Category: Art & Theater

The Art Roundup 21/11/04

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

•​ Symphonic suites: Symphony New Hampshire presents its second concert of the season, “Suites and Schubert,” on Friday, Nov. 5, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). The concert, conducted by artistic director Roger Kalia, will feature music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. Ticket prices range from $20 to $60 for adults and $18 to $55 for seniors age 65 and up. Admission is free for children with a paying adult. Visit symphonynh.org or call 595-9156.

Art by Kristin Watts, a featured artist at the Warner and Contoocook Art Event and Shopping Tour. Courtesy photo.

•​ Art weekend in the villages: The Warner Historical Society and Kearsarge Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Warner and Contoocook Art Event and Shopping Tour from Friday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Nov. 7. Art galleries and studios in both villages will be open, with artists onsite to discuss and demonstrate their art. There will be a variety of art and crafts for sale, including jewelry, fine art, baskets, pottery, wooden ware, dreamcatchers and more. The event will kick off at the Upton Chandler House Museum (15 W. Main St., Warner) on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., and will continue at various locations throughout the weekend. On Saturday only, participating locations will include the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road, Warner), MainStreet BookEnds Gallery (16 E. Main St., Warner) and Copper Canoe Gallery (916 Main St., Contoocook,), all from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participating locations on Saturday and Sunday will include Two Villages Art Society (846 Main St., Contoocook), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days; Café One East (1 E. Main St., Warner), from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days; and the Upton Chandler House Museum and Contoocook Depot (896 Main St., Contoocook), both from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Visit warnerhistorical.org or kearsargechamber.org.

•​ A night of Duke Ellington: The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington with “Salute to Duke” on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). The concert will feature the music of Ellington, some classics and some lesser-known pieces, performed in various sounds and styles. Tickets cost $40. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities or call 641-7700.

• Watch that scene: Mamma Mia! continues at The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m. The jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson features 28 songs by the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA, including hits like “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Mamma Mia.” Set on a Greek island, the story follows Sophie, a young woman who is engaged to be married and dreams of the perfect wedding at which her father walks her down the aisle. The only problem is she doesn’t know who her father is. After looking through her mother’s old journals, Sophie invites three of her potential fathers to the wedding, but the identity of her real father is not as clear as she thought it would be. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

Covid poetry book launch

The New Hampshire Center for the Book and the New Hampshire State Library will host a virtual book launch event for COVID Spring II: More Granite State Pandemic Poems on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., via Zoom. The book, published by Hobblebush Books and edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, is an anthology of poetry by 51 New Hampshire residents about the pandemic experience in New Hampshire and the followup to COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, which was released in September 2020. The event will include an introduction from Mary Russell, Director of the New Hampshire Center for the Book, and discussions with other special guests. Registration is required. Visit hobblebush.com or call 715-9615.

ART

Exhibits

• “TRUTH BE TOLD: AN ARTFUL GATHERING OF WOMEN” Two Villages Art Society presents a collaborative exhibit of works by 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. On view now through Nov. 13. Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• “WPA IN NH: PHILIP GUSTON AND MUSA MCKIM” Exhibit features a pair of 14-foot monumental murals painted by artist Philip Guston and poet and painter Musa McKim for the Federal forestry building in Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1941. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Dec. 5. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com

.• “SMALL WORKS — BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit in-person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Nov. 2 through Dec. 31. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Fri., Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• “NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW” A collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, on display in eight exhibitions at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations include Belknap Mill Society in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.

• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.

• “9/11” Exhibit features images of the September 11 attacks and the aftermath, taken by war photographer Jim Nachtwey. On view now. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

THEATER

Shows

• WONDERS Phylloxera Productions presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Now through Nov. 7, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• MAMMA MIA Palace Theatre presents. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Now through Nov. 14, with showtimes Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord). Fri, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.50. Visit ccanh.com.

• ALL TOGETHER NOW!Produced by the Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theater Project. Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. Fri., Nov. 12, 7 p.m., and Sat., Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

• THE WEDDING SINGER Presented by Peacock Players. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.

•​ 9/12 New World Theatre presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

Classical

•​ “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.

