What's Happening: Family Invention Lab, 'Hamlet,' family movies, 'Unapologetic,' more
JULY 10
FAMILY INVENTION LAB: Learn basic coding and engineering lessons for the whole family at the Alachua County Library District’s new Family Invention Lab programs this summer. These programs are curated by the MakerSpace team to encourage discovery, experimentation and hands-on learning with beginner-friendly technology. Inventors from ages 5 to adults can learn how to write code and engineer contraptions with pocket-sized computers, STEM kits, building straws and more. The Family Invention Lab series starts at 2 p.m. Sunday in Meeting Room A at Headquarters Library, 401 E. University Ave. Additional Family Invention Lab programs will be held on the second and fourth Sundays in July and August. All programs are held at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room A. Programs are designed for children and their grown-ups to work together using science and engineering skills to become inventors. Children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Patrons should register online to save a seat at these programs. Register at least 12 hours before an event to guarantee admission. Check-in starts 15 minutes before a program’s start time. If registered attendees are not present five minutes before the start time, seats may be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. A library card is not required to register or attend any program. Learn more at aclib.us/invention. Each month’s Family Invention Lab is centered on a theme, challenging inventors to question their knowledge and create something new while learning together. July's theme is “Is It Conductive?” Electricity is the cornerstone of electronics and computing, learn to build a game with conductive materials. August's theme is “Storytelling with Color.” Color is a fantastic visual aid — test how you can use color to tell a story, mark a trail and give signals. The rest of the Family Invention Lab Schedule is: July 24, Aug. 14 and Aug. 28.
JULY 14 THROUGH AUG. 7
“HAMLET”: The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre is set to present an original adaptation of one of the most impactful and widely performed pieces of literature in the world — William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” In this story, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns from school to find his father dead and his mother married to his uncle. However, something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and his father’s ghost walks nightly through Elsinore castle crying out for revenge. Hamlet takes up the gauntlet to confront his mother and uncle, and avenge his father. Performance text, adapted and edited by Catherine Karow from Shakespeare’s second quarto, is fast-paced and has a running time of two hours. From its impactful staging, with technological enhancements, to its unique casting and costumes, this production is sure to provide a moving and memorable theatrical experience, fitting for the final production in the theatre’s current performance space. The theatre requests that all patrons be masked when not eating or drinking. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Acrosstown Repertory Theater, 619 S. Main St. There is a $5 “sneak preview” performance at 8 p.m. July 14. Tickets for all other showings are $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors, military and students. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit acrosstown.org/2022-07-hamlet.
ONGOING THROUGH AUG. 10
FAMILY MOVIES: Get out of the heat and enjoy feel-good family movies for $2 each ticket during Regal Theaters’ Summer Movie Express series. The special series will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week during the summer through Aug. 10. This year’s participating theater is Regal Royal Park Stadium 16 at 3702 W. Newberry Road. Each week will feature two movies that will play both days beginning at 11 a.m. The schedule includes “Sing 2” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” on July 12-13, “Despicable Me 3” and “Tom and Jerry” on July 19-20, “Minions” and “Trolls World Tour” on July 26-27, “The Croods: A New Age” and “The Boss Baby: Family” on Aug. 2-3, and “Trolls” and “”How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” on Aug. 9-10. Times vary, visit the theater’s website for times and to purchase tickets online. For more information, visit bit.ly/regalsum21.
ONGOING THROUGH AUGUST
“UNAPOLOGETIC!”: The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center is featuring artistic works by Gainesville artist Yvonne Ferguson. The show is entitled “Unapologetic!” and features images of cultural and human rights icons as well as notable and groundbreaking musicians. Describing her subject matter, Ferguson said, “My creative passion is fueled by the people of the African Diaspora. I love the culture, creativity and fortitude of its people. I am inspired by our ceaseless adaptability and how the essence of our being always creates something out of anything.” Ferguson displays her work through her online gallery, Diasporic Pigments. Visit the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center at 837 SE Seventh Ave. This exhibit will run through August 2022. Admission is free. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and by appointment for schools and other groups. Call 226-8321 or email info@cottonclubmuseum.com for more information. All safety recommendations are being followed with masks required inside. Hand sanitizers and purified air will make the exhibit both safe and enjoyable.
ONGOING THROUGH JAN. 23, 2023
“ANIMATIONLAND”: Join Tracey the pencil dog and her crew — Rooth, Drop, Inky, Uno and Kari — on a fantastically immersive journey to create stories using science and imagination. In Cade Museum’s newest exhibit, attendees can dive into the world of storytelling and channel their creativity to develop their own animated production using storyboarding, sketching, stop-motion movie making and more. The quirky cast of characters and hands-on interactives break down the process step-by-step to reveal how animated features are created. “Animationland” empowers visitors of all ages to experiment, learn and tell their own stories through animation. This exhibition was created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. See it for yourself from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays at the museum, located at 811 N. Main St. Tickets are $12.50 for general admission, $10 for seniors and college students, $7.50 for ages 5-17 and free for ages 4 and younger. For more information, visit cademuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: Family Invention Lab, 'Hamlet,' family movies, more
