Felix Alvarado Jr., better known on the job as Mr. “A,” is a professional educator and director of Straight “A” Academy, a college preparation education service in southern New Hampshire.
Explain your job and what it entails.
January through April, my job is all about working directly with students, helping them improve their SAT and ACT prep scores. … Then there’s a period of time where I’m able to focus more on business and professional development, staying on top of the latest trends and what’s new with the testing and college admissions process. … Late summer through October is another big testing season, so I’m back to primarily working with students.
How long have you had this job?
I’ve been a professional educator for 35 years, but I started focusing on test prep and college admissions and launched Straight “A” Academy in 2008.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I started out in pre-med. … After a couple of years at [college], I was doing a lot of soul-searching, and I took one of those skills tests, and it told me, ‘teacher.’ I looked at it and said, ‘That resonates. … That’s what I’ve known all along.’ … I transitioned out of pre-med into education. … I had been a classroom teacher for 20-some years when I decided to launch a tutoring center in Bedford. I … started specializing in SAT and ACT test preparation, because there was a strong demand. … I ended up getting enough business after that first year that I had to leave the classroom.
What kind of training did you need?
In terms of being a test prep or college admissions coach, there’s not a specific certification out there. The training that I found was most important to me as a test prep coach was … my professional training in education in college, but beyond that, just experience [teaching] … and learning how to … read my students to find the best way to help them understand.
What is your typical at-work attire?
Business-casual to casual. I try not to be too formal with my students because one of my objectives is to make them feel comfortable.
How has your job changed over the last year?
Believe it or not, all the Covid [changes] have been seamless for me. I’ve been using platforms like Zoom to work with students around the world … for many years. The biggest change for me is that I had to totally close down my physical office in Merrimack last year, and now all my work is done in cyberspace. … I’m waiting to find the right time and place to reopen a physical office, but honestly, I don’t know that I really need to, because … I’m as effective in my Zoom room as I am in my office.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
I wish I had known about all of the opportunities in education other than just [being a] classroom teacher. … I would have specialized [in college prep coaching] sooner.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
I think some people have this feeling that tutors are [educators who] weren’t good enough to be a classroom teacher, and that’s obviously not fair or true. I wish people knew that tutoring is, in many ways, much more challenging. You have to be very skilled to do it well … and you feel more pressure to help your student succeed when it’s just you [one-on-one with] your student.
What was the first job you ever had?
The summer after seventh grade, I worked in a restaurant, busing tables, cleaning bathrooms and sometimes helping in the kitchen.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Specialize in one thing, and be the best you can be at that one thing
Five favorites Favorite book: The Bible and A Tale of Two Cities. Favorite movie: The Man Who Knew Too Little. Favorite music: Handel’s Water Music and, being Latino, I have to give a nod to salsa, merengue and bachata. Favorite food: Mexican food. Favorite thing about NH: The proximity to a wide array of activities.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Studio 550 bowls. Courtesy photo.
• Group art show: The New Hampshire Art Association presents its “Body of Work: Series I” exhibition, featuring artwork in a variety of media by eight local artists, online and in person at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) now through May 2. NHAA holds several “Body of Work” exhibitions each year. “By exhibiting multiple works, the featured artists are able to present their overall artistic vision, sometimes difficult to do with one or two pieces,” the Association said in a press release. All works are for sale. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• Art for sale: Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester) will have a Spring Cleaning and Community Fundraiser from May 3 through May 8. There will be a variety of handmade items by local artists for sale, including bowls for $15, with proceeds supporting Families in Transition – New Horizons’ efforts to end hunger and homelessness in the local community. A $1 pottery sale of abandoned workshop pottery will benefit Studio 550’s Clay for Kids Scholarship. Fundraiser hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, from noon to 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday, from 2 to 6 p.m. Call 232-5597 or visit info@550arts.com.
“The Boundaries of Our Love,” oil painting by Brittany Soucy, featured in NHAA’s “Body of Work” exhibition. Courtesy photo.
• African fashion: The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth) presents an exhibit, “Fashion Forward: Africana Style,” on view May 1 through Sept. 1. The exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. See photos from Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo by London-based photographer Tariq Zaidi; vintage African fashion pieces from 1930s Liberia reflecting influences of Islam and African American immigration; and more than a dozen contemporary fashion and fabric art pieces created or owned by African and African American women living and working on the Seacoast and throughout the East Coast. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Call 430-6027 or visit saacc-nh.org.
“Pastoral,” watercolor painting by Ellen Hopkins Fountain, featured in NHAA’s “Body of Work” exhibition. Courtesy photo.
• Irish playwright showcase: Manchester-based theater company Theatre Kapow continues its 13th season with a livestreamed production of Room April 30 through May 2, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The show features three stories by two Irish playwrights: A Girl’s Bedroom and Room 303 by Enda Walsh and the American premiere of I Used to Feel by Ailís Ní Ríain. “What I love about Room is that, at the heart of it, the piece is really just about one character in a single room at one point in his or her life,” artistic director Matt Cahoon said in a press release. Tickets cost $10 per streaming device. Ticket holders will be sent the link to watch the show. Visit tkapow.com.
Art
Call for Art
• FIBER ART EXHIBIT The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group invites New Hampshire fiber artists to submit work for its upcoming exhibit of fiber art and textiles, “Tension: Process in the Making.” Exhibit will run July 24 through Sept. 4 at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Submission deadline is Fri., May 1. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
• SUMMER ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) is accepting applications for its two-week summer residency. Open to visual artists of all media who are interested in creating art inspired by the architecture, landscape, traditional crafts, furniture, artistic endeavors and culture of the Shakers. Resident artists will live and work onsite at the village and talk with visitors about their creative process. To apply, email csvjuror@gmail.com with a bio or resume, an artist’s statement, a paragraph about why you’re interested in the residency and what you hope to accomplish, and five images of your most recent artwork. Deadline is Fri., May 1. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.
Exhibits
• “BODY OF WORK: SERIES I” New Hampshire Art Association presents an exhibition featuring artwork in a variety of media by eight local artists. On view now through May 2. Online and in person at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. All works are for sale. Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• 35TH ANNUAL OMER T. LASSONDE JURIED EXHIBITION The New Hampshire Art Association presents a group art show featuring works in a variety of media by NHAA members and non-members. NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth). On view now through May 30. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.
• “TRANSFORMATIONS: NATURE AND BEYOND” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by digital artist William Townsend. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through June 17. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “RETABLOS RECONSIDERED” Exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). On view now through June 6. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
Special events
• MAGNIFY VOICES EXPRESSIVE ARTS CELEBRATION Youth artwork showcased to help raise awareness and decrease stigma of mental illness and affect change to ensure social and emotional health for all children in New Hampshire. May, date TBA. Visit tinyurl.com/magnifyvoices2021 or email magnifyvoices@gmail.com.
Theater
Shows
• GODSPELL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 30. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• FUN HOME The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through May 28. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Sat., May 8, May 22 and June 5, and Thurs., June 24, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• FAME JR. The Seacoast Repertory Theatre PAPA Jr. presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. May 5 through May 12. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Fri., May 7, May 21 and June 4, and Thurs., June 17, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• 42ND STREET Recorded live in London. Virtual screening presented by Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. May 12 through May 19. $15 per ticket. Call 225-1111 or visit ccanh.com.
From the 1981 classic On Golden Pond to parts of this year’s Oscar-winning Sound of Metal, New Hampshire has been a filming location for a number of movies. Since 1998, the New Hampshire Film Bureau has assisted filmmakers eyeing the Granite State for their films, serving as the connection between them and the state government and communities. But if the latest state budget proposal is approved, that resource may not be around for much longer. People from the New Hampshire film industry discussed what’s at stake if the Film Bureau is dissolved, and why New Hampshire is a film destination worth fighting for.
The reel deal
Gov. Chris Sununu’s proposed state budget for 2022-2023 includes the defunding and elimination of the New Hampshire Film Bureau, currently allocated a $123,000 annual budget.
The budget proposal has been passed by the House and now heads to the Senate, which is scheduled to meet on June 4. If it’s approved, New Hampshire will become one of only five states without an official state film office.
Matt Newton, the New Hampshire Film Bureau’s director and only employee, declined to comment on the office’s future and directed media inquiries to the Division of Travel and Tourism Development, which emailed a statement on behalf of Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell:
“While the workload of the Bureau of Film and Digital Media has declined for the past several years, the Governor’s budget proposal ensures that the Division of Travel and Tourism Development will retain sufficient resources to meet the needs of New Hampshire’s film industry,” the statement said. “Further, this consolidation of services ensures a more comprehensive approach, spearheaded by the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, to promote the development of New Hampshire’s travel and tourism industry.”
Jack Northcott, a Hollis resident and senior director of sales at Avid Technology, a media production software company in Burlington, Mass., said he is skeptical that the Division of Travel and Tourism Development will continue the Film Bureau’s work.
“That claim … is very disingenuous, because they aren’t articulating whether or not the Film Bureau will remain in name and the Film Bureau website will still be supported,” he said. “Will there be somebody there who actually cares?”
When the Hippo pressed the Division of Travel and Tourism Development for confirmation that the “consolidation of services” would mean the elimination of the “New Hampshire Film office” in name and as a direct point of contact for filmmakers, Division of Travel and Tourism Development communications manager Kris Neilsen replied via email, “Correct, [filmmakers] will reach out to the NH Travel and Tourism office.”
Tim Messina of Studio Lab, a video production studio in Derry, also expressed concern about the Department’s ability to take over the Film Bureau’s role.
“[How is] someone from the Travel and Tourism department, who doesn’t have any experience in our industry … going to [answer] very industry-specific questions that come up?” he said.
Trigger House commercial shoot for Hisense using volume from Studio Lab in Derry. Photo courtesy of Studio Lab.
The benefits of having a film office
Tim Messina of Studio Lab said he utilized the Film Bureau a few weeks ago when a filmmaker friend of his asked him where to get permits for shooting at Mount Washington.
“The Film office … told me exactly where to go and who to talk to,” he said. “It was a less-than-five-minute conversation.”
Tyler York, senior producer at Big Brick Productions in Manchester, works on commercial and brand video content and short form documentary-style videos for regional, national and international clients, such as New Hampshire Lottery, iRobot, Hasbro Gaming, Red Bull, ESPN, Fox Sports, Chobani and more. He said state film offices are “crucial” to his job as they provide a connection between the film industry and state legislators, municipalities, police forces and town and city officials.
“We do productions all over, and when we’re shooting [in another state], we traditionally reach out to that state’s film office for help with sourcing location permits and things like that.”
Chris Stinson, a producer and line producer at the Portsmouth-based film production company Live Free or Die Films, said he also has depended on the services provided by state film offices for his work. Stinson worked as the line producer for the 2020 film Sound of Metal, which includes a driving scene shot on New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway. The film was nominated for six Oscars and won two — one for Film Editing and one for Sound — at the April 25 awards ceremony.
Stinson recalled a time when representatives from the Massachusetts Film Office joined him at a meeting where he pitched Massachusetts as a shooting location for the 2019 film Knives Out.
“[The filmmakers] were considering shooting it in London, but we convinced them to come to Massachusetts,” he said. “If the Massachusetts Film Office hadn’t helped, that movie definitely would have gone to London.”
In the 2018 Hippo story “Going professional: How to take your creative hobby to the next level,” Newton explained how the Film Bureau assisted and advised filmmakers in hiring a crew, securing a shooting location, and marketing and distributing their films. The Bureau also maintains an online directory of local hireable film crew and film services, including camera operators, directors, editors, casting and talent resources, hair and makeup and wardrobe professionals, sound specialists, stunt people, production managers and assistants, payroll and production accountants, public relations and more.
The Bureau’s primary job is acting as the official liaison between filmmakers and New Hampshire communities and state government, to help filmmakers find shooting locations and acquire permits necessary for road closures and access to public spaces.
“If you have a small film, closing a road might sound like a big deal,” Newton said in the 2018 story, “but working with [the Film Bureau] lends more credibility to your project. We can open doors that you might not be able to open by yourself.”
Losing a NH booster
Northcott said the state has offered little explanation about the reasoning behind the proposal to eliminate the Film Bureau.
“We just haven’t been able to get a lot of feedback or dialogue from them,” he said.
Having worked with more than 30 state film offices over the course of his career, Stinson said he sees no reason New Hampshire wouldn’t be able to maintain its film office.
“A lot of these other states’ film offices don’t have a big budget either; a lot of them are one-person offices, too,” he said, “but they’re still incredibly enthusiastic about bringing productions to their state. New Hampshire doesn’t even offer that.”
Ian Messina, director of virtual production at Studio Lab (and Tim Messina’s nephew), said he, too, is at a loss.
“New Hampshire has so many different pockets of small businesses, and filmmaking is one of them, so why shouldn’t it have the same resources that other businesses have?”
York said he believes a lack of awareness is to blame.
“Many people, [including] legislators, don’t know that there’s a film industry happening here and that there’s potential and opportunity for the film industry to grow here,” he said.
Losing the Film Bureau would be detrimental to the state’s film industry in a big way, Tim Messina said.
“Without [a film office], we just lose our sense of direction as a state in the film world,” he said. “We can make it work [independently] to an extent, but the state is still a big part of it.”
A fear being echoed by many people in the New Hampshire film industry is losing credibility that comes with having an official state film office.
“It’s so much cleaner when you can say, ‘I’m calling from the New Hampshire Film office,’ as opposed to, ‘Hey, I’m Joe Schmo off the street, and we have a production coming to town,’” York said.
Eliminating the Film Bureau may also disadvantage young and aspiring filmmakers looking to stay in New Hampshire, Northcott said, or prompt them to move to another state that has more opportunities and a more prominent support system for filmmakers. As a member of the advisory committee for a Nashua-based film education program for high school students, Northcott said he’s seeing it happen already.
“You have all these students who are just dying to get into television and film production, but there’s no outlet for them locally, or they’re very limited in what they can do,” he said. “WMUR can only hire so many people.”
Location, location
While New Hampshire remains largely untouched by out-of-state filmmakers, its southern neighbor boasts one of the most active and fastest growing film landscapes in the country.
“There are four or five movies and TV shows filming in Massachusetts as we speak,” Stinson said. “It just seems crazy to me that New Hampshire gets zero of that action.”
