The Buzz: ‘Awakening to Aging,’ a Shakespeare costume party, and ‘Mamma Mia’

News and notes from in and around Petaluma|

Author/editor of ‘Awakening to Aging’ to lead conversation at library: Petaluma therapist Myrtle Heery, founder of the Institute of Humanistic Studies, will be leading a panel discussion on Wednesday, May 23 at the Petaluma Library. Sponsored by Village Network of Petaluma, the morning event is inspired by the book “Awakening to Aging: Glimpsing the Gifts of Aging,” an anthology of personal stories about getting older, written by an array of authors. The pieces range from practical advice and common sense wisdom to deep mediations on the complexities of growing older.

Two local authors, Regina Reilly and Bev Miller, will join Heery on the panel to discuss their contributions to the book. Village Network is a national non-profit organization working to empower adults 50-years and older, helping them to live active and satisfying lives in their own homes as they age.

The discussion will begin at 10:30 a.m. and go till noon, at the library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive. For information visit VillageNetworkof Petaluma.org or call (707) 778-6055.

To go or not to go? Crispin Clarke throws a Shakespeare Party at Copperfield’s: Petaluma’s Crispin Clarke, of Shakesprints Shakespearean Illustrated Designs, is inviting fellow Bard fans to dress up as their favorite Shakespeare character (Seriously. Do it. You won’t be alone.), and join him at Copperfield’s Book Store in Petaluma for a celebratory Elizabethan costume party on Sunday, May 20, from 2-5 p.m. Actors from the Santa Rosa Junior College will be present to perform scenes from Shakespeare’s Henry V (they’re doing one of the funny scenes) and Romeo and Juliet (they’re doing a very, very sad scene). During the community Shakespeare open mike, volunteers can recite (or read) their favorite verses, lines or sonnets (one minute, max!), and if you think you know your Shakespeare stuff, get ready to be challenged with Clarke’s epic Shakespeare Trivia Contest. There will be Elizabethan snacks (pies and fruit), and opportunities to peruse Shakesprints’ gorgeous collection of cards made from authentic woodcuts.

Mountain Play seeks ‘Mamma Mia’ volunteers: It takes a village to run a typical Mountain Play production, and that pretty much means it takes a literal village. That’s because the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre on Marin County’s Mt. Tamalpais seats 4,000 people, and it takes a whole lot of ushers and other helpers to make the process work. This year’s show, “Mamma Mia,” runs Sundays from May 20 to June 17, with all shows beginning at 2 p.m. Volunteers from all over the Bay Area assist each year, with a good number coming from Petaluma and other parts of Sonoma County. Interested in helping out and seeing the show for free? Visit MountainPlay.org, and click on VOLUNTEER under GET INVOLVED.

(Have a BUZZ item to suggest? Drop David a line at david.templeton@arguscourier.com)

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