A month in verse

Poetry Society celebrates National Poetry Month

While the nation celebrates National Poetry Month in April, the Poetry Society of New Hampshire will take a more personal tone with some of its events.

The Society plans to honor Charles Simic, a former United States Poet Laureate, who died in January at 84 years old. Melanie Chicoine, president of the Poetry Society, said Simic helped drive literary culture in America and beyond. One of the most fitting ways to tribute him, Chicoine said, was to offer a reading of some of Simic’s poetry at University of New Hampshire, where he taught for 34 years.

“Simic’s influence reaches far beyond even the U.S.,” Chicoine said. “He has had such a lasting impact on … the poetry community…. So many up and coming and established poets have studied under him.”

When Simic died, Chicoine said, the Society wasn’t sure exactly how to honor him outside of his ties to UNH. It took time, but now the group, in conjunction with New Hampshire State Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, has decided to run a contest in his memory.

The contest is open to amateur and professional adult writers around the world. Chicoine said the poem’s theme is to be commemorative of Simic, whether it be about him, be written in a style like his, or have a phrase or line borrowed from his own work.

“This contest will be a nice way to honor him, and hopefully we can look for other ways to do so as well,” Chicoine said.

In addition to a monetary prize made up in part from the competition’s entry fees, winners of the competition will have their poem read at another memorial event for Simic on May 7.

National Poetry Month in general is dedicated to bringing more people into the world of poetry.

“Poetry has a reputation of being out of reach and academic,” said Chicoine. “One of our goals is to make it more accessible.”

Peary said that, in addition to the competition for Simic, she’s offering another competition for teens to write. As part of her work as laureate, she focuses on teaching children and young adults how to express themselves through poetry. Her competition will seek submissions from students around the world, and she hopes to dedicate part of her youth-edited literary magazine Under the Madness to the winning submissions.

In April the Poetry Society’s website will have more information about both competitions. While the month is dedicated to reading, Peary wants people to challenge themselves to practice the art form she loves so much.

“I’m more interested in getting people to write [poetry] and pushing their own boundaries and surprising themselves,” Peary said. “That brings me so much joy, seeing what people are capable of with this genre.”

Events honoring Charles Simic

Charles Simic Memorial Event
Where: Hamilton Smith Hall, University of New Hampshire, 95 Main St., Durham
When: Wednesday, April 19, 5:15 p.m.

Come Closer and Listen: A Community Reading of Charles Simic Poems
Where: Hopkinton Town Library, 13 Main St.
When: Sunday, May 7, 3-5 p.m.

Visit: psnh.org

Featured photo: Charles Simic. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/03/30

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

The festival comes home: The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival held its in-person wrap party on March 26 but the virtual portion of the festival continues through Sunday, April 16. Purchase ticket packages or individual tickets to see the 11 feature films available through the festival — including Dedication and Out of Exile, two films originally not slated for virtual screening — as well as the short films package. See nhjewishfilmfestival.com to purchase tickets and to watch trailers for most of the films.

Hats off: The Women’s Caucus for Arts’ NH Chapter will present the exhibit “Head’s Up: The Many Hats Women Wear” at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St. in Boscawen; 975-0015, twiggsgallery.org) Saturday, April 1, through Saturday, May 27. The show opens with an artist reception on Saturday, April 1, from 1 to 3 p.m. “The hat theme is expressed in a wide variety of works that include paintings, sculptures, one-of-a-kind artist books, small installations, photography and mixed media pieces,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.

New Nashua exhibit: The Gallery at West Pearl Street (100 W. Pearl St. in Nashua; HollisArtsSociety.org) will feature an exhibit from Ukrainian guest artist Natalia Yuresko-Belous, a new member of the Hollis Arts Society who works in landscapes, still life, portraits and mural paintings, according to a press release. The exhibit, her first major exhibition in America, will be on display until Tuesday, May 30, the release said. The gallery will be open Saturday, April 1, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 15, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Friday, April 21, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, April 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. — dates and times that correspond with the nearby Nashua Center for the Arts, which opens this Saturday, April 1, according to the Society’s March newsletter.

Thursday concert: The Bob McCarthy Trio (described as performing “an eclectic blend of original and traditional music drawing on many styles”) will perform Thursday, March 30, from 7 to 8 p.m. as part of the Belknap Mill’s Bell and Brick Winter Concert Series at the mill (25 Beacon St. East in Laconia; 524-8813, belknapmill.org). Tickets cost $10 at the door.

Garden art: The exhibit “In Full Bloom: Floral Still Life & Garden Paintings from the 19th century to the present” is on display at the New Hampshire Antique Co–op (323 Elm St. in Milford; nhantiquecoop.com, 673-8499) through Thursday, Aug. 31. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Craft fair: The Founders Academy (5 Perimeter Road in Manchester) will hold a craft fair on Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair is the school’s first spring craft fair and was organized by a student for her senior project, according to a press release.

April exhibit: New Hampshire resident and scenic designer Hannah Joy Hopkins will have her paintings on display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Art Center Dover (1 Washington St., Suite 1177, in Dover; nhartassociation.org, 978-6702) in the exhibit “Heart Matters” through Sunday, April 30. A reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, April 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Granite State storytellers

Conversations with Concord Authors returns

By Mya Blanchard

listings@hippopress.com

Back by popular demand is Conversations with Concord Authors, produced by local authors Margaret Porter and Paul Brogan and moderated by Concord-based journalist and longtime NHPR radio host Laura Knoy. The event will return for a second year to the Bank of NH Stage on Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m.

“[Brogan] had this idea … sometime over a year ago, I think, to bring together Concord-area authors on a stage … and have Laura … interview them about not just their books but the writing process and … being part of the creative community here,” Porter said of how the event first came to be last April. “We immediately knew … that this was something that we wanted to carry on and have it perhaps be an annual event.”

