After six decades of boarded up windows and vacant seats, the historic Moore’s Opera House in Laconia’s Lakeport Square is back in business with a new name and a new look.
The Lakeport Opera House opened on June 12 with a sold-out concert by the Flutie Brothers Band — the first live show there since 1960 — and will continue to host a variety of entertainment, including music, theater, comedy and magic shows.
Owner and developer Scott Everett, who grew up in Gilford and still spends his summers in the Lakes Region, was inspired to revive the 140-year-old performance venue while driving around with his teenage daughter.
“She asked me, ‘Why is every place around here nicer than Lakeport?’” Everett said. “I thought about it, and I remembered seeing original photos of [the Moore’s Opera House] and how beautiful it was back in the day. I thought, heck, we can restore that; that would be a great place to start.”
Everett, president and founder of Supreme Lending in Dallas, Texas, bought the building and started working with the city to renovate it. Surprisingly, he said, it was still in “terrific” shape and had very little structural damage.
“When I bought the building, it was sight unseen; I had never been in it before,” Everett said. “I just thought it would be a great hub for the city. … The locale is perfect … and the size is perfect. It’s big enough to do some cool things, but not too big. It was the perfect mix of everything we needed it to be.”
Over the next three years Everett invested more than $1 million to restore the building’s original wood floors, tin ceilings, stage and curtains and to install updated electric, sewage and water systems.
“It became a collective effort,” Everett said. “We got a lot of assistance from the municipalities, the police officers — everyone in the city — to make this happen. Everyone was really excited about it.”
Spanning 30,000 square feet, the Lakeport Opera House offers floor and mezzanine seating for up to 200 people, with a mezzanine skywalk and VIP section for up to 12 people. A separate lounge features a full bar and large windows overlooking the lake.
“From a viewing perspective, every seat in the house is awesome,” Everett said.
The addition of contemporary lighting, metal and crystal accents, original artwork and a vibrant color scheme give the theater what Everett described as a “modern-chic” interior design.
“We wanted it to have a certain look: not quite traditional; like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” he said.
The Lakeport Opera House has nearly a dozen shows lined up between now and early August, including two comedians, two country music artists, a magic duo, a medium, a costumed Disney music cover band, drumming group Recycled Percussion and tribute bands performing the music of U2, ABBA and Billy Joel. The venue is also available for private, corporate and community events; weddings and local school productions.
“We’re going to run a plethora of things,” Everett said. “Right now, we’re just trying to open ourselves up to events that are fun and will bring people out again.”
Lakeport Opera House Location: 781 Union Ave., Lakeport Square, Laconia More info: Call 519-7506 or visit lakeportopera.com Summer schedule: • Lenny Clarke, comedian – Thursday, June 17, 8 p.m. • A Night of Magic with Adam Wilber and Evan Northrup – Friday, June 25, 7:30 p.m. • Unforgettable Fire, U2 tribute band – Saturday, June 26, 8 p.m. • David Nail, country music artist – Friday, July 2, 8 p.m., and Saturday, July 3, 8 p.m. • Houston Bernard Band, country music band – Friday, July 9, 8 p.m. • The Little Mermen, Disney music cover band – Sunday, July 11, 3:30 and 7 p.m. • Dancing Dream, ABBA tribute band – Saturday, July 17, 4 and 8 p.m. • Songs in the Attic, Billy Joel tribute act – Saturday, July 31, 8 p.m. • Steve Sweeney, comedian – Thursday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m. • Recycled Percussion – Friday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 7, 8 p.m. • Maureen Hancock, medium – Sunday, Aug. 8, 4 p.m.
Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Lakeport Opera House/ DVISION Media.
Visiting nurse associations Concord Regional VNA and Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice have merged to form what is now the Granite VNA, providing certified home health care and hospice care to 82 communities throughout the greater Concord area and central New Hampshire. President and CEO Beth Slepian, formerly the president and CEO of Concord Regional VNA, discussed the merger.
Why was Granite VNA formed?
Industry-wide, [VNA] organizations have been looking at how to be sustainable for the long term. … Over the last five years, and even longer than that, home care and hospice has become challenging because of Medicare payment cuts; our fees are reduced. … We provide over $5 million in community benefits, which is unreimbursed … and we’re seeing our reimbursements declining. We’re also seeing [an increase] in patients to care for. Our biggest costs are labor wages and benefits; how will we be able to continue to both support our workforce and provide those community benefits? … Both Concord Regional VNA and Central VNA & Hospice were very strong financially; neither had to embark on this journey now, but we were looking toward the future to make sure that we could leverage scale and volume to meet the needs of the entity in the long term.
How will the merger improve health care in the state?
In the Lakes Region, Central New Hampshire VNA did not have IV-certified nurses, and that’s something we’re looking to bring to that area. We have more wound care nurses and certified lymphedema therapists in the Capital region that [were part of] Concord Regional VNA, so we’ll be able to spread them throughout our entire service area. We’re expanding the maternal child health services that we provide in the Lakes Region. [Central VNA] had a program, but it was small, so we’re staffing that to address the pediatric and maternal health needs of mothers and babies. … Finally, we’ll be able to spread our community education programs [like] Powerful Tools for Caregivers [and] Better Choices Better Health throughout the communities we serve, based on an assessment [of their needs].
Who will benefit most from these expanded health care services?
More people are receiving care in their homes now than ever before. … We have an aging population in New Hampshire, and an expanding group of people requiring care, [including] patients who have chronic illnesses like diabetes and congestive heart failure, have had joint replacements or an accident, or need IV therapy. We’ll also be able to give patients in the remoter areas of New Hampshire greater access to visiting nurses and home care and specialty care.
How is Granite VNA operating as of now?
The main office is located in Concord, with two branches in Laconia and Wolfeboro. … We now have five home care teams, two hospice teams and a hospice house. We’re currently still operating on two different electronic health records, and once we’re on one, we’ll be able to really resource all 82 towns that we serve with one workforce.
Did the pandemic impact the merger process?
It was hard, as we went through the pandemic, continuing to care for our communities while also working toward this big project … but we persevered … and methodically worked our way through the process to integration. … Discussions [about the merger] had been happening for a year prior [to the pandemic], and they were very collaborative discussions; we were working closely together to create this new entity, so [by the time the pandemic happened] we had already formed a relationship and could support each other and share knowledge and processes on how to handle the new [pandemic] rules.
How has Granite VNA taken care of its staff throughout the merger?
Mergers are not successful when not enough work is done on creating a new [workplace] culture. That’s why we created a new name, instead of keeping either [organization’s] name, and a new identity. It’s really important to us that as we go through this integration it’s a shared experience and a shared new culture for everyone. … We actually [have a] consultant who is working with both organizations to bring them together … and [help them] acknowledge what each is feeling and really understand each other.
What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge for Granite VNA?
Workforce, workforce, workforce. [Health care organizations] are all competing for the same people [to employ]. We would hire as many nurses as we could find right now, but it’s really hard. We’re doing what we can … and we’re trying to get creative. We have a nurse graduate program so that we can train nurse graduates … and that’s a slow but steady build of our workforce.
Tom Betteridge is vice president of mechanical engineering at Turner Building Science and Design, a Concord-based team of engineers specializing in creating safe, comfortable and energy-efficient indoor environments.
Explain your job and what it entails.
I work with clients to solve their building issues having to do with heating and cooling, indoor air quality and ventilation. … I work primarily at the desk, designing mechanical systems and generating drawings and blueprints and specifications for the construction [workers]. … Then I’ll go to the construction site to verify that the construction was done properly.
How long have you had this job?
A little over two and a half years.
What led you to this career field?
I was really good at math and science in high school, and I enjoyed understanding physics and how things are put together. That drove me to go to engineering school. There, I really enjoyed thermodynamics as a course curriculum. After [school], I had an opportunity to join an engineering consulting firm. … I used to work for a national firm and traveled all over the country, and I realized I wanted to spend more time at home with my family and have a bigger impact locally. Turner gives me the ability to do that, so I [took a job there].
What kind of education or training did you need?
You need a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and you need to sit for two eight-hour exams: a fundamentals of engineering exam, which you typically take around graduation from college, and then, after a four-year internship, a professional engineering exam. If you pass those exams, you become a licensed professional engineer, and you become legally liable for the designs you produce.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
Business casual.
How has your job changed over the last year?
A lot of our [work] lately has been dealing with Covid-related building issues, [designing systems for] clients wanting to make sure their buildings are safe for their staff.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
It doesn’t get easier. Even when you learn how to do the tasks better and more efficiently, that gets boring, so you strive for the next challenge, and the challenges keep growing. But embrace those challenges, because when you look back, you realize you’ve accomplished more than you ever thought you would.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
Because I work so much on the technical side of things, it’s hard to put things into layman’s terms for people, but if someone is willing to have a conversation and ask additional questions to gain clarity, they end up learning something, and I end up learning how to see things from a different perspective.
What was the first job you ever had?
