Author: Angie Sykeny

Angie Sykeny is a Hippo staff writer covering local arts, theater, music and pop culture. She can be reached at [email protected].

Laugh out loud

Town Hall Theatre hosts Silent Film Comedy Week

The Town Hall Theatre in Wilton restarted its silent film series in July, featuring live music by accompanist (and Hippo co-founder and associate publisher) Jeff Rapsis. After attracting more of a crowd than its first-run movies had, theater owner and operator Dennis Markaverich decided to forgo new movies until the fall and host a Silent Film Comedy Week at the theater from Aug. 10 through Aug. 14. Rapsis talked about the event and what viewers can expect.

How did this week of silent films come about?

It was an invention born of necessity. … Dennis … programmed [first-run films], but nobody was coming to them. … He was sitting there some nights with only one person in his two theaters. … I’ve done two silent film screenings there since the theater reopened, and we were surprised that the silent films actually attracted the largest audiences since reopening. … We thought … why not take some of the great comedies from the 1920s, which are always crowd-pleasers, and run them instead of first-run films?

Why do you think the silent film screenings are so popular?

There are people who really love this art form and come from far and wide to see these films. … We’ve been running silent films with live music at the Town Hall Theatre regularly every month for 13 years … so we’ve sort of developed a loyal audience for it, and a momentum.

Why comedies?

Comedies are really special because during the silent film era a comedy was not about telling jokes or stories; there was no sound, so the humor was all visual, not verbal … and an accident of that type of humor is that it still holds up really well today. If [comedians] were doing standup in the 1920s … we wouldn’t understand any of the jokes today … but visual humor is timeless … and works in different cultural contexts. … Anyone, no matter where they were in the world, could follow the story and enjoy it.

When and how did you start doing this?

I’ve been doing it regularly since about 2007. … The Palace Theatre in Manchester didn’t have anything planned for Halloween, so I volunteered to do the music for a screening of the silent film Phantom of the Opera. … I really enjoyed doing it and kept doing it … and now I do about 100 shows a year, generally two shows a week in New Hampshire or Boston. Sometimes, I travel across the country … and I’ve played in London a couple times. It’s been interesting … to go around the world, trying to bring silent films from a century ago to life for today’s audience.

How does the live musical accompaniment work?

I use a keyboard. It’s a digital synthesizer, so it’s not just piano. … One of the stereotypes about silent films is that they had some kind of rinky-dink piano accompaniment on an out-of-tune piano, but that isn’t how it was for these films. Nobody would have accepted that at the time, because the music was always such an important part of the experience. … With the synthesizer, I can create a score with everything from strings and woodwinds to bass drums, cymbals and percussion. It can recreate the texture of a full orchestra remarkably well.

How does live music enhance the experience?

Music plays quite a different role between [silent] films and contemporary film. In contemporary film, the music is all written out [by] one person. … For [silent] films, there was no official score. Most of the films were released by the studios to local theaters, and it was up to local musicians to come up with the right music for their audience. … In most cases, [the musician] would improvise the score on the spot. It was a skill that you can develop, which I have done, to create music in real time that responds not just to the film but to the audience’s reaction to the film, so every screening is a unique experience.

Why go?

It’s a great chance for people to experience something that they can’t get anywhere else. You can watch these films at home on video, but it’s not the same, because the nature of [silent films] is the idea of showing them in a theater with an audience and live music, and [the screenings] really recreate those conditions that these films were intended to be shown in. … I encourage people to give it a try. It’s unlike anything you may have experienced at a theater before.

Silent Film Comedy Week
Where: Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton
Schedule:
Monday, Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. – The General (1926), starring Buster Keaton
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m. – Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926), starring Harry Langdon
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m. – The Kid (1921), starring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan
Thursday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m. – Grandma’s Boy (1922), starring Harold Lloyd
Friday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m. – Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), starring Buster Keaton and Ernest Torrence
Cost: $10 per person|
More info: Call 654-3456 or visit wiltontownhalltheatre.com

The Art Roundup 20/07/30

For more than 300 artisans in and around the Granite State, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s annual Craftsmen’s Fair — traditionally held for nine days in August at Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury — is the highlight of their year and their biggest opportunity to display, demonstrate and sell their crafts. Drawing more than 20,000 paying attendees, the fair also provides 80 percent of the League’s yearly operating income, executive director Miriam Carter said, so when Covid-19 made it impossible to host the fair in person, organizers had to think outside the box.

