Milford resident leads forest bathing walks for wellness
For Laura Putnam, walking through the woods isn’t about burning calories or reaching a specific destination. It’s about sipping the air, watching a leaf twist in the wind or listening to water trickle downstream — and it’s all part of a practice called forest bathing.
“Forest bathing is a guided meditation to open the sense doors and bring people into the present moment, and it offers an opportunity for people to experience nature in a different way,” she said.
For the past several months, the Milford resident has been guiding small groups into the woods for forest bathing and meditation. It’s still a relatively new practice for Putnam — she had never even heard of forest bathing a year ago.
“Trees really do talk through chemicals, so there are physical benefits that are emitted from trees,” she said. “You’re being showered with all these chemicals. … Those chemicals help our immunity … [and the practice] naturally lowers blood pressure, increases focus … concentration is better [and there is] just an overall sense of well-being.”
According to Putnam, the chemicals, which are called phytoncides, can also increase creativity and decrease depression. Between the chemicals and the fact that scientists have found a correlation between increased depression and anxiety and lack of time spent outdoors, doctors in Japan now prescribe outdoor therapy as part of their patients’ health plan; there, it’s called shinrin yoku, which translates to forest bathing.
Putnam started forest bathing before she even knew what it was. Back in April she was furloughed from her job at the Visiting Nurse Association in Manchester, where she’d been working in an administrative position, helping transition patients to and from health care facilities.
“When Covid hit, I could no longer visit all those facilities because of the risk of infecting patients,” she said. “During this time … I should have been probably devastated, really worked up, anxious, crazy, thinking about being a single mom with a son in his senior year of college, like how [am I] going to make that all happen.”
And she was worked up, at first. But Putnam has forests and conservation land right outside her back door, and, trying to avoid showing her son that she was upset, she started to head outside when she felt stressed or needed to cry. Pretty quickly, both she and her son noticed that those walks outside changed her.
“He would say to me when I would come back, ‘Mom what happens to you out there? Because you’re so happy when you come back,’” she said.
It’s not as though Putnam hadn’t spent time in nature before. The avid hiker has completed all of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-footers, and until the pandemic she had never considered making those hikes about the journey rather than the destination — or not having any destination at all.
“I’ve exercised in the woods for years, but never had I investigated fungus … or [looked closely at] tree bark,” she said.
Putnam started to do some research on the positive impact she was experiencing and eventually found an organization called the Association of Nature and Forest Therapists. She enrolled in the program, became a certified guide and started Biophilia Nature and Wellness, offering guided walks either privately or through local rec centers.
“This is what I feel most qualified to do, ever, in my life,” said Putnam, who is also a nurse and is wilderness first aid certified.
At the start of her forest walks Putnam leads participants through a guided meditation, inviting them to open up each of their senses — “feeling the wind on your face, sipping in the air as our sense of taste, listening to the sounds of birds.”
“Then you’ve sort of set the scene for, OK, now we’re all here together in this moment,” she said.
Throughout the session Putnam offers “invitations” to participants, sending them out to wander in the woods with specific prompts, like bringing back a small tactile object or focusing on some kind of movement, like ice going down the river. They then regroup and share what they found or the experiences they had.
“Then the day ends with tea [made with] what I have learned is safe and edible,” she said — a group last week had tea made with white pine and hemlock tree.
Putnam said that while most people around here have never heard of forest bathing, it is more popular out west, and she sees it becoming more prevalent here in the near future.
“I think right now the general population is just lacking connection and kind of looking for a way out of their heads,” she said. “I think there’s so much fear and stress and anxiety — I can’t think of anybody who [forest bathing] wouldn’t be good for.”
Guided forest bathing walks Laura Putnam has several upcoming guided walks through local recreation centers, or you can contact her directly if you’re interested in a private group session. Search for Biophilia Nature and Wellness on Facebook, or email her at [email protected]. The Amherst Parks and Recreation Department is offering forest bathing guided walks with Putnam on Fridays, Jan. 15, Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Peabody Mill Environmental Center (66 Brook Road). The cost is $40 for residents and $45 for non-residents. The walk is for adults ages 18 and older. Visit amherstnh.myrec.com. The Milford Recreation Department is offering a bathing guided walk with Putnam on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. and Saturday, March 6, at Kaley Field (448 Nashua St.). The cost is $15 per class. The walk is for adults ages 18 and older. Visit milford.nh.gov.
Featured Photo: A table set for tea to wrap up a guided forest bathing walk. Courtesy photo.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Emma Cahoon performs in Theatre Kapow’s virtual production of A Hundred Words for Snow. Photo by Matthew Lomanno.
• Virtual play: Manchester-based theater company Theatre Kapow continues its 13th season with A Hundred Words for Snow, the first production of the season’s second series of virtual one-person plays. Livestreamed performances will take place on Friday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m. The play by Tatty Hennessey follows a 15-year-old girl named Rory. When Rory’s father, a geography teacher, dies suddenly, she sets out with his ashes to fulfill his lifelong dream of going to the North Pole. Emma Cahoon, currently in her first year at the Boston University School of Theatre, will perform the role. “It’s a really important time to be making theater however we can,” she said in a press release. “We’re in a certain coming-of-age time of theater, a new era, and so it feels like the perfect time to explore a coming-of-age story about a young woman facing great loss. It feels close to my heart too, as the past year has sort of been my ‘coming of age,’ as well.” Theatre Kapow’s virtual plays are shot in a small studio space in Manchester and are full theater productions with sets, costumes, props, lighting design and sound effects. Tickets cost $10 per streaming device. Ticket holders will be sent the link to watch the show. Visit tkapow.com.
