• The Nashua Silver Knights, playing in the Future Collegiate Baseball League of New England, have their next home game at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua) on Thursday, July 20, at 7 p.m. vs. the Brockton Rox. Single game tickets cost $10; see nashuasilverknights.com.
Showtime
• The 2023 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series at The Palace (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) continues with Rapunzelthrough Friday, July 21, and Peter Pan July 25 through July 28. Children’s Series productions have shows Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m.Tickets cost $10.
• Head Into the Woodswith RB Productions at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18.75 for adults, $15.75 for students and seniors.
• See the Kidz Bop Kidz on their “Never Stop Live Tour”on Sunday, July 23, at 4 p.m. at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, banknhpavilion.com). Tickets start at $29.
• The Smirkus comes to town! Circus Smirkus will bring its traveling show to the High Mowing School (222 Isaac Frye Highway in Wilton) with “A Midsummer Night’s Circus” on Monday, July 24, at 1 and 6 p.m. and Tuesday, July 25, at 1 and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for ages 13 and over and $20 for children ages 2 to 12. See smirkus.org.
• Mr. Aaron will perform at the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St. in Manchester; manchester.lib.nh.us) Thursday, July 27, from 6 to 7 p.m. A familiar performer at family-friendly music events, Mr. Aaron has a packed schedule of appearances at area libraries and other locations. See mraaronmusic.com.
On the big screen
• O’neil Cinemas’ (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com)Summer Kids Series screenings on Monday, July 24, and Wednesday, July 26, at 10 a.m. will be 2021’s Sing 2(PG) featuring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Taron Egerton and Scarlett Johansson. Tickets cost $3 and the theater has an $8 popcorn-and-drink combo as well.
• The Summer Movie Express Series lineup at Regal Cinemas in Concord (282 Loudon Road in Concord) for Tuesday, July 25, and Wednesday, July 26, is Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank(PG, 2022) and Sing 2. Tickets cost $2. The movies screen at 2 p.m.
Outdoors
• Pumpkin Blossom Farm (393 Pumpkin Hill Road in Warner; pumpkinblossomfarm.com) continues its lavender you-pick daily through July 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (check with the website before you head out to see if weather has changed the schedule). Walk through the lavender fields and on a shaded trail, take photos and bring a picnic lunch to enjoy. Lavender plants and other lavender items will be available for purchase, according to the website. Lavender bundles cost $20 on weekends and $15 during the week.
• Head to Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) for Forest Trail Games for Kids and Adults on Saturday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to noon. Discover ways to make nature time enjoyable and captivating for the whole family (ages 6+) through immersive games that spark children’s imagination and sense of adventure. The cost is $15 per person. Visit prescottfarm.org.
A week and a half away from opening night, the cast of Newsies at Ovation Theatre Company gave an electric preview of the second act of the show at their rehearsal on July 10. The production will be held at the Derry Opera House on Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 22, at 1 and 7 p.m.
Disney’s Newsies, the Broadway musical written by Harvey Fierstein, was inspired by the true events of the New York City newsboys’ strike in 1899 against paper prices and unfair conditions.
“I love the show because it’s got a lot of energy, it’s really upbeat, it involved a lot of people, really dynamic dancing and I love the message it says to young people about having their voices [be] heard,” said Meg Gore, the director of Ovation’s production and the founder of the Londonderry-based theater company.
Although over a week away from opening, the numbers were commanding and clean, no doubt the result of Gore’s establishment of a fun yet serious rehearsal environment and the talent and hard work of the cast and crew. I was immediately impressed with the high-energy opening number of the second act, “King of New York,” featuring strong tap dancers and powerful vocalists.
“If there’s anything that’s going to blow [the audience’s] socks and shoes off, it’s going to be the dancing,” said Carson Curtis, who is making his Ovation debut with the role of Les. “The harmonizing is awesome [too].”
For Curtis, the youngest member of the show, playing the comedic 9-year-old has been fun, but a challenge.
“I am almost 13, so having to play a younger role [with] bad grammar and that stuff, it’s been challenging,” Curtis said. “I have a little brother that’s 9 and it’s fun because I can rehearse my lines and see how he says it.”
Jack Kelly, the ringleader of the newsies, is played by James Bridges, who embodies the character with such authenticity, right down to the spot-on New York accent, it seems as if he were made for the role. Surprisingly, portraying Jack did not come naturally to Bridges.
“He’s grown up on the streets all his life, and when Joseph Pulitzer raises the price of the papers, he’s the one who organizes the union to strike against the unfair practices,” he said. “I think Jack is a very assertive, confident and aggressive person, which is not how I would describe myself at all. … It’s been interesting and fun to be more of an exaggerated, confident swagger-filled guy.”
The newsies are helped by Katharine Plummer, a journalist who uses her skills as a writer to support the strike. For Chloe Ferraro, a dynamic vocalist with a flawless vibrato, playing Katharine is a dream come true.
“It’s actually been one of my dream roles forever, so I’ve been having a lot of fun,” Ferraro said. “It took me a lot to prepare for this character. Katharine’s very posh and elegant and I am not really those things, so it was really fun to kind of put myself into the character and just kind of send it.”
Although it was only a rehearsal, the cast gave a high-caliber performance.
“The experience with this cast has been amazing,” Gore said. “They’re great people and they’re very very very talented, but in addition to that they’re just very kind human beings. They’ve been great to work with.”
Ovation Theatre Company presents Newsies When: Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 22, at 1 and 7 p.m. Where: Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry Cost: Tickets are $25 More info: Visit ovationtc.com
In Summer 2020, al fresco was the only option for fans of live music. One of the pandemic’s few silver linings, however, was mostly sunny weather for shows in parking lots and open fields during that moment of masking and social distancing.
This year, not so much; from May through a stormy Fourth of July and beyond, nature’s fury has remained relentless. To paraphrase Mick Jagger, what can a poor boy do to sing in their rock ’n’ roll band?
Even without a torrent of phone battery-draining AccuWeather alerts like we’ve had this year, seasoned New Englanders always keep an eye out for changing skies. It turns out the folks who fill the gazebos and bandstands in New Hampshire’s cities and towns all got the memo on preparing for the worst.
A quick check with a few of them revealed many well-crafted contingency plans.
For example, Bedford’s Family Concerts in the Park series began June 28 with the Dr. Harp Blues Revue Band, and predicted rain moved it indoors. Jane O’Brien is the Bedford Recreation Department’s sole full-time staffer; she runs the town pool and summer camps along with the weekly gazebo events.
“If we go inside, we go to Bedford Town Hall,” O’Brien wrote in a July 6 email. “My first concert we had inside, but the library happened to have their big room available, so we went there. We do it rain or shine, as I don’t have room to reschedule with everything going on around town.”
Belknap Mill’s biweekly Arts in the Park series happens Fridays in Laconia’s Rotary Park. It moves indoors to the mill’s historic museum for inclement weather. A performance from the Newmont Military band kicked things off on May 26; the series concludes on Sept. 8 with the ’50s-themed Rockin’ Daddios and a classic car show.
When reached by phone the morning of July 6, Belknap Mill Marketing Manager Jill Desruisseaux was in good spirits, as the series’ most recent event, a June 30 performance by the Catfish Howl Zydeco Band, had been a sunny one. “We had finally had some nice weather and a really decent turnout,” she said.