From Saturday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 9, the public will be able to “attend” the 87th annual Craftsmen’s Fair virtually through the League’s website, where there will be links to more than 140 League members’ online shops, plus a virtual exhibition tour and exclusive video content including demonstrations by the artisans, musical performances and guided craft projects for all ages.

“We’ve tried to create an environment of engagement and excitement — not just another website — that mirrors the live event, where you can shop, learn about crafts and talk to the artists,” Carter said. “The only thing that’s different this year is that, instead of being on the mountain, we’ll be on your monitor.”

A variety of contemporary and traditional crafts will be represented at the fair, such as baskets, blacksmithing, hand-blown glass, functional and decorative ceramics, framed original prints, metal sculptures, vibrant folk art, modern and traditional furniture, elaborate quilts, wearable art and jewelry.

Potter and longtime League member Andy Hampton of Chichester specializes in pottery with a Japanese aesthetic, using Japanese production and firing techniques. He will have 150 unique pieces for sale at his online shop during the fair, including dinnerware, bonsai pots, sculptural vases and wall hangings. He has also recorded a video for the fair, demonstrating how he creates a teapot.

“I will actually have a much larger presentation of my work [at the virtual fair] than I could have had at the live craft fair,” Hampton said. “It gives us [artisans] the opportunity to expand and show more of a variety of items than we could physically.”

Another longtime League member, Lauren Pollaro of York, Maine, will present more than 150 pieces of her mixed media art and jewelry, including earrings, brooches and pins, pendants, necklaces and wall hangings. She also made a video for the fair, giving viewers a tour of her studio and showing some of her works in progress and finished works.

“After a spring and summer of disappointments, art shows being canceled and fear about how I’m going to stay afloat, it’s great to have this event,” Pollaro said. “I know it won’t be the same [as the live fair], but I’ve been preparing the same way that I do for the live event, and the same energy is there.”

The virtual fair model has pushed League members, many of whom have had a limited or nonexistent online presence, to expand their use of technology for marketing their products and interacting with their customers. To facilitate, the League provided classes for members on how to create a website and engage on social media.

“We’ve been encouraging members to be more active online for years, so this [virtual fair] has been a huge opportunity for them to finally take the time to do that,” Carter said. “It’s definitely been a challenge for them, but I think they are grateful that we could still move forward with the fair this year using this virtual model.”

Hampton said he contracted a website builder to build him a new site and has been promoting his work on social media, and Pollaro said she updated her website with a new online store.

“I already had a website, but it was just informational and explained my work, like a portfolio. Purchasing pieces wasn’t an option on the site,” she said. “I was always reluctant to [sell online] … but now that I am, I have a feeling this is going to be a new mode of business for me.”

While the League hopes to bring the live Craftsmen’s Fair back to Mount Sunapee next summer, Carter said, all future fairs will have a virtual component.

“The beauty of the internet is that we can build on the 20,000-plus people coming to the live event,” she said. “We can expand our reach in the arts community to be nationwide and even worldwide.”

87th annual Craftsmen’s Fair
Where: Online at nhcrafts.org
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, through Sunday, Aug. 9
Cost: Free to access; donations appreciated

Come to the Common

Uncommon Art event is on in Goffstown

The Goffstown Main Street Program will host its 12th annual Uncommon Art on the Common Saturday, Aug. 1. The art show and sale has been scaled back but will feature the same variety of handcrafted items by local and regional artists. Nina Duval has participated in the show as an artist every year since its inception, and in recent years also as a volunteer. Now she is leading the organizing committee and talked about what the show will look like this year.

What is Uncommon Art on the Common?

It’s an art show and sale where local and fairly local artists come into town for the day, pitch a tent and set up their displays, sell their art and interact with the fairgoers who come around. … One of the other things we do … is the Uncommon Bling Project. It’s a voluntary project where artists, if they want to, can create little items that can be strung on a cord, kind of to show a little example of what they do. People go around to each tent and put [the artists’ bling] on a cord and wear it. … We try to do little things like that to get the community involved.

What has been your involvement?

I’ve been a part of the show every year since the beginning. I started off as an artist, and then I started volunteering, doing ancillary jobs, nothing really big. This is the first year that I’ve gotten to spearhead the Uncommon Art Committee on the [Goffstown] Main Street Board of Directors.

What kinds of arts and crafts will be represented at the show?

We have oil painters; acrylic painters; artists who do watercolors, pastels and pen and ink; woodworkers. We have one person who works with leather and metal, as well as some digital art. We have potters; jewelry makers; stained glass artists. Sometimes we also have writers from a local writers group, and sometimes even published authors who sell their books.

What kind of art do you do?

