Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
On April 13, at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Transportation Security Administration extended its federal mask mandate on all areas of public transportation for an additional 15 days through May 3. In a statement, the TSA cited the recent increase in Covid-19 numbers across the country over the past several weeks, due in part to the highly transmissible omicron BA.2 subvariant, which now makes up more than 85 percent of all cases nationwide. But on April 18 a federal judge in Florida voided the mandate, saying the CDC “improperly failed to justify its decision” to extend it, according to an AP report.
On April 14 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized the first Covid-19 diagnostic test using breath samples, which provide results in under three minutes. According to a press release, testing can be done in most places where the specimen can be collected and analyzed, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile Covid testing sites, using an instrument about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage. The InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer uses a technique called gas chromatography gas mass-spectrometry to separate and identify chemical mixtures, according to the release. A study of 2,409 individuals conducted to validate the test’s performance found that it had a negative predictive value of 99.6 percent, meaning that people who receive a negative test result are likely truly negative in areas of low disease prevalence. InspectIR expects to be able to produce about 100 instruments per week, and testing capacity is expected to increase soon by about 64,000 samples per month.
In New Hampshire, 143 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on April 18, according to health officials. As of April 18 there were 2,102 active cases and 18 hospitalizations statewide.
LPN program funding
Last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee voted to accept and expend a $2.6 million ARPA-funded expansion of the Community College System of New Hampshire’s licensed practical nurse training program, according to a press release. “To make investments into our economy, we must make necessary investments into our workforce, and doubling our LPN nursing program is the right move,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement following the vote. The funds will expand the state’s LPN workforce programming to meet critical needs in health care settings, the release said. The Community College System of New Hampshire LPN training program, which was launched in 2020, can be completed within one year and offers immediate entry into the LPN level of nursing workforce. Graduates can also choose to continue their education and progress to the RN level, the release said.
Involuntary admissions
Last week the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee also voted to accept and expend $2 million to centralize Involuntary Emergency Admission processes by creating a statewide mental health docket, an effort to reduce the number of patients waiting for mental health care in hospital emergency rooms. According to a press release, the funding will cover a centralized filing system, two circuit court judges, staff and counsel for patients who are subject to an involuntary emergency admission, plus technology for hospitals to allow patients to remotely attend court hearings. “We believe this approach will ensure the rights of patients are protected and will help provide a permanent and sustainable solution to the longstanding emergency room boarding issue,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald said in the release. “We are prepared to move forward as quickly as possible on its implementation.”
InvestNH Housing
In another vote last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee approved the expenditure of the $100 million InvestNH Housing Fund, according to a press release. “As a result of our InvestNH Fund, more housing will get built and our workforce will grow — a once-in-a-generation, historic investment,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement following the vote. “Our focus remains on building as many units as quickly as possible, and this $100 million investment will transform New Hampshire’s housing market, providing better outcomes for our citizens.” The investment will increase affordable rental units for lower and middle income workers, such as health care and child care providers, machinists and teachers, the release said.
Holocaust awareness
The state Board of Education has approved the new Holocaust and Genocide education rules for the state. According to a press release, “clearly understanding how the Holocaust and other genocides occurred may be key to preventing similar violence in the future, which is why education on this sensitive topic is vitally important to promote peace among future generations.” According to the education rules, “Each district shall incorporate instruction in Holocaust and genocide education into at least one existing social studies, world history, global studies, or U.S. history course required as a condition of high school graduation for all students,” among other specific guidelines pertaining to the teaching of the subject. The rules can be found at education.nh.gov.
Urgency to hire
The Nashua School District is now offering signing bonuses to candidates for positions that are critical to operations, as there is “an urgency to hire qualified talent,” according to a press release from the district. “We’re hiring from paras to plumbers,” Garth McKinney, Superintendent of Schools said in the release. “The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the national teacher shortage and other education-related and school operations-related fields. Our needs are real and we look to rebuild a full complement of staff.” This incentive is being offered to teachers on the NH Department of Education Critical Shortage List and nurses ($1,000 sign-on bonus) as well as food service employees ($300) and security monitors, lunch monitors, crossing guards and 21st Century Extended Day Program staff ($300). According to an April 18 report from WMUR, the Manchester School District is also in need of staff members for nearly every department and is also offering sign-on bonuses, as well as retention checks after six months of employment.
YES!
The Yes, Every Student (YES!) scholarship program is back for a second year to help kids whose education was negatively impacted by the pandemic by providing $1,000 tutoring scholarships to New Hampshire students. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Department of Education is offering scholarships to public, non-public, home-educated and Education Freedom Account students. The scholarships can be used for tutoring provided by certified New Hampshire educators, certified New Hampshire special education teachers or licensed therapists. About $2.3 million in funding from the federal Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund under the CARES Act will be used; last year, nearly $1.9 million was awarded to almost 500 recipients for tutoring and other needs, the release said. This year’s round of funding is available to any school-age student who resides in the state, regardless of their family’s income level. To apply for a Yes! scholarship, visit yeseducation.nh.gov.
Voices of Wildlife in NH held a fur trapping protest outside New Hampshire Fish and Game’s annual Discover Wild NH Day on April 16 in Concord. According to a press release from the group, the protest of the annual event will continue as long as Fish and Game sanctions fur trapping.
