Category: Visual Arts

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

• Spring youth theater classes: Palace Youth Theatre’s (palacetheatre.org/pyt) Palace Academy has four classes starting in early April. Classes for kids in grades 2 through 6 include “Mini Camp: Comedy Edition” and “Improv and Acting Games I.” There is also an “Improv and Acting Games II” for kids in grades 7 to 12 and “Stagecraft: Behind the Scenes Magic” for kids in grades 3 to 12, according to an email. Classes cost between $100 and $150 and end with a showcase on Friday, May 19, at 5 p.m. See palacetheatre.org/pyt/palace-academy.

• “Window Works”: The Seacoast Artist Association in Exeter (130 Water St.; seacoastartist.org) has continued a pandemic practice of having mini-exhibits in the gallery window. The gallery changes the window exhibit every three months, and in March the new exhibit features works such as Lynn Krumholz “Morning Dew” (featuring oil and cold wax), Adele Buchwald’s “Early Morning Row” (oil), Dennis Skillman’s “Great Blue Heron” (photograph), and Denise Brown’s “White Picket Fence” (watercolor), according to a press release. Check out the gallery’s inside exhibits during its regular hours: Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. .

Multimedia look at “Multi-Mediums”
Get a look at the exhibit “Multi-Mediums” running through Sunday, April 30, at Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650, art3gallery.com). The gallery has posted videos showing off the exhibit’s variety of paintings, glasswork, sculptures and other pieces. Then see the exhibit in person Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. Courtesy photo.

• Creepy and kooky: See Wednesday and all the other Addamses at The Addams Family Young@Part, a musical production from Epping Middle High School that will run at the Epping Playhouse (38 Ladds Lane in Epping; eppingtheater.org) on Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $10 cash or check to EHS at the door, according to a press release. The show is described as family-friendly and about an hour long with a 15-minute intermission. Reserve tickets in advance by emailing [email protected]. See eppingtheater.org/EMHSAddams.html.

• Folk duo: The Massachusetts-based folk duo of Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin, Crowes Pasture, will play the Andover Community Coffeehouse (Highland Lake Grange Hall, corner of Route 11 and Chase Hill Road in East Andover; 735-5135, andovercoffeehouse.org) on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. Hear their music at crowespastureduo.com. The event is free but donations are welcome, according to a press release. The evening will also feature up to five open-mic acts (sign up is first come first served when doors open), the release said. Doors open at 6 p.m. and food and beverages will be for sale.

• Writing romance: The Monadnock Writers’ Group will host local romance novelist Abbi Glines at its monthly speaker series on Saturday, March 18, at 9:45 a.m. at the Peterborough Town Library (2 Concord St). The event is free. See modnadnockwriters.org.

• World Poetry Day: John Hay Estate at The Fells (456 Route 103A in Newbury; thefells.org, 763-4786, ext. 3) celebrates World Poetry Day (Tuesday, March 21) with an online poetry lecture on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. hosted by Alice Fogel. The virtual lecture will be titled “Strange Terrain: How Not to Get Poetry & Let It Get You Instead” and the program is free and open to the public. Register by calling or emailing [email protected].

Visual Verse
The Literary Arts Guild of the Center for the Arts (centerfortheartsnh.org) has released Rooted in New Hampshire: Farming the Lake Sunapee Region, the fifth book in its Visual Verse series, according to a press release. The volume features poems inspired by photographs from nine regional farms, the release said. There will be a book release party on Wednesday, March 29, at 5 p.m. at Lethbridge Lodge at Colby-Sawyer College in New London. The book will be available for purchase for $20 at the Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, at Main Street Bookends in Warner, and via the Center for the Arts website, the release said. The image of lambs at Kearsarge Gore Farm in Warner accompanies Amber Rose Crowtree’s poem “Spring Tones.” Courtesy photo.