Take the artistic route

Exhibits, make-and-take crafts, demos and more on the Route 3 Art Trail

Building on a small but successful inaugural event, the second annual Route 3 Art Trail returns with more artists, more demonstrations and more hands-on activities at three anchor locations — Kimball Jenkins, Twiggs Gallery and MakingMatters — plus a cluster of small studios in between. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Adele Sanborn, owner of Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, came up with the idea last year to create the art trail as sort of a replacement for NH Open Doors, which the gallery used to take part in.

Doug Egounis handcrafts furniture and holiday decorations. Courtesy photo.

“We are connecting [the public] with local artists this way instead,” Twiggs Gallery Manager Laura Morrison said. “The ultimate idea is to create an arts corridor that’s north of Concord.”

During the event, Twiggs will open its annual holiday exhibit Sleighbell Studio for the season.

“During November and into mid-December we kind of turn it into more of a shop for people to pick up gifts,” Morrison said.

If weather permits, the gallery will also host a bonfire from 1 to 3 p.m., where people can roast marshmallows, drink hot chocolate and listen to caroling, and it will offer free kits for making holiday cards.

MakingMatters in Penacook is another of the tour’s anchor stops, and MakingMatters Treasurer Sandra May said they’ll have 10 or 11 demonstrators.

“We’ve more than doubled what we had last year,” she said. “We [also] have a full house of resident artists.”

Some of the demonstrations will be done by non-resident artists, including a bowl turner and a wood carver from the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers and a sculpturist. There will be some hands-on activities, including happiness rocks, collage painting and two free classes: posca pen paint art for all ages, and cyanotype image printing for mature kids and adults. For the posca pen class, people are welcome to bring objects from home to paint on.

Jo Shields incorporates recycled objects into her work. Courtesy photo.

May said she’s looking forward to “sharing the energy of the arts community that’s north of Concord.”

“I think Penacook doesn’t always get the love it deserves,” she said.

Also in Penacook, mixed-metal artist Jo Shields is back on the art trail after getting a lot of traffic last year at her studio, located inside her house. Shields was just juried into the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and is starting to get some of her pieces into the League stores. She uses all kinds of recycled objects in her jewelry, including old knitting needles, pieces of metal she’s found on the road, old porcelain dolls and cut-up silver-plated trays.

“I like to work with copper, and I make a lot of earrings. I love making necklaces. My stuff is very different, kind of funky and fun,” she said.

Also at Shields’ studio will be her friend Diane Fishel of Ofishel Designs!

“She makes some of the most awesome handbags,” Shields said.

Both will be doing demonstrations; Shields will be doing repousse, a metalworking technique, while Fishel will be painting on fabric.

Back in Boscawen, glass artist Karen Mehos will open her studio and home retail shop, Gadzooks Glass, for tours and shopping, as well as demonstrations if the weather is warm enough. Mehos makes fused glass ornaments, bowls, votive holders and night lights. Up until now it’s mostly been just for fun, but she was intrigued by the idea of opening up her home and studio for the tour.

“I’ve never done this before, [but I thought] I should really sell [my work] because it’s piling up,” she said. “I just want to make pretty things that other people can enjoy.”

Mehos has been working with fused glass for about eight years, having done stained glass in college.

Small glass bowl by Karen Mehos. Courtesy photo.

“Life happened, then I [eventually] moved into my own place with my own little shed, and that’s where I work,” she said.

Mehos will have something for every price range; most will be less than $50, and many are in the $10 to $25 range.

“The more complex they get, the price goes up,” she said. “I can spend anywhere from an hour to a day just putting the glass in place and making it go the way I want it to.”

Her priciest item is a bowl that features a sunset, which she spent three months working on.

“That bowl is a labor of love and passion,” she said. “That image popped into my head and it was my job to get that image out of my head and into the glass.”

Several other artists will open up their shops for the Route 3 Art Trail, as will the third anchor location, Kimball-Jenkins, which is in the northern part of Concord. It will have its Salon 2021 exhibit open for viewing.

Each of the locations will have an item to raffle off; pick up your Passport at your first stop, then visit at least five more sites to be eligible to participate.

Route 3 Art Trail

When: Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Various locations throughout Boscawen, Penacook and northern Concord
More info: For a map, visit route3arttrail.com.

Trail stops

On King Street in Boscawen:

Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St.

Twiggs Gallery’s holiday exhibit Sleighbell Studio will open for the season. Weather permitting, there will be a bonfire from 1 to 3 p.m. for roasting marshmallows, plus hot chocolate and caroling by the Boscawen Congregational Church Choir. Take home a free kit to create a unique holiday card.

