Category: Featured Content

News & Notes 21/08/05

Covid-19 update As of July 26 As of August 2
Total cases statewide 100,286 100,986
Total current infections statewide 364 738
Total deaths statewide 1,385 1,387
New cases 320 (July 20 to July 26) 700 (July 27 to Aug. 2)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 92 235
Current infections: Merrimack County 44 57
Current infections: Rockingham County 85 178
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 99 new positive cases of Covid-19 on Aug. 2. The state averaged 107 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of 112 percent compared to the week before. As of Aug. 2, all but two counties in the state were at moderate levels of community transmission, according to state health officials, while Belknap County was at a substantial level and Sullivan County at a minimal level.

Due to the prevalence of the highly contagious delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended universal indoor masking for K-through-12 schools across the country. According to an Aug. 2 report from WMUR, New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut said that will be a decision made at the local level this fall, by either the school board or the superintendent. Because the state is no longer under an emergency order, school districts will not be required to offer remote learning, though they can if they choose to.

The New Hampshire Hospital Association announced in an Aug. 3 press release that it supports mandating Covid-19 vaccines for employees of all state hospitals and health systems. The release cited recent data from the Josiah Bartlett Center that vaccinated patients are less likely to fall ill or be hospitalized — since the beginning of February, according to the data, unvaccinated people have accounted for 99 percent of New Hampshire’s positive Covid cases and 98 percent of deaths. “As public health leaders, our mission is to protect the lives and well-being of both our patients and our staff, and the Covid-19 vaccine is the most effective way we can do that,” Don Caruso, President and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center and the current Chair of the New Hampshire Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees said in a statement. According to a press release issued the same day, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health will require vaccinations of all of its employees as a condition of employment, beginning Sept. 30. The requirements include all per diem employees and those working remotely, according to the release.

Eviction cases

The federal eviction moratorium ended July 31, and several state agencies have prepared for the anticipated rise in eviction cases. The New Hampshire Circuit Court, which handles eviction cases in the state, has seen a substantial decrease in the number of evictions filed since the moratorium started in September, according to a press release, and plans to restart eviction cases that were put on hold and have hearings for most of those cases by Aug. 11. For cases that were put on hold after a judgment had already been issued, the Court will begin issuing Writs of Possession Aug. 2, the release said.

The Circuit Court has been working with New Hampshire Housing, which administers the New Hampshire Emergency Rental Assistance Program, a $200 million federally funded rental assistance program that can pay for up to a total of 15 months of back and future rent and other housing-related expenses, such as water, sewer, trash, home heating and relocation expenses, for eligible tenants who can’t pay rent or utilities due to the impact of the pandemic. According to the release, landlords can start the application on behalf of tenants and are paid directly if the tenant is approved. The assistance is expected to be available through at least 2022.

Applications are being accepted by the state’s five Community Action Partnership agencies and can be submitted at capnh.org. Renters can call 211 for assistance or contact 603 Legal Aid (nhlegalaid.org), which provides free civil legal services to low-income people.

Primary date

Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed HB 98, which would have moved the date of the state primary from the second Tuesday in September to the first Tuesday in August. “I agree with the Secretary of State that House Bill 98 creates more problems than it solves,” Sununu wrote in his veto statement. He wrote that it would move the election, as well as the campaign season for that election, into the middle of the summer. “This is a time when many Granite Staters are enjoying their vacations and are far less likely to be involved in the electoral process,” he wrote. “This change could lead to depressed voter engagement in the election and reduced turnout.” He also wrote that the summer date could make it more difficult for towns and cities to recruit poll workers and Election Day volunteers, already a challenge for many municipalities. “New Hampshire’s elections are the gold standard for the rest of the country and our primary date schedule has stood the test of time,” he wrote. “Our Secretary of State, who has run our state’s elections for 45 years, believes this legislation will add significant challenges to a process that does not need to be changed.”

