The 28th season of Purdue University Fort Wayne’s popular Omnibus Speaker Series kicks off Sept. 21 with actor Rainn Wilson. The series also includes cybersecurity expert Theresa Payton on Nov. 7, Democratic political strategist Donna Brazile on Feb. 29, NFL official Sarah Thomas on March 26, and historian Michael Beschloss on April 25.
As one of the co-founders of the digital media company SoulPancake, Wilson has spent years exploring ways we seek connection, hope, truth, identity, and purpose. He is best known for playing Dwight Schrute on The Office, and his work includes the unscripted series Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss on Peacock.
Cybersecurity expert and the first female White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, Payton’s lecture will be “How AI/ChatGPT is Shaping the Cyber Landscape.”
Brazile, the first Black woman to serve as the manager of a major party presidential campaign working for Vice President Al Gore, will discuss “Political Outlook: A Comprehensive Picture of What’s Going on in Washington.”
After starting her football officiating career in 1996 by attending a meeting with her brother, Thomas reached the National Football League in 2015. She’ll highlight her career with “Breaking Through: My Journey to Becoming the First Female NFL Official.”
Award-winning historian, scholar of leadership, and best-selling author of 10 books, Beschloss will come to Fort Wayne with his topic “What History Can Predict About Our American Political Future.”
All appearances start at 7:30 p.m. in the Auer Performance Hall. Tickets are free on a first-come, first-served basis. To guarantee a seat, tickets should be reserved in advance, either online through the university’s ticketing platform, or at the Schatzlein Box Office in the Auer Performance Hall lobby.
For more information, go to PFW.edu/omnibus.
Three Rivers Music Theatre debuts new space
Three Rivers Music Theatre is debuting its first non-musical production, August: Osage County, in its new home at 416 W. Fourth St. near Wells Street.
An intimate studio space unlike any other in Fort Wayne, TRMT’s new home is reminiscent of studio theaters in big cities like Chicago and New York. The theater seats 60-150, and because the space is owned by TRMT, the layout of the seating and playing area can be rebuilt and varied in an infinite number of ways.
The Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play August: Osage County takes place in a cramped, claustrophobic three-story house in rural Oklahoma, and the innovative set design by Executive and Artistic Director Andy Planck makes use of every possible inch of space, creatively suggesting height.
The close proximity of the seats to the actors draws the audience in and makes them feel like a part of the family.
Planck’s vision for the company’s upcoming production of a musical they are contractually not allowed to name, but features singing and dancing felines, includes a fully immersive (if not interactive) audience experience.
TRMT also offers a summer musical theater intensive for young artists, pre-professional music theater training, and private voice lessons.
Drive-thru Jurassic experience at Glenbrook
A Jurassic drive-thru adventure is being held at Glenbrook Square through Sunday, Sept. 10.
You’ll see gigantic, ultra-realistic dinosaur replicas like the T-rex, Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, Utahraptors, and even baby dinosaurs.
Price for cars is $45 on weekdays, $55 on weekends, and vehicles seating 8-14 is $75 on weekdays and $85 on weekends.
The adventure is in 2-hour time slot increments and takes up to an hour or more, depending on how much time you spend next to each dinosaur and the number of vehicles. If you sign up for the last time slot of the day, be sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before your time slot ends.
For tickets and more information, go to
jurassicempire.com.
Arts festival at Jefferson Pointe
The Fort Wayne Arts Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 10, from noon-5 p.m. at Jefferson Pointe.
The festival features more than 40 local and regional fine artists. Mediums include wood, glass, clay, fiber, oil/acrylic, watercolor, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, assemblage, encaustic, photography/digital, drawing, and mixed media.
West Central Home & Garden Tour
The Historic West Central Neighborhood will hold its 41st annual two-day Home and Garden Tour & ArtsFest from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 9-10.
Tour an eclectic variety of architecturally and historically significant homes and businesses. Enjoy free trolley rides between stops. Or, if you prefer to walk, take in the ambiance and beauty of this historic neighborhood as you stroll the tree-lined streets.
Stop in at ArtsFest to enjoy live entertainment, local artists, and local food vendors. The ArtsFest is located at the intersection of Wayne and Union streets just west of downtown Fort Wayne.
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