Category: Art & Theater

What Thanksgiving is all about

Theatre Kapow presents The Thanksgiving Play

By Mya Blanchard

[email protected]

We all know Thanksgiving for the turkey and pie and giving thanks, but what is at the real root of the holiday and how does that tie in with Native American heritage month and culture? This is the question four individuals face when trying to write an accurate and politically correct Thanksgiving play for elementary school children in The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse. Theatre Kapow’s production of the play will be at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord from Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3.

“It’s a group of four people who come together to write and produce a play in honor of Native American Heritage Month and they realize very quickly that it’s difficult for them to tell a story about Native American heritage without having any Native Americans among their company,” said director Matt Cahoon. “The whole play is them trying to struggle with the fact that they don’t know what to do. They get very paralyzed by their own ‘wokeness’ for lack of a better word, and they [are] trying to do the right thing, and the right thing ultimately ends them up in several not right places.”

The four-person cast features longtime Theatre Kapow member Rachael Longo as high school teacher Logan, her onstage partner Jaxton played by Peter Josephson, Molly Litt as Alicia, and Joel Iwaskiewicz making his Theatre Kapow debut as Caden.

“I think one of the biggest challenges that we have is being OK with saying and doing some of the really awful and inappropriate things that they do,” Longo said. “We perform these school pageants that have actually … been written and used by different public schools in our country, and so the playwright took the text from the actual pageants and put it in for the actors to perform.”

Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse wrote the comedy in 2015. It is the only one of her plays to go to Broadway, which Cahoon says is likely due to its relatability.

“I think people [will] very quickly recognize themselves in some of these characters,” he said. “This kind of innate need to do the right thing, to be politically correct, to take care of each other and sometimes the ways in which we can tie ourselves in knots in an effort to do good. There’s a lot of comedy that comes out of that idea, that difficult conversations are difficult for a reason, and I think we get to laugh at these characters as they try to navigate [that].”

Theatre Kapow presents The Thanksgiving Play
Where: Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord
When: Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m.
Cost: General admission tickets are $28 and $23 for students and seniors not including fees.
More info: Visit tkapow.com

The Art Roundup 23/11/23

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

• Pop-up art show: Artists Charlotte Thibault and Byron Carr will have a pop-up art show starting Friday, Nov. 24, and running through Dec. 29, according to an email. The show will feature New Hampshire landscape paintings and take place at the old CVS, 46 N. Main St. in Concord, the email said. Find work by Carr, which includes oil and watercolor of landscapes and waterfalls, at byroncarrfineart.com and find work by Thibault, who also works in oils and does landscapes, seascapes, harbor scenes, still life and concept paintings, at charlottethibault.com, the email said. The show will feature paintings, prints and cards and will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (open until 8 p.m. on Fridays).

• Three ghosts: The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) will kick off its month-long production of A Christmas Carol on Friday, Nov. 24, with a show at 7:30 p.m. The production will run through Saturday, Dec. 23, with shows Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $28 through $49.

• Holiday show: The New Hampshire Antique Co-Op (323 Elm St. in Milford; nhantiquecoop.com, 673-8499) will hold its annual holiday open house on Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring raffles, a scavenger hunt, refreshments and more. Current exhibits include “Celebrating the American Landscape,” featuring works from artists of the late 1800s through the present, according to a press release.

• A life: The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) will present Man on the Hill, a musical theater production that follows the life of one man from boyhood through old age by New Hampshire composer and playwright John Stanley Shelley, on Friday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 26. The show’s music is performed by the Duncan Idaho Band, according to a press release. Tickets cost $22 to $28. The show runs Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

• A Nutcracker: The New England Dance Ensemble will present The Nutcracker on Saturday, Nov. 25, and Sunday, Nov. 26, at 4 p.m. at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Dr. in Salem) in a show featuring live music by the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets cost $35 to $55 and are available at nede.org.

• Pops: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will return to the Seifert Performing Arts Center in Salem for its Holiday Pops shows on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $10 for students. The Dec. 17 show will have a streaming option for $15. See nhphil.org.

• Winter show: The Greater Salem Art Association will hold its 2023 Winter Art Show & Sale Thursday, Nov. 30, through Saturday, Dec. 2, at Kelley Library (234 Main St. in Salem) featuring original works of fine art by local artists and a fine art raffle, according to a press release. The show will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free. See gsaa-nh.com.