• African American poetry: The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire presents the finale of its African American poetry series, “The Black Matter Is Life: Poetry for Engagement and Overcoming,” on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 5 p.m. The virtual event, featuring special guest Pulitzer Prize winning poet Jericho Brown, will include a discussion of Brown’s poetry and poetry by George Moses Horton, Gwendolyn Brooks and Nikki Giovanni to explore how African American poetry shows that love can overcome racism and injustice. “In the wake of our nation’s current unrest, this program is designed to build bridges across the racial divide by introducing the audience to the writings of a number of African American poets whose work shines a light on a rich cultural heritage that has often gone unexplored,” JerriAnne Boggis, BHTNH executive director, said in a press release. “This program asks the audience to consider African American poetry as a tool toward healing our nation’s deep racial wounds.” The event will close with a reading of a poem from Nashua Public Library’s poetry writing collaboration. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org/the-black-matter-is-life to register.
• Weekly art classes: Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester) is offering in-person art classes for all levels and two-dimensional media. The classes are held with small groups of two to five students. Private classes are also available. Adult group classes are on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.; and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Kids group classes are on Thursday and Friday from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Times for private classes are Wednesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Saturday from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. (availability as of press time; some classes may be full). Students are asked to wear masks in the gallery. Tuition costs $20 per group class and $28 per private class, with payment due at the beginning of the class. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com.
• Messages of hope: “Brave New World: Resilience in the Time of Covid,” an outdoor public art exhibit featuring paintings by about 80 student artists from the Nashua School District, is on display now through Feb. 14 at Amherst Elementary School (71 Amherst St., Nashua). The paintings, attached to a chain link fence outside the school, convey messages of hope and resilience amid the challenges of Covid-19. “The objective was simply to give someone passing by a positive thought for their day,” Brentwood Academy art teacher Stephanie Sewhuk-Thomas told the Hippo in December. Sewhuk-Thomas and fellow art teachers Robin Peringer of Nashua High School South and Rodney Coffin of Nashua High School North organized the exhibit and guided the students. “It’s been really important for them to be able to do something to make a positive difference, especially on a community level like this, at a time when their contact with other people is so limited,” she said. Visit sites.google.com/nsd42.net/bravenewworld/home.
A look back at what’s happened in art galleries, theaters and other cultural spots since the Hippo started
A lot has happened in the local arts scene since the Hippo launched 20 years ago — the Palace Theatre in Manchester went from bankrupt to thriving, comic books and gaming became mainstream in pop culture, and fine arts has become more accessible, with more galleries and a focus on local artists. In the second of our month-long series looking back at some of the subjects Hippo has covered over the years, we talked to a few people who have been part of that arts scene about how it’s changed, what it might look like 20 years from now and the challenges ahead.
Robert Dionne. Courtesy photo.
Robert Dionne
Robert Dionne is the artistic director and CEO of Manchester’s Majestic Theatre and is an administrator of Ted Herbert Music School, which the Majestic bought in 2016. He’s been running the Majestic for 30 years. The theater’s next big event is the Majestic Mashup fundraiser, happening virtually on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m., featuring interactive dinners, live performances and a scratch ticket raffle. Visit majestictheatre.net.
How would you describe the local arts scene 20 years ago?
All the staples were still there. … As far as Manchester goes, you had the usual suspects, you had the Palace, the Majestic was about 10 years old. We weren’t doing as much as we were doing now. … In the year 2000 we were in the theater at Ste. Marie’s and had been in that space for about five years. We had a pretty heavy production schedule, but not as involved as it is now.
… Twenty years ago there were a lot more smaller companies in the area, smaller community theater companies that sadly have since gone away, like the Acting Loft, the New Thalian Players. … Now it seems like a lot of the Manchester theater groups are down to just a few.
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
I think what’s happened … [is that] unless you have a group of people really passionate about keeping something going … it’s not [sustainable]. What ends up happening with theater companies a lot of times, unless you have a core group of people, they usually end up getting tired. … You don’t make a lot of money in the arts. People that do theater for a living … they kind of get sick of not making money. … I think that some of the companies, their shelf-life, it aged out. … With Covid, the companies that are established, we’re going to be around on the other side of this. I’m not going to say it’s not a struggle right now, but we do have a lot of people in our corner. We’ve worked way too hard in the last 30 years just to casually throw it away. It’s definitely worth fighting to the bitter end. … We need to stay alive for a few more months without programming. 2019 was our best season we’ve ever had … 2020 was our worst. But [patrons] are really hungry. We’ve sold every seat we could for every show we’ve had in these past few months.
How did your venue impact the local arts scene?
Twenty years ago we probably weren’t the biggest, but now we are the biggest community theater in the state. The amount of people we involve [in each production], if it’s not the highest [amount in the state], it’s definitely one of the highest. We offer a product that audiences in the area have grown accustomed to [and keep coming back for].
What has surprised you about the way the state’s arts scene has developed?
Community theater is all about building people up and what ends up happening sometimes is, we’ve seen a lot of new companies coming out with just a small group [of people], putting their own money in, [which spreads resources thin]. … Years ago [separate theater companies in] Amherst and Milford, they realized over time they were much stronger joining forces [to become the Milford Area Players]. … Twenty years ago was a time where people had home companies in their community. … Now, you may have a company that’s closest and dearest to your heart, but [performers] now don’t just do shows at one company. … I can go do a show [for another company] and not have to worry about filling seats and marketing and paying the bills.