The overall season has been an even mix, Desruisseaux continued. “We’ve had four shows and only two of them have been outside. Normally in past years we’ve maybe had to move the first one inside, and then the weather has been amazing. This summer it’s a little different. Mother Nature is not in the mood to cooperate.”
Holding shows in the museum’s third-floor event space is less than ideal, but other options aren’t much better. Indoor crowds are always smaller, but rescheduling acts is too difficult.
“The Park is the perfect place to … get a little live music and continue on with your night,” Desruisseaux said. “Sometimes you feel a little more pressure to stay when you’re inside.”
Performers face their own set of challenges. A chat with a couple of bands well-acquainted with the summer music season, and a performer who also works as a booker, revealed just how difficult this year has been compared to others.
Studio Two, a Beatles tribute band that’s a mainstay of the summer outdoor concert season, has had to pare down its schedule to protect itself against last-minute, no-pay cancellations. “I know weather is unpredictable, but enough of those can cripple a tour,” founding member Stephen Murray said by phone. “After years of experience of doing this, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way our band business can run is if the concerts that we play either have indoor venues or a rain date.”
Rebel Collective will perform in Henniker on July 25.
This year’s Henniker Concert Series began on June 16. The Tuesday twilight event showcases local acts like Rebel Collective (July 25), Not Fade Away (Aug. 1) and Nick’s Other Band, a beloved hometown group that closes things out on Aug. 29. The shows are always rain or shine.
Acoustic roots band Peabody’s Coal Train was the first act to perform in Henniker this year. “They asked us to kick off the summer series and sure enough, the thunderstorms were rolling in,” guitarist Jason Teaster recalled in a phone interview. The show was relocated to the town’s community center, right behind the bandstand.
“We still had a packed crowd, but it was a more intimate show,” Teaster said, adding, “people were hungry for live music, and we fed them. It was a hat tip to the committee for having that backup plan ready.”
Guitarist Brad Myrick is both a booker and a performer. Experience has taught him to plan for outdoor shows. Back in 2016, “I had a weekend with seven concerts in three days, and I think six of the seven got rained out,” he said by phone. “I lost like two thousand bucks, which for me at the time was just … I couldn’t do it.” That lesson guides Myrick at NH Music Collective, the booking, artist development and production company he co-runs with two other partners.
Given the seemingly endless precipitation, there’s not been much discussion this year about the other side of extreme weather. Plans are needed, however, not just for rain but also for excessive heat. Every now and then Studio Two’s Fab Faux have a need to remove their vintage Beatles suit jackets.
Another problem is ensuring that expensive acoustic instruments don’t get sun-bleached. It’s one thing to be a hot guitar player, quite another to play a hot guitar.
“We’re asking outdoor venues to have tent cover,” Myrick said, recalling that at one open-air gig, “I had to keep turning out of the sunlight after every song.”
That said, rain is still top of mind for everyone trying to mount or play an outdoor show. Myrick is keeping his fingers crossed for The Sunflower Festival, an August event in Concord that will feature a bevy of NH Music Collective performers. “I think I have 16 musicians over two full weekends,” he said.
Unlike a lot of performers and town music organizations, NH Music Collective has mostly dodged the wet and wild weather thus far. “We’re lucky as a company in that we have not lost too many shows,” Myrick said. “I know a lot of musicians that have had cancellations, just by watching people on social media.”
Music outdoors
Here are some of the places you can find regular (and free!) outdoor (weather permitting) musical performances. Know of any concert series we missed? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.
Multiple days
• Concord Parks and Recreation (concordnh.gov) presents concerts on several days in multiple locations throughout the city.
On Sundays at 10 a.m., acoustic concerts will take place in White Park (in inclement weather Merrimack Lodge, which will be open from 9 a.m. to noon during concerts). Concerts include Andrew North on July 23, Hometown Eulogy on Aug. 6, Paulie Stone on Aug. 13, Steve Blunt on Sept. 10 and Ben Harris on Sept. 17.
The Nevers Band (classic orchestral) has two Tuesday night concerts at 7 p.m. left in a series played around the city: July 25 at the New Hampshire Statehouse and Aug. 8 at Kiwanis Riverfront Park (behind Everett Arena).
Thursday night concerts at 7 p.m. in Eagle Square include Freese Brothers Big Band on Aug. 3, Jah Spirit on Aug. 10 and Club Soda on Aug. 24.
The Concord Public Library also has a live performance on the schedule: David Shore’s Trunk of Funk will play on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. at Prince Street at the Concord Public Library.
Sundays
• The Friends of Stark Park (550 River Road in Manchester; starkpark.com) have a series of concerts at the Stark Park Bandstand on Sundays at 2 p.m. Upcoming shows include Another Tequila Sunrise (Eagles tribute) on July 23, Love Dogs on July 30, Reminisants on Aug. 6, Swing Times Five on Aug. 13, Wolverine Jazz Band on Aug. 20 and Compaq Big Band on Aug. 27.
Tuesdays
• Amherst’s Concerts on the Green (amherstnh.myrec.com) run on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Amherst Village Green (2 Main St.). Upcoming shows include Bass Quintet on Aug. 1, Glitter and Camo on Aug. 8, and the Amherst Town Band on Aug. 15. A show on Tuesday, July 25, with the Bat Magoon Band will take place at the Baboosic Town Lake Beach (25 Broadway); $5 cover for non-Amherst residents.
• Derry Parks and Recreation’s Summer 2023 Concert Series (derrynh.org) takes place in MacGregor Park (64 E. Broadway) on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Upcoming shows are Mo Bounce (funky & danceable) on July 25, The Slakas (classic/modern rock) on Aug. 1, PizzaStock presents Second to Last Minute and the Glue Band on Aug. 8, Beatlejuice on Aug. 15, and Brandy on Aug. 22.
• Hampstead’s Meetinghouse Park Concert series (hampsteadconcerts.com), sponsored by Hampstead Cable Television, takes place Tuesdays at 6 p.m. behind Hampstead’s Town Hall (11 Main St.). Upcoming shows are Chickenshack Bluegrass Band (rock & country influenced) on July 25, Tru Diamond (Neil Diamond tribute) on Aug. 1, North River Music (Americana sound of rock, bluegrass and country) on Aug. 8, Mark209 (country) on Aug. 15, Martin and Kelly (country) on Aug 22, and Studio Two (Beatles tribute) on Aug. 29.
• Henniker’s Summer Concert Series (henniker.org) runs Tuesdays at the Angela Robinson Bandstand (57 Main St.) starting at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks and restaurants will attend the concerts to sell eats for the evening, according to a press release. Admission is free (donations accepted). Upcoming shows include Rebel Collective (Irish rock) on July 25, Not Fade Away (Grateful Dead tribute) on Aug. 1, Emily’s Garage Band (funky soul classics) on Aug. 8, Cold Chocolate (folk/funk/bluegrass) on Aug. 15, Kotoko Brass (party music with a global flair) Aug. 22, and Nick’s Other Band on Aug. 29.
• Nashua’s SummerFun (nashuanh.gov/546/summerfun) programming includes concerts at Greeley Park Bandshell (100 Concord St., Nashua). Shows are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The upcoming schedule includes Scenes the Band (Billy Joel tribute) on July 25, American Legion Band on Aug. 1, Tru Diamond (Neil Diamond tribute) on Aug. 8, Bel Airs (doo wop) on Aug. 15, and After Hours Big Band on Aug. 22.
• New Boston’s Concerts on the Common series (newbostonnh.gov/recreation/pages/concert-common) has three more shows on upcoming Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Chairs and blankets are welcome, and the Rail Trail Grill concession stand will feature hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and snacks for sale, with proceeds benefiting the New Boston Rail Trail. The town’s community church will offer a dessert table. Upcoming shows include Hickory Horned Devils (old-time, bluegrass, Americana) on July 26, Tattoo (acoustic jam band) on Aug. 8 and The Island Castaways Band (Jimmy Buffett tribute) on Aug. 22.
Wednesdays
• Bedford Parks and Recreation’s Family (bedfordnh.myrec.com) Concerts in the Park run on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Bedford Village Common Park. Upcoming shows include Roxanne and the Voodoo Rockers on July 26, Bedford Big Band on Aug. 2 (this show starts at 6:30 p.m.), and the Manchester Community Music School on Aug. 9.
• Hampstead’s remaining concert in the Ordway Park Concert series (hampsteadconcerts.com), sponsored by Hampstead Cable Television, takes place at the Main Street-located park at Route 121 and Depot Road on Wednesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. with Key Elements (classic and soft rock covers from the 1970s and 1980s).
Londonderry Concerts on the Common Featuring Martin and Kelly. Courtesy photo.
• The Londonderry Arts Council’s (londonderryartscouncil.org) Concerts on the Common series takes place on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, most will take place inside the cafeteria of Londonderry High School (295 Mammoth Road). Upcoming shows include The Linda Ronstadt Experience with Tristan McIntosh on July 26, Delta Generators (blues) Aug. 2, Foreigners Journey (tribute to Foreigner and Journey) on Aug. 9, and Studio Two Beatles Tribute on Aug. 16.
• Merrimack’s Summer Concert Series (merrimackparksandrec.org) will host weekly concerts at Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack) on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Upcoming shows include Marc Berger & Ride (country folk) on July 26, The Twangtown Paramours (Americana, folk and blues) on Aug. 2, The Slakas (classic/modern rock) on Aug. 9, Will Parker Children’s Concert on Aug. 16 (concert from 6 to 7 p.m.) and Crescendo’s Gate (rock) on Aug 23.
• Milford Recreation (milford.nh.gov) holds its Sounds on the Souhegan concert series on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Emerson Park. In the event of rain, concerts will be moved inside to the Town Hall auditorium. Upcoming shows include Cover Story (top 40) on July 26, Shana Stack Band (country/Southern rock) on Aug. 2, The Bel Airs (’50s and ’60s) on Aug. 9, Sheepdip Band (classic rock tribute) on Aug. 16, Bedford Big Band (this concert takes place at the Stage at Keyes Memorial Park) on Aug. 23, and Studio Two Beatles Tribute (rock ’n’ roll) at Aug. 30 (also at the Stage at Keyes Memorial Park).
• Pelham Community Spirit’s Summer Concerts (pelhamcommunityspirit.org) on the Village Green in front of the town’s public library will take place on three upcoming Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.: The Casuals on July 26, 4EverFab (Beatles tribute) on Aug. 9 (evening will also include a Cruise Night, $5 car registration), and Standard Tuning on Aug. 26.
Kotoko Brass. Courtesy photo.
Thursdays
• Auburn Parks & Recreation “Rock This Town” Summer Concert Series takes place at the Circle of Fun Playground (1 Bunker Hill Road in Auburn) on two upcoming Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.: Off Duty Angels on July 20 and Emily’s Garage Band on Aug. 17.
• Raymond’s Summer Concert Series (raymondnh.gov/programsforeveryone) runs Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Raymond Town Common. Upcoming shows include The Singing Trooper Daniel M. Clark on July 20; Keith Belanger (piano bar sing-along) on July 27; a “surprise night” on Aug. 3; Kitchen Party on Aug. 10, and EP Rock (Elvis Prestley tribute) on Aug. 17.
• Salem’s summer concert series at Field of Dreams Community Park (48 Geremonty Drive, Salem; fieldofdreamsnh.org) runs on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. except for Fridays, July 21, and July 28. Admission is free and open to the public and chairs and blankets are welcome. Upcoming shows include 4EverFab (Beatles tribute) on July 21, Salem Boyz on July 28, North River Music (Americana sound of rock, bluegrass and country) on Aug. 3, Something Else on Aug. 10, and B-Street Bombers on Aug. 17.
Friday
• Manchester (manchesternh.gov) has two upcoming concerts at Veterans Park in the city’s downtown on Elm Street on two Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks will be available to purchase food from. Marc Berger and the band Ride will perform on July 21. Roots of Creation will perform on Aug. 11.
Daily
• Hampton Beach has a nightly Sea Shell stage series (hamptonbeach.org) with performances from 7 to 8 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. most nights. Performances are weather-dependent. Upcoming shows include Caroline Gray (country) on Thursday, July 20; Maddi Ryan (country pop) on Friday, July 21; The Shakerz Band (’60s through ’90s rock) on Saturday, July 22, and The Bel Airs (doo wop and vintage rock ’n’ roll) on Sunday, July 23. On Sunday, Aug. 13, catch the Polka Festival from 3 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 19, a Reggae Fest runs from 3 to 9 p.m. The shows continue through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, when GemsTones (’50s music) finish up the season.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig launched her campaign for governor of New Hampshire with an event at the Rex Theatre in Manchester on July 12, according to a press release. Former Gov. John Lynch, also a Democrat, expressed his support for Craig, highlighting her dedication to making a difference in the lives of Granite Staters and her commitment to supporting public education. Craig emphasized her accomplishments as Manchester’s mayor, including the revitalization of the Rex Theatre and efforts to strengthen the community. Also running for the Democratic nomination is Cinde Warmington, Executive Councilor for District 2.
In a June 6 interview with WMUR, Gov. Chris Sununu said he would decide this summer on whether or not to run for a fifth term as governor.
Micro-credentials
The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) has partnered with Credentials Unlimited, an organization that offers courses and programs aligned with specific educational standards, to offer micro-credentials focused on the Science of Reading to educators. According to a press release, the goal is to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based reading practices in their classrooms and improve student literacy outcomes. The micro-credentials, aligned with the rigorous standards set by the International Dyslexia Association, are provided at no cost to New Hampshire educators. This program is specifically designed for participants enrolled in NHED’s Leaning Into Literacy LETRS professional development program who successfully complete the Pearson Reading Exam. The initiative aims to support educators in enhancing their teaching techniques and making a positive impact on students’ literacy development.
Want to host an exhibit?
New Hampshire Humanities (NHH) has partnered with Vermont Humanities and the Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street program to bring the traveling exhibit “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” to small towns in New Hampshire and Vermont from August 2024 to August 2025. According to a press release, NHH is currently accepting proposals from New Hampshire-based organizations interested in hosting the exhibit for a six-week period during the tour. They particularly encourage organizations in small, rural towns or the North Country to apply. Host organizations will not only display the exhibit but also develop complementary programming that engages the local community. NHH will provide grants of up to $3,000 and a subject matter expert to support hosts in creating programming related to the exhibit. The deadline for proposals is July 28, and more information can be found at nhhumanities.org/crossroads.