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

• At the Currier: Catch singer-songwriter Rebecca Turmel performing on Thursday, March 9, at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) as part of Art After Work, when museum admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. This week’s scheduled tour is the “Flower Power” gallery tour, according to the website. This Saturday, March 11, also features free admission for New Hampshire residents; the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. And while you visit the Currier, check out the newly acquired “French mounted Chinese porcelain vase,” now on display in the European gallery, according to a Currier newsletter. The piece is a “large porcelain vase, made in China in the 14th century, [that] received gilded bronze mounts in France in the 1760s,” the newsletter said. The vase was likely owned by Maria-Christina of Austria, Marie Antoinette’s sister, the newsletter said.

• A late winter Midsummer: The Milford Area Players finish out a two-weekend run of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with shows Friday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 11, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. at the Amato Center for the Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford). Tickets cost $15, $10 for students and seniors. See milfordareaplayers.org.

• New opening weekend: Vanities, the comedy-drama by Jack Heifner being presented by Creative Ambitions Performance Studio of NH, a new professional theater company, will open Friday, March 10, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315). The show was originally slated to open March 3 but that weekend of shows was canceled, according to the website. The show runs through Sunday, March 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults; $19 for students and seniors, the release said.

Art and video games
Mosaic Art Collective (66 Hanover St., Suite 201, in Manchester; 512-6209, MosaicArtCollective.com) has joined with the Ralph Baer Projects Club to showcase local artists’ works in “Level Up,” a show honoring the legacy of Ralph Baer and video games, according to a presale release. The show features pieces in a variety of media including 2D, 3D, digital, mixed media and interactive forms, the release said.
Ralph Baer, known as the father of video games, was born in Germany (on March 8) but lived in Manchester for much of his life; there are a statue and a bench honoring him in Arms Park. The exhibit is open through Sunday, March 26. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, March 11, from 4 to 8 p.m., the release said. Find more about the Ralph Baer Projects Club at ralphbaerday.com.

• You can still catch a night of theremin: Chris Martiello’s theremin concert scheduled for March 3 has been rescheduled to Friday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Whipple Hall (25 Seamans Road in New London). The performance will be followed by a Q&A and light refreshments. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

• Artist reception: Catch at artist reception for the Body of Work shows “For Granted” (featuring photographs by Judy Arnold) and “Isolation and Inspiration” (featuring the watercolors of artist RS Bense) at Seacoast Artist Association Gallery (130 Water St. in Exeter) on Friday, March 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. with music provided by folk-bluegrass duo Green Heron, according to a press release. The shows will run through Sunday, March 26. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m, according to seacoastartist.org.

• Purim fun and games: Etz Hayim Synagogue (1½ Hood Road in Derry; etzhayim.org) will host a riff on the TV show To Tell The Truth when “the Etz Hayim Never Ready for Prime TIme Players invite you to ‘To Tell the Emet (Truth) Shushan Version’” on Saturday, March 11, at 7 p.m. The show will use the game show format to have famous (or infamous) characters from the story of Purim (which was March 7) answer questions along with two imposters, after which audience members will vote for the real character, according to a press release. For more information, contact [email protected].

• More voices: According to tkapow.com, Theatre Kapow’s “Expanding the Canon” play reading circle in March will focus on The Fish by Madeline Sayet, a member of the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut. The event takes place Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. over Zoom; register online.

• “Japan’s Garbo”: The work of actress Setsuko Hara, an actress who quit in acting in 1963 but was considered “one of the greatest actresses of her time,” will be discussed in a program from the Derry Public Library by Zoom on Monday, March 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to a press release. Register for access to the discussion at derrypl.org.

• A quick international trip: Make a quick visit to Egypt and Gibraltar with a travelogue from Marlin Darrah, a filmmaker, on Wednesday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (3 Prince St. in Concord) for a free Walker Lecture Series, according to a press release. See walkerlecture.org.

• Mingle with history: The Manchester Historic Association will host “an evening of heritage, legacy, industry and cocktails,” according to manchesterhistoric.org, on Thursday, March 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester). The evening — “The Best of Amoskeag Tour” — will feature one complimentary cocktail with a ticket (the event is 21+) and appetizers as well as actors from the Majestic Theatre portraying some of Manchester’s influential people, according to the website. Tickets cost $25; go online or call 622-7531 to reserve tickets.

