Christmas 2016

December 26, 2016 — Christmas in Somerset was a loving celebration, as always. Nearly thirty people crowded into one house for a Yankee swap, good food and gift exchange on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, many of us invaded my niece's house where she generously serves breakfast to any and all who happen to wander in.

I look forward all year to this get-together with my extended family. I leave with enough good feelings to last through the winter. You can experience it vicariously through videos and photos at this link:

http://www.linwoodstreet.com/christmas16/

"The Ghost in the Meadow"

October 8, 2016 — I've always loved a ghost story. I'm not a horror show fan, nor am I impressed by monsters or aliens from outer space, but a story of haunting and ghostly presence, seen or unseen, always inspires me, and if it ends with questions unanswered, all the better. I don't like to be grossed out, but kept in suspense and startled occasionally by a well-crafted scare.

"The Ghost in the Meadow," a play by Joe Simonelli, contained some but not all the ingredients that make for a good ghost story, at least in my opinion. Presented by the Winnipesaukee Playhouse (the Winni) in Meredith, New Hampshire, directed by Marta Rainer, with a nicely designed set by Dan Daly, this production was a bit over-long, with sometimes rambling dialog. The acting was a bit flat, not up to the Winni's usual standards. On the plus side, there were a few of the well-crafted scares I mentioned before, some causing squeals from the audience.

Sheila (Elizabeth Swan, who turns in the best performance), an artist, has moved from a New York City apartment into a rambling old house in the middle of nowhere because she needs some space for a while. She has talked her sister, Kylie (Jeannie Rose McGartland) into moving in with her, but Kylie is not as enamored of the old house as Sheila. When the fleeting image of a young boy appears at a window, a woman dressed in white hovers by, and other strange occurrences frighten the two women, Sheila invites her ex-boyfriend, Julian (Kevin Killavey), a New York City detective, to come and investigate. A skeptic, but unable to account for the weird happeinings, Julian calls in Antoinette (Dana Block), a psychic who has helped him solve cases in the past.

The show had its moments of romance, humor, and I must admit some well-choreographed fright scenes involving flashing lights, screaming actors, slamming doors and ghostly apparitions. But I felt the actors could have spiced up their roles with a little more feeling and enthusiasm. One more actor I didn't mention was Lynn T. Dadian as the ghost of Kathryne, who is only seen fleetingly, dressed all in ghostly white, behind a window and in a doorway, and has not a word of dialog.

Overall, it was an afternoon well-spent. The play didn't completely satisfy my ghost story craving, but it was a nice extension of my summer theater season, which, sadly, I'm afraid is now
finally over.

"Don't Dress for Dinner"

August 24, 2016 — When I made the reservation for "Don't Dress for Dinner" at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire the day after "The Ladies Man" at the Peterborough Players, I wasn't aware of the similarities in these two comedies. Not that that's a disadvantage. Both were excellent, the Peterborough production perhaps a bit more polished, but the acting, direction and well-choreographed physical comedy in both was very well-done.

These plays fall into the category of French farce, merry mix-ups of deception, mistaken identity, misunderstandings, false accusations, infidelity, all at a frantic pace that leaves few breaks in the action or the laughs.

To me there's an important difference between the two similar plays. In "The Ladies Man," a perfectly innocent but suspicious-looking event leads to accusations of a secret affair, drawing others into its web as lies upon lies are told to cover up something that never happened. "Don't Dress for Dinner" is far from innocent. Extra-marital affairs are blatant and deliberate, more like what one would expect from what many perceive as the French casual acceptance of such behavior, deserved or not.

In "Don't Dress for Dinner" by French playwright Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon, Bernard (Drew Lewis) sees an opportunity to spend a weekend with his mistress, Suzanne (Kerry Ipema) when his wife, Jacqueline (Evyn Whiteley) goes off to spend a couple of days with her mother. Bernard's friend, Robert (Scott Cote), is also on the way. Robert was best man at Bernard's wedding. Robert will make a perfect cover for Bernard's tryst with Suzanne, so Bernard thinks. Bernard has arranged for a caterer to prepare a dinner for his guests. They send their chef, Suzette (Marie Claire Rousel). Notice the similarity in names, Suzanne and Suzette. They could both be called Suzie. Does this play into the plot? You bet it does!

All this might have worked except for a couple of minor complications. When Bernard's wife, Jacqueline, learns Robert is going to be there, she can't bear to miss him. So she calls her mother and fakes the flu and cancels her trip. That's the first minor complication. The second looms a little larger. Unknown to Bernard, Jacqueline and Robert have been carrying on an affair for some time. When all five of these people end up in the house at the same time, things get very interesting, and hilarious. Late in the second act, Suzette the chef's husband, George (Ben Salus) shows up to pick up his wife, and quickly gets drawn into the subterfuge and deception he has no knowledge of.

Kathryn Markey's direction smoothly guides the actors through this laugh-filled production, the final show of the New London Barn's 84th season. An appreciative audience gave the actors long and enthusiastic applause at curtain call. As is the Barn's custom, the actors lined up outside to greet departing patrons.