Animal protection

Gov. Sununu signed three new animal protection bills on July 25, including one that will require drivers to stop if they hit a cat and report the incident to the cat’s owner or local police, according to WMUR. The law currently applies to dogs and will be enforced for cats starting in 2022. The other two bills will increase penalties for stealing dogs and tampering with a dog’s collar or microchip, and establish criminal penalties for acts of cruelty done to wild animals. The bills received bipartisan support from the House and the Senate, according to the article.

E-ZPass card

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has announced that NH E-ZPass customers can now replenish their E-ZPass account with cash at participating retail locations with the E-ZPass Reload Card. According to a press release, customers who don’t want to use their credit or debit cards to automatically replenish their accounts can instead add funds to their accounts with the New Hampshire E-ZPass Reload Card. The wallet-size reusable card can be found on the gift card display at participating retailers throughout the state. It will add an initial reload amount from $10 to $500, plus a $1.50 retailer convenience fee, the release said, and the card can then be linked to the customer’s account by calling the phone number on the back of the card. To reload the card, customers must present the same Reload Card in-store, and cash payments will automatically be loaded to their E-ZPass account.

The Hooksett Area Rotary Club and the Queen City Rotary Club are looking for volunteers to help them assemble more than 3,000 backpacks for their Gear Up for School backpack drive. According to a press release, volunteers are needed on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial High School in Manchester to fill packs with back-to-school supplies. All ages are welcome, and you can sign up by searching for the event on signupgenius.com or email harcnh@gmail.com for more information.

Sales at the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery in Boscawen continue to grow, according to a press release. Total nursery sales rose 14.2 percent to $220,481 over 2020, which was also a record year. The nursery shipped 238,155 seedlings, an increase of 27,990 from last year, the release said. Nursery stock is grown on site at the nursery from seed and is not imported or transplanted from other sources.

The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire broke ground last week on the All Persons Trail at the Cedar Swamp Preserve in Manchester, according to a press release. The universally accessible trail is expected to be completed and open to the public in October.

Water Safety Day will be held Thursday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hampton Beach Seashell Complex in Hampton. According to a press release, the event will include rescue demonstrations and interactive discussions about staying safe on the ocean and in lakes or rivers. The event is hosted by the state Division of Parks and Recreation’s State Beach Patrol and Hampton Beach State Park lifeguards.

If you delayed, it’s time

New Hampshire got off to a great start leading the nation in vaccination rates but now it’s falling behind just as it’s becoming even more important to be vaccinated with the spread of the delta variant.

The delta variant is two to three times more contagious than the original virus and is now the dominant strain of the virus being spread in America. Almost everyone getting infected and then being admitted to the hospital and dying is unvaccinated. That says a lot.

In New Hampshire almost 65 percent of the population — including Gov. Chris Sununu — has been vaccinated but that still is the lowest in New England.

Some may ask, why does it matter? Those who want the vaccine have gotten it. It matters because a fair number of people (younger children and certain people with medical conditions) can’t yet be vaccinated. The more of us that are vaccinated, the more protected those most vulnerable are. It also matters because as effective as the vaccines are, they aren’t 100 percent effective, meaning that even vaccinated people can get Covid and will get sick and die. Again, the more of us vaccinated the less the vaccine will be passed around and the less likely people will get sick.

Hesitancy is definitely understandable. Covid is a new virus and these vaccines were developed quickly. Most of the vaccines we take were developed over many years and have been proven safe by generations of use.

Though it’s tempting to Google vaccine questions, please talk to your health care provider. Ask them about the safety of the three Covid vaccines that you can get.

Folks also have questions about how to get vaccinated. There are more than 400 locations across the state to get vaccinated. All for free. The state even has a van that can come to you to give you a vaccine — for free. Just visit the state’s vaccine website (vaccines.nh.gov).

This is one of those times when we need everyone to get the vaccine so we can finally stamp out the virus. We can do this if we choose to do it. Many who have hesitated simply don’t see the need for them to get vaccinated. They are young and healthy.

I’d argue that we aren’t just doing this for ourselves. We’re doing it for each other. It’s an act of kindness. If you’ve delayed now is the time to get vaccinated for yourself, for your family, for your community.

