Antiques Shows______

May 24: Outdoor Antiques Show, Madison Town Green, Rte 1, Madison, 9 am-4 pm rain or shine, adm $4 (early buying 8 am, $10), 100+ dealers, refreshments; 203-245-7394, 888-353-0552.

May 26: 26th Annual Tiffany Windows Antiques Show, Old Post Rd at Beach Rd (building opposite town hall), Fairfield, 9 am-4 pm rain or shine, donation $3.50, benefit for First Church Congregational; 203-929-7312.

June 1: 36th Spring Antiques & Art Show, Helen Keller Middle School, Sport Hill Rd/Rte 59, Easton, 10 am-4 pm (early buying 8:30-10 am, $10 adm), regular show adm $4; 203-374-2324.

Art Exhibits, Museums Historic Places__ _____

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 258 Main St, Ridgefield. Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sat-Sun 1-5 pm, Fri 12-8 pm. Call 203-438-4519.

*(new show) June 1-July 13, “Portrait Gallery,” sculpted portraits of the heads of artists, critics & art dealers by Nina Levy, w/ all portraits suspended roughly eye-level from the ceiling; June 1, opening reception, 3-6 pm.

*(new show) June 1-Aug 31, “A River Half Empty: Artists Engage Connecticut’s Environment,” collaborative exhibition between museum, CT Fund for the Environment (CFE), Weir Farm Trust & National Park Svc at Weir Farm w/ artists reflecting on some of the environmental concerns CFE has worked to address during its 25-year history, presented at Aldrich Museum & Weir Farm, artists incl Mara Adamitz Scrupe, Rachel Berwick, Adam Frelin, Lisa Kereszi, Frank Noelker, Sven Pählsson, Claudia Schmacke, Michelle Segre & Peter Waite; June 1, opening reception (at both sites, shuttle buses available between locations), 3-6 pm.

*(new show) June 1-Aug 31, “Elizabeth Demaray: The 2003 Aldrich Emerging Artist Award Recipient,” sculptures “that make profound connections between science, art & cultural assumptions” by conceptually based sculptor & winner of annual major award from Alrich; June 1, opening reception, 3-6 pm.

Beaux Arts Gallery, 495 Main St/Rte 6, Woodbury. Hours: M-F 9:30 am-5:30 pm, Sat 9:30 am-4:30 pm, Sun by appt. Call 203-263-3939.

Through June 1, “A Gathering of Artists,” works in watercolors & oils, also prints, by David Dunlop, C.J. Guerin, Frank Henry-Meehan, Helene Brier, Michael Zack, all members of Silvermine Guild (selected & curated by Mr Dunlop).

Bethel Arts Junction, 5 Depot Place, Bethel. Hours: Wed 7:30 pm (opens for weekly poetry program), Thurs 4:30-9 pm, Fri-Sat 12-9 pm, Sun 11-4 pm. Call 798-2193 or 740-7351.

Through June 1, “Intimate Italy,” paintings by Jo Ann Simon inspired by the artist’s recent first trip to Italy coupled w/ additional works by BAJ members.

Black Rock Art Center, 2838 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport. Hours: Wed-Sat 1-5 pm. Call 203-367-7917.

*(new show) Through June 21, “International Women of Hope,” 12 digital posters by Robert Appleton focusing on female recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize from around the world.

*(new show) Through June 21, “Nature’s Art: The Joy of Wilderness,” 13 nature photos by Theodore A. Rees Cheney depicting scenes from New England, Montana, & Alberta, Canada.

Brookfield Historical Society, Rtes 133 & 25, Brookfield Center. Hours: 2md & 4th Sat/month 12-4 pm, also by appt. Call 740-8140.

Through Aug 30, “From The Beginning,” items from museum’s collection of last 35 years, celebrating life of museum.

Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St, Danbury. Hours: (Jan-March) Wed-Sat 10 am-4 pm, Sun 12-4 pm, (April-Dec) Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 778-8337.

Current feature exhibit: “A Railroad At Work – The New Haven Railroad, 1956-1966,” series of photos from vast port-folio of Jack W. Swanberg depicting New Haven Railroad, incl many taken in & around Danbury.