• Holiday pops: The Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org, 644-4548) will present its Holiday Pops concert on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). The evening will feature a cash bar, refreshments, raffle prizes and a silent auction as well as performances by the Dino Anagnost Youth Symphony Orchestra of New Hampshire, the Flute Choir, the Queen City Youth Choirs and the NH Jazz Orchestra, according to a press release. Tickets cost $45 per person or $400 for a table for 10. Call or go online for reservations.

• Holiday spirit: Theatre Kapow will present the New Hampshire premiere of The Thanksgiving Play by Native American playwright Larissa FastHorse (a MacArthur Genius) Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord (Main Street in Concord; ccanh.com). “Three really REALLY well-meaning teachers and one actress walk into a school. The work at hand: a Thanksgiving pageant that won’t ruffle any features,” according to a press release description of this comedy. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. See tkapow.com for tickets.

• Contoocook Artisans fair: The annual Contoocook Artisans Holiday Craft Fair will be held Friday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 3, at the American Legion Post 81 E.R. Montgomery Event Center (169 Bound Tree Road in Contoocook). A juried fine arts and crafts fair, the event will feature more than 30 artisans with locally made items including gifts for the home, baked goods, maple sugar and honey, baskets, holiday items, dolls and children’s toys, wooden items, jewelry, leather items, clothing, oil cloth accessories and handbags, specialty paper and books, felted treasures, pottery, photography, soaps, folk art, beadwork, quilts, Shaker items, Christmas ornaments and more, according to a press release. The fair will run Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• A Celtic holiday: The Manchester Community Music School will also present upcoming faculty shows — “Spanish Renaissance” featuring Adriana Ruiz (voice) and Pablo Kennedy (lute and theorbo) on Thursday, Nov. 16, and “A Celtic Holiday” featuring Aubrie Dionne (flute), Erin Dubois (flute and piccolo), Kylie Elliot (flute) and Rose Hinkle (flute), according to a press release. The shows start at 7 p.m. and are free with preregistration, which is required. See mcmusicschool.org.

• Holiday sounds: The 35th annual Messiah Sing! performances will take place at Mont Vernon Congregational Church on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m., and at the Milford United Methodist Church on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m., according to a press release. The performance will feature a live orchestra as well as the chorus. Admission is free (donations accepted).

• The Dickens, you say: Theatrical company Carpe Diem will present A Dickens of a Christmas, the tale of a writer’s-blocked Charles Dickens, at the Old Salt Restaurant (Lafayette Road in Hampton) Monday, Dec. 4, through Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Monday, Dec. 11, through Wednesday, Dec. 13, according to a press release. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m. and includes a three-course dinner as well as live music and holiday carols. Tickets cost $59.99 and must be reserved by calling the restaurant at 926-8322, the release said.

The Art Roundup 23/11/16

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

• New exhibit in Manchester: “The Power of Art,” a show featuring paintings, sculpture, photographs and mixed media, is on display now at Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; art3gallery.com, 668-6650). The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and evenings and weekends by appointment.

• New exhibit in Concord: “The Balm for the Wounds We Bear,” an exhibit of paintings from artist Kathleen H. Peters, is on display through Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; 224-9909, nhaudubon.org). The center is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. See mhfiber.com/home for a look at Peters’ work.

• At the Chapel: The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; anselm.edu) is currently featuring “The Ten Essays Project” featuring reflections by faculty and staff on works in the permanent collection, according to a press release. The exhibit is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 8.

• Opening reception: Sullivan Framing & Fine Art Gallery (15 N. Amherst Road in Bedford; 471-1888, sullivanframing.com) will hold a reception for its exhibit of new works by Marcia Blakeman on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 3 to 5 p.m. Sullivan is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Holiday spirit: The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7649) presents In-Laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should Be Shot), a Christmas Eve-set comedy, Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for 65+ and 17 and under.

• Attention, young writers: The Center for the Arts (PO Box 872 in New London; 5nh-ARTS, centerfortheartsnh.org) is accepting submissions for its 4th annual teen writers contest through Friday, Dec. 15. Winners will be picked in poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction and receive prizes from local businesses (as well as publication in the Teen Writers Journal), according to a press release. The entries will be judged by Megan Baxter, a local author and Colby-Sawyer professor, the release said. The contest is open to all writers ages 12 through 18 who live in Andover, Bradford, Danbury, Grantham, New London, Newbury, Newport, Springfield, Sunapee, Sutton, Warner or Wilmot, the release said. Find all the rules at centerfortheartsnh.org/teen-writers.