I worked as an electrical contractor for a small electrician firm. I did that from when I was 15 years old through college.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Get to know your boss’s boss. It’s not about trying to step over your boss; it’s about getting a bigger perspective and being able to look past what your supervisor needs from you to see what their boss requires of them.
Five favorites Favorite book: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek Favorite movie: Top Gun Favorite music: Mostly rock and alternative Favorite food: Mexican Favorite thing about NH: The outdoors
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
“Cat of Nine Tales” by Gail Smuda, featured in “Fur & Feather/Paws and Claws” exhibit. Courtesy photo.
• Welcome back: After being closed for 15 months, MainStreet BookEnds (16 E. Main St., Warner) is reopening to the public on Tuesday, June 15. “We have reorganized, and it feels like our grand opening back in 1998,” the store stated in a recent email newsletter. “We are only here now because of all the support and encouragement you so generously gave during this time.” Store hours will be Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit mainstreetbookends.com or call 456-2700.
The Trumpet Gallery (8 Grove St., Peterborough) reopened last week and is celebrating its return with a meet-the-artists day on Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery’s resident artists represent a variety of media, including jewelry, sculpture, wood, drawing, painting, watercolor, wax and more. Gallery hours are Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit trumpetgallery.com or call 801-4502.
• All about animals: An animal-themed art exhibit, “Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws,” will open at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) on Saturday, June 12, with an artist reception from 1 to 3 p.m. It will feature paintings, drawings, prints, photography, jewelry and one-of-a-kind artist books by eight artists reflecting on the world of domesticated pets, work and farm animals. The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, July 18. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
• Nature reimagined: The New Hampshire Art Association’s exhibition “Transformations: Nature and Beyond” featuring the work of digital artist William Townsend remains on view at the gallery in the Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (49 S. Main St.) until Thursday, June 17. Townsend uses digital tools and techniques to alter line, form and color in photographs of natural objects, such as trees in a forest or seaweed on a beach. In some pieces, Townsend duplicated and inverted parts of the photograph and merged the parts into a symmetrical form, or converted the scene into an oval shape. “These effects transform the original photographed objects into images beyond nature,” an NHAA press release said about the exhibit. “His goal is to reveal the mystery and wonder that live within the realm of the mystical imagination.” All works are for sale. Viewing hours at the Chamber gallery are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• Young performers at the Palace: The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) presents James and the Giant Peach Jr., performed by its youth company, on Friday, June 11, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 12, at noon. Based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story, the musical follows a boy named James who discovers a magic potion that grows a giant peach, which he takes on a journey across the ocean with a group of singing insects. The Palace Theatre’s teen apprentice company will perform Xanadu Jr.on Thursday, June 17, and Friday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m. Inspired by the 1980 film of the same name starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, the musical comedy follows a struggling artist, Sonny Malone, who is visited by a Greek muse disguised as a mortal named Kira, who inspires him to build a disco roller skating rink. Tickets for both shows cost $12 for children and $15 for adults. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.
Art
Exhibits
• NEW HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS’ 21ST ANNUAL EXHIBIT Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord). On view through June. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit kimballjenkins.com.
• 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.
• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com.
Fairs and markets
• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
Special events
• 14TH ANNUAL NASHUA INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM Three renowned sculptors are creating three outdoor sculptures for permanent installation in the city. The public can watch the sculptors work and interact with them during breaks (masks and social distancing required). Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through June 12. A closing ceremony and sculpture reveal will take place June 12 and will be recorded for online viewing. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.
• “FIRED UP!” OUTDOOR CERAMICS SHOW AND KILN OPENING Hosted by Kelley Stelling Contemporary at the studio of NH Potters Guild artist Al Jaeger (12 Perry Road, Deerfield). Sat., June 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit kelleystellingcontemporary.com.
Theater
Shows
• THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE The New Hampshire Theatre Project presents. Virtual. Thurs., June 10, through Sat., June 12, 8 p.m., and Sun., June 13, 2 p.m. Tickets $20. Visit nhtheatreproject.org.
• PIPPIN Seacoast Repertory Theatre PAPA Jr. presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. June 10 through July 18. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• DISCOVERING MAGIC WITH ANDREW PINARD The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Wed., June 16, 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.
• BETRAYAL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. June 16 through July 3, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $27 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• QUEEN CITY IMPROV The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). 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.
• XANADU JR. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Thurs., June 17, and Fri., June 18, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for children and $15 for adults. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• STEEL MAGNOLIAS The Majestic Theatre presents. Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester. June 18 through June 27, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.
• COMEDY OUT OF THE ’BOX The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). 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.
