation and one of frequent migration between continents,” Catherine Khammouane and Samiha Alam will present sculptural pieces that express their view that “what is manmade is natural.” Artist talk 5-7 p.m. April 6; on view through May 4. Waller Gallery, 2420 N. Calvert St.

Pile of Craft
Head to Space 2640 to peruse more than 50 vendors’ wares at this 13th annual craft fest hosted by Charm City Craft Mafia. Past favorites such as Annie Howe Papercuts and Tiny Dog Press will be on hand, and several new vendors will be hawking everything from rosé jelly to 3d paper and watercolor plants for those whose thumbs aren’t quite green. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 27. Space 2640, 2640 Saint Paul St.

Music

Abdu Ali Album Release Show
Abdu Ali has one of the most powerful voices in Baltimore music right now, and this launch of their debut album, FIYAH!!!, is going to be one heck of a party. Catch Ali’s blend of punk, rap, and Baltimore Club from the Ottobar’s intimate stage before this New York Times-lauded artist really blows up. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m. April 26. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Theater

Come From Away
When planes were unexpectedly forced to land following 9/11, some 7,000 people found themselves stranded in the small town of Gander in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. What began with tragedy grew into a week of friendship and humanity among travelers in unfamiliar territory and the town that took them in. This award-winning musical based on their true story is not to be missed. April 23-28. The Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St.

Pink Milk
Single Carrot is leaving its Remington home behind soon, but first they have another story to tell. This Technicolor reimagining of codebreaker Alan Turing’s life story from Chicago-based playwright Ariel Zetina explores Turing beyond his history-making work. Zetina is also working with Single Carrot to update the text and score for the first time since writing the piece in 2013. Gala opening April 27, runs through May 16. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Making Cinema Matter: Masterclass with Sandi Tan
Singaporean filmmaker, zine publisher, and writer Sandi Tan returns to her cult roots for this workshop and screening of 2018’s Shirkers, which premiered and earned the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at Sundance in 2018. Tan and her cohorts made what could have been a cult hit in 1992, when they were just teens, but their film was stolen by an American collaborator. Shirkers follows Tan back to Singapore to revisit the film, the American who stole it, and what both of them did for her dreams. Free screening at 7 p.m. April 5, masterclass April 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The SNF Parkway, 5 W. North Ave.

Literature

CityLit Festival
CityLit is known for bringing great authors and events to bibliophiles of all stripes at their annual fest, and this year is no different. During this day-long celebration of all things literature, visitors can attend more than a dozen session and check out the Literary Marketplace to pick up a few more additions to their nightstand stacks. Stick around for keynote speaker Dani Shapiro, whose memoir, Inheritance, delves into what happens when family secrets find their way to the surface. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. April 27. University of Baltimore William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, 11 W. Mount Royal Ave.

Hilton Carter’s Wild at Home Book Signing
Local plant expert Hilton Carter’s Baltimore home is filled with more than 300 ferns, cacti, and other green friends. His lush designs on have earned him national attention, but he’s sticking close to home for this celebration of his first book, Wild at Home. Grab some friends and head to Trohv on Earth Day for a book signing, Q&A, and cocktails with the Instagram plant guru himself. 7-9:30 p.m. April 22. Trohv, 921 W. 36th St.

Visual Art

Monsters & Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s
Constant conflict throughout Europe in the 1930s and 1940s shaped many of the great modern artists. This show focuses on the Surrealists—Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, and André Masson, among others—and how they interpreted the violence and destruction around them. View masterworks inspired by the Spanish Civil War and World War II in this exhibition of nearly 90 pieces. Opens Feb. 24; on view during museum hours through May 26. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

David Driskell: Memories of Romare Bearden
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Romare Bearden: Visionary Artist, join one of the leading authorities on African-American art for a discussion of Bearden and his impact. David Driskell will present not only his scholarly opinion, but his personal memories of Bearden as both a friend and artist. 1-3 p.m. Feb. 9. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Music