Trail work
Access to the Cardigan Mountain trail and summit will be periodically limited until Aug. 31 due to a fire tower replacement project, according to the NH Division of Forests and Lands. The project involves using a helicopter to transport materials for the new tower, and hikers are advised not to summit on days when the helicopter is in use for safety reasons. Updates on non-summitting days and trail closures will be posted on the websites and Twitter accounts of the Division of Forests and Lands and the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The project is expected to be completed by October, and another fire tower cab replacement project at Belknap Mountain will begin later this summer.
Funds to fight abuse
The University of New Hampshire’s Crimes against Children Research Center (CCRC) has received a $1.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Justice to study child abuse in youth-serving organizations. According to a press release, the five-year project aims to assess the feasibility of a national system for counting and tracking child abuse cases in schools, churches, sports and camps. The CCRC will collaborate with various stakeholders to determine the scope of the system, its integration with existing systems and the application of criteria from other areas of health and safety. The study will also examine existing reporting systems and legislative frameworks. Interim findings will be published, and pilot testing will be conducted in the final two years of the project.
New principal
The Manchester School District has announced Shawn Baskerville as the new principal of Weston Elementary School, according to a press release. Baskerville, who has served as an assistant principal in the district since 2011, brings extensive experience in special education and has worked at both the elementary and middle school levels. He replaces Liz MacDonald, who retired after 30 years in the district. Baskerville holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in educational leadership. The position of assistant principal at Highland-Goffe’s Falls Elementary School, Baskerville’s previous school, is now open. Weston Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 5 and is one of the 13 elementary schools in the Manchester School District.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord marked the completion of the first phase of its Science Playground, an outdoor area designed to provide an interactive experience for visitors, with a grand opening on Monday, July 17. According to the press release, the event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Gov. Chris Sununu, and attendees had the opportunity to test out the new playground equipment and engage in hands-on STEM-based activities.
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has partnered with Exail, a French company specializing in maritime autonomy and robotics, to establish a new innovation hub at the Judd Gregg Marine Research Complex in New Castle. According to a press release, the hub will focus on marine autonomous operations and ocean mapping. An unveiling event on Saturday, July 15, included a demonstration of the 25-foot-long uncrewed surface vessel, DriX.
The Nashua Regional Planning Commission will host a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event on Saturday, Aug. 5, in Nashua. According to a press release, the collection will take place at Nashua City Park & Ride at 25 Crown St. and is open to residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham. A user fee of $15 per vehicle will be charged, covering up to 10 gallons or 20 pounds of hazardous waste. Latex paint, electronics and medications will not be accepted. For a complete list of accepted items, visit nashuarpc.org/hhw or call 417-6570.
In dark December I found myself hobbling into an urgent care clinic for x-rays. A few clicks by the technician, a glance by an orthopedic PA, and I received my diagnosis: severe osteoarthritis. Never mind that last summer I hiked several 4,000-footers and ran a 5k. Now I am rehabbing after a total hip replacement. Apparently I’m not alone. The Boston Globe ran a piece this spring titled “How the hip replacement became the hot Gen-X surgery.”
Now that my bone-on-bone pain is gone and the incision is healing, what has this slightly older than Gen-Xer learned? First, when I was told my hip replacement was “elective,” what I heard was that it was unnecessary, indulgent even. This descendant of New England Protestants does not put excessive mayonnaise on a sandwich or make-up on her face. Only when I could barely walk did I schedule the surgery. It turns out that “elective” just means that it can be scheduled in advance. Make the appointment. Joint replacement is not a sign of moral weakness.
Second, friendships are vital. Nothing comforted me more than the meals, grocery deliveries, visits, cards, calls, texts and rides my friends provided. What surprised me, though, was the camaraderie of new acquaintances made while waiting for the operation. I joined a water exercise class to keep in shape. As New York Times contributor Bonnie Tsui has observed, “At my community pool, the locker room is a tableau on aging.” At the YMCA I found a community of folks who had already discovered the ease of slipping one’s aching body into the water, abandoning gravity and decorum. Flailing about in chlorine-faded swimsuits, the gang laughed, sang to the music, and exchanged tips such as where to thrift canes, walkers and commodes. My fellow aquacizers’ good humor got me through the hardest months. They helped me find joy and courage.
Third, although any diversion, from game apps to crochet, might keep one occupied, for me it was reading. I laughed, cried, and worked my way through everything from Bonnie Garmus’ comic novel Lessons in Chemistry to Marcus Zusak’s YA treasure The Book Thief, to Jill LePore’s These Truths: A History of the United States. I hope to get back to the mountains, but meanwhile I’m happy and grateful to be where I am.
Ever a relatable comedian, Juston McKinney tries to find the local angle wherever he performs. His latest YouTube special, On the Bright Side, was filmed in Concord. It begins with a story about a The Price Is Right contestant from Massachusetts winning a trip to the Capitol City.
The prize came with a round-trip flight — between Los Angeles and Manchester. “She’s gotta go all the way out and come all the way back,” McKinney joked. “She didn’t win a vacation; she won the longest tax-free liquor run in history!”
For a July 13 show at Labelle Winery, some anecdotes will come from closer to home. “My grandfather ran McKinney Dairy in Derry, and that’s where he met my grandmother,” the comic said in a recent phone interview. The punch line: “So she ended up marrying the milkman!”
McKinney primarily performs in New England, which keeps him nearer to his family; he lives in Newmarket. This makes for a lot of repeat business, forcing him to keep his act fresh. “I try to tell people that if you give me a year and I come back, I’ll have an 80 percent different show.”
It can be a double-edged sword for fans with a favorite bit; the memory bank can only be so full before it overflows. Consider a recent comment on Facebook. “It said, ‘I saw you 20 years ago, and I’m still laughing at your Old Navy button fly joke.’ I have no freaking idea what the Old Navy button fly joke is,” McKinney recalled. “I gotta message the guy … because if it’s really good, I’m gonna do it again.”
Another side effect of keeping to the region is making the rest of the country feel slighted. “People are getting mad that I’m not leaving,” he said. “They’re literally like, ‘Oh, you’ve got something against South Dakota?’ So I’m trying to get out a little bit, just to give something to these fans. I just did Ohio, and now I’ll do Detroit. I usually try to do Vegas every couple of years.”
To enjoy family time with his wife and two teenage sons, McKinney maintains a light summer schedule.
“I have a house with a water view … yeah, we put an above ground pool in the backyard,” he joked. “My whole trick has been balancing being a dad with being a comedian. Not looking back when these years have passed and going, ‘Oh, my kids are going to college [and] I’ve been on the road 40 weeks a year.”
Unsurprisingly, McKinney mines his home life for laughs — to a point. “Sometimes my wife will cut it right in the bud and go, ‘You’re not doing a joke about that,’” he said. “I get in this argument about how I’m gonna frame the joke, and finally I’ll say, ‘Alright, I’ll make it about my friend.”
On the other hand, McKinney’s boys can be a bit more agreeable about inspiring his standup.
“I’ll say something funny, and they’ll say, ‘You should do a joke about that.’ As long as it’s not at their expense, and they’re not the butt of the joke. My kid the other day WTF’d me in a text because I was late. I go, ‘You don’t WTF your parents!’ He goes, ‘Dad, I didn’t spell it out, it’s just the abbreviation.’ I’m like, ‘So is FU; don’t you put it in a text to me.’ He’s like, are you going to do a joke about that?’ I go, ‘I don’t know, but you’re gonna get in trouble if you do it again.’”
He tends to avoid flashpoint topics like politics, but in McKinney’s hands, even the war in Ukraine can provide a chuckle. In On the Bright Side, he observes that their draft age tops out at 60. “That’s kind of pushing it; I mean, I go to bed at nine thirty. I got a CPAP machine; I’m gonna need an outlet,” he said. “Is that a problem?”
This idea would never work in the United States, McKinney added. “We can’t get 18- to 60-year-olds to go to work, let alone go to war,” he said. “We should draft people into jobs.”
Juston McKinney When: Thursday, July 13, 7:30 p.m. Where: LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry Tickets: $40 at labellewinery.com
Four 20-somethings road trip through China in the soft-hearted comedy Joy Ride.
Attorney Audrey (Ashley Park) and artist Lolo (Sherry Cola) have been best friends ever since Audrey’s adoptive parents (Annie Mumolo, David Denman) excitedly approached Lolo’s parents (Debbie Fan, Kenneth Liu) to ask if the girls — the only two Asian girls in their hometown of White Hills — could play together. Thus began a best friendship that lasted through elementary and high school and well after college.
Audrey is up for a big promotion at work, one that hinges on her closing a deal with a Chinese company. She speaks conversational Mandarin, she tells her boss (Timothy Simons) — but really this woman raised by American parents doesn’t speak Chinese. Though Lolo’s genitalia-based art isn’t the image Audrey wants to project professionally, she asks Lolo, a truly fluent Chinese speaker, to join her when she travels to China to act as a translator for Audrey’s meetings. Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), an awkward K-pop megafan, unexpectedly tags along. In China, Kat (Stephanie Hsu), Audrey’s college roommate who has become a big star of Chinese TV, also joins the group.
The foursome spends a night drinking with Chao (Ronny Chieng), the man Audrey is trying to close a deal with. He wants to know more about Audrey and her ties to China. Lolo lies and says Audrey is close with her Chinese birth mom. This leads the gang on a frantic quest to find Audrey’s birth mother, which sends them to a more rural region of China and through a series of unexpected detours due in part to an American drug dealer and a Chinese basketball team stacked with hotties.
For a movie with some impressively explicit sex scenes, Joy Ride is cute and huggable in its whole friendship vibe. Lolo and Kat have a frenemy relationship as dueling best friends of Audrey, who is wound tight and feels that she doesn’t fit in anywhere (not white like “everybody else” in their American home town but not connected to her Chinese heritage like Lolo and Kat). Deadeye is eager to find friendships IRL, having previously only made good buddies via K-pop fan sites. The various discomforts of the group seem like the discomfort of their relative youth, trying to figure out who they each are and what they want. It’s all ultimately very sweet, and while I did at times feel like some of the jokes could use another pass to make their comedy and their observations sharper, I enjoyed spending time with these characters. Park may be the central character but the excellent Hsu and Cola are the standouts.
Joy Ride isn’t perfect but it is a light and fun bit of friendship, road trip comedy. B
Rated R for strong and crude (and unapologetic! and totally giddy!) sexual content, language throughout, drug content and brief graphic nudity, according to the MPA on filmratings.com (where you can see a crude-but-cute alternate title for this movie). Directed by Adele Lim with a screenplay by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, Joy Ride is an hour and 37 minutes long and is distributed in theaters by Lionsgate.
Insidious: The Red Door
(PG-13)
The Lambert family returns in Insidious: The Red Door, the fifth Insidious movie, which picks up on events of the second movie.
The third and fourth movies were both prequels — a fact remembered thanks to Wikipedia because even though I’ve seen and liked all of these movies I forgot basically everything about them other than Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson. Quick recap: Father and son Lambert both have the ability to astral project into a demon-y realm called The Further, and sometimes demon-y beings try to follow them back.
It’s been a decade since the second movie and the Lambert family isn’t doing great. We first see Josh Lambert (Wilson) at the funeral for his mother. Renai Lambert (Byrne) and the kids — Dalton (Ty Simpkins), Foster (Andrew Astor) and Kali (Juliana Davies) — are with him but leave in a separate car because Renai and Josh have split up. Josh has a difficult relationship with the moody Dalton, who is headed to college. Renai suggests that Josh drive Dalton to school so they can spend time together.
What we know from the movie’s start that the oldest two Lambert dudes don’t is that Josh and Dalton have been hypnotized to forget the previous Insidious movies. So everything about The Further, their journeys to this place and the demons that plagued them there and followed them into the world has been sort of erased. Sort of. They’ve been left with enough shadows of what happened to feel uneasy and foggy.
Once at school, an art teacher’s assignments have Dalton starting to draw and remember the Further. Dalton makes friends with Chris (Sinclair Daniel), a girl mistakenly assigned to room with him for just long enough that she gets dragged into his whole spooky deal. Meanwhile Josh also has flashes of the Further and its denizens. The more father and son remember, the more the demon-y world starts to bleed into our own.
It takes about two-thirds of the movie for the characters to catch up to where we are at the movie’s start. Wilson is engaging as always and there’s some cute stuff between Dalton and Chris as they investigate Dalton’s growing strangeness, but the movie just takes way too long to ramp up. And then it feels a bit like we race to the finish. I wish the movie could have found some way to better balance that mix of when the characters aren’t and then are up to speed, and bring the whole family, including Byrne, who brings such a good exasperated energy, back together faster. C
Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Patrick Wilson with a screenplay by Scott Teems, Insidious: The Red Door is an hour and 47 minutes long and is distributed in theaters by Screen Gems.
For English sommelier Emma Round, wine is more than just a drink. It stirs up memories, adding depth to life’s moments. In 2021 she had the idea to open Unwined, a wine bar and restaurant, to bring this experience to others. In addition to wine it will also offer cocktails and a diverse range of food served small-plate and sharing style. It is projected to open its doors in late August or early September.
“I was like, ‘You know, it’s after Covid, I’m going to open a restaurant and wine bar in southern New Hampshire,” Round said. “‘I don’t even live in America, but I’m going to do it and it’s going to be great … why not?’ Yeah, I think I temporarily lost my mind.”
With a love for wine and a background in business management in the United Kingdom, Round started looking for locations. She noticed that while the wine industry was growing in America, people were moving out of cities after the pandemic.
“You shouldn’t need to travel to Portsmouth or Portland or Boston to go to a really great place,” Round said. “There are so many places in southern New Hampshire right now that are opening up and creating experiences that you would have expected in these large cities. … I’m hoping we can add a new layer to that.”
In England, Round grew up in a culture and family in which wine was a staple. Wine bars were plentiful, and the beverage was key at family dinners. On the contrary, Round felt that Americans often associated wine with older, wealthier populations. It was important to Round to eliminate this misconception, as well as to educate people in a welcoming environment.
“For us it’s really about taking away that pretentiousness [and] making an inclusive environment that is accessible to everyone,” she said. “We’re hoping to be able to educate people in a fun and approachable way.”
Prior to the establishment of Unwined, Round had never been to New Hampshire but had worked in hotels in Boston. She discovered that she loved New England, finding small-town America to be particularly charming. When looking for a location, she knew she wanted to find somewhere that was easily accessible and central to other locations. She researched areas near the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, eventually deciding on Milford.
“I felt there was a really nice space for us there with the wine just to kind of [add to] the Milford food and beverage scene as a whole,” she said.
According to Round, the process of opening Unwined has been intense but incredible. While she had experience in the U.K., she had to learn how to manage a business in the U.S. She feels her European background will allow her to include unique and unusual wines not stocked at other wine bars.
“We’ve managed to source lots of fantastic products locally, and the entire community has been great,” Round said. “Milford town is chomping at the bit for us to open, and everyone has been so generous and open with me. … People have been incredible and so helpful, which I really appreciate.”
Unwined Where: 1 Nashua St. in Milford Opening: late August or early September More info: unwinednh.com
The Teen Actorsingers troupe puts on its first show in three years
By Katelyn Sahagian
arts@hippopress.com
The excitement was palpable while the 13-person cast of Firebringer rehearsed on Tuesday, June 27, just a little more than two weeks from opening night. The group of teens sang, acted and joked in the rehearsal space, giving their all for the rehearsal run-through of the show’s first act.
Firebringer, a musical comedy about how cavemen, and cavewomen, discovered fire, is the first show the Teen Actorsingers have put on since closing down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Director Christine Conticchio said she was excited to help highlight the young talent of southern New Hampshire.
“I am excited that we’re a small group but a mighty group,” Conticchio said. “What I didn’t get in quantity, I made up for in quality.”
The show follows a tribe of humans during the Stone Age, with the leader, Jemilla, focusing on keeping the peace in the tribe, having everyone do their designated jobs and duties, and keeping the tribe safe. Zazzalil, an outsider who doesn’t enjoy hard work, decides to try to figure out a shortcut.
Conticchio said she wanted to bring something that would make audiences excited for the reinvigorated youth program. Firebringer gained online popularity due to the meme of Zazzalil singing about how she doesn’t want to do the daily work, and that viral video was enough for Conticchio to get the show up and running. Another benefit was the ensemble nature of the cast, leading to multiple named parts, and the overall lighthearted and feel-good message the show leaves the audience with.
Sophia Scribner, who plays the leader of the tribe, Jemilla, said the whole show revolves around changing perspectives and learning to be open to that change.
“Because of Zazzalil, [Jemilla] realizes that new inventions, like fire, don’t have to be scary,” Scribner said.
Zazzalil, played by Maeve McNeal, starts the show out as an outcast and a troublemaker, but finally becomes accepted by the end of the show, after becoming the titular firebringer and realizing that Jemilla might have had some good points.
“She’s all over the place, but eventually people start to understand her,” McNeal said. “She ends up feeling like she belongs in the end. It’s cute, very coming-of-age.”
In the past, Teen Actorsingers have won awards for their productions, but that isn’t something that Conticchio is focusing on. With the organization finally coming back from the pandemic, Conticchio said she is just excited to be surrounded by passionate young actors.
“They’re wanting a challenge,” Conticchio said about the cast. “These harmonies are not easy, these rhythms are not easy, but they have thrived in that challenge.”
As Conticchio sees it, people often write off teen actors and performances — she said a lot of organizations will shy away from more difficult shows, or choose to do the teen or junior adaptations of popular musicals. Conticchio said that is a disservice to the young actors.
“There’s a fine line between treating [teens] like babies and treating them like they’re almost adults,” Conticchio said. “I think that’s the understatement of teen theater; a lot of people underestimate what these young people can do, and I want to show them that this is what they’re capable of.”
Firebringer From the Teen Actorsingers (actorsingers.org) Where: Janice B. Streeter Theater, 14 Court St. in Nashua When: Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 16, at 2 p.m. Tickets: $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and students plus fees (discounts for group tickets).
Artist in residence programs bring artists, musicians & more into the community
PLUS Meet the artists at the Currier’s Block Party
Come to a party, meet the artist
Resident artist at the Currier shows off zero-waste creations
By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com
While running a ceramics studio after studying ceramics and art history at the Kansas City Art Institute, Calder Kamin felt that clay was no longer the ideal medium to create her art.
“[It] was a very difficult medium to continue without the school’s facilities,” Kamin said. “I started to feel less attachment to the material because it started to feel very arbitrary and heavy. It’s expensive [and] demands all these facilities, all this energy [and] all these toxic chemicals.”
Instead, she started making art from post-consumer materials and has involved the community in her efforts during her residency at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.
Kamin will be running activities and displaying her work at the museum’s free summer block party on Saturday, July 15, from 4 to 9 p.m.
“It’s a major celebration … for people to come and bring their friends and family and explore the museum,” said Courtney Starrett, the press contact for the Currier. “We’re super excited to have Calder on board doing her activity as well, because it really ties in with our overall theme of nature and the environment.”
Originally from Austin, Texas, Kamin has been traveling to different residency programs, having started at the Currier in April. During her time there, she has been working on constructing two 12-foot-long quilts that will become a pair of wings for a plush pegasus. She has enlisted the help of the community to hand-sew feathers for the wings. In each feather will be a dream written on a piece of paper. All of the scraps from the feather-making workshops will be used to form the body of the quilt.
“I make all my art out of garbage,” Kamin said. “Everything [used] has to be from post-consumer materials. I try to use very little, [or] nothing, new.”
Kamin became inspired to recycle material for her art after she took up birding as a hobby.
“I started observing the birds in my neighborhood, and the most interesting behavior to me was watching the birds collect trash to build their nests,” Kamin said. “I thought, ‘Oh, I need to be more like a bird. Nature never wastes. … Everything is used for new energy or new life.’”
Kamin started using trash, mostly plastic bags, which usually take the shape of animals or fantastical creatures.
“It became a real passion to reuse these materials, support the folks that are getting these materials out of the waste stream, and then show the value of these materials to the public by transforming them into beautiful objects,” she said.
During her residency, Kamin has also been holding workshops with activities influenced by other artists. One craft, inspired by Louise Nevelson, involves gluing wood scraps together and painting them black. Another project incorporates the work of Josef Albers, an abstract painter whose work often took the shape of squares, and Anni Albers, a fiber artist. This results in square felt patches.
Kamin also drains the pigment from old markers to make an ink wash, using the caps to make flowers or beads for a curtain. She was inspired to make the pegasus from her prior residency work.
“I was making art for children’s museums that they couldn’t touch and it started to not make sense,” she said. “[I thought,] ‘Why am I making art you can’t touch for a children’s museum that is purely about interaction?’ So this is my attempt to not only make a project that brought the community in to build, but a piece … that children can touch and play [with].”
Once completed, the pegasus will be part of an exhibition in April 2024 in Texas. From there, it will travel to New Orleans, then to Mobile, Alabama. At the block party, Kamin will show what she has done so far.
The outdoor event will be headlined by Kamin as well as Vermont artist Mark Ragonese, and will include live music, food trucks and many environmental-themed activities and projects.
“We see [the artists in residence] program as a leading way to really create more access points,” Starrett said. “For people to be able to enter the museum when they otherwise feel as though it might not be for them or it’s something they need to pay for. We really want to break down those barriers and let people know it’s … for everyone.”
Summer Block Party Where: Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org) When: Saturday, July 15, 4 to 9 p.m. The event features free gallery admission, art activities, food trucks, face painting, a beer and wine tent, community art projects and more, according to the website. This year’s theme is nature and environmentalism, the website said.
More Currier events
Where: Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org) Hours of admission: are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors ages 65 and older and for students, $5 for youth ages 13-17, children younger than 13 are free.
The next Expressions through Art is on Thursday, July 13, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. This program provides an outlet for cancer patients, survivors and their families. The museum uses art in the galleries as well as art workshops to help visitors form connections.
