June… and save July 11th at 7pm for the Athenaeum’s 170th birthday

celebration, with special guest ATHENA. And summery things are happening

all over town, so take a stroll in the sun and seek out some adventures!

FOLLOW-UP TO SALON: Did you miss Bertrand Laurence’s musical, witty,

wonderful Salon last Friday? We have a little clip for you, courtesy of

YouTube and cinematographer John Chiafalo:

House, 9 Duncan Avenue (at North Main Street). Friday Night Live is

composed of interactive scenes and on-the-spot musicals featuring

improvised song, dance, and skits for audiences of all ages; the diverse

cast includes veteran Everett Dance Theatre artists, young up-and-coming

performers, and Bertrand, of course! For more on Bertrand:

COMING SOON IN JUNE:

Wed, June 11, 5:30pm: TOUR OF THE LADD OBSERVATORY for Athenaeum members

and guests! Many of you enjoyed Ladd Observatory astronomer and curator

Francine Jackson’s salon on the world of discovery in 1838 last

November. Now you can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ladd, which

opened in 1891, before it undergoes important renovations this summer;

we will also schedule an “after” tour, probably for fall. For more on

the Ladd (including directions on how to sign up for the Observatory’s

weekly e-news, a wide-ranging and wonderfully written account of the

cancellation). The Ladd is located at 210 Doyle Avenue, at the corner of

Hope Street.

AND LOOK WHAT ELSE IS UP AROUND TOWN:

Thursday, 6/5, 6-9pm: S’Wonderful, the Providence Singers’ gala

celebration honoring Dave and Iola Brubeck, legendary jazz composer and

lyricist and joint recipients of the first New Rhythmus Award for

exemplary contributions to the choral arts in America, and Patricia

Fuller, singer, trustee, arts advocate (and long-time friend and member

of the Athenaeum!). At the Roger Williams Park Casino. Much music

included. Tickets are $100 for the Gala, $250 for the VIP reception

(starts at 5:15) and Gala; call 401-751-5700. For more on Providence

Thurs, 6/5, pm: Chefs Mark Strausman and Pino Luongo, co-authors of Two

Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen present a six-course tasting menu at

Trattoria Simpatico in Jamestown. The book will be available for sale

and signing by the chefs/authors that evening. Presented as part of the

Rhode Island Library Association’s Annual Conference, Strausman and

Luongo are this year’s “President’s Speakers”. Tickets to the tasting

are $38 for RILA members and $50 for non-members. For reservations

please call 401-423-3731. Trattoria Simpatico is located at 13

Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown.

Sat, 6/7, from 8:30am on: Mashapaug Pond Procession. There are unsafe

levels of bacteria, dioxins and PCBs in Mashapaug Pond in South

Providence . It is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young

children to eat the fish from this pond. At the request of the Health

Department and the Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode

Island State Council of the Arts has commissioned new signs that have

more impact and can be understood by the diverse cultures that use the

pond. The Department of Transportation will fabricate permanent signs to

be placed around the pond. To reach the community directly, a procession

through the neighborhood will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2008, with

students from Adelaide High School and Charles Fortes Elementary along

with community members from Wat Thorikaram on Hanover Street and other

neighbors. Procession participants will carry silkscreen posters and

wear fish costumes made in workshops taught by artists Andrew Oesch,

Jennifer Rice and Holly Ewald. What Cheer? Marching Brigade and Big

Nazo puppets will lead the procession. The students’ posters will be

resources for the final signs to be permanently placed around the pond.

The Mashapaug Boating Center , the procession’s final destination, is a

hidden jewel behind the Job Lot on Resevoir Ave. It exemplifies what

the pond once was, and what it can be, if the community, city and state

come together to cleanup and care for Mashapaug. At the boathouse we

plan to have music performed by a group from Community MusicWorks. There

will be food and recognition of the artwork created by the participants.

Please join the parade and spread the word! You can join at any point

along the procession route, which starts at 8:30am at Wat Thorikaram

Buddhist Temple, 177 Hanover Street; it will be at Charles Fortes

Elementary School at 9:30am, and 10:30 at Adelaide High School (with Big

Nazo!).

For any questions please contact Holly Ewald at 862-4229 or

Wed, 6/11, 6:30pm: The Covenant on Police Accountability, led by Jamele

Adams, associate dean of student life at Brandeis University, moderated

by attorney Walter R. Stone. The forum will be held at the Public Safety

Complex Auditorium, 325 Washington Street in Providence. This is the

second in a series of forums being provided to discuss the disparities

between black America and white America based on the New York Times

bestseller, The Covenant, edited by Tavis Smiley. The Covenant is a

collection of essays that plot a course for African-Americans,

explaining how individuals and households can make changes that will

immediately improve their circumstances in areas ranging from health and

education to crime reduction and financial well-being. Each essay

outlines one key issue and provides a list of resources and suggestions

for action. Covenant with Black America is funded by the RI Council for

the Humanities and presented by Anne Edmonds Clanton. For more

information call 401-258-1910. (Note: On Tuesday, September 23 at 7pm

the Forum on Education, with Joan Countryman, will be held at the

Athenaeum, more information will follow.)

Now through June 15th: an untamed Taming of the Shrew at the Gamm

Theatre, directed with infectious abandon by Peter Sampieri. For

tickets: 401-723-4266; for more info:

Sat, 6/21, 5pm: A walking tour of North Burial Ground by architectural

historian Robert O. Jones, to introduce his “Printed Guide to the North

Burial Ground”. Starts at the cemetery office, 5 Branch Avenue at North

Main Street. Presented as part of Cryptic Providence, an art and

performance project interpreting the history of the North Burial Ground.

Free and open to the public! For more on Cryptic Providence: