Hot Ticket: Favorite Poem Project Benefits PTown's Fine Arts Work Center Fri Aug 10

On Friday night we'll be treated to a remarkable evening of "favorite poems" read by luminaries from the worlds of music, theater, politics, journalism, art, and, of course, poetry. The program is a benefit for the Fine Arts Work Center, at 24 Pearl Street in Provincetown. Each year FAWC helps to raise up a new crop of emerging writers and visual artists through various fellowships and programs of the center.
The diversity of the night's readers is evidenced above. From acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner to genius singer/songwriter Patty Larkin, from State Senator Julian Cyr to renowned poet Eileen Myles, this manifold group of readers will no doubt bring us a presentation that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Writer/director/actor Ryan Landry has a bit of a bad boy image, but I'm willing to bet that he'll surprise us one way or another with his selection, because that's what he does.
Whether you prefer open seating or priority, which includes reserved seats and an After Party with the readers, you'll want to get tickets right away. Click here for tickets or go online later at fawc.org/tickets/. Don't miss this week's Hot Ticket!

Dina Martina's Townie Night Previews Smart, Very Funny PTown Entertainment

A perennial favorite, though none can describe her show, Dina Martina entertains at the Crown & Anchor at 8:30.

Absolutely legendary comic savant Dina Martina is back for another summer series of performances in Provincetown, at the Crown & Anchor Cabaret Room. It’s not possible to adequately describe the performance, nor the style, of what seems to me to be the most brilliant comedic mind ever foisted on an unsuspecting public.

Many years ago, a friend and I sat wide-eyed, with jaws agape, through the entire performance of Dina Martina’s astonishing stage show, each of us as “first-timers.” It left us both truly speechless; unable to describe what we had just seen; our eyes wet with tears of laughter; stunned by several genuinely cringeworthy moments… and wanting more of all of it!

In the loosest possible terms, there will undoubtedly be a bit of “dance” and “music” and a little philosophy, too, along with uproariously funny video interspersed. Hair, makeup and wardrobe are all quite unfortunate, adding to the fun of this smart, indescribable, yet most memorable evening of entertainment.

Tonight is Townie Night, so if you live in PTown, get to The Crown quickly for your free ticket. If you’re unable to make it tonight, put this show on your list of mandatory summer amusement. It will be a true highlight in a season of great entertainment.

Sisters in the Name of Love: A Benefit Performance Supporting Two Essential Provincetown Health Organizations

Sisters in the Name of Love is always one of the greatest romps of the year in PTown entertainment!

Since the late 1980s one of the most highly anticipated, "must see" PTown shows has been the annual fundraising extravaganza known as Sisters in the Name of Love. It's safe to say that every drag queen in town will be on stage at some point during the evening, whether professional, amateur, hobbyist or complete novice, and that's all part of the fun of this mammoth evening of entertainment.
Seasoned performers as well as those less familiar to us will entertain a packed house at the Crown & Anchor this Tuesday, June 6th, beginning at 8 PM. There may be singers, along with comics, musicians, you name it… any sort of entertainment at all may turn up, with a particular emphasis on comedy and drag. There will be lots of big hair, sequins and boas, not to mention attitude. These queens are here to wrench the cash out of your hands for a very good cause: the health, support and wellbeing of hundreds of clients who depend on a little help from the ASGCC and HOW.
The Aids Support Group of Cape Cod began as a little Provincetown organization, among the first in the US to address the AIDS crisis back in the 1980s. It has now been greatly expanded, depending largely on a dedicated league of volunteers, and currently serves clients throughout the entire Cape and Islands. They provide counseling and support; testing, prevention, screening and nutrition services; rides to medical appointments; assistance with housing and utilities, and a host of other services.
How is Helping Our Women, another volunteer-based organization that started with a handful of women responding to the lack of services available to a friend newly diagnosed with cancer in 1992. By 1993 they had raised the money to incorporate as a full-fledged nonprofit, opening a resource and referral center for women in Provincetown who were facing the illness. By 1994 they had expanded to offer services to local women with all types of chronic, life-threatening and/or debilitating illnesses, and now offer those services and many more to women in the towns of Truro, Wellfleet and Eastham, as well as in PTown. A small monthly stipend for complimenting therapies, alternative treatments, or even utility assistance is also available to women meeting income guidelines.