In the right place

Jonathan Edwards brings new album to Tupelo

Like many in his profession, Jonathan Edwards spent the past several months working on new music, due the a pandemic-induced break from live performing. The result is the wonderful Right Where I Am. His first studio album since 2015, it’s at turns reflective, introspective and celebratory, the latter best represented by “50 Years,” a thank-you note to fans written for a 2017 anniversary show.

“I figured going in I better write a song for this event,” Edwards said in a recent phone interview, “because it was turning out to be a big one. So I did, and the first time I played it was that night at the party.”

He was joined by Livingston Taylor and Jon Pousette-Dart, two friends from his early days on the New England music scene.

The party-hearty groover “Drop and Roll” is one of two co-writes on the LP with Edwards’ son-in-law Jerome Degey. Its sentiments will be familiar to anyone who sang along to “Shanty” from his debut album, when Edwards exhorted listeners to “put a good buzz on.”

This time, he sings “roll over and burn one down” on a tune written in the middle of the night. “It’s kind of a stream-of-consciousness,” he said. “I’m very proud of that song in that it’s kind of subtle but… ‘roll me up a fatty, Bob Marley be proud.’ You know, come on!”

The title track is a statement of purpose. “I’ve got a lot of songs within me still, stories left to tell,” he sings.

“It’s part of my DNA. I’ve always been a creative sort,” he said, quoting another line from the song. “I’ve always built stuff out of other stuff. I went to art school and four years of college and eventually the guitar and rock ’n’ roll took over. Since then, I have many, many outlets for my creativity, and it’s hard to focus often, but I think the introspection that we had during lockdown was really conducive to more creativity, and appreciation for being able to express oneself.” He also states boldly in the song, “I’m not afraid to take a stand and bleed upon the stage … pay the price to tell the truth.”

“Perhaps [that image is] maybe a little too colorful, but that’s what it feels like,” Edwards said, adding that as he approaches his 75th year, “my challenge now is mostly physical.”

He co-produced the new record with longtime friend and accompanist Don Campbell, with help from Todd Hutchinson at his Acadia Recording studio in Portland, Maine.

“I loved it there. … It looks like a yard sale, with all these vintage amps and guitars everywhere … a very creative place,” Edwards said, and it made the work easier. “It’s a corny thing to say, but we followed the songs where they led us, and I’m really, really happy with that destination.”

He’s also pleased with the positive response Right Where I Am is receiving.

“It’s great, because you never know,” he said. “You put [these songs] out there as children, and you never know how they’re going to be accepted by society,” he said.

Edwards was scheduled to return to the stage on his birthday, July 28, at Jonathan’s in Ogunquit, Maine. Two nights later, he’ll play one of the final shows at Tupelo Drive-In, as the venue prepares to return indoors in mid-August.

“I miss the crowd for sure, and I miss the energy that only they can provide,” he said. “I can sit around and play with my friends, which is also really nice, but boy, getting out in front of a crowd….”

He nods to the al fresco event in Derry.

“In this case, and it’s really apt, that’s where the rubber meets the parking lot,” he said.

Jonathan Edwards
When: Friday, July 30, 6 p.m.
Where: Tupelo Drive-In, 10 A St., Derry
Tickets: $22 per person, $75 per car at tupelohall.com

Featured photo: Alli Beaudry. Courtesy photo.

Old

Old (PG-13)

A family has a pretty terrible day at the beach in Old, the latest, I don’t know, not horror really, thriller or something, from M. Night Shyamalan.

Married couple Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) were probably always going to have a lousy holiday at some resort on an unnamed island. Sure, their kids, 11-year-old Maddox (Alexa Swinton) and 6-year-old Trent (Nolan River), seemed pretty excited about a resort with a candy buffet bar and a beach, but Guy and Prisca both seem to be barely keeping a lid on some misery, with a medical thing, a near-future separation and the concept of a “last family holiday” mentioned. Perhaps this is why Prisca jumped at the suggestion of the hotel manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) for a day trip to a fancy private beach as a place for her family to make some kind of lasting memory.

