September 6, 2007

Fall 2007 exposed!
The naked truth on arts, music and more
Compiled by Lisa Parsons, Heidi Masek and Amy Diaz news@hippopress.com

The guys of The Full Monty aren’t the only ones heating up the fall.

Fall in southern New Hampshire means a scene as lively as the colors of the leaves. And whether your scene is arts, music, food or festivals, there’s plenty to do to get you out into the world before the winter hibernation begins.

Naked guys
Palace starts season with The Full Monty
Get ready to see the full monty, ladies. Sort of. The Palace Theatre is using some creative back lighting to obscure naked actors’ parts during The Full Monty, which kicks off their 2007-2008 “Broadway in NH” series. The term refers to gentlemen strippers taking it all off. The musical is loosely based on the 1997 British film, but is set in early 1990s Buffalo. The change was probably done to create more familiar references for American audiences, said Rebecca Peterson, who plays the ex-wife of Jerry, an unemployed steel worker about to lose custody of his son because he can’t pay child support. Jerry and his jobless friends notice how popular a visiting Chippendales show is, and overhear women wishing the strippers would go “full monty.” Jerry and his buddies see an income opportunity.

“I think it’s the type of story men can relate to,” Peterson said. With the steel mill closed, the guys feel like “bums,” yet they can’t bring themselves to take the jobs offered by their wives, who are all still working.

The professional actors come from New York, where the Palace is gaining recognition as a regional theater, Peterson said. Peterson, now the Palace marketing director, is a former New Yorker herself. The Full Monty is recommended for audiences 18 and older. Shows are Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sept. 14 through Sept. 22 at 80 Hanover St. in Manchester. Ticket costs range from $20 to $40. Call 668-5588. — Heidi Masek

Theory of everything
Physics, TV, Iceland and a Nashua writer figure into YTP show

Jacqueline Reingold admits that she wasn’t well-versed in physics before she wrote String Fever.

“The play started as a commission for the Sloan Foundation, which commissions playwrights to write about science and technology. I had an idea that started with string theory ... ‘What if I wrote a play that reflected the structure of physics?’” the New York City playwright, screenwriter and TV writer said.

“String theory is a theory of modern physics that posits that the tiniest bit of matter is not a particle but a tiny string,” Reingold said. “It solves a basic problem in physics that exists between quantum mechanics and general relativity,” she said. It’s “exciting” that there could be a “theory of everything,” she said. However, there’s a problem in that string theory requires 10 or 11 dimensions.

String Fever doesn’t end up in 10 or 11 dimensions; it ends up in Reykjavik, Iceland. “It’s a comedy,” Reingold said.

Yellow Taxi Productions, a professional company that opened in 2002 in southern New Hampshire, presents String Fever Oct. 12 through Oct. 20 in Nashua. Reingold was an advisor to YTP’s playwright-in-residence, Lowell Williams, of Nashua, when he was an MFA student at Goddard College in Vermont.

Before Reigngold started researching physics for String Fever, “I knew nothing. I don’t even know where the idea came from,” Reingold said. She developed characters and then looked for “a personal way into the material.”

“I came up with this story about a women turning 40 who encounters string theory and thinks it will bring new meaning to her life at this crossroads,” Reingold said.

Lily learns about string theory when she meets a man who happens to be string theory physicist. “She starts to apply those ideas to her personal crisis,” Reingold said. As the man starts to disappoint her, so does the theory, Reingold said. Lily’s life is intertwined with a cranky father, an Icelandic comedian and a best friend who followed a man to Iowa.

“I would say that some of characters [are] loosely inspired by people I know,” Reingold said. The 40-year mark was in her sights when she wrote it. It was produced off-Broadway in New York at Ensemble Studio Theatre in 2003 starring Cynthia Nixon and Evan Handler, who appeared in Sex in the City. Reingold saw the role of Lily as a departure from Nixon’s “Miranda.”

“The character in the play is much softer and more vulnerable,” Reingold said.

Research still demands Reingold’s time as a writer for Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Recently, she and the other show writers spent time discussing dying by being strangled and by being hanged with their advising medical examiner. It’s not that gruesome, she said. Her priority is writing well, quickly. They produce 22 shows per season.

“I’ll work on one play for a few years,” she said, in contrast. “My heart is in the playwriting but TV writing actually pays,” she said. She’s currently working an a script called A Story About a Girl, which recently had a workshop production at Portland Center Stage in Oregon.

Reingold probably won’t be able to get away from Law and Order duties to see Yellow Taxi’s production. “Lowell was great, wonderfully talented,” she said. YTP premiered his Six Nights in the Black Belt in May. He won a NH Theatre Award for The Warmth of the Cold and an AACT Drama Festival award for Feeding the Ducks.

Leah Belanger directs String Fever for YTP. She took over a lead role on short notice for Yellow Taxi’s August production of Indoor/Outdoor. Belanger is the director of education at the Acting Loft in Manchester. — Heidi Masek

Physics lesson
String Fever, by Jacqueline Reingold, presented by Yellow Taxi Productions, Oct. 12-20, at the Hunt Memorial Building, 6 Main St., Nashua, yellowtaxiproductions.org, 661-3879.

