Tag: 220811

On The Job – Jennifer Eby-McDonough

Twirling studio owner and coach

Jennifer Eby-McDonough is the owner of Elevation Twirling, a baton twirling studio in Nashua.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I’m in charge of making the schedule for classes, collecting tuition, maintaining the website and social media sites, creating the curriculum that our classes follow, as well as hiring and training staff members. I’m also in charge of all outreach to the community, as well as community events, picking out the music used for events and competitions, as well as costuming for each class.

How long have you had this job?

Elevation Twirling opened this summer …but I’ve been involved in twirling for over 30 years as a twirler, coach and judge. Before opening the studio, I’ve previously coached athletes at different studios in both team and individual events.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

During my twirling career I competed throughout the Northeast and at nationals held at Notre Dame University in Indiana. After retiring from competitive twirling, I quickly became a certified judge through the National Baton Twirling Association, and when an opportunity came up to coach at a local studio in the area, I quickly jumped on it.

What kind of education or training did you need?

There is no formal training to be a baton twirling coach, but you need to have a good background in twirling, and most coaches have made it to the advanced level within the competition world of twirling. You should also have knowledge in dance and or gymnastics.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I get to wear very comfy clothes. In the summer, I often wear athletic shorts and a tank top. In the winter I’ll wear yoga pants and a T-shirt, as well as sneakers. Closed-toed shoes are key as you don’t want a baton to hit your exposed toes. It will hurt; trust me.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

Seeing as I just opened the studio I didn’t really have to deal with the pandemic and restrictions. Though, during the pandemic, I did judge a lot of online competitions. These were very different as they were either over Zoom on a certain day or we were given pre-recorded videos and would judge them within a certain time frame. These online competitions were great as they allowed … for twirlers all over the country to compete against each other while, before, they would probably not as contests are usually local and not all of them draw twirlers from different parts of the country. … The downside was not seeing the twirlers in person. This was something I really missed — the human interaction at contests, as well as the overall energy of being at a contest. You just can’t get that over Zoom.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

Whether you win or lose, the most important thing is the lessons you learn from each other.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

Twirling is more than tossing around a metal stick. It takes a lot of practice, dedication, blood, sweat and tears. What some people make seem easy is actually very tough, but the reason it looks so easy is all the countless hours they’ve put in to learn the trick or routine.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at the local YMCA as an after-school teacher.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Win or lose, the lessons you teach your students will [stay] with them for the rest of their lives.

Five favorites

Favorite book: I read a lot of young adult books as I’m also a high school English teacher and am always looking for new books for my students to read.
Favorite movie: The Harry Potter series.
Favorite music: I like a variety of music and will often just listen to what’s on the radio or what others are listening to.
Favorite food: Ice cream
Favorite thing about NH: Within an hour, you can get to either the beach or the mountains and lakes, and I love both.

Featured photo: Jennifer Eby-McDonough. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 22/08/11

Family fun for the weekend

Curtain up

A tale as old as time is coming to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Beauty and the Beast will take place on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; and Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m., as part of the Palace’s annual Children’s Summer Series. Follow the story of Belle, a girl from a small town in provincial France, as she learns to live in an enchanted palace and slowly falls in love with the cursed prince who resides there. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.

This is the last week to be a part of Ariel’s world with the Peacock Players’ (14 Court St., Nashua) performance of The Little Mermaid Jr. Follow Ariel as she dreams to walk among human beings and meet her true love on the surface. The final dates and times for the shows are Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 13, and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $18 for adults and from $12 to $15 for kids ages 12 and younger. Visit peacockplayers.org.

The Peterborough Players are bringing the fable The Emperor’s New Clothes to life at their new outdoor space, the Elsewhere Stage, on the grounds of the Players (55 Hadley St., Peterborough).

Performances will run Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, with all shows starting at 10:30 a.m. The show follows a haughty, rich emperor who hires two tricksters to weave him new cloth from rare material. The show is performed by the Players Second Company, which features young professionals and is geared toward a younger audience. Tickets are $15 each for adults and $10 each for children, and are available online or at the door. Visit peterboroughplayers.org.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) we go for a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The show is part of the Palace’s annual Children’s Summer Series. It follows Snow White, the fairest girl in the kingdom, as she tries to escape her jealous stepmother, the evil queen. The show will run Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and on Friday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.

