When her marriage collapses, a psychiatrist on the brink (played by Talia Shire) embarks on a trip—across the country, and into her past—as she visits men she once dated in college, high school, and middle school. Directed by Joan Tewkesbury, Old Boyfriends, as the ShadowBox Studio event listing notes, holds the “dubious distinction of being the only feature directed by a woman released in the United States in 1979.”
While that fact may not speak well to the year 1979, it’s nice to see Movie Loft unearthing gems like Old Boyfriends and making them available for us to watch. There will also be hot dogs: Come at 7 p.m. to hang out and get your dogs prepped. This movie screening is for anyone who loves old movies or loves old boyfriends, be that boyfriends in an age gap relationship or lost loves from the archives.
To Attend
Opening reception for Abigail Ruth: A Mother Is a House
February 6, 8 p.m. | Bryan Center Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham
Valentine’s is usually approached as a holiday centered on romantic love, but it’s just as important to recognize other transformational forms of love and care. The artist Abigail Ruth celebrates the grounding power of motherhood with A Mother Is a House, an exhibit at Peel Gallery that runs through March 9, with a February 14 opening reception.
Embellished with onesie snaps, rubber nipples, and other domestic ephemera, and bound to bricks—Abigail Ruth’s main medium—with a mixture of flour and water, the works in the show embody the brute weight, resourceful nature, and raw power of caregiving. While at Peel, check out the gallery’s other February events, including a February 22 woven trivet workshop and a February 23 digitizing film negatives workshop.
Do a little two-step with your sweetie to a four-part harmony, at this lively Pinhook show from The Lover Boyz. The legendary group—comprised of Mr. L Ready, Pierce McCoy, Andy Peterson, and Sinclair Phillip, with backup from Kym Register and the Meltdown Rodeo, among others—is the heart of Durham, with performances going back thirty years. If you’re looking to get the party started earlier in the week, a “Let Me Find My Valentine” event will take place on February 13 at 8 p.m. Although the purpose of that night is to find a crush, the event listing adds that “couples are encouraged to come…for encouragement.”
If you’ve been considering adopting an animal, consider this Valentine’s Day as your sign to make a move. On Saturday, you can move with adoptable pups during an hour-long session of gentle yoga at Synergy Fitness for Her. Proceeds will go to APS Durham (and there will be champagne on hand to balance out the sun salutations).
But there also are V-day adoption deals at shelters across the Triangle—through February 22, dogs at APS Durham only have a $25 adoption fee. At the SPCA of Wake County, meanwhile, adoption fees are only $2.14 today through Valentine’s Day. Speaking from personal experience, as the lucky owner of a rescue cat and dog—you truly can’t put a price on the unconditional love of an animal.
To hear
Legacy of Jazz presents Shana Tucker: An Evening of Sade
What’s more romantic than a Sade song? Frankly….not much. At this Cary Theater evening concert, soulful singer-songwriter, composer, and cellist Shana Tucker will be joined by her sextet for a program of Sade’s music, including “Sweetest Taboo,” “Is It a Crime,” and—of course!—“Smooth Operator.” As the event program notes, Tucker, a Triangle resident, has a gift for “evoking the spirit of the artist she’s honoring while simultaneously weaving her captivating web of ChamberSoul.” Why stop Valentine’s Day on the 14th? Keep it going all weekend long with silky, yearning jazz.
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