Fourth Annual Charm City Django Jazz Fest
Celebrate the musical legacy of jazz legend Django Reinhardt over two days at the Creative Alliance. Enjoy workshops and performances from acts such as Baltimore gypsy jazz outfit Ultrafaux and Ellicott City teen guitar star Samuel Farthing, or stop in Saturday evening for a free lecture about the life of the man himself from Siv B. Lie. Times vary Feb. 22-23. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Theater

UnPresidented! A Political Variety Show
The most people usually do to celebrate President’s Day is buy a mattress at a discount. Spice up this holiday by heading to Single Carrot Theatre for a cabaret-style night of parody songs, political-themed strip tease, and artful renditions of presidential erotic poetry. Pro tip: Snag a VIP ticket for a front-row seat and open bar privileges. 8 p.m. Feb. 16. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Docs from the Docks: Trash Dance
When most people see garbage trucks, they don’t think beauty—and that’s if they think of them at all. Choreographer Allison Orr wanted people to see these essential vehicles and the people who work on them in a new light, so she got to work. The result is Trash Dance, a Sundance- and AFI-lauded documentary about Austin’s sanitation workers, their lives, and the one night they came together to dance in front of thousands. Ahead of the screening, enjoy a live dance performed by Baltimore’s own Fluid Movement. Doors at 6:30 p.m., screening at 7 p.m., panel Q&A to follow, Feb. 21. Brown Advisory, 901 S. Bond St.

From Swastika to Jim Crow
Jewish academics who escaped Nazi Germany arrived in the United States to find that antisemitism was rampant on both sides of the Atlantic. Turned away by many major universities, these scholars began teaching at Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the South, where they bonded with their students through shared experiences of segregation and discrimination. From Swastika to Jim Crow explores this phenomenon and the ways it shaped both groups. 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 27. Morgan State University Student Center Theater, 1700 E. Cold Spring Ln.

Dance

Lunar New Year Celebration
Ring in the Year of the Pig with this annual celebration at The Walters Art Museum. Let the kids try out art activities and a Chinese zodiac-themed scavenger hunt through the Arts of Asia, then secure your spot in the Sculpture Court for a performance by the Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe. The colorful dance featuring traditional lion costumes is a spectacle not to be missed. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 10. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

Literature

Talking About Race: Steve Luxenberg and Judge Robert Bell
Author and Washington Post senior editor Steve Luxenberg will be joined by former chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals Robert Bell for this conversation about the lasting impact of Plessy v. Ferguson, the court case that established the “separate but equal” doctrine in the United States. Luxenberg’s new book, Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, recounts the case through the eyes of its major figures using letters, diaries, and archives. Copies will be available for sale and signing following the discussion. 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Church of The Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

News

True Vine Finds a New Home
The True Vine Record Shop has announced that the store will move to a new location in Station North. Golden West Cafe will take over the shop’s former Hampden home, and True Vine is scheduled to reopen in its new space at 1827 N. Charles Street sometime this spring. A GoFundMe to help cover relocation costs has raised nearly $3,000 since being launched Dec. 16.

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.

While you may have to wait to take your seat for Putin On Ice (that isn’t the real title of the show), the new production from Single Carrot Theatre and The Acme Corporation, the play begins as soon as you walk in the door.

Figures in black hoods wander the space, eliciting concerned glances and occasional giggles from those waiting in the lobby. As you fill out a survey about Russian president Vladimir Putin, the hooded figures may take you or your fellow theatergoers away, but don’t worry. They, like you, are free to leave at any time.

You finally enter the theater in the dark, and without a certain degree of open-mindedness and a good sense of humor, you may leave in the dark as well. But Putin On Ice, an act of collusion between Acme playwright Lola B. Pierson and Russian-born director Yury Urnov, isn’t here to make you comfortable. Running through October 7, this absurdist portrait of the man, the myth, and the legend of Putin brings you into a cult of personality that is definitely, maybe, not an actual cult.