These are two wonderful organizations, depending largely on funding from contributions by the general public. This yearly benefit provides a good bit of their annual budgets, as well as rollicking entertainment for our community, so be there or be square! Doors open at 7 PM, so you'll want to come a little early for a good seat and a cocktail, or two, and a bit of socializing before the show. There's likely to be an auction or two at some point in the evening, perhaps for souvenirs of the show or sometimes for priceless memorabilia, so bring your checkbook along as well.
The suggested donation for admission is just $10 at the door, but you'll want to bring fistfuls of dollar bills as well. It's customary to tip drag queens for superior entertainment, and you'll certainly want to show your wild appreciation for the outrageous costumes, performances and personas of the evening. The entertainers, in turn, will donate all their tips - every last dollar. Every crumpled, beer-soaked, martini-dripping dollar will go to providing services to clients of HOW and the ASGCC. Lets hope they're still counting the cash the next morning. See you there!

Tonight's Hot Ticket in Provincetown - The 24 Hour Theater Festival!

The 24 Hour Theater Festival plays tonight only at the Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street, 7:30 PM

This is short notice to get you to attend a performance this evening, but the whole point of this remarkable annual event is short notice. Last night, 8 ten-minute plays, none of which had yet been written, were chosen to be performed on stage tonight at the Provincetown Theater, on Bradford Street.
Overnight, eight groups of people would write, stage, direct, act in, rehearse and produce a complete, ten-minute play, to be performed tonight at 7:30 PM. Each group may have members with varying levels of experience in theater. For example, some of the actors may never have performed on stage before tonight's production.
This event is great fun, with 8 short plays that will likely range from humor to pathos, from satire to earnest introspection, bringing to the stage everything you'd want from a night at the theater, in ten-minute stretches, each completely different from the last.
Tickets are just $13.50 whether you buy yours at the box office, at 238 Bradford Street, or get tickets online. Phone 508 487-7487 for more information on this remarkable, creative, PTown winter event.
Get out of the house and be among the humans. Go a little early and have a glass of wine in the cozy theater lounge before the show. I hope to see all of you at this unique, fun, one-night-only event.

Three PTown Events This Weekend Offer Great Food, Shopping and Entertainment

Get homemade baked goods today at the Methodist Church bake sale in PTown.

There's a bake sale today at the United Methodist Church in Provincetown, at 20 Shank Painter Road, from 10 AM to 2 PM. There's no telling what kinds of tasty baked goods will be offered.
You're bound to find homemade cookies, brownies and a variety of holiday treats and festive goodies made by parishioners, with proceeds going to the church's student education fund.

See the Outer Cape Chorale and Chamber Singers
free concerts in PTown and Orleans this weekend.

The annual holiday performance of the Outer Cape Chorale got underway last night with the first performance of this year's program "O Be Joyful" at Town Hall in Provincetown.
There will be another performance of this free concert (goodwill donations are gratefully accepted) tonight at 7 PM at Town Hall, with one last chance to see this highly anticipated event on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM in Orleans, at Nauset Middle School.
Traditional holiday tunes will also be featured. Go a bit early to either venue, as this event generally plays to a packed house.

The Canteen brings a European style holiday festival to
Provincetown with food, fun,  entertainment and shopping!

The Canteen's very popular Holiday Market returns for weekends through New Year's Day. Fridays through Sundays until January 1st, from 11 AM till at least 7PM each night, you'll find this winter festival both indoors and outdoors at The Canteen, at 227 Commercial Street.
You'll find hot food and drinks, live music, theater performances, exhibits, local vendors, booths filled with crafts and gifts made by skilled artisans, and the list goes on…
This wonderful event was inspired by traditional European Christmas and New Year's festivals, providing food, fun and entertainment for the community and its visitors.
This year, an ice skating rink has been added, and Cape Cod Beer will be on hand, presenting a new winter brew, available only at this event. The beach at The Canteen will be a great spot to watch the fireworks, and a free champagne toast for all will celebrate the New Year.