"The Ladies Man"

August 23, 2016 — Every one of the eight actors in this delightful farce has a brilliant comic role. David Breitbarth as Etienne the valet lies, then tells more lies to cover up previous lies to protect his boss, all the while hitting on Marie, the maid, played by Susan Riley Stevens, who's thrown into fits of hysterical laughter at the thought of an affair with Etienne. Anderson Matthews is Dr. Hercule Molineaux, Etienne's boss, who can't explain a night at the Moulin Rouge, and adds to the confusion by fabricating more stories that contradict Etienne's lies. Karron Graves is the doctor's wife, Yvonne, who isn't buying any of it.

Kraig Swartz is the doctor's friend Bassinet who speaks with a Sylvester Pussycat-style lisp and sprays everyone he talks to in the face. Dale Hodges is Madame Aigreville, Yvonne's domineering mother who strikes fear into everyone, especially all men of whom she has a very low opinion. Tall, intimidating Kate Hampton is Suzanne Aubin who accompanied the doctor at the Moulin Rouge, and no one believes their night out was innocent. Tom Frey is Gustav Aubin, a uniformed, sword-carrying, goose-stepping Prussian officer who happens to be Suzanne's over-protective husband.

Got all that?

Well, that isn't the half of it. Written and directed by Charles Morey, this play at the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire is a masterpiece of hilarious deception, mistaken identity and misunderstandings. A fine set by Harry Feiner can be quickly converted from a plush living room to a dressmaker's salon and back again, with a rotating section and lots of doors to be slammed as actors appear and disappear in a choreograph of perfect direction and timing.

A play of physical as well as verbal comedy, I may remember "The Ladies Man" as the funniest show of this season. Audience laughter was almost uninterrupted throughout.

"Crazy for You"

August 16, 2016 — Summer theaters in New Hampshire have been drawing large crowds this season, which I'm pleased to see. The downside of this is that good seats are hard to come by unless you reserve way in advance. I usually wait for a good weather report before making my reservation because I like to drive on sunny days and stroll around the attractive towns most of the theaters are located in. Because of this, I've had to settle for less than the best seats several times this summer.

The 84-year-old New London Barn in New London, New Hampshire is a small, intimate theater where no seat is too far from the stage, but the view is partially blocked by posts supporting the balcony in a few locations. On my recent trip there the best seat I could secure was ten rows back from the stage, and the low hanging bslcony made it necessary to scrunch down in my seat when actors were hoisted onto other actors shoulders, or climbed onto ladders and other props, as they frequently did in this night's production, and their heads were hidden by the edge of the balcony. Also, a post, although thin enough so that it didn't block my view, still stood directly in the center of my field of vision and proved very annoying. Overall, it was about the worst seat I can ever remember.

However, none of these seating deficiencies spoiled my enjoyment of "Crazy for You," a new musical with book by Ken Ludwig and music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. It's based on the Gershwins' 1930 musical, "Girl Crazy," with songs from several of their other productions. Directed and choreographed for the Barn by Keith Coughlin, the show featured an energetic young cast with some fine voices and great dance moves. The play contains some of the Gershwins' best and most familiar songs, like "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Embraceable You," "I Got Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and others.

Bobby Child (Matt Gibson) is bored with his job as a banker and fancies himself an entertainer. He can't get a break from musical producer Bela Zangler (Matthew Patrick Quinn) who thinks Bobby is talentless. When Bobby's mother (Sara Schoch) sends him to Deadlock, Nevada, to see if he can find a way to get payments on their theater mortgage to resume before the bank has to foreclose, he abandons his fiancee, Irene (Veronica Burt) and travels to Deadlock, where he's immediately smitten by attractive theater manager Polly (Laura Sky Herman). But Polly rejects him as soon as she learns he's from the bank. But when Bobby learns Polly is an admirer of Bela Zangler, he puts on a wig and false beard and poses as the producer.

A slim plot, but with some great Ken Ludwig comic moments. Bobby's deception is eventually revealed, all is forgiven, Polly's theater is saved, all's well that ends well. There, I've given away the entire story, but it doesn't matter. The music and dancing is the reason you go to a show like "Crazy for You," and the New London Barn delivers. Supporting the aforementioned actors is a large, excellent cast of singers and dancers. At the end of the show, the entire cast lines up on the Barn's porch and greets departing patrons, a nice touch.

"A Murder Is Announced"

August 11, 2016 — If you were intent on committing murder, why would you run an announcement in the local newspaper notifying everyone, and giving the exact time and place you planned to do the deed? Dora Bunner (Jean Mar Brown) discovered the announcement and showed it to her live-in companion, Letitia Blacklock (Penny Purcell), owner of the home, and the exact place where the announcement said the murder would occur at 6:30 that evening, Friday the 13th. Letitia laughed it off as someone's idea of a joke. Later in the evening, as 6:30 approached and the house was filled with guests, no one was taking it seriously, but there was some gallows humor over the possibility it might be true, and which among them might be the victim.