Party time!

Celebrate the end of summer reading at the Hollis Social Library (2 Monument Square) with its annual Summer Reading Wrap Party on Friday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m. The library will be hosting games at the Lawrence Barn Community Center, and the town’s fire department will come by for an ice cream surprise. Kids of all ages are invited. Admission is free, but registration is required. Register at hollislibrary.org.

A student’s airplane will take to the skies during PlaneFest! at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival will celebrate all things that fly, including a demonstration of “Aviation Toys We Can’t Sell You.” There will also be family fun games and activities, aircraft displays, and the Young Eagles program. The event is free to attend. Visit nhahs.org.

There will be more than just a fun beach day at the 15th annual Hampton Beach Children’s Festival, which runs from Monday, Aug. 15, through Friday, Aug. 19. Festivities will include magic shows, a costume parade, dancing, storytellers, balloons, ice cream and more. See the Aug. 11 issue of our sister publication, the Seacoast Scene, for a full list of festival events and attractions. Visit issuu.com/seacoastscene to access the e-edition for free.

Movie madness

Get your adventure hats on for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (PG-13, 1981), the next “Pics in the Park” screening at Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) on Friday, Aug. 12, at dusk. The movie follows Indiana Jones, an American archaeologist from 1937, as he goes on a quest to find the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can steal it for themselves. The movie is free to attend. Visit nashuanh.gov/546/SummerFun.

Grab your donkey for Shrek(PG, 2001) on Saturday, Aug. 12, at noon. As part of the Manchester International Film Festival, the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St., Manchester) will be hosting a screening of the cult classic kids’ movie. The movie follows the ogre Shrek, who is hired by Lord Farquaad to rescue the beautiful princess Fiona from the tower she was locked in as a little girl. Visit palacetheatre.org to purchase tickets.

Summer fun

Learn all about the stars, planets and other astral bodies at the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department’s Uncharted Tutoring Space Art Program. Kids will use homemade rockets, paper lanterns and other art projects to learn and explore outer space. The program runs Monday, Aug. 15, through Friday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to noon each day. The program costs $100. Register online at manchesternh.recdesk.com/Community/Program.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats will have all kinds of family-friendly activities at their home games at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) from Thursday, Aug. 11 through Sunday, Aug. 14. Fireworks, puzzles, and a University of New Hampshire Soccer Night are among this week’s promotions and games. Tickets range in price from $9 to $17 and can be purchased at nhfishercats.com.

Treasure Hunt 22/08/11

Dear Donna,

We just purchased a new old home. In the shed was this bicycle. I can remember having one in the younger days. So I know it’s old! Is there any market for them now? Any information would be appreciated on what to do with it.

Carla

Dear Carla,

I had one of those Stingray bikes as well when I was young.

Bicycles are not really a category I’m that familiar with. I do know, though, that some are very collectible. I think I would start by getting all the information — maker, year and a photo. Then I would do research and/or bring it to a bike shop. A bike shop might have a customer base for old bikes as well. Doing research also might get you right into the hands of a Stingray collector. I would say the value is at least $50+.

So pursuing further seems like it could be worth it for you. I wish I could help more but, as I said, bicycles are in a specific field.

I hope you find it a new home and it becomes a treasure for you. I will do more research as well. I will get back to you with anything I find.

Have happy houseplants in summer

Don’t sunburn your fig leaves, and other advice

Just like kids on school vacation, your houseplants may want to go outside to play. And like your kids, don’t put them out in full sun all day without sunscreen. Well, there is no SPF 30 for houseplants, so you will have to make other accommodations.

If you haven’t brought out your houseplants, you may want to consider it now. Plants have widely differing needs for light, and many houseplants are popular because they can sit on a table in the living room without any direct light. These will do best on a covered porch for the summer, not on a sunny deck.

But even plants that thrive outdoors in full sun need to be introduced to the outdoors slowly. I have a potted fig tree that I bring into the house each winter. It drops its leaves and takes a snooze, so I keep it in a cold basement, which it seems to like. I water it once a month during the winter as the low humidity indoors would desiccate its roots if I didn’t give it a little water. Then in March I bring the fig upstairs into a cool, bright room. Soon its buds swell, and it produces leaves.

