Category: Art & Theater

The Art Roundup 24/03/14

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

• Where’s my art? Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester) is placing a call for art for their new exhibit, “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” which will run from Monday, April 8, through Tuesday, April 30, with an artist’s reception to be held on Saturday, April 13, from 4 to 8 p.m. The exhibit serves as a metaphorical playground for artists to engage with diverse materials and techniques, according to a press release. The same release invites artists to explore themes related to environmental consciousness, sustainability, biodiversity, and the delicate balance between human existence and nature. For more information about how to submit a piece for the show, see the website or call 512-6209 or email [email protected].

• Where’s my movie? Red River Theaters (11 S. Main St. in Concord) will host a short film festival put on by Creative Guts, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that is devoted to promoting artists in the Granite State and received the 2023 New Hampshire Governor’s Arts Award for Creative Communities. Creative Guts is inviting independent filmmakers from New Hampshire and beyond to submit their short films to a new film festival, which will be hosted at Red River on June 11, according to a press release. The submission deadline is Tuesday, April 30. Films in any genre that are 15 minutes or under are welcome and there is no submission fee, although donations are accepted, according to the same release. Visit CreativeGuts.org.

• Where’s my play? The Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry) will be hosting The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts as they present Anastasia The Musical: Youth Edition Saturday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24. Majestic’s production will star the children and teens of The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts under the direction of Collette Foley with musical assistance by A. Robert Dionne, according to a press release. The show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past, the release said. Show times are Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 23, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors 65 and above, and $12 for youth 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased by visiting or calling the box office at 669-7469, online at majestictheatre.net or at the door prior to the performance.

• Where’s my muse? The Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord) will be graced by three powerhouse singers to honor the divas of rock on Thursday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m., according to a press release. Muse: Divas of Rock is headlined by Jacyn Tremblay, Lauren Rhoades and Karen Carr. Tremblay said in a statement, “This show brings together local and regional female musicians to celebrate the rock voices of past and present … honoring artists like Pat Benatar, Heart, Evanescence, Fleetwood Mac, Paramore, Alanis Morissette, and more!” Tickets are $39.75 online and will cost an additional $5 at the door. Visit ccanh.com.

• Where’s my Irish band? Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St. in Derry) will host the Irish bluegrass band JigJam on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. JigJam made its Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville in March 2023 to critical acclaim and received a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd as they were joined by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and others, according to a press release. Tickets cost $25 to $30 and are available at stockbridgetheatre.showare.com or by calling the box office at 437-5210.

• Where’s my other Irish band? The Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord) presents Waking Finnegan on Saturday, March 16. The New Hampshire-based band offers a fresh take on Celtic rock that combines the edge and drive of electric guitar with the soul and depth of the upright bass, topped with haunting accordion, fiery fiddle and powerful vocals, all tied together with rockin’ drums, according to a press release. Concert-goers should expect to hear some old favorites in a new way, according to the same release. Tickets online at ccanh.com are $18.75 for general admission, $35.75 for reserved balcony seating; both are $5 more at the door.

Behind the scenes

Bedford Off Broadway presents Blame It On Beckett

In the theater, a dramaturg is a person tasked with combing through stacks of plays in search of any that might be worth doing. Bedford Off Broadway’s Blame It On Beckett, running through March 17, explores what happens when an aspirant to that role collides with the cynical incumbent dramaturg of a nonprofit theater company.

Heidi Bishop, played by Abby Lefebvre, is the wide-eyed newly minted MFA disrupting the scattered coffee cup office world of Jim Foley, a role inhabited by Larry Watson. Jim brushes off Abby’s entry as “a meeting with Mary Poppins,” but when smitten company president Mike Braschi (Jeff Robinson) hires her as an intern, Jim’s life begins to change.

The play’s title is reference to the author of Waiting for Godot, and a dig at innocents like Abby who view theater as life’s highest calling while mistaking him as an exemplar.

“You’re too young to like Beckett,” Jim tells her early on, adding that she only thinks she does because a college professor filled her head with silly ideas.

Further, Jim has decided, via years of reading mediocre works, that there are no worthy new playwrights. Anything worth doing will come from a recognized name or someone with connections. “This office is where great theater goes to die,” he believes, and the dramaturg’s only job is to reject submissions as quickly as possible.

This is advice that Abby decidedly doesn’t heed. From there, the play rollicks forward.

