A Mid-Summer Week's Happenings (Part 1)

Monday July 14:
The Buttonwood Tree hosts a weekly Open Mic hosted by J-Cherry. Whether you are a poet, essayist, fiction writer, singer/songwriter, the microphone is yours. Sign-ups begin at 7 p.m. and the entertainment at 7:30.

Tuesday July 15:
The "Days" event this week at the Wesleyan Center for the Arts features instrument maker/musician/storyteller Hawk Henries. Henries, a member of the northeastern Algonquian tribe known as the Nipmuc (originally from Massachusetts), will deliver a talk and perform music that is both ancient and new, with a philosophy built on the land, the arts and self-sufficiency. The event takes place at 12:10 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall and is free to all. To find out more about Henries, go to www.hawkhenries.com.

Movie Night in Middletown, held every Tuesday at the Goldsmith Family Cinema at Wesleyan, features Gary Cooper in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." The screening of the 1936 Frank Capra film begins at 7:30 p.m. with an introduction presented by actor/film enthusiast Edward Hermann ("The Gilmore Girls.") This event is free and open to the public. To find out more about the series and the "Cinefare" options, call the Chamber of Commerce at 347-6924 or check out this post.

If you'd rather be outside, the City of Middletown Summer Sounds Series takes place at 7 p.m. on South Green. This week, the Sonny Rogers Band serves up a smorgasbord of popular music, swing, and jazz. Bring lawn chairs, picnic food and more to this free event.

Wednesday July 16:
The Music at the Mansion Series, held on the spacious and very green back lawn of the Long Hill Estate/Wadsworth Mansion, welcomes the duo of Jay Ungar & Molly Mason for a 6:30 p.m. show. The pair have been performing together since the late 1970s with a repertoire that is filled with "hard-driving Appalachian, Cajun and Celtic fiddle tunes, stirring Civil War classics, sassy songs from the golden age of swing and country, stunning waltzes, and deeply moving original compositions" (from their website.) Many people have heard them perform on various Public Radio programs as well as Ungar's involvement on the soundtracks of numerous documentaries by Ken Burns. The grounds of the mansion open at 5:30 p.m. for those who wish to picnic and find a desirable spot to set down a blanket. For more information, call 347-1064. To get a taste of the duo's music, go to www.jayandmolly.com.

Thursday July 16:
The ARTFARM production of "The Taming of the Shrew" begins its 8-show run in the Grove at Middlesex Community College College, Training Hill Road. The 7 p.m. performance is preceded at 6 on Opening Night with a performance by guitarist and vocalist Nancy Tucker. The show goes on rain or shine!! - in the instance of the former, the show moves inside to the second floor of Founder's Hall. If the weather is good, bring a blanket, beach chair, comestibles, and a good supply of bug repellent. To find out more about the entertainment, read here. To learn more about ARTFARM, go to www.art-farm.org.

The Center for the Arts at Wesleyan presents the Hendrik Meurkens Samba Jazz Quartet at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall. Meurkens, born in Germany, is one of the finest jazz harmonica players in the world and his love for Brazilian music is unsurpassed. More about him and his fine ensemble later in the week - tickets are available by calling 685-3355 or going to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.