Though the manager told them to keep this beach a secret, theirs wasn’t the only family he told about it. As Guy and Prisca and the kids pack into the hotel’s van for a ride over, they’re joined by tightly wound doctor Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife, Chrystal (Abbey Lee), their 6-year-old daughter Kara (Kyle Bailey) and his mother (Kathleen Chalfant). When they arrive at the beach (dropped off by a driver played by Shyamalan himself, which, sigh, really guy?), they find famous rapper Mid Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre) already there and are soon joined by another couple, Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird).

By the time Jarin and Patricia show up, the day has already started to head south, with young Trent having spotted the body of a woman floating in the water and Charles having accused Sedan, who is sort of stunned and has a non-stop nosebleed, of causing her death. In the confusion of the moment, the group realizes that (1) their cell phones get no reception, (2) they can’t go back through the cave that brought them to the beach because it causes everyone who heads back to get a crushing headache and then black out and, perhaps most disturbingly, (3) something weird is happening with their kids.

After first having to ditch his swim trunks because they don’t fit, Trent (Luca Faustino Rodriguez and later Alex Wolff) is suddenly taller and older, something like 11, Jarin guesses, with Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie, who plays her for a significant part of the movie) at more like 16 and Kara (Mikaya Fisher) also 11. The kids are freaked out at suddenly being bigger and the adults are freaked out about everything, including the increasingly erratic behavior of Charles and the sudden illness of his mother. They eventually guess that they are all, not just the kids, aging and that all of the families were dealing with some kind of illness when they arrived at the island.

I can’t decide if it’s cleverly efficient or over-the-top hokey how this movie delivers the basic biographical information and a bunch of backstory about the characters. We learn names and occupations almost immediately because Trent directly asks everybody about them in a way that is I think supposed to read as a cute kid quirk but comes off as very “hey audience, take notes.” There is also a point when Patricia, therapist, basically gathers everyone on the beach together to have them explain their backstories. It’s not that this action is so weird in the context of the story, it’s that it comes across as clunky and inartful, which then starts to border on silly. There are a lot of things like that here, such as a stretch (spoiled in the trailers) when one character becomes very quickly pregnant and then delivers a baby. Sure, there is something of a horror element to it (also an ick factor) but it also comes across as sort of ridiculous.

I basically went with the first, oh, 45 minutes or so of Old. This isn’t the most solidly constructed plot (or set of characters or dialogue) but it’s an interesting concept, there are a bunch of interesting ideas banging around. The terror of the family, the children changing so fast, the adults watching their children change and realizing what it all means for everybody’s lives, is relatively well developed. But, not unlike some other Shyamalan films, it all seems to unravel and deflate in its back half. I don’t know how I wanted this story to resolve but I do know that how it all comes together feels unsatisfying, both unfinished and overly literal.

There are some decent performances here: The core family — it’s Bernal, Krieps, McKenzie and Wolff who are together for I think the longest stretch — work well together and the actors playing the older incarnations of very-recent kids do a good job of giving us both grown-up people and people whose life references are still child-based. Bernal and Krieps have some nice scenes together; they believably play out a long marriage over a short period of time. But there are also times (many of Sewell’s scenes, for example) when the movie-ness of the movie just can not get out of an actor’s way enough for them to give a compelling, and not silly, performance.

Old isn’t terrible but it’s ultimately more frustrating than anything else. C

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, disturbing images, suggestive content, partial nudity and brief strong language, according to the MPA at filmratings.com. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (who also wrote the screenplay, which is based on a graphic novel called Sandcastle by Pierre-Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters), Old is an hour and 48 minutes long and distributed by Universal Studios. It is playing in theaters.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (PG-13)

How charismatic is Henry Golding? So charismatic that I basically, on balance, enjoyed Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, an origin story for a character in the G.I. Joe universe.