Painting, photography and more
Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) has several adult and teen classes on the schedule in the coming months. Classes range from one-day workshops to month-long or longer classes. The schedule includes wheel throwing (with classes for beginners and intermediate), Modern & Contemporary Dance (for teen, ages 11 and up, and a class for adults), Medieval Illumination, Introduction to Adobe Lightroom, watercolor classes, Fundamentals of Printmaking, Painting in Oil or Acrylic, Life Drawing, Non-Toxic Etching and more. See kimballjenkins.com/adultclasses for class schedules and links to class descriptions, material requirements and registration.

YAM! for young artists
Kimball Jenkins (266 N. Main St. in Concord; kimballjenkins.com, 225-3932) will host the 2023 Concord School District Youth Art Month Show, which runs now through Wednesday, April 12. An opening reception will be held Thursday, March 29, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and “will feature live music from local high school bands, light food and hundreds of works of art by Concord youth and young adults,” according to a press release. The show will also feature works by Concord art teachers in the Jill C. Wilson Gallery, the release said. After Thursday’s reception, the Concord Historical Society will host a talk from 7 to 8 p.m. on “Artists of Concord: Past, Present and Future,” the release said. The program will feature New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes talking about the late Mel Bolden of Concord sharing images of his work, the release said. Concord artist Pam Tarbell will also share her work and stories from her 50 years of making art in Concord, the release said.

• Celtic flutes: Start the Saint Patrick’s Day (Friday, March 17) celebrations early with a “Celtic Flutes” performance from the Manchester Community Music School (2291 Elm St. in Manchester; mcmusicschool.org, 644-4548) Faculty Performance Series on Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. The performance will feature Aubrie Dionne on flute; Erin Dubois on flute and piccolo; Kylie Elliot on flute, and Rose Hinkle on flute and alto flute, according to a press release. The show can be viewed in person or via livestream; register online.

• Celebrate the Irish: Moe Joe’s Restaurant (2175 Candia Road in Manchester, 668-0121) will host the Black Pudding Rovers playing Irish Classics on Friday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. The band is in its 22nd year and features “Mike Becker on piano, guitar, and vocals, Ken Wyman on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, Butch Greene on drums, and Gary Hunter on woodwinds,” according to the press release, which says the band will also feature special guest fiddler Joe Blajda rejoining BPR to play Irish reels, hornpipes and jigs. The restaurant will feature a special Joe’s Corned Beef and Cabbage, the release said.

• NY opera broadcast in NH: Catch The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin, which will be broadcast live at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, March 18, at noon. Tickets cost $31.75; $25.75 for seniors and $18.75 for students. The broadcast will also screen at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping via fathomevents.com at noon on Saturday, March 18, and as an encore on Wednesday, March 22, at noon.

• Keep the Irish going: The Pembroke Historical Society and Pembroke Town Library (313 Pembroke St.; 485-7851, pembroke-nh.com/pembroke-town-library) will host musician and folklorist Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the library, according to a press release. Tirrell-Wysocki is a fiddler and singer who “brings fresh energy to Celtic music,” the release said. The event is free and open to the public. Get a taste of his music at JordanTWmusic.com.

• Curious: The Pittsfield Players will present The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time from Thursday, March 23, through Sunday, March 26, at the Scenic Theatre (6 Depot St. in Pittsfield). The shows run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 25, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, according to pittsfieldplayers.org. Tickets cost $15 plus fees.

• Audition alert: The Pittsfield Players (pittsfieldplayers.org) will host auditions for the comedic mystery Jack of Diamonds (which will run May 19 through May 21) on Sunday, March 26, and Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. at the Scenic Theatre (6 Depot St. in Pittsfield), according to a press release. See the website for the list of characters and audition information.