Pierson spoke with us about Putin, working with Single Carrot, and how to approach this brand-new theater experience. But it’s most important to remember, again, that you are free to leave at any time.

This is kind of complicated production you’ve got. In the simplest terms, how would you describe this show?
I would describe it as a cult initiation during which you will experience the truth of Putin.

So simple then.
Yes! It’s just like any other play you would see any other place. [Edit note: This, like much of the play, is a lie.]

What drew you to Putin as a subject?
It actually was sort of an indirect thing. So at Single Carrot, this was like years ago, we had this joke around the office that they were going to do an ice capade about Vladimir Putin, and then they started thinking like, oh, actually that’s kind of a good idea. We should maybe do that. So they approached the director, Yury Urnov, who is Russian and lives here now, and he obviously was like, “Yes, I definitely want to do that!” And the way he explained it to me was, “Imagine if Trump was in power for 20 more years. That’s what Putin is like for us.” And that’s really intense. We had worked on a show together before and it had gone really well. So he approached me about writing it.

What was it like working together with Urnov on this?
We met a lot and sort of just talked about things he thought and things I thought, and then I generated like 35 pages of raw text for him. No stage directions, no characters, just text. And that’s what he walked into rehearsal the first day with. Then, over the course of rehearsals, people from Single Carrot and people from Acme and designers and actors all brought more and more stuff to the table. We would rewrite and turn things into scenes and like restructure.

We both believe really strongly in the fluidity of text in theater. Like I think theater is a visual medium and text is just one element. We actually cut a scene last night, so it’ll be a different show tonight, which the cast are being very good sports about. It’s kind of a cool, fun process to do that And I think we’re lucky that both our brains sort of work pretty similarly and are pretty comfortable in the land of collage, which is what the piece is. It’s kind of amazing how often he’ll be like, “I think we need to cut this,” and I’ll be like, “Oh my God, I totally agree with you.” It was highly collaborative.

So how have people been reacting to Putin On Ice so far?
It’s been totally varied. Most people I think are like getting the joke. You don’t really have to have any prior knowledge of Putin to understand anything. So most people I think think it’s really funny. We did get one review and it felt like the guy just like totally got it, and then we got another review and the reviewer was like, “I’m a pretty intelligent person but I still don’t get it,” which we’ve actually been using as our pull quote and sending out to our newsletter and stuff. I mean there’s a lot of spectacle in the show, so you can engage with it on that level if no other level. But I think people have been into it and gotten it, gotten what we’re going for, which has been kind of a nice surprise.

Can you explain why the show has nine different Putins?
They’re different facets of representations of Putin. There are all these different images of Putin that I think are very consciously being put out into the world. There’s the one that’s like, oh, look at him snuggling with animals. He’s such a caring person. And it’s more adopting those personas than it is actually embracing Putin as a person.

The thing we’ve been talking about a lot, which obviously Yury has more knowledge than I do, is that we actually have no idea what’s true about Putin at all. One of his top advisors was a modern art guy, and he’s really into collage and manufacturing meaning, and he’s just putting out any information that he can about Putin, whether it’s like good or bad or anything. It’s just anything at all, so no one can trust anything. Russian propaganda is so sophisticated, right? It’s this manufacturing of propaganda so that you don’t even know what you’re supposed to believe. And that’s the point.

You worked together with Single Carrot on this show. How’s the collaboration been?
It’s been awesome. We have a lot of designers on our team, Yury’s an Acme member and I’m an Acme member. So a lot of what would normally be the driving artistic team was Acme people, but the actors, and Single Carrot has more actors, they were actually pretty involved in the creation of the process. And Single Carrot is just a bigger organization, so they have staff and structure and more people. I think the barrier to go somewhere new is very high, and they have been extremely gracious about opening their home to us like nine lunatics and have been totally nice to us.

One last thing. Do you have any advice for people coming to this show?
They should bring cash. And an open heart and open mind.

EAT

Sept. 15: Baltimore Seafood Festival

Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston Street. 12-7 p.m. Free-$105.