The final character in the play’s quartet of actors is Tina Fike, played by Karyn Russell Merriman. Tina is the company’s star, a veteran playwright whose presence leaves Heidi tongue-tied. Tina and Jim’s connection is seemingly the reason he enjoys his job, as the two thrust and parry while completing her latest work — its success will be critical to all concerned.

Written by John Morogiello and directed by Joe Pelonzi and Declan Lynch, Blame It On Beckett is filled with funny lines. Many are Jim’s; Watson stands out as the play’s star. Nonprofit theater only exists, he complains at one point, to make do-gooders feel better about wasting their money, adding he’d like to see a play written by the NRA.

Jim’s back-and-forth with Abby is hilarious. Asked if her degree intimidates him, he replies, “The only thing that threatens me is that sweater.” However, Abby’s blend of guilelessness and ambition will complicate things for Jim and cause some serious moments in Act Two.

As it’s a play about an obscure job in a niche part of the theater world, some of Blame it On Beckett’s best touches are meta and self-referential. For example, one of the rejected scripts mentioned in the play was written by Morogiello. Another funny moment has Jim telling Abby that no one would ever consider turning their office discussion into a play (like the one they are currently acting in).

Another wonderful element is the many subtle references to Godot, like the company’s “big-name bait” Literary Manager who never comes to the office, the many cigarettes Jim futilely tries to light, the director of Tina’s play, and the employee who’s on maternity leave whom Abby hopes to replace. Like the invisible character in Beckett’s play, none arrive (or ignite). Of course, there’s also the mountain of scripts on Jim’s desk with no hope of seeing a spotlight.

It all adds up to a sophisticated romp that’s snarky, sharp and at times touching. However, the show is aimed at mature audiences, something Director Pelonzi stressed in a recent phone interview.

“There are definitely adult themes,” he said. “To be honest, though, we did clean up some of the language, because there are certain things that we can’t say on stage here. But it’s still pretty edgy. It’s definitely a lot edgier than the normal shows we do in Bedford.”

Blame It On Beckett
When: Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.
Location: Bedford Old Town Hall, 3 Meeting House Road, Bedford
Tickets: $15 ($12 seniors/students) at brownpapertickets.com
Note: Not appropriate for children

Featured photo: Larry Watson and Abby Lefebvre in Blame It On Beckett. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 24/03/07

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

• Spring into love: “To Manchester With Love,” the new exhibition from theMosaic Art Collective ( 66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester; mosaicartcollective.com, 512-6209) is on display now through Friday, March 29. According to a press release, the show is dedicated to celebrating Youth Art Month and the artistic talents of high school students from Manchester. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, March 9, from 4 to 8 p.m.

• Spring on top of a piano: The city’s oldest music series, the Concord Community Concert Association opens its 93rd spring season Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. at Concord City Auditorium with Mia Vassilev. The internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso Mia Vassilev and Company’s ensemble adds percussion and dance to her dynamic performance style, according to a press release. The same press release stated that every CCCA concert becomes a party for the local music community with special refreshments served before the show and at the artists’ meet-and-greet. There will be a specially themed silent auction to support the artists’ fees. The CCCA season finale concert on Saturday, April 13, with headliner William Florian. The all-volunteer CCCA offers five concerts for a $60 season ticket, and students are admitted free. Tickets for this performance are $20 (free for youth to 18) and are available at the door 90 minutes before the show time or by calling 344-4747. See ccca-audi.org.

• See Simone: The Bookery (848 Elm St. in Manchester) will host TikTok artist Simone on her Open Book tour on Sunday, March 10, as she performs unreleased songs from her forthcoming EP at independent bookstores. According to the Bookery’s newsletter, a meet & greet will follow the performance. RSVP for the performance at laylo.com/simone/m/Crr66, and you can follow Simone at @simonemusic

• Spring into the color: On Sunday, March 10, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org) welcomes Theatre Kapow back to present a staged reading of Red, John Logan’s 2009 play unpacking the artistic approach of artist Mark Rothko, according to a press release. The performance will be followed by a facilitated conversation and a gallery visit to view Rothko’s painting “Untitled (Red over Brown),” which is featured in “Toward the New: A Journey into Abstraction,” an exhibition on view at the museum now through March 31. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for ages 13-17 and 65+, $10 for members, and free for children under 13.