Earth Day Neighborhood Clean-Ups will be held at several spots in Manchester on Saturday, April 23. According to a press release, the city’s Department of Public Works will be stationed at four schools from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide clean-up materials, including trash bags and gloves, and each site will be used as a drop-off location for the collected trash. The four schools are Jewett Street School, Northwest Elementary, Smyth Road School and Beech Street School. Manchester Urban Ponds will be hosting a clean-up that day as well, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Black Brook/Blodget Park.
United Way of Greater Nashua is hosting an electronic waste recycling event at its office on Broad Street April 22 through April 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. According to a press release, United (w)E-Recycle is an opportunity for the public to drop off used laptops, desktop computers, tablets, printers, mobile phones, fax machines and many other types of electronic waste. Donations are requested; on April 23 the proceeds of those donations will benefit the Humane Society of Nashua while the proceeds from all other days will support the United Way of Greater Nashua’s School Supply Pantry. Working laptops will be distributed to students through the School Supplies Pantry, the release said.
I worked for over seven years to increase awareness of an important health condition that warrants everyone’s attention as 1 in 10 of us have it, and 1 in 3 of us are at high risk of developing the mostly preventable version — diabetes.
Every year as November approached, we would see and begin the preparations for Diabetes Awareness Month, and yet I would think to myself: “Every day is diabetes awareness day!” Thus my mixed feelings toward awareness days even as I knew that 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t know they have it, and more than 8 in 10 individuals with prediabetes are unaware. This for a health condition that has the potential for significant improvement or control, and potential prevention — if we have the understanding of how to care for ourselves and manage our diabetes or prediabetes.
There are other kinds of awareness events, such as National Wear Red Day (on Feb. 4, this year), which raises attention to heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women, and all of February being American Heart Month; June being Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, and Sept. 5 to Sept. 11 being National Suicide Prevention Week. The calendar is now full with these kinds of awareness events and it’s difficult to register their existence, let alone keep track of them. Which has helped me now realize there actually can be a benefit to focusing much-needed attention, and has me wondering: As all of us are touched by one or more of these health issues, how do we support and amplify each other’s concerns so that we can all, together, contribute to building a healthier future?
Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. And we have long considered the United States to be the land of opportunity. Yet our current standing among developed countries as having the worst maternal mortality — where most maternal deaths are preventable — reminds us that we face a significant threat to the opportunity for all to thrive and contribute to this country’s future prosperity. There are many contributing factors for our current situation — some relate to individuals, many relate to our living conditions, and even more relate to systemic factors such as the availability of health insurance coverage, access to health care, bias that may be built into how things are done and more. Thankfully, more attention is being focused on helpful policy solutions that impact how care is provided in the clinical setting as well as the supports that can help all birthing people have healthy and positive perinatal experiences and contribute to community well-being.
This year April 11 through April 17 marked Black Maternal Health Week — I hope we will all be curious to learn why we should all care enough to be aware.
As it touches on a myriad of musical moods, from tuneful grunge to full-throttle rockers and tender ballads, there’s a clear thread running through In Bloom, the second album from the Faith Ann Band: raw, naked emotion. More precisely, it’s a crackling live wire, shooting furious sparks and sparing no one.
Two minutes of rage, the breakneck-paced “Miller Time” exemplifies this, as a would-be suitor is sneered away with a dismissive line. “I wouldn’t be you for all of the sh-t you could possibly shove in my face,” band leader Faith Ann Mandravelis sings.
Another standout, “Jungle Law” is a credo of sorts. “I ain’t no live-in house pet,” she sings, “I don’t sit pretty.” Odious corporate dronage is drubbed on songs like “Songbird” and “Reaper,” a backward glance at the singer-songwriter’s entrance into music; she quit a job as an engineer to become a math teacher.
“I saw like what day-to-day life was doing to people in an office environment,” she said in a recent phone interview.
One of her students had a band, which inspired her to start hitting the open mic scene around Manchester and Concord.
“As I was writing my songs, I found a lot of healing,” she said. “Giving myself permission to speak up was huge, after having been kind of in the shadows of my musician boyfriend and not really ever feeling like I was worthy enough.”
Buoyed by this newfound courage, Faith Ann hit the road for shows in the South and headed west to play in Arizona. The response to her music led to an epiphany.
“We can focus on not just fixing things that are broken but things that are not … that have just never been used,” she said. “Brushing those off, as a way to bring ourselves back to being inspired by life.”
Her first album was 2020’s Long Last — “Which is pretty much a statement: Finally, I’ve broken out of my shell,” she said. “I’ve stopped letting myself be contained, pushed down and ashamed for my past, and as soon as you own it, you find an acceptance of yourself.”
The only musician from the debut still in the band is bass player Alfredo Benavides. Concord guitarist Mike Stockbridge and drummer Alex Hershman helped make In Bloom, but someone new will take over the drum kit soon. Axile Beighley, who plays with Benavides in Manchester band Dank Sinatra, serves as a fifth member at live shows, like the release party coming up on April 16 at Strange Brew Tavern.
“Feral” is one of the words Faith Ann uses to describe her approach to music.
“I mean it as a way to staying true to the parts of ourselves that are unclaimed territory, that haven’t been cultivated,” she explained. “It’s the parts of us that are the most raw. Whatever you might say unkind about yourself, these are part of the things I do that I enjoy. I don’t need to justify them to anybody.”