Permanent exhibitions on railroad history (museum is along old New Haven RR line & housed in former Danbury sta-tion & railyard), also original & restored rolling stock incl a New Haven RR Mack FCD railbus, Alco RS-1 diesel locomo-tive, fully operating turntable, etc. (see Misc calendar for ongoing programs schedule)

Grey Horse Gallery, 3 Washington Ave/Rte 34 (in old Masonic Temple, 1st floor; behind St John’s Episcopal Church), Sandy Hook. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-4 pm. Call 270-1199.

Through June 21, “Travels from Maine to Portugal,” new collection of works by Dick McEvoy.

Permanent display of oils & pastels by Dick McEvoy.

Ruth A. Haas Library, 181 Main St (WCSU main campus), Danbury. Hours: Mon-Thurs 8 am-11 pm, Fri 8 am-4 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm, Sun 1-9 pm. Call 837-9100.

Through May 25, “The Fantastic Voyage,” works by science fiction artist Vincent Di Fate, fantasy artist Tom Kidd & fantasy & science fiction artist Michael Whelan.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington. Call 860-868-0518.

Through May 31 (dates extended), “Progression Of Indigenous People’s Weaponry: Technology and Mythology,” display of ancient weapons from collections of IAIS & Gunn Memorial Museum incl war clubs, powder horns, bows & arrows, rifle covers & coup sticks.

Jeffrey Weiss Gallery, 2938 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport. Hours: Wed-Sun 12-7 pm, also by appt. Call 203-333-7733.

*(new show) May 23-June 15, “Cutting Edge,” assemblage art by Westport artist Nina Bentley; May 25, opening recep-tion, 12-5 pm.

Military Museum of Southern New England, 125 Park Ave, Danbury. Hours: (Nov 1-March 31) Fri-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Hours: (April 1-Oct 31) Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 12-5 pm. Call 790-9277.

“Unterseeboot,” exhibit detailing the history of submarine warfare during WWII incl formation of the German Subma-rine Art and the April 5, 1942 attack on Cape Hatteras.

Permanent life-size interior dioramas w/ major military vehicles, extensive outdoor displays, also “Names on the Wall” computer program to help locate names on Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.

Minor Memorial Library, 23 South St, Roxbury. Call 860-350-2181.

*(new show) May 31-July 10, handmade furniture incl desk, bed, dining table & bookcasemade of Honduran mahogany by Strother Purdy & colorful, impressionistic paintings by Janine Wesselmann; May 31, opening reception, 2-4 pm.

New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St, New Britain. Hours: Tues, Thurs-Fri & Sun 12-5 pm, Wed 12-7 pm, Sat 10 am-5 pm. Museum Highlights Tour offered each Sun at 2 pm. Call 860-229-0257.

Through May 25, “New/Now: Jock Sturges,” works by the Seattle-based fine art photographer incl large format nudes & extended portraits of families in northern Calif. counter-culture communities, Ireland & French naturalist beaches, w/ strong influence from classical periods in photography 19th-early 20th C painting.

The Nutmeg Gallery, 5 Maple Street (Rte 7 at 341, in The Village Barns complex), Kent. Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30 am-5:30 pm, Sat 10 am-4:30 pm, Sun by appt. Call 860-927-4501.

Through May 31, “A Bunch of Nice Paintings,” recent paintings by Robert Lenz.

Sherman Library, Rte 39, Sherman. Hours: Tues-Wed, Fri 11 am-6 pm, Thurs 11 am-7 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm. Call 860-354-2455.

*(new show) June 1-28, “Portraits in oil & other works,” portraits & landscapes by Carol Tambour.

Silvermine Guild Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Rd, New Canaan. Hours: Tues-Sat 11 am-5 pm, Sun 1-5 pm. Call 203-966-5617.

Washington Art Association, Bryant Plaza, Rte 47, Washington Depot. Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm (closed Wed), Sun 2-5 pm. Call 860-868-2878.

Through May 25, “Paintings On Paper,” works by Rosemarie Beck, Catherine Drabkin, Phyllis Floyd, Barbara Grossman & Victor Pesce.

*(new show) May 31-June 22, “The Architect’s Eye,” kinetic stainless steel & aluminum sculptural works by Yale-trained architect T. Merrill (Tim) Prentice, watercolors by Alec Purves “made from the direct observations of nature” & watercolors by former interior designer-turned-full-time artist Jack Dunbar; May 31, opening reception, 3-5 pm.

Woodbury Antiques & Fine Art, 473 Main St/Rte 6, Woodbury. Call 203-266-4753.