• Spring choral concerts: Amare Cantare, a Seacoast-based auditioned chamber chorus, will perform “Solace,” their spring concert, on Saturday, March 25, at Phillips Church in Exeter at 7:30 p.m.; on Sunday, March 26, at 3 p.m. at Dover City Hall (288 Central Road), and on Wednesday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Middle Street Baptist Church (18 Court St. in Portsmouth), according to a press release. “The centerpiece of the concert is Canadian composer Eleanor Daley’s Requiem. A seven-movement unaccompanied work, the Requiem alternates traditional Latin texts with poetry by Carolyn Smart. The concert program will also include works of several other contemporary composers, including Only in Sleep by Ēriks Ešenvalds, Until by Joan Szymko, and Earth Song by Frank Ticheli, as well as a selection of celebrative sacred settings by early composers Heinrich Schütz, Orlandus Lassus, and Hans Leo Hassler,” the release said. Tickets cost $18 and can be purchased at amarecantare.org and may be available at the door, the release said.

Winter concert and guest pianist
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will hold a winter concert featuring guest pianist Ko-Eun Yi performing Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto” on Sunday, March 12, at 3 p.m. at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org). The concert will feature a talk with Music Director John Page at 1:45 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $20 for students, according to a press release. See portsmouthsymphony.org.

• Save the date for a craft fair: The 11th Annual Woman’s Service Club of Windham Spring Craft Fair will be held Saturday, April 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Windham High School and feature more than 100 artisans from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine presenting arts and crafts including ceramics, glass, jewelry, bird houses, spring wreaths, home decor, textiles, handbags, scrapbooking, doll clothes, rag dolls, woodwork, garden sculpture, soaps and lotions, candles, photography, fine art and more, according to a press release. The day will also feature raffles and sale of artisanal food, the release said. Admission is a suggested donation of $2 per person. See WomansServiceClubofWindham.org. And if you know of a spring craft fair or arts event, let us know at [email protected].

• At Gibson’s: Author Ralph White will discuss his book Getting Out of Saigon: How a 27-Year-Old Banker Saved 113 Vietnamese Civilians, a book about his own experiences in Saigon in 1975, on Monday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com), according to a press release. No registration is required for the event, the release said.

• A master class performance: Pianist and conductor Stephen Drury will play a concert at the Johnson Theatre (Paul Creative Arts Center at UNH in Durham) on Thursday, April 6, at 8 p.m. as part of the UNH Department of Music/Arlene Kies Piano Recital and Master Class Series, according to a press release. The concert is free and you can also view it remotely at youtube.com/unhmusic.

• Jazz night: The UNH Traditional Jazz Series will present the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet on Friday, April 7, 8 p.m. at the Johnson Theatre (Paul Creative Arts Center, 30 Academic Way in Durham). Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. According to a press release: “The music of saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins is filled with empathy and conviction, bonding arcs of melody and lamentation to pluming gestures of space and breath. His remarkable quartet features Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums. His new album, The 7th Hand, explores relationships between presence and nothingness across an hour-long suite comprised of seven movements.” See unharts.com.

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

• Update: The Manchester Community Music School’s faculty performance of “Chanson d’Amour” featuring Harel Gietheim on cello and Piper Runnion on harp has been rescheduled for Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the school, 2291 Elm St. in Manchester. Admission is free but pre-register at mcmusicschool.org to attend in person or online.

• Earth Day art: The Manchester Artists Association has original art works on display in the exhibit “Love Our Planet” at the New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center (6 Audubon Way in Auburn) through Saturday, April 29, from noon to 5 p.m. on days the center is open, according to a press release. Artists will exhibit more than 30 original works in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, mixed media and photography, and the works will be available for purchase, the release said. See manchesterartists.com.

Ukrainian Easter eggs
The League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft Gallery (279 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Meredith; nhcrafts.org, 279-7920) will offer two Ukrainian Easter Egg classes with Shannon Wallis on Saturday, March 25 (classes are at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.), according to a press release. Learn the Ukrainian method of decorating eggs and create an egg to keep, the release said. The class costs $50 per student plus a $12 materials fee paid to the instructor on the day of the class, the release said. Sign up by Friday, March 17, by calling 279-7920 or go to meredith.nhcrafts.org/classes.