Don't Miss the Last Day of the 2015 Women's International Theater Festival

Get out and enjoy the last two events in this wonderful series of plays written by women. Both are Saturday, October 17th, at the Provincetown Theater, at 238 Bradford Street.
There will be a reading of Margaret Van Sant's play GOODY, THE WITCH OF EASTHAM, scheduled at 2 PM.
At 7:30 PM there will be a program of eight short plays, each about ten minutes in length, many by local women, spanning a wide variety of subjects matter. They are listed below.

For tickets visit provincetowntheater.org or you can call the box office at 508 487-7487. After the performance there will be a panel discussion: DO WE STILL NEED WOMEN'S THEATER FESTIVALS?

Hot Ticket! Just Two More Performances by The Calamari Sisters

Calamari Sisters Delphine and Carmela belt out a song in their very
funny hit musical/comedy/dance performance at Sage through Saturday. 

There are only two more performances of one of the freshest, funniest, thoroughly entertaining shows to hit Provincetown in years! Through this Saturday, August 22nd, they'll take the stage at Sage, at 336 Commercial Street, at 8:30 PM as they sing, dance and cook their way through a most engaging, very funny evening, preparing their Italian version of a New England clambake on a barbecue grill right on stage. These two thoroughly Italian sisters have been brought back for their second season in Provincetown with an all-new extravaganza that has the audience rolling on the floor with laughter.

These two Italian sisters regale us with hilarious stories and
innuendo as they create an Italian clambake right on stage.

These two are larger than life, in every conceivable way, as they dance and sing and impart several very funny stories about their assorted relatives, all while giving cooking tips as they are creating a summer beach meal to be shared with the audience, who occasionally becomes part of the show.
This energetic, vibrant, hilariously risqué musical comedy is the most unusual drag performance in town. Click this link to get tickets for The Calamari Sisters Clam Bake, or get them at the door, just up the alley at Sage Inn and Lounge. The last two performances are Friday and Saturday night at 8:30 PM.
Don't miss this show!

Provincetown Film Festival Begins Tonight!

More than 50 films and events will be packed into our 17th annual
Provincetown International Film Festival, running through Sunday. 

Our 17th annual Provincetown International Film Festival begins this evening with ten films and events tonight alone, and over the five days of the festival, we'll pack in more than 50 films and events all over Provincetown and beyond. Click here for 2015 PIFF schedule. Tonight's events, all over town, and at the Wellfleet Drive In, include screenings of documentaries, narrative films and shorts, and the festival's opening party at the Crown & Anchor. Thursday will offer us another 24 films and events, and each day of the festival will wow you with choices. Click here for the PIFF Calendar of events, which will quickly and easily show you, day by day, the various screenings, parties and events you will all want to attend.
Click here for the Parties and Events list to find various awards presentations, filmmaker chats, parties and other events you won't want to miss. Check out the "Breakfast With…" series, where a panel of filmmakers will discuss their work and answer questions while everyone has something to eat. Thursday's panel includes folks who have made films relating directly to Provincetown, such as Andrea Myerson's Clambake, about the beginnings and evolution of Women's Week in Provincetown, now one of the biggest annual lesbian events in the world.
Buy tickets online or visit the box office on the first floor of the Whalers Wharf, at the far end of the building, on the edge of the beach. Get your tickets early, before they sell out, and be at the venue at least 15 minutes before the scheduled showtime so you don't lose your seat. If a film you have your heart set on is already sold out, you still have a pretty fair chance of seeing it by "wait listing." You can go the the venue up to an hour before the start time and wait in line for empty seats that will become available 15 minutes before showtime. I've gotten into dozens of sold out films this way over the last 17 years of the festival. It's first come, first served, so get there before the rest of the town gets in line.
Get out and see as many films as you can, attend a few parties, meet a few stars and filmmakers, and enjoy one of the best film festivals in America!

