‘Betty Jo’s Fan Club’ gets staged Zoom reading
Jacques Lamarre of Manchester, the comic playwright behind “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti,” “Raging Skillet” and “Love & Spumoni,” has a new play, “Betty Jo’s Fan Club,” which will have a virtual staged reading on June 2 at 7 p.m., presented by the Charter Oak Cultural Center of Hartford. Admission to the Zoom presentation is free and the reading can be seen at https://charteroakcenter.org/event/betty-jos-fanclub-a-virtual-play-reading/.
Broadway veteran Susann Fletcher stars as Betty Jo Whiffle, a retired schoolteacher and member of the Hamden Town Beautification committee, who is being questioned by the FBI.
The play has mature material and is not recommended for children.
Get Sauced: Dinnertime theater-themed chat hosted by TheaterWorks Hartford producing artistic director Rob Ruggiero with different special guests each week. Thursdays at 5 p.m. on the TheaterWorks Instagram page.
Goodspeed Musicals: Regular programming includes “Greatspeed” Tuesdays at 7 p.m. (Zoom link at goodspeed.org/ greatspeed), “In the (Home) Office” with Goodspeed producer Donna Lynn Hilton and guest musical theater creators Thursdays at 5 p.m., the “In the Spotlight” podcast with Goodspeed staffers Anika Chapin and Michael Fling sharing musical theater history (posted on alternate Wednesdays, including
May 20, on Spotify and Apple Podcasts) and “I’ll Drink to That,” in which Chapin and Fling make cocktails and chat, Mondays at 5 p.m. on the @goodspeedmusicals Instagram page. Details and links at goodspeed.org/ from-home.
“Menopause the Musical”: archived video of a live performance, available through May 31 at bit.ly/ PT-MTM or menopausethemusical.com. The screening is a benefit for shuttered theaters including the Palace in Waterbury. Admission is $19.
“More or Less I Am, Episode 2: The City”: Second installment of the four-part ensemble piece based on Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” by the international performance collective Compagnia de’ Colombari, directed by Karin Coonrod and featuring live music. Posted June 5 by the International Festival of Arts & Ideas at artidea.org.
Playhouse on Park: Programming includes “Shoot the Sh*t with Sean” weekly talks about theater issues with Sean Harris, Saturdays at 11 a.m., and regular “Virtual Open Mic” performances and “Where
Are They Now?” interviews posted to the playhouse’s YouTube channel. playhouseonpark.org.
The Quick Quarantined Play Festival: Numerous rounds of original one-act plays (primarily monologues), each of which was written in one day and then rehearsed and produced in one day. Details at vintagesoulproductions.com. Videos are posted on Vintage Soul Productions’ YouTube page and FaceBook page.
Satellite Festival: Yale Cabaret’s annual festival of new works, retooled as an online event, with projects in many different media. Titles include the storytelling performance “The Summer I Ate Ice Cream and Cried,” the videos “THICC” and “God Sprawl,” the “adapted phrase-work excerpts”
“Are you or do you?,” the radio play “Truck III” and the multi-media “episodic story” Living as a HumanPerson(™).” satellite2020.com.
Scene & Heard: Hartford Stage artistic director Melia Bensussen hosts a weekly discussion series with special guests from the regional theater world. 5 p.m. Wednesdays. RSVP at hartfordstage.org to receive a log-in.
Trouble at Home: Historical interpreters portraying Twain’s daughter Susy Clemens in the online version of the Mark Twain House & Museum’s lecture series “The Trouble Begins.” May 18 at 5:30 p.m. Register here: crowdcast.io/e/trouble-at-homesusy/.
Virtual Thursday: Brookfield Theatre of the Arts’ series of “recorded and livestreamed performances.” Certain weeks are specially themed “Studio B” nights: on June 4 the theme is “Drag Time” and on June 18 it’s “Dance Party.” 7:30 p.m. brookfieldtheatre.org.
Dance Party with Darlene Ponist Zoller: Daily dance classes/workouts with the Playhouse on Park choreographer. Noon on Zoller’s Facebook page.
A Living Room Concert: Live music series presented by TheaterWorks Hartford on its Facebook page. Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Make Music Hartford: The third annual day-long celebration of music in the capital city presented by Greater Hartford Arts Council, will go virtual this year. June 21 at makemusicday.org/hartford.
