More public computers at the Central Library

Baltimore, Md.The Enoch Pratt Free Library opened a new Computer Commons in the Central Library Main Hall on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. This new section will provide 26 additional public computers for patrons. The Computer Commons, located across from the Circulation Desk, has hour long timeslots. Currently, the Pratt Library provides more than 500 public computers system wide and offers free wireless internet access at most branches. Computer technology at the Central Library is made possible by the generosity of the Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds and Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Nationwide, 60 percent of people who visit a public library do so primarily to use computers and access the Internet. And with 40 percent of Baltimore City households lacking internet access at home, the Pratts more than 500 public computers are often the only way for visitors to go online. Everyday our patrons line-up outside at all Pratt locations eager to use our public computers, said Carla D. Hayden, Chief Executive Officer of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. During these difficult economic times, some of our patrons have even told us they have given up internet access at home and now depend on us. We are very committed to our mission of offering free access to all our patrons, from the very youngest to seniors. Were hoping these additional computers will make a difference for patrons seeking anything from personal enrichment to career development. The Central Library will also begin offering free computer classes this winter. Like the Pratt Center for Technology Training at the Orleans Street Branch and the Southeast Anchor Library, patrons can register for free basic computer classes. For more information about the Pratts computer services, visit our website at www.prattlibrary.org.

The recently opened Computer Commons at the Enoch Pratt Central Library is equipped with 26 new computers to accomodate more patrons. The Central Library will also begin offering free computer classes this winter. Courtesy photo

Maryland native stars in Girls Night: The Musical

By Zaina Adamu Anita suffers from depression. Although she finds it difficult to stabilize the chemical imbalances in her brain, she manages to be the one female among her group of friends who is most secure with herself. Native of Frederick, Maryland Justine Hall successfully plays Anitas character and is effective in bringing her temperament to new heights. In Girls Night: The Musical, an off-Broadway premiere of the UK play bearing the same name, Hall blends comedy with weighty subject matters to create a distinctive tone in this humorous production. Earlier this year, Entertainment Events Productions presented Girls Night to the United States. The musical captures the essence of female bonding through satirical scenes and vivid staging. In musical five women in their 30s and 40s are followed as they relive their younger years and share their deepest secrets all while singing clasPage 12

sic female anthems including Cindy Laupers Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Gloria Gaynors I Will Survive and Patti Labelles Lady Marmalade. Girls Night writer Louise Roche and director Jack Randle infuse hilarity with heartache in this laugh out loud show by exploring womens issues like marriage and mental illness. We talk about things all women can identify with, said Hall. No matter where you come from or your age, all women can relate. Hall began her career at an early age first as a singer at the Weinburg Center for the Arts in Frederick, then as an actress at the now-defunct Harlequin Dinner Theatre in Rockville, MD. She attended Frederick High School, where she acclimatized to professional acting and singing, and landed her first professional job as Betsey in Big River. Later she played Michelle in Dream Girls. When Hall moved to New York three years ago, she came across an audition for Girls Night and decided to try out for the

Maryland native Justine Hall plays Anita in Girls Night: The Musical. Courtesy Photo role. Hall remembers feeling a sense of happiness when she received the phone call

to play as a lead character. I was really excited. I had no idea that attending the audition for the play would bring me off-Broadway, which is the biggest thing, said Hall. I was just happy I would be working as an actress and a singer. She also admits taking the role has allowed her to appreciate the entertainment business. You learn how to be an artist. Its given me the chance to see how it has to be to survive as an actor, she said. Halls most substantial incentive for playing Anita is the extreme amount of fun she has when she performs, which she says bounces off into the audience. The best part of the musical is the audiences interaction, says Hall. They party along right with us. Since its first run in 2003, Girls Night has received exceptional reviews and has been compared to hit shows like Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives. Girls Night: The Musical will be at The Lyric Opera House on November 5, 2009.

The Baltimore Times, October 30 - November 5, 2009 (www.baltimoretimesonline.com)

Positive stories about positive people!