*(new show) May 24-June 21, new collection of abstract landscape oils by Roxbury artist Susan Monserud; May 24, opening reception, 3-5 pm.

Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St at York, New Haven. Hours: Tues-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Sun 1-6 pm. Masterpiece Tours of Permanent Collection every Sat 1:30 pm, Sun 3 pm. Call 203-432-0600.

Through July 6, “Homer To Hopper: Masters of American Watercolor,” works by Winslow Homer (ca 1870s) coupled w/ pcs that follow elevated standing of watercolor in American art history incl Eakins, La Farge, Prendergast, Singer Sargent, Demuth, Burchfield, Hopper, et al.

*(please note: as of May 18, all exhibitions & most programs will be in adjacent Egerton Swartwout building; YUAG will be undergoing extensive renovations for two years.)

Auditions, Juried Events  _____

Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (formerly Country Players), Rte 25, Brookfield Center. Call 512-8788.

May 27-28: Open auditions for A Century Of Songs… Broadway Through The Years, seeking singers who can also move well, all ages welcome, prepare 1 ballad & 1 upbeat number, bring appropriate sheet music, to be directed by Erik Tonner & produced by Bart Geissinger, production dates weekends July 4-26, contact Mr Tonner for details.

Housatonic Art League, PO Box 472, New Milford, CT 06776.

June 14-15: Openings for fine artists in 8th Annual New Milford Art Festival, send SASE for application, show chaired by New Milford Outdoor Art Festival Committee, event will also offer prizes, music & food.

Sherman Players, Sherman Playhouse, Rte 37 at 39 (behind firehouse), Sherman. Call 798-0437.

May 29: Auditions for male roles in West Side Story, 7-10 pm, male actors/singers/dancers ages 16-23 being sought for musical that requires ethnically diverse cast, bring Broadway song & be prepared to make specific moves to music, performances will run weekends Aug 1-30 incl sev matinee shows, director/choreographer is Lanny Mitchel, call for details & audition appts.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

May 23: Project Poetry Live! Gala Wrap-Up Concert, Naugatuck Valley College Fine Arts Center, 750 Chase Pkwy, Waterbury, 7:30 pm, tickets $15 adults, $6 students, performances by Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, The Don Braden Trio, and student dancers & musicians of Project Poetry Live! (cross-curricular approach to integrating arts into education at middle school level), presented by Litchfield Performing Arts; 860-567-4162.

May 24: Yale Glee Club Commencement Concert, at Woolsey Hall, Grove St at College St, New Haven, 8 pm, tickets $20 adults, $10 students, Class of 2003 featured in program of spirituals, folk songs & Yale songs; 203-432-4157, 203-432-4158.

May 25: “American Music For Memorial Day,” recital by Maria Coffin, Trinity Episcopal Church, 30 Main St/Rte 25 (at the flagpole), Newtown, 12:05 pm, Trinity’s organist will offer 30-minute recital on church’s 47-rank Austin organ featuring music based on beloved American tunes incl “America the Beautiful” & “America,” works of composers Matthew Corl, Charles Ives, William Bolcom & John Knowles Paine, suitable for all ages; 426-9070.

May 25: Recital by vocalist Vincent Venitelli, Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Rd, Sandy Hook, 4 pm, free performance by NHS senior will incl Trumpet Concerto, Neruda Trumpet Concerto & Trumpeter’s Lullaby, accompanist will be the Rev Sue Klein, freewill donations will benefit community relief programs.

May 25: Yale Concert Band Commencement Concert, Yale’s Old Campus, entrances off College St (through Phelps Gate) & at 67 High St, New Haven, 7 pm, free; 203-432-4111.

May 30: Brown Bag Concerts: Pianist Will Duchon, Creative Music & Arts, 731 Main St/Rte 25, Monroe, 12-1 pm, free performances, bring lunch & enjoy performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #3; 261-7301.

June 1: Concert by Michelle Willner, Trinity Church, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 4 pm, free performance by Danbury High School singer will include selections of W.A. Mozart, Richard Strauss, Schubert, et al, donations will support Mu-sic at Trinity series, audience invited to post-performance reception with Miss Willner; 426-9070.

Merryall Center for the Arts, Chapel Hill Rd (off Merryall Rd), New Milford. Call 860-354-7264.

