Category: Visual Arts

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

• Small works: Pillar Gallery + Projects’ newest exhibit is “NANO” and the show runs until Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Pillar gallery (205 N. State St., Concord). “NANO” is a juried exhibition focused on smaller works. Visit pillargalleryprojects.com.

• Doo-wop Christmas: SH-Boom: A Christmas Miracle is presented by the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester) on Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8. The Majestic’s website describes the play as being full of ’60s doo-wop hits and holiday classics. The play is a holiday sequel to one that takes place in 1965 when Denny and the gang achieved overnight fame via the WOPR Radio “Dream of a Lifetime Talent Search” as “Denny and the Dreamers,” according to the website. Now the gang is “reunited” to perform again as a group for the Christmas Bazaar at Wally’s church, but not all is going well. Tickets range from $15 to $22. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.

• Holiday comedy: Christmas Belles is a comedy presented by Bedford Off Broadway will run at the Bedford Old Town Hall (3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 15, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15, $12 for seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door or via Brown Paper Tickets. See bedfordoffbroadway.com.

• View on a classic: The Pinkerton Players will present Eurydiceon Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. as well as Sunday, Dec.8, at 2 p.m. at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy (5 Pinkerton St., Derry). In Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine; she must journey to the underworld after dying on her wedding day to reunite with her father and struggles to remember her lost love, according to the press release. Tickets are $15. Visit stockbridgetheatre.showare.com or call 437-5210.

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

• Open house: The New Hampshire Antique Co-op will host its annual holiday open house Friday, Nov. 29, through Sunday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Visitors will enjoy delicious refreshments and sweet treats, a gift card contest, a scavenger hunt with prizes, and a gallery preview tour of a new fine art exhibition, “Light and Brush: Luminous and Tonal Paintings from the 19th Century to Present,” according to the press release. The event is family-friendly and free. Call 673-8499 or visit nhantiquecoop.com.

• Call for art: See Saw Art (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, Manchester) has an open call exhibition “Presently” with submissions due on Saturday, Nov. 30. All media are welcome — 2D, 3D, video works, performance — and they ask that one to four works be submitted to be considered, according to their website. “Presently” aims to exhibit small works at an approachable price, and traditional fine art paintings, prints and photographs will be considered, as well as ready-made textile, clothing, ceramics and crafts, according to their website, but there is no overall theme. All sizes of works will be considered, but smaller works are preferred due to gallery limitations. The exhibit will run from Saturday, Dec. 14, through Friday, Dec. 22. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 8 p.m. and a closing reception on Sunday, Dec. 22, from 4 to 8 p.m. Visit seesaw.gallery.

• Call for actors: Auditions for the Community Players of Concord production of The Gods of Comedy will be held Sunday, Dec. 8, and Monday, Dec. 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community Players Studio (435 Josiah Bartlett Road, Concord). They ask that those who sign up become familiar with both of the monologues listed on their website. It is not necessary to memorize the monologues, but participants will be asked to present them at their audition, as well as to cold read scenes from the script, which will be provided, according to their website. There is also a list of character descriptions which might be helpful as you consider auditioning. Questions can be emailed to Director Betty Lent at [email protected]. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org/gods-of-comedy/ for more information.

• Call for more actors: Bedford Off Broadway will hold auditions for their winter show Boeing-Boeing by Marc Camoletti, which will be presented on Fridays through Sundays, March 7 through March 16. The show will be directed by Declan Lynch with Pat Napolitano as stage manager, according to a press release. Rehersals are Sunday afternoons and Monday and Wednesday evenings with tech week starting Sunday, Dec. 2. Auditions will be held Monday, Dec. 9, and Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bedford Town Hall (70 Bedford Center Road and 3 Meetinghouse Road in Bedford across from the library), the release said. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, which calls for two men and four women. Email [email protected] for information.

• Author event: At Balin Books (375 Amherst St., Somerset Plaza, Nashua) on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m., author Hattie Bernstein will be speaking on and signing copies of her book Don Quixote’s Hammer. The book asks “What if cancer wasn’t, as scientific consensus holds, a case of errant genes or recalcitrant cells? What if there was a problem in the body’s wiring, an electrical issue that hobbled the impulse transmitted from the brain to the organ, disrupting internal balance, and initiating disease?”Hattie is a journalist who has written for the Boston Globe, was a freelancer for the New York Times, and was the recipient of the third national Media Award from the Research Society on Alcoholism, according to the event’s website. Visit balinbooks.com or call 417-7981.

