Sometimes it’s hard not to think that really, it’s Barbie’s world, we just live in it. For the next two weekends, we can at least amp up the experience: starting today at the always-awesome Ohio Theatre is the Barbie Project, a multimedia, multigenre workshop by White Bird Productions that takes a good long look at the fantastic plastic doll’s role in shaping our world. Funnyman Paul Boocock (a Gothamist interviewee fresh off his one-man show Boocock’s House of Baseball), actress/singer Lorrie Harrison, and RedWall Dance Theatre, among others, are collaborating on this “adult look at growing up with Barbie.” We expect there will be plenty of commentary in a vein that Mattel probably wouldn’t be too thrilled about; various “mystery guests” are promised, including one who is to relate the story of Ken and Barbie teaching her about sex in her station wagon. Gothamist’s most vivid Barbie memory is of the Christmas when the Santa story started to unravel because our parents couldn’t satisfactorily explain how the Barbie mansion came down the chimney, but we’re still looking forward to White Bird artistic director Kathryn Dickinson’s segment on how to accessorize your own Barbie home. Of course, it could be that we’re just desperate for new ideas on decorating our doll-sized apartment, but that’s another story. more ›

Two more major festivals open this week, then there’s a bit of a lull before the Fringe arrives to take over in mid-August. It’s been an incredibly festival-packed summer, but Gothamist hopes that rather than getting worn out by it all, you’ve been building up endurance so you can go to many of the 1300+ performances in this ninth Fringe. more ›

Gothamist was supposed to spend the evening on a rooftop with friends and free drinks. Thank you rain for ruining the start to our weekend! We usually don't take a negative tone around here, but it needs to be said: Gothamist hates weather. It's also going to ruin at least one of the below events, see if you can pick which one. When you're done with that, grab your umbrella and rain boots and find fun indoors - after all the sun will come out tomorrow, or like, in August. more ›

Paul Boocock, Actor and Writer more ›