Tag: 220519

Setting the stage

Peacock Players welcomes new director

Meet Elle Millar, the new executive director of Nashua-based youth theater company Peacock Players.

What is your background in this kind of work?

I’m currently a middle school teacher in Nashua, and I’m also the drama club director there, so I already have a connection with a lot of the young people … in Nashua. I’m also a performer and have performed with … different companies in southern New Hampshire. As a kid, I [performed with] Andy’s Summer Playhouse.

What will your job as executive director entail?

The big things that I’m figuring out right now are what productions we’re going to be putting on next year, and identifying the people who will be doing the music, directing and choreographing. It’s a lot of organizing and planning and figuring out the logistics of how to make everything happen.

What do you hope to accomplish?

I have big plans to expand our programming over the next calendar year. … The board and I have talked a lot about expanding [theater] beyond the stage to bring it to the kids in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools in Nashua. We’re also working on some programming for preschool and early elementary school kids, and some adult arts education opportunities, as well. … We’re working on bringing some fresh theater to Nashua, ‘fresh’ meaning [shows that are] less-done, but still beloved.

What do you expect to be some of the biggest challenges?

With the isolation of the pandemic and the stress of being out of school and out of their routine, kids are really struggling with how to communicate with each other in healthy ways. There’s a lot more arguing and a lot more drama. … We’ve been talking about how we can help our kids put themselves into other people’s shoes and understand healthy, positive ways to interact with each other, resolve conflicts and broach difficult topics with their friends. We’re looking at some different sorts of social-emotional learning and relationship-building and empathy-building exercises [using theater] that we could potentially bring into the schools. … I’m certainly not an expert in the field, but I plan on doing an immense amount of research over the summer and reaching out to experts who have done this kind of work before.

What unique qualities or perspectives do you bring to this position?

I’m the first woman to have this role; I’m, I believe, the first openly queer person to have this role; and I’m also, I believe, the first certified teacher. It’s these personal and professional experiences that allow me to bring in an entirely different perspective. … My goal is to make Peacock Players feel like Peacock Players, but also bring my own perspective and experiences and education with me so that we’re building something new while honoring what has always been.

What are you looking forward to most?

Theater is a learning experience for everyone involved; whether you’re the director or the stage manager or a performer, you are learning. You’re learning about how to work with others; about their strengths and where they need support; about how to create a piece of art together; about how to take direction and how to give direction; about how to be a leader and how to be a follower in appropriate ways. That type of learning is just so incredibly valuable. I’m really excited to take … my experiences as a teacher in the classroom and facilitate a totally different type of learning.

Featured photo: Elle Millar.

News & Notes 22/05/19

Covid-19 update As of May 9As of May 13
Total cases statewide 314,533 316,691
Total current infections statewide 3,902 4,527
Total deaths statewide 2,488 2,500
New cases 3,389 (May 3 to May 9) 2,158 (May 9 to May 13)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 1,148 1,243
Current infections: Merrimack County 364 417
Current infections: Rockingham County 817 1,058
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 585 new positive cases of Covid-19 on May 13. The state averaged 524 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an 8 percent increase compared to the week before. As of May 13 there were 31 people being treated for Covid in state hospitals.

Child care

The Department of Health and Human Services will use an additional $29 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support child care providers, families and businesses impacted by the pandemic, making the total amount of funding that has been invested in the state’s child care sector more than $142 million since the beginning of the pandemic. According to a press release, plans for improving child care in the state include strengthening the child care workforce; partnerships with businesses and employers; a child care capacity building; and equitable access to affordable, quality child care. “Access to quality child care has been a critical touchpoint during the Covid-19 pandemic,” DHHS Associate Commissioner Christine Santaniello said in the release. “Since March of 2020, we have worked … to keep child care centers open so that parents can continue to work and maintain their families’ financial stability. Making continued investments will help us build a better child care system, allowing more families to afford quality care, and ensuring equitable access to child care for all New Hampshire families.”

Primary deadlines

The deadline to change your party affiliation before the New Hampshire state primary election is May 31, according to a press release from New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan. Voters who want to change their party affiliation can do so by contacting their local town or city clerk, or at any scheduled meeting of their local supervisors of the checklist. Voters can check their status on the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Lookup page at app.sos.nh.gov if they’re unsure of their party affiliation. Voters who have not declared a party affiliation may vote in the state primary, which will take place Sept. 13, but they must choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot on the day of the election and will remain a registered member of that party unless they submit a signed request to the supervisors of the checklist to return to an undeclared status before leaving the polling place, the release said.