Performances 8:30 pm (unless noted), tickets $15, season tickets available: May 31, Brookfield High School Small Chorus, a cappella group of young voices is directed by Karl Hermonat.

Films _________________

Bethel Cinema, 269 Greenwood Ave, Bethel. Call 778-2100.

May 23-29: A Mighty Wind (PG-13), daily 7:15 & 9:25 pm, mat Sat-Mon, Wed 1:10, 3:10 & 5:10 pm; Bend It Like Beckham (PG–13), daily 6:50 & 9:15 pm, mat Sat-Mon, Wed 1:30 & 4:10 pm; Russian Ark (NR), daily 7 & 9:05 pm, mat Sat-Mon, Wed 1, 3 & 5 pm; Victor Vargas (R), daily 7:25 & 9:35 pm, mat Sat-Mon, Wed 1:20, 3:20 & 5:20 pm.

Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-2475.

May 23-28: Piglet’s Big Movie (G), Fri 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 1 & 3:30 pm, Tues-Wed 1 pm.

May 23-28: The Recruit (PG-13), Fri 9 pm, Sat-Sun, Tues-Wed 7 & 9:05 pm.

Maritime Aquarium, 10 North Water St, Norwalk. Call 203-852-0700.

IMAX film through June 12: Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West, Mon-Fri 11 am, noon, 1, 2 & 3 pm, Sat-Sun 11 am, noon, 1, 2 3 & 4 pm.

IMAX double features through June 12: Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West and The Discoverers, Fri-Sun 7 pm.

For Kids & Families _________

May 27: Magic Story Hour, Tarrywile Park Mansion, Southern Blvd, Danbury, 11 am-noon, free program w/ storyteller Joyce Marie Rayno for preschoolers, pre-registration requested; 744-3130.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Danbury Square, 15 Backus Ave, Danbury. Call 730-2733.

Free public programs: May 29, Outdoor Adventure Storytime, 11 am, children’s books about unexpected adventures incl Picnic by Emily Arnold McCully.

Beardsley Zoological Gardens, 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport. Call 203-394-6565.

Zoo adm is $7 adults, $5 ages 3-11 & seniors, free ages 3 & under, programs included w/ adm: June 1, Wildflower Sa-fari, 12-3 pm, crafts & other flower-related activities.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-4533 (children’s dept 426-3851).

Free programs (unless specified): May 31, Author Visit & Book Signing, 2 pm, program w/ children’s author & former schoolteacher Laurie Krebs to celebrate her new release, We All Went On Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania.

Downtown Cabaret Children’s Theatre Co., 263 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport. Call 203-576-1636.

Hansel & Gretel, through May 25, curtain Sat-Sun 12 & 2:30 pm, tickets $11.50.

Quick Center for the Arts/Fairfield Univ, North Benson Rd, Fairfield. Call 203-254-4010.

Young Audience Series, performances 1 & 3 pm, tickets $10 adults, $8 children (series tickets & senior discounts available), performances appropriate for grades K-4: May 30, Storybook Tales, special guest artists & orchestra will read & accompany some of world’s beloved fairy tales.

Miscellaneous ___________

May 23: S&S Singles Dinner-Dance, Fireside Inn, 123 Main St South/Rte 25, Newtown, 7:30-11:30 pm, adm $12, buffet dinner, dancing to “rock & roll music of yesterday & today,” door prizes; 743-4480, 261-5960.

May 24: Third Annual Great Pootatuck Duck Race & Festival, Sandy Hook Center, 10 am-3 pm, annual duck race by Newtown Lions Club takes place at 2 (tickets $5), festival offers live music performances, magic shows, face painting, booths by civic organizations, tag sale, karate demos, visits by Governor’s Horse Guard, more; 426-8971, 426-4529.

May 24: Newtown Craft Fair, Canaan House & grounds (Fairfield Hills campus), off Mile Hill Rd, Newtown, 10 am-5 pm rain or shine, free adm, juried event will feature 30+ crafters from throughout New England w/ all original work in wood, leather, photography, ceramics, jewelry, etc, refreshments also available; 426-2122.

May 24: Annual Lillinonah Audubon Society Birding Breakfast, Audubon Center at Bent of the River, 185 East Flat Hill Rd, South Britain, begins 9 am rain or shine (preceded by optional 7 am walk), reservations needed for breakfast (space limited), $5, BYO place setting, followed by nature walks; 748-2599, 798-0477.