As a relative newcomer to the local scene, she finds the New Hampshire music community a welcoming one. She’s paired up with many local bands, and has several shows on the horizon. She’ll support Andrew North & the Rangers at Penuche’s in Concord on May 7, and play at the Market Days event the following month. In July she and her band host a festival of her own called Level Up Get Down at Auburn Pitts. It will include Big Sandy, Chodus, Tumbletoads, The Humans Being and Dank Sinatra.
“Everyone I have played with is super-supportive, and everybody wants to see everyone succeed,” she said. “I don’t think I have ever really heard of anyone bashing on any other musician, because there’s just this understanding of how much guts it takes and how vulnerable you are to do it. People don’t always go out of their way to invite you in their little realm, but once you’re in there, everyone wants to help you out.”
Faith Ann Band When: Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m. Where: Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester More: thefaithannband.com
Greek pastries and custom cakes at new Raymond bakery
Reni Mylonas found success in 2020 as a homestead baker, dabbling in custom-order cakes and tapping into her Greek roots with pastries and cookies. Two years later, the Danville native has expanded into a new storefront in nearby Raymond, offering Greek favorites using recipes passed down in her family, along with other grab-and-go treats.
Agape Cakes & Confections, named after the Greek word meaning “love,” celebrated its grand opening April 9 with a menu of cupcakes, bars, macarons, cake popsicles and more. The new shop is in the Cozy Corner plaza on Route 27, giving Mylonas a permanent spot to sell out of for the first time. She’ll also be making authentic Greek pastries part of her regular lineup of sweets.
“My grandparents were born in Greece … and my dad was as well, so I grew up in a very Greek household,” she said. “I’ve grown up eating all these pastries, so it’s fun to share with everyone and to introduce them to those who haven’t had a chance to try some of them.”
A self-taught cake decorator, Mylonas started baking around the age of 9. She gained experience working in a few local shops along the way, most recently at Love + Flour Bakery in Salem.
When she started Agape not long after the pandemic shutdown, it was friends and family that mostly made up her customer base. Word of her talents quickly spread through social media.
Nearly every day out of the shop’s case, available treats include six-inch and eight-inch cakes; rotating flavors of cupcakes, macarons, bars, and Mylonas’s own homemade Greek baklava.
“I actually individually roll all of the pieces, so they are just like little logs, essentially, as opposed to one full tray that you cut into triangles,” she said. “It’s a bit harder to make, but I find that it’s a better product. … You also don’t want too much syrup, but you want enough where it’s coated on the inside and outside, where it’s almost moist and chewy but in a good way.”
With the help of her grandmother, Mylonas offers galaktoboureko, a custard-filled dessert wrapped in phyllo dough, as well as various types of Greek cookies, like kourabiedes (rose shortbread cookies coated in powdered sugar), koulourakia (butter cookies with a hint of vanilla) and melomakarona (spiced cookies soaked in syrup and topped with walnuts and sugar).
A wholesale area of the shop features ground and bean coffee from Coco’s Coffee, a small-batch single-origin roaster out of East Kingston. Other items for sale include Chocofreta, a brand of imported Greek chocolate bars, as well as honey sesame sticks and Greek evil eye pendants.
“It’s like a protection eye that you can hang up. We have them in our house, or you can put them on a keychain,” Mylonas said of the pendants. “It’s part of our culture [and] it’s meant to deflect negative energy. … I also have some mugs that I sell as a pack with Greek tea cookies.”
Mylonas plans to continue accepting custom cake and cupcake orders while also operating the storefront. Her next business venture for Agape will be in the form of a mobile cupcake trailer, which she hopes to have on the road to rent for private parties, weddings and public events like fairs by this summer.
Agape Cakes & Confections
Where: 59 Route 27, Unit 5, Raymond Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. More info: Visit agapecandc.com, email agape.cakesandconfections@gmail.com, or follow them on Facebook @agapecakesandconfections and Instagram @agape_cakesandconfections
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Agape Cakes & Confections.
Powerful works on display at ‘Impact! Abstract’ exhibition
Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen has opened its 2022 season with “Impact! Abstract!” featuring the work of six local artists and on display through May 28.
“It showcases artists boldly approaching abstraction in completely different ways with a wide variety of media,” Twiggs Gallery Director Laura Morrison said. “Most of the artwork in this exhibit is on the smaller side, yet each piece really stands out on its own. It’s very powerful work.”
Each of the six artists answered a few questions via email about their inspiration and techniques.
Ann Saunderson
Acrylic, mixed media, oil & cold wax, monotype
What draws you to abstract art?
At first abstraction was just a challenge after having been a landscape and narrative painter all my life.
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
It was surprisingly difficult to switch over and loosen up enough to enjoy the process. Once I accepted that I could paint over layers it was easier. And oil and cold wax helped and added the possibility of texture. Most of my work is really quite accidental. I may start with a theme, a concept, and then halfway through there’s a moment where the paint and I change directions and truly I’m just along for the ride.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
My work is pretty dynamic. It doesn’t have answers and leaves a great deal up to the viewer. I love color and texture and I think those factors also give my paintings impact.
Daniela Wenzel
Oil painting, assemblage, ink drawing, driftwood pyrography and improvised quilt making
What draws you to abstract art?