Even the impending Hurricane Florence can’t stop Marylanders from one last end-of-summer seafood feast. On Saturday, more than 35 area restaurants and food trucks will take over Canton Waterfront Park to serve up some of the best blue crabs, crab soup, crab cakes, and oysters the Old Line State has to offer. Spend the day checking off our list of must-have bites, jamming to live music by local favorites The Scotch Bonnets and Honey Extractor, and honoring the bounty of the bay from noon until sundown.

DRINK

Sept. 15: Opening of Baltimore Spirits Company

Baltimore Spirits Company, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-8 p.m. Free.

Since opening its doors in June, Union Collective has welcomed four local independent businesses into its booming makerspace, and this weekend, the Baltimore Spirits Company will add its award-winning spirits to the pack. Formerly the Baltimore Whiskey Company, this hometown distillery is celebrating its grand opening with an all-out party featuring drinks and eats from fellow tenants The Charmery, Vent Coffee Roasters, and Union Craft Brewing, as well as tunes by DJ Jack Denning of All Mighty Senators. Take a tour of the new production space, sip on cocktails made with the brand’s signature gin, brandy, amaro, or whiskey, and revel in the much-anticipated opening of this locally loved distillery.

SEE

Sept.14-Oct. 7: Putin on Ice

Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St. Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $25-29.

In an era when headlines are dominated by claims of “fake news,” Baltimore arts organizations Single Carrot Theatre and The Acme Corporation have collaborated on a project where everything that happens on stage is said to be a lie. This experimental production incorporates made-up ancient texts, falsified scientific data, and manipulated video evidence to present a wacky satirical portrait of Vladimir Putin in a performance that is sure to be one of this season’s don’t-miss events.

HEAR

Sept. 15: Afro House Concert No. 6

Hamilton-Lauraville, address disclosed upon ticket purchase. 7-9 p.m. $25.

To the artists that make up Afro House, a company of performers from across all disciplines and corners of the city, music is the thread that connects us all. For the sixth edition of the collective’s concert series, guests are invited to grab a seat in the living room of a local home to hear the creative ensemble play a fusion of classical, soul, and rock music in an intimate setting. This is a new music experience in Baltimore, led by local composer and pianist Scott Patterson.

DO

Sept. 16: Abell Community Street Fair

3000-3200 Abell Ave. 12-5 p.m. Free.

Home to beloved local spots like The Book Thing and Normal’s Book and Records, this growing neighborhood is one to celebrate. Start your Sunday by watching the annual children’s costume parade stroll down Abell Avenue at 11:30 a.m., and then enjoy an afternoon of sampling eats from local food trucks and brews by Abell’s own Peabody Heights Brewery, exchanging your summer clothes at The Clothing Swap, and browsing works by area artists. Best of all, this year’s fair boasts two stages of live performances, featuring rising acts like James & the Giant Peach and Joseph & The Beasts.

“My name means the shape I am…” —Humpty Dumpty

Martine Richards was in bad shape, afraid she was going to wind up with egg on her face.

Her party for friends and acquaintances—an afternoon of silliness and vittles, “the dumbest thing I do all year,” she said—had always been a manageable affair, held at her home or a friend’s house and once in Druid Hill Park.

But this year, as the 31-year-old geared up for the Seventh Annual Baltimore Deviled Egg Pageant, and for reasons unknown, the event took on a life of its own, becoming bigger and more intimidating by the day.

Richards woke up a few weeks ago to find that she had a monster on her hands. And it is set to invade the Single Carrot Theatre at 1 p.m. this Sunday, September 16.

It seems that more than 1,200 people expressed interest in attending Martine’s little egg party via Facebook, well over ten times than had ever attended before. The response presented two problems: The Single Carrot lobby near Richards’ home in Remington has a capacity of about 100. And even if she could accommodate such a ravenous crowd, could there possibly be enough eggs prepared in time for everyone to down a few?

In the Gospels, the loaves and fishes are not accompanied by a side of deviled eggs.