Then, at 6:30 sharp, there was a flash of light, the power went off, the room was plunged into darkness, there was much screaming, and shots rang out! That's all I'm going to tell you. When the lights came back on, one of Agatha Christie's most puzzling and complicated mysteries was underway.

The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, in their 86th season, presented Christie's "A Murder Is Announced." The Barnstormers have presented many Christie mysteries over the years, and their experience with this author's work pays off. The actors seem to have fun with the material, and their enthusiasm draws the audience in.

Dale Place, no stranger to British police inspector roles, is Inspector Craddock. His persistent questioning gradually fits the pieces of the mystery together, occasionally veering off in wrong directions as the various accounts of those present don't add up. Complicating things further are some individuals who turn out not to be who they say they are. The inspector gets more than a little help from Vinette Cotter as Miss Marple (yes, that Miss Marple).

Cheryl Mullings is Mitzi, the housekeeper, a domineering, perpetually angry Russian immigrant with a persecution complex. What is her part in the mystery? She seems to hate everyone. In typical Dame Agatha fashion, the mystery isn't solved until the final minutes, and as always it's an outcome we least expected.

Rounding out the excellent cast are Angela Hope Smith, Buddy Haardt, Madeleine Maby, Kathy Somssich, Ryan Malyar, Andrew Codispoti and Michael Costa. The play was directed by Barnstormers artistic director Bob Shea. Set design was by Sarah Rozene and costume design by Mary Selvoski.

"Pygmalion"

August 9, 2016 — I admit I'm not a big fan of George Bernard Shaw. I've seen two of his plays in the past, "Arms and the Man" and "Candida," and found neither all that memorable, although I get Shaw's biting satire and social commentary. When I learned the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire was presenting Shaw's "Pygmalion," I debated with myself whether I wanted to see this popular play, better known to latter-day audiences as its musical off-spring, "My Fair Lady." But I thought it might be interesting to see the play in its original form, as Shaw wrote it, so I made a reservation and headed for Peterborough.

This was a very polished production. I'm sure I'll remember it as the best of the season in any theater as far as production values, stagecraft and acting. The play was directed by the Players' artistic director, Gus Kaikkonen, with sumptuous costumes by Jane Stein and two beautiful Charles Morgan sets that were swapped quickly and seamlessly several times during the play. I counted seventeen actors in the program, many of them playing bit parts early in the first act.

Most of us are familiar with the basics of the story. Eliza Doolittle (Karron Graves), the crude Cockney flower girl is taken under the wing of Professor Henry Higgins (Greg Wood). Higgins, suave and learned but cantankerous, over-sensitive and abusive, sets out to make a presentable lady of Eliza.

I wonder how many regulars in the Players audience recognized the almost unrecognizable Kraig Swartz as Eliza's father, long-haired and thick-bearded, in the ragged attire of a street person with a thick Cockney accent. A fine comic actor, Swartz is seen again in the final act, completely transformed to a society gentleman and hating it.

The Hill siblings, Clara (Emily Elizabeth Jones) and Freddy (Mason Conrad), and their mother, Mrs. Eynsford Hill (Dee Nelson) are present to witness Higgins' introduction of Eliza, coming out as a refined lady. Nelson, a multiple award-winning actress, deserves an award here just for her stunned facial expressions.

Dale Hodges, excellent as always, is Higgins' mother, the one person not fooled by Henry's self-absorbed, tyrannical behavior. Michael Page, a Players favorite, is Colonel Pickering, Higgins' friend, fellow confirmed bachelor, and often defender of Eliza and apologist for the bombastic professor. Another award-winning actress and Players regular, Lisa Bostnar, is somewhat underused here as Higgins' maid, Mrs. Pearce.

Shaw's skewering of the British class system and the gulf between the upper and  lower classes in this play set in 1911 London is still relevant today. It didn't make me any more of a Shaw fan than I was before, but this production by the Peterborough Players deserves awards for excellence in direction, sets, costumes and casting.

"Israel Potter, American Patriot"

August 4, 2016 — The full, ungainly title of this new play is "The Almost True and Truly Remarkable Adventures of Israel Potter, American Patriot," having its world premiere at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire. Written by Joe Bravaco and Larry Rosler, based on a novel by Herman Melville, the play follows the life of Israel Potter from early adulthood to his senior years, and his unlikely involvement with many of the famous participants in the American Revolution and its aftermath.

Click the photo for an enlargement of the beautiful set designed by Dan Daly and constructed, unbelievably, in just two days by Andrew Stuart and his crew. Six actors, each playing multiple roles, skillfully use this set and its furnishings as props to represent many different scenarios.

Mike Newman, as Israel Potter, is the only actor playing a single role. All the others play several parts each, often with little more than minor costume changes and an assortment of wigs. Some male roles are played by women, notably Molly Parker Myers in one of the best Ben Franklin portrayals I've seen. James Hesse is outstanding as the bombastic John Paul Jones. Brent Alan Burington is equally impressive as the pompous, self-promoting Ethan Allen. Nicholas Wilder was as irrepressible as always as Ticknor and other characters, and Rebecca Tucker slipped effortlessly into multiple roles, principally Potter's fiancee, heartbroken when he departs for an uncertain future fighting for the American cause.

