Category: Art & Theater

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

• 93rd season: The Concord Community Concert Association commences its 93rd season with a performance at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord; theaudi.org) by Next Generation Leahy, a groups of siblings who play not only Celtic music but music influenced by French-Canadian step-dancing and more, according to thenextgenerationleahy.com, where you can see concert videos and hear their music. Next Generation Leahy will perform Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, at the door or at ccca-audi.org.
• Icons: And speaking of the Audi, the Walker Lecture Series continues with “Secret Stories Behind Iconic Paintings” with Jane Oneail on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. which will look at works such as “American Gothic,” “Whistler’s Mother,” “Starry Night” and “The Nighthawks,” according to a press release. Doors open at 7 p.m. See walkerlecture.org.
• Henniker Homegrown: The fall festival known as the Henniker Handmade & Homegrown event will run Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Henniker and feature more than 70 artists, crafters, farmers and food makers, according to a press release. The vendors will set up at the community center and park at 57 Main St., the release said. The event will also feature music including Joey Clark & The Big Hearts, the Danny Savage Band, Peabody’s Coal Train and Beechwood — all at the Angela Robinson Bandstand. The food truck offerings will include Taco Beyondo, TOLA Rose Italian Eatery, and Drink Positive NH, the release said. Parking will be available at the Henniker Community School. See henniker.org.

Music, eats and art
Head to the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org, 673-7441) on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 7 p.m., where you’ll find the New England rock band kNowhere Kids (pictured) — bring an instrument and join the jam session, according to the website — and the food truck Cedi’s Tasty Treats. The Institute is currently hosting three artists as part of its International Sculpture Symposium. See the website for more on the artists.

• Autumn and crafts: Shop more than 75 juried craftsmen and artisans at the Autumn Festival on the Lake at Mills Falls Marketplace (Route 3 in Meredith) on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See castleberryfairs.com.
• Family story: Amherst-based author Thomas Fisher will discuss his book Gifts from Prometheus at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. The book is “a true journey into his family’s past. A moving and compelling personal story of discovery concerning his family’s roots and his recounting of his grandfather’s life as a Black man ‘passing’ in mid-century Boston,” according to a press release.
• Arts and foliage: Find both at the Deerfield Arts Tour on Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. each day. Meet the artists at more than a dozen studios featuring painting, pottery, glasswork, fiber art, mosaics, jewelry, woodwork and more, according to deerfieldarts.com, where you can find the map of all the locations and a look at the works by participating artists.
• News from the Count: See Matt Kirkland of Dracula Daily, a book that compiles the installments of an email newsletter that sent pieces of the novel Dracula, arranged chronologically, at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. No registration is required. The book includes artwork and memes from the newsletter’s subscribers, according to a press release.

Hand to God
“After the death of his father, meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry” — so begins the description of the play Hand to God by Robert Askins, which will be presented by the Actors Cooperative Theatre at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) starting Friday, Sept. 29, and running through Sunday, Oct. 15. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. “Hand to God explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind us,” according to the website, which notes that the production contains adult themes and language. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and students.

• October at Balin: Balin Books (Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St. in Nashua; balinbooks.com, 417-7981) has events on its October hosting schedule. On Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m. author Kathleen Watt will discuss her book Rearranged: An Opera Singer’s Facial Cancer and Life Transposed with fellow memoirist Melanie Brooks. See kathleenwatt.com. On Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m., illustrator Beth Krommes (she did the images for Susan Marie Swanson’s The House in the Night) of Peterborough will discuss and sign the children’s book We Are Branches, by Joyce Sidman, which Krommes illustrated. See bethkrommes.com.
• A tribute to Hollywood: Temple B’Nai Israel of Laconia (210 Court St. in Laconia; tbinh.org, 524-7044) will present The Jersey Tenors with “A Tribute to Hollywood” on Saturday, Oct. 28. The concert will benefit the Interlakes Community Caregivers, according to a press release. Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $40 at tbinh.org.
• Visiting dancers: The Boston Dance Theater will present two performances of the Carol Kaye Project at the 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St. in Portsmouth; 766-3330, 3arts.org) on Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. This contemporary dance program celebrates one of the most prolific bassist-guitarists of all time, according to a press release. Tickets cost $25.