• Spring into a Shakespeare audition: The Cue Zero Theatre Co. will hold open auditions at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive in Salem) for William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged), a play by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, on Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m., with callbacks on Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. Performances will take place June 21 through June 23. Interested performers should sign up for a time slot on Cue Zero’s website, where you can find more information about preparing for the audition. See cztheatre.com/index.php/get-involved.

• Spring into the mothership: The Players’ Ring (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth) is beaming up the play Aliens, written by Annie Baker, March 8 through March 24, produced in collaboration with Bardo Theatre Co. The play is described as a painfully beautiful drama as well as afunny, heartening play with music about art, friendship, and love, according to a press release. Showtimes will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. as well as matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. General admission is $28, or $25 for students and 65+. Get tickets and more information atplayersring.org/shows/aliens.

• Spring acting classes: The Palace Youth Theatre’s Palace Academy has a slate of spring classes including Improv and Acting Games I (for grades 1-5; Thursdays at 5 p.m., starting March 14), Improv and Acting Games II (for grades 6 to 9; Thursdays at 6 p.m., starting March 14); Mini Camp (for grades 2 to 6; Fridays at 5 p.m., starting March 8); Scene to Song (for grades 5 to 9; Mondays at 4 p.m., staring March 11); Stagecraft: Props (grades 4 to 12; Fridays at 4 p.m. starting March 8); Scene Study (grades 6 to 12; Fridays at 5 p.m. starting March 8); Intro to Directing (grades 6 to 12; Fridays 6:30 p.m, starting March 8), and Intro to Sketch Writing (grades 6 to 12; Monday at 5 p.m., starting March 11). The cost is $100 for each class series; see palacetheatre.org/pyt/palace-academy to register.

—Zachary Lewis

Art in Nature

NH Audubon in Concord showcases artist Jackie Hanson

Starting Tuesday, March 12, the artwork of New Hampshire native Jackie Hanson will be on display at the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center at 84 Silk Road.

“It is a really nice space,” Hanson said, describing the venue. “Great natural light, plenty of wall space — I feel like I need to make a few more pieces before I hang the show.”

Hanson, a 2022 Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from New England College (after the New Hampshire Art Institute merged with the school) was thrilled to be asked by the New Hampshire Audubon to exhibit her collection titled “Human/Nature.”

“I do a lot of landscapes and other nature-based things,” Hanson said. This will be her third showing since September.

“I had my art hang at two different public libraries last year,” she said. “The first one was Nashua Public Library. That was in September and October. Then my work went to Amherst Town Library in December.”

The NH Audubon describes this collection on their website as “immersive landscapes that feature both well-known and overlooked vantages.”

Hanson likes to pick and choose how to express an image.

“This show will all be in soft pastel,” Hanson said, “which is kind of like a chalk. That’s what that series of work is, but apart from that I also like to use watercolors, acrylic, wash … I like to jump around in different mediums. I find that if I do switch now and then, then I am better at all of them when I switch again.”

The collection for this show is solid. “I believe I have around 15 or 20 pieces. The biggest one that I have is called ‘Annie C Maguire Shipwrecked Here 1886.’” The painting measures 30 by 62 inches installed.“It is a four-panel, I guess quadriptych, of a panoramic view at Portland headlight in Maine. I named it that because there is a rock that you can see that they have to repaint it every few months because of the tide, but it says the name of a shipwreck that happened there.”

Hanson, as the NH Audubon points out, enjoys the vantage points less traveled.

“I have done a few pieces in this way, where I went to an iconic landscape in New England and I kind of turned away from the classic view, which in this case would be the lighthouse,” Hanson said. “I had it behind me and I was taking a view of the little cove next to it instead. And you can actually see the place that most people stand to take their photo of the lighthouse in my painting.”

Hanson grew up in an artistic family; her mother is an artist and has “always been doing artwork,” she said. “My family and my mom have shaped my idea of what’s beautiful in the world. So I like to promote that with other people, to look for beauty in everyday moments. ”

“I have a full-time job and it can be tricky,” she said; Hanson makes the most of her time, though, “painting at night and on the weekends. As we get into the warmer months, I do a lot of art and craft fairs on the weekends. You can find me all around the state and sometimes into Maine or Massachusetts, bringing my art and prints and cards and stickers of my art to different places. I like to do pop-ups, making it accessible to everyday people to have artwork in their homes. That’s a lot of how I get my art income. I do have my work at a store in Contoocook called Maple Street Mercantile as well.” The majority of her pieces will be for sale at the McLane Center.