May 24: 2nd Annual Gallery Walk, Main St, Kent, 3-7 pm, walking tour of 4 galleries & their current shows – The Cosmic Hippo Gallery of Fine Artisans (50+ artists’ work in varied media), The Gallery at Kent Art Assn (spring show feat. Bar-bara Goodspeed), The Nutmeg Gallery (debut show feat. Robert Lenz & other Kent artists) & The Gallery Upstairs at Foreign Cargo (collection of African, Asian & Pacific Island art), escorts & maps available, refreshments, ample free parking; 860-927-3069.

May 25: Open House & Demonstration at Matthew Curtiss House, 44 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 1-4 pm, free, demon-strations in ancient art of shoemaking by Greg Geiger, also tours of home that serves as headquarters for Newtown Hist Society; 426-5937.

May 25: Public Day at Beatrix Farrand Garden, Promisek at Three Rivers Farm, Skyline Ridge Rd, Bridgewater, 10 am-4 pm, $5 suggested donation, historical garden designed by in 1921 Ms Farrand (founding member American Society of Landscape Architects) will be open for visits 4th Sun/month through Sept; 860-350-8226, 860-354-1788.

May 28: SCAN Sketching Group, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, $7, artists of all levels invited to join life drawing session at meeting house featuring live model, 10 poses during session will range from 5- to 20-minute poses; 426-6654.

May 31: All Church Tag Sale, Stepney Baptist Church, 423 Main St, Monroe, 9 am-3 pm, coordinated by Ladies Aid Society of Stepney Baptist Church; 268-9680.

May 31: “Introduction To Invasive Plants: Issues and Identification” program at Ridgefield Library 472 Main St/Rte 35, Ridgefield, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, free slide lecture by Charlotte Pyle (from US Dept of Agriculture, Natural Resources Con-servation Service) will explain invasives & why they need to be controlled, how to ID them, successful management techniques, question & answer session, followed by optional short field trip (wear clothes & shoes suitable for explo-ration); 203-438-2282 (library, for directions), 203-846-8210 (Norwalk River Watershed, for program details).

May 31: Beginners’ hike at Tarrywile Park, Southern Blvd, Danbury, 10 am start, free 45 min hike over easy terrain at easy pace, bring water, canceled if heavy rain, pre-registration required; 744-3130.

May 31: Keeler Tavern Museum Historic House Tour, begins from museum, 132 Main St/Rte 35, Ridgefield, 10 am-5 pm, tickets $25/advance, $30/day of, five period homes of Ridgefield (most within walking distance) plus first floor of museum’s tavern building will be open to public incl Thaddeus Keeler House, The King House, The Benedict House, The Post House & The Samuel Olmstead House, proceeds benefit museum; 203-438-5485.

May 31: Advanced Hike at Tarrywile Park, Southern Blvd, Danbury, 10:45 am start, limited to 10 people (pre-registration required), over difficult terrain & expected to last 5½-6 hours at constant heavy pace, bring water & lunch, hike will go from park’s red barn out past Hearthstone Castle to Eureka Reservoir & back, canceled only if heavy rain; 744-3130.

May 31: Ballroom Dance at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Ave, Bridgeport, 7 pm-midnight, tickets $15, singles & couples welcome, performance by 2002 German Federal State Champions Michael Karls & Constanze Meadow (American debut), also dancing to DJ selections, snacks, reservations suggested; 203-374-7308.

June 1: MEOW Tag Sale, Bethlehem Fairgrounds, Rte 61, Bethlehem, 8 am-3 pm rain or shine, fundraiser for non-profit, non-destroy feline welfare organization; 203-266-6390, 860-567-0847.

June 1: BowlFest 2003, Brookfield Craft Center, 256 Whisconier Rd/Rte 25, Brookfield, 1-4 pm, tickets $25 incl picnic buffet, live music, silent auction & sale of unique craftwork donated by BCC faculty members (also, all guests will get to select a handcrafted bowl from selection made by faculty, students & friends of BCC), fundraiser for craft center; 775-4526.

June 2: BookTalk program, Southbury Public Library, 561 Main St South/Rte 6, Southbury, 2 pm, free discussion of The Fall of The House of Ill-Repute and Other Short Stories will be led by Dr Edward S. Orzac; 264-1716, 262-6123.