Directed for the Playhouse by Matt Cahoon, the play is a mix of historical fact and fiction, performed by gifted actors who skillfully switch between multiple characters, sometimes several in a matter minutes. You have to pay close attention to follow the swift action. Funny and poignant, this play was a real audience-pleaser.

"Das Barbecu"

July 30, 2016 — "Das Barbecu," a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Jim Luigs and music by Scott Warrender, relocates Wagner's Ring to present-day Texas and transforms it into a rollicking, high-energy hootenanny, replacing Wagner's arias with country and western, jazz and Texas swing. This is a challenging production for any company. Five actors each play multiple roles. I counted a total of twenty-two different characters.

Blair Hundertmark directed this show for The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, in the company's 86th season. Taylor Shubert was the choreographer. Emily Cohn was the musical director and conductor. Emily Nichols designed a nice rustic set. Mary Selvoski had many costumes to design for this production, and her work was impressive.

Cheryl Mullings, in one of her roles as narrator, carefully explains the plot points because the audience needs help following the action in the fast-paced show. Her powerful voice in song and dialog easily carries to the far reaches of the theater. Tall, athletic Jared Troilo plays his multiple roles, principally Siegfried, with boundless energy. Portly Darryl Winslow hams it up delightfully in the roles of Wotan, Gunther, Hagen, a Texas Ranger and a giant. Darcie Champagne and Rachel Alexa Norman play, among other roles, Brunnhilde and Gutrune, respectively, each believing Siegfried is engaged to her.

The Haynes Family Foundation sponsors this season for The Barnstormers, "Das Barbecu" is sponsored in support of the Tamworth Farmers Market.

"Sylvia"

July 12, 2016 — The Barnstormers are in their 86th year this season, and their current home, Tamworth, New Hampshire, is celebrating its 250th anniversary, having been incorporated in 1766.  I traveled to the Barnstormers for the first time this season to see A. R. Gurney's "Sylvia."

Do you talk to your dog? Does your dog talk back? In Gurney's cleverly conceived comedy, "Sylvia," the dog is played by a human, and has conversations, some loving, some acrimonious, with the humans in her life. Other than that, she behaves...well...like a dog. Shayna Vercillo is Sylvia, a stray dog picked up by Greg (Blair Hundertmark) one day on a walk in the park. Greg is captivated by Sylvia and she bonds with him. Greg's wife, Kate (Madeleine Maby), is not so smitten with Sylvia.

Greg's devotion to Sylvia eventually puts his marriage in jeopardy. He has a chance meeting with a stranger in the dog park (Doug Shapiro), who's full of "expert" advice on how to manage a dog and marriage, his dog advice the more reliable. For example, he urges Greg to wait until Sylvia is in heat once before having her spayed so she'll have a female identity.

Later, Shapiro has his second turn as Kate's friend Phyllis (yes, Phyllis! Shapiro in drag alone was worth the price of admission). Phyllis' encounter with Sylvia is a disaster and is the last straw in Kate's view.

Still later, Greg and Kate have a session with a marriage counselor (Shapiro again, this time of uncertain gender). Their session leaves the counselor so confused, he escapes for a meeting with his (her?) own shrink.

Hundertmark and Maby, both good actors who make frequent appearances at the Barnstormers, were over-shadowed in this production by Vercillo's over-the-top performance as Sylvia, and Shapiro, one of the funniest men in New Hampshire theater, was way over-the-top, as usual, in his three roles.

Directed by Paul Mroczka, with an attractive set by Randall Parsons, the play, through all the chaos and laughs, has its tender moments. Check out Doug Shapiro's website. He's a very funny guy:

http://www.dougshapiro.com

"Raining Aluminum"

July 8, 2016 — I think it was playwright Noel Coward who said of acting, "Just remember your lines and don't bump into the furniture." Well, Coward should have seen this flawless opening night performance of "Raining Aluminum" at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Under the direction of Matt Cahoon, theatre KAPOW's manipulation of props, some quite large, went beyond anything Coward envisioned when he made his dismissive comment about acting. And as for remembering lines, Carey Cahoon's lengthy technical explanation of the process of detonation and explosion was a tour de force in memorization.

Also in the cast in this unique and creative production were Peter Josephson, Candace Gatzoulis and Rachael Chapin Longo. Music was provided by Cynthia MacLeod on fiddle and accordion and Nat Ward on guitar. Kelly Smith was the dramaturg. Puppets were used under the guidance of Vit Hořejš. Tayva Young was responsible for lighting design.

The one-hour play, over twenty months from conception to finished product, ties together two horrific human disasters, the Halifax, Nova Scotia, explosion of 1917 and the attacks of 9/11. There's nothing I can describe that wouldn't be a spoiler. Every moment of the play should be experienced without advance knowledge. New Hampshire is fortunate to have such a talented group as theatre KAPOW. Their fine work deserves a much broader audience.