• Greatest year in the history of film? “1999: The Year in Film”will be the topic of a Zoom discussion from the Derry Public Library (derrypl.org) on Monday, Dec. 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Register online to discuss the The Matrix of it all.

• Get in the winter spirit: The black-and-white movie, described as an “anarchic slapstick action comedy” Hundreds of Beavers will screen on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. at NHTI in Sweeney Hall in Concord. Admission costs $10. See the trailer for the movie, which features a cast of beavers (human-sized mascot-y looking versions of the bucktoothed creatures), at hundredsofbeavers.com.

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

• Chorale concerts: NH Master Chorale Director Dan Perkins planned this month’s concerts, “A Breath of Ecstasy,” which will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at South Church in Concord and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Plymouth Congregational Church. The overall theme is “For a Breath of Ecstasy,” taken from a 2017 composition by the American composer Michael John Trotta that sets seven of Teasdale’s poems from “Love Songs,” a collection published in 2017, which won the original Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Tickets are available through nhmc.ticketleap.com/f24 or at the door.

• Murder mystery: Murder’s In the Heir will be presented by the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, majestictheatre.net) on Friday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 24. “Almost every character in this hilarious mystery has the weapon, opportunity, and motive to commit the unseen murder. And it’s up to the audience to decide who actually did it!” according to the press release. Murder’s in the Heir is directed by Becky Rush and stars Michele Bossie, Natashia Da Cunha-Lund, Katie Davis, Matthew Davis, Larissa Gault, Scott Howard, Alex Jozitis, Benjamin Mahon, Ilana Peet, Lee Peet, Eric Petit, Josh Sanborn, Krystal Timinski and Marinda Weaver, according to the same release. The show will run Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for ages 65 and above and 17 and under. Tickets can be purchased by calling 669-7469, by visiting majestictheatre.net or at the door before the show, according to the release.

• Art at the Center: The Sandy Cleary Community Art Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Nashua Center for the Arts inside the concourse that runs along West Pearl Street, from the Main Street Lobby entrance to the West Pearl entrance, according to their website. The gallery gives local artists the opportunity to display and sell their work to thousands of people attending concerts and events at the Center annually. Their new rotation, which runs from October through December, features four of Nashua’s talented artists, Dan Marshall, R.D. Lembree, Sandy Machell and Monique Sakellarios. Visit nashuacommunityarts.org/sandy-cleary-community-art-gallery.

• Small art: Pillar Gallery + Projects’ newest exhibit is “NANO” and the show runs until Wednesday, Dec. 18. “NANO” is a juried exhibition focused on smaller works. The press release describes the exhibit thusly: “In a fast-paced culture perpetually interested in bigger, NANO showcases the impact of works that are intimately-scaled.” The exhibition will be installed salon-style to highlight the range of processes and thematic exploration and they are accepting 2D and 3D works in all media. 2D works must be no larger than 6 x 6 inches (8 x 8 inches framed) and 3D works no larger than 4 x 4 x 4 inches. Visit pillargalleryprojects.com.

• Tour historic houses: At Strawbery Banke Museum (14 Hancock St., Portsmouth) participants can join expert guides for a 90-minute tour exploring three centuries of Thanksgiving traditions. Attendees will travel through time and visit four historic houses as they learn how this holiday has evolved over time, according to their website. They will discover how people celebrated Thanksgiving in 1777 at the William Pitt Tavern, experience the height of the Victorian period in 1870 at the Goodwin Mansion, share in the experience of a Jewish immigrant family learning about the American holiday in 1919 at the Shapiro House, and learn about Thanksgiving on the home front in 1943 at the Abbott House and Store, according to the same website. Members $20; non-members $25. Tours on Saturday, Nov. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 24, take place at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours will also occur on Friday, Nov. 29, Saturday, Nov. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 1, at these times: 10 a.m, 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Visit strawberybanke.org.

