From truth-seeking journalists to bookish partiers to ashy worshippers to artsy hat-wearers to eagle-eyed birdwatchers, people are really using their heads this week in New Haven.
Monday, February 27
Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism hosts a pair of compelling-sounding talks today. The first, at 1 p.m. inside the Sterling Law Building (127 Wall St, New Haven), features Associated Press reporter Jeff Horwitz discussing his time “as part of the AP team responsible for vetting candidate [Donald] Trump,” plus “the challenges of investigating the Trump administration.” The second, at 4 p.m. inside Bingham Hall (300 College St, 8th Fl, New Haven), features Russian graphic journalist Victoria Lomasko—“a fixture at Moscow’s trials and protests” known for “documenting the tumultuous processes that shape today’s Russia” and “exploring the domestic, psychological and spiritual condition of its diverse marginalized groups”—speaking about Other Russias, “an anthology of her work from 2009 to 2016.”
Tuesday, February 28
Organizers for this year’s Mardi Gras bash at the Ives Main Library (133 Elm St, New Haven; 203-946-8835), happening tonight from 5:30 to 8:30, have compiled a handy “what to expect” list, which includes “tastings from some of the area’s most popular restaurants,” “signature cocktails from local bars and mixologists,” a “New Orleans-style parade,” “dancing the night away to blues, jazz and classic hits,” “chance encounters with glitterati and bibliophiles” and “a photo booth to capture the spirit of the evening.” Single tickets to the fundraiser start at $80, with additional options for library-lovers who are feeling extra amorous.
Wednesday, March 1
For many Christians, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, prompting observers to pursue personal measures of abstinence and penance until the day before Easter. At 7 p.m., Battell Chapel (400 College St, New Haven) is marking the occasion with a “quiet and simple Christian (ecumenical) worship… with readings, prayers, a brief reflection and the offer of imposition of ashes,” a.k.a. a cross drawn in ashes on the forehead. “All are welcome.”
Thursday, March 2
At 7:30 this evening, hundreds of singers and musicians converge on Woolsey Hall (500 College St, New Haven) for a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem. Joined by the Fairfield County and Hartford Chorales as well as four featured vocalists, the engine of this show is the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (203-865-0831), and despite the relative enormity of the presentation, tickets start where they usually do: at $15.
Friday, March 3
Promising “a night you will truly never forget,” Creative Arts Workshop (80 Audubon St, New Haven; 203-562-4927) presents this year’s “Hats Off!” fundraiser from 6 to 8:30. Featuring an “over-the-top runway show with New Haven’s finest drag performers and host Todd Lyon,” attendees are set to enjoy “creative cocktails, beer, wine and snacks by 116 Crown” as they “bid on out-of-this-world hats designed by local artists.” General admission tickets cost $25 apiece, with an extra $15 securing reserved parking and seating.
Saturday, March 4
“Trevor can’t wait to get back to Hollywood. He’s cooped up in the house, dragging his life-size cutout of Morgan Fairchild around the yard, and wondering what the creeps next door are up to. Trevor is an eleven-year-old, 200-pound chimpanzee,” the New Haven Theater Company alluringly says about its latest production, Nick Jones’s Trevor. An absurdist tale, it still wants to convey something truthful, as the NHTC notes: “This hilarious dark comedy explores how we think we understand the people around us, but often find we’re speaking a different language.” Finishing a two-week run this evening, tickets to the latest performances—happening Thursday, Friday and tonight at 8 p.m. on the “NHTC Stage @ EBM” (839 Chapel St, New Haven)—cost $20.
Sunday, March 5
Early risers may spy some early risers during the New Haven Land Trust’s Winter Bird Walk at 8 a.m. Led by New Haven Bird Clubber Mike Horn through the Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve (1040 Quinnipiac Ave, New Haven), attendees “will get the chance to see what birds are overwintering at the preserve and we may see some early spring migrants. Dress warmly.” Free.
Later, from 2 to 5 p.m., fiber artist Jennifer Davies’s new exhibit Paper is a Path gets an opening reception at City Gallery (994 State St, New Haven; 203-782-2489). “[Gravitating] toward Japanese fiber traditions with its emphasis on natural color and strong materiality,” the exhibit features “handmade Japanese paper from plants,” pulp-dipped “lacy nets” and “overlaps of translucent paper,” among other elements. Free to attend.
Written by Dan Mims. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
