Isthmus Picks (Aug. 13-20)

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With the print version of Isthmus on pause, we thought it might be handy to have the Picks in a single weekly post. You can still find the Picks in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Another Evening with James Baldwin, Thursday, Aug. 13, 8 pm: There are few poets and essayists who have captured the essence of the American race problem better than James Baldwin, who once wrote: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." Local thespians from Fermat's Last Theater are putting together an online reprise of an event featuring poetry, prose and music. The cast includes Madison's Melvin Hinton, who spent time with Baldwin in Paris and Madrid; Broadway veteran and Fulbright Scholar Quanda Johnson; dancer Akiwele Burayidi and bassist Oliver Gomez. The event will be livestreamed by Cafe Coda. It's free but donations are accepted. See Catherine Capellaro’s Q&A with Quanda Johnson at isthmus.com.

Forward Festival, Aug. 13-20: The annual Forward Festival celebrates Wisconsin innovators and creators with a wide range of events open to all, from speakers to networking socials to pitch opportunities for entrepreneurs. This year most events are free with a Forward Pass, which is also free of charge as Forward pivots to mostly online presentations. Registration gets you access to the fest app and event platform.

Survival Guide, Friday, Aug. 14, Warner Park Duck Pond, 9 pm: Before it becomes available for streaming on Amazon (Aug. 18), catch a drive-in style screening of the latest film from Madison-based filmmaker Ben Fritz. Survival Guide, the 2020 Best Wisconsin Feature winner at the Beloit International Film Festival, tells the story of six city kids on a backpacking trip who encounter more than the expected natural world. The fantasy adventure was filmed in the Driftless Region and the cast includes American Players Theatre company member Colleen Madden (pictured, right with Nyajai Ellison). Tickets here; watch the trailer on YouTube.

Eken "Parked" Festival, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2 pm: During the past few summers, the Eken Park Festival has taken over Mayer Avenue, in front of the North Street Cabaret, but as with our other summer fetes, COVID-19 has blown those plans. However, a "Parked" version will move inside the Cabaret for a livestream-only event, featuring music by The Periodicals (2 pm), Jimmy Sugarcane (3:30 pm) and Scorched Waves (6 pm).

Christopher Jackson, Saturday, Aug. 15, 7 pm: Overture Center is hosting a concert — not in-house, but still a pretty hot ticket nevertheless. And it’s a fundraiser for the arts center which, like all venues, is struggling due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Christopher Jackson (pictured at top), who played George Washington in the musical hit Hamilton, will be accompanied by a live band in this livestream performance. Tickets are $40 per household and allow purchasers to view the concert for an additional 72 hours with an on-demand video recording. The Grammy- and Emmy-winning songwriter/composer will be performing pop standards and songs from his favorite musicals. He’ll also talk about his work in both Hamilton and In the Heights. Audience members can text questions for Jackson. After the show, Overture’s Tim Sauers and Karra Beach will host a post-show conversation on Zoom.

Pat McCurdy, Saturday, Aug. 15, 8 pm: It has been, for as long as anyone can remember, a Madison summer tradition: Pat McCurdy at the Terrace. McCurdy, a singer-songwriter, has performed his clever and lyrical tunes at the Memorial Union for more than two decades. The Milwaukee-based McCurdy knows Wisconsin — and his audience. Yes, this is the guy whose song "Sex and Beer" may well be the unofficial state anthem. The UW-Madison Memorial Union does not want you to go without your McCurdy fix this summer and to this end is presenting a live, virtual concert. BYOB, of course. RSVP, make requests and view the event on Facebook.

Emily Leach + Ashley Lusietto, through Aug. 29, Arts + Literature Laboratory: Now located in its new home at 111 S. Livingston St., Arts + Literature Laboratory is currently offering most of its programming virtually. However, the gallery space is now open on a limited basis, noon-5 pm Thursdays through Saturdays (or by appointment). A pair of exhibits is currently on display through Aug. 29. Reminder (On the Cultivation of Decay) is a multimedia installation by Emily Leach, focusing on glass slides featuring landscape photographs captured during the flu pandemic of 1918. Fell Into the Honey by Ashley Lusietto features exaggerated self-portraiture created as sculptures, using honey in reference to ancient embalming processes. Not ready to venture inside for a viewing? The exhibits are visible after sunset through the gallery windows.

