September 29, 2015 – RI Future

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015

Celebrate banned books this week with the ACLU

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The freedom to read is the freedom to learn, to imagine, to challenge your own beliefs, and to see the world from a new point of view. Too often, that freedom is challenged by individuals who would censor important and challenging books rather than embrace them.

As part of our ongoing work to fight against censorship in all its forms, the ACLU of Rhode Island is celebrating the freedom to read at our annual Banned Books Week Celebration on October 5.

Join us, the East Providence Public Library, and Living Literature for dramatic readings of Young Adult books that have been banned or challenged over the years.

Living Literature, a collective of Rhode Island-based artists and educators who teach literature through a unique and imaginative process, has created a 25-minute readers theater program exploring the question: “Why are Young Adult books challenged more frequently than any other type of book?”

Hear them perform selections from Harper Lee, Roald Dahl, Sherman Alexie, Lois Lowry, and Shel Silverstein and see if your favorite childhood book was ever banned or censored.

Banned Books Celebration: Young Adult Authors

October 5, 2015 at 6:30 PM

East Providence Public Library

41 Grove Ave., East Providence, RI 02914

This event is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

September 29, 2015

Trinity Rep strikes gold with JULIUS CAESAR

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A triumphant female politician, returning from a recent major victory, enters the city to mass adulation, eliciting both respect and anger from her male contemporaries in the halls of power. Is this the latest episode in the Clinton saga or a slice of life in the Raimondo administration? No, it’s Trinity Rep’s latest staging of Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR, directed by Tyler Dobrowsky and now playing through October 11 in Providence.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS!

This show was simply a fantastic offering that was worth every minute. Like several other recent renditions of The Bard’s work, this piece is set in contemporary times and features costuming that seems like it just walked off Smith Hill.

The play opens with a scene ripped right from the headlines. The Cobbler and Carpenter walk the streets and cover the walls with posters of the victorious Caesar that resembles Shepard Fairey’s HOPE poster for Barack Obama. When the Flavius and Marullus stop them with the opening lines of the play, they are truncheon-carrying police officers in full combat gear that interrogate the commoners by throwing them on the ground and pinning them, staging that is hauntingly reminiscent of police brutality that led to the death of Eric Garner. The famed Soothsayer that bids Caesar “Beware the Ides of March” has become a mentally ill homeless man that intones his lines in a Gollum-like snarl.

Anne Scurria plays the title role in a gender-bending change that brought out new motifs in the play never seen before. She is powerful, cunning, and knows how to maintain control of her grip on power. The hubris that leads to her death is a tenable and real emotion that is not uncommon in our own political world these days. The fear and loathing of her growing power expressed by Cassius and others takes on a misogynist tone that is both disturbing and familiar. When Brutus conspiratorially speaks of Caesar’s “falling sickness,” it is in a tone strangely akin to whispered conspiracy theories about Obama being a secret Muslim or perhaps recent comments about a woman president having PMS.

Brutus, played by Stephen Thorne, is a compelling and fascinating character. By nature, he is a loyal and civically-engaged citizen, looking to create a better world for the next generation. His angst about the plot to halt Caesar’s ascent is able to be expressed without being hammy or overwrought, a tough balance in some situations. Cassius, played by Brian McEleney, is a crafty tactician looking to not only restore the balance to Roman governance, he wants to cement his own hold on affairs. My only wish for this character is that he might have included a bit more of the subtle homoeroticism that has always intrigued me when reading his lines. Casca, played by Fred Sullivan, Jr., is a not-so-closeted political gadfly, the ultimate wheeler-dealer with his own agenda. Special mention should also be given to Barbara Meek’s performance as Cicero, the elder stateswoman who is dignified and reserved, horrified by the violence of assassination yet able to continue on with the duties of state.

Joe Wilson, Jr. plays Marc Antony in a performance that is something special. A well-spoken, younger black politician playing against an elder white woman brought to my mind the complex relationship that has defined how Obama and Hillary Clinton interact. This is a great achievement that shows promise for a young actor. His ability to emote and speak regally is a great asset Trinity should utilize often in future plays.

