Playhouse Presents Reading of The Clowns  Developing new plays – and new playwrights – is essential work in the American theater. On November 5 and 6, West Hartford's Playhouse on Park presents a staged reading of The Clowns, a new rock opera by Andy Mayo and Matthew Dicks. The reading is part of the Playhouse's New Work Series, which features the work of Connecticut artists. Mayo and Dicks' musical features a cast of wannabe rock stars whose personal lives are entangled. The rock score is based on operatic arias. Reading times are 8 p.m. on November 5; 2 p.m. on November 6. A talk with the …

Spookley the Square Pumpkin at Children's Museum West Hartford's Children's Museum has a Halloween treat in store for youngsters, a planetarium show called Spookley the Square Pumpkin. In a world where "the only good pumpkins are round" ones, Spookley gets teased because of his square shape. Enter three spiders, Edgar, Allan and Poe, who teach Spookley that, square or not, he has a right to be the pick of the patch on Halloween. Showings run October 21 through 23 and October 28 through 30 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5; $4 members. To register, call 860-231-2830 ext. 44, or sign up online at …

Cleopatra Screens Free at West Hartford Public Library Cecil B. DeMille's 1934 film Cleopatra screens October 19 at West Hartford's Noah Webster Library. The screening is part of the library's 1930s Film Wednesday series. Claudette Colbert stars in the Cecil B. DeMille production. Admission is free. Screening time is 2 p.m. sharp. No late entry. The library is at 20 South Main Street, West Hartford. For more information, phone 860-561-6990 or visit www.westhartfordlibrary.org.  Fundraiser for Urban Oaks When a vehicle crashed through the wall of the Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain in …

Beer Tasting at Noah Webster On October 6, West Hartford's Noah Webster House opens its doors for a tasting of select suds — Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn Brewery in New York, and Harpoon ales, which are produced by Harpoon, which has breweries in Boston and Windsor, Vermont. Brooklyn Lager is one of the top draft beers in New York City. Harpoon has become the second-largest annual producer of beer in the United States, second only to Anheuser-Busch. Starting time is 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. A valid ID is required at the door. All funds raised benefit …

Says You in West Hartford NPR's Says You, a game show of words and whimsy, bluff and bluster comes to town September 24 to be recorded live at the Hoffman Auditorium at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford. Panelists may include Richard Sher, Barry Nolan, Francine Achbar, Tony Kahn, Carolyn Faye Fox, Arnie Reisman, Paula Lyons, and Phil Salkind. Show time is 2 p.m. Audience participation is involved. For tickets, phone 860-231-5555. The Hoffman Auditorium is at the Carol Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities, St. Joseph College, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. Free Admission on '…

Art League's Annual West Hartford ArtWalk Kid's activities, a painting raffle, art and craft demonstrations, a silent auction, a community quilt, a Whet Your Palette food and wine-tasting event, and more. The West Hartford Art League's annual ArtWalk has got it all. The September 17 event is open to all. Most activities are free, but a $10 raffle ticket buys you a chance to win a $2,500 painting by Frank Federico; $15 buys you admission to Whet Your Palette, which offers food and wine tastings. Purchase prices vary at the daylong Juried Clothesline Exhibit and Sale and the silent auction. …

Comedy Night at the Playhouse An earthquake. Then a hurricane with power outages and wet basements all over town. Couldn't we all use a laugh? On Sept. 3, West Hartford's Playhouse on Park presents Comedy Night. Headlining is Sam Greenfield, the national award-winning radio talk-show host. A blogger for the Huffington Post, Greenfield has appeared on comedy shows including Evening at the Improv and Girls Night Out. Joining him in the lineup are opening act John Porch, and emcee Barbara Singer, who has appeared in comedy clubs around the country including the Flamingo in Las Vegas and the …

Textural Paintings by Leslie Wayne at Joseloff Colorful, layered oil paintings by artist Leslie Wayne are featured in a new exhibition opening Aug. 30 at the Joseloff Gallery in West Hartford. "Leslie Wayne: Recent Work" features over 20 of the New York artist's dimensional, textural paintings, works that mine "the tension between material memory and morphogenesis," Wayne says. Inspired by landscape and geology, Wayne’s paintings are a secular contemporary and abstract response to 19th century Romantic landscape painting. Rather than paint pictures of landscapes, she aims to capture the …

Hedwig at West Hartford's Playhouse For one weekend only, West Hartford's Playhouse on Park presents the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Written by John Cameron Mitchell with music by Stephen Trask, the show focuses on a fictional rock and roll band fronted by Hedwig Schmidt, a transgendered East German rock goddess. The Playhouse production features Gene Dante and Lisa van Oosterum, stars of the critically acclaimed production that played Boston. Hedwig runs August 25 through 27. Tickets cost $25. Audience members are invited to BYOB. Playhouse on Park is at 244 Park Road, West …

'The Band' Band at Blue Back Square The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down . . . The Weight . . . Up on Cripple Creek . . . If you love the music of The Band, stroll over to the pergola at Blue Back Square in West Hartford on Wednesday, Aug. 17. That's where The 'The Band' Band, a tribute band to the Canadian greats, are set to play a free outdoor concert. Starting time is 7 p.m. The address is 60 Isham Road, West Hartford. For more information, visit www.bluebacksquare.com/events. Another Turbo-Charged Thursday at Children's Museum The Children's Museum of West Hartford continues its Turbo-…