One of Massachusetts’ biggest selling points as a film destination — and the reason New Hampshire is often overlooked — is the 25 percent tax credit it awards filmmakers, Stinson said. New Hampshire, though it offers no tax incentives, has other perks that filmmakers would value just as much as, if not more than, Massachusetts’ tax credit, he said, but most filmmakers never take the time to research New Hampshire or never even consider New Hampshire as an option in the first place.
“They see ‘25 percent tax credit’ and that’s all they’re focused on,” Stinson said.
While filming Knives Out in Massachusetts, Stinson said, the crew stayed in a mansion for three weeks, costing them $500,000. If they had been filming in New Hampshire, he said, he is “absolutely sure” they could have found a comparable mansion for between $50,000 and $100,000.
“By going to a cheaper location you’ve saved 50 percent more money than [you would have saved] with the 25 percent tax credit in Massachusetts,” Stinson said, adding that lodging in New Hampshire usually costs 30 to 50 percent less than in Massachusetts.
Crews would also save money on permitting fees and on parking, which could cost up to $3,000 or $4,000 in Massachusetts, compared to between $500 and $1,000 in New Hampshire.
Massachusetts’ robust film office is also a major contributor to the success of its film industry, York said — and New Hampshire should take notes.
“With Massachusetts performing at the caliber that they are, it’s disappointing and, in my opinion, shortsighted,” York said, “for New Hampshire to forego a film office at this point.”
Shooting on the moon with virtual production volume at Studio Lab in Derry. Photo courtesy of Studio Lab.
Banding together
According to Tim Messina, more than 100 people who work or have an interest in New Hampshire’s film industry have signed on to a grassroots effort to preserve the state film office in some capacity, including acclaimed documentary filmmaker and New Hampshire resident Ken Burns.
“If it does have to [merge with] another department, one of the best solutions would be to create a board of directors — people who are in the industry and understand it — that can help administrate what that [merge] would look like and how it’s going to function,” Tim Messina said.
Some members of the group have been volunteering their time and resources to improve the Film Bureau since before it was at risk of being eliminated.
Stinson, for example, has spent more than a year independently creating a visual database of filming locations in New Hampshire — a project normally shouldered by a state film office, he said.
“When a filmmaker is considering shooting in a state, they go to that state’s film office website to look at film location pictures, so having a location database is huge,” he said, “and if I have to do it on my own, I’m willing to do that.”
Northcott said the group has even gone so far as to offer to fund the film office themselves.
“There are a lot of people who are interested [in] and supportive of the Film Bureau,” he said. “I know we could raise the private funding easily.”
The Division of Travel and Tourism Development “gave no response and had no interest” in the proposition, Northcott said. (Reached shortly before press time, a spokesperson for the Division said they would need time to formulate a comment and couldn’t do so by press time.)
Tim Messina is also seeking the general public’s support in preserving the Film Bureau. On the Studio Labs website (studiolab.community/post/helpsavenhfilm), he outlined a four-point strategy that includes reaching out and advocating to the governor, the Senate Finance Committee, local senators and film and media organizations in the state. He urged advocates to explain how the issue affects them and include financial data about the film industry’s contribution to the state’s creative economy.
New Hampshire film highlights Here’s a look at some of the most notable movies that were filmed or partially filmed in New Hampshire, according to IMDB and Wikipedia.
• The Thomas Crown Affair, 1968, starring Steven McQueen and Faye Dunaway, scenes filmed in Salem • On Golden Pond, 1981, starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and James Fonda, scenes filmed at Squam Lake in Holderness • The Good Son, 1993, starring Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood, scenes filmed at Mirror Lake in Jackson • Jumanji, 1995, starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst, scenes filmed in Keene • The Skulls, 2000, starring Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker, scenes filmed at Dartmouth College in Hanover • The Brown Bunny, 2003, starring Vincent Gallo and Chloë Sevigny, scenes filmed in Keene • Live Free or Die, 2006, starring Aaron Stanford, Paul Schneider and Zooey Deschanel, shot in Claremont • Sound of Metal, 2020, starring Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke, scenes filmed on New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway. Chris Stinson of Portsmouth served as line producer for the film.
Mel Bennett is the creator of Life Forest, a recently opened conservation cemetery in Hillsborough that provides burial plots for cremated remains, marked by memorial trees planted and maintained by staff tree experts.
What led you to create Life Forest?
My mom died [after] a long illness … and I had her cremains in my cabinet, like many people do. … I started reading about these burial pods where you could put cremains in a biodegradable container and plant a tree. … I loved the idea, but when I started doing more research I couldn’t find any cemeteries or places that would protect this tree. I felt like the responsibility of taking care of this tree was epic. What if I go on vacation? I’m going to have to hire someone to water my mom’s tree. What do I do if I want to move? … That’s when I started thinking, ‘I think people would want something like this.’
Is this a new idea?
