"The Stranger"

July 28, 2023 — The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, New Hampshire, has presented many Agatha Christie plays in its 93 years, and does them better than anyone. Many are repeated every few years, but they had never staged The Stranger before, and I had never seen nor heard of it. It's one of Christie's early plays based on her short story Philomel Cottage, a psychological thriller.

The play is relatively short with a small cast, but the Barnstormers included an intermission because its regulars would be disappointed if they couldn't take a break and purchase chocolate chip cookies and lemonade, as well as "adult" drinks.

In a beautifully-constructed flat (thanks to scenic designer Gaya Chatterjee), Enid (Aimee Doherty) is confiding to her friend Doris (Darien Crago) that her years-long engagement to Dick (John Long) seems it may never end. Mrs. Huggins, the maid (Cheryl Mullings, one of my favorite Barnstormers regulars) announces a stranger will be coming to see a flat that evening. Only a maid, Mullings still gets plenty of stage time, and even gets to briefly demonstrate her operatic soprano voice.

The stranger, Gerald Strange (Robert St. Laurence), is greeted on arrival by Enid. She's so instantly smitten by him she can't hide it, and he seems equally enthralled by her. Their conversation quickly turns flirtatious. The very next day, Enid breaks the news to Dick that she can't marry him, there's somone else. He takes the news stoically and leaves.

Act II opens in the completely new setting of the living room of a cottage in the country, again thanks to designer Chatterjee and the production staff. Enid and Gerald have been living here for three months. Another maid, Mrs. Birch, is also played by Mullings in different dress and personality. When questioned by Enid about Gerald, she cryptically states that you never know what men may do.

Enid begins to find disturbing things about Gerald. A collection of books about crime, a locked desk, and what happens when the clock strikes 9. You can see the beginnings of Dame Agatha's style of vague hints, offset by red herrings, that were hallmarks of her work. Enid and Gerald's relationship dissolves into accusations, screaming, threats and physical violence.

This is not a play that ends neatly with all the loose ends tied up. You leave asking yourself, "Now what did I just witness?" You're left to reach your own conclusions. If you see it, let me know what your conclusions are, and I'll tell you  mine.

Dan Winerman directed this production, Deirdre Benson was production stage manager and Sara MacIntyre her assistant. Lily Bitner designed props and Kevin Dunn lighting. Chelsie Cartledge-Rose designed costumes and Kimberly O'Loughlin sound. Violence coordinator? Fight Captain? Wow! Those were the responsibilities of Robert St. Laurence who played Gerald. So now you know this wasn't just another English play of manners.

Misselwood Concours d'Elegance

July 23, 2023 — If I only went to one car show a year, it would be the Misselwood Concours d'Elegance at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. Situated high above the Atlantic with spectacular views of the sea, it's one of the most photogenic locations for a car show in the nation. Adhering to Concours d'Elegance rules, any car appearing at a show can't return for three years, assuring all different cars most years. The show attracts some very high quality cars, old and new, from all over the country.

Divided up into sections on different levels on the hilly Misselwood campus, every section seems like another car show as you stroll the property. The Misselwood House is the centerpiece, and several quiet, nicely furnished rooms with paintings and well-stocked bookshelves are open to visitors. A large tent with a cafeteria and tables and chairs is free to $100 VIP ticket holders. Be advised, the price is going up each year. General admission was $45 this year.

To convince yourself that you should go, take a look at my photographic coverage of this year's event at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/misselwood23/

Lakes Region Rotary

July 22, 2023 — The Lakes Region Rotary Charity Car Show was held on the 70 North Kitchen & Market property at Weirs Beach, New Hampshire, on one of the better days we've seen in this summer of unsettled weather. All proceeds from this show go to local charitable organizations.

Turnout was high with show cars filling almost all of the sprawling property. There were so many spectators it was difficult to move about without bumping into people. It made photography a bit challenging. There was a good mix of old and new, classic and custom. A Rolls-Royce shared space with street rods. Open this link for a sampling of the types of vehicles the show had to offer:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/lakesregion23/

"Shout! The Mod Musical"

July 20, 2023 — For the second show of its 20th professional season, the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in Meredith, New Hampshire chose Shout! The Mod Musical. Performed on the outdoor stage built in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to better protect patrons from the spread of disease, the stage has become a permanent part of the "Winni's" venue. This afternoon's show was presented on the day we've been waiting for all this hot, humid summer with showers and thunderstorms in the forecast almost every day and air polluted by smoke from Canadian forest fires. Today was in the mid-80s, low humidity and clear blue skies.

The show featured five young, talented women with great voices. Their characters were identified only as Yellow Girl (Deijah Faulkner), Green Girl, (Dwan Hayes), Red Girl (Sabrina Koss), Orange Girl (Kelsey McCollaum) and Blue Girl (Emily Song Tyler). The colors referred to the color of their dresses. Great idea! It made them the easiest to identify of any cast I've reviewed in years.