What do you think the arts scene will be like 20 years from now, and what challenges will it face?
I think we’re going to definitely gain some wisdom from all the livestream we’re doing right now. … Twenty years from now you’re going to see that theater is going to be a much more multimedia experience. … [On the flip side], I think that 20 years from now, people are always looking for opportunities to do hands-on things, and I think you’re going to find … people are going to still want to come out for shows. … [As for challenges], 20 years ago when we held an audition for a show we’d get like 60 people. … Now it’s a lot different, because there are so many shows. … You might get maybe a dozen people or maybe 20 people. The quality of the people we’re getting to audition now is definitely better, because there are so many opportunities for people to learn about theater and be in shows and get experience, so we’re always getting [that] quality actor that we need, it’s just, we’re getting less people to come out for auditions. And that’s because in a normal life, pre-Covid, there might be six or seven or eight auditions happening at the same time. … There are more shows than there are actors at this point, and it’s only going to get worse. … You might get a theater person doing show after show after show, and eventually they get to the point where they’re like, yeah, I just need to take a break from doing shows. So you lose those people … but then you gain some new people. So I think the message I would send is … if you want to be in a show, you should audition for a show. You don’t have to have mess loads of acting experience to get a part in a show. You can start with a small part and learn.
Aside from the Majestic, what’s your favorite local spot to enjoy the arts?
Well, I have to say, being a native Manchester person, I love what they did with the Rex Theatre. … Having been by that building for years when it was [night] clubs, it was [depressing]. … So congrats to the Palace for doing such an amazing job.
— Meghan Siegler
Chris Proulx
Chris Proulx. Courtesy photo.
Chris Proulx is the co-owner of Double Midnight Comics, which he started in 2002 with his brother Scott and best friend Brett Parker. In addition to the store the trio also organizes the Granite State Comicon each September.
How would you describe the local comics and gaming scene 20 years ago?
The scene 20 years ago was quite different than it is today. When we first started, comics and games were viewed as nerdy pursuits. It was tough connecting with people that loved the same stuff [we] did, which is why we started Double Midnight Comics. Since then Marvel conquered Hollywood and brought comics into the mainstream consciousness. Dungeons and Dragons had a resurgence and became cool. Board games became a big deal. Magic the Gathering hit the mainstream. Being a geek was suddenly cool!
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
Comics and games hitting the mainstream. Never in a million years did we think Iron Man, let alone Rocket Raccoon and Groot, would be household names. Then you have major Hollywood actors coming out as D&D enthusiasts — it’s insane.
How has Double Midnight impacted the local comics and gaming scene?
When we first started we were the place anyone could come in and feel welcome. You didn’t need to know 30 years of Spider-Man to come in and shop, and I think that struck a chord with our customers. Our annual Free Comic Book Day grew into a wild event each year, calling more attention to comics. We never imagined on our first Free Comic Book Day in 2003 that people would be traveling from all over the Northeast and camping out for days to be a part of our event. Then there’s the comic con we launched. The Granite State Comicon has become an event people look forward to each year … and acts as a gathering for all fandoms.
Any surprises about how the comics and gaming scene has developed?
For sure. When we started we didn’t have the business acumen but we knew what we wanted to do. We wanted to create a fun inclusive space where everyone was welcome to come shop and hang out. That strategy struck a chord and over time we grew our audience and learned a thing or two along the way. That plan of throwing open the gates and welcoming everyone as friends in geekdom allowed us to expand our operations, first expanding our original store and [then expanding] to two locations, which is something we never even dreamed of back when we opened.
Where do you see the world of comics and gaming 20 years from now, locally, and what challenges will it face?
Comics are at an interesting crossroads. Marvel and DC tend to cater to an older audience. I’m interested to see what the next generation of comic fans will look like. Kids these days devour Dog Man and the Raina Telgemeier books, [and] graphic novels for kids and young adults are a huge market, [so] it will be interesting to see how their tastes will change comics for the better. Gaming I can only see getting bigger. People love getting together and playing games face to face and chatting with other players. There are lots of online options, but nothing beats real-life community.
Aside from Double Midnight, what’s your favorite local spot to enjoy comics or gaming?
We’re big fans of Boards and Brews downtown [in Manchester]. If you had asked us 20 years ago if we would see a board game cafe/bar downtown we wouldn’t have believed it. It’s a cool place to hang out and try games and it’s nice to be able to collaborate with a fellow geek business in town!
— Meghan Siegler
Hope Jordan
Hope Jordan. Courtesy photo.
Hope Jordan was the public relations and marketing manager at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester from 2000 to 2005. In 2006 she co-founded the first New Hampshire poetry slam series, Slam Free or Die, and in 2007 she coached the first New Hampshire slam team to compete in the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas. She has served on the staff and board of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, on the New Hampshire Poet Laureate selection committee and as the statewide coordinator for Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation program for high school students.
How would you describe the local arts scene 20 years ago?