What excites me about abstraction are the endless possibilities to depict facets of everyday life and the environment, without portraying clearly recognizable subject matter. An abstract work of art can mean many things to different viewers. I am specifically drawn to the emotional capacity in abstract art and its utter unpredictability. I rarely have a definite vision in mind when I start a new piece.
A low relief abstract sculptures by Daniela Wenzel.
What inspired your choice of materials?
I enjoy free experimentation with color and techniques, pushing boundaries and being resourceful with my materials.
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
While time stood still at the height of Covid-19 in the spring of 2020, I found myself home with my kids on the days I wasn’t working at Elliot Hospital. My three Lego assemblages were created due to lack of time to paint in the studio. A lover of any kind of colorful visual vocabulary, I improvised my art making and created simple color abstractions. I specifically enjoyed playing with color theory and depth by layering different shapes and hues. Legos are an incredibly fun and abundant art supply and after repeatedly stepping on them I realized they could be more than nagging booby traps. For the two oil paintings included in the ‘Impact! Abstract’ exhibition I also used pigment sticks, which are basically solidified oil paint in the shape of a thumb-sized crayon. The use of these is more immediate and less deliberate and the marks noticeably different than from a paint brush.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
The paintings both reflect and resonate the same playfulness and positivity as the Lego assemblages. They contain colorful pattern work, evocative shapes and a variety of paint application techniques to carry a sense of spontaneity.
Kate Higley
Printmaking
What draws you to abstract art?
I was a painting major as an undergrad, discovered printmaking in my early 30s, and fell in love with the way it has to be done step by step. The focus on process slows me down in a good way.
Printmaker Kate Higley’s “Spinning World.”
What inspired your choice of materials?
These particular prints are intaglio drypoints. This means that the ink is snagged inside the lines rather than flowing across the surface. I use an expanded plastic material for the plate and all kinds of sharp objects to make an image. It is then inked, wiped, and put through a press onto dampened paper.
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
The gallery inquired if I could submit some black and white images. With three older plates on hand, I printed those, became engrossed and created four more plates specifically for this exhibit. The incentive was the invitation and I think Laura Morrison, the curator, used the absence of color to break up the other more vibrant work in a lovely installation.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
My interest is inventing small organisms swimming or tangled in imagined aquatic or marine environments. The concerns are ecological and environmental. As an abstract artist, my aims are quite different from those who work toward realism. Texture, movement and repetition are all used to create a mysterious and engaging space where the viewer can consider not just what is present, but what might be happening outside the picture place.
Ethel Hills
Acrylic
What draws you to abstract art?
I started in abstract art almost accidentally. I was working in watercolor and started using a wet in wet technique to drop unusual colors into my landscapes. That led me to being more experimental and more colorful, letting go of realism in favor of design and color. The bottom line is that I’d much rather have a luscious crazy colorful painting than one that looks like a photograph.
Ethel Hills – Signs of Spring – Acrylic on Panel – 8″ x 8″
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
The pieces in this exhibit were painted with lots of play and experimentation. I put shapes and marks on the panel or canvas and then keep playing and experimenting, looking for surprises, and looking for what speaks to me. At some point in the process I start to see what the painting is about. At that point the refining, rearranging and adjusting are a bit easier, because I have an emotional direction for the painting.
What inspired your choice of materials?
Acrylic is a great medium for this type of playing around, trying things out and changing things.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
Hopefully these paintings make people think and make them smile. In general, I think that abstract art asks more of the viewer. The artwork isn’t always a quick read. It’s an invitation to look and think and feel. My paintings are kind of two sides of a coin. The ‘Mud Season’ ones are dark and rich, but with strong lights. They’re the contrast between the dark and messy parts of life and the brighter things, such as hope and joy. The brightly colored ones, from the ‘Early Spring’ series, are joyful and reminiscent of the contrast between snow and the coming spring. But that’s just my read on them. Everyone gets to bring their experience to the work and make their own judgments and their own stories.
Grace Mattern
Mixed media collage
What draws you to abstract art?
I’ve been a writer since I was young and have published two books of poetry. … Poetry is an abstraction of sorts, using as few words as possible to express the meaning of moments and events in our lives. Ten years ago I began to make image-based collages, layering figures and backgrounds to reflect multiple dimensions. That led me to an interest in combining image and text to create an additional layer of meaning. From there I began to make abstract collages because I was intrigued by the process of creating meaning without representational images. I enrolled in an online course in abstract collage in the spring of 2021. Through that class I learned different techniques for mark-making and printing collage papers and committed to a regular practice of collage-making. I’ve been regularly making abstract collages since.
Grace Mattern’s “Mending.”
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
The pieces in the exhibit were created using techniques I’ve learned over the past year. The pieces arose from experimentation with techniques and materials and building trust in my instincts regarding composition and how to create meaning through abstraction.
What inspired your choice of materials?
I’m intrigued by meaning that can arise from unexpected combinations of materials. Sewing on paper, then painting the paper and cutting out shapes is included in three of the collages in the exhibit. I’m also drawn to the effects of layering transparent paper with varied prints, and what can emerge from that process. That’s reflected in the pieces in the show also.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
As a longtime writer and somewhat beginner visual artist, I’ve always struggled with the question of how art has an impact in the world. I’m a lifelong social justice advocate, and worked for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for 30 years. The current focus of my activism is racial justice and land conservation, which overlaps with recognizing the ongoing contributions of indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for thousands of years. I believe that the act of creation itself is activism, as it’s a gift to the world to express ourselves through art, music, poetry, etc. I hope the impact of my work in the exhibition is to create excitement in people to find whatever creative expression is meaningful to them and put it out into the world.
