Concord News : arts

Play shows how to deal with drug and alcohol abuse

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:38:00 GMT

When the curtains close at the Capitol Center for the Arts following the mid-February performance of “Wrecked,” the show is far from over.

The Canadian-produced show coming to Concord on Tuesday, Feb. 12, and Wednesday, Feb. 13, is far more than an entertainment experience, as it aims to teach teenagers and adults how to deal with drug and alcohol abuse.

“We work from an art-first basis, and try to create artful and meaningful work. In this case, we found a piece that was really relevant to teens,” said Tim Jennings, the play’s managing director. “We’re not telling them anything new, but giving them a chance to reflect on the difficulties drugs and alcohol can create.”

Jennings works with the Canadian group Roseneath Theatre, a nonprofit organization, which is Ontario’s largest professional touring theater, he said.

After Ric Waldman of the Capitol Center for the Arts saw a reading of the play at a conference, he knew it would be perfect for New Hampshire.

“We were so moved by the impact of the play that we felt it would be a great value to our community if we could present it,” he said. “We knew right away it would be a challenge to sell tickets. We don’t do a lot of drama presentations because they don’t always sell too well.”

To fill seats for the play, the Capitol Center became involved with other groups around the state, receiving a $10,000 grant from New Futures, the Endowment for Health and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Thanks to the grant, Waldman didn’t have to worry about selling tickets. The money purchased 600 tickets, which could be given away to schools and families in the area.

Combined with regular ticket sales, the school-time presentation of the play is sold out with a waiting list of about 300, and Waldman expects a large crowd at the second showing as well.

Other organizations have become involved in the play as well, as groups like the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Hampshire will be on hand before the event to give out information.

State legislators will also be attending a reception before the play to discuss different aspects of drugs and alcohol with the sponsors.

“This is a wonderful offering from the Capitol Center in spreading awareness about drug and alcohol issues while reaching a large audience of youth, adults, educators and professionals,” said Nancy Jackson-Reno of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Hampshire. “It offers the chance to open a dialogue between students, their peers, parents and educators.”

The dialogue will continue after the play, as the actors will come out on stage and field questions from the audience.

“The thing it does best is showing about the whole family. What it doesn’t do is talk down to teenagers,” said Waldman. “It’s realistic and the portrayal of things that go down are vivid. We expect teenagers to be moved.”

Jennings said he takes pride in being able to perform a play that benefits the community.

“The ability to take art and perform it in a way that affects peoples’ lives is a 1,000-year-old practice, but it’s very important to create that work,” he said. “Our work is to create the art and put it out there to be seen. Those groups are how it can be put out in the community and really taken to the next level.”

Paint Out is Sept. 7 to 9

Bow Editor — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:19:00 GMT

On Sept. 7, 8 and 9, outdoor painters will bring their paint boxes and easels to the Concord area to participate in the fifth annual Worldwide Paint Out.

The event is the creation of International Plein Air Painters (IPAP), and local participation has been made possible through NHPleinAir Artists with the cooperation of The Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden.

This year approximately two dozen artists from throughout the region will participate in the event.

Many artists pre-registered a month in advance, including Sharon Allen, Joanne Beausoleil, Belle Choate, Ellen Davis, Sandra Garrigan, Michael Kennedy, Brenda Kenney, Aline Lotter, Hannah Phelps, Jeanne Pierce and Ann Marie Therrien.

NHPleinAir Artists invites all plein air artists from the region to join them on location from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on any or all of the three days:

• Friday, Sept. 7 – participants will assemble in Contoocook Village to render paintings of the dam, the bridges and other scenic and historic subjects.

• Saturday, Sept. 8 – the group will be at Dimond Hill Farm in Concord to capture the essence and beauty of this historic site with their brushes.

• Sunday, Sept. 9 – Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Concord will be host for the day’s painting and a wine and cheese reception from 3 to 5 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., paintings produced during the threeday event will be for sale, and a percentage of the selling price of each painting will be donated to Mill Brook Gallery and Five Rivers Conservation Trust.

Independent theater opens in October

Bow Editor — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:26:00 GMT

BY KEVIN SHALVEY

Because it’s taken longer than seven years to get Red River Theaters off the ground, the board decided it would be apt to name it after a 1948 John Wayne western about a long, arduous journey.

The new theater in Concord is poised to bring independent and local films to the area.

A nonprofit organization, it is expected to open its doors Friday, Oct. 5, said executive director Robbi Farschman. It will be located in the lower level of the Capital Commons Building, at 11 S. Main St..

“I keep telling people, you will not see ‘Shrek 18’ here, and things of that nature,” said Farschman.