When all danger of frost is past, I bring our fig outside and put it on the deck we have on the north side of the house that just gets morning sun. After a couple of weeks of morning sun, I bring it down to the lower deck, which gets more sun, and it generally rewards me with a few tasty figs before frost. This year I put it into afternoon sun too early, and the leaves showed signs of sunburn. They yellowed, and a few got brown edges. It will recover, but it just reminds me how sensitive leaves are to strong sun. It may punish me with no figs this year.

If you are interested in growing figs, you should get a copy of Lee Reich’s book Growing Figs in Cold Climates. It covers cultivar selection, over-wintering and pruning techniques, even how to tell when your figs are ripe. It’s in paperback and is fully illustrated with nice photos. Lee lives in upper New York State and was an Associated Press garden writer until he recently retired. Check out his website and blog at www.leereich.com.

My potted banana tree has been outdoors on my north-facing deck for several weeks, and I keep edging it further out into the sun from time to time. It is a tropical plant and can take lots of sun, but once again, I am careful not to shock it with too much sun too early on. Unlike my fig tree, I bought it knowing that the banana is never going to produce fruit. But I love its big, wide leaves and that it brings up memories of my time in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer.

If you have your houseplants outdoors, be sure that they are not getting over-watered by Mother Nature. When we got an inch and a half of rain I went around to look at my houseplants that are sitting in saucers and drained off excess water. Water in a saucer will get soaked up into a pot by capillary action or even greedy roots that sneak out through holes in the bottom of a pot. Most houseplants don’t need as much water as garden plants, and continually wet roots tend to rot.

What about insects getting on your houseplants if you let them outdoors? Yes, you probably will get some aphids on them. But other insects like ladybugs will probably keep them in check all summer. You will need to give your plants a brisk shower with the hose at the end of the summer to wash off any remaining aphids and/or their eggs. Or you can spray them with a dilute soap solution that will kill the aphids. Things like “Safer” brand insect killing soap are safe and approved for organic gardeners. It dissolves the fats in their outer shell, and they dehydrate and die.

Scale insects are another pest your houseplants may encounter while enjoying their life outside, though you can get them inside, too. Scale insects are a group of some 8,000 species of insects that suck sap from your plants, and may excrete honeydew that attracts a black mold that you might notice first.

Most scale insects are small, under a quarter of an inch in size, and have a wax mono-shell that covers them as they suck the plant’s juices. The shell can be one of many different colors. But if you see them early on, you can get rid of them easily by wiping them with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. I have only gotten them once.

Can you take your houseplants out of their pots and put them in the ground? You bet. But if you do, they will get bigger during the summer, and may not fit into their pots, come fall, or not so easily. But if you don’t mind potting up plants, and want your geraniums, for example, to really thrive, plant a few in the ground. Real soil and sun? It’s what houseplants dream of.

Featured photo: This fig leaf got sunburned and will never recover. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

The Art Roundup 22/08/11

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

• Last call for Footloose: It’s the final weekend to catch Footloose, this summer’s Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth; prescottpark.org, 436-2848) outdoor musical. The show runs in Prescott Park on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m. See the website for information on general admissions (by donation) and reserving a blanket or a table.

• Last call for Samuel Lancaster Gerry’s exhibit: The exhibit “A Faithful Student of Nature: The Life and Art of Samuel L. Gerry,” featuring 38 paintings by the 19th-century artist (who depicted the White Mountains and the Old Man of the Mountain), will be on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society (30 Park St., Concord; 228-6688, nhhistory.org) through Saturday, Aug. 13, according to the website. The Historical Society is open Thursdays through Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• August art: Yasamin Safarzad is the artist behind the August Art on the Wall at City Hall exhibit, according to a Manchester Arts Commission Facebook post. The art hangs at City Hall (1 City Hall Plaza, near Elm Street, in downtown Manchester) which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A post about the exhibit on Safarzad’s website shows some of the pieces on display, including paintings and a yarn-based piece.