• Telling her story: Singer-songwriter Kimayo will perform at Bedford Presbyterian Church (4 Church Road in Bedford) on Sunday, March 5, at 5 p.m. as part of her “My Queer Faith” tour, according to a press release. The event is free (and open to adults and mature teens, the release said); reserve a spot at bit.ly/BPC-MQF-Concert.

• Jazz jam: Ted Herbert Music School, operated by the Majestic Theatre, will host an open mic jazz jam on Sunday, March 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. open to students and musicians of all ages and abilities, according to a press release. The cost to participate is $5, free for current Ted Herbert Music School Students. The jam will take place at the Ted Herbert Music School Majestic Theatre Studios (880 Page St. in Manchester), the release said. No signup is required, just show up with your instrument (drums, piano and guitar amp will be provided), the release said. For more on Ted Herbert, see tedherbert.com or call 669-7469.

• Luck be a lady: The Palace Youth Theatre is holding auditions for its May performances of Guys and Dolls Jr. on Monday, March 6, at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester) according to a press release. The auditions are for performers in grades 2 through 12. Auditioners will be expected to stay for their entire one-hour slot and will learn a dance and be asked to sing after (a short section of a song), the release said. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with the performer’s name, age and preferred audition time, the release said.

Martiello on theremin
Chris Martiello will present a theremin concert on Friday, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Whipple Hall (25 Seamans Road in New London) with a Q&A and light refreshments to follow. See centerfortheartsnh.org.

• Young artist competition: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is accepting applications for its annual young artist competition with the winning high school musician to perform at the June 11 concert with a full orchestra, according to a press release. The competition is open to high school students from New Hampshire (as well as the Seacoast region of Maine and Massachusetts) performing orchestral instruments, the release said. Send an audition video and application by March 15; finalists will perform before a live audience on Saturday, April 1, the release said. See portsmouthsymphony.org for information about how to apply.

• Crafting partnership: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is partnering with the League of NH Craftsmen for a series of workshops with local master craft artists, according to a Currier email. The workshops will take place on the second Saturdays of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 11, the class is “Tapestry Weaving Basics” with Lisa Almeia. Students will create images using a simple tapestry loom, according to the description. The class costs $125 and registration is open now. Future classes include “Basket Weaving” with Ruth Bolton on Saturday, April 8; “Jewelry Making” with Paulette Werger on Saturday, May 14, and “Soft Leather Cuff Bracelets” with Diane Louise Paul on Saturday, June 10, according to the website.

• Art camp: The Currier has also announced the themes and dates and opened registration for its summer arts camps for ages 6 to 14. The camps will cost $350 per week and run the weeks of June 26 (when the theme is “Air”), July 10 (“Earth”), July 24 (“Fire”), Aug. 7 (“Water”), and Aug. 14 (“Energy”). Go to currier.org to register and for more information. For more area day camps (and a few overnight ones), check out last week’s cover story in the Hippo. See hippopress.com to find the Feb. 23 e-edition; the story starts on page 12.

• Save the date: The 2nd annual Manchester Arts & Crafts Fair will be held Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Manchester, according to a press release. The event will feature more than 30 booths, food trucks, the Manchester City Library Bookmobile and an interactive art wall for kids run by Unchartered Tutoring, the release said. See manchesterartsandcraftsfair.com.

Vanities
Creative Ambitions Performance Studio of NH, a new professional theater company, will present its first production, the comedy-drama Vanities by Jack Heifner, at the Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315), according to a press release. The show opens Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday, March 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults; $19 for students and seniors, the release said. Courtesy photo.

• “I wish I were big”: Kids Coop Theatre will present Big, the Musical, based on the 1987 movie, featuring performers ages 8 to adults on Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $15 and are available at kidscooptheatre.ludus.com.