In addition to the interviews there will be a question-and-answer session as well as a book signing sponsored by Gibson’s Bookstore.

Porter participated in theater growing up and went on to study film in graduate school, writing continuously on the side.

“I’ve been a writer all my life, really,” she said. “Ever since I could hold a crayon I think … I was making up stories in my head and writing them down and illustrating them.”

Writing took the forefront for Porter after she moved across the country to Colorado, where she and her husband lived for 11 years while still seasonal New Hampshire residents on Lake Winnipesaukee. She moved here full-time about 30 years ago.

Having left behind many of her radio and film contacts, Porter found herself without any projects and decided to dedicate her time to writing. Her background in film serves as the basis for many of her stories.

“A lot of my inspiration comes from real-life activities I’ve had,” she said. “I tend to write novels about people … often in the performing arts, actresses or dancers, or [books] set in the golden age of Hollywood about people who were in the film business. … Film history is an area that’s important to me.”

Porter has 15 published historical novels set in the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of these stories are set in England, an area she is familiar with due to the time she spent there studying in her teenage and college years and for her husband’s job.

She has recently branched out into the contemporary fiction genre, drawing on her experiences on film sets in production and as an extra.

Porter, Brogan and Knoy have been planning this year’s event for months. In addition to Porter and Brogan, authors Kathleen D. Bailey, Sarah McCraw Crow and Dan Lawton will also be featured. While it is free to the public, reservation is required.

“New Hampshire is historically and currently a very supportive and nurturing place for creative people, and writers in particular,” Porter said. “It’s a very vibrant community and we like to celebrate that within this event.”

Conversations with Concord Authors
When: Wednesday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
Cost: Free admission. Reservation is required.
Visit: ccanh.com

Featured photo: Local authors Paul Brogan and Margaret Porter at last year’s event. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/03/23

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

One-man show: Etz Hayim Synagogue (1½ Hood Road in Derry; 432-0004, etzhayim.org) will present the one-man comedy My Son the Waiter, a Jewish Tragedy on Saturday, March 25. Showtime is at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. The opening act will be Off Our Rockers, a group of Londonderry seniors, according to a press release. Tickets cost $35; snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. See etzhayim.org/my-son-the-waiter.

Youth audition alert: The Palace Youth Theatre (palacetheatre.org/pyt) is holding auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for its upcoming production of PUFFS (For Young Wizards)!, on Monday, March 27, at 5 and 6 p.m., according to an email. Auditioners will stay for the full one-hour time slot at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester) and be given sides to read and play some improv games, the email said. Rehearsals for the production will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and the performances will take place Tuesday, May 9, and Wednesday, May 10, at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. Email MeganAlves@palacetheatre.org with performer’s name, age and preferred audition time, the Palace email said.

‘It’s De-Lovely’
The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts will present Anything Goes: Youth Edition featuring children and teen performers this weekend at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry). See the show Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 25, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for 65+ and $10 for 17 and under. Call 669-7469 or go to majestictheatre.net for tickets, which will also be available at the door.

At the Players’ Ring: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee continues its three-weekend run at the Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org, 436-8123) with shows through Sunday, March 26, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets to this musical comedy cost $30, $27 for students and 65+ and $17 for children under 12.

Fancy Nancy onstage: Southern NH Youth Ballet will present Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet in two performances at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Sunday, April 2, at 1 and 4 p.m. There will be a fancy tea and meet-and-greet with Fancy Nancy and her friends 45 minutes prior to each show for an additional $20 per person, according to a press release. The company will also perform The Ugly Duckling at the shows, the release said. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for children ages 12 and under.

Community bands: The Windham Community Bands will present a concert on Saturday, April 1, from 5 to 10 p.m. featuring the Windham Swing Band and the Windham Concert Band performing “a variety of Earth-themed music to reflect this year’s theme, ‘The Blue Marble,’” according to a press release. The concert will take place at Castleton Banquet & Conference Center (58 Enterprise Drive in Windham) and dinner is included with admission. Tickets cost $55 per person or $500 for a table of 10, the release said, and the evening will include a cash bar, raffle baskets and dancing. Call 425-3284 or email info@windhamcommunitybands.org for more information.

Poetry contest
The Derry Public Library’s (64 E. Broadway in Derry; 432-6140, derry.org) 6th annual MacGregor Poetry Contest, open to poets ages 15 and up, is accepting entries through Saturday, April 1. The winning poem will receive a $100 prize (with prizes for second and third place as well), according to an email from the library. The MacGregor Jr. Contest, open to poets 14 and under, will also award prizes — a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card for first place, and a prize for second place. Submit up to two poems, no more than two pages each, with name, address and contact information included (but not on the poem), to macgregorpoetrycontest@derrypl.org or to Derry Public Library Poetry Contest, 64 E. Broadway, Derry, NH 03038. Contact derrylib@derrypl.org or 432-6140 for more information.

Virtual author talk: Richard Mirabella will present his novel Brother & Sister Enter the Forest during a virtual presentation via Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord on Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Register via gibsonsbookstore.com; registration is free though ticket packages with the book are also available.

Book talk: Author Timothy Egan will discuss his new book A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org) on Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Egan’s previous books include The Worst Hard Time and The Immortal Irishman. Tickets cost $47 and include a signed hardcover book, a reserved seat, a beverage and admission to the book-signing meet-and-greet, according to a press release.

Lift her voice

ART NABE showcases women in music

By Mya Blanchard
listings@hippopress.com

ART NABE, a Manchester organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, is hosting the inaugural Celebrate HER, a gala-like event with live performances to show appreciation for female musicians based in New England.

