OSU theater ventures into ‘Wilderness’
The psychological trauma faced by today’s youth will be explored in “Wilderness,” a gripping docudrama by Seth Bockley and Anne Hamburger presented by Ohio State University’s Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts. Set at an outdoor wilderness camp for troubled youth, six teenagers grapple with addiction, mental health and gender/ sexual identity issues. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and Feb. 21-23 at Drake Performance Center’s River Den, 1849 Cannon Drive. Tickets cost $15 to $20. (614-292-5821, theatreandfilm.osu.edu)
Local neo-funk band Mojoflo will liven things up at the Summit Music Hall, 2210 Summit St., during the Columbus Mardi Gras Festival at 7 p.m. Tuesday (doors open at 4 p.m.). Named Best Band by Columbus Monthly in 2016, Mojoflo is as known for its dynamic live performances featuring vocalist Amber Knicole as it is for its catchy rhythms and lyrics. The band has shared the stage with numerous big names including KC and the Sunshine Band and Joan Jett. Special guests Ernie Johnson From Detroit, New Basics Brass Band and Myhouse also will perform. Tickets are $10, $12 and $15. (facebook.com/mojoflomusic)
Thornton Wilder classic to take the stage
There’s still a chance for you to see the Otterbein University production of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer-winning three-act play, “Our Town,” which wraps up its run at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at Cowan Hall’s Fritsche Theatre, 30 S. Grove St., Westerville. Narrated by a stage manager, the starkly set play examines the daily life, loves, marriages, deaths and afterlives in the small early-1900s New England town of Grover’s Corners. Tickets are $22. (614-823-1109, otterbein.edu/ theatre-performances)
Cocktail party to offer mixology pointers
Shake (and stir) the night away at the Columbus Cocktail Party, a unique night-out experience beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Cohatch Polaris, 1554 Polaris Parkway, Suite 325. One part party and one part mixology class, the hands-on event will provide guests with their own cocktail stations, plus all the liquor, mixers, shakers and utensils needed to learn how to make six classic cocktails. Tickets are $55. (facebook.com/columbuscocktailparty)
A celebration of life and a final expenses fundraiser for Columbus musician Kim Crawford, who died Jan. 4, will be held at Eldorado’s Food & Spirits, 4968 N. High St., beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday. The lineup will include Willie Phoenix, Donna Mogavero with 10AHEAD, Wednesday Wine, Bob Sauls and Jon Coleman, Screaming Urge, Nikki Wonder & The Bloodthirsty Virgins, Theresa Caldwell & Friends, Alecia Houston, Dexter Wesley & Red Hot Lava, Sioux Cavanaugh, The Brian Clash Band, Joel Mathers and Deane Arnold. There also will be raffles, official commemorative poster sales and more. Admission is free. There is also a Gofundme for Crawford. (mykerock.com)
SZA to kick off arena tour at the Schott
Award-winning music trendsetter SZA, whose hits include “Good Days,” “I Hate U” and “Shirt,” will launch her first arena tour at the Schottenstein Center, West Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with supporting act Omar Apollo. SZA’S 2017 debut album, “Ctrl,” has gone triple platinum and remains on the Billboard 200 chart, holding the record for the longest run for any Black female artist’s debut album. Her long-awaited sophomore release is titled “SOS.” Tickets for the concert start at $189. (schottensteincenter.com)
Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo will return to Nationwide Arena, 200 Nationwide Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, bringing edge-of-your-seat action including fan favorites like bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding and women’s barrel racing. Comedy “barrel man” Cody Sosebee will also entertain the crowd, along with Wild West performer Loop Rawlins. Tickets start at $23 through Ticketmaster.com.
Brother(hood) Dance! - composed of Orlando Zane Hunter Jr. and Ricarrdo Valentine - will present “Afro/ Solo/man,” featuring stories of Black men and brotherhood that defy assumptions about race, gender and sexuality, at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Wexner Center Performance Space, 1871 N. High St. The duo will portray their personal journeys using multimedia, dance and storytelling. The performance contains mature content. Suggested ticket prices are $24 for the general public and $12 for students and seniors. Access tickets also are available for $6 and access sponsor tickets are $48, which helps support the Wexner Center’s efforts to provide access to the arts for all. (wexarts.org)
Local authors to celebrate Toni Morrison
Hanif Aburraquib and Dionne Custer Edwards will discuss the influence of fellow Ohio writer Toni Morrison on their work as well as celebrate her legacy as an internationally renowned author at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bexley Public Library, 2411 E. Main St. The prolific, Nobel Prize-winning Morrison, who died in 2019, is known for her vast body of work including such novels as “The Bluest Eye,” “Beloved” and “Song of Solomon.” Admission is free. Register on the library website to attend in person or online. (bexleylibrary.org)
Fortune Feimster to bring laughs to the Palace
Comedian, writer and actor Fortune Feimster, who uses storytelling to find commonalities among people of all ages, backgrounds and sexual orientations, will come to the Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St. at 7 p.m. Saturday. Feimster gained popularity as a writer-panelist on “Chelsea Lately,” and starred as a series regular on “The Mindy Project” and “Kenan,” and had a recurring role as Dougie on CBS’S “Life in Pieces.” Tickets for the show range from $29 to $125. (cbusarts.com)