The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
• Saturday of art: Goffstown Main Street’s 15th Annual Uncommon Art on the Common runs this Saturday, Aug. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with works of more than 45 area artists and artisans displayed in booths along Main Street, according to a press release. Meet the artists — painters, illustrators, photographers, woodworkers, jewelry artisans, metal workers, authors, crafters, potters and more — and purchase their works. The day will also feature the Uncommon Bling project, when visitors can collect beads and handcrafted items from participating booths to create a necklace (the necklace is available at the Goffstown Main Street booth), the release said. A raffle will feature items donated by local artists and businesses, and a craft tent for kids will offer an activity to make, the release said. Goffstown High School will have a tent featuring work by high school students. See goffstownuncommonarts.org.
• Opening weekend: Cue Zero Theatre Company’s (cztheatre.com) Join/Empathy, a project from the Cue Zero Laboratory Series, hits the stage on Friday, Aug. 4, and Saturday, Aug. 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m. at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive, No. 4, in Salem). Tickets cost $15 per person. Join explores how and why people fall into cults, according to a press release. Empathy was created by a small group of performers looking at what “empathy” means in daily life and is set in a restaurant, the release said.
And catch the first presentation of the Nashua Theatre Guild’s I Hate Shakespeare at Temple Beth Abraham (4 Raymond St. in Nashua) on Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m. (a second show is Sunday, Aug. 13, at 2 p.m.). The play, by Steph DeFerie, will include the classic stories of Hamlet, Macbeth and more with “talking cows, zombies and other characters [who] will give you a fast-paced intro to the riotous charm of the man himself,” according to an email from the Guild. Tickets to these performances (which will be held outdoors under a tent) cost $5 for adults and children 6 and older (children 5 and under get in free). Cash-only concessions will be available (no outside food or drink), the release said. See nashuatheatreguild.org.
Windham Community Bands
Enjoy some music and get some ice cream at the Windham Community Bands’ ice cream social on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. at Searles School Chapel in Windham. Bring your own chairs and picnic blankets and enjoy ice cream at intermission, according to a press release, which listed the Windham Concert Band’s musical plans as including parts of Phantom of the Opera, the theme from Spider-Man, highlights from The Little Mermaid, music from Neil Diamond and more.
On Sunday, Aug. 27, at 1:30 p.m. the Windham Concert Band will perform at LaBelle Winery in Derry (14 Route 111, Derry). The afternoon will include free appetizers and a cash bar; tickets cost $20 per person, according to the press release. Call 425-3284 or email [email protected].
• Show for those in the know: Catch Namaslay: A New Puppet Musical by Playdoh (Zah Kolo) and performances by The Lowliest One and Birdorgan on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), according to an email from the show’s organizer. The shows take place in a private Manchester residence and are “suitable for adults and teens who are into social justice and DIY,” the email said. There is a requested donation of $15. Contact deixhrist@gmail for the address. See playdohpuppetproductions.com, thelowliestone.com and birdorgan.bandcamp.com to learn more about the acts.
• Theater kids: The Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for the fall 2023 semester of Palace Teen Company and the Palace Teen Apprentice Company on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 5 p.m. (arrive 15 to 30 minutes early to fill out paperwork), according to a press release. The companies are for performers ages 12 to 18 who want a more intensive theater experience and not all who audition will be accepted, the release said. Bring a headshot and resume; prepare 16 to 32 bars of a song of your choice, and wear or bring clothes you can move in when taught a dance combination, the release said. Auditions will be held at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester). Sign up by emailing the name and age of the student to [email protected].