The event will be held inside Southern New Hampshire University’s Robert Frost Hall on Saturday, April 1, and will also be livestreamed via Zoom — attendees will be able to mingle, enjoy light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres and, of course, listen to music.

“A person attending … would be supporting the music scene of New Hampshire, but more so, local artists,” event director and local artist MHB, who also goes by just M, said. “They would be able to experience live music from so many different genres [such as] afrobeat, hip-hop, rap [and] R&B.”

The concept of ART NABE, M said, was born in the fall of 2021. Raised in the Granite State, M returned home from school in Philadelphia to work in the art industry and soon realized that there wasn’t a place for artists to come together, nor a space to display their work.

“Our team really just thought it would be a good idea to expand on this idea of creating a space for all these artists to display their talents and their small businesses,” M said. “Our mission is really to highlight … underrepresented groups … that are either creative or entrepreneurs in the entertainment arts and culture space.”

ART NABE highlights these groups by hosting pop-up events related to art, music and food, like the local arts market they hosted last summer. This event included live music, in addition to vendors who were selling their products and artists displaying their work.

While discussing what to do for their next event, they ultimately decided they wanted to center it around women in music.

Sydney Choate, who is also frequently referred to by her stage name, Sydney the Singer, is among the event’s featured artists. Originally from Richmond, Maine, Choate grew up in a musical family with a mother who sings, a stepfather who plays the drums and the guitar, and a grandfather who is a songwriter as well as a guitarist.

“I was raised on really, really soulful voices and I think that definitely molded who I am as a musician,” said Choate, who credits artists like Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Toni Braxton and JoJo as some of her biggest influences.

Growing up listening to these artists, Choate knew from a young age that she wanted to be a singer.

“You’ll see my journals [when I was] like 5 years old talking about how I wanted to be a musician and sing on stage, sing my own original music and have my name in lights, and I think it’s the only picture I ever had for myself since I was very little,” Choate said.

Choate, who was involved in ART NABE’s art market last summer, was eager to be a part of this year’s event.

“Why I want to do this show in particular is because advocating for women [and] empowering women is very much part of who I am … so I couldn’t think of an event that resonated with me more,” she said.

As is in line with ART NABE’s goal, Celebrate HER will continue to help the voices of these women in the community be heard.

“I hope that more of the artists get exposure in the local community so that they have future opportunities that aren’t just … in line with ART NABE,” M said. “We’re hoping that it will just open the doors for opportunities for everyone that’s involved in the event.”

Celebrate HER
When: Saturday, April 1, 7 to 10 p.m.
Where: Robert Frost Hall, at Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester
Cost: Tickets are $25 for the showcase, or $5 to attend virtually via Zoom.
Visit: bit.ly/celebrateher2023, or see “ART NABE” on Facebook

Featured photo: Sidney the Singer. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/03/16

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

Spring youth theater classes: Palace Youth Theatre’s (palacetheatre.org/pyt) Palace Academy has four classes starting in early April. Classes for kids in grades 2 through 6 include “Mini Camp: Comedy Edition” and “Improv and Acting Games I.” There is also an “Improv and Acting Games II” for kids in grades 7 to 12 and “Stagecraft: Behind the Scenes Magic” for kids in grades 3 to 12, according to an email. Classes cost between $100 and $150 and end with a showcase on Friday, May 19, at 5 p.m. See palacetheatre.org/pyt/palace-academy.

• “Window Works”: The Seacoast Artist Association in Exeter (130 Water St.; seacoastartist.org) has continued a pandemic practice of having mini-exhibits in the gallery window. The gallery changes the window exhibit every three months, and in March the new exhibit features works such as Lynn Krumholz “Morning Dew” (featuring oil and cold wax), Adele Buchwald’s “Early Morning Row” (oil), Dennis Skillman’s “Great Blue Heron” (photograph), and Denise Brown’s “White Picket Fence” (watercolor), according to a press release. Check out the gallery’s inside exhibits during its regular hours: Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. .

Multimedia look at “Multi-Mediums”
Get a look at the exhibit “Multi-Mediums” running through Sunday, April 30, at Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650, art3gallery.com). The gallery has posted videos showing off the exhibit’s variety of paintings, glasswork, sculptures and other pieces. Then see the exhibit in person Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. Courtesy photo.

Creepy and kooky: See Wednesday and all the other Addamses at The Addams Family Young@Part, a musical production from Epping Middle High School that will run at the Epping Playhouse (38 Ladds Lane in Epping; eppingtheater.org) on Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 cash or check to EHS at the door, according to a press release. The show is described as family-friendly and about an hour long with a 15-minute intermission. Reserve tickets in advance by emailing melanie.friese@eppingsd.org. See eppingtheater.org/EMHSAddams.html.

Folk duo: The Massachusetts-based folk duo of Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin, Crowes Pasture, will play the Andover Community Coffeehouse (Highland Lake Grange Hall, corner of Route 11 and Chase Hill Road in East Andover; 735-5135, andovercoffeehouse.org) on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. Hear their music at crowespastureduo.com. The event is free but donations are welcome, according to a press release. The evening will also feature up to five open-mic acts (sign up is first come first served when doors open), the release said. Doors open at 6 p.m. and food and beverages will be for sale.

Writing romance: The Monadnock Writers’ Group will host local romance novelist Abbi Glines at its monthly speaker series on Saturday, March 18, at 9:45 a.m. at the Peterborough Town Library (2 Concord St). The event is free. See modnadnockwriters.org.

World Poetry Day: John Hay Estate at The Fells (456 Route 103A in Newbury; thefells.org, 763-4786, ext. 3) celebrates World Poetry Day (Tuesday, March 21) with an online poetry lecture on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. hosted by Alice Fogel. The virtual lecture will be titled “Strange Terrain: How Not to Get Poetry & Let It Get You Instead” and the program is free and open to the public. Register by calling or emailing info@thefells.org.