I thought that this play was well-staged, mixing audio-visual elements such as mock newscasts projected on the walls and live action camera people shooting angles on speeches being delivered at that very moment. The designers know how to play with this kind of inter-textuality and create a motif that keys in to how removed we as outsiders are from the political process. In the lobby outside the theater, there are posters featuring news headlines that play on popular internet sites like The Onion or Fox News, a great touch. My only qualm was with the insistence on using knives and swords, when Baz Luhrman adapted ROMEO AND JULIET in the 1990’s, he created a line of firearms called ‘Sword’ and ‘Blade’ that made things seem less anachronistic. It also might have been interesting to see the Battle of Phillipi set in the historic Levant and making reference to the American Empire’s expansion. Yet these are just minor critiques as compared to the overwhelming success.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the show’s star, Annie Scurria, about a wide range of topics, including contemporary politics, feminism, and various ideological strains, which I post below.

September 29, 2015May 23, 2016

People to RIPTA: raising bus fares on the elderly, homeless, disabled is immoral

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Scott Avedisian, fully engaged, with his phone

RIPTA is considering raising bus fares by $1 on disabled, elderly and the homeless, and more than two dozen advocates and representatives from those communities voiced their opposition at the RIPTA board meeting held in the middle of the afternoon yesterday.

They wondered why RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority) is considering balancing its budget on the poorest and most vulnerable communities. For some, the bus is their only means of travel. Raising the rates will mean getting out of the home and into the community less.

As William Flynn, executive director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI said, “Isolation kills, and transportation is a vital part of fighting isolation.” He thinks as many as 4,500 Rhode Islanders may be affected by the plan.

Another speaker, from the RIPTA Riders Alliance, cited a Brown University study that showed that on average, people on fixed income may have as little as $40 a month of discretionary cash. Raising the bus fares on these people is estimated to cost an average of $30 a month. Several present and former clergy, such as the Reverend Chris Foster of the Providence Presbyterian Church, implied that the very consideration of a plan that goes after the last dollars of the poor and vulnerable was “immoral” and implored the board to find other ways of closing the funding gap.

Amazingly, the RIPTA board almost didn’t have a quorum when the meeting started, many of the board members did not even show up at what one observer called the most packed public commentary meeting in years. Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, chairman of RIPTA’s Board of Directors, was often seen reading his cellphone during testimony, apparently unable to feign interest for the concerns of the poor, disabled, homeless or elderly.

Ray Studley, RIPTA CEO, like most other board members presents, was attentive, but after public commentary ended, he made false and misinformed comments about the availability of Medicare billable transportation services through Logisticare. Logisticare is a private company used by the state to transport people to non-emergency doctor appointments. The company requires scheduling trips up to weeks in advance, and according to many who spoke to me outside the meeting, is unreliable, often late or doesn’t show up at all.

Further, Logisticare does not provide rides for anything but Medicare billable transportation. Shopping, work, visits to family, social engagements, pharmacy visits and even necessary trips to rehabilitation support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, are not covered, despite what Studley was saying. Of course, Studley said this after public comment was over, so those I talked to outside RIPTA after the meeting were frustrated that they had no chance to refute this.

Logisticare is expensive. The state is billed, through Medicare, much more than it costs to provide free bus trips for some groups of people. If a senior is able to use the bus for a regular doctor’s appointment, why force that person to use a more expensive and more specialized means of transportation at a much higher cost to the state?

William Flynn of the Senior Agenda Coalition knows a woman in recovery who goes to four or five AA meetings a week. These meetings are her lifeline. If she misses meetings, her odds of relapsing go up. Others may start missing needed doctors appointments or not fill prescriptions in a timely manner. The economic cost to our state in terms of emergency medical services will rise, but more importantly there will be a rise in misery and suffering.

Balancing budgets on the backs of the poor is never the right thing to do.

Below is the testimony of all 17 people who spoke out at the board meeting.