I started out doing multimedia, like painting and photography and things of that nature, and then, seven years ago, I kind of branched out into jewelry creation. Most of what I do is chainmail and wire wrapping beadwork; that’s become the bread and butter for me as far as sales. … I try to get into different media, too. I have a lot of ideas for new things that I want to do. This year I’m actually branching out into upcycled plastic, like rugs, mats and totes that are created from plastic shopping bags.

Why did Goffstown Main Street decide to move forward with Uncommon Art this year?

This event was probably just as close to not happening as it was to happening. Goffstown Main Street has had to shut down two of its events already, and it gets a good portion of its funds from those events, so we thought, ‘Let’s see if we can still do this.’ Also, there are a lot of artists that have had their events canceled this spring and summer, and those events are where they make a good bit of their income.

How did artists feel about participating in the show this year?

Pretty much all of the artists who are participating have been indoctrinated that [following Covid-19 guidelines] is what they have to do now, and most of them have been very cool with it. They understand what’s expected of them. … Of course, we didn’t really expect that we would get our normal number of applicants. Normally we get roughly about 50, but right now we’re at 25. … For some artists [the Covid-19 guidelines are] a problem because of the media they work in. For example, we have a woodworker who was concerned about having to use disinfectant wipes on her products because it would absolutely toast the finishes.

What is the event committee doing to make sure that the show is safe?

In other years we’ve had different things, like face painters, but for obvious reasons we’re not really doing that this year. We’re also limiting the number of artists so that social distancing will be easier to do. … We have brightly colored mats that we’re going to set in front of the tents for social distancing, and we’ll ask people, ‘If you see two or three guests inside a tent, please wait outside until they leave.’ … We’ve purchased a lot of masks, and the artists are told to wear masks and have hand sanitizer on hand for their guests. A lot of artists, especially ones like jewelry makers, want you to be able to handle their items and look at their items up close, so we tell them to make sure that people use hand sanitizer before they touch anything. They’ll also be using disinfectant wipes to wipe down tablets, phones, pens and things like that.

What makes Uncommon Art unique?

I think it’s the scale of it. It’s kind of like a mini version of the [Craftsmen’s] Fair at Sunapee; it’s not huge, but we still get pretty good traffic. It’s a good place for a lot of [art fair] beginners to get their feet wet and start doing outdoor fairs.

12th annual Uncommon Art on the Common
Where: Main Street, Goffstown
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free admission and parking
More info: Call 497-9933 or visit goffstownmainstreet.org

The Art Roundup 20/07/30

• A look at Manchester’s ponds: The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester) presents a new exhibit, “Manchester’s Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future: A Celebration of the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program’s 20th Anniversary,” on display now through Nov. 28 in the museum’s State Theater Gallery. Through its cleanup efforts, the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program has helped restore the city’s ponds to their historic uses. “Although ponds may not be the first thing one thinks about in Manchester, the Queen City has several ponds that have played an important role in the area’s history,” program coordinator Jen Drociak said in an email. The exhibit provides a look at the history of some of those ponds, including Crystal Lake, Dorrs Pond, Maxwell Pond, Nutts Pond, Pine Island Pond and Stevens Pond. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18 and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

• Environment-conscious kids books awarded: Local author Sarah Woodard received honorable mentions in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, presented by Story Monsters Ink for two of her children’s books, she announced in a press release. The books, The Little Lost Bee and Leila’s Goal, were entered in the Green/Environmental awards category and are suitable for kids ages 5 through 9. The Little Lost Bee teaches kids about bees and how to help protect them through the story of a bee named Bitsy, who gets lost, then rescued after being sprayed by chemicals. Leila’s Goal also encourages nature-friendly practices through the story of a fairy named Leila, who gets sprayed by chemicals and gathers her fairy friends to show humans the negative impact that using chemicals has on the environment. In April, Woodard released her 10th and newest book, Bart’s New Home, which tells the story of a donkey named Bart and the family that raised him. When the family can no longer care for Bart’s special needs, it considers euthanizing him, but ultimately finds a farm sanctuary where he can live out the rest of his life. “[I’m] on a mission to create a world in which all beings are respected and honored,” Woodard said in the press release. “One way I do this is with books. I believe books change the world one reader at a time.” The author is also a Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Shamanic Practitioner, animal lover and communicator and a chemical-free beekeeper. Visit facebook.com/sarahwoodardauthoress.

• The show goes on: Phylloxera Productions’ Copenhagen continues at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord) through Sunday, Aug. 9, with performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (See Hippo’s story about the product in the July 23 issue on page 10.) Tickets cost $18 for adults; $15 for seniors and students. Call 715-2315 or visit hatboxnh.com.