Gadzooks Glass, 232 King St.

Glass artist Karen Mehos will open her studio for tours and demonstrations, weather permitting, and she will have her retail space open to sell her small ornaments, night lights, votive holders, platters and bowls.

Susan Douglass, 231 King St.

Susan Douglass will have a tent set up outside her home to showcase the sculptures and whimsical items she creates for the home and garden. Everything is made from upcycled objects.

Chadwick Hill Rustic Furniture, 187 King St.

Furniture craftsman Doug Egounis creates log furniture made from a variety of wood such as black birch, white birch, maple and pine. He will be making a bench and some small reindeers during the tour.

Marshall’s Flowers & Gifts, 151 King St.

Marshall’s Flowers & Gifts features New Hampshire-made gifts, fresh, dried and silk arrangements and dish gardens. Stop by to watch the florist designing fresh flower arrangements.

In Penacook:

Dreamland Machine Quilting, 15 Fowler St.

Quilter Tracy Szanto provides custom machine quilting, custom-made T-shirt quilts and other quilted items and gifts. Tracy will have her quilting machine set up to do demos and will also demonstrate how she paints on fabric.

Jo Shields Studio, 5 Steeple View

Jo Shields is a mixed-metal jeweler; she invited Diane Fishel of Ofishel Designs! to join her for the day. Jo will be demonstrating repoussé, a metalworking technique, and Diane will be demonstrating painting on fabric.

MakingMatters NH, 88 Village St.

MakingMatters NH is Concord’s makerspace and artist/business incubator. It will be offering facility tours, artisan and equipment demos and children’s make-and-take craft stations. There will be two free classes: Explore Posca Paint Pen Art from 11 a.m. to noon and Cyanotype Image Printing Workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sign up at makingmattersnh.wildapricot.org.

In Concord:

Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St.

Kimball Jenkins Salon 2021 exhibit will be open for viewing. The exhibition explores the diversity of studio practices and media from a range of regional artists and is hung floor-to-ceiling, salon-style.

Featured photo: Susan Douglass upcycles glass objects for home and garden. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 21/10/28

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

• History carved in stone: Laconia Public Library and New Hampshire Humanities present a virtual program, “New Hampshire Cemeteries and Gravestones,” on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Rubbings, photographs and slides highlight gravestones throughout the state that tell stories of the Great Awakening, the Throat Distemper epidemic, the American Revolution and other historical events. Learn about the craftsmen who carved these gravestones and how the gravestones provide insight into New Hampshire’s genealogy. Registration requested by emailing info@laconialibrary.org. Visit nhhumanities.org/programs/577/new-hampshire-cemeteries-and-gravestones

•​ Shoe art and poetry: Catch “Kick-Start,” an exhibit by the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter on view at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen), before it’s gone on Sunday, Oct. 31. Also known as “the shoe show,” the exhibit features shoe-themed art by two dozen artists in a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, artist books, small installations, photography, drawings and mixed-media pieces. “All the work is really different,” gallery director Laura Morrison told the Hippo earlier this month. “No one piece is like the other. We have things that are very serious, things that are just plain silly, things that are really powerful.” Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Additionally Twiggs Gallery will host a poetry reading and open mic event alongside the exhibit with the correlating theme “In My Shoes” on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. Eight poets who recently completed a four-week poetry class at the gallery will read their poetry. Community members are invited to bring and read an original or favorite poem that fits with the theme for the open mic portion. The event is free, and light refreshments will be served. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• Pandemic poems: COVID Spring II: More Granite State Pandemic Poems, an anthology of poetry by 51 New Hampshire residents about the pandemic experience in New Hampshire, is now available through independent Concord-based publisher Hobblebush Books. The anthology, edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary, is a follow-up to COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems, published in September 2020, which features original poems submitted by more than 50 New Hampshire residents, providing “a thirty-day snapshot of what life was like in the Granite State in April of 2020” through topics such as Covid-related “job loss, loneliness and love, masks, social distancing, surreal visitors, uncertainty, graduations deferred, grief, neighborly and less-than-neighborly acts, observing the beginning of the pandemic and making projections about the future, recalibrating or confirming what it means to be human, to be a resident of this region,” Peary said in the anthology’s introduction. “Picking up where COVID Spring left off, this new collection beautifully captures the uncertainty, the burnout, and the hope — lots of hope — of a diverse group of poets from the Granite State and beyond as they look toward a post-pandemic future,” Mary Russell, Director of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library, said of Covid Spring II in a press release from Hobblebush Books. Visit hobblebush.com or call 715-9615.