• Coming up at Gibson’s: Several author events have been added to the schedule for March and beyond at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 South Main St. in Concord; gibsonsbookstore.com, 224-0562). Journalist Sherry Boschert will visit Gibson’s on Tuesday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss her book 37 Words: Title IX and Fifty Years of Fighting Sex Discrimination, according to a press release. Journalist and author Christine Kenneally will discuss her book Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence and a Search For Justice (which looks at, among other places, St. Joseph’s, a Catholic orphanage in Vermont), at Gibson’s on Thursday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m., according to a press release. Author Hank Phillippi Ryan will present her latest thriller The House Guest and discuss her work with author Sarah Stewart Taylor on Wednesday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m., a press release said. Vermont authors Rebecca and Sallyann Majoya will come to Gibson’s on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss their shared memoir Uncertain Fruit: A Memoir of Infertility, Loss, and Love. Dennis Lehane will discuss his newest novel Small Mercies as part of a virtual author event with indie bookstores with Gillian Flynn on Tuesday, April 25, at 8 p.m. (sign up online for this ticketed virtual event). Find more upcoming author and book events in our book listings, this week on page 31.

• Irish afternoon: The Center for the Arts will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a performance of Irish music from the Sunapee Singers and Irish step dancing by the McGongale Irish Step Dancers on Sunday, March 19, at 4 p.m. at Whipple Town Hall in New London (on the corner of Main Street and Seamans Road), according to a press release. Tickets cost $18, $8 for students (children 5 and under are admitted free); purchase tickets at centerfortheartsnh.org or with cash or check at the door, the release said.

• History of the vote: Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters NH, will use historic photos and documents to discuss women’s journey to obtain the right to vote, from the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls to the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920, on Tuesday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Tracey Memorial Library (304 Main St. in New London), according to a press release. Reserve a spot by emailing [email protected].

In bloom
The New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St. in Milford; 673-8499, nhantiquecoop.com) will present the show “In Full Bloom: Floral Still Life & Garden Paintings from the 19th Century to Present” Friday, March 24, through Thursday, Aug. 31. The exhibit will feature works from artists of the late 1800s to the present that capture spring and summer, according to a press release. A garden party opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. The Co-op is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• 400 years of Portsmouth history: The Pontine Theater will celebrate Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary with the original production Dearly Earned at Pontine’s 1845 Plains School House Theatre (1 Plains Ave. in Portsmouth; pontine.org). The play is based on Portsmouth’s 19th-century industrial history and the lives of workers, according to a press release. Shows are Friday, March 17, through Sunday, March 26. Shows will take place Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $29.

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

• Meet the Marches: The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) brings the March sisters (Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy) and their Marmee to the stage with Little Women, the Broadway musical, which will run Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 19. The shows run Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $46.

• Postponed until Friday: The Community Players of Concord’s production of The 39 Steps, originally slated to run at the Concord City Auditorium last weekend, will hit the stage Friday, Feb. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 26, according to a Players press release. The show will go on Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m., with tickets purchased for the original show dates valid for the same day of the week. Tickets are on sale for the new dates at communityplayersofconcord.org. Ticket holders who want a refund or to change the day of the week can contact box office chair David Murdo at 344-4747 or [email protected], the release said.

• Postponed until May: Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, who had been scheduled to play the Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive in Manchester; anselm.edu/dana-center-humanities) on Thursday, Feb. 23, will now play the Dana Center on Wednesday, May 31. Tickets purchased for the February show will be valid. Tickets cost $45.

Animals and happiness
The Two Villages Art Society’s gallery (846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) will present “Secrets of Happiness,” a solo show by Ty Meier, Saturday, Feb. 25, through Saturday, April 1. On Saturday, Feb. 25, from 3 to 4 p.m. there will be an opening reception followed by live music from 4 to 6 p.m. by Hydro-Geo Trio, a Hopkinton-based band, according to a press release. Meier’s pieces are “acrylic and inks, generally painting stylized animals and birds,” the release said.