We’re the first ones to do this anywhere. We’re the only legal cemetery that plants a tree above the cremains and legally protects both the tree and the legacy of the person. … This is a big shift in the death care industry. There’s always been this divide between traditional burial and green burial, but there are wonderful aspects of both, and we want to try to bridge that gap. We want to maintain the legal protection of legacy and ancestry and cemetery [land] that’s [associated with] traditional burial and incorporate the idea of environmental protection that’s [associated with] green burial.
How are the plots protected?
Headstones are protected under cemetery law. As we worked with our legal team, we realized that if we use a tree as a headstone, it’s a respected entity. It’s legally protected, meaning that nobody can ever cut it down or cut the branches, as long as it’s in a legal cemetery. … We also want to protect the legacy of the people who are buried there, so we record their vital statistics — full name, birth date and death date and latitude-longitude location of where they’re buried on the property — in the deed of the land. That’s really important, because that ensures that people will know where their loved ones are in future generations.
What’s the science behind this?
There’s a misconception being sold out there that cremains actually help plants grow, and that’s not true. … We’ve worked with quite a few environmental scientists to make sure that we’re doing this correctly … and in a way that’s not going to be detrimental to the tree. … You have to make sure there’s a buffer of at least 18 inches between the root ball of the tree and the cremains, and that you use a rich compost. After three years, the salty nature of the cremains will dissipate.
How are the plots marked?
We have a QR code placed at the base of the tree … and we help families create [virtual] memorial pages … with memories, pictures and video clips of their loved one. Then, you can scan that QR code, and it’ll bring up [the memorial page]. This gives people the opportunity to share an immense amount of personal things, ideas and representations of their loved one in the way that they would want to be remembered, without taking up a ton of space.
What kind of comfort does a memorial tree give people who have lost a loved one?
Instead of having a commemorative piece of granite that never changes, you have this tree that grows and changes and takes different forms every season. You can see its leaves and its flowers, and it’s a way of connecting with your loved one through a different type of life.
What’s the environmental benefit?
Instead of having these huge concrete vaults that are really not great for the environment, you’re planting a tree that is going to grow and give off quality air, and you’re creating a space with a more vivid [landscape].
What are your future plans for Life Forest?
We’re going to be working toward [forming] collaborations with conservation entities in order to expand our locations and availability to be accessible to more people, and so that people don’t have to travel too far to visit their loved ones.
Featured photo: Mel Bennett. Photo by Millyard Studios.
Amanda Cee is a certified balloon artist and the founder, owner and lead designer of Eye Candy Balloons, a professional balloon décor company based in Goffstown.
Explain your job and what it entails.
I make balloon art for celebrations, to make the big moments in people’s lives more memorable. … These are not your average balloons. There’s so much that goes into it. … I have to think a lot about the space, the layout, the proportions, the scale; it’s a lot of measuring and math. … I have a shop full of professional machines and inflators and tools, where I physically create the balloons … [and] I design the framing as well.
How long have you had this job?
I started my business in 2016.
What led you to this career field?
In 2012, I started working part time for [a balloon art business], doing business management-type things. At that time, the only [kind of balloon] I knew was a balloon on a string that you get when you’re a kid. … When I saw all these really cool things [the balloon artist] created, it opened my eyes to this world I never knew existed — the world of balloon art. … I was hooked. I knew this was what I wanted to do next.
What kind of education or training did you need?
There were a few years at that job when I was getting what I would now call ‘on-the-job training,’ working under an industry professional … and when I wanted to get started [with a balloon art business] on my own, she took me under her wing. … I go to conferences regularly. [The industry] is evolving, and there are new techniques that come out, so there’s no end to the learning.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
On site, I usually wear all black because I don’t want to be seen; I want the balloons to get all the attention.
How has your job changed over the last year?
The corporate galas, the 5Ks, the grand openings, the school events — those weren’t happening anymore, so I needed to pivot my focus to the new kinds of events that were happening. … Drive-thru baby showers, drive-thru graduations — people found ways to celebrate. … We don’t work with as many businesses now; we’re mostly going to people’s homes, doing their small backyard celebrations. … Yard art is also kind of a new industry category that has really taken off; people [want balloon art] for their porch or their deck or their mailbox or even their car.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
It’s OK to be a student. … Feeling like you have to know everything and do everything correctly all of the time is debilitating, but if you have the mindset of a student who is open to learning and full of curiosity, it relieves so much pressure and makes everything more fun.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
It’s about so much more than balloons. I view it as being able to create part of an experience. … The balloons, the lighting, the music — it all goes toward creating that moment that stays in our memory for a lifetime.
What was the first job you ever had?
I worked in a lawyer’s office for four years. I started there at age 15, filing and doing small tasks, and eventually was able to take on more responsibilities, like data entry and talking to clients.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Progress over perfection. … True perfection is unattainable, and with art, there’s no such thing as ‘perfect’ anyway, because it’s all so subjective and there’s no one ‘right’ way to do things.