• Holiday shopping begins: Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact,” from Nov. 2 through Dec. 31, in person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• Winter art classes: Art classes for teens and adults are starting up at Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). The next 5-week session begins on Nov. 29 and offers Pottery, Stained Glass, Intermediate Watercolor and Clay Hand Building. All classes meet for two hours each week. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com for the full schedule and cost details.

Halloween Art

Flight Coffee Co. (209 Route 101, Bedford) is featuring Halloween-themed artwork by Max Gagnon on its walls during October. Gagnon is a freelance illustrator and painter working in pen and ink, gouache, acrylic and digital media. His colorful pieces are inspired by comic book art, painted portraits and film and television, particularly the cartoons he watched on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network while growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Hampshire-native, Gagnon graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, now called the New England College of Art and Design, where he currently teaches Conceptual Art. He also created the murals in Flight Coffee Co., and at To Share Brewing Co. on Union Street in Manchester. To see more of Gagnon’s art, visit mcg-illustration.com or find him on Facebook and Instagram @mcgillustrates.

ART

Exhibits

• “TRUTH BE TOLD: AN ARTFUL GATHERING OF WOMEN” Two Villages Art Society presents a collaborative exhibit of works by 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. On view now through Nov. 13. Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• “WPA IN NH: PHILIP GUSTON AND MUSA MCKIM” Exhibit features a pair of 14-foot monumental murals painted by artist Philip Guston and poet and painter Musa McKim for the Federal forestry building in Laconia, New Hampshire, in 1941. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Dec. 5. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com or nhartassociation.org.

• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Feb. 27, 2022. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “SMALL WORKS — BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery presents its annual holiday exhibit in-person at the gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford) and virtually on the gallery’s website (creativeventuresfineart.com/product-category/small-works-show). The exhibit features non-juried small works of art in a variety of media and styles, created by area professional and nonprofessional artists, priced affordably for holiday gift buying. Nov. 2 through Dec. 31. An artist reception will be held at the gallery on Fri., Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

• “NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW” A collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, on display in eight exhibitions at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations include Belknap Mill Society in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.

• “9/11” Exhibit features images of the September 11 attacks and the aftermath, taken by war photographer Jim Nachtwey. On view now. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

THEATER

Shows

• WONDERS Phylloxera Productions presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 29 through Nov. 7, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord). Fri, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.50. Visit ccanh.com.

• ALL TOGETHER NOW!Produced by the Community Players of Concord’s Children’s Theater Project. Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. Fri., Nov. 12, 7 p.m., and Sat., Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

• THE WEDDING SINGER Presented by The Peacock Players. Court Street Theatre (14 Court St., Nashua). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit peacockplayers.org.

•​ 9/12 New World Theatre presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

Classical

•​ “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.

Natural canvases

Local artist paints spiderwebs, leaves, grains of rice

It started with leaves. After 40 years of building stone walls and fireplaces, Tom Abruzese of Londonderry turned to more delicate endeavors, picking up a paintbrush for the first time in his life and experimenting on traditional canvas. He was good at it, but he got bored quickly. So he started painting on leaves instead.

“I just had a knack where I could paint anything on a leaf, [and] it took off,” he said.

There is, presumably, a leaf with a painting of the White House somewhere in D.C., or possibly in the possession of former President Barack Obama.

“[I figured] no one’s ever going to buy the White House on a leaf, so I mailed it to the president,” he said. “About seven weeks later, I got a letter from the president, thanking me for the unique gift.”

The leaf painting of the Old Man on the Mountain that he sent to Gov. John Lynch when he was in office might still be in the Statehouse, Abruzese said, and he sent one to Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s office in Manchester too.

Abruzese makes prints of the leaves as soon as he’s done painting them, because eventually the colors of the leaf fade. He sells the prints at local craft fairs, and he said he gets a lot of commissioned work as well.

“The leaves are the big sensation,” he said.

Despite their popularity, after a while Abruzese wanted a new challenge.

“You can only paint so many leaves before you get bored or crazy, and I was borderline crazy,” he said.