Theater
• Acting Loft: In addition to its classes and workshops, the Acting Loft, 516 Pine St. in Manchester, 666-5999, www.actingloft.org, will present Pirates of Penzance Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 as well as a Christmas show in December.
• Actorsingers: The Nashua theater group Actorsingers will present Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Edmund Keefe Auditorium, corner of Elm and Lake streets in Nashua, Nov. 9 through 11. For tickets and more information, go to www.actorsingers.org.
• Audi: Concord City Auditorium (39 Green St., Concord, 228-2793, www.concordcityauditorium.org) presents a fall season of theater that kicks off with the Gala Season Opener on Sept. 16, a showcase of the music, theater, dance, comedy and lectures for the 2007-2008 season. Also showing this fall are the Children’s Theatre Project production of Charlotte’s Web on Oct. 20 and the American Theater Arts for Youth production of A Christmas Carol on Nov. 27. The Audi also hosts a lecture series: author Pete Earley discusses his book Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health System on Oct. 11; “Isreal!” with Fran Reidelberger is on Oct. 31, “Venture to Alaska” with Dale Johnson on Nov. 7 and “La Manche, the English Channel” with Monty & Marsha Brown on Nov. 28.
• Bedford Off Broadway: Bedford Off Broadway, bedfordoffbroadway.com, will present James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter on Oct. 12, 13, 19 and 20 at the Bedford Old Town Hall, one of the group’s two annual productions.
• Best Foot Forward Productions: Best Foot Forward, www.freewebs.com/bestfootforwardproductions/currentseason.htm, will start its season with Once Upon a Mattress Nov. 1 through 3 at the Adams Opera House in Derry. The company will also offer an evening of adult one-acts (leave the kids at home, the Web site warns) on Nov. 16 and 17 at Bedford Town Hall.
• Cap Center: The Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, www.ccanh.com, will present Menopause the Musical Sept. 26 through 30, the American Girl Fashion Show Nov. 3 and 4, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley on Nov. 30 and The Nutcracker Dec. 14 and 15.
• Concord Community Players: The Concord Community Players, www.communityplayersofconcord.org, will present Gypsy Nov. 15 through 18 at the Concord City Auditorium as well as Charles Dickens’ Ghost Stories, adapted by David John Preece, Oct. 25 though 27. The Children’s Theater Project will present Charlotte Web on Oct. 19 and 20.
• Ghostlight Theater: The Nashua-based theater group will present Cannibal! The Musical. Go to www.ghostlighttheater.org for dates and details.
• MaDCo: Music And Drama Company, www.madco.org, will present The Diary of Anne Frank on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 at the Jewish Federation Building, 698 Beech St. in Manchester. The production will feature an all-ages cast; auditions are Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Jewish Federation Building.
• Majestic performances: At the Majestic Theatre (281 Cartier St., Manchester, 669-7469, www.majestictheatre.net), the season begins on Sept. 7 with Celebrate America, a patriotic musical revue that also runs Sept. 8, 14 and 15. Also this season are Sleepy Hollow, Oct. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 and The Sound of Music Oct. 26, 27 and 28 and Nov. 2, 3, and 4.
• Merrimack Repertory Theatre: The Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 132 Warren St. in Lowell, 978-654-7596, www.merrimackrep.org, will present The Pursuit of Happiness by Richard Dresser on Oct. 4 through 28 and Tunney/Shakespeare in Six Rounds by David E. Lane on Nov. 15 through Dec. 9.
• Milford Area Players: The Milford Area Players, www.milfordareaplayers.org, will present a free staged reading of Gun-Shy on Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Amato Performing Arts Center, 56 Mont Vernon St., Route 13, in Milford. Also at Amato, Milford Players will present Don’t Dress for Dinner Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 and Inspecting Carol Dec. 7 through 9.
• Nashua Theatre Guild: The Nashua Theatre Guild will present Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott, Oct. 11 through 14 at the Court Street Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua. The company will also stage Donald Marguiles’ Dinner with Friends in winter 2008. For more information on this and other upcoming Guild shows, go to www.nashuatheatreguild.org.
• New England Fringe Festival: The Festival takes place Sept. 15 through 30 in Nashua and Roxbury, Mass., and includes plays, one-man productions, musicals and dance. $10 gets you a ticket to any one of the shows. The productions in Nashua will be held at the Court Street Theatre, 14 Court St., and will run Sept. 25 through 28. Productions include BP and the Buj, Cynthia’s Big Dream, 45 in 40, Be Careful — The Bawdy Ladies, Immersion Dance “Conversations” and Cannibal the Musical.
• At the Palace: At the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Man­chester, 668-5588, palace­theatre.org), the season starts off with The Full Monty on Sept. 14 , 15, 21 and 22 and the Palace Youth Theatre’s The Aristocrats Jr. on Sept. 6 and 7. Also this season, look for The Magic of Lyn on Oct. 5; West Side Story on Oct. 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20; Mulan from Palace Youth Theatre on Oct. 24 and 25; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 30 and 31; Dreamgirls on Nov. 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17; The Nutcracker on Nov. 29 and 30 and Dec. 1 and 2; A Christmas Carol Dec. 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23, and A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail on Dec. 18 and 19.
• Take the kids to Peacock Players: The kid-focused Nashua theater group Peacock Players, 14 Court St., Nashua, 886-7000, www.peacockplayers.org, will kick off its fall season with Alice in Wonderland Oct. 5 through 7. Other fall productions include Smokey Joe’s Café Nov. 30 through Dec. 9 and the second annual Peacock Players Christmas Spectacular Dec. 21 through 23.
• Peterborough Players: The Peterborough Players (55 Hadley Road in Peterborough, 924-7585, www.peterboroughplayers.org) will continue their season (it began in June) through September with A Doll House, a new translation by Gus Kaikkonen of the Henrik Ibsen play, Sept. 5 through 16 and I Am My Own Wife Sept. 16 through 30.
• Saint Anselm College: The Dana Center at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, 641-7000, www.anselm.edu) will offer theatrical productions this fall including The Capitol Steps on Oct. 27; the Ballet Hispanico on Nov. 2; Antigone by the New Art Theatre on Nov. 8; Miss Nelson Has a Field Day from the Omaha Theatre Company for Young People on Nov. 9; The Shadow Box from the Anselmian Abbey Players on Nov. 15; A Christmas Carol by the Nebraska Theatre Caravan on Nov. 29, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales performed by New Art Theatre.
• The Seacoast Repertory Theater: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St. in Portsmouth, 433-4472, www.seacoastrep.org, will kick off the month with She %$#!-ing Hates Me on Sept. 7 and 8. The month continues with The Oz Nursing Home on Sept. 23 and 24 and Susan Poulin’s In My Head I’m Thin on Sept. 29 through 30. In October, look for As You Like It on Oct. 11 and 12. In November, the theater will offer 101 Dalmations Nov. 3 through 11 and A Christmas Story Nov. 23 through Dec. 30.
• From Yellow Taxi: Nashua’s edgier theater group Yellow Taxi Productions, www.yellowtaxiproductions.org, will present String Fever on Oct. 12 through 20 and Fully Committed Dec. 7 and 8, both at the Hunt Building in Nashua. The group will also present a staged reading of The Straight Line on Sept. 17.
• My Name is Rachel Corrie: New Hampshire Community Technical College, 505 Amherst St. in Nashua, will host My Name is Rachel Corrie, a one-woman play about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, on Sept. 7 at noon and 7 p.m. on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation. Call 428-3544 for more information.

