Nov 07 Friday
Join the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara for a musical journey through the misty Highlands and lively village halls of Scotland, featuring special guests Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. The musical partnership between Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as Scotland's premier fiddle ambassador, and the sizzlingly-talented Californian cellist Natalie Haas showcases dazzling teamwork, driving rhythms, and a shared passion for improvising on the melody and the groove of Scottish tunes has helped reconstruct and revive the Scottish tradition of playing dance music on violin and cello. They have toured internationally for over twenty-five years, wowing audiences at festivals and concerts worldwide with their unique sound and have released six critically acclaimed, award-winning albums along the way. From the tender beauty of Wild Mountain Thyme to the rousing anthem of Flower of Scotland, this concert captures the heart and soul of Scottish tradition. Expect fiddles to soar, cellos to sing, and bagpipes to fill the hall with spirit and fire.
The Ojai Film Society’s beloved outdoor film series is back at Libbey Bowl, running on select Fridays from July 25–October 3. This year’s theme, Imagine A World, invites audiences to gather under the stars for films that spark creativity, connection, and conversation.
All screenings are free and begin at 7:30 PM.Walk-ups welcome; RSVPs encouraged.
Here's the line-up:
July 25: Sally
August 8: The NeverEnding Story
August 22: The Greatest Night in Pop (with director Bao Nguyen in attendance)
September 5: 9 to 5
September 18: Speak. (with director Jennifer Tiexiera in attendance)
October 3: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
👉 Learn more & RSVP: ojaifilmsociety.org
CHICAGO is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.
In the whirlwind of Chicago’s Jazz Age, two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses—vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart—become fierce rivals as they compete for headlines amidst a media frenzy.
Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle dazzling audiences for over 28 years, and after more than 10,000 performances, 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, and a Grammy®, we’re just getting started.
Come on, babe! Head to CHICAGO!We’re hotter than ever.
Performance Schedule:Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 - 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 - 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 - 1:00 & 6:30 p.m.
Join us for the 10th Annual Santa Monica Playhouse BFF Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre, Oct 14 – Nov 16, the only FREE Fringe Festival in the nation, offering over 36 plays, workshops and family-oriented events. What’s happening on BFF FRIDAYS?
Oct 17: PUBLIC WORKSHOP – Secrets & Safety: A Creative Sharing Guide for Writer-Performers. Do you carry a secret? A secret you might want to share in a solo show, a book, or a play? A secret that, if shared, could harm someone or violate their privacy? I’m a professional secret keeper. My day job ( shall remain anonymous). We will explore SAFE, LOVING ways to share secrets on stage and beyond. Rated 21+ Presented by Pina, Writer/Performer of Mafia Anonymous: The Women Speak (this Saturday at 4pm).
Oct 24: A BFF MUSICAL SELECTION - Lindsay Lucas-Bartlett’s Trust Me, I’m From Essex. “Lindsay is superb” Theatre and Arts Review. You can take the girl out of Essex – but can you take Essex out of the girl? A new, hard-hitting yet hopeful solo musical about following your dreams – no matter how unlikely they may seem. Directed by Lindsay Perry; Music by Aaron Wilson. 14+
Nov 14: Black Don’t Crack – a hilarious comic coalition. These uniquely talented comedians bring this witty, funny, charismatic and thoughtfully entertaining comedic innovation to life. A hilarious night of Clever Comedy! Host Miles Otway; Featuring Alia Atkins & Darrell Goss; Headliner Jeff Keller; Producer/Performer Mz. REKA. Co-Producer/Performer Zuleika Moreno. Special Pop-In Guest Andrew Searles. Rated 15+ Includes post show refreshments reception with the cast.
Binge on Theatre this Fall – give your couch a rest!
Santa Monica Playhouse programs are supported in part by generous grants from the We Are Santa Monica Fund, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission, the Ahmanson Foundation and Playhouse PALS.
Nov 08 Saturday
UCSB Library presents an art installation by artist Elena Yu, exploring histories of the Ethnic and Gender Studies Collection (EGSC) and space in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
In Fall 2023, Yu was invited to create artworks in response to the history of the EGSC. The artist was drawn to two untouched back rooms - former staff offices left exactly as they were when vacated in 2022. Inside, decades of belongings sat frozen in time. In February 2024, the Library was preparing to renovate the rooms. Librarians had sorted and removed items to be sent to the University Archives and gave Yu access to use the remaining materials in her artworks. She was inspired by encountering ephemera related to the history of Ethnic Studies at UCSB and the day-to-day occupations of the library staff, including file cabinets full of book dust jackets and printed correspondences, and bulletin boards whose contents speak to the specific interests of former staff, who were charged with the upkeep of the collections and space.