• PIPPIN The Palace Teen Company presents. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Thurs., June 25, and Fri., June 26, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for children and $15 for adults. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• BRING IT ON Kids Coop Theatre presents. Fri., June 25, and Sat., June 26. More information is TBA. Visit kids-coop-theatre.org.
• TRUE TALES LIVE Monthly showcase of storytellers. Held virtually via Zoom. Last Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m., now through June, and September through December. Visit truetaleslivenh.org.
• SLEUTH The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. June 30 through July 17, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, July 6, and Thursday, July 8, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• MAD HAUS The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Wed., June 30, and Sun., Aug. 18, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. The show is also available to livestream. Visit seacoastrep.org.
• SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 6, through Thurs., July 8, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• PETER PAN The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 13, through Thurs., July 15, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• ‘TIL BETH DO US PART The Majestic Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester. July 16 through July 25, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.
• WIZARD OF OZ The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 20, through Thurs., July 22, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• CABARET The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. July 22 through Sept. 5. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• THE LITTLE MERMAID The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 27, through Thurs., July 29, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 3, through Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• RAPUNZEL The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 10, through Thurs., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• CINDERELLA The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 17, through Thurs., Aug. 19, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• SLEEPING BEAUTY The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 24, through Thurs., Aug. 26, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Oct. 22 through Oct. 24. Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry. Visit cztheatre.com.
• THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW: A PUPPET PARODY at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Sat., Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35.
Classical
Concerts
• “GATHER AT THE RIVER” A performance by Pemigewasset Choral Society and New Hampshire Master Chorale. Sat., June 19, 6:30 p.m., and Sun., June 20, 4 p.m. Rotary Amphitheater, Riverfront Park, behind Main Street, Plymouth. Admission is free. Donations appreciated.
• SUZUKI STRINGS Violin students perform. Canterbury Shaker Village(288 Shaker Road, Canterbury). Sun., Aug. 15, 4 p.m. Suggested donation $10 per person. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.
Full-scale productions return to the Hatbox Theatre
The stories of Sherlock Holmes come to life in Phylloxera Productions’ Holmes and Watson, opening June 11 for a two-week run at the Hatbox Theatre in Concord.
Director and producer Gary Locke long dreamed of bringing a Sherlock Holmes play to the New Hampshire stage but was disappointed by the scripts he found. An avid fan of the classic mystery series, he had high standards, and he wasn’t prepared to settle.
“Most Sherlock Holmes plays are just dreadful. They have their own ideas of how the characters act and look, and they make it into a joke,” Locke said. “I’m a person who wanted to do absolute justice and fealty to Conan Doyle and his world and his characters. I wanted to do the best Sherlock Holmes play possible.”
Then, he came across Holmes and Watson, a play written by Jeffrey Hatcher, published in 2017. Hatcher “knew his stuff,” Locke said; he had written a number of Sherlock Holmes adaptations for stage and screen throughout his career, including the screenplay for the 2015 feature film Mr. Holmes,starring Ian McKellen as the iconic detective. Locke was sold.
“I started reading it and was so excited, like a little kid at Christmastime. I just couldn’t believe how good it was,” he said. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve finally found it. I’ve found my Sherlock Holmes script. I can finally tick this box on my bucket list.’”
Interweaving three Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes and Watson is set in 1894 England, following a scuffle between Holmes and his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty that resulted in Holmes going over the Reichenbach Falls. The detective is assumed by most to be dead, though his body is never found. While mourning the loss of his best friend, Dr. Watson receives a telegram informing him that three men being held in a remote asylum off the coast of Scotland have claimed to be Holmes, still alive. The detective work falls on Watson now, as he must discover which one of the men, if any, is the real Holmes.
“It’s a story about friendship, loyalty and solving a very strange puzzle, with lots of surprises,” Locke said.
Locke said he’s confident the play will earn the approval of Sherlock Holmes purists like himself.
“If you know Holmes, you’ll see how Hatcher’s encyclopedic knowledge of the Holmes stories shines through,” he said. “He’s got the characters and their voices down so good.”
For those not as familiar with the series, Locke said, Holmes and Watson is “a genuine crowd-pleasing puzzle” that engages the audience in trying to solve the mystery themselves.
“It’s loaded with clues, and if you really pay attention you can follow the clues and figure it out,” he said.
The Hatbox Theatre’s first mainstage production of the year, Holmes and Watson marks the theater’s “re-re-opening,” theater owner and operator Andrew Pinard said; after the initial Covid shutdown, the Hatbox reopened in July 2020 with a mainstage production of Phylloxera Productions’ Copenhagen, with plans to follow with Holmes and Watson,but the strict capacity limitations being enforced at that time, combined with the public’s reluctance to start attending live shows again, made it impossible to generate a profit, and Pinard decided to reclose the theater.