Visual Verse
The Literary Arts Guild of the Center for the Arts (centerfortheartsnh.org) has released Rooted in New Hampshire: Farming the Lake Sunapee Region, the fifth book in its Visual Verse series, according to a press release. The volume features poems inspired by photographs from nine regional farms, the release said. There will be a book release party on Wednesday, March 29, at 5 p.m. at Lethbridge Lodge at Colby-Sawyer College in New London. The book will be available for purchase for $20 at the Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, at Main Street Bookends in Warner, and via the Center for the Arts website, the release said. The image of lambs at Kearsarge Gore Farm in Warner accompanies Amber Rose Crowtree’s poem “Spring Tones.” Courtesy photo.

A month of films

The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival begins March 16

Eleven feature films, a five-film shorts package and a kids’ event make up the slate of screenings for this year’s New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, which starts Thursday, March 16.

Screenings at locations across the state take place through Sunday, March 26; virtual screenings will run through Sunday, April 16.

“What I think is important is after the film there’s a conversation that happens at a film festival,” said Pat Kalik, one of the co-chairs of the festival. “People gather and are able to talk about what they just saw.”

The festival starts Thursday, March 16, with a screening of Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. The documentary, which showcases the photography of Fred Stein, who shot in 1930s Paris and eventually fled to New York City, will be followed by a post-film discussion with filmmaker Peter Stein, Fred Stein’s son.

The post-film panel is an addition to this year’s program, Kalik said. Three of the films — including Dedication (the filmed version of Roger Peltzman’s one-man play about his mother’s brother, a celebrated pianist, who was murdered at Auschwitz) and Israel Swings for Gold (a documentary about the 2021 Israeli Olympic baseball team) — will feature in-person post-film discussions with their directors. Israel Swings for Gold will screen Tuesday, March 21, at Southern New Hampshire University’s Webster Hall in Hooksett at 7 p.m. and feature a discussion with Seth Kramer. Dedication will screen at the festival’s wrap party on Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord and will feature a discussion with Petlzman.

A Zoom discussion with filmmaker Steve Pressman, whose film Levys of Monticello is available virtually, is slated for Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m.

Kalik and her co-chair Ross Fishbein said that 9 of the feature-length movies will be available virtually — either during the festival’s initial in-person run or in the weeks following (Out of Exile and Dedication will be in-person only). The shorts package is completely virtual. Six of the feature films are getting in-person screenings, along with a special event for kids that will feature a screening of an episode from the cartoon series Shaboom! (that event is scheduled to take place Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire in Manchester and include snacks and making a cardboard car; the program is free but registration is required).

“Offering that virtual component … has enabled us to continue to show films to people that may not be fully comfortable being in person yet, but also just reaching further within the state,” Fishbein said. “People that maybe don’t live within easy driving distance of one of the multiple locations where we’re showing a film, they can still enjoy the programming.”

The viewing and selection processes for the festival are started in the summer the year before it opens, Kalik said. This year, the selection team viewed approximately 60 movies before coming to a final decision.

The movies follow a multitude of themes and stories, Kalik said. She and Fishbein stressed that it was important to have movies that weren’t just about the Holocaust but also weren’t just romantic comedies. They wanted to show the diversity of Jewish and Israeli film.

“For me, it’s hard to pick out a favorite because each film has its own unique quality,” Kalik said. “You know, it’s hard to compare a documentary about a photographer to a film about the Israeli baseball team.”

New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival
When: First in-person screening is Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre in Manchester; wrap party and final in-person screening are Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. Virtual screenings will run through Sunday, April 16 — beginning March 16 or March 27, depending on the film.
Price: Individual tickets cost $12. Ticket packages are also available including for all in-person screening and all virtual screenings.

Schedule:
Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein screens Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org/rex-theatre).
Farwell, Mr. Haffmann screens Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth, 766-3330, 3sarts.org) and The Showroom in Keene.
• PJ Goes to the Movies: Shaboom! event takes place Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. at Jewish Federation of New Hampshire (273 S. River Road, No. 5, Bedford, 627-7679, jewishnh.org).
Israel Swings for Gold screens Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Southern New Hampshire University (Webster Hall, Mara Auditorium, 2546 N. River Road, Hooksett, 645-9700, snhu.edu)
Man in the Basement screens Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org)
America screens Sunday, March 26, at 1 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord.
Dedication screens Sunday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord.
More info: nhjewishfilmfestival.com

Films

Descriptions according to nhjewishfilmfestival.com

Features

• Follow swimming coach Eli in America(2022) as he travels back to Israel after his father’s death and his relationship with his childhood friend’s fiancée, who is a florist.

• In Barren (2022) the young ultra-orthodox couple Feigi and Naftali live at home with Naftali’s parents. While Naftali is away, a visitor named Rabbi Eliyahu comes to stay in the household, promising to help Feigi with treatment for being barren. When Naftali returns, the couple must face a difficult crisis that leads to questions about faith and trust.

• Roger Peltzman turned his one-man play into the film Dedication (2022). The play and film follow Peltzman’s family’s escape from Berlin to Brussels in 1933, focusing on his uncle Norbert, a popular pianist in Belgium, who was killed in Auschwitz at 21 years old.

Farewell, Mr. Haffmann (2022) follows the story of Joseph Haffmann, a jeweler in occupied Paris in 1941. After sending his family away, Haffmann seeks out the help of his employee after he fails to escape the city.

• In the documentary Israel Swings for Gold (2022), the Israeli Olympic baseball team makes its first appearance at the Olympics. Because there were no professional media devices available at the village, the teammates documented the experience themselves with videos and pictures.