June 6: Newtown Singles Meet & Mingle event, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25 (at the flagpole), Newtown, 7-9 pm; 261-4210.

Audubon Center at Bent of the River, 185 East Flat Hill Rd, Southbury. Call 264-5098.

Free programs unless noted, reservations requested, call if weather is questionable: May 24, Annual Lillinonah Audubon Society Birding Breakfast, begins 9 am rain or shine (preceded by optional 7 am walk), reservations needed for breakfast (space limited, but non-members welcome; call 748-2599, 798-0477), $5, BYO place setting, followed by nature walks; May 27, Nature Walk for Adults, 9 am, $5 suggested donation, 2-hour walk at leisurely pace designed for moderately active participants, watch for birds & search for spring wildflowers & leafing trees; June 3, Nature Walk for Adults, 9 am, $5 suggested donation, 2-hour walk at leisurely pace designed for moderately active participants, watch for birds & search for spring wildflowers & leafing trees.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-4533.

Programs free unless noted: May 28, blood pressure screenings, 10 am-noon, sponsored by Ashlar, free information also available; May 31, Basic Computer Class, 9 am-noon, free, registration required for basics class led by Dan Tannenbaum; June 3, book discussion, 1 pm, concerning Stephen Ambrose’s D-Day; June 7, Intermediate Computer Class, 1-4 pm, $10, registration required for class led by Dan Tannenbaum.

Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St, Danbury. Hours: 10 am-4 pm daily (April 1-Nov 26). Call 778-8337.

1st Sat each month (April-Nov), Rail Yard Local, adm to msm incl rides through rail yard in 1920s era passenger coach w/ stop on state’s only operating turntable. (see Arts listings for permanent exhibit info)

Flanders Nature Center/Van Vleck Farmhouse, Flanders & Church Hill Rd, Woodbury. Hours: Mon-Sat 9 am-5 pm. Call 203-263-3711.

Springtime Bird Walks: Each Sun in May, begins 7:30 at Trail House, free, members of Western CT Bird Club will lead walks through trails & fields to help participants find natural habitats & learn which species make their home in each habitat & which are heading further north for summer.

Springtime Botany Walks: Each Sun in May, begins 1 pm at Trail House, free, members of Pomperaug Valley Garden Club will lead walks along Botany Trail to discover some of center’s 250+ species of native wildflowers, trees, shrubs & ferns, & also to see results of last fall’s dredging & planting project.

Misc programs: May 31, Artists’ Day at Flanders, 9 am-2 pm, artists of all levels & backgrounds working in all media invited to work outdoors for the day (artists welcome at any time; maps, check-in & refreshments available 9-2), rain date is June 1, resulting work will be displayed at Flanders Sugar House weekend of June 28-29.

Kismet, programs at Bethel Arts Junction, 5 Depot Place, Bethel. Call 748-3125.

Meetings 2nd & 4th Sun each month, 4-6 pm, $20: May 25, “Conversations With The Other Side” w/ clairvoyant & spiritual medium Cheri Scheinin; June 8, “Conversations With The Other Side” w/ clairvoyant & spiritual medium Cheri Scheinin.

Newtown Hikers. Call 426-2897, 270-4340.

Hikes leave from lower lot @Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 9 am, free, all welcome, bring bag lunch/beverage, wear sturdy shoes, destinations & leaders as follows: May 24, hike & leader TBA (call for details); May 31, Cheshire Rail-Trail – hike, bike or roller blade (Tim Hanbury, 203-888-3025).

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level), 45 Main Street, Newtown. Call 270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall’s back parking lot (separate door for thrift shop), shop carries discounted items from local businesses & private donors incl clothing & sm home accesso-ries, etc.

Ridgefield Library, 472 Main St, Ridgefield. Call 203-438-2282.

Free programs: May 31, “Introduction To Invasive Plants: Issues and Identification,” 9:30 am-12:30 pm, slide lecture by Charlotte Pyle (from US Dept of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service) will explain invasives & why they need to be controlled, how to ID them, successful management techniques, question & answer session, followed by optional short field trip (wear clothes & shoes suitable for exploration), call 203-846-8210 (Norwalk River Water-shed) for program details.

Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Inc. (SCAN), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-6654.

