Anwar Newton still remembers the feeling he had his first time on stage: embarrassment. “I wrote down some stuff beforehand, but you realize very quickly that what you think is funny is actually really dumb and boring,” he says. “I don’t even remember what I said. My brain just locked…
Aerial Silks Class When it comes to extracurricular activity, we figure that if Real Housewives in multiple cities can do it, the general public can, too. Which is just as good an excuse as any to try out Scorpius Dance Theatre’s aerial silks class. The company’s master of aerial arts,…
Though one of the most tumultuous weeks in stock market history may have worked itself out by the end of last week, the panic stretched across the country as people feared the worst for their finances. We can’t exactly give you stock market advice, but we can provide you with…
Etsy Craft Night Music, snacks, kaleidoscopes. . . it’s not your preschooler’s Monday morning lesson plan, it’s Etsy Craft Night at TechShop, 249 East Chicago Street in Chandler. Friday night, amateur and expert crafters alike are welcome to come build cool things out of paper. Sculptures, mosaics and the Everest…
Minneapolis is a city full of art and culture. Everywhere you turn there’s a statue to see, a musician to hear, or a gallery to dip into. Even the sides of buildings are proof this town appreciates art. In between modern glass skyscrapers you’ll find older brick buildings with tiny,…
Tom Green has been a “silly” guy for over 20 years now. He’s hosted TV shows, starred in movies, written a book, and a wide variety of other comedic things. Regardless of the medium, Green has always preferred to do his own thing rather than what someone else is telling…
Some artists are too swamped with their own work to manage meaningful collaborations with other artists. But Ron May, founding artistic director for Stray Cat Theatre, isn’t letting his own hectic schedule keep him from the sorts of collaborations that fuel artistic growth and audience development. By day, he works…
It looks like [nueBOX], the nonprofit arts organization established in 2014 by Matther Mosher and Julie Akerly, is already starting to think outside its own box. Conceived as a nonprofit residency program for emerging performance and installation artists, [nueBOX] recently announced its newest artists in residence: a pairing of CONDER/dance…
The good news is that no one among us will go broke seeing every single interesting and innovative theater production this coming season. The bad news is that commerce dictates another year of More of the Same. The exceptions are worth noting. Perhaps taking a cue from Phoenix Theatre, which…
In recent years, the metro Phoenix theater scene has witnessed both boom and bust. Phoenix Theatre underwent significant renovations after receiving a $1 million gift from The Walton Family Foundation. But other theater companies, including Arizona Jewish Theatre and Actors Theatre of Phoenix, ceased to exist after facing financial challenges. In…
“Statement Piece” Pottery goes political at ASU Art Museum Brickyard, as curator Garth Johnson presents “Statement Piece,” an exhibition pairing works from Danish-born war objector Erik Gronborg and American veteran Ehren Tool, who served in Operation Desert Storm. Though from different backgrounds, the two have used functional ceramics in their…
If you stayed home on Sunday and missed the 8th annual Dancing with the Bars competition, you truly missed out. The event title is fairly self explanatory, only rather than pairing second rate celebrities with professional dancers, bartenders, the pros trained with local entertainers, small business owners, and drag queens…
“Bummer Summer” There are countless movies, songs, and poems about the romanticism of summer — the warm sun, the peaceful beach, the budding romance. But, honestly, sometimes the summer can suck. Artist and graphic designer Lauren Bailey has put her minimalistic spin on this darker side of summer in “Bummer…
It’s time for a curtain call, Phoenix. This week, nominees for the 2014-15 ariZoni Theatre Awards of Excellence were announced, recognizing troupes, actors, directors, writers, and costumers across the Valley. Each year the awards aim to recognize greatness in local theater performed by both adults and children, and nearly 100…
Looking for something to do during those painful weekdays before your paycheck arrives? It can be hard to find affordable, air-conditioned events that are also interesting, but they do exist. And we’re here to help you find them. Though movies, dance performances, and large-scale sporting events don’t often come cheap,…
Bar Flies If you spend time in downtown Phoenix even just occasionally and haven’t heard of Bar Flies, we suggest you take a second to reevaluate your life choices and then pay attention. Bar Flies is New Times’ monthly reading series where you’ll hear stories about everything from a lesbian’s…
Your guide to metro Phoenix’s best weekend events is here. Comedy on Fire 28 Downtown’s “longest continuously running independent comedy show,” Comedy on Fire returns with its 28th season. Boasting a laundry list of up-and-coming comics and a few recognizable features, the show promises to pack in the laughs. Things…
Promising to pack a punch alongside each laugh, Comedy on Fire returns to downtown Phoenix this Friday for its 28th show. The three-hour evening features musical and stand-up guests from across the state to offer their insights — and punchlines — to a regularly growing audience. The night of side-splitting…
While students around the state are facing the start of another year of school, we find ourselves facing an equally daunting though somewhat less cerebral challenge: figuring out what we’re going to do this week, and how we’re going to pay for it. Thankfully, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained…
Back in May of 2014, 11 Phoenix arts and culture organizations announced they had formed the Central Arts District as a way to up their visibility in the region and increase their mutual collaboration while promoting local art and cultural offerings. The 11 organizations involved were Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix…
Just midway through the year, we’ve already spotted several works that stand out from all the rest — from dance festival featuring emerging and established artists to a graduate art student video conjuring the spirit of a famed contemporary artist. Here are a few of the best things we’ve seen…
Hair 1968’s Hair was a groundbreaking Broadway musical with a killer soundtrack, all about hippies and love and drugs and stopping the war and resisting the Man, man. Seriously. And hair, of course. Those days might be the last time the elements of a musical drenched our culture so thoroughly…