Create artist trading cards
Members of the public can drop in on Saturday, Aug. 13, from noon to 3 p.m., to create artist trading cards for the residents at the Merrimack County Nursing Home at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Trading cards are mini works of art the size of a baseball trading card. The gallery is hosting the New Hampshire Women’s Caucus for Art’s “Just North of Concord” art group for this event. The artists will have all the supplies you need to create the cards. Four stations will be set up and attendees can rotate to make cards using different art techniques. Artists will be on hand for guidance and inspiration. Guests can learn a new technique and create fun pieces of tiny art for a nursing home resident to choose and display in their room. The event is free and suitable for all ages. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• Opening night for Out There: The young performers of Andy’s Summer Playhouse (582 Isaac Frye Hwy., Wilton; 654-2613, andyssummerplayhouse.org) will present Out There, this season’s musical, described as “a new musical about aliens, astrophysics, theater and imaginary friends, asking questions of identity as community and as self,” according to the website. The curtain goes up Thursday, Aug. 11, at 7:30 p.m. The show also runs Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. as well as next weekend (Thursday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m.). Tickets cost $10.60.

• Also at Andy’s: Andy’s Summer Playhouse (582 Isaac Frye Hwy., Wilton; 654-2613, andyssummerplayhouse.org) and Toadstool Bookshop will present an event with Tom Moore, one of the authors of the bookGrease, Tell Me More, Tell Me More: Stories from the Broadway Phenomenon That Started It All on Friday, Aug. 19, at 5 p.m. at Andy’s Summer Playhouse. Moore directed the original Broadway production, eight national tours and two London West End productions of Grease, according to a press release. The book is “a collection of memories and stories from over 100 actors and musicians, including the creative team and crew who were part of the original Broadway production and in the many touring companies it spawned.” See andyssummerplayhouse.org/grease to RSVP to the event.

• Hopkinton art show: Two Villages Art Society presents the work of three Rotary Club members in an exhibit titled “Pixels, Wood, Clay,” on display Friday, Aug. 12, through Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Bates Building (846 Main St. in the Hopkinton village of Contoocook). Hopkinton photographer Tony Gilmore captures nuanced images of nature and man-made objects, taken in his extensive travels with nonprofits. Wood turner Rick Manganello of Hudson creates wooden bowls and other objects. Caren Helm, owner of Pizzazz Pottery in Vermont, creates functional and sculptural hand-built and wheel-thrown stoneware.“Pixels, Wood, Clay” is open to the public free of charge Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There will be an opening reception with the artists Saturday, Aug. 13, from noon to 2 p.m. Hopkinton musician Brad Myrick will provide music at the reception. For more information, including artist bios, visit twovillagesart.org.

• Stone wall workshops: Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511) is offering opportunities to work on restoring a section of natural stone walls at two-day hands-on Stone Wall workshops led by master stone artisan and mason Kevin Fife, who will discuss the history of stone walls in New England and show participants different types of walls throughout the Village. Some walls in New England date back to the mid-1600s. Two workshops are offered: the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 13, and Sunday, Aug. 14, or the weekend of Saturday, Aug. 27, and Sunday, Aug. 28, both from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. To enroll, visit shakers.org. The workshop includes materials, gourmet lunch and drinks each day. Tuition is $150 for returning participants and $250 for new participants.

Off-Broadway in Wolfeboro
ReEntry: Actors Playing Jazz, directed by Academy Award-winner Estelle Parsons, comes to Wolfeboro for two nights, on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7:30 p.m., at The Village Players Theater (51 Glendon St., Wolfeboro), a nonprofit community theater that welcomes onstage and non-stage members of all ages. ReEntry: Actors Playing Jazz is the story of six formerly incarcerated men who have come together after release from prison to start a theater group with a goal to keep them on the right side of the law. The performance is a benefit for Village Players Theater. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at village-players.com.

• From nuns to cats: Catch the final shows of the Interlakes Theatre (1 Laker Lane, Meredith; interlakestheatre.com, 707-6035) production of Sister Act this weekend. The show runs Thursday, Aug. 11, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $36. Then on Wednesday, Aug. 17, the theater’s production of Cats will begin with a show at 7:30 p.m. Be part of the Jellicle fun Wednesday, Aug. 17, through Saturday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. as well as Thursday, Aug. 18, at 2 p.m.

• Cruel summer: Tickets are on sale now for the Actorsingers’ production of Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical at the Janice B. Streeter Theater (14 Court St., Nashua) on Friday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. Closely following the film’s plot, the show centers on the manipulative, revenge- and passion-fueled world of Manhattan elite teens Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. It features a score full of the era’s top hits from Christina Aguilera, N-Sync, No Doubt, Boyz II Men, and more. Cruel Intentions contains themes that are not suitable for teens and children, according to the website. Tickets range from $18 to $20 and are now available online at actorsingers.org or by calling 320-1870.