See Lonely Planet Thru Sunday at Provincetown Theater

We thank the sponsors who have brought this thoughtful, engaging play to PTown

I saw a very good play the other night at the Provincetown Theater, at 238 Bradford Street. Lonely Planet is a thoroughly engrossing story featuring only two actors, John Long and Joe MacDougal, appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. Both are wonderful in their parts. 

The play runs only through Sunday, so you'll have to hurry to see it. Performances are tonight through Saturday at 7:30 PM, with a Sunday matinee at 3 PM. Tickets can be had for a mere $15. Here are a few blurbs describing this great evening of theater, taken from the theater's website…

The Provincetown Theater is proud to present ‘Lonely Planet’, a play by Steven Dietz, directed by Francis Kelly, and starring Joe MacDougall* & John Long*.

Lonely Planet tells the story of two friends, Jody and Carl, who use humor and their own sense of absurdity to navigate the turbulent world at the height of the AIDS crisis. Focusing on the lives and friendship of Jody and Carl, ‘Lonely Planet’ manages to capture the essence of an important moment in our history in an understated yet powerful theatrical event.

“Lonely Planet is written with compassion and concern; Dietz has known his unfair share of young people who died well before their time, and his sorrow clearly motivates the play.”

–Chicago Reader

“To describe Lonely Planet as an “AIDS play” is accurate yet incomplete. It is really more of a story about friendship and its importance in a troubling world.”

-DC Theatre Scene

“Sometimes the theatre entertains us. Sometimes it makes us think. Sometimes it can even alter our trajectory a bit. On very rare occasions it can do all three. Such is the case with the stellar production of Lonely Planet, a two-hander by Steven Dietz, which opened tonight at the Provincetown Theater. The stars have aligned for this planet and brought with them remarkable performances, gifted direction, a fantastic set and a beautifully written play…

If you live in Provincetown…go! If you are visiting Provincetown…go! If you are on Cape Cod or in Boston or New York plan a trip to see this play. This production could easily be on any Off-Broadway stage or any major regional theatre stage right now for double the ticket price. Don’t miss your chance to see theatre at its best.”– Examiner.com

Family Entertainment in PTown

Lewis Carroll's famous tale of a curious young girl called Alice, a Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, a houkah-smoking caterpillar and a waistcoat-wearing rabbit with a pocket watch comes alive on the stage of the Provincetown Theater in Alice in Wonderland, delighting families and audiences of all ages.
The story, adapted for the stage by Bragan Thomas and directed by Provincetown's own Anthony Jackman, follows Alice down the proverbial rabbit hole into a fantastical world of flamboyant characters who are at once outrageous and whimsical, both threatening and enchanting, leading her into a series of adventures becoming "curiouser and curiouser" as Alice chases after that white rabbit.
This terrific play features wonderful local actors, joined by Atte Kekkonen, who has come all the way from Finland to play the part of The Dutchess. Director Anthony Jackman, who's been involved in every aspect of theater production in Provincetown over the last 30 years or so, calls this production "pure community theater at its best." Jackman said "These are local actors, and we've involved as many children as possible. We're teaching children theater as we go."

Kevin Shenk, Paul Halley, Atte Kekkonen, Charlie Roye, Emma Fillion as Alice. Photo by Lynda Sturner.

There's a Sunday matinee today at 3 PM, and another on December 21st as well, with evening performances at 7:30 PM this Thursday through Saturday, the 18th through the 20th of December, 2014. Get tickets online, ranging from $15 (kids) to $25, or at the box office, open from 1 PM till showtime on any show day. A family of at least four people gets a considerable discount, with kids and adults alike admitted for just $12.50 each if you get your family tickets at the box office, at 238 Bradford Street.
Whatever your age might be, pick up your tickets early so you won't miss this great bit of entertainment, and help support family theater in Provincetown.

