TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK
Though some use the arts as a way to escape from the current political climate, others use it to dive right in. The latter is the case with a Trump-inspired play at the Adobe Rose Theatre this weekend through July 2.
Set in the future is “Building the Wall,” a Robert Schenkkan drama that depicts the effects of President Donald Trump’s call to detain the country’s undocumented immigrants and how the execution of those plans spiral out of control.
Adobe Rose is one of five theaters across the country to premiere the work of the Tony and Pulitzer-prize-winning playwright. Santa Fe’s production is directed by Kristin Goodman
Schenkkan told the New York Times he wrote “Building the Wall” in a weeklong “white-hot fury” after the presidential election. The play is running off-Broadway in the Big Apple.
General admission is $20, with discounts for seniors and students. Go to adoberosetheatre.org or call 505-6298688, or visit brownpapertickets.com.
SUMMER FUNK: The free Levitt AMP Santa Fe Music Series in the Railyard, which started with a bang two weeks ago with a rousing Meat Puppets performance, has another great show scheduled for Saturday night: Dumpstaphunk, one of New Orleans’ primo funk outfits (including a couple of members of the esteemed Neville clan), is the headliner.
But don’t show up late. If you’ve never heard local funk collective The Sticky — and everyone should — this is your chance. The Sticky is scheduled to kick off the show at 7 p.m. on the plaza next to the Railyard water tank.
ELECTRONIC ART: Festivities for Currents 2017 will head from the Railyard down to Meow Wolf today, where Machine-Drum will perform. The electronic music artist, whose real name is Travis Stewart, will do cuts from his 2016 album “Human Energy.” The songs seem to never stay in one place too long, switching up the beat and pace constantly.
He says he wants his work to be seen as a beacon of positivity for his listeners, adding that it was a “healing experience” for him to create the album. More prosaically, the music “will certainly leave you with a huge, goofy smile slathered all over your face,” says Meow Wolf’s promotional write-up.
Rounding out Friday’s show are two other artists who master the soundboard, touring DJ James Black and Los Angeles rapper bk beats. Start time is 9 p.m. Tickets are $18 at meowwolf.com or $22 at the door.
MAGICAL MOVIE: Muggles of all ages can make get magical at Railyard Park tonight for the free showing of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the second of Santa Fe’s free summer movies that run every other Friday through August.
The “Harry Potter” prequel stars Eddie Redmayne as American wizard Newt Scamander, and follows New York witches and wizards in the early 20th century. The PG-13 movie makes it available for a variety of “Potter” fans.
The movie starts at 8 p.m. in the Railyard Park and will run about two and a half hours.