Becky Barsi (Artsy Barsi)
Interdisciplinary with a focus on mixed media assemblage
What draws you to abstract art?
The element of experimentation, chance, and the unknown draw me to create abstract compositions.
From Becky Barsi’s “Texture in Motion” series.
What was your artistic process in creating pieces for this exhibition?
It all started by deconstructing a bullet and playing with the gunpowder inside. After a few singed fingertips I learned how to safely control this mild explosive. Following these experiments I considered the broader significance of this media and how it could be juxtaposed with traditional art media.
What inspired your choice of materials?
So much of my life is lived in motion. Going, going, going. I often forget to stop and observe the subtle details of the life around me. … ‘Texture in Motion’ is a response to the chaos of a life that had intended to be more reflective and aware. Developed over the past year, this mixed media work was created as a meditative process and bridges three unique media. The work plays with the physical properties of a fluid medium, bending and twisting, sometimes colliding with colors (acrylic ink). It is balanced by the varied, yet structured, textures that are interacted with on a daily basis (security envelopes) and are tied together by the contrasting unpredictability of a volatile explosive (black powder). This work is a reflection and metaphor of a life.
How does your work in this exhibition make an impact?
There is a visceral reaction to working with gunpowder that can’t be avoided. The anticipation of the ignition, when the flame touches the volatile grain, adds an extra beat to the rhythm of my heart. The chance, the unknown result of this material instantly impacting the surface and surrounding materials, adds to the anticipation and impact of this process.
A poet’s perspective New Hampshire poet laureate Alice B. Fogel (2014-2019) will be at Twiggs Gallery On Saturday, April 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. She will be reading from her new book of poems inspired by abstract expressionist art, Nothing But: a series of indirect considerations on art & consciousness. There will be a book signing opportunity after. The event is free but seating is limited; reserve a ticket at twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.
How did you use abstract art to inspire your writing? What I wanted to do was to start with abstract expressionist artworks — without describing or explaining them — and bring to language those same disruptions to our stream of consciousness that occur when we encounter the unexplainable. … I’m so grateful for the opportunity to transcend mundane logic by means of nonrepresentational material — mineral, color, form, texture, light, shadow — I hoped the poems would create a conversation about reality, illusion, embodiment, perception and thought itself.
Was there any piece in particular that originally made you think, ‘This could be the basis for a poem’? The very first poem I think I wrote for this series was based on my response to a painting called ‘Field Notes, No. 59,’ by Andrew Moore, that I saw in a gallery in Asheville, North Carolina, Blue Spiral. (The poem is ‘Notes for 59,’ which opens the book.) I was so taken with it that I began to contemplate how abstract art, while not representing recognizable, ordered figures from our daily lives, can still represent a great and necessary part of our primal or archetypal human experience. I wondered if language could confound and re-orient us the same way.I took off from there.
How did you find the artwork that you drew your inspiration from? Local galleries? Online? Some of it was from galleries, and a very few from artists whose work I already knew. But because I was injured and immobile at the time, I found most of it online through websites. Not the best way to view art, but it was a life-saver that I could view it at all.
Why abstract as opposed to representational art? If I saw a painting and I could say, ‘That looks like a tree/house/river/anything!’ then I wouldn’t use it for this project. I didn’t even like using a totally abstract painting if it had a title that was too directive, like ‘Loneliness’ or ‘Rain in Winter.’ … I wanted to be affected in my heart or my gut or my skin while being clueless in my mind. I’m basically examining consciousness itself, building up a first-person plural, collective conversation, poem by poem, about reality and illusion, embodiment and spirit, perception and thought, as well as about art itself. Whether my response was infused with humor or wonder or ache, the art became … akin to a religion — a way to access the transcendent by means of pure material.
Explain the subtitle of your new book. Thank you for asking about this.The book starts with an epigraph from William James’s The Stream of Consciousness, written in 1892: ‘Consciousness is in constant change … a series of indirect considerations…. The only breaches that can well be conceived to occur within the limits of a single mind would … be interruptions, time-gaps during which the consciousness went out….’ The book’s subtitle reflects that concept. … It’s probably no surprise … that these poems are not narratives or linear lyrics. So I also hoped that by providing a pretty concrete hint of what the poems are after, the subtitle would help people know what they were getting themselves into.
Twiggs is calling this exhibition “bold and powerful.” Do your poems fit that description as well? That’s not for me to say, but that’s definitely how I think of the art that inspired the poems in this collection.
Featured photo: “If only…” by Ann Saunderson. Courtesy photo.
Local actors, directors and other theater artists discuss bringing their productions to life
A detective thriller, a parody about a certain wizarding school and children’s tales with a macabre twist are just a few of the shows coming to New Hampshire theaters this spring. Actors, directors and other theater personnel talked about their respective shows, what makes them unique and what it takes to get them stage-ready.
