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RI BUSINESS

Imagine Providence with no WaterFire. It could happen.

With corporate donations dwindling, and state leaders hemming and hawing over providing additional financial support, the world–renowned arts event is struggling.

Latest Arts Headlines

RI ARTS

FringePVD returns to showcase and celebrate outside-the-box artists

The two-week Providence Fringe Festival takes place July 14–27 in indoor and outdoor venues across the city.
RI NEWS

Woman jumps into Providence River to rescue a rabbit during WaterFire

A video posted on TikTok shows the woman swimming and holding the animal above her head in the inky waters before fire tenders pull her onto a boat and help her to shore.
INNOVATOR Q&A

‘Bringing joy back to making art’: New workforce development program launches at Brown

Avery Willis Hoffman, artistic director of the Brown Arts Institute, has been thinking about the hit the arts industry took during and since the pandemic. She hopes to support people in the arts through ArtsCrew, a robust workforce development program.

RI ARTS
‘The Gilded Age’ actress Laura Benanti is back in Newport, headlining two musical evenings with Newport Classical
The Tony Award-winning actress talks about celebrating her daughter’s birthday in Newport, losing her tooth on the set of ‘The Gilded Age,’ and refusing to eat or drink while wearing period costumes.

THEATER REVIEW
Theatre By The Sea’s re-envisioned ‘Tootsie’ trades gender politics for screwball sensibilities
The affectionate sendup of musical theater is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser being given a wonderful, sell-out worthy production.

RI NEWS
Here’s how much it has cost, so far, to restore the Independent Man statue
The Department of Administration said the cost to reinstall the statue and repair its cracked marble base have not been estimated. Some of the work may be covered by insurance.

In Newport, documentaries under the stars
Since 2010, NewportFilm Outdoors has brought fresh documentaries to its residents and visitors during the peak summer months. This year’s first screening is on Thursday.

More Rhode Island Arts Headlines

RHODE MAP

A RISD professor’s fascinating discovery about a former slave

If you’re looking for a fascinating (and true) story about life as a slave, Rhode Island School of Design professor Jonathan Schroeder recently discovered one — and it’s well worth your time.

RI ARTS

Performers announced for Providence’s 10th PVDFest

PVDFest, the city’s signature arts and culture festival, will return to downtown Providence for its 10th anniversary.

From folk to funk: Your guide to summer music festival season in Mass. and R.I.

Whether you’re seeking kid-friendly fun or jam sessions with green goals, this season offers fresh-air lineups for all ages.

THEATER REVIEW

Burbage Theatre Co.’s ‘The Motherf**ker with the Hat’ is raw, raucous, and not be missed

The poetically profane play premiered on Broadway in 2011 and is currently being superbly staged by the Burbage Theatre Company in Pawtucket.

RI ARTS

Actress Octavia Spencer on her career, upcoming R.I. visit, and more: ‘Access to the arts is imperative’

The Globe spoke with the Oscar-winning actress, who is making her first trip to Rhode Island as an honoree of the 2024 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.

THEATER REVIEW

Falling head over high heels for Trinity Rep’s ‘La Cage aux Folles’

Theatergoers should come to this production for the extravagance, stay for the audacity, and leave having walked a mile in someone’s stilettos.

THEATER REVIEW

‘A Chorus Line’: Singular sensations replace grand storytelling in Theatre By The Sea season opener

Can Theatre By the Sea, given its tendency to go big, go small?

INNOVATOR Q&A

Founded by Newport socialite Doris Duke, this organization is keeping history alive while addressing climate change

The Newport Restoration Foundation in Rhode Island is still focused on historic preservation of Colonial homes, but isn’t hiding the effects of climate change on the seaside city.