Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

THE HISTORY OF July 18th, I'm___________________ .

And I'm ___________________ . Today in 1906: Playwright Clifford Odets [oh-DEHTS] is born in New York City. The son of Jewish immigrants from Latvia, Odets will write plays that reflect the rebellious temper of the Depression.

In 1935, he will write and stage his most radical play, Waiting for Lefty. The show will explore the 1934 New York taxi-driver strike, which will last 40 days and involve 40,000 drivers. Cabs will be burned, scabs beaten, and drivers and strike-breakers killed. But The Group Theatre, which Odets helped found, will refuse to stage Waiting for Lefty, forcing Odets to produce the play himself.

On opening night, the audience will deliriously storm the stage. Many will stay up all night, too excited to sleep. The play will be banned more frequently than any other in theater history.

 

Wednesday, July 18^th, 2012

It’s Today’s Action Calendar!

Today, Olbrich’s Blooming Butterflies opens! Immerse yourself in the world of live, free-flying butterflies as they float through the lush tropics of Olbrich’s Bolz Conservatory, 3330 Atwood Avenue. Experience the wonder as butterflies emerge from their chrysalises before your eyes! Olbrich’s Blooming Butterflies is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and runs through August 12^th. There is a cost for this event. More info at olbrich.org or call 246-4550.  

Tonight at 7:3o, Madison Worker Cooperatives will be hosting a one-time viewing of "Fixing the Future," a PBS documentary which highlights organizations working to reinvent the U.S. economy.  The film highlights Worker Cooperatives, Timebanks, Local Currencies, Local Business Alliances and Community Banks.  Afterward will be a panel discussion and call-to-action. This will be at Point Cinema, 7825 Big Sky Drive. There is a cost for this event. More info at 213-2314 or fixingthefuture.org

South Madison Farmers' Market is open from 2 – 6pm Thursdays at the Villager Mall, 2300 Park Street. Call 358-5834 for more information.