For the past six weeks, the interiors of the three screening rooms have been under construction.

The two larger screening rooms will have a total of 291 seats, while the third will have removable seats.

That screening room will be used for parties, local film festivals and setting up bands to accompany silent films, Farschman said.

“If people wanted to have a party in there, or a reception, we’d be able to move the chairs and make space for them,” she said.

The three-screen theater will bring in movies that until now were only playing in Boston, Farschman said.

“It’s an art cinema. It’s independent film, so you’re not going to se the films we show anywhere else in the area,” she said.

They’ve chosen a flim distributor located in Stanford, Conn., which is close enough to New York City to be tuned into what’s happening there, Farschman said.

The project has garnered support from local businesses and residents, too.

To date, about $1.55 million have been raised to support the project. Farschman said they hope to raise a total of $1.83 million before the theater opens.

And, she said, there will be plenty of positions for local volunteers once the theater opens. There will only be one full-time employee, two part-timers and two projectioners, but there are other positions to be filled.

“When we open, in addition to the part-time positions, there’ll be spots for volunteers to take tickets or usher, or do other things when we hold larger events,” she said.

Music school hosts piano competition

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:50:00 GMT

The first annual Concord Community Music School competition for young pianists took place March 31 at the music school.

Eighteen participants, ranging from fourth grade to 11th grade, participated in three divisions; there was also a concerto competition. Additionally, in keeping with this year’s piano department emphasis on the works of Russian composers, prizes were awarded for the best performance of a Russian work in each division.

The goal of the competition was to give students an opportunity to prepare varied programs in the interest of stretching their musical development, along with the opportunity to receive comments from distinguished outside adjudicators. Adjudicators for this competition were George Lopez, pianist and teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy, and Dr. Lisa Cleveland, assistant professor of music at Saint Anselm College.

Prize winners are as follows:

Level I: grades 4 to 6
• First place – Miyabi Saito of Concord (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Second place – Madeleine Stewart of Epsom (student of Peggy Senter)
• Third place – Jerry Galatis of Concord (student of Birgit Matzerath)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Miyabi Saito with “Kabalevsky Sonatina”

Level II: grades 7 to 9
• First place – Kelsey Hochgraf of Bow (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Second place – Neil Orzechowski of Newport (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Third place – Josh Bernardo of Concord (student of Catharine Dornin)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Neil Orzechowski with “Rachmaninoff Prelude”

Level III: grades 10 to 12
• First place – Mary Copeley of Concord (student of Kathryn Southworth)
• Second place – Allison Corriveau of Goffstown (student of Catharine Dornin)
• Third place – Ashley Ardinger of Concord (student of Anita Yu)
• Honorable mention – Sophie Orzechowski of Newport (student of Gregg Pauley)
• Best performance of a Russian work – Mary Copeley with “Khatchaturian Toccata”

Hochgraf, 14, also won the concerto competition.

She will perform with the String Chamber Orchestra under the director of CCMS faculty member Rodger Ellsworth. Kelsey recently represented New Hampshire in the eastern division of the Music Teacher Association piano competition, junior division, in Pittsburg, Pa.

For more information, call the music school at 228-1196 or visit www.ccmusicschool.org.

Tour art galleries May 11 in Concord

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:49:00 GMT

The Art Concord gallery tour will take place Friday, May 11, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The following is the list of participating galleries:

• Anderson-Soule Gallery, 2 Capital Plaza, Main Street
• Franklin Pierce Law Center, 2 White St.
• McGowan Fine Art, 10 Hills Ave.
• T.Devaney Fine Arts, 3 Pleasant St., Suite 4
• The Gallery at 2 Pillsbury, 2 Pillsbury St.
• New Hampshire Technical Institute, 31 College Drive
• Millbrook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, 236 Hopkinton Road

For more information, contact the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce at 224-2508.

‘Sleeping Beauty’ comes to Capitol Center stage

Bow Editor — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:16:00 GMT

Moscow Festival Ballet returns to the Capitol Center with choreographer Marius Petipa’s masterpiece, “Sleeping Beauty,” on Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m.

“Sleeping Beauty” tells the story of a princess who is saved by the kiss of a handsome prince after she was condemned at her christening by an evil fairy to *** her finger and die on her 16th birthday.

In conjunction with the Moscow Festival Ballet’s return to the Capitol Center, traditional Russian artist and lecturer, Marina Forbes, will offer a unique workshop on the rich Russian folk tradition of Matryoshka (wooden nested doll) painting. The workshop is scheduled at the Capitol Center on Sunday, April 15, from 2 to 5 p.m., and is open to adults and families with children 6 and up.