“I can not impress upon you the damaging effect… many of these people are living on incomes of less than $800 a month…”

“…the dollar will cost them $360 a year, we’re talking about people who make $782 a month…”

“…to a lot of the people here… that’s not a lot of money at all..” but to those on a fixed income…

…not only the cost, but the isolation they face in Providence with the difficulty of getting around…”

“…there will be an increase of physical and mental afflictions as well as an increase in visits to the emergency room…”

“Those with mental illness tend to isolate, and if they don’t have a lot of support they isolate and don’t take care of themselves…”

“If this proposal goes through… I won’t be able to go to Rhode Island College…”

“The Pope [was] talking about the small things that we do that result in justice, mercy and the care of others. This is what he’s talking about…”

“There’s people downtown stranded right now and there’s homeless people downtown every day in Kennedy Plaza. They cannot get on the bus if they don’t look right…”

“The greatest single factor that leads to shorter lives for people is isolation.”

“We are all responsible for all, and to all. This is a basic framework, a basic belief of all our major religions. The Judeo-Christian, the Muslem, the Hindu, Buddhist, even the non-religious, the Humanists!”

“Each time we take the bus we have to take several buses a day to attend programs that greatly improve the quality of of our illnesses or disablities…”

“In my last twenty years I’ve seen seniors who are of low income come to me because they have no food. I’ve seen them come to my center because they have no money. I’ve seen them come to my center because they’re in the dark because they can’t pay their electric bill…”

“I know people who have cars and high paying jobs who are ethically outraged by this…”

“Brown University did a study and the average discretionary monies per month for disabled and elderly people is around $40…”

And here’s RI Future’s own Andrew Stewart!

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015

ACI administrator praises Prison Op/Ed Project

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Racial injustice. Voting. Prisons. Entitlements. Zero tolerance. These are but a few of the topics written about by inmates enrolled in the Community College of Rhode Island Introductory Sociology class taught by Meghan Kallman in the John J. Moran Medium Security facility. Ms. Kallman was gracious in submitting all papers for my review and as I reviewed the body of work I felt proud.

Proud of the ability of students to express themselves appropriately. Proud to be able to offer CCRI courses to the offender population. Proud of the quality and scope of educational services within the RIDOC. Proud of the commitment of not only Ms. Kallman, but of the entire faculty and staff associated with RIDOC education programs. Proud to be part of a team committed to providing quality educational services to the offender population.

Introductory Sociology was but one of several CCRI programs offered to offenders. HVAC, Culinary Arts, Plastering and Dry Wall, and Computer Literacy are a sampling of CCRI vocational offerings. The RIDOC Education Unit also has Adult Basic Education and GED classes offered in all facilities. During Fiscal 2015, there were 196 GED’s earned and 13 AA degrees were awarded by CCRI.

Do the participants appreciate what we do for them? In my heart of hearts, I believe the answer is a definite yes. I don’t have data to answer this question, so why do I say yes?

Recently, GED teacher Angie Barboza passed away unexpectedly. The outpouring of sympathy and support expressed by the inmates as I walked through the yard was moving and sincere. The appreciation of all that she did for them as a teacher was touching. While my own heart breaks over this loss, the outpouring of supportive comments reinforced the pride I feel in all that they do – faculty, staff, and students.

Before the severity of Angie’s illness was known and her return was expected, one of her students wrote, “You taught me all kinds of math. Even though I was going to give up, you would talk me out of it…You give me hope for trying to achieve my GED.”

I believe that education is the key to hope for a better life. This belief is supported by data. (Read a recent study by the staff of the Correctional Education Association, the US Department of Education, and the Indiana Department of Correction on the benefits of correctional education programs.) I am grateful for the commitment of the RIDOC in its support of educational and vocational programming for the offender population consistent with its mission. The Education Unit strives to offer high quality programs on a daily basis.