We still had former Arts Commissioner Van McLeod, who was the most important advocate at the state level that the arts in New Hampshire may ever have. We still had the great poets Maxine Kumin and Donald Hall with us, writing and giving readings. The New Hampshire Writers’ Project was based in Concord and was doing events and workshops that were for a wide range of writers — children’s literature, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and their annual Writers’ Day was the event of the year. They were also doing statewide programs like Poetry and Politics. There weren’t any venues for performance poetry, although we had some slam poets come up from Boston for showcases in Manchester from time to time. The Poetry Society of New Hampshire was, I believe, a rather different organization, much smaller, and seemed more focused on the office of the Poet Laureate and publishing their literary journal — they’re quite different today.
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
Twenty years ago, I would have said that New Hampshire writers were mostly white, older and interested in writing informed by the natural world. I mean, four of the U.S. Poets Laureate are from our tiny state — Kumin, Hall, Charles Simic, and I’ll count Robert Frost. Today I’d say we have a far more diverse population of writers, although we still are overwhelmingly white. But now we have younger poets who are hosting open mics. We have performance poets who are mostly younger. There is a strong cadre of writers who specialize in speculative fiction [and] amazing folks like Jennifer Militello who are producing more experimental writing like her memoir Knock Wood— I just think the writing community is much less homogenous in many ways. I also hope and believe that having Poetry Out Loud in high schools every year continues to demystify poetry for students. I remember sitting in a high school cafeteria in the North Country and listening to two male student-athletes sitting near me discussing line breaks. That felt extraordinary.
How did the organizations you’ve been involved with impact the local arts scene?
The New Hampshire Writers’ Project has evolved a great deal over the years. I unfortunately haven’t been in touch with them in a while, but they seem to have narrowed a focus to prose and fiction writing, offering many more online workshops, and within that, being very strong in speculative fiction. Meanwhile the Poetry Society has become the go-to for poetry workshops, readings, events and an excellent annual poetry festival that has attracted top national talent. To my everlasting delight, the people I co-founded Slam Free or Die with continue to host a weekly slam in Manchester, or they were until Covid. We celebrated the 10-year anniversary a few years ago. They have represented New Hampshire at every National Poetry Slam since, and have done quite well. I’m so proud.
What has surprised you about the way the state’s arts scene has developed?
I think the recent controversy over the state Poet Laureate position surprised a lot of people. Without getting too political, I suspect there was a general feeling that poetry wasn’t a big deal, not going to be a hot-button issue. But I like to joke that every third person in New Hampshire is a poet, and a great many of us spoke out when we felt that this post was not being treated as seriously as we felt it should be. This state has a fantastic literary lineage, and I think we take a great deal of pride in that. The fact that this became national news surprised me, but it also made me glad. Poetry is not inconsequential.
What do you think the arts scene will be like 20 years from now, and what challenges will it face?
In 20 years I hope the literary scene in New Hampshire is more diverse, especially in age and ethnicity. I hope we continue to celebrate the fact that our state is mostly a rural state, but that we also hear more voices from places like Manchester and Nashua. I think some of the future changes depend on what happens with higher education, which is the only place it has been remotely possible for someone to work and do any kind of creative writing, unless they have family money. We’ve had wonderful writers like Ernie Hebert, who was at Dartmouth, Simic at UNH, Liz Ahl at Plymouth State and Militello at New England College. All these writers have been able to elevate New Hampshire’s literary profile because they have had positions in higher ed. And higher ed, I suspect, will go through some huge structural changes over the next two decades. Will that mean there are fewer opportunities for writers to support themselves, or more? An expanding gig economy and some kind of affordable universal health care may make it more possible for more people to do creative work. The perennial challenge is always money, and I can’t imagine state funding for the arts will improve. But who knows? The pandemic may be creating a kind of reckoning. Another challenge that will probably get worse before it gets better is the perception of the literary arts — really, all the arts — by people who think they are unnecessary for economic growth. A few years ago I had a conversation with a venture capitalist who described the kind of creative thinking he looked for in entrepreneurs. I immediately thought of poets. I wonder if 20 years from now our society will value all forms of creativity.
What’s your favorite local spot to enjoy the arts?
I have an abiding love for the Currier Museum, and it will always be one of my happy places in the state. That we have such a collection of art, not to mention the special exhibitions, and that they are so accessible, continues to impress and amaze me. My other favorite is Gibson’s Bookstore, which always has the most amazing roster of literary events and book launches, and they just do it so well.
Joni Taube
Joni Taube. Courtesy photo.
Joni Taube co-founded Art 3 Gallery in Manchester in 1980 and is its current proprietor. The retail fine art gallery offers corporate and residential art consulting and custom framing services and, according to Taube, has one of the largest collections of art by New Hampshire, New England, national and international artists.
How would you describe the local arts scene 20 years ago?
When we opened in 1980, there were one or two other galleries in town and the Currier Museum of Art was then known as the Currier Gallery of Art. By 1990 the Currier had purchased the Zimmerman House and it was opened for tours. By 2000 the art scene in Manchester had expanded to include a few more galleries and framing shops like the Hatfield Gallery. The next decade saw the emergence of Langer Place on Commercial Street, which housed several boutiques and artists’ spaces. EW Poore Framing on Canal Street offered classes and supplies. The Manchester Artists Association and Framers Market were opened on Elm Street. Manchester City Hall had a rotating exhibit of art and the New Hampshire Institute of Art expanded their curriculum and offered BFA degrees.
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
In 2005, in an effort to make art accessible to everyone, the Majestic Theatre, with the backing of community leaders and businesses, organized “Open Doors Trolley Night.” Four times a year, galleries and museums [in Manchester] were open to the public with exhibits that celebrated the amazing diversity of artistic expression and dynamic experiences that the city has to offer.