The program Looking Together will highlight Giovan Angelo Montorsoli’s painting “John the Baptist” from the 1530s on Saturday, July 16, at 11 a.m. or noon. Visitors to the museum will have a chance for a close look at the painting with a member of the museum’s teaching staff to educate them on the work of art.
Reflections of memory
The Factory on Willow’s artist explores community
By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com
According to Marlana Trombley, the head of marketing and special projects at Orbit Group, Liz and Jeremey Hitchcock created the Artists in Residence program at The Factory on Willow to give artists an opportunity to draw inspiration from the Manchester community.
“The whole program is really just an opportunity to integrate more art into the Manchester community, and for artists from all over the world to get an opportunity to see what a gem the city is and how much we all love it,” she said.
The 12-week residency program provides housing, a food stipend and an art supply stipend, and ends in a capstone exhibition.
“We’re very customized in how we work with each artist,” Trombley said. “Every artist has a different opportunity depending on what is going on in the community. … The whole thing gets shaped while they’re on site.”
The residency has welcomed artists from as far away as the United Kingdom. One of the current artists, Jay Goldberg, comes from New York City. His exploration of memory will be showcased as a multimedia project titled “The Memory of America – Manchester: Remember Your First Baseball Game.” This entails conducting interviews with members of the Manchester community about their first time going to a baseball game.
“For me, it’s all about getting out into the community,” Goldberg said. “I’m really enjoying that in Manchester. … I threw myself right into the community because if I don’t meet people there is no art project.”
Goldberg has been working on other versions of this project centering around other communities for a couple of years, but his interest in the link between baseball and memory is a theme that he feels has been embedded in him since his childhood.
In 2000 Goldberg and a partner owned a design studio company where they made handmade baseballs. On the gift box of each one, Goldberg wrote a paragraph about someone’s memory of going to their first game.
“It touched a nerve with a lot of people. I got such positive feedback,” he said.
Years later, while cleaning out a storage locker that held inventory for a gallery shop, Goldberg rediscovered a letter from his late father.
“He wrote me this note … [and asked] could I do him a favor [and] go to the library and check the microfilm,” he said. “He had this memory [of] the first time he went to a baseball game and he wanted to see if his memory was still good.”
Goldberg intends to showcase the stories and memories of the people he’s talked to via multiple media forms. One of these forms will be an interactive film projection of an interview transcript that will look like it’s being written by a typewriter, the writing becoming slower the longer it takes the story to unfold.
Another will involve a video projection with a looping graphic. With it there will be two lines from different interviews about the same topic but from opposite perspectives.
“Somebody asked me once to describe what the project is in one word, which is almost impossible, but as I thought about it, I realized I can describe what it’s really about in one word, and it’s about love,” Goldberg said. “The stories go in all different directions but part of why I enjoy it so much is no matter what direction they go in [it] always gets down to love in one way or another.”
Upcoming Factory on Willow events
Here are some of the artist in residence events scheduled in July and August, according to factoryonwillow.com. The Factory on Willow is at 252 Willow St. in Manchester.
Justin Tyler Tate, artist in residence showcase, on Thursday, July 27, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Free.
Artist in Residence Workshop: Cup-o-soup with Justin Tyler Tate. Learn how to “remake products such as homemade medicines, balms and other remedies in the form of consumable art-objects,” according to the website. Event is Saturday, July 29, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person. See website for tickets.
Artist in Residence Workshop: The Atomic Balms with Justin Tayler Tate on Sunday, July 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
Artist in Residence Workshop: Lost and Found First Aid with Justin Tyler Tate on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
Artist in Residence Workshop: Bath Bomb and Carry On with Justin Tyler Tate on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
Jay Goldberg, artist in residence showcase, on Thursday, Aug. 17, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Free.
Alanis Obomsawin.
MacDowell Medal Day MacDowell (100 High St. in Peterborough; macdowell.org, 924-3886), which provides artists in a variety of fields a residential environment to work in and is billed as the nation’s first artist residency program, will hold its 63rd awarding of the MacDowell Medal on Sunday, July 23, from 12:15 to 4 p.m. The Medal, awarded to an artist who makes outstanding contributions in their field, goes this year to Alanis Obomsawin, a filmmaker who is Abenaki, was born in New Hampshire and “is known as a clear-eyed chronicler of the lives and concerns of First Nations people and explores issues of universal importance,” according to the MacDowell website. The event is free and open to the public, though you can order a picnic basket (the deadline for online ordering has passed but call for information). The day will include the medal ceremony at 12:15 p.m. and open studios from 2 to 4 p.m., when visitors can see the work of current artists in residence, according to the website.
Standing ovation
Londonderry-based theater company gives students the chance to learn and lead
By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com
Meg Gore, a theater producer and director with more than 35 years of experience, founded Ovation Theatre Company in Londonderry in 2019 with the intent to focus on education.
“It’s always my goal that when someone enters any of our programs … that by the time they finish they’ve learned something,” Gore said.
At Ovation, students are involved in every step of the production process through their artists in residency program. Unlike other artists in residency programs, Ovation does not offer housing and funding for artists, but instead gives high school and college students the opportunity to take on a role in production under the guidance of mentors. This includes positions lasting anywhere from around one to six months, such as student director, stage manager and choreographer, that are tailored to the goals and needs of the artist.
Ryan Kaplan. Courtesy photo.
“We don’t necessarily have a set program … but at whatever level we can, whenever we can, we do involve the students,” Gore said.
Ryan Kaplan, a soon to be sophomore at Windham High School, has been doing theater since he was 8 years old, working specifically with Ovation for the past three to four years.
“I got started from a pretty early age for theater and it’s always something I’ve been really passionate about,” he said. “I really believe in the power of art to heal people … and I think that theater is such a powerful way to do that, because you’re putting real humans in a space with people that they’re presenting their art to and just that added layer of human connection. It’s a really powerful way of storytelling.”
While at Ovation, Kaplan has had the opportunity to be an assistant director and stage manager of Ovation’s production of Glynn Cosker’s show, Masked. He was also then invited to work on the production of The Little Mermaid, Ovation’s first completely student-run production. He is now working as an assistant director for the summer camp.
“I would love to have some sort of career in theater, or to have it be a major part of my life in some way,” Kaplan said. “I’ve been given so many avenues to explore different branches of theater and different jobs in the theater. I’m actually really not sure right now if I would want to be a theater educator or go into directing or performing or what specifically that is, but I definitely know that theater and performance art is definitely the path that I want to go down.”
Upcoming Ovation Theatre shows
Newsies Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 22, at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $20 ($25 after July 15). See ovationtc.com.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Friday, Aug. 11, and Saturday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $17 ($20 after Aug. 5). See ovationtc.com.
Batulo Mahamed.Courtesy photo.
Culinary Artist in Residence The Capitol Center for the Arts has a Culinary Artist in Residence program, a position currently held by Batulo Mohamed. She serves up Somali-inspired cuisine, such as the sambusa (a Somali meat pie) she was known for before opening Batulo’s Kitchen at the Cap Center’s Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord). The eatery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. See batuloskitchen.com.
Blending passions
Artist combines passion for music and nature at Avaloch Farm Music Institute
By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com
Avaloch Music Farm Institute, set on the grounds of what used to be an apple orchard in Boscawen, offers artists a rural respite to focus on their craft.