Bel Esprit evolves
Coagulation Festival and West Merrimack Street Fair new at Manchester festival

Last year, the Manchester Artists Association annual park art show and Mill City Festival joined with a few other organizations in Manchester to form Bel Esprit Arts and Cultural Weekend. Originally called Riverfest, the old Arms Park event had turned into a carnival, said organizer Jane Beaulieu. Activities moved to the downtown area, and this year the weekend of Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9, have two major new comers.

The Coagulation Music and Art Festival @ Bel Esprit is being organized by people associated with Bridge Café. The Coagulation tent at Victory Park, at Concord and Chestnut streets, on Sunday, Sept. 9, will have live music from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. including Adria, Scandal in Bohemia, Skip Town, Teenage Hooker Factory, and Fetish Chicken. Bridge café will be selling food, and there will be space for artists to show work, Beaulieu said. See the schedule at myspace.com/212504461.

Greg Barrett of Kas-Bar Realty is organizing the first annual West Merrimack Street fair Saturday, Sept. 8, from noon to 5 p.m.: “This particular event came into fruition to celebrate ... the diversity of all the people who have moved into downtown Manchester,” Barrett said.

“We’re striving to be extremely diverse,” he said. Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns are placed next to each other, and Islamic vendors next to Jewish ones at the fair. The wide variety of entertainment includes Christian rock. The fair features a “drag race” in which guys compete in an obstacle course. They have to run from one station to the next, putting on wigs, make-up, high heels and a dress. A theater group is performing the “Wake of Mattie O’Malley.” The Manchester Historic Association is putting together a tour of historic apartments in conjunction with the event. There’s going to be a camel from Pembroke, and possibly a miniature donkey. Barrett also hopes to organize a mayoral debate.

“It started out small and just became very infectious with people wanting to be part of the event,” Barrett said.

The MHA is running a historic trolley tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday from Veterans Park. The Manchester City Library is holding a Rainforest Safari at 11:30 p.m. Saturday in Victory Park, and the Cajun band Tatoo plays there at 1 p.m. Victory will host local music and an African cultural tent. The Manchester City Library is hosting a book sale. The Franco-American Centre hosts a French café from noon to 8 p.m. and a Josee Vachon concert at 7 p.m. ($20, $10 for students). The Amoskeag Bug Ball is happening at Amoskeag Fishways and a free trolley will be available between many of the venues. The Verizon Wireless Arena is hosting the “Spirit of America” military band show which offers free admission at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, Veterans Park hosts a table tennis exhibition with the third-ranked player in the world. The MAA Art in the Park show runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days in Veterans Park, on Elm Street, with about 50 artists participating (manchester-artists.org).

Beaulieu said the Mill City Festival she started five years ago has been “rolled into Bell Esprit.” She is currently a candidate for mayor and a state representative.

For details, contact Beaulieu at 203-8440 or Barrett at 624-1766 x 14. — Heidi Masek