Featured Photo: “Manchester’s Urban Ponds: Past, Present, and Future” exhibit at the Millyard Museum. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 20/07/02

• Handcrafted ornament: The League of NH Craftsmen has announced its 2020 annual holiday ornament, “Midnight Clear,” designed by Ken Kantro, who also created the inaugural ornament in 1988. The design is a scene inspired by the beauty of New Hampshire’s mountains in winter. Each pewter ornament is handcrafted, dated, numbered and signed by Kantro. You can purchase a gift-boxed ornament for $25 online or at a League craft shop (36 N. Main St., Concord; 530 W. River Road, Hooksett; 279 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith; 98 Main St., Nashua). Visit nhcrafts.org.

• Online watercolor and collage workshops: The New Hampshire Art Association has three upcoming online art workshops. On Thursday, July 9, from 10 a.m. to noon, learn to paint allium flowers with watercolor. Impressionist watercolor artist Dustan Knight will demonstrate splattering watercolor paint with an old toothbrush to create a variety of patterns and values with an air brush style. The cost is $55, and registration is required by Tuesday, July 7. On Sunday, July 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., create a visual “journey collage” with mixed media and handmade paper artist Angie Follensbee-Hall. The cost is $35, and registration is required by Thursday, July 9. Rejoin Knight on Thursday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, to paint a New Hampshire sunset with watercolor and learn how to keep colors soft and blended. The cost is $55, and registration is required by Tuesday, July 14. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• Calling Black writers: New World Theatre, a New Hampshire-based theater company and playwright collective, has announced an open call to Black writersto submit “monologues that reflect their personal experience of living while Black,” according to a press release. Selected works will be published in an anthology titled 08:46. “Through the power of writing and theatre, we can do our part to amplify the stories of systemic racism and raise the level of awareness and understanding to effect meaningful change in the human heart,” the press release said. Profits from the sale of the publication will be split between the contributing writers and nonprofits committed to dismantling systemic racism, the release said. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 1, 2021. Visit newworldtheatre.org/08m46s.

• Movies are back: The Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St., Wilton, 654-3456, wiltontownhalltheatre.com) will reopen on Friday, July 3, with Irresistible (R, 2020) and Never Rarely Sometimes Always (PG-13, 2020), showing through Thursday, July 9. Regular showtimes will be different than they were pre-Covid, according to the movie theater’s Facebook page: nightly at 7 and 7:30 p.m.; plus Sunday matinees at 2 and 2:30 p.m.; and the Saturday Afternoon Classic at 2 p.m. Check the website for film updates. The Silent Sundays series featuring silent movies with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis will continue with The Three Musketeers (1921) on July 26.

• Cello on the lawn: Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury) presents a Concerts on the Green series every Sunday in July from 4 to 5 p.m. The series features Concord cellist Jan Fuller, who will perform works by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, accompanied by the recorded music of pianist Chaeyoung Park. Fuller’s musical programs will also feature guest artists, including cellist Harel Gietheim on July 5, NH Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary on July 12 and NH Artist Laureate Amanda Whitworth on July 19. Attendees should wear masks and follow the social distancing guidelines by sitting within the painted circles on the lawn. Seating is first-come first-served. The concerts are free, with a suggested donation of $10. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.

• In-person glass and pottery workshops: Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester) is now offering in-person one-day workshops, including stained glass every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for $45 per person; clay every Saturday at 3 p.m. for $45 per person; build-your-own succulent terrarium on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 6:30 p.m. for $35 per person; clay for families most Fridays at 12:15 p.m. and most Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. starting on July 11 for $30 per person; clay-sculpting for families every Saturday at noon and every Monday at 2:30 or 4 p.m. starting on July 11 for $20 per person; and pottery date nights every Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. for $30 per person. Register online in advance. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com.

• Jewish Film Fest goes virtual: In place of its traditional festival, the New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival will present a virtual summer film series featuring five international films that would have made their New Hampshire premieres. The films include Love in Suspenders, an Israeli comedy, on Thursday, July 9; My Name is Sara, a U.S. drama, on Thursday, July 23; Futures Past, a U.S. documentary, on Thursday, Aug. 6; Shooting Life, an Israeli drama, on Thursday, Aug. 20; and Paris Song, a Latvian historical drama, on Thursday, Aug. 27. My Name is Sara, Futures Past and Paris Song screenings will include a post-movie discussion with the filmmakers on the following Sunday at 7 p.m. All screenings are free, with a suggested donation of $18 to support the festival and future programming. Advance registration is required. Visit nhjewishfilmfestival.com/2020-virtual.