Art After Work
Get music and arts discussion at the “Art After Work” this Thursday, Sept. 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. (when museum admission is free) at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144). Folk singer-songwriter Halley Neal and bluegrass band Pretty Saro will perform, and a program at 6 p.m. will look at the exhibit “Distant Conversations: Ella Walker & Betty Woodman” (on display through Oct. 22). “Italian Connections” will feature Katarina Jerinic, collections curator at the Woodman Family Foundation, “offering insight into how Betty Woodman’s time in Italy influenced her singular approach to ceramic sculpture” as well as a presentation of Lorenzo Fusi, chief curator at the Currier, “highlighting the influence of Italian fresco on Ella Walker’s work” according to the website. Register for this program, which will be held in the Winter Garden Cafe, online.

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

Art After Work: At the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) this Thursday (Sept. 21) the Art After Work (from 5 to 8 p.m., when museum admission is free) will feature music from Rebecca Turmel and “Art of Awareness” with Rosie Latona of White Swan Yoga and Suzanne Canali, director of education, according to the website. The program is a 30-minute awareness exercise and discussion with this month’s focus on “Série Elementar: Poder de Taja” part of the “The Living Forest: UÝRA” exhibit (which closes Sunday, Sept. 24).

At next week’s Art After work, catch a program at 6 p.m. that will look at the exhibit “Distant Conversations: Ella Walker & Betty Woodman” (on display through Oct. 22). “Italian Connections” will feature Katarina Jerinic, collections curator at the Woodman Family Foundation, “offering insight into how Betty Woodman’s time in Italy influenced her singular approach to ceramic sculpture” as well as a presentation of Lorenzo Fusi, chief curator at the Currier, “highlighting the influence of Italian fresco on Ella Walker’s work” according to the website. Register for this program, which will be held in the Winter Garden Cafe, online.

Sip N Sing: The Nashua Choral Society (nashuachoralsociety.org) is holding an event at Spyglass Brewing (306 Innovative Way in Nashua) called “Sip N Sing: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere!” at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23. Find out more about the chorus and enjoy some singing. The Nashua Choral Society invites new singers to its rehearsal on Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at Judd Gregg Auditorium at the Nashua Community College.

From The Players: The Sandwich-based Shakespeare company Advice To The Players will present Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 4 p.m. in Quimby Park (8 Maple St. in Center Sandwich). Tickets cost $20 for adults (ages 18 to 61), $15 for seniors (62+), students (10 to 18, over 18 with student ID); admission is free for 11 and under. See advicetotheplayers.org.

Night of swing and jazz: Jukebox Saturday will present swing and jazz, celebrating the music of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Harry James, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Cab Calloway and more, at the Stockbridge Theatre (44 N. Main St. in Derry; pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre) on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $30 or $35.

Walker Lecture Series: The Walker Lecture Series at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord) was slated to begin Sept. 20 with a travelog by Marlin Darrah about travels in Egypt. Future lectures include “The Blizaard of ‘78” with author Mike Tougias on Wednesday, Sept. 27; “Secret Stories Behind Iconic Paintings” with Jane Oneail, who has worked at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and the Currier Museum of Art, on Wednesday, Oct. 4; a performance by the Southern Rail Bluegrass Band on Wednesday, Oct. 25; an evening of Yankee humor with authors Rebecca Rule and Fred Marple on Wednesday, Nov. 1; a night of New Hampshire nature with “The Brilliant Beaver” with Willa Coroka and “An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon” by Ian Clark on Wednesday, Nov. 29, and a performance by the band The Cartells on Wednesday, Dec. 6. All of these shows take place at the City Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. and no tickets or advance registration is required. On Saturday, Dec. 2, at 10 a.m. see the open rehearsal of Handel’s Messiah, and see the performance on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. — both at St. Paul’s Church in Concord at 22 Centre St. The performance will be conducted by Benjamin Greene and will include professional soloists and a community chorus, according to a press release. See walkerlecture.org.

