nothin Arnott’s Arts Happenings for Dec. 8-14 | New Haven Independent

Arnott’s Arts Happenings for Dec. 8 – 14

Tah-dah! Te Deum! And other holiday treats!

Monday, Dec. 8

Yay! Bowl!

The celebration of the Yale Bowl’s 100th birthday continues with a 6:30 p.m. presentation at the Mitchell Branch library by historian Betsy Kellem about how the bowl is a lot more than an old stadium.” 37 Harrison St. (203) 946‑8117.

Silk Christmas Stockings
The Silk Road Art Gallery (83 Audubon St.) is holding its first annual holiday exhibit, subtltled Fine and Folk Art of China,” at 5 p.m. this evening. The artwork on display is reasonably priced to sell.” (203) 772‑8928.

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Mechs-imum Capacity

The Austin-based experimental troupe Rude Mechs (who blew minds on their last New Haven visit with their insecure-artist opus The Method Gun) opened its intimate philosophical, science-minded fantasy game Now Now Oh Now last Thursday at the Yale University Theater (222 York St., 203 – 432-1234), and is running it through tomorrow, with two shows per night. The longish run is necessary because only 30 people are in the audience for each intermissionless 70-minute performance. The crowd takes an active part in the performance, which leads the Yale Rep (which is presenting Now Now Oh Now as part of its No Boundaries series) to recommend that you not bring big purses and bags.”

Wednesday, Dec. 10

Soul Review

The New Haven Review selects, and actors from New Haven Theater Company recite, short stories every month at the Listen Here! series. This month has a wintry holiday theme, with readings of Steve Almond’s The Soul Molecule” and Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory.” 7 p.m. at the Institute Library (847 Chapel St., 203 – 562-4045).

Reese Reads
William Reese is one of the best-known antiquarian book dealers in the world, and he’s based in New Haven. At 2 p.m. in the Sterling Library lecture hall (128 Wall St., 203 – 432-1810), Reese discusses how the field has changed in the decades since he began dealing books as a Yale sophomore in the mid-1970s.

Thursday, Dec. 11

Profana Does Purcell
Tonight’s concert by the Yale vocal/instrumental group Cantata Profana is at the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St., 203 – 432-2800) and logically leans toward English composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Thomas Ades, Henry Purcell, and Harrison Birtwhistle. For eclecticism’s sake there’s some Elliot Carter and Igor Stravinsky in there as well.

Michael Brown Lives
The theater students at the Educational Center for the Arts evoke a popular form of topical issues-oriented live theater from the first half of the 20th century — The Living Newspaper” — to deal with a very current event, the Ferguson, Mo. shooting of Michael Brown and that tragedy’s aftermath. 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre, 1 Lincoln St. (203) 777‑5451.

Happy Birthday to Shubert

Today’s the day: the actual 100th birthday of the Shubert. The theater, which is in the history books as the pre-Broadway launching pad for such immortal shows as Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, and A Streetcar Named Desire, celebrates with a gala concert starring Patti Lupone. 7:30 p.m. 247 College St.

Friday, Dec. 12

Te Deum #1

Classical vocal concerts are as ubiquitous as snowflakes this time of year. Tonight, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (which presented the Yale Camerata show at Woolsey Hall) offers up the Yale Schola Cantorum. The show’s titled Splendor and Introspection,” and features religious works by 17th century French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. 5 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal (84 Broadway; 203 – 865-6354).

Vida y Drama
The Vida y Drama de Mexico Film Series, 7 p.m. at Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center spotlights the work of mid-20th century director Emilio Fernandez, with back-to-back screenings of his feature-length films Maria Candelaria and Rio Escondido. It accompanies an exhibit, Vida Y Drama de Mexico: Prints from the Monroe E. Price and Aimee Brown Price Collection, at the Yale University Art Gallery.

The Chekhov Spell
The Seagull has special appeal for students at Yale School of Drama. The Chekhov classic is about theater, young love, breaking away from one’s family and community, and following one’s dreams. Sounds idealistic, but not all of it ends happily in this awe-striking ensemble drama. Jessica Holt is directing The Seagull as her YSD thesis project, and has wisely chosen to use the excellent translation by Paul Schmidt. Tonight and tomorrow, then Dec. 15 – 18, at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St. (203) 432‑1234.

Of Course You Know This Means Gwar
The mythic Norwegian death-rock band Gwar returns to Toad’s Place for its annual wintertime bloodbath. Seriously, wear a raincoat. You’ll be covered with fake bodily fluids. Corrosion of Conformity and American Sharks open up the 8 p.m. show. Toad’s Place, 300 York St. (203) 624-TOAD. $25, $21.50 in advance.

Saturday, Dec. 13

A Mean One
Who — or rather, what Who? — doesn’t like a How The Grinch Stole Christmas party? Whoville and its transformed fiend are honored with a film-screening, ornament-making, toy-playing and Who pudding”-eating bash 2 p.m. at New Haven Free Public Library (Main Ives branch, 133 Elm St.; 203 – 946-8129).

Te Deum #2
It’s your second chance this week to hear Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum. The Yale Camerata included the composition in its all-Carpentier show Thursday night at Woolsey Hall, and tonight you can hear the same seasonal masterpiece — alongside Bach’s Magnificat, spirituals, and a cappella numbers — sung by New Haven Chorale at that ensemble’s Home for the Holidays concert, 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church (292 Orange St., 203 – 776-SONG).

Deelightful

Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents is a raucous, fun-loving modern remake of the traditional girl-group pop sound of the 1960s. The band’s members hail from such diverse groups as Downbeat 5, The Gravel Pit, Papas Fritas, and The Rudds. Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents return to Cafe Nine for a show that also features The Shellye Valauskas Experience (Jenny D and Shellye are sisters-in-law) and Fairfield County hockey-rockers The Zambonis. 9 p.m. 250 State St. (203) 789‑8281. $8.

Sunday, Dec. 14

Guillorn’s Gig
The exquisite alt-folk/Americana singer-songwriter Lys Guillorn hosts her new Big Little Sunday Show” series 3 p.m. at Cafe Nine (250 State St., 203 – 789-8281). Free admission.

Astronauts in Ascension

Lyric Hall (827 Whalley Ave.) welcomes Jose Oyolo & Astronauts for a special acoustic show. Special guests at the 6 p.m. show include Sam Perduta, Ceschi Ramos, Greg Perault, Ben Dean, and others. No set admission fee, but it’s a fundraiser: the band will put the proceeds toward its forthcoming album Hologram.

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