May 28, SCAN Sketching Group, Newtown Meeting House, 9:30 am-12:30 pm, $7, artists of all levels invited to join life drawing session at meeting house featuring live model, 10 poses during session will range from 5- to 20-minute poses.

Meetings 4th Wed/month, 1:30 pm, public welcome, artist demonstrations, refreshments: May 28, oil program by Bob Crofut.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) meetings, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown. Call 426-6224.

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon, 6-8 pm, weigh-ins 6-6:45, meetings 7-8, meetings $2/week, membership $20/year.

Wednesday Night Poetry Series, Bethel Arts Junction, 5 Depot Place (in former railroad station), Bethel. Call 426-3388 (Faith Vicinanza), 270-6202 (Michael Seri), 748-2828 (BAJ).

Series presented ev Wed 7:30-10 pm (featured poets 8:30 pm, poetry work-shop 9:15 pm), adm $1 ($3 if out-of-state or major guest poet), guest/featured poets as follows: May 28, Eli Rosenblatt, Trumbull native & freshman at Sarah Law-rence College, member 2001 & 2002 CT National Youth Poetry Slam Teams.

Theatre ______________

Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport. Call 203-576-1636.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, May 30-Aug 10, curtain Fri 8 pm, Sat 8:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 5:30 pm, tickets $34-$42, discounts for seniors (matinees only), group & rush discounts also available.

Hartford Stage, 50 Church St, Hartford. Call 860-527-5151.

The Night of The Iguana, May 22-June 22 (previews May 22-27, opening night is May 28), curtain Tues-Thurs, Sun 7:30 pm, Fri-Sat 8 pm, call for matinee schedule, tickets $22-$60; May 31, Pay-What-You-Can performance, 2:30.

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr, New Haven. Call 203-787-4282.

Mainstage: The Triumph of Love, through June 1, curtain Sun & Tues 7 pm, Wed-Fri 8 pm, Sat 8:30 pm, mat Sat 4 pm, Sun 2 pm, mat Wed (May 28) 2 pm, tickets $15-$47.50, student & senior discounts available; May 27, Talkback Tuesday, post-performance discussion w/ actors, director or designers focusing on play’s topics.

Seven Angels Theatre, Hamilton Park Pavilion, Plank Rd, Waterbury. Call 203-757-4676.

The King Of Memphis: The Music of Elvis, through June 8, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, mat Thurs, Sat-Sun 2 pm, tickets $24-$38.50.

Sherman Players, Sherman Playhouse, Rte 37 at 39 (behind firehouse), Sherman. Call 860-354-3622.

The Mystery of Irma Vep, June 6-28, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 3 pm, tickets $15 adults, $13 seniors & students.

Square One Theatre Company, Stratford Theatre, 2422 Main St, Stratford. Call 203-375-8778.

Wonderful World, through May 31, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat (May 31 only) 4 pm, Sun (May 25) 2 pm, tickets $16 adults, $15 seniors & students.

TheatreWorks New Milford, 5 Brookside Ave, New Milford. Call 860-350-6863.

The Laramie Project, through May 24, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (May 11 only) 2 pm, tickets $15.

Page-to-Stage Playreading Series:

Town Players of Newtown, Little Theatre, theatre is on Orchard Hill Rd (mailing address is PO Box 211), Newtown. Call 270-9144.

Barefoot in the Park, through May 24, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (May 18 only) 2 pm, evening performances $12, mat tickets $10, season tickets available.

All’s Well That Ends Well, July 11-Aug 2, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (July 17 only) 2 pm, evening performances $12, mat tickets $10, season tickets available.

Lives Of The Saints: An Evening of Ives One-Acts, Sept 5-27, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (Sept 18 only) 2 pm, evening performances $12, mat tickets $10.

Death Trap, Nov 7-29, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun (Nov 23 only) 2 pm, evening performances $12, mat tickets $10.

*******************

Events that appear by date have Newtown events listed first, with additional events listed by their start time. At the time of printing, the information here is accurate as presented; a call ahead is always a good idea to be safe.

 

DEADLINE INFORMATION

Press releases for the Enjoy calendar of events or the Enjoy section must be received by MONDAY NOON for publi-cation in that week’s edition of The Newtown Bee. Send to the attention of Shannon Hicks, Arts Editor, Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or to shannon@thebee.com. Photos are welcome and can be black & white or color prints; please call for details concerning photo files to be emailed.