By the math of most informal events, where a fraction of those who say they cannot wait to attend actually show up, Richard reckons that everything will be fine—especially if the weather is nice so the theater parking lot can accommodate the overflow.

Hopefuls will battle it out in the following categories: “Best Meaty Egg,” “Best Meatless Egg,” “Best Not an Egg,” (let your minds wander), and “Audience Choice.”

After a quintet of judges has selected a winner in each of those groups, the most delectable diablo will be crowned “Best in Show,” with a tiara and wild applause along with a whole bunch of honorable mentions just for fun.

This leaves a parsley-garnished question on the tip of every great-aunt’s tongue: What about the best traditional deviled egg?

“There used to be a traditional category, but it caused too many arguments,” said Richards. “Everybody thought their grandmother’s recipe was the classic. I got too much push back and did away with it.”

Deviled egg aficionado Kendall Jenkins, another Remington resident who runs with Richards’ grub posse, believes the quandary over what is a “true deviled egg” falls into two historic classes: savory versus sweet. Even with a divide as simple as that, however, provincial predilections abide.

“You will find people are incredibly loyal to a brand of mayonnaise that they use,” said Jenkins, a 30-year-old originally from North Carolina. “I would only dare to use homemade mayo or Duke’s in my eggs.”

Duke’s is decidedly a Southern product, though it appears in groceries as far away as Idaho and Maine. Baltimoreans favor Hellman’s mayonnaise (“bring out the best!”) while a younger generation of Crabtown cooks prefer a shake of Old Bay on top instead of the paprika that likely dusted the deviled eggs at their First Communion or Bar Mitzvah.

No matter the filling or the garnish, said Jenkins, “appearance is important for the perfect deviled egg. You want the eggs to look neat and clean, and it is crucial to not overcook the yolks so you have a nice bright yellow color to your filling.”

In many families, where at least one matron or matriarch-in-waiting holds the title of “deviled egg lady,” the debate over what makes for the real thing is as intense as the arguments among Italian-Americans over whose grandmother made the best tomato sauce.

The deviled egg recipe in the family of 2018 pageant judge Courtney Hobson goes back to the first decades of the 20th century, back to the southern Virginia kitchen of her maternal great-grandmother, Brownie Cornelia Morgan Gaines in the Shenandoah Valley town of Staunton.

“My mother learned from her mom and she learned from Brownie. I have eaten deviled eggs for as long as I can remember,” said Hobson, who at 28, long before the mantle is typically passed to the next generation, has become “the deviled egg lady” in her family.

Certainly, there are families in which the hallowed (and hollowed) honor of filling a cut-in-half-and-scooped-out hard-boiled egg with a whipped yolk concoction belongs to a man. But that seems to be as untraditional as a deviled egg made with chicken liver mousse and pureed pear, an entry in a previous Richards contest.

The Hobson family recipe follows tradition, one that Courtney sampled as a young “official taster” before the goodies were set out with the potato salad, sliced ham, and dinner rolls at family gatherings.

“It has to have a good balance of vinegar and mustard,” said Hobson, who uses wet mustard where Brownie was partial to dry. As a kid, she said, “I knew [the filling] was just right when it wasn’t too vinegary—the mustard helped to calm it down but the relish still gave it some kick.”

While Courtney will be making Hobson family deviled eggs for “the judges circle,” as will her fellow jurists, everyone outside of that circle be forewarned.

“I typically don’t trust most people’s deviled eggs,” she said.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

December 16: S’mores, Stars, & the Winter Solstice

Lake Roland, 1000 Lakeside Dr. 6-8 p.m. $3-5. 410-887-4156.

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we’re reminded of how quickly we’re approaching the next solstice and the official start of winter. Despite drop in temperature, celebrate this astronomical phenomenon with lessons about the night sky and folklore of holiday traditions. While you’re huddled beneath thick blankets, you can warm up by the bonfire at Lake Roland, roast some marshmallows, and assemble your own s’mores. This campfire classic—toasted mallow and melted chocolate sandwiched between crunchy graham crackers—will keep you cozy all night.

