What to do in Madison this week: SMP Community Celebration, Questioning Things and more Isthmus Picks

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Craig Whitlock, Monday, Aug. 22, Zoom, noon: In the acclaimed 2021 best-seller The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist Craig Whitlock examines the U.S. government's long campaign against the Taliban, the missteps along the way, and the misleading official story told by three administrations about the war's outlook. Whitlock will discuss the book during a talk on Zoom hosted by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum; register here.

Seasons of Caring Community Kickoff, Tuesday, Aug. 23, Warner Park Duck Pond, 4 p.m.: United Way of Dane County hosts this annual event highlighting its volunteer and fundraising needs for the next year. The afternoon begins with interactive activities and games on the theme of community involvement, and a volunteer session putting together packs of paper goods for local families. Ballpark food and a program with speakers including 2022 campaign chair Jeff Keebler and UWDC CEO Renee Moe follows. Register here.

Jacquie Abram, Tuesday, Aug. 23, Madison College-South, 6 p.m.: After enduring decades of workplace racism, Jacquie Abram exited corporate America when her daughters, Deborah Harris and Delilah Harris, began experiencing similar inequality in their careers. The three women struck back by collaborating to write Hush Money: How One Woman Proved Systemic Racism in her Workplace and Kept her Job, a novel based on their and others' real-life experiences. In this Wisconsin Book Festival event, Abram will talk about the best-selling novel and its 2022 follow-up, Hush Money: The Cost of Being Black In Corporate America.

Art in the Woods, through Oct. 9, American Players Theatre, Spring Green: APT takes advantage of its idyllic grounds for the second incarnation of Art in the Woods, featuring installations by seven artists: Alicia Cosnahan (aka DECOY), Thomas Ferrella, John Himmelfarb, Peter Krsko, John C. Pahlas, Dennis Robert and Katie Schutte. The installations will remain in place through Oct. 9, and you don't need a show ticket to view the art.

Glow Zone, Aug. 24-28 & Aug. 30-Sept. 1, Madison Children's Museum: All ages are invited to create a fairy-tale themed art work...and then see what it looks like when viewed in black light. The Madison Children's Museum will transform its Celebrations Room into an ultraviolet haven during the week before school starts. The museum is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m.-4 pm. Wednesdays-Sundays (with extended hours to 8 p.m. Thursdays), and this activity is free with admission.

Jazz at Five, Wednesdays, Aug. 17-31, The Forum, 4 p.m.: The annual Jazz at Five series, which started Aug. 3, is again dividing time between Fitchburg and the Capitol Square, with the second half shows at the top of State Street. Aug. 24 brings swinging big bands Ladies Must Swing and the DB Orchestra, and Aug. 31 is a double bill of ensembles led by trumpeter Chad McCullough — his eponymous quartet and the UW-Madison Jazz Ensemble All-Stars. Youth bands open both concerts. Find more info at jazzatfive.org.

Questioning Things: A Quarter Century of Material Culture Studies at UW-Madison, Aug. 24-Nov. 20, UW Nancy Nicholas Hall-Ruth Davis Design Gallery: Questioning Things focuses on the study of material culture; that is, the study of the objects of the past, from teapots to chairs to shoes. The “conversational” exhibit is dotted with the kinds of questions that those who study material culture ask, with a nod to the UW's quarter century of scholars in the field, and visitors are prompted to consider their own answers.

ZZ Top, Wednesday, Aug. 24, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: ZZ Top returns to Madison for the first time in almost three years, but without founding bassist Dusty Hill, who died in July 2021 at age 72. However, at Hill’s insistence prior to his passing, the band has soldiered on — with Hill’s longtime guitar tech, Elwood Francis, taking over on bass. Recent gigs on the current “Raw Whisky Tour” have included songs spanning from the heavy boogie blues band’s first album (released in 1971) through its most recent one (2012’s La Futura). And a new record — Raw, the soundtrack to 2019's That Little Ol’ Band from Texas documentary — was released last month, almost exactly a year after Hill’s death. With Austin Meade.

She Past Away, Wednesday, Aug. 24, Crucible, 8 p.m.: Spare post-punk guitar, '80s-style synth textures and beats, and lyrics in Turkish meld for the compellingly mysterious darkwave sound of She Past Away. Amidst international festival appearances and a short U.S. tour the duo visits Crucible for what should be a memorable evening of music, also featuring Chicago post-industrialists I:Scintilla and Madison techno/EBM veterans Sensuous Enemy. Tickets here.

The Moors, Aug. 13-Oct. 9, American Players Theatre, Touchstone, Spring Green: Shades of Jane Eyre: A young governess arrives at an English manor and finds nothing is as expected. The Moors is a delightful and sharp satire of the gothic novels of the Brontë sisters, written by Jen Silverman and directed by Keira Fromm. August performances are sold out; check ticket availability for September and October at americanplayers.org.

UW South Madison Partnership Community Celebration, Thursday, Aug. 25, Village on Park-SMP space, 4-7 p.m.: Been wondering about the UW-Madison's outpost south of the main campus on Park Street? The return of the annual Community Celebration is a good time to explore the South Madison Partnership's facility at the Village on Park, which includes classrooms, a computer lab, a kitchenette, and meeting spaces open to the community. The event includes visits by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Bucky Badger, a photograph exhibit by Hedi Rudd and new murals by Lilada Gee, games and activities for all ages, food, and DJ music provided by Odyssey Project student Mark Espanol.

Orton Park Festival, Aug 25-28, Orton Park: The Orton Park Festival celebrates its 57th edition in 2022 following last year's combo event with Waterfront Festival, the Marquette Neighborhood Association's other summer fete. The traditional Cycropia Aerial Dance performance kicks off the fest on Thursday and they return Friday for an evening that also includes music by vintage soul experts Don't Mess with Cupid and rockers Disq. A strong focus on local performers continues through the weekend with sets by Adem Tesfaye, Proud Parents, Rebulú, Gin, Chocolate and Bottle Rockets, and more; fest closers Pimps of Joytime visit from New York. Find the full schedule at facebook.com/OrtonParkFest.

Rooftop Cinema, Aug. 25, Sept. 1, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 8 p.m.: MMoCA's rooftop film series explores a quartet of recent documentaries for its fall 2022 schedule. Still to come are The Village Detective: A Song Cycle, which builds a story around reels of film from 1969 found in the ocean by Icelandic fishing nets in 2016, on Aug. 25; and North By Current, a personal documentary from filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax about truths discovered on returning to his hometown following the death of his niece, on Sept. 1. Ticket sales begin at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby; find more info on the series at mmoca.org.

Supper Club, Thursday, Aug. 25, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: One of the biggest musical disappointments during the missing years of pandemic entertainment was the absence of a live Supper Club show. Founded in 2017, the Madison R&B-indie rock group was just getting their wind up when the virus closed the door. Now comes an all-acoustic farewell show. Expect a great crowd, focused band, and cheers and tears. With Watermelon Collie, Dropbear Collective.

We hope it’s handy for you to find Picks grouped together in a single post. The individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Note: Many venues and businesses may continue to maintain individual requirements for masking, as well as proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test for entry. Before heading out for any in-person event, confirm it is still taking place and check for any attendance guidelines on the relevant business websites or social media accounts.