Save the date for wool: Celebrate fiber arts (and the animals behind it) at the 40th Annual Woo Arts Tour on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8. Five farms host the event, which will feature demonstrations, food, vendors, live animals and more, according to woolartsournh.com. Maple Lane Farm in Lyndeborough, for example, will have at least 15 vendors with wool and alpaca yarn, homemade items, homemade food products and eats for sale including pulled pork, ribs, hot dogs, sausage with peppers and onion and chili, according to an email. The farms will be open at 10 a.m. each day — until 5 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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

• September arts market: The Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, has its September outing this Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Last market of the fall season is Oct. 21. Visit concordartsmarket.net.
• Crafts weekend: The Hampton Falls Craft Festival will run Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Town Common (Route 1 in Hampton Falls). Admission to this outdoor event is free; the event will feature live music, arts and crafts. See castleberryfairs.com.
• Kingtson crafts: The East Kingston Craft Fair will be held Sunday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Kingston Public Library (47 Maplevale Road in East Kingston) and feature crafts, baked goods, artisan vendors and seasonal produce, according to the event’s EventBrite page.

Fabricating Modernism
Newly opened at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) is the exhibit “Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris” featuring the prints of a New Hampshire collector, according to a press release. The prints are dated from after World War II and created by artists working in the U.S. and Paris with the exhibit showcasing works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Sonia Delaunay and Georges Rouault, according to the website. The Currier is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays (when admission is free as part of the Art After Work program; this week the rock ‘n’ roll band Regals will perform).

• NH in art: Two Villages Art Society presents Colin Callahan’s “New Hampshire Up Close” at the Bates Building (846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) through Oct. 7. The exhibit showcases the hidden magic in everyday New Hampshire nature scenes, according to a press release.
• Tapestry Tuesday: The Lake Sunapee Region Center for the Arts’ Tapestry Tuesday program on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. will feature John Moody with “Abenaki/Penacook History of the Lake Sunapee/Upper Sugar River Watershed” at St. Andrew’s Church in New London, according to centerfortheartsnh.org. Space is limited; register at info@cfanh.org.
• Draw: Two Villages Art Society (846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) will hold its next free monthly Drawing Night on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. (Future drawing nights are Oct. 19, Nov. 17 and Dec. 21). Bring art supplies to work alongside others and receive “as much or as little feedback as you’d like,” according to a press release. The evenings are hosted by artists Ty Meier and Jo Grubman; no registration is required. Two Villages Art Society also offers a monthly Artist Circle (next up is Thursday, Oct. 5, then Nov. 2 and Dec. 7; all from 6 to 8 p.m.). Bring your work to have it critiqued or just enjoy conversation with fellow artists, the release said.
• A New England tale: Daniel Mason will bring his new novel North Woods, a story about a house in the woods of New England told through the lives of those who inhabit it across centuries, to Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562) on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 p.m.
• Season opening: Symphony New Hampshire will present “East Meets West Vol. II: Beethoven and Wijeratne” on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St. in Nashua). At this concert, which will kick off the 2023-2024 season, Grammy-winning tabla player Sandeep Das will join the symphony and Maestro Roger Kaile for the New Hampshire premiere of Dinuk Wijeratne’s “Concerto for Tabla and Orchestra,” according to the press release, which said the concert will close with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. Tickets cost $10 through $63; see symphonynh.org.
  In October, Symphony NH will present two Halloween shows on Saturday, Oct. 7. At 11 a.m., catch “Halloween Magic — Family Concert” featuring Camille Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre,” John Williams pieces from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Witches of Eastwick, Danny Elfman’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas Suite” and more, according to the website. Tickets cost $8 to $20. At 7:30 p.m. it’s “Halloween Pops!” with an expanded show. Tickets to the evening show cost $10 to $63. Both shows take place at the Keefe Center for the Arts in Nashua.

Fabricating Modernism
Newly opened at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) is the exhibit “Fabricating Modernism: Prints from the School of Paris” featuring the prints of a New Hampshire collector, according to a press release. The prints are dated from after World War II and created by artists working in the U.S. and Paris with the exhibit showcasing works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Sonia Delaunay and Georges Rouault, according to the website. The Currier is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as well as from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays (when admission is free as part of the Art After Work program; this week the rock ‘n’ roll band Regals will perform).