Comic Eddie Sarfaty Returns to PTown

Eddie Sarfaty is a master of the one-liner, at the P. O. Cabaret thru July 20th

Eddie Sarfaty is a very funny stand-up comic and a writer as well. I first met him several years ago when he was making regular appearances in PTown, sometimes spending most of the summer here. He's been so busy that we haven't seen him much recently, so I was really happy some time ago to find him on Comedy Central's Premium Blend, and I recorded the show so I could watch him again whenever I needed to laugh out loud.
Eddie has done numerous TV shows such as The Today Show, has entertained on cruise ships, and appeared at colleges around the country. He's been featured in many comedy festivals, including Montreal's annual comedy event Just For Laughs, a very prestigious celebration which draws audiences totaling about two million people every summer.
Eddie is on the faculty of The Theater Lab in Washington, DC, and also at New York University, where he teaches courses in stand-up and in comedy writing. His collection of humorous essays, Mental: Funny in the Head, is now in its third printing. His essays have been published in the anthologies Best Gay Stories 2013, and Love, Christopher Street, among others. The Huffington Post called him "a comedic genius" when they published a bit of his work. Click this link to see Eddie's brilliant riff on gay marriage.
See Eddie in his limited engagement at the Post Office Cabaret, at 303 Commercial Street, nightly except Monday at 7:30 PM, through July 20th. For tickets, stop in at the
P. O. Cabaret box office, open from 2 PM till 10 PM, or call them at 508 487-0006. Have dinner at the Post Office Café before the show and get priority seating in the first few rows of the cabaret, right upstairs. Just mention it to your server.
It's great to have Eddie back in town. Be sure and catch him, while you can.

Prom Queens at Provincetown Theater

See the staged reading of Prom Queens this Friday or Saturday night at Provincetown Theater.

As the poster above tells us, this production of Prom Queens will be a staged reading of an original rock musical, running two nights only, at the Provincetown Theater, at 238 Bradford Street. Performances will be tonight (Friday, April 25th) and tomorrow (Saturday, April 26th) at 7:30 PM.
It's an upbeat, very funny story about a woman's struggle in the music industry, so naturally, it's full of music, all original tunes written for this play. One of the producers, Provincetown artist Patty DeLuca, calls it a high energy, feel good show that will recharge your batteries. Patty will appear in the part of Tina, one of the main characters in the play, which features a full band and cast to bring it to life.
The story and music were written by DanaMcCoy, Jennifer Schanke and Christina Cass, with the book written by Dana McCoy. If there is a great enough response to these staged readings of the play, it is hoped that a full-fledged production will be mounted one night a week over the summer, and if that venture proves successful, it could lead the production to New York City.
Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Call the box office at 508 487-7457, or get tickets online at provincetowntheater.org. See you at the theater!

Just Two More Nights for Provincetown Theater's 2014 Winter Reading Series

There are just two more Tuesday nights left in the 2014 Winter Reading Series at Provincetown Theater. Tomorrow night, March 4th, the scheduled reading will be
It’s a Grand Night for Murder, by Joe Starzyk.
The following description is from Joe Starzyk's website…

"It's A Grand Night For Murder"

The premise is simple: An older man wants to kill his wife to be with his younger mistress. The complications arise when he tries to act on this impulse. His erstwhile hit man, Ginger Baer (but pronounced Beer) is a former asst. manager at Red Lobster. He mistakenly wins the heart of a man in a bar, Ramon and then takes him into his confidence. Ramon brings Dinsmore along for help and no one knows what to make of the delightfully creepy Cablewoman. The end is full of dark surprises and of course love conquers all.

Each year authors and their plays are chosen to fill Tuesday night of every winter week with something new, to give us all a good reason to get out of the house and soak up a little culture among our fellow humans on a cold winter's night. Readings of these plays take place onstage at the Provincetown Theater, at 238 Bradford Street, at 7:30 PM.

The last reading of the season will be next Tuesday, March 11th, featuring Suzannah and Her Mothers, by James Marlow. Suggested donation for a seat at these readings is $10. Call the theater at 508 487-7487 or visit their website at provincetowntheater.org.