• Join older couple Tova and Meir as they explore what life has to offer them, with the help of their eccentric neighbor Itzik, in the film Karaoke (2022).

• Learn more about the family that owned Thomas Jefferson’s famed estate, Monticello, for more than a century in this documentary. The Levys of Monticello (2022) tells the history of the Levy family, as well as how it intersects with the rise of antisemitism in American history.

• In The Man in the Basement (2022), a couple sell their unused cellar to a former history professor. In a dark turn, they find out that the professor is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist and has befriended their teen daughter.

• Actress Mariette Hartley explores the dating scene as an older woman in Hollywood in Our (Almost Completely True) Story (2022). When she finds herself smitten with comedian Jerry Sorka, and him with her, unexpected challenges arise, leaving Mariette wondering if she’s too old to find love.

• The documentary Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein (2021), follows how a young photographer, fearing the Nazi party, traveled to France in the 1930s to document everything he saw. When an accident ended his life, Stein’s photography seemed to vanish with it, until his son, Peter, brought the pictures back into the art world.

• The documentary Reckonings (2022) follows the untold true story of the negotiations between Jewish and German leaders determining the reparations for the survivors of the Holocaust.

Short films

A Kaddish for Selim (2022) follows a young British Jewish man who changes his name to fight in World War I.

Give It Back (2019) follows Olivia, a girl new to Israeli society, and her blossoming friendship with an Ethiopian boy named Alem.

• In Nazi-occupied Albania, Ismail must choose between his nation’s honor code to protect visitors (in his case, two Jewish men) and the safety of his family in Ismail’s Dilemma (2020).

• In Pops (2021), sisters Elli and Roz must honor their father’s dying wish, even though it’s unusual.

Space Torah (2020) documents the journey of Jewish-American astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman as he brings parts of his religion and culture into space.

Featured photo: Israel Swings for Gold. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/03/09

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

At the Currier: Catch singer-songwriter Rebecca Turmel performing on Thursday, March 9, at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) as part of Art After Work, when museum admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. This week’s scheduled tour is the “Flower Power” gallery tour, according to the website. This Saturday, March 11, also features free admission for New Hampshire residents; the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. And while you visit the Currier, check out the newly acquired “French mounted Chinese porcelain vase,” now on display in the European gallery, according to a Currier newsletter. The piece is a “large porcelain vase, made in China in the 14th century, [that] received gilded bronze mounts in France in the 1760s,” the newsletter said. The vase was likely owned by Maria-Christina of Austria, Marie Antoinette’s sister, the newsletter said.

A late winter Midsummer: The Milford Area Players finish out a two-weekend run of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with shows Friday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 11, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. at the Amato Center for the Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford). Tickets cost $15, $10 for students and seniors. See milfordareaplayers.org.

New opening weekend: Vanities, the comedy-drama by Jack Heifner being presented by Creative Ambitions Performance Studio of NH, a new professional theater company, will open Friday, March 10, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315). The show was originally slated to open March 3 but that weekend of shows was canceled, according to the website. The show runs through Sunday, March 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults; $19 for students and seniors, the release said.

Art and video games
Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester; 512-6209, MosaicArtCollective.com) has joined with the Ralph Baer Projects Club to showcase local artists’ works in “Level Up,” a show honoring the legacy of Ralph Baer and video games, according to a presale release. The show features pieces in a variety of media including 2D, 3D, digital, mixed media and interactive forms, the release said.
Ralph Baer, known as the father of video games, was born in Germany (on March 8) but lived in Manchester for much of his life; there are a statue and a bench honoring him in Arms Park. The exhibit is open through Sunday, March 26. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 11, from 4 to 8 p.m., the release said. Find more about the Ralph Baer Projects Club at ralphbaerday.com.

You can still catch a night of theremin: Chris Martiello’s theremin concert scheduled for March 3 has been rescheduled to Friday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Whipple Hall (25 Seamans Road in New London). The performance will be followed by a Q&A and light refreshments. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

Artist reception: Catch at artist reception for the Body of Work shows “For Granted” (featuring photographs by Judy Arnold) and “Isolation and Inspiration” (featuring the watercolors of artist RS Bense) at Seacoast Artist Association Gallery (130 Water St. in Exeter) on Friday, March 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. with music provided by folk-bluegrass duo Green Heron, according to a press release. The shows will run through Sunday, March 26. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m, according to seacoastartist.org.

Purim fun and games: Etz Hayim Synagogue (1½ Hood Road in Derry; etzhayim.org) will host a riff on the TV show To Tell The Truth when “the Etz Hayim Never Ready for Prime TIme Players invite you to ‘To Tell the Emet (Truth) Shushan Version’” on Saturday, March 11, at 7 p.m. The show will use the game show format to have famous (or infamous) characters from the story of Purim (which was March 7) answer questions along with two imposters, after which audience members will vote for the real character, according to a press release. For more information, contact rabbi@etzhayim.org.

More voices: According to tkapow.com, Theatre Kapow’s “Expanding the Canon” play reading circle in March will focus on The Fish by Madeline Sayet, a member of the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut. The event takes place Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. over Zoom; register online.

• “Japan’s Garbo”: The work of actress Setsuko Hara, an actress who quit in acting in 1963 but was considered “one of the greatest actresses of her time,” will be discussed in a program from the Derry Public Library by Zoom on Monday, March 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to a press release. Register for access to the discussion at derrypl.org.

A quick international trip: Make a quick visit to Egypt and Gibraltar with a travelogue from Marlin Darrah, a filmmaker, on Wednesday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (3 Prince St. in Concord) for a free Walker Lecture Series, according to a press release. See walkerlecture.org.

