Celebrating the Past in the Present

Theater

Pink Banana’s annual One-Act Festival will take place June 6 to 15 at the Underground Collaborative in the Shops at Grand Avenue. Seven “game-themed” shows written by and staring local talent will debut during the weeklong run. Preview night is Thursday, June 6 and tickets are $10. All other performances are $18 at the door or $15 online. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday, June 8, Uprooted Theater presents a monologue performance about one of the strongest women in American History. Eric Coble’s Truth: The Testimonial of Sojourner Truth is the story of life as a slave and the transformation to abolitionist. This performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s on the Lake. Tickets are available for $20 online.

American Players Theatre will open two shows this Saturday, June 7.

Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona begins at 7:30 p.m. at Up The Hill Theatre. This comedy examines the relationship between two friends who are competing for love. Equally a coming-of-age story and a romance, it is never lacking in humor or heartwarming moments of friendship and selflessness. Tickets to see Two Gentlemen of Verona are available online or by calling the box office at 608-588-2361.

Molly Sweeney will open at 7:30 p.m. at the Touchstone Theatre. Molly Sweeney is the story of a young Irish bride who was born blind but is given the opportunity to see due to a new medical procedure. While Molly’s husband is overjoyed at the possibility, Molly is less sure that sight will solve her problems. Tickets for the production are currently sold out, but more information is available by calling the box office at 608-588-2361.

Music  

As part of the Pops series, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will play the Music of Mad Men Friday, June 7. Uihlein Hall will be filled with the spirit of the 1950’s as conductor Steven Reineke leads the orchestra in favorites such as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Moondance.” Vocal soloists include Janet Dacal and Hugh Panaro. The madness begins at 8 p.m. Tickets for this performance range from $25 – $105 and can be purchased online.

UWM’s Fine Arts Quartet will play with guest cellist Denis Brott this Sunday, June 9. The performance will include Italian Serenade in G Major by Wolf, String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10 by Debussy, and String Quintet in C major, D 956 by Schubert. This the first of a series of four free shows by the Fine Arts Quartet celebrating the Year of the Arts, but tickets are still required and can be ordered by calling the box office at 414-229-4308. This performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts.

PianoArts will host a festival at the Milwaukee Conservatory of Music from June 7-10. The weekend focuses on the progression of music in Vienna and Paris from the Enlightenment Era to the 20th century. Experts in piano music from these particular cities will be performing and lecturing on a variety of topics while local artists will be competing in the Wisconsin Youth Piano Competition. Tickets for this event are available online. Individual tickets begin at $10 and weekend passes begin at $30.

Visual Art

The work of Martha Wilson comes to Inova, beginning with an opening reception this Friday, June 7. There will be an artist talk during this reception, discussing Wilson’s use of multimedia to present her concepts of fluid gender roles and imagined manipulation. This exhibit runs through August 13 and is free to the public.

Special Events

Milwaukee’s Pridefest will take place this weekend at the Summerfest grounds this Friday through Sunday. The weekend will include a dance presentation by Astor Street Studio and musical performances by the Indigo Girls and Amanda Palmer. There will also be events for the whole family, as well as theater, poetry displays, and fireworks. Tickets are available for the whole weekend or for individual events, and can be purchased online.

To read a Third Coast Daily article about a particular show, please click on the show title. For more information about the show itself, please click on the venue.

Last Chance

David Barnett Gallery: Blast From the Past: Forty-Six Years & Forty-Six Works Of Art, through June 8

Skylight Music Theatre: Porgy and Bess, through June 9

Ongoing

Sunset Playhouse: The Fox on the Fairway, through June 16

Milwaukee Art Museum: 125th Anniversary Celebration, through Aug. 10

Milwaukee Art Museum: Veterans Book Project: Objects for Deployment, through Sept. 2

JMKAC: Uncommon Ground, through Sept. 6