Five favorites Favorite book: The Bridges of Madison County Favorite movie: Gone with the Wind Favorite music: Dave Matthews Favorite food: Pizza Favorite thing about NH: The versatility. You can change your scenery in just a few minutes.
Saturday, April 24, is Independent Bookstore Day, a nationwide celebration of independent bookstores and the book-lovers who frequent them. Though you won’t find as many in-store author visits, live music, food and other festivities as have been offered in pre-Covid years, local bookstores are doing what they can to make it a special day.
“We are celebrating … but we still don’t feel it is the right time to encourage in-store activities,” said Willard Williams, co-owner of Toadstool Bookstore, which has locations in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “Instead, we are using IBD to draw attention to our bookselling staff, who have done so much for us over the past year. We want to acknowledge them with our heartfelt thanks and hope others will as well.”
Participating bookstores will still carry IBD-exclusive items, such as special-edition books, art prints and literary themed novelty items, and some stores, including the Toadstool, will host special events virtually or outdoors.
IBD participating bookstores and special events
• A Freethinker’s Corner (652 A Central Ave., Dover, 343-2437, freethinkerscorner.com)
• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St., Manchester, 836-6600, bookerymht.com)
Live music, gift card giveaways with purchases and a weeklong trivia contest on Instagram
• The Country Bookseller (Durgin Stables, 23-A N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-6030, thecountrybookseller.com)
• Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com)
Erin Bowman book signing for Dustborn, on the sidewalk outside the store, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Literary Cocktail Hour, featuring authors Kat Howard, Kelly Braffet, Cat Valente, and Freya Marskem in conversation with bookstore staff, Zoom, 5 p.m.
• Innisfree Bookshop (312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3905, innisfreebookshop.com)
• Still North Books & Bar (3 Allen St., Hanover, 676-7846, stillnorthbooks.com)
Paddy Donnelly presents The Vanishing Lake, Zoom, 1 p.m.
• Water Street Bookstore (125 Water St., Exeter, 778-9731, waterstreetbooks.com)
2021 IBD exclusive items
Available on Independent Bookstore Day through participating bookstores. Call ahead to find out which items your local bookstore will be carrying.
• Baby Yoda cotton onesie (size 6 to 12 months), a Mandalorian twist on the American Library Association’s iconic “READ” posters
• Signed special edition of Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories by Nigella Lawson
• Being Alive is a Good Idea, an edited transcript of a conversation held between Nikki Giovanni and Glory Edimat at the 2020 Well-Read Black Girl Festival, covering poetry, Tupac, Black Lives Matter, aliens, pencils, Kamala Harris and more
• Special edition of Embodied: An Intersectional Feminist Comics Poetry Anthology that includes a foil cover and poster
• “Bad Citizen” Graffiti Stencil featuring George Orwell quote, “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
• In the Tall Grass, a short story by Stephen King and Joe Hill, available for the first time in a limited-edition book form
• Signed special edition of Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
• Art print based on the picture book The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez, created by artist Lauren Semmer
• Independent Bookstore Day 2021 pop chart map of participating bookstores in the U.S.
• “Little Victories” canvas pouch (cotton, with zipper, 9” x 6”)
• Signed special edition of Sharks in the Time of Saviorsby Kawai Strong Washburn
For more information about Independent Bookstore Day, visit indiebookstoreday.com.
Zoom Play Festival Where: Virtual, via YouTube. When: Pre-recorded, available to watch Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 25. Cost: Free, donations appreciated. Moreinfo: Visit communityplayersofconcord.org, belknapmill.org or Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook.
Featured photo: 2021 IBD exclusive items. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
“If Hands Had a God” by Donna Catanzaro, featured in “Retablos Reconsidered” exhibit. Courtesy photo.
• The Hatbox reopens: Several performance series return to The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) this month, including Queen City Improv on Fridays, April 23, May 7, May 21 and June 4, and Thursday, June 17; Comedy Out of the ’Box on Saturdays, April 24, May 8, May 22 and June 5, and Thursday, June 24; and Discovering Magic with Andrew Pinard on Wednesdays, May 19 and June 16. Mainstage theater productions will return in June with Holmes & Watson, presented by Phylloxera Productions, running June 11 through June 27. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students, and $16 for senior members. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.
• A modern take on retablos: Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) presents a new art exhibit, “Retablos Reconsidered,” on view April 24 through June 6. The exhibit features works by 12 artists inspired by retablos, the honorific art form of devotional paintings that relate to miraculous events. “[The works] reveal themes that personally, socially and politically affect [the artists’] lives,” the gallery stated in a press release. “Some reflect traditional religious themes within a contemporary context. Others are non-religious but are created to draw awareness to broad issues in our times and some reveal deeply personal stories.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
• Virtual poetry events: National Poetry Month in New Hampshire continues with virtual poetry writing workshops on Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m., and Tuesday, April 27, at 7 p.m., led by graduate students interning with New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary; and a virtual poetry reading and conversation with Peary and Margot Douaihy on Monday, April 26, at 7 p.m. “[Participating in] one of these events might give you ideas for your own writing,” Peary told the Hippo earlier this month. “I think it could also give you a sense that, with so many opportunities for engagement with the creative writing [community] in the state, it could become a really rich part of your life and social life.” All events are free, and registration is required. Visit newhampshirepoetlaureate.blogspot.com and hobblebush.com/national-poetry-month for a complete schedule and list of National Poetry Month activities.