Mingle with history: The Manchester Historic Association will host “an evening of heritage, legacy, industry and cocktails,” according to manchesterhistoric.org, on Thursday, March 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester). The evening — “The Best of Amoskeag Tour” — will feature one complimentary cocktail with a ticket (the event is 21+) and appetizers as well as actors from the Majestic Theatre portraying some of Manchester’s influential people, according to the website. Tickets cost $25; go online or call 622-7531 to reserve tickets.

Painting, photography and more
Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) has several adult and teen classes on the schedule in the coming months. Classes range from one-day workshops to month-long or longer classes. The schedule includes wheel throwing (with classes for beginners and intermediate), Modern & Contemporary Dance (for teen, ages 11 and up, and a class for adults), Medieval Illumination, Introduction to Adobe Lightroom, watercolor classes, Fundamentals of Printmaking, Painting in Oil or Acrylic, Life Drawing, Non-Toxic Etching and more. See kimballjenkins.com/adultclasses for class schedules and links to class descriptions, material requirements and registration.

YAM! for young artists
Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) will host the 2023 Concord School District Youth Art Month Show, which runs now through Wednesday, April 12. An opening reception will be held Thursday, March 29, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and “will feature live music from local high school bands, light food and hundreds of works of art by Concord youth and young adults,” according to a press release. The show will also feature works by Concord art teachers in the Jill C. Wilson Gallery, the release said. After Thursday’s reception, the Concord Historical Society will host a talk from 7 to 8 p.m. on “Artists of Concord: Past, Present and Future,” the release said. The program will feature New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes talking about the late Mel Bolden of Concord sharing images of his work, the release said. Concord artist Pam Tarbell will also share her work and stories from her 50 years of making art in Concord, the release said.

Celtic flutes: Start the Saint Patrick’s Day (Friday, March 17) celebrations early with a “Celtic Flutes” performance from the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org, 644-4548) Faculty Performance Series on Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. The performance will feature Aubrie Dionne on flute; Erin Dubois on flute and piccolo; Kylie Elliot on flute, and Rose Hinkle on flute and alto flute, according to a press release. The show can be viewed in person or via livestream; register online.

Celebrate the Irish: Moe Joe’s Restaurant (2175 Candia Road in Manchester, 668-0121) will host the Black Pudding Rovers playing Irish Classics on Friday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. The band is in its 22nd year and features “Mike Becker on piano, guitar, and vocals, Ken Wyman on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, Butch Greene on drums, and Gary Hunter on woodwinds,” according to the press release, which says the band will also feature special guest fiddler Joe Blajda rejoining BPR to play Irish reels, hornpipes and jigs. The restaurant will feature a special Joe’s Corned Beef and Cabbage, the release said.

NY opera broadcast in NH: Catch The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin, which will be broadcast live at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, March 18, at noon. Tickets cost $31.75; $25.75 for seniors and $18.75 for students. The broadcast will also screen at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping via fathomevents.com at noon on Saturday, March 18, and as an encore on Wednesday, March 22, at noon.

Keep the Irish going: The Pembroke Historical Society and Pembroke Town Library (313 Pembroke St.; 485-7851, pembroke-nh.com/pembroke-town-library) will host musician and folklorist Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the library, according to a press release. Tirrell-Wysocki is a fiddler and singer who “brings fresh energy to Celtic music,” the release said. The event is free and open to the public. Get a taste of his music at JordanTWmusic.com.

Curious: The Pittsfield Players will present The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time from Thursday, March 23, through Sunday, March 26, at the Scenic Theatre (6 Depot St. in Pittsfield). The shows run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 25, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, according to pittsfieldplayers.org. Tickets cost $15 plus fees.

Audition alert: The Pittsfield Players (pittsfieldplayers.org) will host auditions for the comedic mystery Jack of Diamonds (which will run May 19 through May 21) on Sunday, March 26, and Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. at the Scenic Theatre (6 Depot St. in Pittsfield), according to a press release. See the website for the list of characters and audition information.

Spring choral concerts: Amare Cantare, a Seacoast-based auditioned chamber chorus, will perform “Solace,” their spring concert, on Saturday, March 25, at Phillips Church in Exeter at 7:30 p.m.; on Sunday, March 26, at 3 p.m. at Dover City Hall (288 Central Road), and on Wednesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Middle Street Baptist Church (18 Court St. in Portsmouth), according to a press release. “The centerpiece of the concert is Canadian composer Eleanor Daley’s Requiem. A seven-movement unaccompanied work, the Requiem alternates traditional Latin texts with poetry by Carolyn Smart. The concert program will also include works of several other contemporary composers, including Only in Sleep by Ēriks Ešenvalds, Until by Joan Szymko, and Earth Song by Frank Ticheli, as well as a selection of celebrative sacred settings by early composers Heinrich Schütz, Orlandus Lassus, and Hans Leo Hassler,” the release said. Tickets cost $18 and can be purchased at amarecantare.org and may be available at the door, the release said.

Winter concert and guest pianist
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will hold a winter concert featuring guest pianist Ko-Eun Yi performing Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto” on Sunday, March 12, at 3 p.m. at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org). The concert will feature a talk with Music Director John Page at 1:45 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $20 for students, according to a press release. See portsmouthsymphony.org.

Save the date for a craft fair: The 11th Annual Woman’s Service Club of Windham Spring Craft Fair will be held Saturday, April 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Windham High School and feature more than 100 artisans from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine presenting arts and crafts including ceramics, glass, jewelry, bird houses, spring wreaths, home decor, textiles, handbags, scrapbooking, doll clothes, rag dolls, woodwork, garden sculpture, soaps and lotions, candles, photography, fine art and more, according to a press release. The day will also feature raffles and sale of artisanal food, the release said. Admission is a suggested donation of $2 per person. See WomansServiceClubofWindham.org. And if you know of a spring craft fair or arts event, let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

At Gibson’s: Author Ralph White will discuss his book Getting Out of Saigon: How a 27-Year-Old Banker Saved 113 Vietnamese Civilians, a book about his own experiences in Saigon in 1975, on Monday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com), according to a press release. No registration is required for the event, the release said.

