A Mad, Burning Desire

An issues-minded musical ensemble, Burning River Baroque launches its season today with A Mad, Burning Desire, a show designed to shed light on "unconventional 17th-century women and issues surrounding mental health." A Mad, Burning Desire tells the story of the first English actresses who gained the legal right to act on the public stage in the early 1660s. Co-directors Paula Maust (harpsichord) and Malina Rauschenfels (soprano) will engage in dialogues with the audience about "how the perception of mental health issues in the early modern period directly relates to the stigma surrounding mental health in contemporary times." Performances take place at 7 tonight at the Yellow Springs Arts Council in Yellow Springs; at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at a house concert in Cleveland Heights; at 7 p.m. on Friday at Art House, Inc.; and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at a house concert in Fairlawn. Other performances of A Mad, Burning Desire will take place in October. Find details on the website. (Niesel) burning-river-baroque.org.