• Tour the (one-time) capital: The American Independence Museum in Exeter will partner with Exeter Parks & Recreation to present a guided walking tour of downtown Exeter, the Revolutionary War-era capital of New Hampshire, according to a press release. The tour will take place Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The event is free but pre-registration is required; register at indpendencemuseum.org/guidedwalk.
• Family Matinees: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s “Family Matinees” Chamber series returns Saturday, Sept. 30, at 3 p.m. at St. John’s Episocopal Church (101 Chapel St. in Portsmouth) with the orchestra’s principal winds performing “Carnival of the Animals.” Admission is a suggested $15 per family donation at the door. Future shows include “Masterpiece Transcriptions for Brass Quintet” on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m.; “Bach’s Toccata and More!” on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m., and “Fables in Harmony: A Musical Journey with the Tortoise and the Hare” on Saturday, April 27, at 3 p.m. See portsmouthsymphony.org.
• October at Gibson’s: Nathan Hill will be at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com) on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his new novel, Wellness, “a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together,” according to a press release.
• Broadway at the Palace: Tony winner Kelli O’Hara will perform on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) in a concert featuring the Palace Youth Theatre, according to a press release. Tickets cost $99 to $129.
• Christmas in Vienna in Laconia: The Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna will perform at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St. in Laconia; coloniallaconia.com) on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $49 to $89; go online or call 800-657-8774.
• Holiday sax: Kenny G will bring “Miracles Holiday and Hits” to the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St. in Nashua; 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $59 to $129.
• Art of the drum: Catch Drum Tao, a show with costumes and staging centered on Japanese Taiko drums, at the Capitol Center for the Arts Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $44 through $76.

Nashua author discusses her father’s illness

We all are likely familiar with a variation of the saying “the truth will set you free.” What they don’t tell you is how hard it can be to set the truth free. For Nashua author Melanie Brooks, it was a process a decade in the making, described in her memoir, A Hard Silence, released on Sept. 12. Brooks will be at the Bookery in Manchester on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. for a book reading and signing and at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord for a reading and conversation on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 6:30 p.m.

When Brooks’s father was infected with HIV in 1985 after undergoing open heart surgery and receiving contaminated blood, her family decided to keep it a secret.

“It was right at the height of the AIDS epidemic and there was so much ignorance and stigma surrounding the disease,” Brooks said. “There was a lot of prejudice and homophobia that was surrounding it and so my dad decided to keep it a secret, not expecting that it would be a 10-year secret. He was a doctor and he expected he would be dead in months.”

Originally from Canada, Brooks moved to New Hampshire 26 years ago after completing undergraduate studies. While pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree, she started the process of writing about her experience, which would result in her memoir.

“It was really difficult. It felt like I was breaking rules even though the rules weren’t there anymore,” Brooks said. “The secret of his illness was known before he died, but I kind of carried that silence really closely and I didn’t talk about it to a lot of people. … When I finally decided I was going to open that box and look at what was there, it was pretty difficult because it was really the first time I was acknowledging a lot of trauma and pain that resided in that experience.”

While working on her thesis, she had an additional project she needed to complete for her MFA for which she decided to interview other memoirists, like Andre Dubus III, Abigail Thomas and Kyoko Mori, who had written about their own difficult experiences. This resulted in Brooks’s first book, Writing Hard Stories, published in 2017.

“That book [was] actually kind of the book I needed to write to finish writing the current book,” Brooks said.

While the context of her memoir is her father’s illness, the book tells the story of her own experiences.

“The memoir’s really about what happens when we’re forced to stay silent, the things that are impacting our lives and the consequences of secrecy,” she said. “It chronicles my journey to come to that place of being able to tell this story and my experience.”

Brooks says it took a while to find a publisher willing to take a chance on her story, as many people feel that HIV/AIDS is less relevant today.

Just as the memoirists she interviewed for Writing Hard Stories helped her tell her own story, she hopes her memoir can do the same for her readers.

“I started to recognize that this is a story that’s about more than the HIV/AIDS epidemic,” Brooks said. “Whatever the secret and silence is [that] people are carrying, I think they need to recognize that it doesn’t have to be an experience that they hold in isolation. …. I hope [readers] will see that even in the most difficult circumstances, speaking those circumstances brings a level of relief.”