Art
• Art Concord: Concord will hold its open-door-night tour of galleries and studios on Oct. 12 and Nov. 16, both from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information and a list of participating galleries, go to www.concordnhchamber.com/artconcord.htm.
• Art on the Common: Check out the second annual multi-artist show in Londonderry at Art on the Common, on the town common at Mammoth Road and Pillsbury Road in Londonderry, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go to londonderryculture.org or call 432-2447.
• ArtWalk Nashua: Nashua’s studios downtown and in the city’s millyards will open for two tours this fall — Saturday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Nov. 24, from 1 to 7 p.m. For more information about the participating galleries, go to artwalknashua.org.
• Open Doors Manchester: Studios, museums and galleries around Manchester will open their doors as part of this art tour of the city, and trolleys will run between the sites. For more information, call 666-6600, ext. 103. This fall, the Open Doors Manchester will be held Thursdays, Sept. 20 and Nov. 29, from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Andres Institute: The Andres Institute of Art’s Sculpture Park in Brookline will offer a guided hike on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. The Institute’s annual symposium will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 21 and feature additional guided hikes. Go to www.andresinstitute.org.
• Art 3 Gallery: Art 3 Gallery, 44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-9983, www.art3gallery.com, will get into the primary spirit with “Primary Colors,” which features works playing on both meaningss of the title and which runs Sept. 10 through Nov. 2 with a reception during Open Doors Manchester on Sept. 20 (5 to 8 p.m.). The winter show “Good Neighbors” will open in late fall with a reception on Nov. 29 from 5 to 8 p.m.
• Art Gallery at EW Poore: The gallery at E.W. Poore, 531 Front St. in Manchester, 622-3802, is hosting an exhibit of the works of its art instructors through Sept. 22. In October, Yvonne Wheeler will exhibit her paintings and pastel works (Oct. 3 through 27) with a reception on Oct. 11 (5 to 7:30 p.m.). In November and December, the gallery will hold its annual Miniature Art Show.
• Chapel Art Center: The gallery at Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, 641-7000, www.anselm.edu, starts out with the exhibit “Passages,” collage work by Fr. James Palmigiano that runs Sept. 28 through Oct. 27, with a reception on Thursday, Sept. 27 (6 to 8 p.m.). “Monotypes” opens on Oct. 12 and runs through Oct. 27, with a reception on Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. This exhibit looks at Carol Odell’s prints. The Fine Arts Department faculty exhibition runs Nov. 9 through Dec. 8 with a reception on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. The exhibit will include paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture.
• Chimera Gallery: The Chimera Gallery, 99 Factory St. Ext., Nashua, chimeragallery.net, will have a champagne reception during the Art Walk on Sept. 15. The accompanying show, called “The Children’s Hour” will feature fine art and photojournalistic images of children. The show will run through Oct. 27.
• Currier Museum of Art: Manchester’s biggest museum is still closed for renovations (check out the Web site for photos of the progress). But the Currier will continues to offer events out of its downtown store front, 52 Hanover St., Manchester, and hold classes for kids, teens and adults at its Art Center, 180 Pearl St., Manchester. At the Hanover Street storefront, check out the Art Center faculty exhibition, running September through December, the Family Wednesday programs (3 to 5 p.m. most Wednesdays) and monthly Art Bites programs held at 12:30 p.m. Classes at the Art Center start Sept. 24. Go to www.currier.org.
• East Colony Fine Art Gallery: East Colony, Langer Place, 55 S. Commercial St. in Manchester, 621-7400, www.eastcolony.com, will feature artists Roxanne Labbe (oil and colored pencil abstract paintings) and Judy McLean (watercolor and acrylic paintings) through Sept. 22 with a reception held during Open Doors Manchester on Sept. 20 (5 to 8 p.m.). For information on events and exhibits at other galleries in Langer Place, go to www.langerplace.com.
• The Gallery at 2 Pillsbury: Formerly the owner of Anderson-Soule Gallery in Concord, Trish Anderson-Soule is an independent art consultant and mounts exhibits at The Gallery at 2 Pillsbury, 2 Pillsbury St. in Concord, 228-3800, www.anderson-soulegallery.com. The exhibit Summer Respite (featuring new works by Megan Burns, Colin Callahan, Christine Destrempes, David Dodge, Mary Graham, Melissa Hinebauch, Helen Pierce and Ian Torney) will run through Oct. 6.
• Hollis Fine Arts Festival: The Hollis Fine Arts Festival will take place on Oct. 13 and 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Nichols Field, Depot Road in Hollis.
• MAA Gallery: The Manchester Artists Association Gallery, 1528 Elm St. in Manchester, 785-6437, www.manchester-artists.org, is currently featuring “Art Horizons,” the reception for which will be Sept. 20. “Holiday Flair” will open Oct. 28 (the day “Art Horizons” closes) and run through Jan. 6.
• McGowan: McGowan Fine Art, 10 Hills Ave. in Concord, 225-2515, www.mcgowanfineart.com, will show “Audubon/Augury” featuring the work of Jane Goldman Sept. 4 through Oct. 5 with a reception on Sept. 7 (5 to 7 p.m.). The exhibit features watercolors and prints. An exhibit of Catherine Tuttle’s works will run Oct. 9 through Nov. 16 (with a reception Oct. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m.) and an exhibit to Melissa A. Miller will run Nov. 26 through Dec. 28 (with a reception Dec. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.).
• McInich Art Gallery: The gallery at Southern New Hampshire University, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester, 800-668-1249, www.snhu.edu, will start fall with the exhibit “Go Figure! The figure in contemporary art, a response to art history,” which will run Sept. 21 through Oct. 25 and kick off with a reception on Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. “Every Picture Tells a Story: Myths, Messages and Morals,” an exhibit of cotemporary paintings, will run Nov. 2 through Dec. 13 and kick off with a reception on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
• Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden: Mill Brook, 236 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 226-2046, www.themillbrookgallery.com, will hold its outdoor show through Oct. 20. The fall painting exhibit, featuring about a dozen gallery artists, will open Sept. 14 and run through Dec. 24, with a reception on Sept. 14 (5 to 8 p.m.). Other exhibits include “Pottery” by Glen MacInnis; “Wild Life Bronze Sculpture” by David Smus; “Katrina-and All That Jazz” mixed-media collages by Susan Rock, and work from The Ten Merrimack River Painters. Call or go online for exhibit dates and receptions.
• Museum of New Hampshire History: The Museum of New Hampshire History, 6 Eagle Square, Concord, 228-6688, www.nhhistory.org, will close its exhibit of landscape paintings called “Consuming Views: Art and Tourism in the White Mountains, 1850-1900” on Oct. 8. Opening Sept. 8 at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park St. in Concord, is “New Hampshire: A Proven Primary Tradition,” an exhibit that looks at the history and importance of the New Hampshire primary. A reception for the exhibit will be held Sept. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Sept. 29, the museum will participate in Museum Day, which is sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine. Go to www.smithsonian.com/museumdaycard to print out a card to receive free admission. Ongoing exhibits at the museum include “New Hampshire through Many Eyes” (a panorama of state history) and “The Mystery Stone.”
• Nashua Library: Mary Churchill, a Nashua artist, will have her works on display in the Image Gallery of the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua, 589-4610, www.nashualibrary.org, in September and October. Her subjects include children, animals and the sea. View her works at www.yongchen.com/churchhill. A reception will be held during Art Walk on Sept. 15 (1 to 5:30 p.m.).
• New Hampshire Institute of Art: The NHIA, 148 Concord St., Manchester, 866-241-4918, www.nhia.edu, will kick off fall with a sidewalk art festival in Victory Park in Manchester on Sept. 22 (rain date on Sept. 22). The 2007 Faculty Show will continue through Sept. 22. “Woven and Felted: Micala Sidore and Beth Beede” will run Oct. 4 through Nov. 3. The Biennial 2007 will run Nov. 15 through Dec. 15.