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

• Twiggs closing: Twiggs Gallery will celebrate its art instructors with its final exhibition. The exhibition, “GLOW,” marks the gallery’s “farewell after an inspiring 10-year run,” with their doors closing on Dec. 14, according to a press release. The show “spotlights the diverse, heartfelt work of its dedicated art instructors,” the release said. The artists’ reception is on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen; TwiggsGallery.org). In a statement, gallery owner Laura Morrison said, “This last exhibition is truly bittersweet. Our teachers have offered so many wonderful classes over the years, and we wanted to celebrate them by giving them an opportunity to show their favorite pieces of art. … It’s a beautiful and heartfelt exhibit.” Twiggs is open Thursday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

• Ghosts before Christmas: On Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. the Derry Opera House presents “The Fright Before Christmas,” a program exploring the many Yuletide monsters and legends that have almost been lost to the ages. The program is based on years of research by storyteller Jeff Belanger, looking at the history of the holiday and ghostly traditions such as the stories of Krampus, the Belsnickel, Tomtens, and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, according to the website. Belanger is the Emmy-nominated host, writer and producer of the PBS and Amazon Prime series New England Legends and the weekly New England Legends podcast. Belanger does not recommend this program for a young audience. Participants will need to register via the Derry Public Library atderrypl.org. Visit derryoperahouse.org.

• Exhibit in Concord: Outer Space Arts (35 Pleasant St., Concord; outerspacearts.xyz) is showing an exhibit of work by Emma cc Cook & Em Kettner titled “Caterpillar” until Saturday, Jan. 18. Emma cc Cook graduated with a BFA in painting from University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and studied at the Angel Academy in Florence, Italy, according to the event page. Cook often combines dark paintings on canvas with abrupt insertions of walnut sticks, textural variations, and intriguing thematic ventures that are inspired by rural American West landscapes and the broad discourses surrounding identity, history, environment and erasure, according to the website. Outer Space will donate 5 percent of its profits from any sales of her work to a nonprofit of the artist’s choosing, according to the same website. The gallery is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its Facebook page.

• Jazzing it up: Symphony New Hampshire and the Capitol Center for the Arts are teaming up for a three-part series of Illuminated Ensembles. American Standards is the first of the series; it will take place on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m. at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord) and will feature Symphony New Hampshire’s Jazz Ensemble. This intimate and immersive experience will bring the Great American Songbook into a whole new light, according to the press release. Tickets are $37. Call the Capitol Center for the Arts box office at 225-1111 or visit ccanh.org.

• Wood and fiber: The Wood & Fiber Art exhibition featuring the works of Jim and Peg Doyle is open to the public during Gafney Library (14 High St., Sanbornville) hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Peg works with fabric and fiber art and Jim enjoys working with natural wood such as tree stumps, branches and burls, according to a press release. An artists’ reception woill be held on on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Beethoven: Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Family Matinees Chamber Series’ next installment is “Adventures with Beethoven” on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. with the Essex Piano Trio to perform ‘The Archduke’ and other masterful works for piano, violin and cello at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, according to a press release. Admission is a suggested $15 per family donation at the door. Visit portsmouthsymphony.org.

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

• On stage: The Anselmain Abbey Players will present 12 Angry Jurors this weekend at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester. The show will run Friday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $8 to $15. See tickets.anselm.edu.

• Murder on stage: Lend Me a Theater will present Mandate For Murder, a political satire murder mystery with audience interaction, at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St., Derry, tupelomusichall.com) on Saturday, Nov. 9, when dinner is at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 10, when dinner is at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. “It’s election night and all the friends and supporters of mayoral candidate Matthew Kensington are throwing him a surprise birthday/campaign party. But there’s one surprise no one suspects. An aide is found stabbed in the back with the birthday cake knife! ,” according to the description on the Tupelo’s website. Tickets are available for dinner and a show ($55) and just the show ($25). See lendmeatheater.org for more on the theater company.

• Small pieces with big ideas: The Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St. in Manchester; mosaicartcollective.com) will present its new show “Small Wonders Miniature Art Show” Friday, Nov. 8, through Sunday, Dec. 22. The exhibition is described as “celebration of small-scale art that packs a big punch,” according to the website. A opening reception will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, from 4 to 8 p.m.

• More with the maestro: Symphony New Hampshire will present “Beethoven’s Third: Exploring Eroica,”on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, nashucenterforthearts.com). “I’ll dive into it and share insights into what made it so revolutionary and groundbreaking,” music director Roger Kalia told Michael Witthaus for the story in the Oct. 24 issue of the Hippo “We’re also going to play short pieces from other symphonies of Beethoven, some Mozart … works that inspired the Eroica,” he said in the article on page 14; find the issue in the digital library at hippopress.com. Tickets to Saturday’s show cost $32 to $67. See symphonynh.org.