Melanie Brooks

Book launch and conversation
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Nashua Country Club (25 Fairway St. in Nashua)
RSVP: Via balinbooks.com/events

Book signing and reading
When: Thursday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m.
Where: Bookery, 844 Elm St., Manchester, bookerymht.com

Reading and conversation about writing stories of health/illness
When: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord, gibsonsbookstore.com

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

• Get Stage Struck: The curtain rises on Friday, Sept. 8, for the 9th season at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) with Phylloxera Production’s Stage Struck, a “wild comedic thriller” according to a press release. Robert, a former stage manager in London’s West End, is now a house-husband for famous actress wife Anne, whose therapist threatens to upset the balance of Robert’s life of dalliances in this play from playwright Simon Gray and directed by Gary Locke, the release said. The play contains adult language and violence and is not recommended for children, according to the press release. The production runs through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors and students.
  
• September at Gibson’s: Events on the schedule at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com) include an evening with horror writers Clay McLeod Chapman (whose books include What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters) and Chuck Wendig (Black River Orchard, Wanderers, The Book of Accidents) on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. Gibson’s kicks the September schedule off on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. with “Thursday Thrillers” — Jilly Gagnon discusses her new thriller Scenes of the Crime with Hank Phillippi Ryan, whose book The House Guest is newly in paperback, according to the website. Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson will also head to Gibson’s in September — Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss their new book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell.
  
• Author on stage: Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club among other books, will discuss his latest book, Not Forever, But For Now, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org, 436-2400) with Rick Ganley, host of NHPR’s Morning Edition. See the website for ticket packages, which include purchase of a book voucher for each one to two tickets, according to a press release.
  
• Season begins with Deathtrap: The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; 436-8123, playersring.org) begins its 32rd season with the thriller-comedy Deathtrap, running Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 24. Catch the shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays with general admission tickets costing $28 ($25 for 65+ and students).
  
• Bat Boy at the Rep: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) will present the musical comedy horror Bat Boy Thursday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 29, with shows most Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The show is described as “not suitable for all audiences” (with violence, blood and gore, sexual assault and other graphic content), according to the website. Tickets start at $35.
  
• More theater news from the coast: The New Hampshire Theatre Project (959 Islington St., No. 3, Portsmouth; nhtheatreproject.org, 431-6644) will start its season, themed “What’s Your Story?,” with Thirst For Freedom, a production about the story of Ona Judge, a woman enslaved by George and Martha Washington who escaped to Portsmouth, which will be on stage Friday, Sept. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 8, with shows on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays. The Project recently announced a new leadership team of Amy Desrosiers (art liaison), Monique Peasle Foote (board chair) and Sean Robinson (director of theater operations), according to a press release. See the website for a complete listing of the upcoming season’s shows.

The Palace Theatre hosts the second Manchester Citywide Arts Festival

Art in all its forms will be celebrated during the second Manchester Citywide Arts Festival Presented by Cambridge Trust Charitable Foundation from Monday, Sept. 11, to Sunday, Sept. 17. During the week, multiple businesses around the city will participate by offering free events, classes and workshops in music, literature, sculpting and dancing among other artistic endeavors. The festival will close with a street fair on Saturday and Sunday featuring around 50 vendors, food trucks, aerialists and other art activities.

“The goal is just to celebrate the arts in Manchester and really in New Hampshire, to bring families here and children and to support all the local businesses,” said Katie Lovell, who is planning the event.
Festivities begin on Monday at Studio 555 Art Center. At 3 p.m. they will have a free pottery demonstration where anyone can come in and observe a teacher making pots, whom they will be able to engage with and ask questions. At 4:15 p.m. families will have an opportunity to participate in a family clay sculpting workshop.

“The workshop is something that happens year-round but we’re adding other days that are not the typical time for that workshop just to make it more available to more people,” said Monica Leap, who works at the studio.
The night wraps up with a meet and greet with illustrators at the Bookery from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

For those interested in dance, Dimensions in Dance will offer free dance classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, as will Forever Emma Studios on Tuesday and Thursday. On Wednesday, the Majestic Theatre will provide an improv workshop at 6 p.m., followed by a bucket drumming workshop at Ted Herbert Music School.

Also participating is Mosaic Art Collective, which opened last year during the first arts festival. They will be hosting an opening night party on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. with live entertainment and refreshments to celebrate their anniversary.

“Mosaic Art Collective is a cooperative art studio and gallery space,” said the manager, Elizabeth Pieroni. “Usually [our] shows are based around different themes month to month.”