Concerts
• Granite State Symphony: The upcoming concerts of the Granite State Symphony (www.gsso.org) include Chopin’s Piano Concert #1, Beethoven’s Egmont Oveture, Mozart’s Symphony #41 “Jupiter” in a concert with George Lopez, piano soloist, on Oct. 6; Rheinberger’s Organ Concerto, Leclai’s Sonata in D, Albinoni’s Adagio and Mozart’s Divertimento in F with soloist Mark Frazier on organ at the South Congregational Church on Nov. 10; holiday pops on Dec. 16; soloists Richard Watson on trumpet, Elliott Markow on violin and Margaret Herlehy on oboe playing the works of Gluck, Nerdua, Bach, Locatelli and Vivaldi on Jan. 26, and Beethoven’s Symphony #6 Pastorale, Rossini’s Oveture to L’Italiana in Algeri and Mendelssohn’s “From a Midsummer Night’s Dream” on March 8.
• Nashua Symphony: The Nashua Symphony, Keefe Auditorium in Nashua, nashuasymphony.org, will offer up De Falla, Suite No. 1 from “The Three-Cornered Hat,” Ravel piano concerto in G major and Beethoven symphony No. 7 in A major at Sept. 22, “Lightning and Fire” on Oct. 20, and “Unfinished Business,” a concert of unfinished symphonies, on Nov. 17 at 8 p.m.
• New Hampshire Philharmonic: The Philharmonic, www.nhphilharmonic.org, will begin its 103rd season with “The Art of the Cello,” featuring Boston Symphony Orchestra cellist Owen Young on Oct. 27 at the Palace Theatre; it will present holiday pops at the Palace on Nov. 24, family concerts narrated by NHPR’s Laura Knoy on Feb. 17 at the Capitol Center for the Arts and on Feb. 24 at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, and a spring concert featuring violinist Elliot Markow at the Palace on May 3.
• Audi: Concord City Auditorium, 39 Green St., Concord, 228-2793, www.concordcityauditorium.org, presents a fall season with music including the Celtic Tenors, who open the season on Sept. 14; “Say It with Music: The Songs of Irving Berlin” on Sept. 30, the Barbershop Festival on Oct. 28, the Polyjesters on Nov. 8 and the Gala Scottish Concert on Nov. 27.
• Cap Center: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, www.ccanh.com, offers up concerts this fall including Irish Music at the Crossroads on Sept. 21, the New Orleans Social Club on Oct. 3, comedian Steven Wright on Oct. 9, Guy and Ralna from the Lawrence Welk show on Oct. 14, Shawn Colvin on Oct. 19, acoustic musician David Bromberg on Nov. 9 and Joan Osborne on Nov. 15.
• Dana Center: At the Dana Center, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, 641-7000, www.anselm.edu, the musical schedule includes The Young @ Heart Chorus (octogenarians singing pop, rock and hip hop) on Sept. 27; Chanticleer, An Orchestra of Voices, on Oct. 10; Pan Celtica on Oct. 11; Amanda Carr with a tribute to Peggy Lee on Oct. 13; Alpha Yaya Diallo and his African funk band on Oct. 26; concert pianist Robin Spielberg on Nov. 30; the Ying Quartet on Nov. 29, and DecemberSong at the Abbey Church on Dec. 1.
• Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom: The Casino Ballroom, 169 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton Beach, 929-4100, www.casinoballroom.com, will feature Hootie & the Blowfish on Sept. 15, Lifehouse on Sept. 27, Megadeth Sept. 29, Static-X on Oct. 13 and The Academy Is… on Nov. 3.
• The Music Hall: The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth, 436-2400, www.themusichall.org, will feature music including Natalie MacMaster on Oct. 14, Rockapella on Oct. 21, David Crosby and Graham Nash on Oct. 23, Hormonal Imbalance on Nov. 3, Susan Tedeschi on Nov. 18, the holiday pops on Dec. 16 and Messiah Sings on Dec. 23.
• Palace Theatre: The Palace, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, www.palacetheatre.org, will feature “The Rat Pack is Back” on Sept. 28, the New Hampshire Festival Orchestra doing “Beethoven at his Best” on Sunday, Sept. 30.; Beatlejuice and Friends on Oct. 6; The New Hampshire Country Music Association 20th annual award show on Sunday, Oct. 21; deSol on Friday, Oct. 26; Tosca from the Opera NH on Sunday, Oct. 28; comedian Bob Marley with two shows on Nov. 3; Jose Feliciano on Nov. 23, and the New Hampshire Festival Orchestra with a New Year’s Eve gala on Dec. 31.
• Tupelo: Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road in Londonderry, 888-6Tupelo, www.tupelohall.com, continues its offerings of four shows most weeks with shows such as The Everyday Visuals on Sept. 22, Blues Harmonica Blowout on Sept. 23, Brooks Williams on Oct. 20, Willy Porter on Nov. 9, George Winston on Nov. 29 and 30, Richie Havens on Dec. 1 and a New Year’s Eve celebration with Vance Gilbert.
• Verizon Wireless: Verizon Wireless Arena, 832 Elm St. in Manchester, 644-5000, www.verizonwirelessarena.com, will feature Bob Dylan with Elvis Costello and Amos Lee on Oct. 5 p.m., the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Nov. 7 and 8, and the Boston Pops Holiday Concert on Dec. 15.
• A soprano: Jurate Svedaite, a soprano and Lithuania native, will perform at Rivier College in Nashua on Sept. 16, at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, go to lithuanianheritagenewengland.googlepages.com or call 891-1534.

