Hot Times in the Old Town (Part 2)

Thursday, ARTFARM begins the 2nd week of its Summer 2011 "Shakespeare in the Grove" presentation of "Shakespeare's Argument."  This being ARTFARM's 10th anniversary, they decided to revisit and update the first production founding artistic directors Marcella Trowbridge and Dic Wheeler put in the backyard of the Middlesex County Historical Society (in the summer of 2001.)  Local playwright Jean-Ann Wertz greatly helped to reshape the piece and the 4 actors (Ms. Trowbridge, Annie DiMartino, Ken O'Brien and Jesse Gabbard) play a slew of roles to illustrate, among other ideas, how the Bard's plays remain relevant 500 years since their conception. 

Performances are 7 p.m. through Sunday and take place in the Grove at Middlesex Community College, Training Hill Road - in case of rain, the whole shebang moves indoors to the 2nd floor of Chapman Hall.  A $20 donation is suggested but feel free to give what you can.  For more information, go to www.art-farm.org.

Each show is preceded at 6 p.m. with a live concert. Performers this week include They Might Be Gypsies (Thursday), Nancy Tucker (Friday), the Bill Carbone Three (Saturday) and Middletown-native Tom Callinan (Sunday). 

The Center for the Arts at Wesleyan has a great reputation for bringing the best in modern dance to Middletown every semester and that includes the Summer. Thursday and Friday evenings, revel in the brilliance of Trey McIntyre Project, a troupe based in Boise, Idaho, as they bring 2 pieces, both based in the sounds and sights of New Orleans,  to the CFA Theater. Both "Ma Maison" and "The Sweeter End" feature the music of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the former presenting a unique view of the traditional New Orleans funeral procession and the latter looking at how the city continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina.  Performances are 8 p.m. both nights - tickets are available online at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa or by calling 860-685-3355.

The Luis Lopez Herb Garden Concert Series continues Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m with the Jocelyn Pleasant Trio.  The Garden, located at the corner of Main & Green Streets, is a lovely place to listen to and watch live music.  Ms. Pleasant, a native of Hartford, is an active musician as well as an educator (she's on the staff of the Green Street Arts Center) - her music blends many different styles of jazz and is also influenced by the blues (and more.)  The event is free and open to the public. 

Thursday was also supposed to feature a 6:30 p.m. performance by the Middletown Symphonic Band, Marco Gaylord, music director, at The Village at South Farms, Saybrook Road.  Due to the (expected) excess heat and the fact this was an outdoors performance, the concert has rescheduled to next Thursday (7/28), same time and same location. 

So, instead, head over to the Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School, LaRosa Lane, for the Middletown Teen Theater production of "Chicago."  Performances are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and tickets are available on-line at www.middletownteentheater.com.