HSO to Go: Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s new website page includes recordings from the symphony’s archive, educational materials and fresh performance videos made by HSO musicians in their homes during the coronavirus shutdown. The latest posting is “Thank
You Essential Workers,” a video weeks in the making that shows symphony members performing the finale from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite” alongside a collage of frontline medical, food service and grocery-store personnel from Beaver Brook Animal Hospital, Chelsea Place Care Center, Connecticut Humane Society, D’Amelio’s Italian Eatery, Doro Restaurant Group, Duncaster Retirement Community, Eversource, Fitzgerald’s Food Stores, Hartford 911 Dispatch, Hartford Department of Public Works, Hartford Fire Department, Hartford HealthCare, Hartford Police Department, Hartford Public Schools, LaBonne’s Market, Liberty Bank, Metro Bis Restaurant, RM Bradley, Saint Francis Hospital,
UPS, Hartford Warehouse, United State Postal Service and VCA Animal Hospital of East Hartford. hartfordsymphony.org/hso-togo/
La Grua Center: The performance venue in Stonington posts classical concert footage from its archives weekly on its YouTube page. Details at lagruacenter.org.
The State House: The New Haven clubs posts recordings of bands playing live at the venue on its Soundclub page. Each recording is posted for just a few days. The latest is from Kabaka Pyramid.
United States Coast Guard Band: The New London-based concert band has set up a YouTube channel to post performances. Calendar and details at uscg.mil/community/ band.
Virtual Cross-Atlantic Quarantine Session: Cuatro Puntos presents a featuring violinist Elinor Speirs, broadcast live from Cape Town, South Africa. On the Cuatro Puntos Facebook page or via Zoom (register at cuatropuntos.org).
Yale School of Music:
Filmed performances of recitals from the Morse Recital Hall and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival summer program, on the school’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
DJ Drake: “Spread Love Tuesdays” on Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m. and “Happy Hour” on Fridays from 4-7 p.m. on the popular local DJ’s Facebook page.
Back 2 Back Wednesday Live: DJ K-Otic and a special guest DJ each do a 90-minute set. Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. on K-Otic’s Facebook page.
Doctor Online: Tuesdays at 9 p.m., streamed live from Chez Est on the club’s Facebook page, facebook.com/chez.est. June 2: Mia E Z’Lay, Amethyst, October May Lay and Rory Roux Lay.
Let’s Learn Stuff with Victoria Sautee: Humorous schooling for the whole family, delivered in lively Dame Edna-type Australian busybody style. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:15 a.m. on the Pantochino Productions Facebook page. Episodes archived at pantochino.com.
Pink Eggs and Glam starring Paige Turner: The popular drag brunch gone online. Sundays at 1 p.m. on the Sky Casper Events Facebook page.
Sip and Simmer: Live cooking with Anita Manager, daily except Fridays. The co-host on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is Sienna Rose, with a different co-host on Wednesday. 8 p.m. on Manager’s Facebook page.
Stream Queens: : Hosted by Heidi Haux and offering “camp, comedy and glamour.” Every Wednesday through July at 8 p.m. on the Sky Casper Events Facebook and Instagram pages.
Together in Resilience: Virtual fundraiser for the New Haven Pride Center. June 6th at 7 p.m. at facebook.com/ events/901137790297934/. Performers include Rory Roux-Lay Heart, Xiomarie LaBeija, Giganta Smalls, Mia E Z’Lay, Loosey LaDuca, Sparkle A. Diamond, Frizzie Borden, Casey Fitzpatrick, Sienna Rose, Frankie M. Cyanide, Miss Frank, Summer Orlando, Bonnie Petít, and Crystal Starz, plus visual artists Ricky Mestre and Don Houston and musicians Carrie Ashton and Maia Leonardo.
Sea Tea Comedy Theater: Comedy content posted regularly on venue’s Facebook page, including a “Sea Tea Quarantined Family Show” by two of Sea Tea’s co-founders, Julia Pistell and Greg Ludovici, and their 2-year-old daughter Vega.
Virtual Comedy Writers Group: Comedians share tips and jokes.
Hosted by Kate “Ham” Clancy and Brian “BBQ”
Barganier. Nightly at 7 p.m. Zoom meeting number at Barganier’s Facebook page; contact him for the password.
Suzi Jensen: Readings of children’s books, Wednesdays at 3 p.m. at the Facebook page of Judy Dworin Performance Project.
Stories 4 Humanity: Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Weekly anthology of prerecorded videos from Connecticut storytellers, particularly Jezrie MarcanoCourtney, on the “SPEAK? Easy” Facebook page.