Festivals and fairs
• Down on the farm: The Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair will be held Friday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 9, at the 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 13 in New Boston. The event (Friday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) features food, rides, farm and eats contests and more. See www.new-boston.nh.us or this week’s food section (page 48) for more details.
• Whatever floats your cardboard: The Merrimack Library will hold its annual Cardboard Boat Festival Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Lake Naticook at Wasserman Park. The event will include boat racing, cardboard boat building, activities for kids and a book sale. Go to www.merrimack.lib.nh.us.
• Bel Esprit, the mega festival: This year’s Bel Esprit weekend includes not just Mill City Festival and Art in the Park (which is held in Veterans Park) but also, on Saturday, the West Merrimack Street Fair. The fair will include a dog show, a live camel, a yard sale, a drag race, food vendors and a farmers’ market. Activities for kids will be available in Victory Park (across Pine Street from the Manchester library). Art in the Park runs Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A trolley will run to these locations and to Franco-American Centre, the New Hampshire Art Institute, the Currier Museum School of Art, the library and The Amoskeag Fishways for the Bug Ball (see page 28 for details on the Bug Ball) on Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Get healthy: The Whole Health Expo, Saturday, Sept. 15 (9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and Sunday, Sept. 16 (9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), features exhibits and events about health for the body and mind. Admission cost $10 per day. The expo will be held at the Radisson Center of New Hampshire, 700 Elm St. in Manchester. Go to www.wholehealthexpo.com.
• Tractor pull/pig scramble/cotton candy: There are farm-related events aplenty at the annual Deerfield Fair, in its 131th year. The fair runs Thursday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 30. Tickets cost $7 per person; children under 12 are admitted free. For a full rundown of all the tilt-a-wheel, fried dough and livestock competition fun, go to www.deerfieldfair.com.
• Enjoy the fall: The Warner Fall Foliage Festival will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 7. A road race will be held Saturday at 10:45 a.m. Saturday will also feature arts and crafts and a farmers’ market, a pie-eating contest for kids, a lobster and barbecue chicken dinner, a children’s parade and midway rides. Events run 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Parking costs $5, admission is free. Go to www.wfff.org.
• Harvest Fair: Wilton Main Street Association will hold a Harvest Fair on Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Wilton. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature performances, kids’ activities, a farmers’ market, craft vendors, live animals, an apple pie contest and more. For more information, go to www.mainstreet.wilton.nh.us.
• Pumpkin madness: The traffic can be crazy but every southern New Hampshire citizen should see the Keene Pumpkin Festival at least once for themselves. Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and features food, a children’s costume parade, a pumpkin seed spitting contest, a pumpkin pie eating contest, food, music, fireworks and, of course, all of those jackolanterns. Parking costs $5. Go to www.pumpkinfestival.com.

Foodie happenings
• Ye olde shopping: Apples, pumpkins and more are still on their way to area farmers’ markets. Most run into October, with Manchester’s (Thursdays, 3 to 6 p.m., on Concord Street in the downtown) running until the end of the month. Bedford’s (Tuesdays, 3 to 6 p.m., at Benedictine Park) runs to Oct. 17. Concord’s (Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Capitol Street) runs through Oct. 27. Milford’s (Sundays, 9 a.m. to noon, at Bank of NH on South Street) runs through early October. Nashua’s Main Street Bridge Farmers’ Market (Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) runs through Oct. 14 and its Tuesday market at St. Louis de Gonzague (2 to 6 p.m.) runs through Oct. 16. Amherst’s outdoor farmers’ market (Thursdays, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.) runs through Oct. 11. For a schedule of farmers’ markets throughout the state, go to www.nhfarmersmarkets.com.
• Get a taste of Manchester: The Queen City will hold its Taste of Downtown Manchester on Wednesday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. Sample eats from dozens of downtown restaurants while walking Elm Street and discovering downtown shops. Tickets (which are on sale now and have a reputation for selling fast) cost $20 per person. Call Intown Manchester (the event’s organizer) at 645-6285. For more details, see the story in this week’s food section (page 45).
• Eats from future top chefs: Get a gourmet meal for only $25 per person — that’s the price of a multi-course dinner on Wednesdays at the Hospitality Center Restaurant at Southern New Hampshire University (2500 North River Road, Manchester). The food is made by the hospitality school’s students and can rival that of some of the area’s hottest restaurants. The restaurant is also open for lunch a couple of days a week ($3 for appetizers, soups, salads and desserts; $5 for entrees). Call in advance (629-4608) because reservations fill up quickly. Go to www.snhu.edu and search for “Hospitality Restaurant” to get a look at upcoming menus. Dinner service for the fall semester will begin on Sept. 13.
• Baklava, gyros and baklava: Glendi brings crowds by thousands to St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover St., Manchester, for the three-day festival of Greek eats, music and, did we mention, eats. This year’s Glendi is Friday, Sept. 14, through, Sunday, Sept. 16 (the event runs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday). Make room in your stomach for rice dishes, lamb dishes, gyros, spankatopeta and, of course, pastries in all shapes, sizes and honey-laden flavors. The event is one of the biggest in the area. Admission is free but bring lots of cash for the eats (eat some while enjoying the festival but take home plenty of spanakopeta and baklava for later). The church tents a large eating and serving area, so the event runs rain or shine. For information on parking, go to www.stgeorge.nh.goarch.org.
• Easy as pie: The Hooksett Hannaford, 79 Bicentennial Dr., 644-2106, will hold an apple pie contest on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. The contest is open to customers and employees. Contact Laura Blake by Saturday, Sept. 8, to join. The contest is for traditional apple pies and prizes will be awarded. Call the store for more information.
• Guest chefs: Cotton, 75 Arms Park Dr. in Manchester, 296-0083, www.cottonfood.com, will feature two upcoming guest chef nights to benefit Kids’ Café. On Monday, Sept. 17, Johanne Kileen and George Germon, authors of On Top of Spaghetti, will be on hand to sign copies of their book, recipes from which will be featured on the dinner menu from 5 to 9 p.m. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, Jasper White, author of The Summer Shack Cookbook, will sign copies of his book and his recipes will appear on the dinner menu.