“What makes us so unique is [while] there are many residency programs in the U.S. and abroad, very few of them are geared toward performing artists,” said Ashley Bathgate, the director, and six time former resident, at Avaloch. “I think it allows the performing touring artist to find a home and be able to work together which is a luxury.”
Payton MacDonald. Courtesy photo.
Located near the mountains, Avaloch was the ideal venue for musician Payton MacDonald to work on his project, Sonic Peaks, which blends his passions for music and nature through the creation of graphic scores.
“A graphic score is a piece of music that has a mixture of notation styles,” MacDonald said. “It has traditional notation, it has text, it has pictures, diagrams, all kinds of things … It also functions as visual art in a way.”
Originally from Idaho, MacDonald has always loved the outdoors, enjoying endurance sports, triathlons, hiking, camping and mountain biking. His interest in music also dates back to his early years. He started taking drum lessons when he was 9 years old and eventually branched out into other percussive instruments, such as the marimba and xylophone.
“I’ve just been passionate about music ever since I can remember,” MacDonald said.
He heard about the residency program through Bathgate, and having wanted to hike the White Mountains, took the opportunity. During his residency in June, MacDonald completed three graphic scores, two of which were inspired by hiking Cannon and North and South Kinsman in the White Mountains during his time at Avaloch.
“Avaloch is incredible. I can’t say enough good things about it,” MacDonald said. “I just had an absolute blast. I didn’t want it to ever end, honestly.”
According to Bathgate, the completion of Avaloch’s new concert barn gives musicians a new venue to share their art, expanding Avaloch’s community engagement by bringing the community to the farm with the Evenings at Avaloch concert series, which features a wide variety of music from musicians all over the world.
“This is going to change the possibility and programming for the future because we’ll be able to share what these artists are working on with the surrounding communities,” Bathgate said. “Just the fact that we have jazz and early music, classical music, experimental music, electronic music, it’s just a wealth of genres, [and] also these artists who are coming from the West Coast, the Midwest, from Israel, South America and all sorts of different countries, I think is an incredible resource and win for this community.”
Upcoming events
Avaloch Farm Music Institute, 16 Hardy Lane, Boscawen, avalochfarmmusic.org
Evenings at Avaloch, on Friday, July 14 and July 21, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
Composers Conference Ensemble Concert #1: Lighting, Wednesday, July 26, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
Composers Conference Guest Composer Spotlight: Michelle Lou, Thursday, July 27, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Composers Conference: CMW Artists-in-Residence Concert #1. Friday, July 28, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
Composers Conference Ensemble Concert #2: Ethos, Saturday, July 29, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
Therapy through theater
Using theater to teach social emotional skills
By Mya Blanchard
mblanchard@hippopress.com
For Corrie Owens-Beauchesne, a company artist at New Hampshire Theater Project in Portsmouth, theater has always been an outlet to access and process emotions. Now she is able to help others experience this themselves through the artists in residency program at NHTP.
Corrie Owens-Beauchesne. Courtesy photo.
NHTP was established in 1988 as an artists in residency program, eventually becoming a theater, when founding executive director Genevieve Aichele began going into schools and introducing them to story theater.
“Story theater utilizes these stories that don’t have a main character,” Owens-Beauchesne said. “The kids work together and they learn through this [that] theater [is a] group process where it takes a whole village to create a story.”
Today, NHTP acts as a liaison to form connections between artists and organizations, sorting out the budgeting and creating the contracts for each to sign. The artists then run theater-related programming at the organization.
“[The artists] have such a broad, diverse range of specialties, but a lot of them have improv expertise and use theater as a tool that can help people in other areas of life,” Owens-Beauchesne said.
These organizations include elementary schools, universities and senior living homes. Through these tools, people are taught skills in areas such as public speaking or social emotional learning. Owens-Beauchesne started taking classes at NHTP when she was around 6 years old. At the theater, she found a safe haven to express and process her feelings.
“[My family was] pretty poor, and I think because of that there was a lot of distress in my family,” she said. “Theater really gave me this outlet and I remember it totally changed how I felt like I could express myself. I would come to the theater and I would have all these feelings inside me, like anger or frustration or sadness, and I would have a place [where] it was OK to share those and people around me had tools for processing [them].”
Owens-Beauchesne has received a degree in theater education and has her license in elementary education in Massachusetts. Though she has experience in the public school system, she feels she has more freedom through her work as a company artist. She is able to design her own curriculum, which implements, improv, modified theater games, and is influenced by her study of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.
“I see it really helping these kids gain better skills about how to be in community with each other and how to help themselves when they’re feeling bad,” Owens-Beauchesne said.
Through this work, she is able to give children the tools that she was given as a child at NHTP.
“Honestly, I really believe that theater is pretty therapeutic,” Owens-Beauchesne said. “It was a huge tool in my life I’d say, and then as I got older I just learned more and I saw it transforming other people’s lives, and I knew that [was] something I wanted to continue to be a part of.”
New Hampshire Theatre Project
959 Islington St., No. 3, in Portsmouth; nhtheatreproject.org, 431-6644
NH Theatre Project will be holding auditions for its 2023-2024 season on Tuesday, July 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. Find the signup and registration forms on its website.
Preview the new season, which starts with the production Thirst for Freedom on Sept. 22, on the website, where you can find a list of shows and see a video preview.
Ellen Friedlander. Courtesy photo.
Artist at Canterbury Shaker Village The Canterbury Shaker Village’s artist-in-residency program is hosting visual artist Ellen Friedlander from Los Angeles through Saturday, July 15, and then again Sunday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 8, according to a press release. According to the release, while at the Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; 783-9511, shakers.org), Friedlander planned to experiment with her pinhole lens and a new neutral density filter. “In addition to photographing the Village itself, I plan to work on sequencing a book that I have been working on for about a year,” Friedlander said in the release.
Building a community
The Art Center in Dover puts the emphasis on artists
By Katelyn Sahagian
arts@hippopress.com
The residency program at The Art Center provides a built-in community of artists and art-lovers. Rebecca Proctor, the owner and founder of The Art Center, said that she wanted to give artists of varying disciplines a space to work and also to be inspired and to receive feedback.
Diane St. Jean. Courtesy photo.
“To be able to be in a space where you can learn from other artists and be inspired by other artists is exciting and beneficial to artists who maybe don’t have a studio,” Proctor said.
There are two programs at The Art Center, one for miscellaneous visual arts, and one specifically for printmakers, and both are four months long. At the end of the residency, Proctor said, the artists will have completed a small collection of work that will be displayed in the center’s gallery
Several former artists in residence now rent studio space, including the first artist in residence for the printmaking residency, Diane St. Jean. St. Jean teaches printmaking classes and helps the printmaking resident with their projects. Part of why St. Jean stayed with the Art Center is the community built there.
“The other artists give their opinions and encouragement, even if they aren’t printmakers,” said St. Jean. “Everyone is supportive and friendly.”
The current artist in residence, Pep Manalang, has already completed several works. “It’s free from pressure that you get at galleries and from buyers to develop art,” Manalang said. “Here, I can spend lots of time thinking.”
The Art Center
1 Washington St., Suite 1177, Dover, 978-6702, theartcenterdover.com The deadline for applications for the next residency, Oct. 1 through Jan. 31, is on Sept. 19. Submit applications via email to theartcenterdover@gmail.com. Find works by the Art Center’s residents and member artists via the website.
