NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT
New Hampshire Theatre Project is reviving its tour of Dreaming Again, a play about the immigrant experience in the state of New Hampshire. (Artists take note: NHTP IS looking for four performers, and offering solid pay. More below.)
The play, written by NHTP Executive Director Genevieve Aichele, based on the resident's life stories, was initially commissioned in 2012 by the New Hampshire Humanities. It went on tour that year and again in 2013 in partnership with the Mariposa Museum, Peterborough NH, Aichele says.
This time out the Eppes-Jefferson Foundation (focused on art education and history) is supporting the tour.
"They had funded some other organizations around New Hampshire with small grants, including Mariposa and us. They wanted a larger project, start to finish," she says. "I mentioned bringing this back again with Mariposa (and the World Culture Center). So they are underwriting it."
The company is looking for four performers. Each will receive housing, per diems, and a weekly pay of $800.
"We can't usually pay that, so it's very exciting," Aichele says. "It's a full week, two shows a day, and some overnight, so actors will be away from home."
As a four-actor ensemble, each performer will perform multiple roles, giving voice to the state’s unique immigrant population.
Rehearsals are March 19 through 25, in Portsmouth. The tour starts with a weekend run at NHTP (March 24-26) and continues on to different schools throughout the state, through April 8.
"It's tough to find the right people. We want different ethnicities and they have to do accents," Aichele says. "It's not a musical, but there is singing involved, and they'll need to be somewhat athletic."
Special consideration will be given to performers who identify as immigrants, or can sing or play an instrument, although none of these are required.
The show's director is CJ Lewis, who performed in the first two tours. Lewis will also act as one of the show's musicians along with Cynthia Chatis and Theo Martey.
Interested actors can self tape a monologue of their choice and submit to: cj@nhtheatreproject.org
For information about booking Dreaming Again contact Karla Hostetler, Executive Director, at karla@mariposamuseum.org, 603-924-4555.
MOVIN' ON, BUT STAYING
On Jan. 20, Director of Communications & Community Engagement Monty Bohanan will leave the Music Hall after 22 year with the venue.
Bohanan is like that storybook mailroom guy who worked his way up in the company - except in his case he came on as a part time box office ticket seller/poster hanger/crew member - and whatever else it took, to stay with the Hall. Over the next 13 years he continued moving up in positions till 2008/09 he was named Director of Communications.
Bohanan plans to focus on Tide Mill Studio initially, a freelance marketing business he put aside due to the demands of the Hall job, and there's other ideas brewing. Exactly where he'll land, he can't say, because he's not sure, yet.
What he does know is he'll take time to figure out exactly what it is he wants next.
Leaving is tough, Bohanan says. He'll miss working alongside so many friends, and the house itself.
"I feel very close to everyone. (That) definitely weighed heavily into my decision. It made it really hard to say that it's really time. ... But as Trevor (Bartlett) said to me, 'when was the last time you wanted to do something for forever?'" Bohanan says. "So, ultimately I have to do what I know is the right thing. And to continue and grow and do more, I have to make a change."
The one thing he is sure of is he plans on sticking around. He's committed to the seacoast and its community, "this is home," he's not going anywhere.
10 YEARS AND COUNTING
It's a big year for the Afternotes (Theafternotes.com), which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2023.
The a cappella group was launched by Erica Hoar. In 2013, Hoar invited all former members of UNH's New Hampshire Notables to come together and form an "after school" a cappella group, and once again share what they love.
Hoar says she did it because she missed the college sisterhood support system, and singing with others. "The whole singing with a group is kind of magical; the harmonies and different voices that come together as one," she says.
"So, I just got a master list of everyone's names that had been in the group, and everyone I could, and was very surprised and super excited that people were interested and got back to me."
The group's age-range runs from 35 to 52, "so they're from all different years." It currently stands at eight members, seven from the original line-up.
The group plans to celebrate the big ten with a concert at Stone Church, on April 16.
Three a cappella groups will join them, including the current UNH NH Notables. "That will be a cool connection and kind of special," Hoar says. "I think right now we have our own unique identity, apart from who we were in college. However it's still important to us to keep that connection."
The Heart Beats are also on the bill. This group, which hails from Worcester, Mass., was started by Ali Coes, a former Afternotes member. They'll all be joined by Tonehenge, an all-male group from West Newton, Mass.
Other gigs are planned, with more are in the works. First up, a performance at "Art With a Splash" at Art Up Front Street in Exeter, on Feb. 26.
"Like most groups we had a lot of time off during Covid," Hoar says. "We're starting to get back up and running, and hope to do more during the summer."
LITTLE MAGICIANS
Sages Entertainment (owned by Wayne and Kali Moulton) is adding Magic Explorer to its lineup - already packed with magic shows, bubbles, balloons, foam fun and STEAM enrichment programs.
"It's new magic teaching program that's designed specifically for 5 to 7 year olds," says Wayne Moulton (recently selected as one of the "10 to Watch" young professionals, by Catipult Seacoast and Seacoast Media Group).
"We're focused on having fun, making friends and feeling special," he adds. "The way it works is a combination of magic art, craft and social, and emotional learning."
The Moultons took part in a workshop in Florida to "learn the ways" of the Magic Explorers, with Discover Magic, a national organization and international award-winning program, focused on fun activities and social-emotional learning.
At each meet-up participants receive Magic Adventure Packs (MAPs) filled with jokes, puzzles and a magic trick (to be assembled), Moulton explains.
"It's all about empowering kids to make things fun, think of others, and give their best."
The program has already teamed up with Portsmouth's ArtSpot for a local chapter, and is looking to partner with libraries and schools (for summer and afterschool programs) for additional clubs. If interested check out https://www.sagesentertainment.com.
RESPECT
The alternative gallery at the Portsmouth Senior Activity Center will open "Art Lives On," Jan. 19, an exhibit with a rare theme to this area, featuring the work of deceased artists from or connected to the seacoast.
Diane Stradling, who organizes the exhibits along with BB Bayele, and Mo O’ Leary, spearheaded the show's theme.
The idea was prompted by a conversation with a gentleman who had inherited the work of his mother-in-law.
"I said 'would you like to show it,' and then I thought, there must be others with art by artists who have passed away, [...] so maybe we should have a show of their work," Stradling says. "Right there and then the name popped into my head."
There was lots of "detective work," involved in pulling the show together.
"It was quite a bit of work finding the art that we did. We had to go searching around," she says. "Some (art) was in the hands of family members, a piece here and there were with friends [...] I made lots of phone calls and even searched through the basement of NH Art Association."
The work exhibited includes that of Dewitt Hardy, Brian McDonough, Amelia Olenio, Betty Pennington, Chien-Shih Wang, Barbara Brockelman, Marcia Gibbons, Dr.Thomas W. Quinn and Elinor Vaughan.
The show is up through April 14.
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