Participants will hear the story of the Matryoshka doll and will learn about her traditional Russian dress and customs. Traditional Russian painting techniques and floral and berry designs are also introduced. The goal is to produce a finished piece of Russian folk art on wood. Students can work on five-piece, three-piece or one-piece matryoshka sets. Throughout the workshop, students will be listening to traditional Russian music, and, during a brief break from the painting, there will be a demonstration of a few steps from a traditional
Russian “matryoshka dance.”

For more information or to register, contact Shawn Powers at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 225-1111, ext. 108 or spowers@ccanh.com; or contact Marina Forbes at 332-2255 or marina@anylanguage.org. Patrons are encouraged to register in advance. There is no charge to attend the workshop and show tickets are not required. Participants must have an unpainted doll to work on and one-piece, three-piece and five-piece pre-designed dolls will be available for purchase at the workshop and range in price from $10 to $55. Cash and personal checks accepted.

Tickets to the April 18 performance of “Sleeping Beauty” range from $31.50 to $51.50 and can be purchased at the Capitol Center box office, by phone at 225-1111 or online at ccanh.com.

“Sleeping Beauty” is sponsored by Sovereign Bank.

If the shoe fits… – Junior Service League to perform ‘The Glass Slipper’

Bow Editor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:48:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Never before has the classical tale of Cinderella meant so much to women and children in crisis.

“The Glass Slipper,” a comedic rendition of Disney’s “Cinderella,” will be performed by members of the Junior Service League of Concord on Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17.

This version of “Cinderella” is a little different,” said junior Service League member Marie Mullen. “It’s more of a comedy, and it’s perfect for children and adults.”

In “The Glass Slipper,” by Vera Morris, Mullen said the stepmother and stepsisters take on a bumbling and stumbling nature, rather than the ill-tempered characters from Disney’s version of “Cinderella.”

All proceeds from the show will go to roughly 20 local charities that benefit women and children in crisis, said Mullen.

The Junior Service League of Concord is made up of all women, including Lori Savoy, of Concord, who plays Prince Charming.

“We have challenges sometimes with our makeup and everything else,” Mullen joked.

Laurie Anderson-Finnegan, a first-year member from Bow, will play Cinderella.

Karen Braz, a 13-year member from Weare, is directing the show.

Braz is a member of the Concord Community Players, said Mullen.

In addition to the two scheduled weekend performances, the group will also be performing for high school students from Bow, Concord and Hopkinton.

“The play is a community service event as well as a fundraiser for our organization,” said Mullen. “All proceeds go to help women and children in crisis, but Thursday and Friday we have reduced prices so students from can come see it too.

Show times are Friday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m.

Tickets are $7 and may be purchased at the door or at Caring Gifts, Cobblestone Design, French’s Toy Shop and You’re Fired, all of Concord.

Junior Service League to present ‘The Glass Slipper’

Bow Editor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:24:00 GMT

The Junior Service League of Concord will present “The Glass Slipper,” by Vera Morris, at St. Paul’s School Memorial Hall in Concord on Friday, March 16, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, March 17, at 11 a.m.

This is an opportunity for families to attend live theater and raise money for Concord-area nonprofit organizations. The Junior Service League of Concord has again teamed with director Karen Braz to bring this children’s classic to life and is sure to entertain children of all ages and adults.

Sponsors include Merrimack County Savings Bank, Plodzik and Sanderson, Case Handyman Remodeling, Venture Construction, Gift Baskets by Your Design.com and Sylvania.

The Junior Service League continues its 75-year tradition of supporting social service agencies in the Concord area, by distributing the money raised to organizations helping children.

Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at Caring Gifts, Cobblestone Design, French’s Toy Shop and You’re Fired. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Book discussion at Concord Public Library

Bow Editor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:22:00 GMT

A book discussion series featuring three Jane Austen books will begin Tuesday, March 13, at 7 p.m., in the Concord Public Library’s Shakespeare Room. The first book featured will be “Pride and Prejudice.”

The series will continue Tuesday, April 3, at 7 p.m., in the library auditorium with “Mansfield Park.”

On Tuesday, April 24, at 7 p.m., in the library auditorium, the series will conclude with a discussion of “Persuasion.”

For more information, call 225-8590. The program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council and the Concord Public Library Foundation.

Backpack crafts

Bow Editor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:19:00 GMT

On Tuesday, March 13, Concord Public Library’s monthly “Second Tuesday After-School Program” will feature backpack crafts from 4 to 5 p.m. in the library auditorium. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call 230-3690 or visit www.onconcord.com/library.