Be on the lookout for future shows from Hanson.

“I just finished up an unrelated series that’s in mostly acrylic but some mixed media that’s botanicals, mostly house plants. I wanted to make sure that they had a distinctly feminine aesthetic.” As she sees it, “a lot of the high art world and some of the academic art world doesn’t think that things considered feminine are necessarily worthy…. So, a lot of pink, a lot of vibrant colors. I was thinking: art by a woman for women.”

Human/Nature
Where: McLane Audubon Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord
When: March 12 through May 17; the gallery is open Tuesdays through Fridays 11 a.m to 5 p.m.
An artist reception will be held Saturday, March 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.

More info: “Looking Back: Owl’s Head” by Jackie Hansonart. Courtesy Photo.

Flight into flyover country

Palace performs The Prom

A quartet of Broadway actors in need of a reputation reboot and a gay high school student looking to disrupt the status quo in her small town are at the center of The Prom, a musical that’s at turns heartwarming and hilarious. The latest production from the Palace Theatre, it will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through March 24.

Creative Director Carl Rajotte decided to do the show after watching a Netflix adaptation of it with Palace staff during the pandemic.

“We just all loved it,” he said in a recent phone interview. “People cried, we all laughed; we thought this should be something that we put in our season once we reopened.”

The story begins as diva actors Dee Dee Allen and Barry Glickman are finishing opening night of Eleanor: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story. The musical is immediately panned by the critics for missing the point. Both actors are slammed for being narcissistic and out of touch. Dee Dee is played by Michelle Rajotte, seen most recently in Dancing Queens. Jay Falzone plays Barry; it’s the ninth production for the Palace veteran.

Crestfallen, the two decide to combine altruism and public relations and look for a cause. With help from Trent Oliver, an underemployed Juilliard graduate (Richard Gomez), and Angie Dickinson, an actress who wants to move beyond 20 years in the Chicago chorus line (Katie Harvey), they learn about Emma (played by Palace newcomer Juliana Chimenti), whose attempt to take her girlfriend to the prom caused the whole thing to be canceled.

To the soundtrack of the un-self-aware anthem “Changing Lives,” the four hatch a plan to love-bomb the prom back into existence. Hopping on the bus with Trent, who’s in a non-union touring company of Godspell, they head to Indiana and an incredulous reception. The object of their crusade (mixing in Godspell is a lovely touch) is among the most bewildered.

Of course, the well-meaning bunch is undeterred. Like four bedazzled bulls in a China shop, they push their Big Apple agenda, as it were (“I’m a liberal from New York who’s come to save you!” Trent shouts at one point), on a cornfield community. Gratefully, life lessons outnumber caricatures, and The Prom’s heart shines through in the end.

The Prom’s greatest strength is taking a serious topic and leavening it with outsized humor, while weaving in compelling subplots to move the action along. The Broadway-loving (and Emma ally) high school principal who has a lifelong crush on Dee Dee, and Barry vicariously living his dashed high school prom hopes through Emma, are among the entanglements that carry things forward — along with great songs.

Ultimately, it succeeds because of what’s stumbled upon in an errant pursuit of redemption.

“It’s a comedy but it has so much heart too, it’s so charming,” Rajotte said. “Elites from the big city come thinking that they’ll bowl over the small town and they begin to learn where the soul of this place is, and they learn about themselves as well in the process.”

In preparing for the show, Rajotte was surprised to learn that playwright Jack Viertel got the idea for The Prom from a real event. “In Mississippi in 2010, a girl went to her school and asked to bring her girlfriend, and she wanted to wear a tux and they ended up canceling the whole prom,” he said. “That kind of hit me hard; that’s why this show is just so important.”

A few years back, Rajotte helped with a prom for teenagers in the Palace’s Youth Theatre program; it opened his eyes. “I thought … we’ll put some music up, dance a little bit,” he said. “But then I talked to the kids; one came to me, and this hit me like a brick wall. He said, ‘thank you so much for doing this…. I love it here more than school because I’m able to dance and be myself, and no one will make fun of me.’”