• Shaker Village seeks artists: Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) is accepting applications for its Summer Artist-in-Residence Program now through May 1. The two-week residency is open to visual artists of all media who are interested in creating art inspired by the architecture, landscape, traditional crafts, furniture, artistic endeavors and culture of the Shakers. Resident artists will live and work onsite at the village and talk with visitors about their creative process. To apply, email csvjuror@gmail.com with a bio or resume, an artist’s statement, a paragraph about why you’re interested in the residency and what you hope to accomplish, and five images of your most recent artwork. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.
The Phoenix to offer recovery support, sober activities
The Phoenix is a nonprofit that cultivates free, organized sober activities within a supportive community for people in recovery. SRecently it announced plans to bring its programs to New Hampshire, starting this summer. The Phoenix New England Regional Director Sydney Durand talked about the upcoming expansion.
What kinds of programs does The Phoenix offer for people in recovery?
The Phoenix is really focused on this message of hope, with the idea that when you’re sober and in recovery your life should get so much bigger. … Our programs are sober active events, like yoga, rock climbing, strength-based fitness, surfing … that people can do actively together outdoors and in public spaces.
What sets The Phoenix apart from other activity-based recovery programs?
Accessibility and inclusivity; we eliminate as many barriers as possible for people in recovery to access a safe, supportive, healing environment. Our programs are completely free and open to anyone [who has maintained] at least 48 hours of continuous sobriety. … Another huge part of what we do is stigma reduction. We have members who are really proud about their recovery and talk openly about their past substance use and their sobriety, so we’re really trying to eliminate any shame people may have.
How has The Phoenix adapted its programs for a pandemic world?
In March 2020 we launched a virtual platform. … The great thing about that was we were able to connect with a lot of people who [lived in] parts of the country where we didn’t [offer] programs, so people from New Hampshire have been able to [participate in] our virtual programming. We now have more than nine hours of free programming every day that anyone can join virtually. … We’ve created prerecorded content [too], like workout videos, so people can … see what Phoenix is like [before joining a live program], because it can be pretty intimidating to come into a group of sober people, even virtually, especially when you’re new to recovery. … We’ve been able to start doing in-person events again, but now we also have the virtual and on-demand [programs] that people can join at any time.
What led to The Phoenix’s upcoming expansion to New Hampshire?
A combination of the need — New Hampshire is one of the hardest-hit per-capita states with the opioid crisis — and our partnerships. We have some partners … who live in New Hampshire who also see the need in the state … who have supported this expansion financially.
What programs will The Phoenix offer in New Hampshire initially?
A lot of that is to be determined … as we build relationships and form connections. We want our programming to be informed by the community. … Are there areas where there are sober houses or treatment centers, but not a lot of activities around? … We do know that we … want to do a lot of activities outdoors and use the natural resources that are so abundant in New Hampshire.
How will The Phoenix tailor these programs to meet New Hampshire’s unique needs?
We’re looking, first, at Manchester and Nashua and other communities with higher population densities, because they’ve been hit particularly hard with folks experiencing substance use disorder. Our strategy is to start programs in those communities, where we can offer support to [the largest number of people], as soon as possible. At the same time, we know there are rural parts of New Hampshire that need support, too, so we are also working on making Phoenix programs accessible to them … by getting them connected through virtual options … and by getting volunteers trained throughout the state.
Susan Terzakis is a professional certified business coach and founder and CEO of Terzakis & Associates, a team of small business advisors based in Bedford.
Explain your job and what it entails.
We work with small businesses, exclusively [ones with] under $10 million in annual sales volume … referred to as microbusinesses. We support, nurture and guide their leadership with two key programs: ‘Seed’ and ‘Growth.’ Seed … is for folks in the concept and idea stage. We help them [with] vetting and proving the idea, making sure there’s an appetite for it in the community and creating a market. … ‘Growth’ is where we put the pedal to the metal; they’ve proven the concept, and now they need to [develop] systems and processes, build out their team and delegate.
How long have you had this job?
Since 2014.
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I was a business banking director … and then a staffer for Sen. [Kelly] Ayotte’s office, [assisting with] the senator’s efforts on small business, treasury and HUD issues within the state. … Then, I had a health event … and had to slow down a bit. … There was an opportunity for me to assist at the Center for Women’s Business Advancement at SNHU. It was a perfect transition … but it was only a year-long gig. After that contract ended, I was consistently [hearing] from clients I had worked with at that center, and what started as ‘Sure, I’ll meet you for coffee and help you with your strategy’ eventually turned into my realizing, ‘Hey, I think this might be an enjoyable business.’