Stories A-Live!: presented by the Treehouse Players. 1 p.m. Songs, storytelling and acting out stories. The Tuesday shows are for younger children and the Thursdays for older. The overall range is pre-K to second grade. On the Treehouse Players Facebook page. Details at treehouseplayers.com.
Story Time Video: Presented by ACT of Connecticut and Books on the Common post a new reading each week on the ACT website, actofct.org/ livestream, and Facebook page. Children’s books are read by professional actors.
Story Times and More: Readings of children’s books, posted every weekday on the New Haven Free Public Library site, nhfpl.org/storiesandmore/.
Virtual Story Time: Presented by RJ Julia Bookseller. Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. rjjulia.com.
Fairfield County Story Lab: Dozens of online gatherings a month on Zoom, including “Weekly Write-Ins” on Wednesdays and Fridays and a motivational “Midnight Madness” writing exercise Sunday nights at 10:15 p.m. Registration, meeting numbers and a full schedule are at fcstorylab.com.
R.J. Julia Bookseller: is holding numerous virtual readings and book discussions every week. June 1 at 7 p.m.: Phil Stamper, “Camp.” June 2 at 7 p.m.: Amity Gaige, “Sea Wife.” June 5 at 5 p.m.: Marian Lindberg, “Scandal on
Plum Island.” June 10 at 6 p.m.: Mike Lupica, “Grudge Match” (a continuation of Robert B. Parker’s Sunny Randall series.) Registration and details at rjjulia.com.
Short Attention Span Literary Club: Connecticut Historical Society’s Zoom discussion of Kate Chopin’s “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” May 28 at 2 p.m. The Zoom link is at cilc.zoom.us/meeting/ register/tJIvfuCrrT0sGtKgWiHQCfwrfNn2XyOSyctC.
Avon Theatre: The Stamford venue is offering a lineup of foreign and art-house narrative features and documentaries through its website, avontheatre.org/. Suggested ticket price $5.
Back of House: Season 3 of the reality show set at Mohegan Sun Resort Casino. mohegansun.com/ back-of-house.html.
The Beginnings of Bebop: Jazz legend and retired Yale professor
Willie Ruff ’s short film from 1981, through June 30 at vimeo.com/418267678, with a filmmaker conversation at vimeo.com/419928226.
Bow Tie Cinemas: Streaming movies online at bowtiecinemas.com. Titles, which change weekly, currently include “The Booksellers,” “The Women’s Adventure Film Tour” and “Bit.”
Cinepolis USA: Streaming movies at cinepolisusa.com/cinepolis-virtualcinema. Titles change weekly.
Cinestudio: The Trinity College-based cinema is showing two films online through June 19: the Norwegian crime drama “The Painter and the Thief” at neonrated.vhx.tv/checkout/ cinestudio-theater-presthe-painter-and-the-thief/ purchase and the documentary profile “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy” at dianakennedy.vhx.tv/ products/diana-kennedyfor-cinestudio. Admission is $3.99 for “The Painter” and $9.99 for “Diana.”
Wally Lamb: The Mansfield novelist has an hourlong filmed chat with actor Mark Ruffalo and director Derek Cianfrance at youtube.com/watch?v=BL A-Rv1Sd2g&feature=yout u.be&fbclid=IwAR1-qwO XOFvXNWFqOaGhCPDq _SWc6M
2tjSWZMtlvajBtzORqPJZxyu_g4t0. Ruffalo stars in, and Cianfrance directed, the HBO adaptation of Lamb’s book “I Know This Much Is True.”
Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Festival: Offers an online pass to either rent or buy 21 movies distributed by Menemsha Films, a distributor that focuses on Jewish themes. Many Menemsha films have been shown in previous Mandell film festivals. It costs $4.99 to buy all 21 and 99 cents to rent all 21. mandelljcc.org.
Mystic Luxury Cinemas is offering a lineup of foreign and art-house narrative features and documentaries through its website, mysticluxurycinemas.com. Half of the recommended rental fee of $5 per film will go to the cinema. The lineup changes daily.
Wild & Scenic Virtual Film Festival: Twelve short award-winning environmental and adventure films from around the world. Presented by Madison and Clinton land trusts May 30 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at https://filmfestival.madisonlandtrust.org/. $30.
Connecticut Forum: Clips from many Forum events at youtube.com/ user/CTFORUM.
carnott@courant.com.