The moment reminded him why the show’s message matters. “Being inclusive and taking a moment to step in someone else’s shoes for a second before you judge … see it from another point of view and see how much someone can be hurt because of that,” he said. With The Prom, “we’re trying to get that message across, of course, with a ton of humor.”

The Prom
When: Fridays, March 8, March 15 and March 22, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, March 9, March 16 and March 23, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays, March 10, March 17 and March 24, at 2 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $28 and up at palactheatre.org

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 24/02/29

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

• Also coming to the Currier: In addition to the new exhibit on Feb. 29, the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) will open “I live a journey of a thousand years: Raphaël Barontini” on Thursday, March 7. The exhibition features “La Bataille de Vertières” as its centerpiece, “a monumental 65-foot-wide painting that first premiered inside the Panthéon and will be on view in the U.S. for the first time,” according to a press release.

The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, June 23.

• First Friday at Center for the Arts: The Kearsarge Conservatory of the Performing Arts will present “Dance Through Time” at the Center for the Arts’ First Friday event on Friday, March 1,at 6:30 p.m. at Whipple Hall in New London, according to a press release. The event is described as an “interactive journey through the captivating history of dance styles,” the release said. The event is free; see centerfortheartsnh.org.

• Shakespeare workshop: Truepenny Arts (truepennyarts.com) will hold a workshop on Shakespeare with former National Theatre Conservatory faculty and professional coach Michael Cobb on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalism Church of Concord (274 Pleasant St. in Concord). The cost is $25 ($20 if registered and paid by March 1). The workshop is designed for both beginners and experienced actors/directors of Shakespeare and will introduce conservatory-level acting exercises and coaching techniques, according to a press release.

• Animals of the world: The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce (49 S. Main St., Suite 104, Concord) will present “Wildlife from 7 Continents” by artist Kae Mason Tuesday, May 5, through Monday, May 6. The works in the exhibit feature paintings of “animals in their natural habitat” and are “influenced predominantly by global safaris that she embarks on with her wife,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The pieces are for sale by contacting the New Hampshire Art Association at 431-4230, the release said.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
The Milford Area Players present The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, this weekend and next at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford). Tickets cost $20 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors, and are available at rb.gy/t4jcd. The production, directed by Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal, is set in a courtroom in purgatory where Judas Iscariot is on trial to decide whether he deserves hell or redemption, according to a press release. The show contains adult language, drug and alcohol use, discussions of suicide and other dark situations; viewer discretion is advised, according to the content warning on the press release (see milfordareaplayers.org for the full content warning). The play runs Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m.; Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 10, at 2:30 p.m.

• Silent film screenings: Jeff Rapsis, accompanist who “specializes in creating live musical scores for films,” will play with several silent film showings in early March:

On Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m. Why Worry? (1923), a comedy starring Harold Lloyd, at Wilton Town Hall Theatre (40 Main St. in Wilton). Admission is free; a $10 per person donation is suggested.

On Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. Way Down East (1920) at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center (39 Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com). The film stars Lillian Gish and was directed by D.W. Griffith. The cost is $10 per person.

On Sunday, March 10, Peter Pan, a 1924 release that is the original silent film adaption of the film, at 1:30 p.m. at the Bedford Public Library (3 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford). Admission is free but registration is required. Register at bedfordnhlibrary.org.

• Piano lessons: Palace Youth Theatre is offering piano lessons with instructor Marc Willis starting in March, according to a press release. Half-hour lessons are one-on-one and for students grades 1 to 12, with a cost of $30 per half hour, the email said. Sign up by contacting [email protected].

Kara Walker at the Currier
The exhibition “Kara Walker: Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated)” opens Thursday, Feb. 29, at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) and will be on display through Monday, May 27. According to a press release, “15 works on paper by Walker will be presented alongside a selection of prints by Winslow Homer … that inspired them. The direct comparison between the original images by Homer and Walker’s reinterpretation of the same material was first undertaken by the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2017.” Homer worked as a war correspondent for Harper’s magazine and his drawings “of soldiers on the front lines of battle and civilians caught up in the war’s horrors became a visual history of the Civil War,” the release said. “These historic prints represent a starting point for Walker, who revisits them utilizing her signature silhouettes to introduce new elements that complicate their initial, seemingly objective narrative,” the release said.

A members-only tour will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 29; register online.

Kara Walker, Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats, From Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005. © Kara Walker, Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. and Sprüth Magers.

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