Anna Mae Murphy, actor
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, presented by Cue Zero Theatre Co., at Granite State Arts Academy (19 Keewaydin Drive, No. 4, Salem), with showtimes on Friday, April 29, and Sunday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 ($16.25 with fees). Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within three days of the performance are required. The show is also available to livestream for $15. Visit cztheatre.com or email cztheatre@gmail.com.
What attracted you to this show?
I found out about this show just a couple of days before auditions through a Facebook group I’m in for theater in New Hampshire. I hadn’t heard of Puffs before, but I quickly fell in love with it during my research and thought it would be a lot of fun to audition for something again after a few months.
Describe the character you’re playing.
The character I’m playing is Megan Jones, who puts on a tough act but is a big softie at heart. When you first meet her, she really rejects her family’s long lineage of Puffs and idolizes her mom, who became something greater in her eyes by working for the Dark Lord and ended up in Wizard Prison because of it. Megan’s big dream is that her mom will break out and come rescue her from this school she feels has failed her. At first, Megan does everything she can to reject being a Puff. But her friendships with Wayne and Oliver lead her on a journey of embracing her identity as a Puff and realizing her house and the Puffs around her are incredibly special. When I think of Megan, I think of someone who has a lot of layers, a lot of self-love to learn, but also someone who cares deeply about her friends and is way goofier than she’ll ever admit.
What have you been doing to prepare?
Preparing myself for this character began early on in one-on-one rehearsals with Christie [the director] where we got to have a long discussion and really dissect this character and create a solid foundation to build upon. When I came across something I didn’t really understand about Megan’s character, whether reading lines alone or rehearsing with the group, I worked to see it in the big picture of who Megan is and understand the context behind it. That’s really helped me to build her [character] even more. It’s also been so fun to build her further through rehearsing with the other people in this cast, and all the fun little moments we’ve created for our characters. Seeing the characters and their relationships to each other blossom has been so cool and often leads to some hysterical moments. One more thing I’ve done to prepare is I made a Megan Jones playlist with songs that remind me of her, and I like listening to it to help get into character.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show on stage?
I’m looking forward to people seeing this super funny show. I never get tired of these jokes, and everyone in this cast is hilarious. They’re always improvising new things, and they get funnier each time we’re all together. Everyone has worked so hard, and I can’t wait to hear all the laughter from the audience. It’s going to be amazing finally sharing this with people.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
I think audiences will enjoy this show because it’s a familiar story with a unique twist. While new stories are always fun, it’s nice to sometimes return to what is familiar and find appreciation for it in new ways. People will recognize many of the major plot points, and I think they’ll really enjoy seeing it from this new perspective. It’s nostalgic and truly hilarious, and finding things that bring a smile to our faces has been so important these past couple of years.
Connor Forbes, actor
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, presented by Cue Zero Theatre Co., at Granite State Arts Academy (19 Keewaydin Drive, No. 4, Salem), with showtimes on Friday, April 29, and Sunday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 ($16.25 with fees). Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within three days of the performance are required. The show is also available to livestream for $15. Visit cztheatre.com or email cztheatre@gmail.com.
What attracted you to this show?
I’ve been a fan of a certain boy wizard for a long time, so getting to finally be a part of that world in one way or another has always been a goal of mine. First hearing about this show back in 2018 or 2019, I knew it was a show I wanted to be in.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Wayne is an optimist and a dreamer. He has these big plans for himself and how he’s going to change the world, however cruel the world may be to him, or whoever stops him from fulfilling the goals he has for himself.
What have you been doing to prepare?
For one, I’ve definitely been practicing my wand techniques, but, in all seriousness, I’ve gone back to reread the books set at a certain school of female magic and male magic, including any spinoff material to immerse myself back into that world. I’ve also been consuming a fair amount of retro media, as my character Wayne is very much immersed in the pop culture of the ’80s and ’90s.
What have rehearsals been like?
Christie, the director, has made the rehearsal process such a blast. It’s been such a fun environment to be a part of, and everyone involved in this show, from the cast to the production team to the crew and everyone in between, has been incredible to work with.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show on stage?
I’m very much looking forward to bringing a new perspective to those seven years at magic school — an underdog perspective. The Puffs, as a group, are the ones who’ve never been destined for anything, and for there to be a story that’s all about them truly warms my heart.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
I think audiences need a break from reality, even if it’s only for two hours. Movies and television are a thing that can provide that, but I’ve found that nothing brings that sense of wonder to a person like live theater does. Plus, this show is heartfelt, action-packed and just plain funny. Even if you aren’t a fan of that certain boy wizard, this show is a laugh-out-loud good time.
Genevieve Aichele, director
An Inspector Calls, presented by New Hampshire Theatre Project at West End Studio Theatre (959 Islington St., Portsmouth) from May 6 through May 22, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 ($33.26 with fees) for general admission $26 ($29 with fees) for seniors, students and veterans and must be purchased in advance. Masks are required in the theater. Visit nhtheatreproject.org or call 431-6644.
What attracted you to this show?
I’ve been wanting to produce this show for several years now. It’s a well-paced, clever play with excellent dialogue and great roles for actors, and its theme of social responsibility is more important than ever. For a piece written in 1945, it’s astonishingly pertinent today.
How are you interpreting the show as a director?
The only change I’m making is that we’re not using British accents. I wanted the play to feel very accessible and contemporary.
What have rehearsals been like?