• Author series on Zoom: The Tory Hill Author Series, presented by the Warner Historical Society, will be held virtually over Zoom this year. The series features local and nationally known authors who read from and discuss their books and personal experiences. This year’s lineup includes graphic novelist Joel Christian Gill on Saturday, July 11; feminist historian Susan Ware on Saturday, July 25; nature and biology writer Bernd Heinrich on Saturday, Aug. 8; and storyteller Rebecca Rule and middle-grade and young adult novelist Adi Rule on Saturday, Aug. 22. All events begin at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased online. Visit toryhillauthorsseries.com.

Featured Photo: A detail of Allium flowers watercolor by Dustan Knight. Courtesy photo.

Fostering hope

New foster care program supports young adults

In April, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Division for Children, Youth and Families launched the Hope Program, which extends the age limit for foster care in the state from age 18 to age 21. DCYF Director Joseph Ribsam discussed the new legislation and the support it provides for youth in foster care as they transition into adulthood.

Why was the Hope Program created?

The idea is that young people who enter the foster care system who are not able to achieve permanency — meaning, they’re not able to return home and be reunified with their families, or are not able to be adopted into another family — need more support entering adulthood than they would typically get through their 18th birthday. [The program] allows them to continue to have the support of a foster family [which gets financial support through the program] to help them transition successfully to adulthood. … We had the broad support of the [New Hampshire] legislature and the governor in pushing this forward, and it was included in the budget that passed last year. It was really exciting to see everyone come together and be willing to support this type of expansion going forward to make sure that our young folks in foster care have all the advantages that they need to be successful going into adulthood.

How does it work?

It allows youth between the ages of 18 and 21 to stay with a foster family or have the support of a foster family through their time in college. It makes sure not only that they have their housing needs met, but also that they have social and emotional support from a primary caring adult maintained over time. … To qualify, they need to be engaged in some type of productive activity, [such as a] secondary education program or an equivalent such as a GED or HiSET program; an institution for post-secondary or vocational education for at least six hours per week per semester; an activity to promote employment or remove barriers to employment; or working [at least 80 hours a month]. Young people with medical or mental health challenges that impede their ability to maintain those types of activities can also be part of the program. … The program is voluntary, so when a youth turns 18 they can decide to be part of this or not. If they turn 18 and think they’re ready to be on their own and then, six months later, realize they still need extra help, they can come back at that point, too.

Prior to the new legislation, what were some of the biggest challenges facing foster care youth after they turned 18?

For most people, when they turn 18, their families don’t say, “Alright, you’re on your own now.” Their families are still there for them. Many young people in foster care haven’t had that kind of normalcy … The data shows that young folks leaving foster care are at a higher risk of homelessness, having substance [misuse] challenges and not graduating high school or being able to go to college. When you look at jurisdictions that have [allowed] kids [to stay] in foster care longer, you see trajectories moving in a different direction. More young folks successfully graduate high school or get into college and are more likely to avoid the traps of homelessness and things like that.

Have foster care families and youth expressed a need for this program?

Yes. This is something that they have been talking about and needing for quite a long time. … We’ve actually had a number of foster families who, even though they previously didn’t [receive funding] to continue supporting their foster kids after they turned 18, would still allow them to stay in their homes beyond their 18th birthday and try to support them into adulthood. … We also have a group of young adults — some who are still in foster care and others who are alumni of the foster care system — who are really engaged in trying to improve policy for other young folks in foster care. Some of them actually went to the legislative committee and testified on behalf of this idea, and I think that was really compelling and is what ultimately led to the [change in] legislation.

How is fostering a young adult over the age of 18 different than fostering a minor?

The dynamics change as they do in any household where somebody who is legally a minor becomes legally an adult. Young adults need to be taking some healthy risks and making some decisions on their own, but at the same time [foster families] need to maintain appropriate boundaries so that those young adults stay safe during that time. That transition period can be a challenge, but also really rewarding [for the foster family] when they are able to help that young adult succeed on their own.

What is the ideal outcome for young adults who participate in the Hope Program?

Ultimately, we want these young folks to be independent, productive adults who are able to care for themselves, care for their communities and be successful in doing whatever it is they choose to do with their lives. … For young folks who want to go to college, that’s great. For young folks who want to learn a trade, that’s great. For young folks who want to start working, that’s great. It’s about helping them find the path that’s right for them and making sure they have the support to follow it.

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