A master class performance: Pianist and conductor Stephen Drury will play a concert at the Johnson Theatre (Paul Creative Arts Center at UNH in Durham) on Thursday, April 6, at 8 p.m. as part of the UNH Department of Music/Arlene Kies Piano Recital and Master Class Series, according to a press release. The concert is free and you can also view it remotely at youtube.com/unhmusic.

Jazz night: The UNH Traditional Jazz Series will present the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet on Friday, April 7, 8 p.m. at the Johnson Theatre (Paul Creative Arts Center, 30 Academic Way in Durham). Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. According to a press release: “The music of saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins is filled with empathy and conviction, bonding arcs of melody and lamentation to pluming gestures of space and breath. His remarkable quartet features Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums. His new album, The 7th Hand, explores relationships between presence and nothingness across an hour-long suite comprised of seven movements.” See unharts.com.

Breaking free from insecurity

Bedford Off Broadway presents Jon Lonoff’s Skin Deep

By Mya Blanchard

listings@hippopress.com

Almost everyone has faced insecurity or felt down on their luck while those around them seemed to have it all. This is the case for Maureen Mulligan, the protagonist in Jon Lonoff’s show Skin Deep. Bedford Off Broadway will be putting on a production of the show at Old Bedford Town Hall, which will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from March 3 through March 12.

“She’s down on her luck [and has] been single for a long time,” Sarah Smith, who plays the role of Maureen, said of her character. “She had a wedding that was supposed to happen but didn’t work out, and her younger sister Sheila sets her up on a blind date that she really does not want to participate in.”

The four-person show follows Maureen, along with her blind date, Joe, her sister Sheila and Sheila’s husband, Squire, as they each navigate their relationships and battle their own insecurities.

Smith’s involvement in theater began when she was in middle school and became more serious during her high school years.

“I was a music major in college so I didn’t really have time to do theater then,” she said. “So once I graduated I started doing more shows in the community.”

One of those shows happened to be a production of Skin Deep that she was involved in years back.

“I had done the show 11 years ago and I had played the other sister, Sheila,” Smith said. “So when I saw that [director] Joe Pelonzi was doing it again, I decided to try out, and he decided to cast me as the other sister.”

The two sisters Smith has now had the chance to portray couldn’t be more different on the surface.

“Maureen [is] in her mid 40s [and has] always kind of struggled with her self-confidence,” Dan Arlen, who plays the role of Squire, said. “Her sister Sheila is … [the] type of woman … [that] every woman wants to be.”

Helping one’s own struggles with confidence is one way that being involved in theater can be beneficial, as Arlen points out.

“Theater itself really just allows you to kind of play with an insecurity or with something that you’ve wanted to do,” he said. “For example, when I was around 15 or 16 I did a show at the Palace Theatre … and I … played a character who was very confident. … At 16 I was … not confident. … I couldn’t do it in my normal life, but for four hours a day I got to be this other character.”

While our insecurities may cause us to feel isolated, they can be the factor that connects us to others, as is the case for Maureen and Joe.

“[The show] is … about the two of them figuring out that … [they] both have had kind of similar stories in [their] dating lives and in [their] lives in general of always being picked last,” Arlen said. “It’s kind of like the two of them uniting and saying, ‘We can get through this life together.’”

Not only do these experiences bring the characters together, but they can also connect them with the audience.

“Regardless of who you are as a person, you can connect with one of these four people,” Arlen said. “So I think it’s an ability to recognize that maybe these four characters’ stories are yours.”

Bedford Off Broadway presents Skin Deep
When: Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 12 — showtimes are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays
Where: Old Bedford Town Hall, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford
Cost: Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $12 for children, students and seniors
More info: Visit bedfordoffbroadway.com. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance online at brownpapertickets.com/event/5718535

Featured photo: Symphony NH’s full orchestra. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 23/03/02

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

Update: The Manchester Community Music School’s faculty performance of “Chanson d’Amour” featuring Harel Gietheim on cello and Piper Runnion on harp has been rescheduled for Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the school, 2291 Elm St. in Manchester. Admission is free but pre-register at mcmusicschool.org to attend in person or online.

Earth Day art: The Manchester Artists Association has original art works on display in the exhibit “Love Our Planet” at the New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center (6 Audubon Way in Auburn) through Saturday, April 29, from noon to 5 p.m. on days the center is open, according to a press release. Artists will exhibit more than 30 original works in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, mixed media and photography, and the works will be available for purchase, the release said. See manchesterartists.com.

Ukrainian Easter eggs
The League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft Gallery (279 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Meredith; nhcrafts.org, 279-7920) will offer two Ukrainian Easter Egg classes with Shannon Wallis on Saturday, March 25 (classes are at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.), according to a press release. Learn the Ukrainian method of decorating eggs and create an egg to keep, the release said. The class costs $50 per student plus a $12 materials fee paid to the instructor on the day of the class, the release said. Sign up by Friday, March 17, by calling 279-7920 or go to meredith.nhcrafts.org/classes.

Telling her story: Singer-songwriter Kimayo will perform at Bedford Presbyterian Church (4 Church Road in Bedford) on Sunday, March 5, at 5 p.m. as part of her “My Queer Faith” tour, according to a press release. The event is free (and open to adults and mature teens, the release said); reserve a spot at bit.ly/BPC-MQF-Concert.