ART

Exhibits

• JESSICA KELLY, a local artist, whose work will be featured at the New Hampshire Boat Museum (399 Center St., Wolfeboro, 569-4554, nhbm.org) in the museum’s gallery in August. Working in photography, the art depicts coastal scenes and other natural beauties. Kelly’s work is available for viewing with paid admission to the museum. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and free for children under 13, members, and active military personnel.

• STANDING TOGETHER The Seacoast LGBT History Project holds its sixth annual show, titled “Standing Together,” at RiverStones Custom Framing and The Franklin Gallery (33 N. Main St. in Rochester; riverstonescustomframing.com) through Wednesday, Aug. 31. The Gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit the Seacoast NH LGBT Facebook page, email [email protected] or call RiverStones at 812-1488.

• “ARGHAVAN KHOSRAVI” Artist’s surrealist paintings explore themes of exile, freedom and empowerment; center female protagonists; and allude to human rights issues, particularly those affecting women and immigrants. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On display now through Sept. 5. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children age 12 and under and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org for more information.

• “MANAGING MISCELLANEA” The Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter Academy (11 Tan Lane, Exeter) hosts “Managing Miscellanea,” an art exhibition that draws from the gallery’s “undefined” collection. It centers around questions of defining and maintaining collections, and showcases unseen works from the storage vault, including works by Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Motherwell. The exhibition runs through Sept. 24, available for viewing during the gallery’s normal hours: Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free but reservations are required. For more information, visit www.exeter.edu/lamontgallery.

• “THE PEOPLE’S SCULPTOR: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHN ROGERS” Exhibit celebrates the art of American sculptor John Rogers, who came to Manchester in 1850, and explores the influence that Manchester had on Rogers’ life and work. Presented by the Manchester Historic Association. On view now through September. Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester). Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18, and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

• “WOOL: CONTEMPORARY FIBER ART EXHIBITION Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) through Sept. 2. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibition in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email [email protected].

Fairs and markets

• GREELEY PARK ART SHOW The annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua. Sat., Aug. 20, and Sun., Aug. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit nashuaarts.org/greeleyparkartshow.

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET The juried outdoor artisan and fine art market runs one Saturday a month, June through October, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Market dates are Aug. 20, Sept. 17 and Oct. 15. Rollins Park, 33 Bow St., Concord. concordartsmarket.net. The first market will be held on Saturday, June 11. Visit concordartsmarket.net/summer-arts-market.html.

Tours

• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour for more information.

THEATRE

Classes/workshops

• STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS Monthly workshop series hosted by True Tales Live storytelling showcase. First Tuesday (except November), from 7 to 8:30 p.m., virtual, via Zoom. Registration is required. Visit truetaleslivenh.org for more information.

Shows

• ROBIN HOOD The Winnipesaukee Playhouse Professional Company (33 Footlight Circle in Meredith; winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org) presents Robin Hood Wednesday, Aug. 10, through Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $39 and $29.

• 2 PIANOS 4 HANDS about two performers as they grow from children to adults and featuring a variety of music styles, according to the website, opens Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Peterborough Players indoor stage (55 Hadley Road in Peterborough; peterboroughplayers.org, 924-7575). Tickets cost $47. Shows continue Tuesday, Aug. 9, through Saturday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 14, at 4 p.m.

• DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID Jr. Tickets are on sale now for the Peacock Players’ production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., which will run Friday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Court Street Theater (14 Court St. in Nashua). Shows on Fridays are at 7 p.m., Saturday shows are at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. The show is “our first ever student-produced title,” according to the Peacock Players website (peacockplayers.org), where you can buy tickets, which cost $15 to $18 (plus fees) for adults and $12 to $15 (plus fees) for kids. Or call the box office at 886-7000.

• BEAUTY & THE BEAST presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) through Thursday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• NUNSENSE, the musical that has been updated with new jokes, will be presented by the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7649) on Fridays, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturdays, Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 to $20.

• SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 16, through Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 19, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

• LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL JR.presented by Palace Youth Theatre summer camp at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 20, at 11 a.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

• THE GREAT ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC SHAKESPEARE COMPANY presented by Granite Playwrights at the Hatbox Theatre (inside the Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) from Aug. 19 through Aug. 28, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students, seniors and members and $16 for senior members.

• DISNEY’S FROZEN KIDS presented by the 2022 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Seriesat the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) Tuesday, Aug. 23, through Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 26, at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10.

•​ LES MISERABLES presented by the Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) teen company from Aug. 25 through Sept. 4, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for students and $30 for adults.

• SHREK THE MUSICAL presented by the Riverbend Youth Company at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford; svbgc.org/amato-center) from Friday, Aug. 26, through Sunday, Aug. 28.

• DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID, the season-opening musical at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588), will run Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 2. The shows run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., with a show also on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 to $46.

Painting the city

Arts Build Community to host mural project in Manchester

By Katelyn Sahagian

[email protected]

Manchester is gaining three huge murals, all approximately three stories tall, that will tell the stories of the Queen City’s residents. Arts Build Community, a nonprofit organization, is hosting the first Community Canvas, a mural program that will amplify local voices and highlight local culture through three giant canvases all around the Pearl Street parking lot.

The murals, which will be painted directly onto walls of participating buildings, will all be around 30 feet tall and anywhere from 20 to 50 feet wide. One will be at 1225 Elm St., the headquarters for Arts Build Community. Chase said that all of the murals will be maintained over the years to make sure the artwork lasts for as long as possible.

“If it was just a mural festival, it would be a cakewalk, but we’re trying to think about every level,” said James Chase, the founder of Arts Build Community and co-creator of Community Canvas.

Chase, who is also an art professor at New England College and a former member of the Queen City’s Arts Commission, said it was important for the program to focus on people in the community. He said that, more than just about creating art, it was about creating the representation locals wanted to have.

Chase worked with groups like My Turn and the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester to talk with the youth of the city. He said that one question asked during brainstorming was “what does home feel like?” This question, Chase said, opened the conversation to include more than just aspects of Manchester; it also looks at the people who live in it.

Chase said that brainstorming sessions with the city’s young people have led to a mural featuring not just symbolism and old mills in the artwork, but also more personal scenes, like a group of teens playing basketball and a portrait of one mother cooking.

“We really wanted [the] conversation to … be built by the community rather than for them,” Chase said, adding that having meaningful art that was community inspired was just as important as the artwork. “I think that those times in between are just as important as the end product.”

Part of the reason the project is 10 days long is that communicating these feelings and ideas to artists painting the murals has been challenging, Chase said. Because the artists primarily working on the murals are traveling to Manchester from as far away as Portugal, he said, they’ll need at least a full day to finish the plans.

That means that the first day of the festival, Thursday, Aug. 11, will be a day of finalizing the sketches, but also a chance for the professional artists to meet their assistants, local young art students and artists who will be doing a sort of residency program for the 10-day project.

Chase said that having young artists learn the ins and outs of mural work was a huge factor he wanted to explore with this first project.

“Some of the artists … are emerging artists who will be assisting these professional artists,” Chase said. “[The newcomers will] become the lead artists in the next evolution. Now that they have this skill set and this experience, … they can step forward and be the lead artists.”

On Saturday, Aug. 20, a small block party outside Art Build Community’s headquarters will host a meet-and-greet with the muralists. The party, which will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be a chance for everyone who helped inspire the artwork to talk to the artists and celebrate the end of this project, Chase said.

In addition to the meet-and-greet, a few food trucks, including Kona’s Shaved Ice, will be serving up goodies. There will be crafts for kids, as well as a face-painting station. With the end of the project, Chase said he wanted to continue the community feeling that has inspired the project since the beginning.

Chase said that the main goal was to make sure that the murals represented the locals and was something special for Manchester. He said that he wanted to make sure the residents felt like they were as much a part of the art project as the muralists were.

“We don’t want it to be just art for art,” Chase said. “We want it to reflect Manchester today. We brought the community in, and the conversations became bigger than ourselves.”

Community Canvas Mural Project
Where: 1225 Elm St., Manchester
When: Thursday, Aug. 11, through Sunday, Aug. 21
Visit: facebook.com/artsbuildcommunity

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of James Chase.

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