 DRINK

December 15: Comedy & Cocktails

Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St. 8-9:30 p.m. $10. 443-844-9253.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and with 2017 going out in such a successfully stressful bang, we have to admit: We could really use a strong prescription. This Friday, Single Carrot is bringing us some relief with an evening of standup comedy with the added bonus of cocktails. Throw back some laughs with Baltimore’s up-and-coming comedians, including Peter Muth, Bryan Preston, and headliner Chelsea Shorte, at the intimate local theater located in Remington. And if you need help loosening up, take advantage of a free drink—be it spiked apple cider, special cocktails, Natty Boh, or wine. 

 SEE

December 16: Post Typography Print & Poster Sale

Post Typography, 2219 St. Paul St. 12-4 p.m. Free. 410-889-7469.

We don’t know about you, but we gush over beautiful typography and clean designs, especially those of concert-poster principal Post Typography. If you feel the same way, stop by the press’s Old Goucher studio this Saturday for its annual print and poster sale. Whether you’re looking to complete your office aesthetic or hunting for a reasonably priced gift, you’ll stumble upon a smorgasbord of artwork packed with personality, color, and fantastic fonts on everything from paper products to ephemera and apparel. They’ll certainly have the classic Bill Murray Groundhog Day movie poster (an oversized image of Murray made from thousands of pixelated Bills). But keep your eyes out for some specials, including a special Future Islands touring poster that doubles as a giant constellation chart, signed posters from the Maryland Film Festival, and out-of-print Double Dagger vinyl. Items can’t be reserved ahead of time, so make sure you’re one of the first to get there. 

 HEAR

December 16: 15 Years of Arbouretum

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $10-12. 410-662-0069. 

Since 2002, this legendary quartet has captured local audiences with their intricate jams, profound and poetic lyrics, and distinctive brand of alternative rock. Even after a years-long hiatus, fans remained loyal and hoped for a comeback, which, luckily, they got. In March, the band unveiled Song of the Rose, an album comprised of eight tracks displaying their compelling sound. It led to star reviews and a jam-packed show at the Ottobar with listeners young and old. This Saturday, hear them live in celebration of 15 years of success, along with guests Television Hill and Stephen Strohmeier. While you’re there, don’t forget to pick up a limited-edition vinyl of their new record.

 DO

December 16: Holiday Heap

Space 2640, 2640 St. Paul St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Choosing the right gift for someone can be a difficult task, but with everything being mass-produced these days, the answer is kind of obvious. There’s nothing better than giving or getting a one-of-a-kind gift, especially one that’s made right here in Baltimore. On Saturday, check things off your holiday with a medley of handmade goods crafted by more than 50 local and regional artists. If you need suggestions, check out the repurposed china necklaces made by The Broken Plate, vinegar-infused wellness tonics by Red Root & Co., popsicle-shaped crayons by A Childhood Store, and waxed Army duck canvas bags by Stitch & Rivet. You can even test out your own DIY skills and make your own gift at the Artists and Craftsman Supply’s craft demo. 

When Single Carrot Theatre artistic director Genevieve de Mahy was in Budapest in March of 2015, she saw an unforgettable performance that deeply connected her to the city.

She returned home where, a month later, Freddie Gray’s death lead to the city’s Uprising and de Mahy thought it was more crucial than ever to bring the performance to Baltimore. 

“Freddie Gray’s death forced our city to take a good hard look at itself and confront its deep divides,” she said. “Our hope is that Promenade can deepen our connections to one another while questioning, challenging, and confronting the complex.”

Promenade puts its audience on a bus and has them travel around the city while listening to audio narration from both actors and city residents. When the audio tour starts out, the narrator proclaims: “Your city will never be the same as it is on this night” and reminds the audience to always be looking around.