This exhibition is part of a campus-wide arts partnership with the UCSB Arts Equity Commons (AEC) to support opportunities for engagement of faculty, students, and staff through the presence and practices of contemporary artists. AEC was established in 2022 as a consortium of the Department of Art, Department of History of Art and Architecture, and the Art Design & Architecture Museum through a systemwide grant from the UC Office of the President. The artist would like to thank Gary Colmenar, Angel Diaz, Alyce Harris, Sara Kelly, Marisol Ramos, Jonathan Rissmeyer, and Kim Yasuda for their support of this project.
This exhibition showcases historic Broadway posters from collector Richard C. Norton, a comprehensive selection of musical theater posters 1972 to the present ranging from the famous to the obscure, from the celebrated to the damned. These posters offer insight into the evolution of American musical theater, graphic design, marketing, image branding and audience engagement. Far more than advertisements, they reflect the artistic, social and commercial contexts of their time—revealing how productions were first introduced, how stars were celebrated, and how visual trends paralleled theatrical innovation. As ephemeral objects, their preservation provides rare evidence of the material culture surrounding performance. By examining these posters through an academic lens, we can better understand Broadway’s influence on American theater, music and popular culture. The exhibition invites viewers to explore how theater has been represented and remembered, and how visual media contributes to the construction of cultural memory.The exhibition will be accompanied by a lecture featuring Nicholas van Hoogstraten, author of Broadway Poster Art: 1945–1969 (Schiffer Publishing, 2024).
About the Richard C. Norton Musical Theater History Collection:The Richard C. Norton Musical Theater History Collection consists of materials documenting musical theater including 25,000 playbills, 800 typescripts, and 1,500 published libretti, as well as sheet music and 78rpm records. Norton is the author of A Chronology of American Musical Theater (Oxford UP, 2002) a landmark work with details on thousands of Broadway productions. The collection was assembled to support the research for his book.
"Through most of our lives and work, Cedric and I have had deep commitments to collaboration, internationalism, and solidarity movements."–Elizabeth Robinson, 2024
This exhibition documents the life’s work of Cedric J. Robinson and Elizabeth Peters Robinson, placing it in the global context of the Black radical tradition. The Robinsons were renowned for their seminal scholarship and activism that had wide-ranging influence at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), in academia, and across many public arenas. The exhibition is drawn from the Cedric J. and Elizabeth P. Robinson Archive (“Robinson Archive”) and supplemented by a variety of materials from other collections in UCSB Library’s Special Research Collections, as well as personal contributions from Elizabeth Robinson.
A deeply influential educator, Cedric Robinson (1940-2016) was a well-known scholar of racial capitalism and the Black radical tradition, and an active participant in political movements, both at home and internationally. For more than 30 years, Elizabeth Robinson has been an educator, social worker, former associate director for media at KCSB-FM radio, activist, and community media producer.
This exhibition was curated by Yolanda Blue, the Library’s Curator of American and International History, Politics, and Cultures Collections, in collaboration with New York University and UCSB Library staff.
This Craft Fair features all hand-made items. There will be over 20 vendors. There will be ceramics, animal sculptures, leather and wood turned crafts, hand-sewn items, crochet and knit items, jewelry, etc. Raffle tickets will be given all those attending for gifts donated by the crafters. There will be a Bake Sale also. This is a fundraiser for the Half-Century Club. A perfect opportunity to begin your Holiday Shopping.
Join us for Saturday morning art adventures in the EE Makerspace above Art from Scrap.
All materials provided - just bring your imagination!
Kids 5+ (adults must stay in the Makerspace with their child).
Projects may use hot glue guns - safety first!
🎬 Festival Highlights
⦁ Opening Night (Thursday, Libbey Bowl) Free community screening of The Rare Breed (1966), a family-friendly Western starring Jimmy Stewart and Juliet Mills. Juliet Mills, this year’s Distinguished Artist Award recipient and Ojai local, will give a Q&A before the movie. ⦁ 91 films total, representing 36 countries from around the world: Narrative and documentary shorts and features and Animation. Screenings run throughout the day, Thursday through Monday, at Ojai Art Center and Matilija Auditorium⦁ Seminars and panels (Art Center Gallery) include presentation on silent films shot on the Channel Islands, post-production music panel on the role of music in independent film, distribution & film entertainment seminar led by Tisha Morris and Michelle Edelman, AI in Film Panel featuring Mary Duda, one of the world’s foremost AI experts, with additional AI specialists joining via Zoom and in person.⦁ Winning Screenplay Table Read: live performance with actors and a director interpreting the festival’s screenplay contest winner.⦁ Receptions Friday and Saturday nights⦁ Closing Day (Monday) Gold Coast showcase at Matilija Auditorium — films produced locally in Ojai, Ventura County, and surrounding area.