How did Art 3 Gallery impact the local arts scene?
One of the missions of Art 3 Gallery has been to advance the arts in Manchester by hosting multi-artist exhibits. Since our inception we have had group shows with art from local, regional as well as national artists. We currently have a virtual exhibit titled “Beyond Words” in video form on our website.
What has surprised you about the way the state’s arts scene has developed?
New Hampshire committed itself to enriching state-funded buildings with The Percent for Art Program, enacted by the New Hampshire State Legislature in 1979. This program authorizes one half of one percent of the Capital Budget appropriation for new state buildings or significant renovations to be set aside in a non-lapsing account for the acquisition or commissioning of artwork. For the past 88 years, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen has promoted fine craft [and] supported craftspeople … [and] is recognized today as one of the country’s foremost fine arts organizations. … [Its crafts] are valued throughout the United States and around the world for their creativity, authenticity and technical expertise. The New England College of Art and Design, formerly the New Hampshire Institute of Art, has a strong foothold in Manchester and a commitment to enriching the arts in Manchester and New Hampshire.
What do you think the New Hampshire arts scene will be like 20 years from now, and what challenges will it face?
Twenty years from now, if Manchester continues to grow as a technology center, bringing in fresh people with varying viewpoints, a younger generation must take the reins and continue the celebration of the arts in Manchester and New Hampshire. A large and diverse ethnic population must add their voices to the arts, [which would add] to the rich cultural base already in place.
Aside from Art 3 Gallery, what’s your favorite local spot to enjoy the arts?
The Currier Museum is still the premier place in New Hampshire to explore art in all its forms. The Currier exhibits have always tapped into the heart of the community, and it provides a calm and enlightening place to regroup, refresh and see something amazing.
Peter Ramsey
Peter Ramsey. Courtesy photo.
Peter Ramsey founded the Lakes Region Summer Theatre in Meredith in 1990, which he owned and operated for 12 years. In 1999 he agreed to work part time for the Palace Theatre in Manchester, which was bankrupt and closed at the time, to help reopen its doors. In 2001, after the Palace reopened, Ramsey became its CEO and president, and he still is today.
How would you describe the local arts scene 20 years ago?
Very different. … Statewide, there were more small, local arts organizations, very active in the summers especially, and almost every town had a theater. There were very few big organizations. That’s been the biggest change. Now, there are fewer and fewer local theaters and more big organizations, [like] the SNHU Arena, which has over 10,000 seats, and Meadowbrook [now called the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion]. They tend to dominate the art scene because they have more seats, obviously, and more money to deal with. The other thing that has changed dramatically is a lack of theater and the arts in education. … The focus in schools is on sports, and the arts are becoming forgotten.
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
In Manchester … the arts scene was dominated by three big organizations: the New Hampshire Symphony, which went bankrupt and is gone, the Opera League of New Hampshire [now called Opera New Hampshire] and the New Hampshire Philharmonic, a phenomenal volunteer orchestra. All three have changed dramatically. … When I started at the Palace, the New Hampshire Symphony was the biggest organization. It had a $3 million budget a year, six employees, a marketing director and an executive director, and all that went away after five years. I think the struggle for classical music is that fewer and fewer children appreciate it, and that’s just a change that has happened in our society. I think the big venues have also changed things. Audiences want to go see big-name acts like James Taylor and Aerosmith at [the SNHU Arena]. … It’s a good thing that they’ve brought shows to New Hampshire that never would have come before … but think about it: with 10,000 seats, and tickets at $100 apiece, that’s a million dollars of artistic patron money going to a show. Is a person who just spent $200 for two tickets to see Aerosmith on Friday night going to go see a [community] theater show on Saturday night? … Community arts organizations have a bottom line and have to figure out how to pay their bills … and it’s been getting harder and harder for them to survive.
How did the Palace Theatre impact the local arts scene?
Tremendously. Twenty years ago, the Palace’s doors were closed, and they [were] $250,000 [in debt]. In 2019 we had the best year we ever had; 159,000 patrons paid to come to the Palace, and we hired over 500 artists. That’s a paycheck to artists, which is important because, at the end of the day, [the survival of the arts] all comes down to, can an artist make a living? … There have been economic studies of the city of Manchester that showed that the Palace brings about $10 million a year to downtown. On the nights we have a show, every restaurant within five blocks is doing very well. … An active arts scene can change a downtown; there’s no debate about it anymore.
What has surprised you about the way the state’s arts scene has developed?
I’ve been incredibly disappointed that education in New Hampshire has pretty much thrown the arts out the door. It hurts me to my core that kids no longer read Shakespeare, that they no longer debate shows like Our Town and 12 Angry Men. Those are great pieces of art that should be done … and loved by our kids, but there’s just less and less of it. Online education is completely going to kill it. There aren’t going to be kids playing in an orchestra or performing on stage, and I think [that has] long-term consequences in New Hampshire. It’s almost impossible to [produce] a Shakespeare show now. No one comes. No one will buy a ticket. It’s not depressing, but it’s concerning. It could change around again, but there would have to be a lot of work done about that.
What do you think the arts scene will be like 20 years from now, and what challenges will it face?