Jazz jam: Ted Herbert Music School, operated by the Majestic Theatre, will host an open mic jazz jam on Sunday, March 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. open to students and musicians of all ages and abilities, according to a press release. The cost to participate is $5, free for current Ted Herbert Music School Students. The jam will take place at the Ted Herbert Music School Majestic Theatre Studios (880 Page St. in Manchester), the release said. No signup is required, just show up with your instrument (drums, piano and guitar amp will be provided), the release said. For more on Ted Herbert, see tedherbert.com or call 669-7469.

Luck be a lady: The Palace Youth Theatre is holding auditions for its May performances of Guys and Dolls Jr. on Monday, March 6, at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester) according to a press release. The auditions are for performers in grades 2 through 12. Auditioners will be expected to stay for their entire one-hour slot and will learn a dance and be asked to sing after (a short section of a song), the release said. To schedule an audition time, email MeganAlves@palacetheatre.org with the performer’s name, age and preferred audition time, the release said.

Martiello on theremin
Chris Martiello will present a theremin concert on Friday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Whipple Hall (25 Seamans Road in New London) with a Q&A and light refreshments to follow. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

Young artist competition: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is accepting applications for its annual young artist competition with the winning high school musician to perform at the June 11 concert with a full orchestra, according to a press release. The competition is open to high school students from New Hampshire (as well as the Seacoast region of Maine and Massachusetts) performing orchestral instruments, the release said. Send an audition video and application by March 15; finalists will perform before a live audience on Saturday, April 1, the release said. See portsmouthsymphony.org for information about how to apply.

Crafting partnership: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is partnering with the League of NH Craftsmen for a series of workshops with local master craft artists, according to a Currier email. The workshops will take place on the second Saturdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 11, the class is “Tapestry Weaving Basics” with Lisa Almeia. Students will create images using a simple tapestry loom, according to the description. The class costs $125 and registration is open now. Future classes include “Basket Weaving” with Ruth Bolton on Saturday, April 8; “Jewelry Making” with Paulette Werger on Saturday, May 14, and “Soft Leather Cuff Bracelets” with Diane Louise Paul on Saturday, June 10, according to the website.

Art camp: The Currier has also announced the themes and dates and opened registration for its summer arts camps for ages 6 to 14. The camps will cost $350 per week and run the weeks of June 26 (when the theme is “Air”), July 10 (“Earth”), July 24 (“Fire”), Aug. 7 (“Water”), and Aug. 14 (“Energy”). Go to currier.org to register and for more information. For more area day camps (and a few overnight ones), check out last week’s cover story in the Hippo. See hippopress.com to find the Feb. 23 e-edition; the story starts on page 12.

Save the date: The 2nd annual Manchester Arts & Crafts Fair will be held Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Manchester, according to a press release. The event will feature more than 30 booths, food trucks, the Manchester City Library Bookmobile and an interactive art wall for kids run by Unchartered Tutoring, the release said. See manchesterartsandcraftsfair.com.

Vanities
Creative Ambitions Performance Studio of NH, a new professional theater company, will present its first production, the comedy-drama Vanities by Jack Heifner, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315), according to a press release. The show opens Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday, March 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults; $19 for students and seniors, the release said. Courtesy photo.

• “I wish I were big”: Kids Coop Theatre will present Big, the Musical, based on the 1987 movie, featuring performers ages 8 to adults on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $15 and are available at kidscooptheatre.ludus.com.

Coming up at Gibson’s: Several author events have been added to the schedule for March and beyond at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 South Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562). Journalist Sherry Boschert will visit Gibson’s on Tuesday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss her book 37 Words: Title IX and Fifty Years of Fighting Sex Discrimination, according to a press release. Journalist and author Christine Kenneally will discuss her book Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence and a Search For Justice (which looks at, among other places, St. Joseph’s, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont), at Gibson’s on Thursday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m., according to a press release. Author Hank Phillippi Ryan will present her latest thriller The House Guest and discuss her work with author Sarah Stewart Taylor on Wednesday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m., a press release said. Vermont authors Rebecca and Sallyann Majoya will come to Gibson’s on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss their shared memoir Uncertain Fruit: A Memoir of Infertility, Loss, and Love. Dennis Lehane will discuss his newest novel Small Mercies as part of a virtual author event with indie bookstores with Gillian Flynn on Tuesday, April 25, at 8 p.m. (sign up online for this ticketed virtual event). Find more upcoming author and book events in our book listings, this week on page 31.

Irish afternoon: The Center for the Arts will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a performance of Irish music from the Sunapee Singers and Irish step dancing by the McGongale Irish Step Dancers on Sunday, March 19, at 4 p.m. at Whipple Town Hall in New London (on the corner of Main Street and Seamans Road), according to a press release. Tickets cost $18, $8 for students (children 5 and under are admitted free); purchase tickets at centerfortheartsnh.org or with cash or check at the door, the release said.

History of the vote: Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters NH, will use historic photos and documents to discuss women’s journey to obtain the right to vote, from the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls to the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920, on Tuesday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tracey Memorial Library (304 Main St. in New London), according to a press release. Reserve a spot by emailing info@centerfortheartsnh.org.

In bloom
The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St. in Milford; 673-8499, nhantiquecoop.com) will present the show “In Full Bloom: Floral Still Life & Garden Paintings from the 19th Century to Present” Friday, March 24, through Thursday, Aug. 31. The exhibit will feature works from artists of the late 1800s to the present that capture spring and summer, according to a press release. A garden party opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. The Co-op is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

400 years of Portsmouth history: The Pontine Theater will celebrate Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary with the original production Dearly Earned at Pontine’s 1845 Plains School House Theatre (1 Plains Ave. in Portsmouth; pontine.org). The play is based on Portsmouth’s 19th-century industrial history and the lives of workers, according to a press release. Shows are Friday, March 17, through Sunday, March 26. Shows will take place Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $29.

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