• The girls’ story: Cue Zero Theatre Company will open its fourth season on Friday, March 3, with the play Radium Girls, by DW Gregory, about the women who painted watch dials with radium paint in the early 20th century and became sick from radium poisoning, according to a press release. The play will run Friday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, at 2 p.m. at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire (19 Keewaydin Drive, No. 4, in Salem). Tickets cost $15 per person and are available online at cztheatre.com and at the door.

• About Jackie: The Derry Public Library (derrypl.org) will hold a virtual program on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. called “Jacqueline Kennedy: Beyond Style” featuring a docent from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to discuss the first lady’s life and legacy, according to the website. The program will include photographs and documents from the Kennedy Library’s archives, the website said. Register online.

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

• Schedule change: The Community Players of Concord’s production of The 39 Steps originally slated to run at the Concord City Auditorium this weekend has been postponed to Friday, Feb. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 26, due to an illness within the company, according to a Players press release. The show will go on Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m., with tickets purchased for the original show dates valid for the same day of the week. Tickets are on sale for the new dates at communityplayersofconcord.org. Ticket holders who want a refund or to change the day of the week can contact box office chair David Murdo at 344-4747 or [email protected], the release said.

• New at the Currier: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) will kick off a new series of discussions with the museum’s educators and curators this Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. with a tour led by museum director Alan Chong, according to the website. The tour is part of the museum’s weekly Art After Work program, when admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m and the evening includes tours and live music (this week: Hickory Horned Devils), the website said.

While at the museum, check out the newly acquired painting “Black Men and Women in a Tavern,” which was painted in Antwerp around 1650 and “produced in the circle of the Flemish artist David Teniers the Younger,” according to the website. It is one of the “earliest depictions of free Black people in Europe,” the website said. The painting is on view in the European gallery, the website said.

• Exploring memory: Theatre Kapow will present Breadcrumbs, a play by Jennifer Haley, for the next two weekends with shows at Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m.

Performances on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. will be livestreamed from Theatre Kapow’s studio, the website said. “A reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia must depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography,” according to a press release. The Sunday show will be followed by a discussion with representatives from community organizations who will answer questions about Alzheimer’s and resources for patients and caregivers, the release said. In-person tickets cost $28 for adults, $23 for students (plus fees). Live stream tickets cost $15 per device and are available at tkapow.com.

Acrobats
The Peking Acrobats featuring the Shanghai Circus will come to the Stockbridge Theatre (5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre) on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for youth and $5 for Pinkerton students, according to the website, which describes the performers as pushing “the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control.”

• Music from the Black church to popular culture: Author Vaughn A. Booker, a professor of religion at Dartmouth, will lead the virtual program “Lift Every Voice and Swing” hosted by NH Humanities on Friday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m., according to a NH Humanities newsletter. Booker, whose 2020 book is called Lift Every Voice and Swing: Black Musicians and Religious Culture in the Jazz Century, will discuss “how the religious beliefs of popular jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Mary Lou Williams shaped their music” the newsletter said. Go to nhhumanities.org to register for the program.

• Winter concert: The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra will present “Winter Serenities” featuring “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” by Ralph Vaughn Williams, the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra by Eugene Goosen and “Symphony #1” by Gustav Mahler this Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. Both shows will be presented at the Seifert Performing Arts Center (44 Geremonty Drive in Salem; 893-7069). Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $8 for students and $5 for K-through-12 Salem students, according to nhpo.booktix.com.

• A second chance at beautiful music: The Manchester Community Music School’s faculty performance of “Chanson d’Amour” featuring Harel Gietheim on cello and Piper Runnion on harp has been rescheduled (it had been slated for Jan. 19) for Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. at the school, 2291 Elm St. in Manchester, according to a press release. Admission is free but pre-register at mcmusicschool.org to attend in person or online.

• The kid circus: The High Mowing School middle schoolers (Pine Hill Campus, 77 Pine Hill Drive in Wilton; highmowing.org/hilltop, 654-6003) will show off their circus skills with their show Circus with a Chance of Meatballs Thursday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children.

