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Portrait of a Lady
Friday 30
Shaker Bridge Theatre brings the drama with a one-night-only staged reading of Marisa Smith’s Samantha Inside Out at Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. Pulitzer Prize finalist (and theater-kid icon) Theresa Rebeck directs Broadway veteran Jayne Atkinson in the new one-woman show about chaos, wreckage and starting over.
Organized Chaos
Friday 30
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High-voltage talent takes over the Montpelier Performing Arts Hub for the Brass Balagan Variety Show, where giddy guests find a circus full of fun. The social justice street band (whose name means “chaotic mess” in Yiddish) brings its usual red jumpsuits and horns, while standup comedy acts get hands clapping and klezmer, Latin, Balkan and blues tunes get toes tapping.
Petal to the Metal
Thursday 29
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Road riders of all ages have a wheelie wicked time celebrating cycling culture and the great outdoors at the annual Bike Bloom at Burlington’s Intervale Center. Group treks of varying paces from mellow to zippy include a meandering Riparian Ride — focused on the center’s ecology and conservation efforts — and a Tour de Toddler to accommodate striders and trailers for wee passengers.
A Night to Remember
Thursday 29
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“Anne Frank: A History for Today” — an unmissable traveling exhibit curated by the University of South Carolina — makes its way to Woodstock Union High School for a powerful Community Night. Attendees ages 12 and up take in a short film, a keynote presentation by author K. Heidi Fishman and thought-provoking discussions with local student docents trained by the university.
Feels Like Home
Thursday 29
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This year’s Fair Housing Month Community Exhibit closes out with an inspired reception at Burlington City Hall. Neighbors gather to hear readings by teen authors from the Young Writers Project, get creative with a hands-on letterpress activity, and reflect on key themes of inclusivity and the importance of home. Check out the show’s artworks and writing selections before it concludes on May 31.
Smoke Signals
Saturday 31
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Yeehaw! Country music, backyard barbecue and lawn games make for the perfect Pig Jig at the Green Mountain Lounge at Mount Ellen in Warren. Attendees rope in the good vibes with an ice-cold beverage in one hand and saucy pig roast bites in the other, while live honky-tonk tunes by Red River North, Wild Leek River and Hobo get two-steppin’ hoofers out on the dance floor.
Rhapsody in Stowe
Monday 2
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The Tom Gershwin Quintet brings down the house with musical precision and improvisational wizardry at Field Guide Lodge in Stowe. Headed by the eponymous Northeast Kingdom trumpeter-composer, the five-piece ensemble grabs listeners’ attention with expressive jazz compositions from forthcoming album Wellspring — the product of a Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant.
