The week finds a kind of shared ground between the creative frontier of A.I. and the quiet clarity of meditation. One asks what it means to make something at all — who holds the authorship, where the boundaries sit — while the other steps back from all of it, if only for a few minutes on the grass.
Between those two, everything else starts to fill in. New work takes shape in small theaters before it’s fully formed, rhythm carries a room without asking permission, and a film flickers to life outdoors without much buildup. It’s a week that doesn’t push — it just opens a few doors and lets you decide how far in to go.
If You’re Not in the Room, Is it Art? Residency artist April Bey opens up her process for an interactive A.I. workshop as part of the Little Bahamas Underline Project. This artist workshop explores A.I. as a tool for research and idea development, with a clear look at ethics, authorship and how to keep control of your work in a shifting digital landscape. MDC Gibson Center, 3629 Grand Avenue. Friday 3/27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free with RSVP.
Five new musicals, all in one night. These are short works coming out of NYU’s Tisch program, staged by University of Miami students — so you’re seeing ideas as they’re forming, not after they’ve been polished smooth. Some will land, some will surprise, and that’s the point. Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, 1312 Miller Drive. Through Saturday 3/28, times vary. Tickets required and selling out fast.
No Strings Attached. New World Symphony showcase Americans Got Rhythm moves the percussion section front and center stage. The program’s rhythm swings from pulse-driven minimalism to ragtime without losing a beat. New World Center, 500 17th Street, Miami Beach. Sunday 3/29 at 2:00 p.m. Modestly priced tickets. Pro tip: take the lobby elevator to the 6th floor promenade for the view.
The peace of silence in a stilled mind dedicates itself to spreading through the world. Guided meditation brings practitioners to quiet reflection in Peacock Park, Sunday, 3/29, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Free. Please bring your own blanket, towel or chair for sitting outdoors. Info.
Classroom chaos meets theatrical payback in Miss Nelson Is Missing, a kid-smart favorite where the worst-behaved class in school suddenly learns what rules feel like. When sweet Miss Nelson disappears and is replaced by the terrifyingly efficient Viola Swamp, attitudes shift fast and appreciation kicks in just a beat too late. Actors’ Playhouse keeps this one brisk, funny, and very family-friendly. Most Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. 3/31-4/24, at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. Tickets.
The library keeps finding new corners to show up in — this time with 16mm reels from the archives, flickering across the lawn at the Barnacle. It’s a little retro, a little unexpected, and probably not something that’s come up before. Bring a picnic, claim a patch of grass, settle in with a blanket and let the evening take its time — the title can wait or stay a surprise. The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. Tuesday 3/31, grounds open 6:00 p.m., screening at 7:00 p.m. Free.
The Hippest Ticket in town was in a coffeeshop hanging with J.S. Bach. Today the hipsters of the New World Symphony recreate Bach’s Leipzig joint with “If it ain’t Baroque…” and show us just how cool J.S. and his bros were. Bonus: You can strut like a big spender because this is a pay-what-you-want performance. New World Center, 500 17th Street, Miami Beach. Tuesday 3/31 at 7:00 p.m. Name your price and get your ticket here.
Electronics piling up at home? Here’s where they go. Old cords, dead batteries, and that drawer of “maybe useful someday” devices finally get a proper exit at this easy drive-through drop-off, with volunteers on hand if lingering turns into helping. Regatta Park, 3500 Pan American Drive. Saturday 4/4, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Free.
If There’s a Basket, This is Probably Where it’s Headed. Fairchild’s Bunny Hoppening mixes egg hunts, garden wandering and a quick ride on the Cottontail Express, with plenty to keep small hands busy for a while. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road. Sunday 4/5 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets required and they will sell out quickly.
Save Me a Seat
What Audiotech is Still Trying to Catch Up to. Seraphic Fire brings its signature immersive style, drawn from Venice’s Basilica of San Marco, with voices coming from every corner of the room and the audience at the center of it. Church of the Little Flower, 2711 Indian Mound Trail, Coral Gables. Friday 4/10 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets required.
Some Yards Just Know What They’re Doing. Native Plant Network’s starter kit pickup offers five native plants for eligible members — invite required, with details sent ahead. Not a member yet? Email [email protected]. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (nursery location details shared by email only). Friday 4/10 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Free.
Flamenco under the Banyans. Siempre Flamenco finds passion in guitars, voices, and dancers. You find the passion in blankets, bay breeze and the bottle of bubbly you bring. The Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. Friday 4/10 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., doors open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets.
The Grove’s own Theatre Fest has just announced its lineup. See it now. Thursday-Sunday 4/16-19.
It’s Alive!! — and apparently singing. Young Frankenstein lands at the Ring Theatre with all the familiar chaos intact: mad science, questionable decisions, and a lab that’s far from under control. If “Puttin’ on the Ritz” means anything, you already know where this is headed. Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, 1312 Miller Drive. Friday 4/17 through Saturday 4/25, times vary. Tickets required.
All Aboard for the M-history Tour! The Villagers mark 60 years by looping through the places they helped keep standing, then circling back for a 60s-style party that may cause some flashbacks. Pick the ride, the party, or a new friend — it’ll be that kind of night. Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Boulevard. Saturday 4/18, bus tour check-in 3:30 p.m., party 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets $60 each.
He has an Alibi. He has a Key. He has a Plan. What he doesn’t have is control. Dial M for Murder turns into a battle of wits where the smallest detail becomes the loudest weapon. Could anything improve on Hitchcock’s masterwork? The ultimate plot twist. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. 5/13–6/7. Showtimes and tickets.
Eureka Day drops you into a Berkeley school board meeting where militant inclusivity rules — until a mumps outbreak forces the one thing nobody wants to do: decide. What starts as satire infects the room with something uncomfortably familiar, and the laughter comes fast and as sharp as a needle. Fresh from Broadway and already selling out. GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables. 5/15-6/14. Showtimes and tickets.
