As I’m glancing through the calendars on ColumbusMakesArt.com, I’m amazed at the diversity of arts events happening this weekend, whether it’s new musical works created with local poets, to outdoor theater and music performances, to an exhibition of cartoons, to a feature on The Muppets! Here’s what I discovered:
The event that first caught my eye is The Big Score on Wednesday, May 22 at the Garden Theater. It’s a joint production from CODE and Sunday at Central that pairs six Columbus poets with six Columbus composers to create original works. So you can see the written work of Barbara Fant, Scott Woods, Louise Robertson and others set to music by Mark Lomax, Michael Rene Torres, Jennifer Jolley and other composers. It sounds like an incredible night, and it’s free!
Next is the start of Actors’ Theatre of Columbus’ season in Schiller Park! If you’ve never caught one of their shows, make a point to go this summer. They perform from the end of May through early September. They’re kicking off a season with the theme “tainted love,” with Romeo & Juliet this Thursday, May 23.
One of my first favorite writers was James Thurber. I performed his short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” in my high school forensics program. I’ve read most of his short stories, a couple books of his letters and seen many of his cartoons. (There are stories that employees at the New Yorker, where he worked, would find his cartoon dogs scribbled in random places on the walls.) So I’m excited for the new exhibition Thurber’s Columbus at the Thompson Library at Ohio State. It opened last weekend and runs through Aug. 18.
Other notable events this weekend:
- Our new Grants & Services Coordinator, Stevi Knighton, has started hosting a weekly poetry night every Thursday from 9-11:30 p.m. at Burgerim downtown!
- BalletMet performs three works from Artistic Director Edwaard Liang from May 24 to June 2.
- Honey & Blue performs at Combustion Brewery in Pickerington on Friday, May 24
- COSI opens their new exhibition Jim Henson: Imagination Unlimited on Saturday, May 25
- The Asian Festival returns to Franklin Park Conservatory on May 25-26
- Shadowbox Live offers a free performance of Leather & Lace: A Tribute to the Women of Rock at the Columbus Commons on Sunday, May 26
And finally… I’ll hold my thoughts on the Game of Thrones finale, but if you’re having withdrawal, you can see Kristian Nairn — better known as Hodor — who has a prolific career as a DJ. He’s appearing at Park Street Cantina on May 23 in… wait for it… Rave of Thrones.
We’ll be sure to tag our arts discoveries this weekend with #artmakescbus!
Nick is Marketing, Communications, & Events Administrator for the Arts Council. He also leads culinary tours and blogs about breakfast at breakfastwithnick.com. He is currently amusing himself with Game of Thrones memes.