What kind of education or training did you need?
I grew up in a family-owned business, so I got to witness and be part of a growing business … and in banking, I got to learn the financial [aspects] of business … but I felt that, to round out the experiential portion of my resume, I should get some technical knowledge, so I went and got my Professional Coaching Certificate at the UNH business school. That took two years.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
I’d say, pre-Covid, business-casual, and during Covid, casual-business. If I have [an important] meeting, then I’ll break out the full suit, so it really depends on what I’m doing.
How has your job changed over the last year?
The first three months, everything was really confusing and overwhelming [for small businesses]. Once we got into May and June, the energy started to move from panic to ‘OK, let’s figure this out. How do we keep this business afloat?’
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
Patience. Patience is a virtue, but we entrepreneurs are a rather impatient group, so that’s something I had to learn.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
You’re constantly going back and forth between the personal — [the business owner is] scared, overwhelmed, freaked out or lacking confidence — and the professional, where things are more technical. You have to have the ability to guide and support business owners in both [of those ways], and that’s one of the greatest joys of my job.
What was the first job you ever had?
At our family-owned restaurant in Salem, Massachusetts, I had the true joy of being the busser and honorary potato peeler.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Your word is your bond. Nobody can take your name away from you, so guard it preciously.
Five favorites Favorite book: The Bible Favorite movie: The Godfather trilogy Favorite type of music or musician: Elton John and AC/DC Favorite food: I love all of it. Food is my love language. Except for mayonnaise. I really hate mayonnaise. Favorite thing about NH: The variety. The coast, the mountains, the suburbs, some cities — we have it all here.
Festival showcases plays created for virtual performance
Laconia-based theater company Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative is giving a new meaning to virtual theater with its Zoom Play Festival, featuring a series of short plays written specifically for the Zoom video chat platform.
“It’s not like these are just readings of plays,” Powerhouse manager Bryan Halperin said. “These are plays that are actually being performed as they were intended.”
The festival, produced in collaboration with the Community Players of Concord, will be pre-recorded and available to watch for free on YouTube from Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 25.
There will be seven original plays, all written by New Hampshire playwrights who participated in a 10-week playwriting workshop hosted by the two theater companies last fall. The workshop was open to playwrights of all experience levels and covered the basics of playwriting, such as developing plot points, characters and dialogue, as well as how to write a Zoom-based play.
“If they came up with an idea that wasn’t really workable, I steered them back to how we could make it work to fit into this format,” said Halperin, who instructed the workshop.
Featured playwright Douglas Schwarz of Concord has been active with the Players for years, acting, directing and doing backstage work. Recently he’s taken an interest in playwriting.
“I’ve done a very small amount of playwriting in the past, and it’s something I’ve been sort of wanting to get better at,” he said. “I thought the workshop would be an opportunity to get some more perspective on how playwriting works and give me the confidence that I can really do this.”
Schwarz’ play, titled Choices, follows four people at various stages in their lives, talking over Zoom and reflecting on the choices they’ve made.
“I’ve thought a lot about how decisions can change our lives and really [determine] what direction our lives are going to go,” he said. “I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I could do [a play] that somehow expresses these thoughts I’ve had?”
The plays In Boxes, Boys in Boxes and Girls in Boxes are three different versions of a play by Sharleigh Thomson, each with a different director and cast. Set in May 2020 during the pandemic, it centers on a video chat between two college seniors as they consider the next chapter of their lives and realize their romantic feelings for each other.
“You’d never make a captive audience sit through three versions of the same play back-to-back, but since it’s on YouTube, they can choose which one they want to watch, or they can watch all three at their leisure,” Halperin said. “It’s a bit of an experiment.”
Other plays include Couple Seeks Extrovert by Brenda Wilbert, a comedy about an introverted couple who step outside their comfort zone when they rent out a room to an extrovert; Ship of Fools by Chuck Fray, an interview between an oblivious newscaster and an author of apocalyptic fiction; and Here We Go by Doreen Sheppard, a look at how families come together and cope during hard times.
More than 30 people are creatively involved in the festival.
“That’s what we’re most happy about,” Halperin said. “It’s great to be able to give [theater artists] an opportunity to be appreciated during this time when theater is so limited.”
“Theater is so important to us, and going without it has been difficult,” Schwarz added, “so this was really a gift to us from the Players and Powerhouse.”
Zoom Play Festival Where: Virtual, via YouTube. When: Pre-recorded, available to watch Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 25. Cost: Free, donations appreciated. Moreinfo: Visit communityplayersofconcord.org, belknapmill.org or Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative on Facebook.
Featured photo: Joel Iwakiewicz and Adam Beauparlant in Boys in Boxes. Courtesy photo.
