Young Actors & Artists Sky Pioneer and Piano Music

It's a busy week around the area,with several events that could easily be considered the "one you should not miss."

The Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, welcomes actress and storyteller Tammy Denease Richardson for a 7 p.m. performance of "Bessie Coleman: First African American Aviatrix." Ms. Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926) received the first pilot's license issued to an African American, male or female, from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, located in Lausanne, Switzerland. She returned to the United States in September of 1921 and began to perform in the Chicago area, doing aerobatic loops and figure eights. Her ultimate goal was to establish a flying school for African Americans. In 1925 she moved to Houston and performed throughout the South, drawing multi-cultural crowds. Coleman used her position of prominence to encourage other African Americans to fly. She also made a point of refusing to perform at locations that wouldn't admit members of her race. Ms. Coleman died in a plane crash as she was preparing for an air show in Jacksonville, Florida,, and her funeral was attended by over 5,000 people.

Learn more about Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman in this wonderful one-person show. The event is free and open to the public. Call 347-2825, extension 135, for more information.

The Junior Repertory Company of Oddfellows Playhouse presents "Everything So Far", a comedy/drama by C. Denby Swanson and Doug Rand, Thursday March 6 through Saturday March 14 on the OP Main Stage, 128 Washington Street. The story, loosely adapted from a 9th grade Biology text, follows a recently deceased young man as he travels back through time and encounters a dinosaur in search of a lost egg, a fly with 24 hours to live, the three Fates, a biologist with dark intentions, and the All Chimp Runaway Lab Monkey Band. Director Jane Harris has worked closely with her cast of 14 actors, all between the age of 12 - 14, and the results should be fun and thought-provoking. The March 6 show at 7 p.m. is the "pay-what-you-can-preview", the night that you choose your entry fee and also bring a can of food for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. Subsequent performances (3/07, 08, 13 and 14) are at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call 347-6143.

Pianist and composer Carolyn Halsted will perform music by Schumann and Beethoven Friday March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street. Ms. Halsted, who has worked with CONCORA and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, is a popular piano teacher in town and also has taught at Wesleyan and Central Connecticut State University. Joining the pianist for the world premiere of her "Tree Songs" will be soprano Stacey Grimaldi. For more information or to reserve a seat for this fine concert, call 347-4957.

While much of this week's discussion about education in Middletown has centered around budget cuts (read here), this coming Saturday we can all celebrate the Middletown Public Schools Annual Art Exhibition. The "opening reception " of the show takes place from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Zilkha Gallery. The exhibition runs through Sunday March 15. Gallery hours are 1- 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 12noon - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. One cannot help but be impressed by the quality of the work on all levels (kindergarten- 12th grade) so take your time and see what these children can do (with the help of a very dedicated staff of art instructors.)