A joy. I have a solid professional cast. … Each of them brings thoughtful character interpretations to their role, and everybody is fully prepared for rehearsals.
What is the biggest challenge of directing this show?
Trying to stay true to the period stylistically while making the themes accessible to contemporary audiences. This play is written like an Agatha Christie-type mystery, so keeping the pace taut and heightened without descending into melodrama is also a challenge.
Monique Foote stars in An Inspector Calls. Photo by Ben Bagley
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show on stage?
The process of creating a piece for the stage with a collaborative team is what I love most about directing. Not just working with the excellent cast, but also [with the] costume designer, set designer and lighting designer, discovering things together. For instance, I really wanted to cast against type and have a woman play the title role of the Inspector, even though it might be anachronistic, but [the costume designer], in her costume research, discovered that there actually were female police officers in England at the time the play takes place in the early 1900s. This changed our approach to the character.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
The script is excellent, the characters are fascinating and the story is absolutely pertinent to our world today. There are even lines that echo eerily; they could be spoken in 2022 instead of 1912. [The Inspector says,] ‘We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.’ In an era of instant global communication and connection, these issues seem even more important [today] than they were 75 years ago.
Steve Short, company manager, co-producer and sound designer
The Play That Goes Wrong, presented by the Manchester Community Theatre Players at the Manchester Community Theatre Players Theatre, located at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester), with showtimes on Fridays, May 13 and May 20, and Saturdays, May 14 and May 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and must be purchased in advance. Masks and proof of vaccination are required to enter the theater. Visit manchestercommunitytheatre.com or call 327-6777.
What attracted you to this play?
Having been involved in community theater for 17 years, I’ve seen a lot of mishaps and blunders, both on and off stage. This will be our third production in this genre, about a theater company putting on a play that goes horribly awry.
How are you interpreting the play?
Some of the sound effects are pretty simple, but some require some imaginative editing. I can’t go into more detail; you’ll have to come see the show.
What have rehearsals been like?
We’re pretty early in the rehearsal process. The cast has mostly been laughing hysterically, as putting the script into action on stage has been pretty funny.
What is the biggest challenge of this play?
It can be difficult to stage many of the set failures that are found in the script without a Broadway bankroll. The Manchester Community Theatre Players can be quite imaginative within the confines of a community theater budget.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this play to the stage?
Audiences are desperate to see theater on stage rather than in Zoom boxes, and theater companies love the feedback that audiences provide.
Why do you think this is a play audiences will enjoy right now?
It’s a very funny show.
Billy Butler, writer, composer and director
Children of the Grim, presented by Bitter Pill at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) from May 13 through June 5, with showtimes on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $28 for adults and $25 for seniors age 65 and up and students. Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test are required. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.
What inspired you to write this show?
When I was a child, in the old timey days before cable TV and the internet, my mother used to read to me a lot — classics like The Wizard of Oz books and the Narnia chronicles, as well as Grimm, Native American mythology, Mother Goose, Aesop, Edward Gorey and, my favorite, campfire ghost stories. Bitter Pill generally plays to an adult audience, and I began to notice a lot of families at our concerts. We started editing our set lists to be more accessible for those shows. I wanted to create something an out-of-the-ordinary family would enjoy within the aesthetic of our band, so I started writing Children of the Grim inspired from my childhood stories. There are so many wonderfully dark, strange and bizarre tales from all over the world. It’s funny how those macabre stories used to be totally acceptable for children; there was a time when we knew that the universe is a dark and dangerous place. Even the early days of Disney had such dark overtones. We’re using some verbatim tales as well as nursery rhymes set to original music. I also wrote my own tales and songs. There’s no through-line, but there are definitely themes, all told in a series of vignettes and songs. I’m not sure how to describe it in theatrical terms, but maybe it’s a song-cycle meets a scene-cycle.
Describe the music. What does it add to the show?
The music is folk and played on all stringed instruments — acoustic guitars, mandolin, banjo and cello. Most of the show is original music, but [there are] also some traditional songs that may have been long forgotten. Music is what feelings sound like, and we present them in a way that isn’t banging people over the head with too many theatrics. Some of our songs create all the imagery needed simply by just singing them, without the fancy choreography or flashy lights.
Children of the Grim. Photo by Gina Bowker.
What have rehearsals been like?
After our first rehearsal at the beginning of March, two of our actors contracted Covid. We lost a little more than a week’s worth of work. I knew this was a possibility and scheduled the process keeping in mind that Covid would very likely rear its ugly head. They went into quarantine, and we all tested multiple times before getting together again. Everyone got healthy very quickly, and we got right back to work. Since then, we’ve had a great time putting it together — a lot of laughs and plenty of goofiness.
What is the biggest challenge of directing this show?
Learning a new show is always challenging since there’s no reference point. There are no cast recordings or videos. It’s one of the reasons I love doing new work, whether [it’s] my own or others’. There are no expectations, and the creative process of bringing something new to life is frighteningly exciting. The biggest challenge, however, is that it’s been three years since I’ve directed anything, so the insecurities are hitting harder than usual. I’m second guessing, doubting myself and feeling the impostor syndrome here and there. These are all very normal [feelings] in a normal world, but in this new abnormal [world], things are much more elevated. Navigating it is tricky, but everyone involved is so 100 percent committed that I walk away from each rehearsal with more and more confidence. That’s how collaboration works — lifting each other and embracing the good and bad.