I think the nine historic landmark theaters, [including] The Music Hall, the Palace, the Capitol Center for the Arts, will still be here. They may be different, but they’ll still be here. … I think unfortunately, there are probably going to be fewer arts organizations at a local level, just because they’re so hard to run and finance. … I think theater will still be alive … especially summer theaters … if they come out of the pandemic alive. … Classical music I pray will be alive, but I wonder whether it can survive. Opera is probably going to be gone. It’s very expensive to [produce] live opera, and it’s going to be hard to keep it alive. … But I’m optimistic, because one thing we have in New Hampshire is loads and loads of people who love the arts, and I think that will continue to grow.
Aside from the Palace, what’s your favorite local spot to enjoy the arts?
Red River Theatres up in Concord is wonderful. … I love the Bookery … and the Capitol Center for the Arts … and the Currier. I go [to the Currier] once a month and spend a couple of hours there walking around, and I always end up smiling.
Joe Gleason
Joe Gleason. Courtesy photo.
Throughout the 1980s, Joe Gleason did freelance technical and stage work and lighting design for local theaters like the Palace Theatre and the Dana Center in Manchester and the Capitol Theatre in Concord, which would later become the Capitol Center for the Arts. He then served as the director of production and facilities at the Capitol Center from 1995 to 1997. After he left, he remained a member of the theater and, about 10 years ago, became a board trustee. In 2016 he accepted his current position as the Capitol Center’s assistant executive director.
How would you describe the local arts scene 20 years ago?
Not as strong as it is now, but it was there. … I’d say it was still growing. … In Concord in particular, the Capitol Center, Concord Community Music School and the Concord City Auditorium, where the Community Players of Concord [performed], were sort of the big three for the presenting arts. Beyond that, there wasn’t a whole lot. … It took a little while before Main Street really came to life … [with the] Main Street Renovation Project in 2016, which basically reworked all of Main Street and changed the flow of traffic in a way that made a lot of things in downtown seem more accessible and exciting to the public. … It felt like there were more opportunities for outdoor performances after that, as well. … Then, when the Capitol Center opened its second venue, the Bank of New Hampshire Stage, in 2019, that really brought some additional energy into downtown … and that’s really become a hub of activities, particularly for a younger demographic.
What do you think the most significant changes have been over the last 20 years, pre-pandemic?
What I’ve seen in the theater world in New Hampshire is a real willingness of small companies and small groups to get together and generate productions. … I’ve seen actors banding together to form production companies of their own and find places to perform. … You have people like Andrew Pinard, who started the Hatbox Theatre about five years ago by converting an old retail outlet at the Steeplegate Mall [in Concord] into a small black box theater. That just shows the creativity that we’ve got in the state to … provide even more opportunities for local performers and musicians to thrive.
How did the Capitol Center for the Arts impact the local arts scene?
The longstanding presence of the Capitol Center for the Arts has been an anchor of the arts. … It’s been one of the largest venues in New Hampshire and tended to bring the best national entertainment and touring productions into the state because it has more seats than the Palace or the Dana Center or The Colonial [in Keene] or The Music Hall. … We’ve had some off years, as most venues do, but generally, we’ve been an organization that moves forward. … In the last five years we’ve had tremendous growth in the number of productions we mount each year and the quality of the entertainment that we bring in.
What has surprised you about the way the state’s arts scene has developed?
The amount of variety of art that we have, for being such a small state. … That’s become more visible, I think, over the years, with a lot of artists being featured on Chronicle and on the news and in print. … I think the very supportive nature of communities in New Hampshire has allowed the arts to thrive. In an age where you can get all your entertainment through the phone in your hand, people still have a great desire to see performances in person and share a live experience.
What do you think the arts scene will be like 20 years from now, and what challenges will it face?
I wish I had a crystal ball. … I will say that if you look back in history at the Roaring Twenties after the 1918 pandemic, there was a great pent-up demand [for live entertainment] after living under restrictions like we are today. … There is a hunger and a need to socialize with fellow human beings, and gathering in the theater and sharing entertainment is one of those things that’s not easily replicated in other ways. … So I do expect that [the arts] will come back, but we just don’t know exactly when. … I do think that livestreaming and other things that we have been doing during the pandemic are probably here to stay. That’s a great thing, because it gives additional opportunities for people who may not be able to afford a ticket or get to the venue. … I’m not sure there will be any major arenas or theaters built in the next 20 years — they’re all very expensive propositions — but you never know.
Aside from the Capitol Center, what’s your favorite local spot to enjoy the arts?
I absolutely love going up to the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield for summer stock theater. The Stockbridge Theatre in Derry is also good because it gets such a variety of entertainment.
More turkeys, or just more people noticing turkeys?
The New Hampshire Fish & Game Department recently released the results of its 2020 Winter Flock Survey, which showed that there were 2,309 reported flocks totaling 40,476 turkeys statewide. According to a news release on the department’s website, this was a significant increase over the 486 flocks totaling 9,833 turkeys reported in 2019. In 2018 there were 1,372 flock observations totaling 20,224 turkeys. “The increase in observations during the 2020 winter survey may be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic,” New Hampshire Fish and Game Turkey Biologist Allison Keating said in the news release. “With many people spending more time at home last winter there was an increase in backyard bird feeding as well as bird watching, which may have contributed to the uptick in reports.”
Score: +1 (because yay for being closer to nature!)
Comment:New Hampshire Fish & Game is asking the public to participate in the 2021 Winter Turkey Flock Survey at wildnh.com/surveys/turkey.html. The survey started Jan. 1 and runs through March 31.