Capital Classics Presents Shakespeare's Richard III One of William Shakespeare's most compellingly diabolical villains comes to life when the Capital Classics company presents Richard III. Set during England's War of the Roses, the play dramatizes the life of a scheming, ambitious usurper of the throne. Performances continue August 4 through 7, and August 11 through 14. They are held outdoors in the garden of the Carol Autorino Center at St. Joseph College, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. In the event of rain, performances move inside the adjacent Hoffman Auditorium. Tickets, available at …

Jazz Dance Boot Camp at Playhouse Calling all dancers: Want to get back in shape for fall dance programs? West Hartford's Playhouse on Park hosts a Jazz Dance Boot Camp, which runs Aug. 1 through 12. Dance instructor Darlene Zoller puts dancers through their paces with the goal of conditioning their bodies and teaching technique. Zoller has worked with the Hall High School Pops 'N Jazz program, the Little Theater of Manchester, and the Hartt School Community Division, among others.  The camp is held in two sessions, Aug. 1 through 5, and Aug. 8 through 12. Classes run 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fee …

Book Talk at Noah Webster Back in the 19th century, horses were the engines of choice. They moved freight, transported passengers, fought fires, and powered equipment in breweries, mills, foundries, and machine shops. On July 25, author Clay McShane visits West Hartford's Noah Webster House to discuss his book The Horse in the City: Living Machines in the Nineteenth Century. A book signing follows the discussion. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Noah Webster House is at 227 South Main St., West Hartford. For more information, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call 860-521-…

Author Tom Craughwell at Noah Webster Library Author Tom Craughwell discusses his most recent book, The Greatest Brigade: How the Irish Brigade Cleared the Way to Victory in the American Civil War, on July 21 at the Noah Webster Library in West Hartford. The event is sponsored by the Noah Webster House. Craughwell's Greatest Brigade chronicles the triumphs and losses of the Irish Brigade in the Civil War. This specialized unit played a key role in many major battles including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox. The brigade wasn't decommissioned until World War I.  The talk …

Colonial Kids' Adventure Camp at Noah Webster What was it like to be a kid during colonial times in America? Today's children, ages 8 to 11, are invited to find out when West Hartford's Noah Webster House hosts Colonial Kids' Adventure Camp. Three separate weeklong sessions run from July 11 to 15, July 25 to 29, and August 8 to 12. Activities include colonial crafts and hearth cooking, playing with colonial toys, and putting on a colonial-themed skit for parents. The children also visit Westmoor Park in West Hartford where they dip candles, wash wool, and care for animals. Camp hours are 8:30…

July 4th Fun at Noah Webster House Combine a bit of fun with a lot of learning when West Hartford's Noah Webster House hosts Fun for the Fourth. The July 3 event features patriotic crafts and lessons about the American Revolution.  Drop by with the kids between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Regular admission applies. The Noah Webster House is at 227 South Main St., West Hartford. For more information, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call 860-521-5362. Celebrate America with HSO at Simsbury Meadows – Farmington Choirs Featured in Patriotic Extravaganza What better way to mark America's independence than…

Free World Music Concert at Blue Back The six-piece Martha's Vineyard-based band Entrain plays a free concert on June 29 at West Hartford's Blue Back Square. Come to enjoy the band's upbeat world music complete with a brass section and "tons of drums" or to help celebrate the end of TD Bank and West Hartford's Playhouse on Park's Pennies for the Playhouse campaign. If you still have some spare change rattling around in your pocket, donations for the Playhouse will be graciously accepted. Concert time is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Blue Back Square. For more information, visit www.playhouseonpark.org…

Family in Captivity Screening at Mandell JCC June 25 marks the fifth year that Gilad Shalit has been held captive in Gaza by Hamas. Tal Goren's new documentary, Family in Captivity, chronicles the events leading to Shalit's capture and the efforts of his family members to win his release. West Hartford's Mandell JCC presents the Hartford premiere of the film on June 21 with Goren and members of the Shalit family in attendance as guest speakers. Screening time is 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10; $5 students. Proceeds benefit the Free Gilad effort. For tickets or more information, visit www.mandelljcc.…

Noah Webster Tag Sale Hunt for treasures and support a good cause when West Hartford's Noah Webster House hosts its 6th annual Tag Sale. The June 11 event runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 11. Anything you buy helps support the museum's educational mission.  The Noah Webster House is at 227 South Main St., West Hartford. For more information, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call 860-521-5362. Connecticut Comics at Playhouse Ten comics from the Nutmeg State are featured in Connecticut Comics: Uncut, a one-night-only event at West Hartford's Playhouse on Park. The June 11 event is hosted by …

Hill-Stead Sunken Garden Poetry Festival Farmington's Hill-Stead Museum presents its 19th season of readings by world-class poets. The annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival commences June 8 with award-winning North Carolina native and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Tony Hoagland whose collections include Unincorporated Personas in the Late Honda Dynasty; What Narcissism Means to Me; Donkey Gospel; and Sweet Ruin. Also reading is West Hartford's Patricia Hale, 2011 Sunken Garden Prize first place winner, whose work has appeared in publications including Calyx, H.O.W. Journal, Sow's…