Such themes have included art inspired by video games and trash to treasure featuring art made from recycled materials. The first show they opened with was called Full Circle, which they will return to this month with Full Circle: The First Revolution.

“Artists were asked to reflect on their journey throughout the year … or just something that went really well this past year, so people decided what worked well for them and then celebrated those types of things,” Pieroni said.
This exhibition will be on display during the festival and through Sept. 27. The street fair kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m.

“We have live music, story time with the Bookery, Queen City Improv is coming [and] we have some different dance groups performing,” Lovell said. “On Sunday we have live art happening with a model on stage [and] a live painting, so it’ll be really fun.”

Vendors will be selling everything from jewelry and clothing to ceramics and pastel illustrations.

During the fair, the community is invited to contribute to sculptor and furniture maker Mark Ragonese’s community art project, the Wishing House, which he worked on during the Currier Museum of Art’s block party in July.

“People write their wishes on flags and they are woven into the wishing house,” said Suzanne Canali, the director of education at the Currier. “The story behind [it] is that over time the wishes will fade and essentially the story is that wind horses come and take their wishes and bring them to life so that they can come true. We are hoping to have enough wishes so that all of the house is covered.”

Once completed, the 8 foot by 8 foot structure will move to Stark Park along the walking path for people to sit in and contemplate.

“We really just want to bring in a nice crowd to downtown Manchester and show off all these great local businesses and artists,” Lovell said. “Everyone’s really excited about this and I think it’s going to be such a great event to celebrate art and bring everyone together.”

Manchester Citywide Arts Festival

Monday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 17
palacetheatre.org/manchester-citywide-arts-festival Pottery demonstration

Pottery demonstration
When: Monday, Sept. 11, 3 to 4 p.m.
Where: Studio 550 Art Center, 550 Elm St.
Cost: Free

Family clay sculpting workshop
When: Monday, Sept. 11, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.
Where: Studio 550 Art Center, 550 Elm St.
Cost: $20 Meet and greet with illustrators

Meet and greet with illustrators
When: Monday, Sept. 11, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Bookery, 844 Elm St.
Cost: Free

Dance class and storytime (Ages 2 to 5)
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 10 to 10:45 a.m.
Where: Dimensions in Dance, 84 Myrtle St.
Cost: Free

Trial tap/jazz combo class (Grades 1 to 2)
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St.
Cost: Free

MCMS open house
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Manchester Community Music School, 2291 Elm St.
Cost: Free

Chess boxing
When: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m.
Where: Bare Knuckle Murphy’s Boxing Kickboxing/MMA and Go Ninja Aerial Fitness & Circus Arts, 163 Lake St.
Cost: Free

Ballet class for adults
When: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Dimensions in Dance, 84 Myrtle St.
Cost: Free

Improv workshop (all ages)
When: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 6 to 7 p.m.
Where: Majestic Theatre, 880 Page St.
Cost: Free, registration is required.

Bucket drumming workshop
When: Wednesday, Sept. 12, 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.
Where: Ted Herbert Music School, 880 Page St.
Cost: Free, registration is required

Trial tap/jazz combo class (grades 3 to 5)
When: Thursday, Sept. 14, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: Forever Emma Studios, 516 Pine St.
Cost: Free

Art after work
When: Thursday, Sept. 14, 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St.
Cost: Free

MAC cocktail party
When: Friday, Sept. 15, 6 to 9 p.m.
Where: Spotlight Room at the Palace Theatre, 90 Hanover St.
Cost: Free

Pop up gallery
When: Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Spotlight Room at the Palace Theatre, 90 Hanover St.
Cost: Free

Opening night party/anniversary celebration and reception
When: Saturday, Sept. 16, 4 to 8 p.m.
Where: Mosaic Art Collective, 66 Hanover St., suite 201
Cost: Free

Street fair
When: Saturday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Opera Block of Hanover St.
Cost: Free

Saturday, Sept. 16, performance schedule
10 a.m.: featured music streaming from The River
11:30 a.m.: Storytime with the Bookery
Noon: Bookery kids activity
12:30: Nsquared Dance
1 p.m.: Paul Nelson
2 p.m.: Harrison Goodell
2:30 p.m.: Palace Youth Theatre performance
3 p.m.: Dare to Dance
4 p.m.: Queen City Improv Sunday, Sept. 17, performance schedule
10: featured music streaming from The River
10:30 to noon: Coffees & Covers with Last Kid Picked
1 p.m.: Justin Cohn
2 p.m.: David Corson
3 p.m.: live painting Phoebe Agnes Art