• Count of Concord: Glen Rodgers, emeritus professor at Allegheny College and author of Traveling with the Atom: A Scientific Guide to Europe and Beyond, presents a lecture titled “Traveling with Count Rumford”on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m., recounting the scientific, economic, diplomatic and military accomplishments of the American-born Benjamin Thompson while tracing his footsteps across the United States and Europe, according to the website. “When he was ennobled by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1792, he chose to be named Rumford after one of the early names for Concord,” the website said. The lecture will be given at the New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord). Admission is $7. No registration required. See nhhistory.org.

• Beethoven and Liszt: On Thursday, Nov. 7, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Kyra Zhao will give the lecture “From Page to Performance: The Literary Influences in Beethoven and Liszt’s Iconic Piano Works”at the Concord Community School (23 Wall St., Concord). The talk willdelve into the intricate relationship between literature and music, highlighting how renowned composers such as Beethoven and Liszt drew profound inspiration from iconic literary works, according to the event website. Visit ccmusicschool.org.

—Zachary Lewis

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

• A drive with art: The Route 3 Art Trail will run Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature “open studios, art and craft demonstrations, a free raffle” and more in towns running from Concord through Franklin. To participate, see route3arttrail.com to get the trail map and passport listing 17 locations combined in Concord, Penacook, Boscawen and Franklin. Visit at least five locations and get them stamped on the passport to participate in the raffle.

• Folk cafe: The Wilton Folk Cafe will present Anayis “AJ” Wright at the Wilton Collaborative Space (21 Gregg St. in Wilton) on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. Wright is described as “distinctive voice in the traditional folk genre who captivates audiences and scholars alike with their connection to maritime music, English folk, shape note, and early music,” according to a press release. Admission to the show is free (doors open at 7 p.m.); reservations are suggested via Sandy Lafleur at [email protected] or 654-1245.

• Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya: A Conversation with Kathryn Grody & Mandy Patinkin will take place on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts (ccanh.com) at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord). Tickets cost $58 through $95. Mandy Patinkin is a celebrated film and theater actor known for his range of characters and famously played Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride among many notable roles. Grody is a writer and actress whose screen credits include 1981’s Reds and 1990’s The Lemon Sisters. According to People magazine and the Hollywood Reporter, the couple, who married in 1980, gained Covid-lockdown era fans from videos posted by their son. See a video called “Movie Night” of them watching, commenting on and dealing with their dog during a movie (possibly Aquaman) on the Cap Center’s website. Tickets cost $58 through $95.

• Artistry of beading: Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warnter; indianmuseum.org, 456-3600) will host BeadStock, which celebrates Native American beading “traditions with bead and beadwork vendors, demonstrations, speakers, and more” on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according the website, where you can find the schedule of workshops and lectures. Tickets, which include museum admission, cost $18. Tickets include the lectures but workshops are extra and can also be purchased online.

• Art show: The Hollis Art Society will hold its 2024 Art Show & Sale on Saturday, Nov. 2, and Sunday, Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lawrence Barn, 28 Depot Road in Hollis. See hollisartssociety.org.

• In the beginning: Retired news reporter David Tirrell-Wysocki will give a lecture titled “The New Hampshire Primary: A Light-Hearted Look at the Long Shots” on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m., offering a nonpartisan look at New Hampshire’s presidential contest. Admission is $7. No registration required.

• Meet the artist: Dan Dailey, the New Hampshire glass artist whose work is currently on display at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org), will talk with exhibit curator Kurt Sundstrom at an ARTalk on Sunday, Nov. 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. Tickets are available via the Currier’s website and cost $30 for adults, $20 for 65+ and students and $10 for ages 13 to 17 (children under 13 get in for free) and include museum admission, according to the website. The exhibit, “Dan Dailey: Impressions of the Human Spirit,” is on display through Sunday, Feb. 2.

• Meet the artists: “October 9th – November 9th Show” will display the unique work of local artists Sharon Boisvert, Darren Taylor, Mark Ruddy, Pamela Tarbell, Kevin Kintner, Paul Gilmore and Robyn Whitney Fairclough as well as the art of curator Christina Landry-Boullion at Glimpse Gallery (Patriot Building, 4 Park St., Concord, theglimpsegallery.com, 892-8307). The final reception for the exhibit will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

• Art, eats and music: Join artist Carmen Verdi for a solo exhibit titled “Daydreamer,” which will showcase his newest works at Cucina Toscana restaurant in Nashua (427 Amherst St.) on Monday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants will enjoy appetizers, live music, raffles and a bar while they view his latest creations. Free admission. Visit carmenverdi.org.

—Zachary Lewis