While traversing the neighborhoods, Single Carrot actors play out scenes on the street. There are some subtle plotlines, but the performances act more like vignettes of typical city scenes: a woman sweeping her front walk, a postal worker delivering mail, a medical resident leaving work, or a reporter photographing a street performer.

The 95-minute show took passengers through Remington, Reservoir Hill, Bolton Hill, Greenmount, Waverly, Charles Village, Guilford, and back again. All the while, stories from Baltimoreans were playing through headphones—all of which rang true in one form or another. (“Some days Baltimore gives you a hug and others it punches you in the stomach.”)

“I interviewed nearly 40 Baltimore residents, attended community meetings, church services, and got walking tours of these neighborhoods,” de Mahy said. “We have had discussions as a group of artists and Baltimoreans sharing our own stories and perspectives.”

There was some chronology to the tour, as it started out by recounting the jazz age on Pennsylvania Avenue. A particularly poignant moment came when a resident talked about the glory days of the Royal Theater as the bus passed a mural depicting the theater alongside legendary musicians. 

The music was another key element to the audio portion of the performance with selections from The Orioles, Wilson Pickett, Beach House, Future Islands, Matmos, and Lake Trout. Each song was perfectly curated for the atmosphere of the scenes just outside the bus windows.

Promenade perfected the art of timing, too, as the audience would hear a car horn play just as a near-crash happened outside or the bus would turn out of Guilford onto Greenmount Avenue as a local resident chimed in: “Baltimore can change on a dime.”

As the bus weaved its way up North Avenue past the Howard Street bridge, the story turned to the 2015 Uprising and how some residents were shocked by what happened in their city, while others were less surprised that it had come to a head. “People said they couldn’t believe communities were destroying their own property,” one man said. “But they never owned anything in the first place.”

It should be noted that there were certainly moments of discomfort viewing the city on a bus while wearing headphones that could have veered toward the exploitative. But, in contrast to the shameless Wire tours that went on a decade ago, Promenade provides context and relevance for those complex feelings, which results in a genuine appreciation of Baltimore—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

And while the Promenade: Baltimore production, actors, and audio were all stunning (and an incredible logistical feat), the most brilliant part was perhaps just observing the city with new eyes. On a pleasant summer night, plenty of people were out on the stoop, running on the playground, playing on the basketball court, or hula-hooping in the park. There was nothing incredible going on outside the bus windows, but that was just it.

The entire performance reminded the audience of the beauty—and the occasional heartache—of the ordinary.

Baltimore Wine Festival
June 17. Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St. 12-7 p.m. $15-95. 410-409-7123. Calling all vino lovers. The third annual Baltimore Wine Festival is back with more than 160 vintages from around the world. Seasoned sommeliers and Franzia fanatics alike can stroll through Canton Waterfront Park and enjoy everything from rieslings to rosés, with gourmet food from more than 30 area eateries like The Local Oyster and Dooby’s, live music, cooking demos, and family fun along the harbor.

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Promenade: Baltimore
June 2-25. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St. Thu.-Fri. 6:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 2 & 6:30 p.m. $30-35. 443-844-9253. All the city’s a stage in this new show from Single Carrot Theatre, now in its 10th year. As part of a “love letter to Baltimore,” audience members will board buses and explore city sites while actors create an immersive theatrical experience, fusing fantasy with the everyday.

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Flock of Dimes  
June 8. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $14-16. 410-662-0069. It’s been nearly two years since Wye Oak lead singer Jenn Wasner left the city streets of Baltimore to live a simpler life in rural North Carolina. It was there, from a quiet bungalow in the Old North State, that Wasner wrote her first full-length release under her solo moniker, Flock of Dimes. Released last fall, If You See Me, Say Yes is an accomplished feat, connecting the past with the present through bright, buoyant rhythms and introspective melodies. For one night, hear Wasner back in her hometown to promote her beautiful new tracks like “Birthplace” and “Semaphore.” 