• Craft fair in Salem: North Salem United Methodist Church (389 N. Main St. in Salem) will hold a craft fair Saturday, Nov. 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring handmade knitted and crocheted items, crafts, jewelry, homemade soups, baked goods, a silent auction, white elephant table and more, according to a press release.

• Pan-Latin sounds: The Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center (26 Main St. in Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org, 924-4555) will host Sol y Canto in concert on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. The ensemble features Puerto Rican/Argentine singer and percussionist Rosi Amador and New Mexican guitarist, singer and composer Brian Amador, according to a press release. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for children.

• Season opener: The Nashua Chamber Orchestra will present its season opener, “Beethoven and Schubert,” on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Nashua Community College (505 Amherst St. in Judd Gregg Hall, Nashua) and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. at Milford United Methodist Church (327 N. River Road in Milford). Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and college students (students under 18 get in for free). See nco-music.org for tickets.

• Choral show: Amare Cantare, an auditioned chamber chorus, will present its fall concert “More Love” on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Middle Street Baptist Church (18 Court St. in Portsmouth) and Sunday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. at Oyster River Middle School Concert Hall (1 Coe Drive in Durham). Tickets cost $18 in advance and can be purchased at amarecantarge.org; limited tickets may be available at the door, according to a press release.

One of a kind

New League of NH Craftsmen members bring ornate paper ornaments to Nashua gallery

The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen has been fostering the art of craft making for nearly a century, bringing crafts to the community through its seven galleries and craft fairs. The Nashua Fine Craft Gallery has added the work of several new crafters, including glassblower Emery Wenger, fiber artist Elaine Farmer, and Ann Desmarais and Martha Whitney, a duo who specialize in paper ornaments.

“We’ve worked with a lot of materials in the past, but right now the work we’re doing for the league are paper ornaments that are either folded or woven and bent into position … using beautiful papers that we’re sourcing from around the world,” Whitney said.

The two met in art class in high school and have been friends since, exploring various art forms over the years. With a shared familiarity with paper — Desmarais a retired graphic designer — it eventually became their preferred medium.

“The real appeal for us is we get to work with beautiful papers and create beautiful things,” Whitney said. “We get to visit each other a couple of days a week.”

The three classic ornament shapes that they create are triskele, an orb shape made from three strips of intertwined paper; pleated ornaments configured into a diamond-like shape; and the traditional German bell. Without many unique options available domestically, they often use paper imported from other countries.

“Some of the Florentine papers that we use on the pleated ornaments are very ornate, they’re often five, six, seven colors,” Desmarais said. “They often have metallics in them and the patterns have been around since the Renaissance period.”

“Of all the beautiful handmade papers that we can find around the world … some are too soft to hold a crease or [they] absorb the glue too quickly or they have other characteristics that make them unusable for the type of work we’re doing,” Whitney adds. “[With] these Italian papers, there’s quite a bit of variety available and we’re able to find the papers we need for each of the three ornaments. They require different papers because of the structure of them.”

While Whitney was living out of state, Whitney and Desmarais got together during holiday breaks and school vacations. She eventually moved back to Amherst and the two were able to work on their ornaments more regularly, eventually getting involved with craft fairs, where their ornaments were well-received. Once the pair felt they had perfected their craft, they went ahead with the jurying process and became members of the league this past summer.

“Eventually you just have so many beautiful ornaments, you need an outlet for them,” Whitney said.

League of NH Craftsmen Nashua
Where: 98 Main St., Nashua
November hours: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Featured photo: German Bell. Courtesy photo.

Wednesdays we wear pink

Ovation Theatre Company presents Mean Girls

Upon returning to Ovation Theatre Company to sit in on a rehearsal for Mean Girls after having observed a rehearsal for Newsies this past summer, I was excited to again be privy to the inner workings of an Ovation production, and I was not disappointed. Filled with humor, relatability and lots of talent, the show will be at the Derry Opera House on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11.

The 2004 teen comedy starring Lindsay Lohan, a classic for anyone who grew up in the 2000s as I did, was adapted into a musical in 2017.

“It only came out for licensing around last January or February … [and] I knew it was very popular among this age range and so I wanted to do it because I knew that they wanted to do it,” said director Meg Gore. “I don’t always do shows they’re begging for, but I like this one and I really wanted to take it on.”