This post is published as part of the Prison Op/Ed Project, an occasional series authored by CCRI sociology students who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute. Read more here:
- ‘Prison Op/Ed Project’ teaches civic engagement, writing – Meghan Kallman
- Does racial injustice still exist? Look at our schools – Aaron Carpenter
- Rhode Island charges felons absurdly high court costs – Christopher Nemitz
- Public school students and inmates need more vocational training – Darnell Hie
- Prison policies put probation and vocational training at odds – Norman Johnson
- Corporate-modeled prison industrial complex doesn’t serve society – Adrian Rojas
- Incarceration is the new slavery – James Poston
- Justice isn’t blind with data-based sentencing – David Brown
- Ending welfare entitlements opened the door to disability fraud – Dan Davidson
- Post prison services would stem system’s revolving door – Michael Wheelock
- You’re vote doesn’t matter as much as your money – David Brown
- How schools emulate prisons, and prepare students for them – Richard Pimiental
- Cars that are good for society – David DeGrasse
- PTA involvement instead of prison mentality in schools – Mustapha Bojang
- Prison is about re-socialization, not corrections – Christopher Marsich

September 29, 2015

Tuesday to Tuesday arts and entertainment calendar

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RIFuture is a fine institution that has made important contributions to the Rhode Island news culture. It is our hope that this new feature – the ‘Tuesday to Tuesday Arts and Entertainment Calendar’ will bring a lighter side to the fare. As we move into the fall, I’m open to tips and press releases regarding the events you or someone you know may be holding in the next few weeks. Feel free to e-mail data to me at andrew.james.stewart.rhode.island@gmail.com.

MY PICKS
Here is my selection of events that you should definitely consider checking out this week.

9/29
Artist-in-Residence: Leenda Bonilla Presents “Tostones: Urban Folkloric” at AS220 Black Box Theater, 6 PM, Free
Come check out the newest exhibit at AS220.
9/30
Windmill Wednesday at Prescott Farm, 3:30 pm, Free
An olde-tyme New England festival featuring Johnny Cakes and more!
10/1
Vincent-A Play by Leonard Nimoy at Courthouse Center for the Arts, 7 pm
The late Mr. Spock himself gives us a one-man show telling the life story of Vincent Van Gogh.
10/2
The Lion and the Clown: A Rumi Lovesong for Beauty and the Beast Presented by Real Live Theatre at AS220 Black Box, 7 pm, $15
A mature play dealing with romance and based on the poetry of Rumi.
10/3
Play On!: A Night Out For Big Kids at Providence Children’s Museum, 7 pm, $15, $20 & $25 (21+)
And adults-only night time jaunt through one of Rhode Island’s most beloved museums, with activities especially for the grown ups and refreshments to go along with them.
10/4
Music of India – Mumbai Masala at URI Kingston Campus – Fine Arts Recital Hall, 4 pm, Free
Head down to South County to sample the rich musical stylings of one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
10/5
Folks, we need you to send in tips to make this work.
10/6
Sonny Vincent, Zin Vetro, M.O.T.O, and The Worried at AS220 Main Stage, 9:30 pm, $6
Support the good folks at AS220 and their efforts to bring you quality live music at a price you can afford.

9/29
Stretch & Strength at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 12-1 pm, $5

Open Life Drawing at AS220, 6 pm-8:30, $6

Intermediate Ballet Class with Danielle Davidson at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 7:15 pm-8:45 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Artist-in-Residence: Leenda Bonilla Presents “Tostones: Urban Folkloric” at AS220 Black Box Theater, 6 PM, Free

Leiko, Eric and the Nothing, Jaazz, Mauricio Bellerephone at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm, $6

Wolf Alice, Drenge, and Made Violent at The Met, 8 pm, $9.55

9/30
Vinyasa Yoga with Julie Shore at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, Noon-1 pm, $5

Open Level Modern Dance at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:30-8 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Windmill Wednesday at Prescott Farm, 3:30 pm, Free