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Paul Simon
June 9. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 6 p.m. $55-175. 410-715-5550. After more than 10 years, Paul Simon graces the Baltimore region (this time, with Lilith Fair songstress Sarah McLachlan in tow). For one night only, expect enduring favorites from his classic albums—fingers crossed for “The Boy in the Bubble”—and new hits from his most recent release, Stranger to Stranger. We, indeed, are still crazy (for Paul Simon) after all these years.

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HonFest
June 10-11. 1002 W. 36th St. Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 12-6 p.m. There are few more truly “Bawlmer” celebrations than HonFest in Hampden. For the 24th year, don boas, beehives, and other 1960s garb to honor the blue-collar spirit and historic workingwomen of Baltimore. It’s a rite-of-passage block party with local food, lots of live music, and, of course, the contest for Baltimore’s best hon.

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Tour Dem Parks Hon
June 11. Druid Hill Park, 900 Druid Park Lake Dr. 7 a.m. $20-55. In the early days of summer, hit the pavement for this 15th annual bicycle tour of Baltimore’s local parks. With the wind in your hair, cycle through the city’s diverse neighborhoods and luscious green spaces and make new friends along the way. Best of all, there’s a post-ride barbecue with live jazz.

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Janet & Walter Sondheim Finalists Exhibition
June 17-Aug. 13. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. Before Artscape kicks off in July, head to The Walters to get to know the winners of Baltimore’s most prestigious visual art award—including city native Kyle Tata and his mixed media work. 

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Baltimore Pride
June 17-18. Charles North & Station North. Locations & times vary. Free. For one weekend each year, the heart of Baltimore runs ROYGBIV. Follow the rainbow at the 42nd annual Baltimore Pride celebration, feting the city’s LGBTQ community with block parties, dance parties, the iconic high heel race, and a festive, float-filled parade. 

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John Legend
June 20. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7:30 p.m. $59-499. 410-715-5550. With an adorable new baby, a shelf-load of awards (Hello, Oscar!), and a hilarious supermodel wife, John Legend is on quite the winning streak. Hear the R&B singer-songwriter and pianist do what he does best when he graces the Merriweather stage with hits like “Ordinary People,” tearjerkers like “All of Me,” and sounds from his latest album, Darkness and Light.

In 2006, “largest” was not an adjective Genevieve de Mahy would have ever thought to use to describe her fledgling theater company. But a lot can change in a decade, and today Single Carrot Theatre—the plucky, avant-garde troupe formed by Colorado college students who transplanted to Baltimore—is indeed the city’s largest alternative theater.

Now the artistic director, de Mahy laughs as she thinks about that evolution, but she understands what this new description means at such a pivotal time in their history. “Baltimore is a really interesting theater city because there are large institutions, like Everyman Theatre and Center Stage, and a lot of DIY theaters. We’re right in the middle of that,” she says. “We’ve gone through so much change in the past few years, and we’re asking ourselves, ‘What are the next 10? Where is our place in Baltimore as a lasting institution?’”

The changes during the last decade are apparent, and perhaps typical for a growing company. (Its name, by the way, comes from a quote by painter Paul Cézanne: “The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.”)

Some of the founders moved on to other pursuits while the group bounced between spaces—in downtown, in Hampden, at the Load of Fun (now Motor House) building in Station North—and ultimately settled into a former tire shop in Remington, converting it into a 99-seat theater.

De Mahy thinks of the 10th season as an opportunity to expose Baltimore to more innovative works, like Promenade: Baltimore—audiences board a bus and watch actors perform at stops around the city. “We are only now at the point where we could think about doing a project of this scale,” de Mahy says. “We’re adamant that it not be a tourist ride. The idea is to showcase Baltimore neighborhoods, highlighting the drastically diverse landscape.”

It’s those kind of immersive experiences that keep Doreen Bolger, longtime patron and former director at The Baltimore Museum of Art, coming back. “The actors are almost in reach, and the audience is part of the performance,” she says. “Even in its new space, Single Carrot still has that connection. They’re highly professional, but still take risks.”

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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.”