“Holmes and Watson … got pushed back until audiences were ready and we could accommodate enough audience members safely,” Pinard said.
Now, as long as masks are worn and seats are distanced at least three feet apart, the Hatbox is able to operate at around 85 percent capacity.
“This enables us to … get to a point where productions not only break even but might actually come out ahead a little for their next production,” Pinard said.
For Locke, the reward of this show comes not from making a profit, he said, but from giving New Hampshire theater artists and theater-goers an opportunity to return to what they love.
“The cast is having the time of their lives, and I know that the audience is going to be really appreciative of the show we put on,” he said. “Obviously I don’t want to lose money, but if I do, at least I know it was well-spent.”
Holmes and Watson Where: Hatbox Theatre, Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord When: June 11 through June 27, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets: $22 for adults; $19 for students, seniors and members; and $16 for senior members Info: Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com
Featured photo: Holmes and Watson at the Hatbox Theatre. Courtesy photo. Courtesy photo.
Manchester Public Health Director Anna Thomas is the recipient of the Greater Manchester Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership, vision and civic pride while making significant contributions toward the betterment of the Manchester community.
How did it feel, being named Citizen of the Year?
I’m honored and humbled, but there are so many people in the community who should be recognized for their contributions; [the recognition] really can’t go to just one person. I see it as more of a ‘citizenry of the year’ than a ‘citizen of the year’ award, because everyone has sacrificed and done their part to be part of the solution during this pandemic.
What did you find to be the most successful or effective part of your approach to the pandemic?
Throughout Covid, our decision-making has been very data-driven and evidence-based. We monitor the data on a daily basis and use science and the best research we have available to be very strategic about what we do. … Another [successful approach] has been pooling resources and collaborating to solve community issues. Our individual programs are excellent, but we know we can make a bigger impact by leveraging the strength of multiple programs working together.
Is there anything that you learned or that surprised you about public health over the last year?
I’ve learned how much politics can enter the world of public health. When you’re making decisions dealing with [protecting] human life, sometimes you’re stepping on people’s individual choice or civil liberty. A lot of people don’t want to be told what to do by the government; they want to be informed and then left to make their own decisions. I respect everyone’s individual choice, but unfortunately, during a pandemic or any kind of public health emergency where one person’s choice can impact the health and well-being of others, executive orders have to be made. … It’s certainly not the first time I’ve seen how public health issues can tug on people’s ideologies and philosophies, but in this pandemic, I’ve seen it played out much more significantly.
How would you describe your leadership style?
It’s very team-based. I don’t believe in being the dictator at the top saying, ‘This is the way it’s going to be.’ No one is an expert on everything; everyone has different skill sets. Innovation and creativity comes from having multiple perspectives. … Working on a large population level, we have to have perspectives from all sides to give us a bigger picture for how to inform our process and make the most well-rounded decisions that we can so we can serve the entire community.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your position?
One of the challenges is the sheer magnitude of people we’re trying to reach. … Manchester is the largest city north of Boston; it’s an urban center, and the work we do really falls under the umbrella of urban health, which comes with an entirely different level of priorities … than the suburban and rural communities that [make up] the majority of New Hampshire. … That’s why we have a division focused on family and neighborhood health. Different neighborhoods have different needs and different strengths, so just like the state [narrows down] public health to a community level, we as a city look at how we can tailor our services to meet the needs in specific neighborhoods.
What is your focus right now for Manchester’s public health?
It changes day to day, sometimes even minute to minute. It’s still all about Covid, for the most part. … We’ve moved away from the community-based testing that we’ve been doing throughout the pandemic, and now we’re heavily focused on getting people vaccinated and back on their feet. … We’re also trying to get back to [addressing] more of the basic public health [issues] that we did prior to the pandemic … [such as] school health; … refugee health; … infectious diseases other than Covid, like HIV, STDs and TB; … environmental health, [like] testing mosquitoes for Triple E and West Nile virus; water sampling; … septic inspections; … assessments of [buildings with] lead, mold or bed bugs; … community dental care; …home visits with expectant mothers; [and] opioids and addiction. … We’re also doing a lot of work in the arena of mental and behavioral health, and we actually have a behavioral health specialist on staff now.
What should people know about the current public health situation?
They can be optimistic and hopeful about the future. We’re at a better place now. Things are definitely taking a turn for the better, and there’s a lot to look forward to.
