“Natural Shocks” on stage and livestreamed Feb. 5-7 at Toledo Rep
Actors Collaborative Toledo will present “Natural Shocks,” by Lauren Gunderson, at the Toledo Rep Theatre Feb. 5-7.
Inspired by the words of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Gunderson’s “Natural Shocks” is 60-minute, one-woman tour-de-force play that features Angela, who’s waiting out an approaching tornado in her basement. She brims over with quirks, stories, and confessions. As the real danger grows imminent, she reveals a final secret that brings the reality of guns in America into sharp focus.
Cindy Bilby stars and Jeffrey Albright directs the production for Actors Collaborative Toledo–the area’s first staging of this provocative play.
The production is available live at the theatre, 16 Tenth St., Toledo, and via livestream Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Live audiences are required to wear a mask that covers both the nose and mouth at all times while in the building. Concessions are not available, and outside food and drink is prohibited. The lobby is closed but restrooms are open and are limited to one patron at a time. There is no intermission.
Live and streaming tickets are available at toledorep.org/buy-tickets/.
Ongoing events
Through Feb. 14: “Radical Tradition: American Quilts and Social Change,” New Media Gallery, Toledo Museum of Art. The exhibit brings historical and contemporary works together in critical dialogue to consider how quilts have been used to voice opinions, raise awareness, and enact social reform in the U.S. from the mid-19th century to the present. toledomuseum.org.
Through Feb. 14: “Telling Stories: Resilience and Struggle in Contemporary Narrative Drawing,” New Media Gallery, Toledo Museum of Art. The exhibit showcases the extraordinary vitality of contemporary drawing as an expressive medium as presented through the works of Amy Cutler, Robyn O’Neil, and Annie Pootoogook. toledomuseum.org.
Through Feb. 28: Special exhibit “The Press & The Presidency,” Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Spiegel Grove, Fremont. This exhibit will investigate how the press and presidency have coexisted throughout American history. Exhibit is included with regular admission. Members admitted free. 419-332-2081, www.rbhayes.org.
Through April 4: “Luminous Visions: Phillip K. Smith III and Light Across the Collection,” Gallery 18, Toledo Museum of Art. California-based artist Phillip K. Smith III creates light-based installations that explore the relationships between light, color, space, and form. To mark the significant acquisition of Smith’s “Flat Torus 4,” this exhibition considers the work alongside objects from TMA’s collection that explore the theme of light from a wide range of perspectives. toledomuseum.org
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 12-28: Orchid Show, Toledo Zoo. Become immersed in beautiful blooms throughout the ProMedica Museum of Natural History and Aquarium. Discover the vibrant colors, delightful scents and interesting backstories of rare and exotic orchid species from around the world. Included with zoo admission. www.toledozoo.org/orchidshow.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays through March 10: Metroparks After Dark: Hiking Trails, various locations. Every Tuesday and Wednesday through March 10, sunset-8 p.m. (different park each night). Enjoy an invigorating evening hike through your parks at a time when the parks are usually closed. No registration required; just show up. Feb. 2’s hike will be at Pearson Metropark (lot #1). For a complete schedule, visit www.visittoledo.org/events/metroparks-after-dark/.
Saturdays through March: Travel Circle (Online): Maumee Valley Adventurers and Metroparks Toledo presenting the annual Travel Circle series online via Zoom this year. Local residents share their world travel experiences each week. Tune in at 2 p.m. every to watch the live webinar, or watch videos from previous weeks. In lieu of the usual weekly hikes, Metroparks is suggesting trails you can hike on your own. https://metroparkstoledo.com/discover/blog/posts/travel-circle-online-se....
February events
Jan. 30 & 31: Sounds of Music Super Bridal Show, Stranahan Theatre. www.soundsofmusicdjs.com/main/bridal-shows/. Guests can schedule their times to ensure social distancing. Only 100 people permitted at a time.
Feb. 2: Virtual Groundhog Day Celebration presented by Metroparks Toledo, 10 a.m. Celebrate winter’s halftime with Metroparks. Will Wildwood Willie see his shadow and predict six more weeks of winter, or will he declare that spring is just around the corner? www.facebook.com/MetroparksToledo/.
Feb. 3: Port of Toledo: Then & Now Roundtable, presented by National Museum of the Great Lakes, 7 p.m. Historians and experts from the Toledo area will be on hand for the virtual event, which is the capstone of the museum’s yearlong exhibit, “Port of Toledo: Then and Now.” Free; donations accepted. nmgl.org/event/spring-lecture-series-2021-port-of-toledo/.
Feb. 6: Valentine’s Open House, Beeker’s General Store & Downtown Deco, downtown Pemberville. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring handcrafted items and delights from a number of local artisans at Beeker’s, and fresh floral blooms on display at Downtown Deco. Beeker’s is accepting reservations for Romantic Carriage Rides on Feb. 13 from 4-10 p.m. (reservations and prepayment required). Call 419-287-3274 or visit Beeker’s on Facebook.
Feb. 6: Pianist Stewart Goodyear Returns, Toledo Museum of Art. Proclaimed “one of the best pianists of his generation” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear returns to the TMA Peristyle stage to perform Beethoven’s “Fourth Piano Concerto” at 8 p.m. Get streaming information at https://stream.artstoledo.com/.
Feb. 12: Black History Month Celebration (online event), Toledo Museum of Art, noon. Free. Organized by soprano, educator and community organizer Margaret Barron and visual artist and educator Yusuf Lateef, this year’s annual Black History Month Celebration will feature community leader Dr. Donald L. Perryman and artist Alice Grace in conversation with the TMA’s Associate Curator of American Art Lauren Applebaum and poet Ophelia Thompson, with the Toledo School for the Arts creative writing team, and the photography of James Dickerson. toledomuseum.org.
Feb. 14: Valentine Theatre 125th Anniversary Gala (virtual event), 6-7:15 p.m. The COVID-safe, virtual funding anniversary celebration will feature Broadway, screen and SNL alum, singer, comedienne Ana Gasteyer, along with Musical Director Seth Rudetsky. $25 per household. For an additional $25, receive an optional gift box containing champagne, Valentine’s Day sweets and a few surprises. Order tickets at valentinetheatre.com.
Feb. 13: Second Saturdays R 4 Kids: “Around the World with Col. Webb Hayes,” Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Fremont. Free. The monthly kids’ program’s theme focuses Rutherford and Lucy Hayes’ son Col. Webb Hayes’ travels around the world. Kids can participate in a craft or activity inspired by Webb’s adventure and the location he visited. This month, Japan is the featured stop on Webb’s travels. This event is an open-house style, so participants can stop by any time between 9:30-11:30 a.m. to complete the activities. This program is focused on kids in K-third grade, but kids of any age are welcome. www.facebook.com/events/811036026316873.
Feb. 15: Presidents Day Celebration, Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Please reserve museum tours in advance. Free admission. rbhayes.org/events/2021/02/15/events/presidents-day-celebration. South Creek Clydesdales will offer horse-drawn rides through Spiegel Grove from noon-5 p.m.
Feb. 24: Presidential History Book Club, Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont, 12-1 p.m. A discussion of “One Man Against the World,” by Tim Weiner. www.facebook.com/events/663223957914916, or email dmchlochlin@rbhayes.org.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, please verity that events are still ongoing. For more events, be sure to visit presspublications.com, visittoleddo.org, shoresandislands.com or sanduskycounty.org. Submit event information to twalro@presspublications.com.