"Annapurna"

July 6, 2016 — It was opening night and the New England premiere of Sharr White's new play, "Annapurna," at the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Only two actors held the stage for 90 minutes without intermission in an intense drama, often funny, sometimes poignant, by turns angry and compassionate. Gus Kaikkonen, the Players artistic director, as Ulysses, and Lisa Bostnar, who appears in many Players productions, as Emma, were mesmerizing in the range of emotions demanded by the script. The production was directed for the Players by Keith Stevens.

Emma, unexpected and unannounced, loaded with baggage, barges into Ulysses' realistically cluttered, messy trailer, the creation of scenic designer Charles Morgan and props designer Jessica Ayala. Ulysses is wearing nothing but an apron, occasionally revealing glimpses of his bare backside, much to Emma's disgust. Some of the funniest lines occur during this early portion of the play.

But as the play progresses, a dark side to these two very damaged individuals' relationship is revealed to us. They were once married. Emma's surprise entrance was their first meeting in twenty years. Ulysses is currently suffering from late-stage lung cancer. A poet, he hasn't published in many years. He has a history of drinking. Emma disappeared from his life, along with their five-year-old son, without warning or explanation, twenty years ago. Now here she stands in his run-down trailer in the Colorado mountains. There's much to account for. Forgiveness can be difficult, but not impossible. By the end, Ulysses and Emma have learned much, and so have we, the audience. The origin of the title, "Annapurna," is also revealed.

Unlike movies and television, where facial expressions can tell a lot about a character's feelings, actors on a live stage have to depend more on voice and body language, their faces not as visible to the audience, especially in the farther reaches of the theater. Both actors in this play were excellent, but from my seat just three rows back from the stage, Bostnar's expressions said volumes about her hurt and anger. She has appeared in movies and TV, and usually several productions at the Players during the summer. I always love to watch this gifted actress.

At curtain call, the audience showed their appreciation with a standing ovation for fine performances and the difficulty for only two actors carrying a play.

"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"

June 30, 2016 — I love the rusticity of this little theater, the rafters so low I instinctively duck as I walk in (although actually there's plenty of clearance), the rough, uneven floor boards, and the cow bell they ring to alert patrons the show is about to start, and again when it resumes after intermission. This year is the 84th anniversary of the New London Barn Playhouse. It's the oldest continuously operating summer theater in New Hampshire and it's on the New Hampshire Registry of Historic Sites.

The Barn, in the years I've been attending their shows, has been particularly good at staging musicals. Tonight's show was not among its best efforts in my opinion, but overall it was a pleasing show and an appreciative audience responded enthusiastically. "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" opened on Broadway in 1961 and won eight Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. With songs by Frank Loesser and libretto by Abe Burrows, it ran for 1,417 performances. Having spent the last twenty years of my career as a middle manager in a business environment, I can attest to the fact the 1961 play is still relevant today. The politics and rivalries haven't changed that much.

J. Pierrepont Finch (Daniel Schwartzberg), starting out as a window washer, follows the steps in a tutorial on how to move up in the business world as he climbs the corporate ladder at the World Wide Wicket Company. The powerful-voiced Ethan Watermeier portrays company president J. B. Biggley. Michael Hornig does a nice comic turn as Biggley's conniving nephew and Finch's main rival. Rosemary Pilkington (Allsun O'Malley) is Finch's oft-neglected love interest. Kelsey Seaman is perfect in the role of the flamboyant, sexy Hedy LaRue. I won't attempt to name the entire cast of more than twenty here, but all did a commendable job. Some of the solos were a bit uninspiring, and the orchestra at times sounded like an off-speed recording. The show was at its best in the big production numbers involving the entire cast, particularly near the end of the show.

Maggie Burrows directed this performance for the Barn. Jonathan K. Parks was the music director, and choreography was by Mike Kirsch. Jordan Janota designed the colorful set, and the performers moved their own props in and out between scenes.

"See you on the porch" is the Barn's well-known invitation, and I'll be seeing them at least a couple more times this season at this, one of my favorite New Hampshire theaters.

"Peter and the Starcatcher"

June 15, 2016 — Based on a novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, adapted for the stage by Rick Elise with music by Wayne Barker, this play is a prequel to the familiar Peter Pan story by Sir James M. Barrie. You'd be excused for thinking it's a children's play, but it's for all ages. Yes, children will enjoy it, but the grown-ups will pick up on the subtle adult themes, double entendres, puns and raucous Monty Pythonesque humor. All will be delighted by the frenetic energy of the play.

A highlight of the show for me was a wild song and dance number at the beginning of Act 2 featuring the lone female member of the cast and ten males in drag. The audience went wild. In fact, the audience was captivated by the play in a way I haven't seen in a long time

Directed by Neil Pankhurst for the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, with music directed and played on the electric keyboard  by Judy Hayward, choreography by Lisa Travis, set design by David Towlun and costume design by Daneé Rose Grillo, the play imagines events before the Peter Pan story we all know. We learn how a nameless boy orphan became Peter, about his relationship with Molly, the starcatcher of the title, and how a pirate captain lost his hand (it wasn't they way J. M. Barrie told it).