Literary events
• Brush up your writing: The New Hampshire Writers Project (nhwritersproject.org) offers several workshops this fall. Two are master classes for advanced students only: “Revising and Reviving Poems” with Pulitzer-winner Maxine Kumin (apply by Sept. 24, class is Oct. 13) and “Writing Novels for Young Readers” with David Elliott (apply by Oct. 3, class is Oct. 27); those cost $165 for non-members, $150 for members. But on Nov. 17 the NHWP offers workshops for all levels of writers, taught by previous NH Literary Award winners, at SNHU in Manchester, costing $60 for non-members. These are “Ten Things my Best Writers Have Taught Me,” by Jim Collins; “Love Your Neighbor as Your Character,” by Christopher Brookhouse; “Authentic Voices in Children’s Stories,” by Terry Farish, and “The Art of the Column,” by Hillary Nelson. Enrollment is limited; you must pre-register and prepay. Registration is available online. Basic membership in the NHWP costs $45, or $25 for students and seniors.

The Seacoast Writers Association (seacoastwritersassociation.org, 778-1470) Fall Writing Conference at Chester College happens Saturday, Oct. 13, at Chester College of New England in Chester (Exit 2 of Route 101 east of Manchester, chestercollege.edu). Registration begins Sept. 15. Attendees may take one two-hour workshop in the morning and one in the afternoon. Workshops offered are “Busting out of the Writing Rut” and “Writing the Feature Article,” with Nancy Christie; “Wrestling the Beast: Getting Your Novel to Behave,” with Tom Eslick, “Darling, You’re Making a Scene,” by Aine Greaney, and “The Horse You Rode in On — Sentence Structure in Poetry,” with Martha Carlson-Bradley. Registration costs range from $40 to $70, depending on membership status and how early you register. Fee includes continental breakfast and lunch. Register online or e-mail Michael Wade at beekah@comcast.net for details.

• Books! Cheap! The Friends of the Manchester City Library will hold their fall book sale Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Winchell Room at the library’s main branch. The sale will include books for children and adults, audiobooks, videos, sheet music, large-print books, music cassettes and LP records, with an average price of $1 to $1.50 per item. Friends members will be admitted at 9 a.m. (download a membership application from the library’s Web site). The sale opens to the public at 9:30 a.m., then closes at 12:30 p.m., but reopens from 1 to 2:30 p.m. for a bag sale — fill a paper grocery bag (provided by the Friends) with books and the bag-full is yours for $7.

Friends of the Derry Public Library will hold their fall book sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15, during Derryfest, rain or shine. Paperbacks cost 50 cents, hardbacks $1. Tote bags, t-shirts, note paper, videos and audio materials will also be sold.

Friends of the Nashua Public Library will hold their fall sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30. Friends members get a special preview Friday evening, Sept. 28, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.; memberships may be purchased at the preview — $10 for seniors/students, $15 for individuals, $30 for a family membership. Based on recent book donations, the Friends expect this sale to offer one of the biggest inventories of any book sale at the library so far. Anyone wishing to donate books can do so at the library front desk until Sept. 18, but the library will not accept textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, Readers Digest Condensed Books or any books that are in poor condition.
• Jodi Picoult: Best-selling author Jodi Picoult will appear at Concord City Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m., to be interviewed on stage by former New Hampshire governor Jeanne Shaheen. As time allows, audience members will be invited to ask questions of the author. Tickets cost $15 for the auditorium event ($12 for seniors and students) and $50 for a private reception at the Concord Woman’s Club on Pleasant Street. Gibson’s Bookstore will attend both events; Picoult’s books will be available for sale and signing. Proceeds will benefit Dress for Success New Hampshire, a nonprofit organization that serves disadvantaged women entering or re-entering the workforce.

Picoult’s most recent novel, Nineteen Minutes — which hit #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List — centered on a fictional school shooting in a New Hampshire high school. Two of her novels have been developed in television movies, and in 2008 a movie based on Picoult’s novel My Sister’s Keeper will be filmed by New Line Cinema, starring Cameron Diaz.