What do you hope the audience will take away from your show?
Humming a tune, and a bittersweet taste in their mouth.
What are you looking forward to most about seeing your show on stage?
It’s always a pleasure to see your work come to life before an audience for the first time. I imagine even more so these days. I look forward to being in the same room, breathing the same air, feeling the same feelings. Some say theater, music and arts are an escape; I don’t agree. People go to a concert or see a play or a movie to feel something, to sit in the dark and be reminded that we’re luminous beings. I know I always walk away from art feeling lighter and maybe even a little enlightened.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
It’s not a typical play or musical, especially for families. Nothing is sugar-coated, and it’s dark, but also quite funny and poignant. It’s also short — a little more than an hour with no intermission. These old and new tales are an important reminder to embrace the dark, because, without it, how do we find the light?
Christie Conticchio, director
Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, presented by Cue Zero Theatre Co., at Granite State Arts Academy (19 Keewaydin Drive, No. 4, Salem), with showtimes on Friday, April 29, and Sunday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 ($16.25 with fees). Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within three days of the performance are required. The show is also available to livestream for $15. Visit cztheatre.com or email cztheatre@gmail.com.
What attracted you to this show?
I was attracted to this show at first as a fan of the fandom and, second, as a Puff myself. I had the privilege to see it off-Broadway as part of my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party and fell in love with the message that behind this seemingly misfit group are loyal, caring, hardworking individuals, and I connected with those characteristics.
How are you interpreting the show as a director?
As a director, my interpretation is to keep the heart, soul and lighthearted nature. This show has a lot of heart, and, once you lose that then it’s disingenuous.
What have rehearsals been like?
Rehearsals have been so collaborative and respectful. I honestly got very lucky with this cast.
What is the biggest challenge of directing this show?
The sheer amount of props, costume pieces, sound cues and lighting. This show has well over 100 props. I got very lucky with two productions finishing before mine, so many of my props are borrowed from Powerhouse Theatre or Manchester Central High School. In addition, the sound cues and timing of wand- and spell-making and that coordination will be important.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show on stage?
I’m looking forward to getting this in front of an audience. This is a funny show, and the talent in the cast is undeniable. We worked on improv skills, building community and fostering ideas from the cast, and I hope it’s noticeable. Each actor had a one-on-one session with me, and seeing how each character holds their wand and casts spells is so subtle, but I hope that, in the small theater, it’s a detail that’s appreciated.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
If people are a fan of the fandom and are looking for a light-hearted comedy in a stressful world, this is the show to see. Also, sitting in the front row has some advantages in this show. What exactly are those advantages? You’ll just have to come and see.
Emily Karel, actor
An Inspector Calls, presented by New Hampshire Theatre Project at West End Studio Theatre (959 Islington St., Portsmouth), from May 6 through May 22, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 ($33.26 with fees) for general admission, $26 ($29 with fees) for seniors, students and veterans, and must be purchased in advance. Masks are required in the theater. Visit nhtheatreproject.org or call 431-6644.
What attracted you to this show?
First and foremost, the subject matter. The play deals with the struggle between individualism and collectivism and the disparity between those in the upper class and those in the lower class. With this work, Priestley asks us to reflect on how our actions affect those around us. Though the events of the play take place in 1912, these themes remain painfully relevant.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Sheila is the daughter of Arthur and Sibyl Birling. She fits into her parents’ carefully curated world of taste and refinement, but only just. She has a hot temper and is more intelligent than her family or fiance give her credit for. Her discomfort with the social and societal role she’s expected to play becomes evident fairly early on and only intensifies as the events of the play unfold.
What have you been doing to prepare? What have rehearsals been like?
In terms of preparation, I like to learn my lines as soon as possible. I feel it’s nearly impossible to do the work I need to do to build my character and support my castmates in the rehearsal room if I’m glued to the page. I like to come into the first rehearsal as close to off-book as possible. This play is a period drama, so I’ve been spending time outside of rehearsal researching the time period in which the events of the play take place. Also, in addition to making decisions about Sheila’s inner life, I need to find her psychically. BBC period dramas have been helpful research tools. Watching the characters on screen can help me get a sense of how young women in that time period moved and held themselves. The first season of Downton Abbey is especially useful since it takes place during the exact same time period as Inspector.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show on stage?
I’m looking forward to hearing what audiences take from the show.
Why do you think this is a show audiences will enjoy right now?
I’ve been in this show before; I played Sheila in college. My experience of the play this time around is quite different, having come out of two-plus years of the Covid pandemic. I can’t help but be struck by the enormous class divide that exists in this country and how it has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. We’ve been divided into those who can stay home, stay safe, order our groceries in and implore others to do the same, and those who simply cannot. Some jobs can’t be done remotely. Some of us weren’t afforded the luxury of staying safe. The sad truth is that many of us … have quite a lot in common with the Birlings. We think we’re doing the right thing, taking care of ourselves and those we love, but we’ve been blind to our own immense privilege. My hope is that the experience of this play, whether from the stage or the audience, will encourage all of us to step outside of ourselves a bit more.
Featured photo: From left to right, Anna Mae Murphy playing Megan, Connor Forbes playing Wayne, and Noah Greenstein playing Oliver in Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. Photo by Paula Trout.