Magic Pride Festival, Sunday, Aug. 16, 1-6 pm: The organizers of this year's celebration of LGBTQ+ lives have rallied a fabulous lineup of vendors and performers for an online version. There will be speakers and emcees; drag storytime with Miss Anya; and a stellar lineup of performers including rapper K.I.L.O. aka Skitlz, singers Nazty and Felix Ramsey (from American Idol Season 10), drag entertainment from PupStar Dew, Persephone B. Diamond (pictured), Vanilla Diamond, Anya Knees, Jasper Madison, Mettahdroid, Alexandro Rox and Cyrus K Stratton, and DJs FemmeNoir, Saint Saunter and Sunstone. Don't forget your eco-friendly glitter.

Tuesdays with Forward, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 pm: Forward Theater Company has kept the internet hopping while stages remain dark, sharing videos and stories on Facebook and also creating the Tuesdays with Forward series; past episodes can be found on the FTC YouTube channel. Next up, Artistic Director Jen Uphoff Gray will speak with longtime Milwaukee Repertory Theater staff member Brent Hazelton, who since 2019 has been artistic director of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. (Also: Don't forget that submissions for the 2021 FTC Monologue Festival are open until Oct. 1.)

Wisconsin Water Agenda, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 pm; or Thursday, Aug. 20, 12:30 pm: The River Alliance of Wisconsin does great work with our precious resource, from tracking and battling aquatic invasive species to monitoring groundwater and polluted runoff. Learn more about the quest for clean water in Wisconsin during an interactive online presentation focusing on the 12 elements needed for clean water. There will be a special guest speaker and a prize giveaway for attendees. Register here (Tuesday) or here (Thursday), or learn more at wisconsinrivers.org.

Underrepresented Communities Historic Resources Survey: First Nations, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 pm: As Madison completed its first citywide historic preservation plan this year, it incorporated the findings of the Underrepresented Communities Historic Resources Survey. That's a mouthful, but breaks down to this: Historic sites and buildings are not just the mansion belonging to the Monopoly guy with the top hat and tux. The city surveyed sites and properties key to African Americans, the Latinx community, LGBTQ and women's rights movements, and First Nation peoples. This Zoom presentation, third in a series by the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, focuses on First Nation sites in the area. Bill Quackenbush (pictured), tribal historic preservation officer, outlines the Ho-Chunk Nation's Tribal Historic Preservation Plan. Register on Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link.

Voting During a Pandemic: Casting Your Vote and Making it Count, Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:30 pm: As if COVID-19, racial unrest and looming economic disaster weren’t enough, now there are some who are trying to wreak havoc with our elections. Take care of that anxiety and get some answers from someone who knows something about our elections system. David Canon (pictured), a UW-Madison political science professor, will talk and take questions about our upcoming elections via a Zoom discussion sponsored by the Middleton Public Library. Topics include: Can The Donald change the date of the election? Will the system be able to handle the expected increase in mailed ballots for the November election? Canon is editor of the Election Law Journal and affiliated with the Elections Research Center.

Brat Fest Auction, Through Aug. 23: One of the fundraisers Madison missed this summer was Brat Fest, which not only traditionally kicks off the summer grilling season with brats and bands, but is a big boost to local charities. The Metcalfe's Market folks, who started Brat Fest lo these many years ago in the Hilldale parking lot (back when Hilldale had a parking lot), continue the fundraising aspect by holding a virtual auction, with $40,000 in goods and experiences, including things you just need and things you just want. And yes: You can bid on a case of Johnsonville brats to create your own Brat Fest. Log on to bid, maybe win, and support local nonprofits. See bratfest.com to register; view items here.