Pirates visit Capitol Center on March 8

Bow Editor — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:13:00 GMT

The Carl Rosa Company returns to the United States with a tour of its production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s show, “The Pirates of Penzance.” Arriving in Concord on Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m., this award-winning revived production features stunning new period costumes, staging and designs.

Written in 1879, “The Pirates of Penzance” is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s greatest comic operas. With magnificent send-ups of grand opera, it presents a topsy-turvy plot involving a band of orphaned pirates (distinctly deficient in cut-throatedness); a Major General who doesn’t know his rifles from his javelins; the flat-footed Cornish Constabulary; a bevy of blushing maidens; and the dashing Frederic, who, born on a leap year, may be aged 21, or only “5 and a little bit over.”

Now 127 years since its premiere, “The Pirates of Penzance” remains an all-time popular favorite, with familiar songs such as the patter-song “I am the very model of a modern Major General” and “A policeman’s lot is not a happy one.”

This production of The Pirates of Penzance won the International Award for Operetta and Best Director and Best Production at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festivals in San Francisco and in Philadelphia.

With West End star Rosemary Ashe (the original Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera) as Ruth the company includes stalwarts of the D’Oyly Carte, Bruce Graham (sergeant of police) and Charlotte Page (Mabel). Other casting includes Barry Clark (Maj. Gen. Stanley), with Andrew Friedhoff (Frederic), Kevin Kyle (Samuel) and Lesley Cox (Kate). The production is directed and designed by the company’s artistic director Peter Mulloy, with choreography by Steve Elias. The Carl Rosa Orchestra is conducted by Martin Handley.

Tickets to the March 8 performance of Pirates of Penzance range from $31.50 to $51.50 and can be purchased at the Capitol Center box office, by phone at 225-1111 or online at ccanh.com. There will be a pre-show chat at 6:30 p.m. with Granite State Opera’s Phil Lauriat in the Governor’s Hall of the Capitol Center.

Pirates of Penzance is sponsored by Landvest Inc.

Capitol Center hosts USAF Liberty Pops on Dec. 1

Bow Editor — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 21:35:00 GMT

The William H. Gile Concert Series will present an unforgettable evening of free musical entertainment by the United States Air Force Liberty Pops on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts.

Military band concert means brass, marches and John Philip Sousa, right? Think again. How about electric guitars, vocalists, Broadway show tunes, rock ’n roll, costumes, movie melodies, soloists, audience participation, country, jazz, Latin and swing? Add a few marches to that, too.

The 50-piece Liberty Pops is the flagship ensemble of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base outside of Boston. This select group of professional musicians has been entertaining audiences throughout the Northeast for more than 25 years.

Combining top-notch musicianship and showmanship, a Liberty Pops concert is a fast-paced, exciting production the whole family can enjoy. Each year the ensemble plays for thousands of people across New England, New York and New Jersey and is often featured in radio and television broadcasts as well. It has performed at Ellis Island and Lincoln Center in New York City, the Hatch Shell and City Hall Plaza in Boston, along with many of the top theaters and halls in the region.

Coming to big cities and small towns alike, the Liberty Pops celebrates the variety and diversity of America’s rich musical and cultural heritage. This ensemble is guaranteed to leave you humming a tune, tapping your toes and maybe even feeling a little more patriotic.

Although admission to the USAF Liberty Pops is free, tickets are required to attend. To obtain tickets, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with your ticket request (maximum of four tickets per request) to the Capitol Center Box Office at 44 S. Main St., Concord, NH 03301. Please indicate how many tickets you require. Seating is general admission.

S.N.O.B. returns: Concord hosts five-day film festival

Bow Editor — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:20:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

This year, the S.N.O.B. (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary with five days of international, national, regional and local films all in downtown Concord.

With more than 65 films including features, documentaries, animated, short and student works, the festival promises something for everyone.

From Tuesday, Nov. 7, to Saturday, Nov. 11, many filmmakers, cast and crew will be in Concord for their film screenings and will host discussions and question-and-answer sessions after. Events will be held at the Annicchiarico Theater, Holiday Inn, Concord City Auditorium, The Barley House and the New Hampshire State Library.

One of this year’s premier events takes place Friday, Nov. 10, with the screening of “Who Killed the Electric Car.”

A documentary narrated by Martin Sheen, it uncovers the story behind General Motors’ decision to destroy its promising line of electric-powered cars in the mid-’90s. The country’s largest auto manufacturer took back these cars from willing buyers and shredded its entire line of EV-1’s in the Arizona desert. The Seattle Times calls the film “the most troubling Big Biz documentary since ‘Enron the Smartest Guys in the Room.’”