Seeing a woman on TV painting feathers who said it was nearly impossible, Abruzese had found his next canvas. He uses turkey feathers and typically paints birds and other wildlife on them.

“Most of my [subjects are] from nature, because I use materials from nature,” he said.

Abruzese then turned to small rocks, painting them for use as jewelry.

“Everything I do, people seem to like,” he said. “I’m always looking for something else to create from.”

The latest something else? Spiderwebs, naturally. Abruzese lives in an old house with a carriage house attached, so they’re plentiful, and he thought it might be a bigger challenge than feathers or leaves. He was right ― but he’s figured out how to make it work.

It starts with a bottle cap that he pushes through the web, which clings to the sides of the cap so the web is suspended and not touching the front or back of the cap. Once it’s secure, it’s ready for acrylic paints.

“Because the web is sticky … I wet the brush just a little bit so the paint actually slides across the web; otherwise the paint would tear the webbing,” he said. “Once you get the first coat on, then it becomes a little easier.”

Abruzese puts his spiderweb paintings inside clear plastic containers so the whole thing is sealed.

“It’s so easy to forget that it’s a spiderweb,” he said. “One misplacement of your finger and the spiderweb is gone.”

Plus, he said, the sticky nature of the webs mean they collect dust if they’re not covered.

Abruzese said he paints whatever comes to mind, usually things in nature. But he couldn’t resist one obvious choice.

“Spider-Man ― how corny is that? You gotta put Spider-Man on a spiderweb!” he laughed.

As part of his repertoire, Abruzese also paints caterpillar webs, which are bigger and thicker, plus moose or deer antlers, birch bark, mushrooms, butternuts and grains of rice.

“My wife asks, ‘Why do you paint things people can’t see?’” he said. “To me it’s the challenge. [And] you can see it with a magnifying glass.”

The smallest he’s gotten is a sesame seed. The trick with these tiniest canvases is to use the very tip of the paintbrush and keep the brush in motion so only a finite amount touches the surface. Having a steady hand is key too.

“I don’t drink anything that has caffeine [when I paint],” Abruzese said. “The blood going through your finger makes it like a jackhammer.”

He hasn’t attended any craft fairs recently ― mainly because there haven’t been many to attend ― but Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20. He said none of his items have price tags because he wants his prices to be flexible for kids who are looking to buy gifts.

“The kids don’t have much money, [and] I do it for the pleasure and challenge,” he said. “I’m not there to make money.”

Still, he sold just about everything on his two tables at this fair two years ago.

“Someone looking for a Christmas gift, they can pick up something that is unique,” he said.

For those who can’t make it to the fair, Abruzese accepts requests for personalized art.

“I’ll have people bring in deer antler or moose antler [and ask me to] do something specific on it,” he said. “Once it’s done it’s one of a kind.”

Find Tom Abruzese’s art

Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also email him at tomsleaves@yahoo.com to see more of his collection or to commission a piece.

Featured photo: An array of Tom Abruzese’s work. Courtesy photos.

The Art Roundup 21/10/21

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

•​ ArtWeek continues: City Arts Nashua’s virtual ArtWeek is going on now through Sunday, Oct. 24, highlighting local artists and their works through professionally filmed segments, aired each day on Access Nashua Community Television (Comcast Channel 96) and the City Arts Nashua website (accessnashua.org/stream.php) and posts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. Coinciding with KidsWeek Nashua, ArtWeek also features a kids scavenger hunt with 50 mini art kits, filled with supplies for painting, sewing and sculpture projects, hidden around Nashua’s public sculptures. See the full story at hippopress.com; you’ll find it in the Oct. 14 issue. Or visit cityartsnashua.org for social media links.

• The art of carpet: A new special exhibition, “As Precious as Gold, Carpets from the Islamic World,” opens at the Currier Museum of Art(150 Ash St., Manchester) on Saturday, Oct. 23. It features 32 carpets with various geographical origins, dating from the 15th century to the 19th century, including a Spanish rug, three Egyptian rugs, Lotto and Holbein patterned carpets, a 16th-century Ushak Medallion and a late 17th-century Small Medallion carpet. The exhibit, on loan from the Saint Louis Art Museum, will be at the Currier until Feb. 27, 2022. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17, and is free for members and children under age 13. Museum hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

•​ ’90s on stage: It’s the final week for The Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) production of Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical. Based on the 1999 teen movie, the musical follows Sebastian and Kathryn, a pair of manipulative step-siblings who place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can seduce the school headmaster’s daughter Annette, who had published an essay advocating for abstinence until marriage. Showtimes are Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 23, at 2 and 8 p.m. Ticket costs range from $32 to $46. The show will also be available to watch livestreamed on Friday and Saturday, with tickets priced at $25 for one viewer, $40 for two viewers and $60 for three or more viewers. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

“Truth” by Valerie Hall, featured in “Truth Be Told” exhibition. Courtesy photo.