About a week away from opening night, the cast ran through the second act of the show, pausing periodically to work out blocking and to refine, and unrefine, certain aspects, some songs requiring vocal grit, such as “World Burn” and “I’d Rather Be Me,” the latter of which contains a mouthful of words that Lorelei Stahl, playing Janice, executes with diction, attitude and power, after Regina George discovers and spreads the pages of the infamous “burn book.”

Regina is portrayed by Hanna Carroll, who embodies the role of queen bee with a “mean girl” demeanor as well as a dramatic and controlled belt and fantastic vocal runs. Regina is less than pleased when her throne is stolen by new girl Cady Heron.

“My favorite part about playing Cady is … [that] she’s kind of fun,” said Lily Gennetti, who landed her first lead role as Cady. “She’s so excited about everything all the time and you really see her development throughout the show. … I think the hardest part of playing her is the roller coaster of Cadys. … There’s pre-plastic Cady, plastic Cady, really plastic Cady [and] post-plastic Cady.”

Regina’s boyfriend turned ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels is played by Greer Danzey.

“My favorite part of being Aaron is getting to be genuinely nice and just being a real person,” Danzey said. “He’s probably one of the realest, besides Janice and Damian. He doesn’t really care.”

“Although it’s kind of highlighting stereotypes and larger-than-life characters, it really has a strong message about being yourself and addressing those issues that high schoolers have every day, so that’s kind of what I hope people take away from it,” Gore said. “We’re not highlighting the meanness [and saying] that’s a good thing, we’re saying this is what people deal with every day and how to navigate that path and still be supportive and empathetic.”

Ovation Theatre Company presents Mean Girls
When: Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Where: Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry
Cost: Tickets are $25
More info: Visit ovationtc.com

Featured photo: PILLAR Gallery. Courtesy photo.

The season of giving

Mosaic Art Collective presents new exhibit with donation drive

Fancy Florals by Mariah Sample. Courtesy photo.

Just in time for the holiday season is Mosaic Art Collective’s “A Few of My Favorite Things” exhibit, showing pieces that are 12×12” or smaller in size from Monday, Nov. 6, through Wednesday, Dec. 18, with an opening reception on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. The gallery will run an art supply donation drive for the Webster House concurrently with the exhibition.

“We had 112 pieces submitted and there will be 94 pieces on display,” said Liz Pieroni, owner of the gallery. “There are many different mediums represented.”

They include oil paintings on metal as well as on canvas, linoleum black prints, eraser prints, digital work, portraiture and acrylic paintings and other works depicting floral bouquets and mandala-like designs. The opening reception will include refreshments and music.

In addition to “A Few of My Favorite Things,” See Saw Art will have a 120-square-foot exhibition space within Mosaic Art Collective throughout November and December, so there will always be something new to see.

“It’s usually just a lot of really wonderful people gathering together to talk about art and life. It’s really a celebration,” Pieroni said of the opening reception. “We’re also going to be doing a collection of art supplies for the Webster House, so I’m hoping that people will come with art supplies to donate.”

The Webster House is a Manchetser residence for children ages 8 to 18 who are currently displaced from their homes. It offers services such as counseling and crisis management as well as trips and recreational programming. Donations can include any new or lightly used art supplies, such as crayons, paint brushes and paper.

“Art supplies especially are so helpful for kids who are in transition in one way or another to be able to express themselves,” Pieroni said. “Even if they’re not sharing the artwork that they’re making, it’s still cathartic in one way or another and I think most artists recognize that need to create work and just fully express their inner worlds. … It seems like such a simple thing, but it’s … a fun way of giving back to children in need.”

While most of the pieces in the gallery are done by New Hampshire artists, the venue features work from artists all around New England with various backgrounds and experience levels.

“What I think is incredibly unique about Mosaic is that we have artists that are very new [who are] creating [and] showing [their art] and then we have very seasoned professional artists who have been showing all their lives,” Pieroni said. “I think what’s wonderful about that is everyone has so much to learn from each other, the artists who have been exhibiting longer come with a lot of experience and the [emerging] artists have this really fresh perspective.”

Mosaic Art Collective
Where: 66 Hanover St., Manchester
Hours: Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m.

Featured photo: Happy Hippie by Terri Cote. Courtesy photo.

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