Once upon a time, kid Snake Eyes (Max Archibald; the character may have had a name at some point but I didn’t catch it) watched in horror as baddies murdered his dad (Steven Allerick). Left to grow up on the streets, Snake Eyes (Golding) has become a bare-knuckle fighter who drifts from town to town as an adult. A Yakuza tough guy hires Snake Eyes to become one of his worker-bee tough guys. Snake Eyes initially turns him down but then agrees to join up because they offer to find the man who murdered Snake Eyes’ father.

While working for the Yakuza, Snake Eyes becomes friends with Tommy (Andrew Koji), a guy who seems to be a little higher up in the gang’s corporate organizational chart. When Tommy is revealed to be a spy for the Arashikage clan, the gang tries to order Snake Eyes to kill him but instead Snake Eyes saves Tommy, who in turn takes him to his family’s palatial estate in Japan and offers Snake Eyes the chance to train with the ninja of the Arashikage, whose head is Tommy’s grandmother, Sen (Eri Ishida). Akiko (Haruka Abe), the head of Arashikage security, is not so sure about this Snake Eyes fella and doesn’t like the plan to let him join the clan.

Eventually, the international bad guy operation known as Cobra makes an appearance, with Baroness (Ursula Corbero) working with Kenta (Takehiro Hira), the movie’s central bad guy. We also get talk of the “Joes,” presented here as kind of an international good guy organization, in the form of Scarlett (Samara Weaving).

There’s more G.I. Joe mythology, but my memories of the cartoon are vague — enough that I remembered a bit of “hey, isn’t that guy going to become that guy” type character beats but not enough that I found myself super invested in all the backstory. Nor do I think you need to be to enjoy what’s best about this movie, which is its basically talented, if not always well-served by the movie, cast, in particular Golding. More Golding in any form, is my general feeling and he makes for an engaging action hero here. The movie gives him about a quarter inch of character development but he’s able to stretch that just a little farther through the power of his presence. In my fantasy casting of the next generation of James Bond, Golding has been one of my contenders for a while — he’s suave and handsome and believably bad-ass and capable. This movie doesn’t have that much humor or that many emotional beats, but Golding definitely makes the most that he can of what often feels like just a live-action version of the cartoon I remember from my childhood.

The movie also shines in some of its fight scenes, many of which are sword-based. The choreography makes what you know are likely to be fights to the draw none the less energetic and they’re often situated in some pretty settings (the Arashikage training grounds, a rainy cityscape).

Snake Eyes isn’t particularly great, it’s not one of those popcorn movies that transcends form in some way. I wish more had gone into making this cinematic world a little richer, especially since it feels like we’re going to be here a while. But for what it is, it does OK, with Golding largely saving the day. C+

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and brief strong language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Robert Schwentke with a screenplay by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Joe Shrapnel & Anna Waterhouse, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is two hours and one minute long and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. The movie is currently in theaters only; according to IndieWire and Wikipedia, Snake Eyes will stream on Paramount+ on Sept. 6.

FILM

Venues

Chunky’s Cinema Pub
707 Huse Road, Manchester;
151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua;
150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com

The Flying Monkey
39 Main St., Plymouth
536-2551, flyingmonkeynh.com

O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square
24 Calef Highway, Epping
679-3529, oneilcinemas.com

Red River Theatres
11 S. Main St., Concord
224-4600, redrivertheatres.org

Rex Theatre
23 Amherst St., Manchester
668-5588, palacetheatre.org

Wilton Town Hall Theatre
40 Main St., Wilton
wiltontownhalltheatre.com, 654-3456

Shows

• Jaws 21+ trivia night at Chunky’s in Manchester on Thursday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. Admission costs $5, which is a food voucher.

• Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (R, 2021) will screen at Red River Theatres in Concord Friday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 1, at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

• Pig (R, 2021) will screen at Red River Theatres in Concord Friday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 1, at 4:45 and 7:30 p.m.

• In the Heights (PG-13, 2021) will screen at Red River Theatres in Concord Friday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 1, at 1:15 p.m.

• Jungle Cruise (PG-13, 2021) a sensory friendly flix screening, with sound lowered and lights up, on Saturday, July 31, 10 a.m. at O’neil Cinema in Epping.

