August Wilson’s Fences at Trinity Rep Offers a Fresh Take on an American Classic
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Lauren Clem
2d ago
Kelvin Roston Jr. as Troy Maxson and Jackie Davis as Rose in Fences. (Photo by Marisa Lenardson) It’s not the first of August Wilson’s plays to come to the Trinity Repertory stage in recent years, but according to the cast and crew, this one might be the most memorable. Fences holds its official opening night Wednesday, March 27, after opening for previews last week. The American classic, described as the magnum opus of Wilson’s oeuvre, follows former Negro League baseball player Troy Maxson (Kelvin Roston Jr.) in his post-glory days gig as a sanitation worker in 1950s-era Pittsburgh. Maxso ..read more
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Meet the Man Behind the Fireboat Fighter Museum
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Lauren Clem
4d ago
Some people devote their lives to an ideal. For the past fourteen years, Charlie Ritchie, president of the Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum, has devoted his to a boat. The Groton, Connecticut, resident first got involved with the effort to save the Fire Fighter upon its decommissioning in 2010 and has been dedicated to its preservation ever since. Built in 1938, the historic fireboat prowled the waters of New York Harbor for seventy-two years, protecting residents from untimely disasters. Beneath its hull, four massive pumps can spew up to 25,000 gallons of seawater every minute from water canno ..read more
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The Red Pandas are Back at Roger Williams Park Zoo
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Kaitlyn Murray
4d ago
Courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo Photo by Kaitlyn Murray If you’ve taken a trip to Roger Williams Park Zoo in recent months, you most likely noticed (and were dismayed by, if you’re me) the absence of two of their most popular residents: Kendji and Zan. The much beloved red pandas were on a little hiatus from public view while their space was being reimagined, but as of Friday they are back and all moved in to a cutting-edge habitat meticulously crafted to suit their needs. Providence Mayor Smiley was on site to conduct the official bamboo cutting and welcome Kendji and Zan to their ne ..read more
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Rhode Island Comedian’s New TV Special Shines a Light on Chronic Illness
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Lauren Clem
1w ago
Doug Ouimette performing stand-up comedy at Mohegan Sun. (Photo courtesy of Doug Ouimette) Doug Ouimette remembers the moment everything changed for his family. About six years ago, the Coventry resident, who works as a career education specialist for the University of Rhode Island, got a call from his wife, Christina, saying she didn’t feel well. Christina worked in the event industry for the American Mathematical Society and frequently traveled the country putting on conventions. Her regular schedule had her walking thousands of steps each day. But on this day, none of that mattered. “She ..read more
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Exploring the Grand Trees of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Dana Rae Laverty
1w ago
Sargent’s weeping hemlock at Blithewold. Photography by Corey Favino Tree at my window, window tree, My sash is lowered when night comes on; But let there never be curtain drawn Between you and me. —Robert Frost There’s something magical about trees.  We had a slender white birch in my backyard growing up. I’d spend hours back there, pulling off the dried seed pods and rubbing them between my fingertips, watching the paper-thin pieces flit off into the wind. Then there was the big pine down the road where my friends and I gathered under the eaves, a canopy of childhood secrets shroud ..read more
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Rhode Island Monthly Publisher John J. Palumbo to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Dana Rae Laverty
1w ago
Rhode Island Monthly Publisher John J. Palumbo will receive a lifetime achievement award in May. Photograph by Sabrina Scolari Photography. John J. Palumbo, publisher of Rhode Island Monthly magazine, will receive the 2024 Milton W. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award from the City and Regional Magazine Association. He was elected by unanimous vote of the CRMA board of directors. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given annually to an individual who exemplifies outstanding commitment to CRMA and fosters positive ties to their community. Rhode Island Monthly’s publisher since 1997, Palumbo has a ..read more
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Treading Water: How Rhode Island is Dealing with Recent Flooding
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Lauren Clem
1w ago
Pontiac Mills in Warwick as seen from across the flooded Pawtuxet River in December. Photography by Wolf Matthewson Ralph Amitrano Jr. was at home in his Cranston apartment when the floodwaters came. The seventy-five-year-old had just gotten out of the shower and was preparing to get dressed in the apartment he shared with his wife, Carol, and sister, Robin. A native of Providence, Amitrano — known to friends as “Mickey” — grew up in the Charles neighborhood and lived in the family home until selling it after his father’s death in 2013. Two years later, the family moved into a semi-basement ..read more
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Inside Local Universities’ New Cannabis Entrepreneurship Programs
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Annie Sherman
1w ago
Johnson & Wales University student Jaelynn Accola in the university grow lab. Photography by James Jones In the plant cultivation lab at Johnson & Wales University, student Jaelynn Accola tends to her plants like a professional botanist. Clippers in hand, she leans through the zippered door of the tent where her tomato, Swiss chard and catnip plants propagate happily under fluorescent lights. She trims a small wiry tomato limb and carries it to her lab table to examine and dissect it. This tiny tomato plant will impact Accola’s future, but for now she must pretend it’s cannabis. A d ..read more
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Lofty Ambitions: A Once-Condemned Industrial Building Finds New Life
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Dana Rae Laverty
2w ago
A striking accent wall doubles as a bedroom art gallery. Photography by Angel Tucker Olivia Beauregard was looking for a space for a live/work studio when a good friend volunteered a building near the Foundry complex in Providence.  “But you’re not going to like it,” he said. He was right. She didn’t like it. She loved it.  The salvaged front door separates the dining area and bedroom suite. Photography by Angel Tucker The circa 1961 industrial building had certainly seen better days: Graffiti coated the exterior, the interior was in shambles and tendrils of vegetation had ..read more
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Back to the Future: The Musical, Shucked, MJ The Musical and More Coming to PPAC in 2024–25
Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
by Tabitha Pereira
2w ago
The 2024–25 Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) season is jam-packed with familiar favorites and all-new productions. Plus, if you didn’t catch the classic Broadway shows like Hamilton or Chicago in the past, now’s your chance to experience these popular hits right in Providence. Check out the full schedule below:    The 2024–25 Taco/ The White Family Foundation Broadway Series:  A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical  Dates: September 21–28, 2024  “Sweet Caroline, ba ba ba!” You’ll be resisting the urge to sing along and add your own “ba’s” during this ..read more
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