Tickets are available online at www.dressforsuccess.org/newhampshire and at Gibson’s Bookstore at 28 South Main St. in Concord. For details, call the DFSNH Jodi Picoult Info Line at 410-1737. Visit DFSNH at www.dressforsuccess.org/newhampshire. Learn more about Picoult at www.jodipicoult.com. She lives in Hanover, N.H., with her husband and children.
• The Big Read: Seven southern New Hampshire towns will come together for a community-wide read of Amy Tan’s award-winning 1989 novel The Joy Luck Club. Northeast Cultural Coop, in Amherst, in partnership with the libraries in Amherst, Bedford, Brookline, Milford, Mont Vernon, New Boston and Wilton, received a National Endowment of the Arts grant to support “The Big Read” in those communities. The Joy Luck Club provides a springboard to discuss China’s role in the international arena, the immigration experience, and Chinese culture. One chapter of the book has been adapted into a book for children, The Moon Lady.

This two-month series of events begins Sunday, Sept. 23, at Souhegan High School in Amherst with a traditional Chinese Moon Festival including lion dancers and Chinese food. Other “Big Read” programs — book discussions, lectures, mah jong lessons, a film series at Wilton Town Hall Theater, a Chinese dance workshop, a tea ceremony, a tour of the Yin Yu Tang house at Peabody Essex Museum, and more — will be held in various locations, open to the public. Visit www.NortheastCulturalCoop.org and www.neabigread.org for the latest info.
• GraniteCon: Mitch Breitweiser is the special guest at the GraniteCon Concord, Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Holiday Inn in Concord, 172 Main St. For $5, comic lovers over age 10 get in and get a free Beowulf comic. (Kids 10 and under are admitted free with a paid adult admission). The event will also include a Halo 3 tournament and a chance to meet other comic book creators. Want to get in free? Event organizer Double Midnight Comics is looking for volunteers for the event. E-mail chris@dmccomics.com. For more information, go to www.dmcomics.com.
• Concord Reads: Concord is reading Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, this fall. There will be a book discussion at the city library at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30; a discussion with New York Times reporters Janny Scott and David Cay Johnston on the issues behind the book on Tuesday, Oct. 9; a panel discussion at the library at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17; and a concluding program with Ehrenreich herself at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8. Check out barbaraehrenreich.com.
• Writers on a New England Stage: The outstanding series, held at The Music Hall in Portsmouth (28 Chestnut St., 436-2400, www.themusichall.org) continues. For a mere $12 (less for members) you can attend while a famous author is interviewed by NHPR’s Laura Knoy. Shows are rebroadcast on NHPR and later accessible at nhpr.org. Ticket-buyers may also purchase vouchers for signed books. This fall’s writers: Richard Russo on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and Ken Burns on Monday, Oct. 22. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. While you wait, listen to past installments online at themusichall.org: they include Elmore Leonard, Mitch Albom, Dan Brown and more.
• Nashua Comic Book Show: A mere $5 will gain you admittance to The Comic Book Show at the Holiday Inn at 9 Northeastern Blvd. in Nashua on Sunday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring 70 tables of comics, collectibles etc. and guest of honor Michael Lark, a 2007 Eisner Award nominee (for best penciler), making his first New England convention appearance (see splashpageart.com for his work). Other scheduled guests include Joe Staton, Dan Fraga and Craig Rousseau. See www.thecomicshow.com for details and to join the mailing list. Because sometimes great literature comes with pictures.
• The Big Read, bigger: Over at Manchester City Library, and at 60 other libraries, schools and bookstores in the state, they’re celebrating The Big Read by reading Ray Bradbury’s 1953 sci-fi classic, Fahrenheit 451, about book-burning. The MCL book discussion group will tackle the novel at its October meeting, and the film version of the book will be shown in the library auditorium at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16. Copies of the book will be available for cardholders to borrow beginning in September. And the folks at The Center for the Book at the NH State Library has gone so far as to leave copies of Fahrenheit 451, protected in little baggies, lying around the state of New Hampshire for passersby to find and get hooked on. Details are at bigreadnh.blogspot.com.
• Chris Bohjalian: Get a first-hand preview of a bestselling author’s newest work when Chris Bohjalian visits Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord at 7 p.m. Wed., Oct. 18. He’ll preview his new novel, Skeletons at the Feast, to be published in May 2008. He’s also scheduled for a discussion with New Hampshire teachers about the writing process at Barnes & Noble in Manchester the next day. And a stage adaptation of his novel Midwives (a New York Times #1 bestseller and an Oprah pick) is being produced at UNH in Durham, directed by Raina Ames, from Nov. 28 through Dec. 2; see www.unh.edu/theatre-dance or call 862-2290 for details.
Chris Bohjalian lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter. He maintains an extensive presence at chrisbohjalian.com.
• Walter Isaacson: The keynote speaker at the New Hampshire Humanities Council’s annual $100-a-seat dinner, to be held Oct. 23 at the Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, will be Walter Isaacson, author of New York Times Bestseller Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2004) and Einstein: His Life and Universe (2007 — you can read the first chapter free at Amazon.com). Isaacson is a former managing editor of Time, former chairman and CEO of CNN, and now president and CEO of think tank The Aspen Institute. The NHHC’s annual dinner “gathers NH’s corporate, civic, academic and philanthropic communities for networking and inspiration, and raises funds … to bring free public humanities programs to the people of New Hampshire,” the group says. For info on reserving tickets, or on offering sponsorships, visit nhhc.org or call 224-4071.
• New Hampshire Literary Awards: On Saturday, Nov. 17, the public finds out who won the 2007 New Hampshire Literary Awards, sponsored by the New Hampshire Writers Project. A reception and award ceremony will be held staring at 5:30 p.m. at SNHU in Manchester, with presentations by the 2005 award-winners (the award is given biennially). Awards will be given in categories of fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, journalism, poetry and lifetime achievement. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, readings and book signings.