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, S.N.O.B. presents two films that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever hiked up a mountain in the Granite State. “Winter Walk” chronicles seven otherwise conventional people who spend 59 days snowshoeing along the wilderness of a frozen river in northern Quebec. “Southbounders” adds a touch of misfit romance to a fictional story of a woman who meets two men while hiking the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 10:30 p.m., The Barley House will be a trip of a different sort … “American Beer” takes viewers to 38 micro-breweries across the country in a film that is more about beer lovers than beer.

Many films will engage younger audiences, such as “Binta and the Great Idea,” a film from Senegal about a 7-year-old girl, her fisherman father and a friend who isn’t allowed to go to school; and “Laundry Day,” written and directed by local filmmaker Travis Laughlin. This Chaplin-esque silent film offers up an amusing fairytale romance, captured, as if in a bygone era, in the alleyways of Concord.

And for the many who grew up watching Rex Trailer on television, S.N.O.B. is will present “Boomtown Gold,” the story of Trailer’s life, followed by a discussion with Rex Trailer himself on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1:15 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium.

The full menu of films, information on tickets, up-to-date schedule of show times and locations, and the details on the 5x5 Filmmaker Challenge can be found at www.snobfilm festival.org. You may also call 225-0881.

Tickets are available at Cinema 93 and other Concord outlets at the following prices:

• Block Pass: $5 for individual film block events (1-1/2 to 2 hours of film)

• Day Pass: $20 for Friday or Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., including the Barley House screenings. (Saves you $5 off the day if you paid for each block separately.)

• Festival Pass: $50 gets you a full pass to everything, including the three Annicchiarico Theater nights, all Barley House films, and a raffle ticket for each raffle you attend.

• Barley House Films: $3

For more ticket information, call 225-5650.

Art Concord: Appreciate visual arts at Oct. 13 multi-gallery tour

Bow Editor — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:31:00 GMT

By Karen Braynard
Correspondent

Dancing leaves photography by Thomas Berntsen is part of “Beyond the Garden Gate – Art Inspired by Nature” on display at Anderson-Soule Gallery in Concord.
(Courtesy Photo)

Years ago Pam Tarbell, owner of the Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, started “Fall for Art,” an annual program that brought Concord’s art talent to the forefront for residents and visitors to enjoy for a full weekend. Unfortunately, the event changed hands and over time was phased out.

As an art enthusiast, Tarbell felt Concord was still missing out on the experience of enjoying the talents of artists on display in many of the local galleries. So, last year she contacted Tim Sink, executive director of the Concord Chamber of Commerce, and together they formulated the Art Concord event.

Art Concord is a successful attempt to build awareness of the local talent. It has become so popular and well-attended that the program is expanding from three showing dates a year to four scheduled for 2007. The next scheduled event is on Friday, Oct. 13, with galleries open from 5 to 8 p.m.

The upcoming Art Concord features a total of nine galleries and alternative galleries.

“An alternative gallery,” Tarbell said, “is a location that is normally used for something else such as meetings or classrooms but where art is also on display.” These participating venues include The Franklin Pierce Law School, the Museum of New Hampshire History, St. Paul’s School and the New Hampshire Technical Institute.

The other Concord art galleries participating are the Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, the Anderson-Soule Gallery, McGowan Fine Art, the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Gallery 205 and T. Devaney Fine Arts.

As an added cultural feature, the Petite Papillion ballet school will perform several times throughout the three-hour event at the Anderson-Soule and Mill Brook galleries. The choreographed dances are inspired by exhibits at these galleries. At the Anderson-Soule Gallery, the ballet dancers will interpret “Beyond the Garden Gate,” a painting series by Tom Berntsen and Paulette Werger.

Trish Anderson-Soule said Art Concord is open to everyone, with no pressure on viewers to purchase anything.

“The point is to help make Concord a hub for art appreciation as there is so much art and culture here in Concord,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of sales during Art Concord. It’s more of an awareness and sense of appreciation for the visual arts.”

It’s a good time for those who may feel intimidated about viewing art to step in and learn without the perceived pressure of visiting an art gallery.

During the event, visitors can pick and choose which galleries they want to attend. While it is possible to see all nine in the three-hour period, most people will select a handful that are located near one another. Maps of the event can be found at the Chamber of Commerce. And, a surprise to many, children are welcome and encouraged to participate.

“This is a cultural event,” Tarbell said. “We want to help everyone gain an appreciation of the visual arts.”