•​ Women explore race: Two Villages Art Society presents a new exhibit, “Truth Be Told: An Artful Gathering of Women,” at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from Oct. 23 through Nov. 13. The exhibit is a collaboration of 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. “This is a unique group of outstanding artists who share a fervent desire to understand and eradicate racial injustice in our country and are motivated to pursue this goal through their art,” Alyssa McKeon, president of Two Villages Art Society, said in a press release. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

•​ A musical message: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will perform its fall concert at The Music Hall Historic Theater (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) on Sunday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. The concert will feature Tchaikovsky’s Tempest, Julius Eastman’s “Gay Guerilla” and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Together these pieces create “a complex musical metaphor of weathering and coming out of a storm; … a powerful message of the invincible human spirit; and a moving transition from darkness to light,” according to the orchestra website. Tickets cost $25 to $35 for adults, $25 to $30 for seniors age 60 and up and $20 for students. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

Lively art

The New Hampshire Art Association has two shows showcasing work by NHAA artists at Creative Framing Solutions (89 Hanover St., Manchester) through October. “The Joy of Life” features oil paintings on canvas by Sally Newman. The paintings depict cityscapes, still life and landscapes with bold and saturated colors that highlight the vitality of life. “I am excited to show people my paintings as they will get a different perspective of day-to-day living as I imagine it,” Newman said in a press release. “A Little of This, A Little of That” features photography by Jean Chase Farnum. Taken mostly in New England, the photographs capture scenes of daily life in different kinds of light. “I have come to appreciate all aspects of natural light that is available on a 24 hours basis from the sun, moon and stars,” Farnum said in the release. “Witnessing fundamental nature and nature’s simplicity within the world around me forms the basis for the presentation of my work.” Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 320-5988 or visit nhartassociation.org.

ART

Exhibits

• “KICK-START!” Also known as “the shoe show,” this themed art exhibition from the Women’s Caucus for Art’s New Hampshire Chapter opens at Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen. The exhibit runs through Oct. 31. The shoe theme is expressed in a wide variety of works that include paintings, sculptures, artist books, drawings and mixed media pieces. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• JOAN L. DUNFEY EXHIBITION Features artwork in a variety of media by regional NHAA members and non-members that follows the theme “Portals.” On display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. Now through Nov. 28. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit concordnhchamber.com or nhartassociation.org.

• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Opens Oct. 23. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “TRUTH BE TOLD: AN ARTFUL GATHERING OF WOMEN” Two Villages Art Society presents a collaborative exhibit of works by 14 women artists — seven who identify as Black and seven who identify as white — from across the country who have been meeting bi-weekly over Zoom to discuss race. On view Oct. 23 through Nov. 13. Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook). Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An opening reception with two of the artists will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

• “1,000 CRANES FOR NASHUA” Featuring more than 1,000 origami paper cranes created by hundreds of Nashua-area kids, adults and families since April. On display now at The Atrium at St. Joseph Hospital, 172 Kinsley St., Nashua. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.

• “NEW HAMPSHIRE NOW” A collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, on display in eight exhibitions at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations are Belknap Mill in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.

• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.

• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com, call 224-2508 or email tsink@concordnhchamber.com.

THEATER

Shows

•​ CRUEL INTENTIONS THE ’90s MUSICAL The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents. Now through Oct. 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $50. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• SPONGEBOB THE MUSICAL The Manchester Community Theatre Players present. In-person performance at MCTP Theatre at The North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester), and live streamed performance. Now through Oct. 23, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 per person for the in-person show and $20 per streaming device for the live streamed show. In-person attendees must purchase tickets in advance and show proof of Covid-19 vaccination. Visit mctp.info or call 327-6777.