Katrina Michaels is Molly, the only female in the eleven-member cast as I mentioned before, although Charles Baran plays two female parts. Will Champion is the boy who became Peter, and Nicholas Wilder is perfectly cast as the pirate captain, Black Stache. We learn how he became known as Captain Hook near the end of the play. Wilder is a master of deliberately campy over-acting. He reminds me of performers of the old Monty Python's Flying Circus. He provided the biggest laughs of the show, which had many of them. The entire cast was excellent, and this first-night performance went off without a hitch.

"Heroes"

May 1, 2016 — The Northern New England Repertory Company presented "Heroes" by Gérald Sibleyras, translated from the French by Tom Stoppard, in the former courtroom converted to a theater in Whipple Memorial Town Hall in New London, New Hampshire. The Whipple doesn't have much in the way of theater technology. There's little to offer in lighting effects or sound. Seating is in individual chairs, with poor visibility of the rather low stage from the back of the room. Up until a few years ago, NNERep staged its plays in the much more modern and better-equipped Sawyer Hall, part of Colby-Sawyer College, also in New London just a short piece down Main Street.

In spite of its shortcomings, the Whipple drew a large audience on this rainy Sunday afternoon, almost completely filling the small theater. Strong performances by the three-man cast, directed by John Goodlin, were enthusiastically received.

It's 1959 in an old soldiers' home in France. World War I veterans Henri (Kevin Tarleton), Gustave (Mike Gregory, giving the strongest performance) and Philippe (Charley Freiberg) spend their days on the terrace, fighting boredom, talking about the war, women, arguing and generally annoying each other. "There are plenty of women here at the home." "Yes, but the fact they're all nuns is a drawback." Henri goes on a daily constitutional, hobbled by an ancient leg injury. Gustave, pompous and argumentative, has delusions of grandeur, and Philippe tends to frequently, but briefly, lose consciousness, due to shrapnel in his brain.

The three eventually hatch a plan — well, several hare-brained plans — to escape from the home. Gustave at first suggests they escape to Indo-China where they'll find the prettiest girls, but this is ruled out as impractical. They then propose a less ambitious plan to cross the fields and river to their beloved poplar trees they admire daily from the terrace. The French title of the play was "Le Vent des Peupliers" which translates to "The Wind in the Poplars." When it was translated to English, there was fear that might be mistaken for Kenneth Graham's "The Wind in the Willows," so they re-titled the English version "Heroes."

This was a play of gentle humor and chuckles. The three actors played off each other nicely. It was an afternoon well-spent. I recommend "Heroes" if it comes to your neighborhood.

"Grounded"

April 30, 2016 — It's a significant achievement when a lone actor can hold an audience's rapt attention for one hundred minutes without an intermission, but that's what theatre KAPOW's Carey Cahoon accomplished in "Grounded" by George Brant at the Derry Opera House in Derry, New Hampshire.

I've seen Carey, winner of the 2014 New Hampshire Theatre Award for Best Actress, in many fine performances, but this was one of her most intense. As a female fighter pilot (unnamed), she loves every aspect of her job, the thrill, the speed, the danger, even her flight suit, and the camaraderie with "my guys." It's what she lives for. But everything changes when she finds herself pregnant. Air Force regulations require she be grounded. After the birth of her daughter, she assumes she will be returned to her former job, but she's assigned to a drone, thousands of miles away, which she will control from a computer console in Las Vegas. Pilots derisively call it the "Chair Force."

On a stage with five video screens as a backdrop, and no other props other than a chair, Carey spills out her anger and frustration for more than an hour and a half over her loss of identity, her twelve-hour seven-day-a-week shifts, and none of the camaraderie she enjoyed as a pilot. With everyone working different shifts, there are no after-hours get-togethers. At the same time, she's devoted to her family. It's a case of a woman balancing job and family on a grand scale.

Directed by Matt Cahoon, with clever integration of video on the five screens by Nicole Porter, lighting design by Tayva Young, music by Nat Word, and Brad Fitzgerald manning the light board, this was a brilliant production all around. The audience was invited to remain after the show for a discussion of what they witnessed, In spite of the one hundred minutes without a break, most of us stayed another twenty minutes while Carey and Matt fielded questions and comments.

The final performance will be this afternoon at 2 p.m. If you miss that, there will be a scaled-back presentation at the Aviation Museum on June 3:

http://www.nhahs.org/

"Tilting Ground"

April 23, 2016 — The Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, is presenting the national premiere of "Tilting Ground" by Guy Hibbert, one of several premieres on their schedule this season. The three-actor play is directed by Neil Pankhurst. Mr. Hibbert should be pleased with this excellent production of his play.