• The Wizard of Oz (1939) at the O’neil Cinema in Epping on Monday, Aug. 2, and Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. as part of the summer kids series. Tickets to the screening cost $2 for kids ages 11 and under and $3 for ages 13 and up. A $5 popcorn and drink combo is also for sale.

• Raya and the Last Dragon (PG, 2021) at the Rex Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. with a portion of the proceeds going to Manchester Police Athletic League. Tickets cost $12.

• Jaws (1975, PG-13) screenings at Chunky’s in Manchester, Nashua and Pelham Wednesday, Aug 4, through Saturday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. plus screenings at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets cost $4.99.

• Rock of Ages (PG-13, 2012) screening at the Rex Theatre in Manchester on Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. with a portion of the proceeds going to the Manchester Police Athletic League. Tickets cost $12.

Featured photo: Old.

Fresh and balanced

New meals each week at Hopkinton’s BB Take Home Kitchen

Hopkinton native Emily Knowlton and her mother Deb found success last July with the launch of BB Take Home Kitchen, also known as the Balanced Brussel, a weekly take-home meal business they operated out of a stationary food truck. A year later, the mother-daughter duo has grown out of their mobile space, selling the truck in favor of a new brick-and-mortar location.

BB Take Home Kitchen reopened earlier this month following a brief renovation period, introducing grab-and-go options for the first time, as well as an overall more streamlined ordering process for its meals. Before, pre-ordering was required and meal pickups were only available at the truck within a two-hour window every Tuesday. The new space expands the Knowltons’ hours of operation to Tuesday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The plan will be to have the same as what we have available for pre-order on the website also available in the deli case, so if somebody was driving by they could just stop in and pick up something on their way home,” Emily Knowlton said. “You can still pre-order and you guarantee what’s on the menu. But if you just walk in, you can have anything we have in the case.”

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, Knowlton offers a new menu each week; once it appears on the website, it’s available to pre-order and pick up any time BB’s is open. Certain specialty items will be available on Thursdays and Fridays each week.

“I had a lot of people who would order meals for the entire month, so I’m actually going to release them now on a rotating basis,” Knowlton said. “So as one week goes away, the next week will come up, just so that we can keep a couple of weeks in advance for people, and also for us.”

Depending on an individual meal’s ordering popularity, you might see it rotated out once or twice a month, or several months in between. Next week’s featured menu items include ginger sesame chicken with white rice and vegetables; Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese and a side salad with house dressing; a falafel wrap with house tzatziki sauce and hummus; and a shrimp corn chowder with a side of homemade cornbread. The specials for later that week will be sauteed lemon chicken, and taquitos with an avocado ranch dipping sauce.

Other items that have been popular with Knowlton’s clientele have been the pork ponzu meatballs, a beef enchilada casserole, and a chicken and vegetable stir-fry served over noodles. You’ll also find a selection of baked goods out of the display case, from freshly baked chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies to blueberry muffins and jumbo cinnamon rolls.

BB Take Home Kitchen is closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to fulfill catering orders, which Knowlton said have “gone through the roof” over the past several months. The space will then reopen each Tuesday with the start of a new menu of take-home options.

“Our event business has picked up probably 300 percent since we started,” Knowlton said. “I get weeks where I’ll get five inquiries a week, and it probably does have something to do with Covid restrictions being lifted and people starting to plan weddings and parties again.”

BB Take Home Kitchen

Where: 633 Maple St., Hopkinton
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Weekly menus are posted on a rotating basis; meals can be pre-ordered online, but some items are also available for walk-ins)
More info: Visit bbtakehomekitchen.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram @bbtakehomekitchen

Featured photo: Pork ponzu meatballs. Photo courtesy of BB Take Home Kitchen.

The Art Roundup 21/07/29

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

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• Outdoor Shakespeare: The Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) presents a Shakespeare on the Green production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m. The play will be performed outside on Founder’s Green in front of the theater. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. General admission tickets cost $25. Visit anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities or call 641-7000.