Good and not-so-good pre-Covid health stats
The United Health Foundation’s 2020 annual report, which examines 74 measures of health in each state, says that New Hampshire has improved its availability of mental health services, but it has also seen more premature deaths in recent years. According to a press release, America’s Health Rankings, which was created in partnership with the American Public Health Association, highlights some of each state’s health strengths and weaknesses, pre-Covid. In New Hampshire, two of the strengths that were highlighted were an increase in the number of active mental health providers, which went up 21 percent since 2016, and an increase in the percentage of residents who get enough exercise, which went from 21.4 percent of adults to 26.4 percent between 2017 and 2019. Some of the state’s challenges, according to the release, are income inequality (the disparity between the highest and lowest income-earners has increased 10 percent since 2007), and premature death (recorded as deaths before the age of 75), which increased 22 percent between 2012 and 2018.
Score: 0
Comment:Other positive highlights for New Hampshire include a low teen birth rate and a low prevalence of household food insecurity, while other challenges include a high percentage of housing with lead risk and a low percentage of fluoridated water, according to the report.
Saving New Hampshire’s history
The New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, which supports the protection and revitalization of historic buildings and places, recently announced some of its stats from 2020 to highlight the work it has done throughout the year. According to a press release, the Preservation Alliance presented more than 30 public programs via Zoom, worked on more than 120 projects in more than 100 communities in the state and spent hundreds of hours coaching property owners and civic leaders by phone. Its Seven to Save program has “an impressive” 50-percent success rate, and it invested grant funding in more than 50 community landmarks. The barn tax incentive, which the Alliance helped develop to save old barns, is now used in 100 communities, where tax relief is provided to owners of historic agricultural structures.
Score: +1
Comment: It’s hard to look back on 2020 and see the positives, so QOL applauds the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance for recognizing that even during a challenging year lots of good people still made lots of good things happen for the long-term betterment of the Granite State.
QOL score: 50
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 52
With the new year, the QOL Index resets to 50.
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Dear Dave: What are your biggest takeaways from NFL playoffs Week 1?Fred D. Mercury, Morristown, Florida
Dear Fred D: The reminder that being hot at the right time is more important than having the best record. The Steelers had the ’72 Dolphins nervous by flirting with an undefeated season into late November. But they suddenly somehow lost five of their last six to get badly run out on Sunday by Cleveland 48-37.
Dear Dave: How much do you think the Patriots will be harmed by Bill Belichick’s right-hand man in the personnel department, Nick Caserio, leaving to become the GM of the Texans? Randolph Scott, Peoli, Georgia.
Dear Randy: Can I call you Randy over the more stuffy Randolph? Don’t mean to pick on Saint Nick, but not much. Have you seen the Patriots’ drafts through most of the last decade? Now Bill may have been pulling the strings for all the ridiculous moves around the board on draft day, but to say the least the last five have not been very helpful. And even with some useful recent picks like Damien Harris and punter Jake Bailey in 2019, they’ve gotten no dominant players, partly because they’d had a number of big misses in high rounds like N’Keal Harry (1), Dominique Easley (1), Duke Dawson (2), Derek Rivers (3) and Cyrus Jones (2), where those players type generally come from. And even though he wasn’t a miss per se, perhaps most galling of all was using a 2017 No. 1 pick on the wrong roommate when they took oft-injured Sony Michel over Cleveland’s Nick Chubb five spots later, where he’s become one of the best and most durable runners in the NFL. So it’s the same thing I said when people were fretting over Matt Patricia leaving in 2017 as defensive coordinator: Thanks for the memories, but he’s not as good as you think and it’s time for new blood in the personnel department.
Dear Dave: The rumor mill says Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston. If so, what are the chances of the Patriots trading for him?Art Thom, Bradyville, Florida.
Dear Art: Washington gave up three first-round picks and a second for RG III in 2013 because they hoped he’d turn out as good as Watson actually has. So with that uncertainty eliminated any trade starts with the RG III price. I have a hard time seeing Bill giving up that much. However, if Watson’s his QB in 2020, he knows they probably beat Denver, Buffalo the first time and Houston (since he killed them in that one) and maybe Miami the second time. Possibly even KC, as that was a close, winnable game until they were undone by terrible QB mistakes. So if he’s the difference between seven wins and 11 or even 12 in 2020, he’s probably worth all those picks. Especially if you have a lot of money to spend in free agency to get him some weapons. Though his $40 million per cuts into their free agent cash. Unfortunately, Miami for one can offer more immediate help via their own top two picks, having Houston’s top two 2020 picks from a previous trade, to go along with any of their three 2019 first-round picks, including a young QB in Tua Tagovailoa to build around. So while I’d do it, they’ll get outbid.
Dear Dave: I saw Celtics rookie Payton Pritchard play out here while in college and I’m curious what your thoughts are about him. Alex P. Keyton, Pointgard, Oregon.
Dear Alex P: While I’m not reserving Payton’s place in the Hall just yet, I do like his court awareness, hustle and ways he can score – on the break, from deep and off penetration. But what coaches want most is night in and night out consistency. But if he’s consistently still doing all that 50 games in, with Payton manning the second unit, it will be better than expected.
Dear Dave: I’m very worried about the Red Sox. So, to paraphrase Vince Lombardi, what the heck is going on down there?Theo Hiumm, Bloom Is Off The Rose, Texas.
