5 Things

In a world with plays, stand-up, movies, mosquitos, kids getting excited about books, and the final Thing that only you can pick, one weekend is going to change everything.

June 14, 2012; 6:28 AM • by Susan Howson

5 things – 6/14

In a world with plays, stand-up, movies, mosquitos, kids getting excited about books, and the final Thing that only you can pick, one weekend is going to change everything.

1. 8

Before there was 10, before there was even 9, there was 8. No but for real, Prop 8 sure is a hot topic. And Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (you may remember his honeyed words from such films as Milk) has committed the political turmoil to the page…er, stage. Join the Firehouse Theatre and the Richmond Triangle Players for a staged reading of this popular (or should I say, PROPular!)(sorry) new play.

• Thurs. Jun. 14 • 8:00 PM
• Firehouse Theatre, 1609 W. Broad St.
• $10

2. The Sara Schaefer Stand Up Tour

She’s an Emmy-winner, she’s a sometime-TV-personality, she’s a podcaster, she’s a Richmonder. She’s Sara Schaefer and she is cruising through her native town on the aptly named Sara Schaefer Stand Up Tour. Catch Schaefer and fellow comedian Scott Moran at Gallery5, where there will be quips. Oh yes, there will be quips.

• Thurs. Jun. 14 • 8:00 PM
• Gallery5, 200 W. Marshall St.
• $10

3. Movies in the Park: The Muppets

Outdoor movies on summer evenings–that’s the definition of bliss. No wait, this just in…any and all definitions of bliss from 2011 onward must include mention of The Muppets. Well, lucky me, because that’s exactly what this Friday’s Movie in the Park (Byrd Park, to be exact) is! Take our word for it, the movie is whip-smart, goofy, and fun for the fam, at least the fam that stays up past 8:30. (Party animals.)

• Fri. Jun. 15 • 8:30 PM
• Byrd Park, Boulevard and Idlewood Ave.
• Free!

4. Richmond Public Library’s Summer Reading Kickoff

If you have kids (you know who you are), you owe them at least a ride to the library’s Summer Reading Kickoff. Yes, the live music, games, prizes, and fun in the courtyard are all well and good. And sure, it’s good to expose kids to as many books as possible. And yes, now that you mention it, it is a nice nostalgic memory to think of those posters with famous people holding books and staring at you while the poster screams, “READ” in a large typeface.¹ No, the main reason is: your kids have to have the opportunity to humblebrag to their friends when they’re in their thirties about how he/she spent summers at the library getting engrossed in books and becoming a genius. NBD.

• Sat. Jun. 16 • 1:00 – 4:00 PM
• Richmond Public Library – Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St.
• Free!

5. Something Awesome for Your Dad

Dad. That undervalued guy who doesn’t need a set of golf clubs or a new tie. Nor does he want his home or office to smell like wood shavings or yardwork. What he wants is for you to spend time with him. Other possibility: he wants to spend time alone with you nowhere near him. If you’re having a hard time deciding which of these fit your dad most, check the age on your driver’s license. If you don’t have a driver’s license yet, it’s Possibility 2. We at RVANews urge you to search your heart Bryan Adams-style and come up with something super fun for your dad to do with or without you. Dinner out, a movie, outdoor music, a baseball game, Game of Thrones, whatever. Just don’t half-ass it because he’s unlikely to give you a guilt trip. Instead, search your soul (Bryan Adams again!) and dig deep for dear old dad.

— ∮∮∮ —

June 14, 2012 6:28 AM 0