The setting is England in the sixties. Four of the girls are English and one (Yellow Girl) is the only American who has come in hopes of meeting former Beatle Paul McCartney. Each has her own backstory told in song and dialog, and they all refer to a magazine named Shout! for advice on fashion, relationships, love, marriage, etc. An off-stage voice of the magazine advises them, often in unflattering ways. The music is all from the sixties, much of it familiar, such as Wishin' and Hopin', Son of a Preacher Man, Your My World, Downtown and more, all performed with rousing enthusiasm by the five women.

As I looked around at the audience, I noticed a majority were in my age range, no doubt attracted by the music of their era. I hope more of today's 20 and 30-somethings will come to see this show and hear some of the finest pop music produced in living memory. Taylor Swift? Really, now!

Shout! The Mod Musical was created by Phillip George and David Lowenstein. The Winni performance was directed by Timothy L'Ecuyer. Choreography was by Ashley Meeken. Judy Hayward was the music director and Andrew Burns designed costumes.

Aviation Museum Classic Auto Show

July 15, 2023 — Once again, we had to watch the skies at a car show because of forecast for "chance of showers." Also once again, we got through the show before showers arrived, but dull, overcast skies and high humidity ruled the day.

I probably spent more time than I intended on two military vehicles, but as I was admiring them, the kind lady who owned one of them invited me to sit in the drivers' seats, climb to the gun turrets in each vehicle, and offered to photograph me while I was at it. Who could refuse that offer? The Humvee and the M35A2, both fully equipped for war, shown in great detail, are the main attraction, not me.

The rest of the show was a good mix of classics, muscle cars and customs, including a few late models. It can all be seen at the following link, including more than you ever wanted to see of me:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/aviation2023/

BSAAC Car Show

July 9, 2023 — Like so many this season, the Bay State Antique Auto Club show was threatened by rain, or at least pop-up showers. Held on the grassy fields of the spacious Endicott estate in Dedham, Massachusetts, it's a rain-or-shine show. It goes on regardless of weather. 

At least at the Endicott, there are plenty of places to duck for cover, including several cupolas and the large back porch of the mansion. This particular day was overcast and humid, but luck was with us and there was no rain during the show's allotted time.

This is a show that has hosted over one thousand cars some years, but hasn't reached that figure in several seasons. This year the smaller attendance made it necessary to re-draw the divisions between various classes, always carefully separated at BSAAC shows. There's a custom and street rod section, a section for unmodified standards, a truck section, and a few individual makes get their own sections, such as Cadillac. The centerpiece for the show is the Endicott mansion, and the most outstanding cars get an honored spot on the front lawn.

Although smaller than past BSAAC shows, this show still had a large turnout by the standards of the region, with a good variety. You can see a sampling of them at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/endicott2023/

4th of July in a Small Town

July 4, 2023 — You may have your Fourth of July celebrations in big cities with dozens of bands, huge floats, soaring speeches and moving memorials, all very inspiring of course, but to me there's nothing like a small town observance where many participants and spectators know each other, parades march along shady town streets, past town commons, and of course fireworks, just not quite as spectacular as New York and Boston.

Amherst, New Hampshire is typical of celebrations of the Fourth in small communities all over America. I wasn't there for the fireworks the evening before, but I captured video and a couple of pages of photos of activities on July 4.

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/amherst4th2023/

Nao Trinidad in Newburyport

July 1, 2023 — The Custom House Maritime Museum is hosting the tall ship replica Nao Trinidad July 1-9. Magellan's original Nao Trinidad sailed around the world between 1519 and 1522, an incredible achievement for those times. The ship is docked at the Newburyport, Massachusetts waterfront, and visitors are welcome to explore it. Caution is advised. It has three levels, accessed via steep, narrow stairways, called "ladders" in nautical terms. They recommend you descend backwards as you would any normal ladder.

In the nearby Maritime Museum you'll find history of the original Nao Trinidad, along with videos of the replica's construction and footage of it on the water in full sail. You'll also find much history, artifacts and various memorabilia about Newburyport's past as a major American seaport.

Even after the Nao Trinidad is gone, Newburyport is a fascinating city to visit, rich in history and an excellent walking and biking city. You can see my brief coverage at this link which hardly does it justice:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/naotrinidad/

Medfield on the Charles

June 25, 2023 — Medfield on the Charles Antique Auto Show, a sprawling show on the spacious grounds of the former Medfield State Hospital, like so many car shows and other outdoor events so far this spring and early summer, was held under the threat of spot showers and thunderstorms, but luckily none came.

The self-proclaimed "New England's Premier Auto Show," a bit of an over-statement, hosted hundreds of show cars and drew an impressive number of spectators, but was below turnout of previous years, possibly due to uncertain weather forecasts. As usual, one large field was dedicated to Corvettes.

Still, it was a productive show for photographers. You can view the results of my efforts at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/medfield2023/