The play opens with Jack (William Vaughn) arriving at the luxurious seaside home in Escondido, Mexico, his mother, Nancy (Pat Langille) has recently moved into. Nancy hasn't seen Jack, nor had any contact with him, in a year, but she's delighted to see him. Jack's father had passed away, leaving Nancy a widow. Nancy announces she has a surprise, and opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Then in walks Charles (Richard Brundage). Nancy announces she and Charles are married.

Charles is mild-mannered and affectionate, in contrast to Nancy's previous husband who was abusive and unloving. Nancy and Charles are deliriously happy together. At first, Jack seems happy to meet Charles, but there's an underlying tension. Jack adored his father, and resentment toward Charles starts to build.

As the play progresses, we learn Jack has squandered every cent of the inheritance his father left him and has done time in prison for assault during his year of absence. His heavy drinking and hostility toward Charles begin to tear apart Charles and Nancy's loving relationship. Still later, we learn Charles has unpleasant secrets of his own. Jack's increasing rage destroys his mother's happy, comfortable new life, and eventually leads to a violent act.

The play reminds us how fragile happiness is, and how easily resentment can destroy it. The performances by all three actors are excellent. This production lives up to the Winnipesaukee Players' long-standing reputation for quality theater. Check out their website for their playlist for the rest of the season:

http://www.winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org/

"Grace and Glorie"

March 19, 2016 — On a cold final day of winter, I was in Meredith, New Hampshire, for another live performance at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse. After lunch at Giuseppe's and some time to kill, I went for a stroll along the lakefront. It's been one of the warmest winters on record with no snow to be seen hardly anywhere in the southern third of the state, but on this day, with spring less than twenty-four hours away, the temperature was in the thirties with a bone-chilling wind. In spite of this brief cold snap, ice-out, the day the last of the ice disappears from  Lake Winnipesaukee, was declared yesterday, the earliest that has happened since record-keeping began.

"Grace and Glorie" by Tom Ziegler is being staged by the "Winni." Directed by Timothy L'Ecuyer, the two-woman play is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the fall. Grace (Barbara Webb) is 90 years old, illiterate, and suffering from terminal cancer. Gloria (Molly Parker Myers), who Grace insists on calling Glorie, is a hospice volunteer assigned to Grace's case.

Gloria is a native of New York City with an MBA and a wealthy lawyer husband. They have relocated to this part of Virginia for reasons that are revealed late in the play. She couldn't be more out of her element or ill-at-ease as she is in Grace's run-down one-room house, realistically imagined by set designer David Towlun, with a water pump and wood stove, a table and a few chairs and a bed in which Grace spends most of her time.

The two women get on each other's nerves as Gloria is frustrated by Grace's refusal to accept her help. Grace is offended by Gloria's New York ways, her helplessness in the antiquated kitchen, her sometimes crude language, and her absence of religious faith. Grace misinterprets Glorie's mission. "You're here to help me die?" she asks incredulously.

The two actresses carry the play beautifully. Funny, poignant, sometimes acrimonious, mostly heartwarming, Grace and Glorie bond with each other in spite of the vast differences in their cultures and attitudes. What they do have in common is their humanity. The sophisticated, educated, sometimes pretentious Gloria has much to learn from the blunt, no-nonsense Grace. In the end, they both need comforting, and find they can provide it for each other. The play was a rewarding experience for the audience.

Book Review

February 24, 2016 — This is my first attempt at a book review, but I was so captivated by this particular book that I felt compelled to write down my impressions of it. The book is Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson.

The fate of the Lusitania is well-known to most of us. The luxurious British ocean liner, world’s largest passenger ship in her day, on a voyage from New York to Liverpool, England, was sunk by a German torpedo off the coast of Ireland in 1915.  Over one thousand lives were lost, more than one hundred of them Americans. But knowing how it ends takes nothing away from the gripping suspense of Larson’s narrative. Thanks to the meticulous record-keeping of American and British authorities, ship’s logs and writings of survivors and witnesses, the book reads like a novel with intimate detail and deep insight into the personalities and mindsets of those involved.

Larson describes events leading up to World War I, introduces us to many of those involved in the drama, from passengers to various American and British officials, and key players such as William Turner, captain of the Lusitania, who remained on the bridge until the ship sank beneath the waves. He survived. There was the highly skilled, determined, ruthless U-boat captain, Walther Schwieger, who was credited with sinking a total of 190,000 tons of shipping, of which the Lusitania comprised about 16 per cent. And of course, President Woodrow Wilson, who kept America out of the war until 1917, while grief over his wife’s death over-shadowed some of the most difficult decisions an American president has had to make.

In many ways, the tragedy was unnecessary. The Lusitania expected an escort by the Royal Navy as it neared Liverpool. It didn’t get one. Schwieger’s U-boat had already sunk three ships and was known to be still patrolling waters in the Lusitania’s path, but this information was never relayed to Captain Turner. Schwieger, low on fuel  and with only three torpedoes left after his patrol of the North Atlantic, was headed for home port when he had his historic meeting with the Lusitania.