Dear Theo: Well, given the various bargain-hunting, hope-to-catch-lightning-in-a-bottle and stat-geek-directed non-moves from the first-time GM the sickening feeling it’s going to be a five year re-build is starting to creep in. So, since you like paraphrasing, I’ll do one from Bill Clinton: I feel your pain.
Dear Dave: How about the way Tacko Fall played on Friday vs. Washington in his first real NBA minutes? Manderin Maknewt, Bol, Connecticut.
Dear Manderin: I love Tacko’s story and thought from the beginning he could be a 15-minute guy you stick in a zone to take away shots around the rim. I said that after watching him run and from when Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett get anything inside eight feet in the NCAA Tournament. So I knew he was athletic enough and, getting a computer science degree in three years while navigating a second language, smart. What he needs is playing time, which given the logjam of bigs ahead of him will be tough.
By the way, do you pronounce the K, as in Ka-Nute Rockne, or is it silent? I’m going to go with silent K, as in Ma-Noot, until I hear differently.
Dear Dave: What do you make of Bill Belichick being awarded the medal of freedom on Thursday? Robert Abraham, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Dear Bob: Well, since Coach B was friends with Mr. Trump before he became president I understand him wanting to receive that great honor from him. But the timing is bad. I mean, enough people don’t like him already. If this were a month ago, go for it. But after what happened last Wednesday at the Capitol, it will likely come off as a well-earned but sadly tainted tribute.
Lisa Gardner of Jackson, known for her bestselling Detective D.D. Warren, FBI Profiler and Tessa Leoni thriller series, releases her newest, Before She Disappeared, on Jan. 19. It’s her first standalone novel since 2004. Gardner talked about the story and the inspiration behind it.
What is Before She Disappeared about?
It’s based on a new character, Frankie Elkin. She’s a recovering alcoholic, short on belongings and long on regret. She now travels from town to town trying to help [missing] people who are forgotten. In this case, she comes to Mattapan, Boston, where a 15-year-old Haitian girl went missing almost a year ago. She disappeared in the middle of the day without a trace. The police have no leads, and it’s not the kind of case that earns any media attention, but it’s exactly the kind of case that [fits with] Frankie’s mission. She is there to make a difference, no matter what the cost.
What was your inspiration for this story and character?
Most of my books have been ripped from the headlines, so to speak. For Before She Disappeared, I had read an article in the BBC on a real-life woman, Lissa Yellowbird-Chase. She had no police background, no specialty. She’s just an everyday person who had grown increasingly frustrated by the number of women who were going missing on tribal lands and, in many cases, not looked for at all. … She decided to do something about it and got involved in finding one of the women. It’s now become her life work. She’s an ordinary person doing the extraordinary, and I was captivated by that [and the idea] that any of us could make a difference. … Then I found out that there are entire online forums that are populated by amateur sleuths, drone operators, people who are willing to donate their canines to help search for missing people … and I thought, what might [a person doing that] look like? A woman who gives up all of her belongings, has no stable relationships or job, no white picket fence? I loved that in creating Frankie Elkin. She’s leading an anti-life. She has none of the trappings that most of us would say are earmarks of success and yet … she has found herself.
Is the theme of forgotten and uninvestigated missing people something you intended to address in Before She Disappeared?
Absolutely. After reading about Lissa Yellowbird-Chase, I did more research and … became aware of such things as the Black and Missing Foundation, which has a website with hundreds and hundreds of cold cases of missing Black children, men and women. Most of these cases, we’ve never heard about. … It’s a really sad nationwide trend that, often because of socioeconomics or your skin color or where you live, you can really fall through the cracks.
This is your first standalone novel in 17 years. What made you decide to take a break from your series?
I loved this notion of writing about an everyday person trying to make a difference. All of my previous novels are about an FBI agent, a police officer, etc. … but Frankie is like you or me, so it’s [easier] to try to be in her shoes. If you showed up in Mattapan, Boston, and wanted to find a missing person, what would you do? What questions would you ask? How would you go about it? It’s fun for the reader because for once the [protagonist] has the same [lack] of training, so if Frankie can figure it out, so can you.
Do you have any plans to continue Frankie’s story?
Yes, at least one more [book]. I really ended up loving Frankie, and I think she is now one of my most compelling characters. … Detective D.D. [the protagonist of Gardner’s D.D. Warren Series] is aggressive and has the right as a police officer to bully people into answering questions. That’s not Frankie. Frankie is very vulnerable and has to use that vulnerability as her strength. She gets people to talk to her simply by making them want to share their stories. I’ve just found that intriguing and powerful. So I’ve happened to come up with yet another book. … It involves Frankie and has to do with a number of people who are still missing on national public lands. … I’m writing it now and hopefully [will have it published] by this time next year.
What has it been like, releasing a book during a pandemic?
It’s very different. I’ve worked on this book for an entire year, and I don’t want to just release it out into the wild, so to speak; I want to connect with my readers, answer their questions and hear what they have to say. … But, like all things pandemic-related, we’re learning as we go and finding different ways to connect. Zoom is great. It means a great deal to still be able to connect with some of my readers virtually.
Lisa Gardner presents Before She Disappeared Gardner kicks off her virtual book tour with a livestream book launch on Monday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m., hosted by White Birch Books in North Conway and 93.5 WMWV with Roy Prescott. The tour continues through Feb. 4 with virtual events hosted by bookstores throughout the country. For more information, visit lisagardner.com.