Artist-in-Residence: Leenda Bonilla Presents “Tostones: Urban Folkloric” (Performance and artist talk) at AS220 Black Box Theater, 7:30 PM, Free

improper dosage, vagora, jezebel, beacon, at AS220 Main Stage, 9:30 pm, $6

The Parkwoods, The Furies, and PALS at The Met, 8 pm, $8

10/1
Evening Yoga at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:15 pm, $13 per class; $60 for 6 classes

From Maiolica to Modern at Rough Point, 5:30, $10

Vincent-A Play by Leonard Nimoy at Courthouse Center for the Arts, 7 pm

Gretchen Dow Simpson – Oil Painting/Print Edition Unveiling Reception at AS220 Main Gallery, 5 pm, Free

Free Speech Thursdays Presents: Providence Poetry Slam at AS220 Main Stage, 8 pm, $2

Pentagram, Electric Citizen, Satan’s Satyrs, and Extinction Machine at The Met, 7 pm, $20 adv/$23 day of

10/2
Wake Up Narcolepsy Comedy Show at Theatre One Revere Hotel, 6 pm, $50- Student, $75- General Admission, $125- VIP

Vincent-A Play by Leonard Nimoy at Courthouse Center for the Arts, 7 pm

The Lion and the Clown: A Rumi Lovesong for Beauty and the Beast Presented by Real Live Theatre at AS220 Black Box, 7 pm, $15

Is This Jazz? The John Funkhouser Quartet + Leland Baker and Zack Feigenbaum duo at AS220 Main Stage, 8:30 pm, $10

War Games, Zero Holds, Brian Marquis, and The Varsity Club at The Met, 7 pm, $10 adv/$12 day of

10/3
Traditional Irish Music Session at AS220 Bar & FOO(D), 4 pm, Free

Play On!: A Night Out For Big Kids at Providence Children’s Museum, 7 pm, $15, $20 & $25 (21+)

Vincent-A Play by Leonard Nimoy at Courthouse Center for the Arts, 2 & 7 pm

Live Bait: Spin at 95 Empire Black Box, 10 pm, $7

The Lion and the Clown: A Rumi Lovesong for Beauty and the Beast Presented by Real Live Theatre at AS220 Black Box, 2 pm, $15

Thought Broadcasting: Images of Psychosis in Media at AS220 Media Arts, 7 pm, Free

MISSING EARTH (PA), LAIKA’S ORBIT, HEY HALLWAYS (CA), LONGINGS (MA) and CARB ON CARB (NZ) at AS220 Main Stage, 9 pm, $8

Improv Jones at AS220 Black Box, 10 pm, $5

WBRU Craft Brew Fest at Lupo’s, Noon to 3 and 4:30 to 7:30 (2 Sessions), $35 (21+)

Gang of Four and The New Regime at The Met, 8 pm, $17 adv/$20 day of

10/4
Core Workout with Daniel Shea at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 9 am, $5

Beginner Ballet at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 10:30, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Intermediate Ballet w/ Stephanie Albanese at 95 Empire Dance Studio, Noon, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

Music of India – Mumbai Masala at URI Kingston Campus – Fine Arts Recital Hall, 4 pm, Free

Vincent-A Play by Leonard Nimoy at Courthouse Center for the Arts, 2 pm

Counter-Productions Theatre Company presents a staged reading of Le Dernier Repas(A Love Story) by David Eliet at AS220’s Blackbox, 7 pm, Free

The Empire Revue Presents: The Surprise Show! at AS220 Main Stage, 8 pm, $10

10/5
Intermediate/Advanced Modern Dance at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 6:30 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

10/6
Stretch & Strength at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, Noon, $5

Open Life Drawing at AS220, 6 pm, $6

Intermediate Ballet Class with Danielle Davidson at AS220 Live Arts Dance Studio, 7:15 pm, $13 per class/$60 for 6 classes

NV Concepts Zedd at The Ryan Center, 7:30 pm, VIP Seats- $129, GA Floor Seats- $55, GA Concourse Seats- $30

Sonny Vincent, Zin Vetro, M.O.T.O, and The Worried at AS220 Main Stage, 9:30 pm, $6