House Speaker Joe Shekarchi has introduced a new round of bills to address the housing crisis. The Public’s Radio reporter Ian Donnis asks the speaker about his latest priorities and what it will take to tackle the state’s housing shortage. Also, there’s a homelessness hotline in the Ocean State meant to help people who need housing. But, The Public’s Radio’s Nina Sparling reports, new data shows that the hotline is overwhelmed, with just four people handling hundreds of calls a day. And a new program seeks to help Rhode Island cities and towns plant more trees as a way to mitigate the effects of climate change. We hear from the nonprofit helping to implement the program. Plus, the week in politics; a few things to do this week; and an off-Broadway show coming to Westerly puts the stories of audience members center stage.
Paul Mecurio
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
Paul Mecurio gives the audience ‘Permission to Speak’ at United Theatre
Comedian Paul Mecurio has an off-Broadway show coming to the United Theatre this Saturday. Mecurio was born and raised in Rhode Island and after a brief career on Wall Street as a lawyer and investment banker, he moved into comedy. Since then he’s been on “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report,” and he’s currently on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as a performer. He’s won Emmy and Peabody awards, and he hosts a podcast called “Inside Out with Paul Mecurio.” Artscape Producer James Baumgartner spoke with Paul about his off-broadway show, “Permission to Speak,” where he picks random members of the audience to come up on stage, asks them questions, and everyone gets to hear their story.