• AMERICAN SON The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Now through Oct. 24, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

• MAMMA MIA The Palace Theatre presents. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Now through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Oct. 22 through Oct. 24. Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry. Visit cztheatre.com.

• WONDERS Phylloxera Productions presents. The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 29 through Nov. 7, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members. Visit hatboxnh.com.

Classical

•​ “SUITES AND SCHUBERT” Symphony New Hampshire presents music by Bach, Schubert and Florence Price, the first African American female composer to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra in 1933. Notable pieces will include Price’s Suite of Dances, Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, “Air on a G String,” and Schubert’s Symphony No. 5. St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (39 Chandler St., Nashua). Fri., Nov. 5. Visit symphonynh.org.

Love, death and ’80s music

Heathers the Musical brings dark high school drama to the stage

Gritty, shocking, vulgar, an emotional roller coaster — those are some of the words that come up when Director Dan Pelletier and cast members talk about Heathers the Musical, on stage Friday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Derry Opera House.

Photography by Paula T. Trout.

When Pelletier explains Heathers to younger generations, he describes it as “Mean Girls if Lindsay Lohan murdered Rachel McAdams.”

Heathers is based on the 1988 movie, about a girl in high school named Veronica who is trying to survive her senior year and sells out to the popular clique, all of whom are named Heather. Veronica also starts to pursue the mysterious new kid, JD, which upsets the lead Heather, Heather Chandler. When Veronica and JD accidentally kill Heather Chandler, they cover it up by making it look like a suicide.

“It’s a dark comedy,” Pelletier said. “It doesn’t cut corners. It’s very gritty. … There are moments in the show where … you laugh and then you’re upset with yourself for laughing. [But] you have to laugh at these awful things. It’s a coping mechanism.”

He said it would be the equivalent of an R-rated movie.

“There are explosives and drugs and very creative swearing,” Pelletier said. “We didn’t let anyone under 18 audition [because of] the sexual nature of some scenes, drugs, violence.”

Despite the over-the-top drama, Pelletier calls the show a “very human piece.”

“It’s about [transitioning] from adolescence to reality and learning that the world isn’t black and white and how complicated things can get,” he said. “You think every day of your life is the most important day of your life and you’re really unsure of who you are.”

Brooke Wolz, 21, of Bedford, plays Veronica.

“She has a good head [and] a big heart,” Wolz said. “When she gets thrown into this crazy world of … the popular girls, she just doesn’t know what to do.”

Wolz calls Veronica a “very naive lovesick teenager.”

“When JD comes around, she’s just very taken back by the fact that this guy is showing her attention,” she said. “She falls very quickly for him.”

JD is played by Joel Michael King, 23, of Tamworth.

“He’s definitely a very complex character with a lot of deep-rooted issues,” King said.

Both Wolz and King said these are their dream roles. Wolz said she throws a lot of herself into Veronica, and the experience has been emotionally draining but worth it.

“It’s such an emotional roller coaster that it’s difficult every time we do the run,” Wolz said. “She’s on stage the entire show and it just goes from this cute innocent naive [teen] to a murderer in a toxic relationship.”

The fact that the stage version of Heathers is a musical simplifies some things, Pelletier said — and gives it a very ’80s rock ’n’ roll vibe.

“Our pit is legitimately a rock band that plays musical theater,” he said.

The show has been a long time coming for Cue Zero Theatre Co. It was originally supposed to be the 2020 season-ender. The show had been cast and they were about to start working when the pandemic postponed it for a year. Only six of the 16 cast members were able to stay on — including Wolz and King — so they held auditions again in July.

“It’s been an adventure,” Pelletier said. “This is our first real production since February 2020.”

He said it’s been a bit of a challenge working around safety precautions, but the cast and crew are excited to be back.

“This is our big return to the main stage, to real theater,” he said. “The arts need support to come back, and we’re trying to come back with a vengeance.”

If that means bringing the unexpected to the stage, mission accomplished.

“It’s shocking, honestly,” King said. “You go to kind of have your views reexamined.”

Heathers the Musical

Where: Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry
When: Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.
Cost: Tickets must be purchased online. Every audience member must present either proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid test from the past 72 hours to enter the building. Masks are required. There’s also a virtual livestream option. All tickets, for in-person or livestream, are $15 plus a $1.25 fee. Visit cztheatre.com to buy tickets.

Featured photo: Photography by Paula T. Trout. Courtesy photo.

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