By MEGAN DOOLEY

On Thursday night, soprano Jeanine De Bique told the story of a woman torn between her loyalty to her family and her love for a man whose family ties made him enemy to her own. She asked that the gods strike her down with lightning, “because it’s better to be dead, I guess, than to be in love,” said Ms. De Bique. She told another story of a woman who found herself unexpectedly pregnant by a cold, cruel man, and the heartbreak that ensued.

On Wednesday, August 18 and 25, Emerson College’s Stroopwafel will join the Island’s college troupe WIMP on the Grange Hall stage.

The Night Belongs to Opera

For two nights only, Opera Noire of New York comes to Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs with two separate but equally spectacular programs: tonight, August 17, A Gala Performance of Opera’s Greatest Hits begins at 8 p.m. Then on Thursday, August 19, From The Underground Railroad to the

Great White Way begins at 8 p.m.

Skyrockets Delight

See the fireworks from the sea, help a family secure a home on land: A fireworks cruise to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard is set for Friday, August 20. The boat leaves the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority dock at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults, $35 for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult. For tickets and more information, go online to habitatmv.org or Craftworks on Circuit avenue. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door.

Gone are the grownup gatekeepers of movie merit — kids are the audience for the weekly Cinema Circus films. So the Gazette and the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival bring you the big view from the smaller viewers with weekly kid critics.

Purdue University geophysicist Andy Freed, a member of the first scientific team on the ground in Haiti after the January 12 earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people, will talk about that earthquake at the Chilmark Public Library on August 18 at 5:30 p.m.

His presentation will explain the tectonics of the region, how the earthquake was anticipated, why so much destruction occurred and why the danger is far from over. He will also talk about his experiences traveling around the country after the earthquake.

Artist and curator Laurel Tucker Duplessis will display and sell her art at the home of Vineyard Haven resident Carol White, 61 Pine street on August 18, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Laurel Tucker Duplessis was the curator of the art and artifacts division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York city, until her retirement in March 1996. She is also an artist whose primary medium is printmaking.

Ho for the Fair!

Volunteers of the Vineyard

It’s no secret that the baby boomer generation has influenced this country in areas from pop culture to politics and the economy. The latest ripple effects are set to reach Vineyard shores, as our population of senior residents will increase significantly in the next five to 10 years — a silver tsunami, if you will. And the stresses that will be placed on the Island’s health care system should top the list of priorities we’re considering now.