• NH antique art: The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford) has an exhibit and sale, “Fresh Perspectives,” on view in the Co-op’s Tower Gallery now through Aug. 31. It features works by New Hampshire artists Peter Milton, ​Varujan Boghosian, Robert Hughes, Robert Hauser and others, including paintings, prints, sculptures, assemblages and collages. Visit nhantiquecoop.com or call 673-8499.

• A memoir on grief: The Toadstool Bookstore in Nashua and Peterborough presents a virtual author event with Cathleen Elle on Thursday, July 29, at 6 p.m. Elle will discuss Shattered Together: A Mother’s Journey From Grief to Belief. A Guide to Help You Through Sudden Loss. The memoir documents the author’s 10-year journey of finding healing, meaning and forgiveness after the unexpected death of her son. Register online for the free event, which will be held over Zoom. Visit toadbooks.com or call 673-1734.

• NHAA artists in Manchester: The New Hampshire Art Association will feature work by two of its artist members at its new exhibit venue, Creative Framing Solutions, located across from the Palace Theatre at 89 Hanover St. in Manchester, during August. Joe Flaherty of Portsmouth is an oil painter whose paintings “aim at being curious, mysterious and peculiar before they aim at being representational or affirmative,” he said in a press release. Maryclare Heffernan of Candia will present a series of paintings titled “A Spray of Sea Salt.” “This body of work is about the essence of the ocean, of the feelings that arise in us when we’re near the sea,” Heffernan said in the release. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Aug. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. 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.

• Small town tale: The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road, Peterborough) returns with a production of Our Town Aug. 4 through Aug. 15, with showtimes Wednesday through Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. Performances will take place at the Players’ outdoor theater space, located off Phoenix Mill Lane in downtown Peterborough. The 1938 play by Thornton Wilder tells of love, life and death in the fictional small New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners. According to the Players’ website, the company first produced the play in 1940 with consultation from Wilder himself. It has since become the Players’ most produced play to date. There will be a talkback immediately following the show on Sunday, Aug, 8. Tickets cost $47. Visit peterboroughplayers.org or call 924-7585.

Art

Exhibits

• “FASHION FORWARD: AFRICANA STYLE” Exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Visit saacc-nh.org.

• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. 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.

• “TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM” Exhibit showcases New England painters and masters of impressionism Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley. On view now through Sept. 12. Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.

• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI – I BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. 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.

• “TENSION: PROCESS IN THE MAKING” The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group presents an exhibit featuring fiber art and textiles by New Hampshire artists. July 24 through Sept. 4. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• “SUMMER HAZE” Concord artist and gallery owner Jess Barnet hosts her first group art exhibit. Gallery located in the Patriot Investment building, 4 Park St., Suite 216, Concord. On view Aug. 6 through Sept. 3. Visit jessbarnett.com.

Fairs and markets

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR Nine-day craft fair featuring work by hundreds of juried League of NH Craftsmen members. Sat., Aug. 7, through Sun., Aug. 15. Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury). Visit nhcrafts.org.

Theater

Shows

• THE LITTLE MERMAID The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Wed., July 28, through Thurs., July 29, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• TELL ME ON A SUNDAY The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. July 28 through Aug. 14, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Aug. 3, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• DANI GIRL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Now through July 31, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

• YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). Now through Aug. 15, with shows daily at 7 p.m. More information is TBA. Visit prescottpark.org.

•​ CABARET The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through Sept. 5. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.

• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 3, through Thurs., Aug. 5, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• RAPUNZEL The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 10, through Thurs., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

• CINDERELLA The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., Aug. 17, through Thurs., Aug. 19, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.

•​ MAD HAUS The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Sun., Aug. 18, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. The show is also available to livestream. Visit seacoastrep.org.

Concerts

• SUZUKI STRINGS Violin students perform. Canterbury Shaker Village(288 Shaker Road, Canterbury). Sun., Aug. 15, 4 p.m. Suggested donation $10 per person.

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