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Jun 12 Friday
Riot Act, Inc. announces the opening of submissions to our New Play Festival playwriting competition. Three one-act plays will be selected for production during our Annual Series of Shorts in September 2026.
Each of the three playwrights whose plays are selected for production will receive an honorarium. The first-place winner will receive $200 and the Marius P. Hanford IV Award. Marius was a longtime stage combat choreographer influential in several theater communities, including Jackson and New York. The second place will receive $100 and third place will be awarded $50.
The contest opens on May 1, 2026 with final entries due by June 20, 2026 and winners will be notified by July 31, 2026.
For more information and registration, email NewPlayFest@riotactinc.org or check our website at https://riotactinc.org/new-play-festival/.
Jun 13 Saturday
Nearly 50 invited artists are given one day to create new masterpieces en plein air (outside). They paint from the National Museum of Wildlife Art’s Sculpture Trail with stupendous views overlooking the National Elk Refuge. All visitors are welcome to watch the painters, and collectors are invited to browse and bid on the fresh artworks. All proceeds will benefit the Museum and participating artists. Enjoy free admission from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
9:00 a.m.: Event Kickoff 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Live Music from Derrik & The Dynamos 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Food for Purchase from Palate 12:15 – 1:00 p.m.: Silent Auction
Two participation categories for the artists: plein air and al fresco
The plein air category allows artists to paint any regional scene of their choice, and they may begin their painting anywhere in the vicinity. All artists will be on the Sculpture Trail by 10 a.m. to finish their piece live and in person. Al fresco is interpreted more broadly, where artists enjoy painting outside using reference photos of any subject. The “Best in Show” award winner will be picked from the plein air category, while the al fresco category is not judged.
Taste what Laradise has to offer! Come downtown on June 13 from 11 am – 5 pm to sip, savor, shop and play.
While Tasters peruse Downtown Laradise, they receive exclusive access to cocktails, beer and nonalcoholic beverages in a souvenir cup; delectable food specials at downtown’s unique restaurants; and mind-blowing discounts at premier shops and businesses. Tasters earn raffle tickets throughout the event by visiting participating locations and also by taking advantage of the shopping and dining specials offered. The event culminates in a raffle of some fabulous prize baskets, including the Grand Prize with a value of over $2,000! And Tasters aren’t just having fun – making Laradise a better place! Proceeds benefit the Downtown Clinic and multiple local Rotary projects.
Don’t miss out on this unforgettable day celebrating the magic of Laradise – there’s something for everyone!
Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the event. All Tasters check in at the registration tent on 2nd Street across from Bonds Brewing.
Taste of Laradise is brought to you by the Laramie Rotary Club and Laramie Sunrise Rotary Club in cooperation with Laramie Main Street and Visit Laramie.
Jun 14 Sunday
Jun 15 Monday
Jun 16 Tuesday
Jun 17 Wednesday
Join The Center for An Evening with Fran Lebowitz at The Center Theater! In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators.
Her essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. “The New York Times Book Review” calls Lebowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.
Lebowitz worked odd jobs, such as taxi driving, belt peddling, and apartment cleaning (“with a small specialty in Venetian blinds”), before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for “Interview.” That was followed by a stint at “Mademoiselle”. Her first book, a collection of essays titled “Metropolitan Life”, was a bestseller, as was a second collection, “Social Studies.” By turns ironic, facetious, deadpan, sarcastic, wry, wisecracking, and waggish, Lebowitz’s prose is wickedly entertaining. Her two books are collected in “The Fran Lebowitz Reader,” with a new preface by the author. “The Fran Lebowitz Reader” has been published in nine languages including French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. In 2021 it was published for the first time in the United Kingdom and became a bestseller. Lebowitz is also the author of the children’s book, “Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas.”
Lebowitz was named to “Vanity Fair’s” International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 2008. She remains a style icon. Lebowitz lives in New York City, as she does not believe that she would be allowed to live anywhere else.
Jun 18 Thursday