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

• Singing for the holidays: The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus will hold open auditions for its holiday concert series called “Holly, Jolly, Folly” starting Sept. 5. The auditions, which are open to new singers, will be held at the First Congregational Church (508 Union St. in Manchester) on Tuesday, Sept. 5; Tuesday, Set. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, all from 6:30 to 7 p.m. A full chorus rehearsal will follow the first two audition times at 7 p.m. and a tenor rehearsal is at 7 p.m., according to a press release. The chorus is open to men over the age of 18 (gay, straight or male-identifying) who enjoy singing in four-part harmony, the release said. “Auditions are quick, private and easy. You don’t need to have any material or music prepared,” the release said. See nhgmc.com.

• September at Andres: The Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline, andresinstitute.org) will hold a “Mindful Outdoor Experience” featuring a trail walk and more with Heather Sweeney, certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., according to the website. The cost to register is $25.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Andres will kick off its annual International Sculpture Symposium, when artists create new sculptures to add to Andres’ trails, with an opening ceremony at 1 p.m.; the public is invited to this free event. On Friday, Sept. 22, there will be a ticketed, catered barbecue with the symposium artists — Ivona Biocic Mandic from Croatia, Finn Cossar from Australia and Renubala Kashyap Rajput from India, the website said. The public can learn more about the artists at a Symposium Artist Showcase on Saturday, Sept. 23. A lobster boil dinner with the artists (also a ticketed event) will take place on Friday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m. A panel discussion with Symposium Alumni Artists is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7. The closing ceremony for the symposium is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. View the artists’ pieces as they work on them at the Studio, Monday through Friday between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4, the website said.

The Institute’s 12 miles of trails, which feature more than 100 sculptures, are open daily from dawn to dusk, the website said.

Kicking off season 9
Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) will kick off its 9th season with Phylloxera Production’s Stage Struck, a “wild comedic thriller” according to a press release. Robert, a former stage manager in London’s West End, is now a house-husband for famous actress wife Anne, whose therapist threatens to upset the balance of Robert’s life of dalliances in this play from playwright Simon Gray and directed by Gary Locke, the release said. The play contains adult language and violence and is not recommended for children, according to the press release. The production runs through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $22 for seniors and students.

• Poems and prose: Rebecca Kaiser Gibson, who runs The Loom poetry reading series in Harrisville (theloompoetry.com) and is the author of books including the novel The Promise of a Normal Life and the poetry collection Girl as Birch, has several events in September. She will discuss her experience teaching poetry in Hyderabad, India, in the presentation “The Gods Next Door, a Glimpse into India” on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Derry Public Library (64 E Broadway in Derry; derrypl.org, 432-6140); go online to register. On Sunday, Sept. 17, at 1:30 p.m. she will be at Del Rossi’s Trattoria (73 Brush Brook Road in Dublin) with Oliver De La Paz. See rebeccakaisergibson.com for more on the author.

• September at Balin: Balin Books (375 Amherst St. in Nashua, 417-7981, balinbooks.com) has author events on the schedule for September. New Hampshire author Paul August will discuss his novel The Canaries on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Melanie Brooks will read from her memoir A Hard Silence and discuss it with author Suzanne Strempek Shea, according to a social media post from the bookstore. See melaniebrooks.com for more on the author and her book. (Brooks will also be at the Bookery in Manchester on Sept. 14, Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough on Sept. 16 and Gibson’s in Concord on Sept. 20.) On Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. catch the return of naturalist author Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson, this time with their book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, which is slated for release Sept. 19. The duo were at Balin earlier this year for The Book of Turtles. See symontgomery.com for more on all of Montgomery’s works.

Off to see the wizard
Tickets are on sale now for The Wizard of Ozat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). The show, which boasts the familiar songs performed by the cast and a live orchestra and “masterful special effects,” opens the 2023-2024 St. Mary’s Bank Performing Arts Series, according to a video posted on the Palace’s social media. This professional production runs Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 24, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well as Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $49 for adults, $28 for 12 and under and $33 for seniors, according to the website.