Scanlan also issued a reminder that the filing period for candidacy for the state primary election and general election is June 1 to June 10. Those who want to file for office but aren’t registered voters in their town must register no later than May 31, and registered voters who want to file for nomination must be registered as a member of that party, the release said. For more information on the filing period, candidacy fees and qualifications for office, visit sos.nh.gov.

Apprentices & LNAs

ApprenticeshipNH, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Catholic Medical Center and Elliot Health System have collaborated to launch a registered apprenticeship program designed to cultivate talent in nursing, tech and support roles at The Elliot and CMC. According to a press release, the “earn while you learn” approach will give participants a chance to engage in classroom learning and on-the-job training while being in a paid position. “I can’t recall a point in my career when it has been this challenging to fill these positions,” Karen Schoch, Director of Organizational Development at Catholic Medical Center, said in the release. “A program like this not only helps us place people in critically important positions, it also removes barriers for people who want to pursue a health care career.” A Healthcare Career Fair at Manchester Community College will be held Thursday, May 19, from 1 to 6 p.m., and anyone interested in entering the health care workforce through a paid registered apprenticeship program is encouraged to attend.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Needs Caregivers! initiative has launched Healthcare Heroes in the Making, which will recruit, train and place high school students across the state as licensed nursing assistants to fill critical in-demand positions. According to a press release, the program pays for training and licensing costs and requires 110 hours of time and is open to high schools across the state; so far, 16 schools and 72 students have been approved to participate.

Earlier this month, John Askew of Derry won the 2022 9-Ball Shootout Pool Championship — and a cash and prize package worth $10,000 — in Las Vegas. According to a press release, Askew was one of nearly 6,000 pool players in the country who attempted to qualify for the American Poolplayers Association’s 9-Ball Shootout and one of 518 who advanced to the national finals. Askew is a member of the local APA League, the release said.

The Goodwill store on John E. Devine Drive in Manchester celebrated its grand re-opening on May 14. According to a press release, the store has been renovated to include smoother checkout lanes, a Handpicked Boutique where shoppers can find quality merchandise and more items for sale. The nonprofit’s revenues go toward its mission to support those in need.

The new school superintendent who was selected by the Nashua Board of Education is not able to be certified in New Hampshire as was expected, and he will not be able to serve the district, according to a press release. Stephen Linkous is certified as a school superintendent in Kansas, and it was assumed that there is reciprocity between Kansas and New Hampshire, the release said, but there is not, and Linkous can’t be certified in New Hampshire. Linkous had already started transitioning to the role, and the Board of Education voiced its appreciation for his efforts.

Reflections on a gentleman

With age come certain changes, one of which is that I find myself attending more memorial services than weddings these days. This week, it was to attend virtually the Celebration of Life for the actor Emilio Delgado. While all services for the departed carry the deep sorrow of loss, they also offer those so gathered an opportunity to reflect on their experiences of having been part of the late person’s life. The collective remembrances of those times not only console; they also inspire those of us who remain behind to assess our own place in the world.

As did so many others, and as a parent, I first came to know Emilio as Luis, the Fix-it Shop owner on the children’s television series Sesame Street. (He played the same role on U.S. television longer than any other Mexican-American actor.) My wife and I were sparing in the time we allotted our two children to watch TV and so Sesame Street became a special fixture in their early lives and the program inspired their love of Spanish. Many have extolled the early childhood education philosophy that informed the creativity of the program and noted its appeal to not only children but their parents as well. For our family, however, the character Luis was a standout for his gentleness, self-deprecating humor and optimism.

Many years later, when we lived in Ashland, Oregon, our family became friends with Emilio, his wife, Carole, and their daughter Lauren. For several years, it was our good fortune to encounter this wonderful person in real life as well as on the TV. There simply was no difference between the lovable character in the series and the man in our living room or at the supermarket. His kindness was contagious, his optimism uplifting, and his generosity exemplary. On those occasions when we were with him and a stranger who recognized him approached, we saw not only the genuine affection the person had for him but his for one of his admirers. It was never ego-driven, but a true encounter of mutual respect.

As the many speakers at Emilio’s memorial service shared their recollections, the rest of us learned even more of his insatiable curiosity, his love of books and learning, his musical accomplishments, and his deep and long-standing commitment to social justice. On that latter point, one friend cited Cornel West, who wrote, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” His life of activism was exemplary of that value.

Through his life and the character of Luis, Emilio Delgado brought the best to children and adults alike. His passing challenges those who remain behind to carry on those values.

You can contact Steve Reno at stepreno@gmail.com.

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