Larson’s description of the devastation and terror following the torpedo hit is so vivid it’s gut-wrenching to read. The Lusitania listed so badly and quickly, lifeboats had trouble launching. Some were upended, dumping forty or more passengers into the sea. Others, fully loaded, smashed against the side of the ship, killing some passengers instantly. Many didn’t know how to wear their life jackets correctly and were held head-first under water and drowned. Some were thrown into the water with no life jackets. There were many acts of heroism and sacrifice.

One particularly heart-breaking experience was that of seven-year-old Robert Kay. He had spent most of the trip in quarantine with measles. His mother, in the late stages of pregnancy, tried to carry him to a life boat, holding him close as they were thrown into the sea. They became separated and he never saw his mother again. Someone reported seeing a woman giving birth in the water. The possibility the woman could have been his mother haunted Robert the rest of his life.

It was three hours before rescue ships arrived. Many, floating in their life jackets, died of hypothermia in the 55-degree water. Of the nearly two thousand passengers, less than eight hundred survived. Six hundred were never found. Out of thirty-three infants aboard, six survived.

In the final chapters, Larson follows up with stories of the lives of the survivors in the years following the attack. A tireless researcher and master story-teller, Larson has written a remarkably thorough accounting of one of wartime's great tragedies.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"

February 7, 2016 — It was an ambitious undertaking for the Winni Players Community Theatre, but they proved themselves up to the daunting taak in every respect in their performance of the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Directed by Susanna Brent at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire, the intense drama held the audience's rapt attention for nearly three hours, including two brief intermissions.

On Big Daddy's 65th birthday, the Mississippi plantation owner's family has gathered to celebrate. Son Brick and his wife, Maggie, his other son Gooper and wife Mae and their five children (a sixth on the way) are all present. The family has lifted a great weight from Big Daddy and his wife, Big Mama, by informing them Big Daddy's exploratory surgery and battery of tests have found no evidence of the cancer they feared. But are they being truthful?

Over the course of one evening, old resentments and bad feelings boil to the surface. Alcoholic Brick, hobbled by a broken ankle, drowns his sorrows over his lost youth, football prowess, and death of a close male friend with whom he may or may not have had a gay relationship. Brick sleeps separately on the sofa, ignoring Maggie's endless tirades against his drinking and neglect. Big Daddy, loud and abusive, takes out his rage on everyone, especially Big Mama who tries unsuccessfully to appease him. Gooper, a successful lawyer, barely hides his contempt for his father and brother. Mae and Maggie engage in catty and sarcastic exchanges.

As he often does, Winni regular Ray Dudley steals the show with his thunderous portrayal of the explosive Big Daddy. You can't help but sympathize with the abused Big Mama as portrayed by Barbara Webb. Jamie M. Clavet is perfectly cast as the sexy, neglected Maggie. David T. Bleiler in many ways has the most challenging role as the heavy-drinking, depressed Brick. Connor D'Heilly and Margaret Lundberg are excellent as Gooper and Mae. Several supporting actors and five delightful children round out the cast in this, one of the best community players groups in New Hampshire, or anywhere else.

Windows 10 Upgrade

January 2, 2016 — A few days ago, after being tempted for several months by the frequent pop-ups from Microsoft urging me to take advantage of their offer of a free Windows 10 upgrade, which assured me my PC was compatible, I decided to upgrade. Rather than take Microsoft's word for compatibility, I proceeded to Google all the apps on my PC I can't live without and determined they were all Windows 10-compatible. The pop-ups offer the options of upgrading immediately or downloading for later upgrade. I chose the download, but was then given the option again of updating immediately or choosing from three dates, the latest three days from the current date, with no other option and seemingly no way to opt out. So having already determined my important programs were compatible, I decided to upgrade immediately.

I was upgrading from Windows 7, the only version ever to run on my 4-year-old HP Touch-Smart desktop PC. I had never installed Windows 8 because of all the bad press it had gotten. The Windows 10 upgrade went smoothly and took about 90 minutes. It's loaded with features, most of which I have no use for and disabled during the upgrade.The familiar Explorer still looks the same, and all my folders and files remained in the same order as before.

I haven't run into any serious problems, but I've encountered a few bugs of the annoying variety, and I just don't like some of the changes to system settings. Screen background doesn't seem to work properly, I can't figure out how to enable sounds for program events, the start menu sometimes fails to open and I have to restart Windows to recover it, and my administrator login has disappeared.

Internet Explorer has been replaced by Internet Edge. I transferred my bookmarks from Firefox, but now when I click on Bookmarks in Edge, it causes Edge to close, so I can't use bookmarks, severely limiting Edge's usefulness. But it doesn't matter. I had planned to stick with Firefox anyway.  All my applications work as before, no problem with internet or email access, and I can network with my Macbook Pro as I always have.

Overall, I can't find much reason to recommend Windows 10. I can't comment on Windows 8 because I've never used it, but if you're running Windows 7 with no problems, I suggest sticking with it. Windows 10 is no improvement over 7, or Vista for that matter, at least for my purposes.