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

• The big 2-0: Manchester Community Theatre Players will be “Celebrating 20” this Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St. in Manchester). Tickets for this musical retrospective of the last 20 years cost $20 and are available at the door or at manchestercommunitytheatre.com.

• Romeo + Juliet: Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative (belknapmill.org/powerhouse-upcoming-productions) presents Romeo and Juliet at the Colonial Theatre (609 Main St. in Laconia) on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $16 to $20. The same cast will also perform a staged reading of Montague + Capulet, an original sequel to the Shakespeare classic, at the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. in Laconia) on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets to that show cost $10.

• March film fest: Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival, which will run Thursday, March 16, through Sunday, March 26, at locations in Manchester, Bedford, Keene, Concord, Portsmouth and Hooksett. The festival will include 11 feature-length films and a five-film shorts program, according to nhjewishfilmfestival.com, where you can purchase tickets for individual shows ($12) or for an all-access package ($200). Of the features, six will be screened in theaters and five can be streamed at home, the website said. From Monday, March 17, through Sunday, April 16, four of the films shown in theaters will be available to be viewed at home. See trailers for the feature films and the shorts on the festival website.

• More in movies: Speaking of film, catch a silent film from the end of the silent film era about wealth near the end of the Roaring ’20s — The Smart Set(1928) starring William Haines and Alice Day will screen Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Flying Monkey Moviehouse and Performance Center (39 Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com). The screening will be accompanied by live music performed by Jeff Rapsis. Tickets cost $10.

The 39 Steps
The Community Players of Concord will present The 39 Steps, a comedy based on the Alfred Hitchock thriller from 1935, on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20, $18 for students and seniors, and are available at communityplayersofconcord.org.

• Audition call for grades 2 to 12: The Palace Youth Theatre is presenting a small cast production of Into the Woods (it will run at the Rex Theatre in Manchester April 3 and April 4) and will hold auditions on Monday, Feb. 13, with times at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester), according to a press release. Auditioners will be expected to stay for their entire one-hour slot; come prepared to sing a musical theater song and then learn a dance to perform, the release said. The audition is open to kids in grades 2 through 12. To schedule an audition, email [email protected] with the performer’s name, age and preferred audition time, the release said.

• Auditions for adults: The Community Players of Concord are holding open auditions for their May show Not A Word, a new comedy written and directed by longtime Players member Wallace J. Pineault, according to a press release. The show will feature a cast of nine and a story about movies in the 1920s before sound entered the picture, the release said. The auditions are scheduled for Monday, Feb. 20, and Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Players Studio (435 Josiah Bartlett Road in Concord), the release said. Rehearsals will begin in March; see the script, character list, audition information and more at communityplayersorconcord.org/auditions.

• Remember CDs? The Friends of the Dover Public Library (which is at 73 Locust St. in Dover) are holding a CD sale through Saturday, Feb. 11, to sell off the library’s music collection, which it is discontinuing, according to a press release. The sale (which started Feb. 5) features CDs for $2 (with boxed sets specially marked) in genres including rock, country, classical, world, pop, jazz, folk and bluegrass, soundtracks and children’s music. The library is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

• Exhibit in color: The Franklin Gallery at RiverStones Custom Framing (33 N. Main St. in Rochester; 812-1488) will host an exhibit in February featuring the work of Madison resident John Girourard, according to a press release. “Girouard’s current body of work consists of vividly depicted abstract paintings that use strong, bold colors in a mixed medium that delight in swirling movement. Thickness and transparency of the media, allow the works to retain qualities of depth and liquidity even after drying. Each canvas possesses layers of pure, rich color and thick undulating texture that capture light by visually traveling through the painting. Swirling strokes and flow of color give the pieces a living moving appearance that assumes a decorative splendor,” the release said. See the exhibit Wednesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Author to author: Rebecca Makkai will discuss her new murder mystery I Have Some Questions for You with Lara Prescott, author of The Secrets We Keep, at the Music Hall Lounge (131 Congress St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. The discussion will include a Q&A, according to a press release. Tickets cost $45 and include a copy of Makkai’s book.