A few farewells this week — the John Slade Ely House is closing, a local comedian is moving on — but it’s also a time to honor legacies like Yale’s Liz Diamond directing another Brecht play, stalwart New Haven writers and musicians, and landmarks such as the 100-year-old Shubert and the 115-year-old Paint & Clay Club.
Monday, March 16
Up Against the Walls
New Haven Free Public Library is offering workshops on how to create a neighborhood mural, led by famed muralist Krikko. The murals will be shown during the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in June. Today’s is 6 p.m. at the Mitchell Branch, and there’s one at 4 p.m. on the 19th in the main (Ives) library, 133 Elm St. (203) 946‑8129.
Word!
The latest Words & Music event at Cafe Nine (250 State St.) is 8 p.m. tonight with Steve Hladun, Craig Gilbert, Sara Russell, Mykl Sivak, Daniel Kalwhite, Xavier Serrano, Sam Carlson, and Pittsburgh punk duo The Lopez.
Tuesday, March 17
Crawling That’s Not for Snakes
Happy St. Patrick’s! There’s a coordinated Sham-Rocked Pub Crawl, with registration at 5 p.m. at Cafe Nine (250 State St.), at which your $10 fee gets you a wristband, a cup, a map, and access to drink specials at Cafe Nine, Kelly’s, Stella Blues, Pacific Standard Tavern, The Russian Lady, and elsewhere.
Rookie Award
Kaari Pitkin returns to Yale, where she received a Poynter fellowship, to talk about “Youth Identity Development Through Storytelling” and her work as senior producer of the Peabody-winning youth journalism program Radio Rookies. 1 p.m. at Donald J. Cohen Auditorium Room E02, 230 South Frontage Rd.
Wednesday, March 18
Giving and Curating
Amy Trout, former curator of the New Haven Museum and now at the CT River Museum, returns to NHM to give a talk on “Labor, Love and Legacy: Women’s Philanthropy in Early 20th Century New Haven.” 5:30 p.m. 114 Whitney Ave. (203) 562‑4183.
Toy Machine Guns
Manic Productions’ Wednesday series at BAR tends to spotlight national talent that’s passing through town, but tonight is a strong local showcase of Jimi Patterson’s provocative solo project If Jesus Had Machine Guns, vocalist Rudeyna and her band, and Toyz (featuring Justin Courtney Roberts of Fake Babies).
Thursday, March 19
Whale of a Talk
Todd McLeish discusses the problems facing “Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World,” 5:30 p.m. at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (170 Whitney Ave., New Haven). (203) 432‑5050.
Friday, March 20
Chalk One Up
Liz Diamond, who chairs the directing department at the Yale School of Drama, directed a mesmerizing production of Bertolt Brecht’s St. Joan of the Stockyards at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1993. Many Rep shows later, Diamond’s returning to Brecht for The Caucasian Chalk Circle, having its first performance tonight and running through April 11 at the Yale University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. (203) 432‑1234.
Saturday, March 21
Civil Knights
The Knights of Columbus Museum opened its new exhibit, “Answering the Call: Service & Charity in the Civil War” last week. Today at 2 p.m. the museum offers a supplementary lecture on “Religion, Service and the Meaning of the American Civil War” by historian Matthew Warshauer of Central Connecticut State University. 1 State St. (203) 865‑0400.
Barbara, Betty, Rex, and the Shubert
The Shubert’s 100th anniversary gala is like a black-tie opening night of yore, without the full-length show. The dinner and dance party marks a century since the famed theater on College Street was built. It’s also an awards ceremony, bestowing the brand-new Maurice Bailey Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre to three performers who’ve trod the Shubert boards multiple times: Barbara Cook, Betty Buckley, and Rex Smith. Tickets for the fundraiser are $300 – $1,000. 6 p.m. 247 College St. (203) 562‑5666.
Sunday, March 22
That’s the Key
Pianist Eric Trudel plays works by Scarlatti and Brahms 4 p.m. at Bethesda Lutheran Church (450 Whitney Ave., 203 – 787-2346).
Paint & Clay Crescendo
The final exhibit at the John Slade Ely House, which has served the local arts community for 60 years and has just been sold by the bank that controls its endowment, is fittingly the 114th Annual Juried Exhibition of the New Haven Paint & Clay Club. The club has been meeting at the Ely House for decades. Bid farewell to this magnificent arts edifice while enjoying fine examples — trad and modern — of locally wrought painting and sculpture. The opening reception is today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Paint & Clay Club exhibit continues through April 12.
Rock Dogs
Toad’s Place offers the 5th Annual Woofstock, an afternoon fundraiser organized by Bikers Against Animal Cruelty. Pet-friendly bands include Blackmail Radio, Cross Fire, Suit Ty Thurrsty, Murray the Wheel, CPR, and Carrie Ashton. The host is Mike Lapatino of WPLR. Doors open at noon. $10. 300 York St. (203) 624-TOAD.
Coury’s Next Story
Coury Brown is leaving town, and the comedian’s friends at Joker’s Wild are giving him a send-off, with sets by Dan Kalwhite, Dan Rice, Darren Rivera, Stosh Mikita, Shawn Murray, and of course Coury B. himself. $10. 6 p.m. (203) 773‑0733.
