Category: Connecticut Travel

Before you know it, the holidays will be here. A Connecticut photographer has just the right thing to put on your gift list, a beautiful coffee table book called “A Connecticut Christmas.” The book is available on https://www.carynbdavis.com/

Caryn B. Davis of Chester, spent two years running around the state during Christmas time capturing just the right images. The book has some 400 photos for you to see. Christmas time in Connecticut is the stuff of books and movies, because it is just so beautiful here.

This photographic holiday journey celebrates the holiday in grand classic New England style. Images depict traditions, beauty, and the spirit of the season from beautifully decorated country inns and classic village greens to spectacular private homes and festivals that take place celebrating the season throughout the state of Connecticut. Essays that accompany the images explain the traditions and festivities that take place during this magical time of year.

About the author:

Caryn B. Davis began her career in the visual arts thirty years ago as a cameraperson, editor, and producer of documentaries. She has been a professional photographer since 2000, specializing in architectural photography.

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum located on 258 Main Street in Ridgefield is pleased to present Alex Schweder and Ward Shelley: Your Turn, an architectural environment for two that shapes the occupants’ behavior. In a series of performances Schweder and Shelley will physically occupy the structure for extended periods during which they will negotiate the sharing of nine basic amenities while engaging the public with their daily routines and conversations. Schweder and Shelley’s collaboration is primarily based on balance: not only the balance needed to successfully work in a partnership, but also the social balance needed to share resources limited by the confines of their construction. Their practice conflates architectural form and function with performance art, coaxing meaning out of both the practical and the absurd. The exhibition will be on view through April 22, 2018.

Schweder and Shelley’s unique collaboration of over a decade has coalesced into what they call “performance architecture,” a new genre in which the two artists design, construct, and then physically occupy structures, blurring the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, design, and performance, exploring both the nature of social space and the way architecture influences human behavior. For their exhibition at The Aldrich, they will construct a twenty-four-foot-high living environment, which they will inhabit as both the authors and living subjects of the work. An adjacent gallery will present the first survey of their reverse paintings on Mylar, which not only act as preliminary renderings for their projects, but also as autonomous works that reinforce the formal aspects of their practice.

The artists will occupy opposing sides of the monolith with nine amenities (including a bed, a desk, an easy chair, a kitchen, a sink, and an enclosed composting toilet), each of which will slide on steel tracks from one side of the structure to the other. So, when Shelley is sleeping in the bed, Schweder cannot sleep; when Schweder is writing at the desk, Shelley cannot use it. The sharing of the amenities is based on both a pre-planned schedule and spontaneous negotiation. For the performance periods the artists will wear identical jumpsuits, bring all necessary supplies with them, and occupy the structure twenty-four hours a day. The artists’ lives, while within the structure, will be on public view when the Museum is open, and visitors are free—in fact, are encouraged by the artists—to engage them in conversation. When awake, Schweder and Shelley will each read, work, prepare meals, and complete acts of simple daily hygiene.

Alex Schweder received a BA from the Pratt Institute School of Architecture, an MArch from Princeton University School of Architecture, and a PhD from the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, UK. Recent exhibitions include the 2014 Venice Biennale, the Tel Aviv Art Museum, the 2013 Moscow Biennial, the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Biennial, and the Tate Britain. He has been an artist in residence at the Kohler Company and the Chinati Foundation, and was awarded the Rome Prize in Architecture at The American Academy in Rome.
Ward Shelley received a BFA from Eckard College and an MA from New York University. Solo exhibitions of his work include Pierogi Gallery, NY; Massimo Carasi Gallery, Milan; Center for Contemporary Art and Launch Projects, Santa Fe; and Socrates Sculpture Park, NY. He has received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, an award from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, two fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and a fellowship from The American Academy in Rome.

The Aldrich is open: Sun. noon – 5. Mon. 10-5, Wed. – Sat. 10 – 5. Closed Tuesday.

Mark your calendars and plan to join the fun on January 7, 2018, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Derby Historical Society as they mark the end of the Christmas season with their annual “Twelfth Night Celebration” at the David Humphreys House. This event features tours of the 17th century David Humphreys house by costumed docents. You’ll take a trip back to an earlier time in American history when touring this beautifully preserved colonial home.

Try the mulled cider and punch alongside the buffet. Partake in samples of some items which would have been served in this house during the American Revolution. There will also be modern-day baked goods to enjoy.

Colonial skills such as spinning and weaving will be displayed. Before you leave, be sure to visit the Gift Shop, it will be open during this event. This year there will be a Dickens Reading at 3 pm.

For more information call 203 735 1908 or visit http://www.derbyhistorical.org. Limited parking is available in back of the house. Additional on-street parking is available on Elm Street (on the same side as the Humphreys House) and nearby Thomas Street.
Admission prices for 12th Night: $5.00 per adult/ $3.00 per senior citizen and child under 8 years old.

The sweet scents will tease your sense of smell as you enter the quaint village of Kent CT. The rolling pins are spinning and creative minds of all ages are working hard to create dozens of Gingerbread Houses. Ovens are filled to capacity and working overtime to get ready for the ANNUAL KENT GINGERBREAD FESTIVAL brunning through December 31.

Gingerbread Houses of all shapes and sizes will be on display in many of Kent’s beautifully decorated shop windows until December 31. As you approach Kent you will find yourself in what looks like a movie set of the perfect little New England town, twinkling lights will guide you through the unique one of a kind shops. What an enjoyable way to do your holiday shopping.

Lots of places feature colorful gingerbread houses for the holidays, but Kent, CT goes a step further. The whole town will take place in this sugary sweet celebration. Everyone is invited to follow the Gingerbread Walk through town to view imaginative and ingenious gingerbread delights. Visitors can enjoy the displays as they navigate the gingerbread map and solve the NEW mysterious riddle the Ginger Girls have cooked up this year. At the end, visitors vote for their favorite creations. Displays are guaranteed to delight all ages!

Should you be hungry after your Gingerbread Walk there are many temptations that will lure you, from a chocolate shop and baked goods to delicious culinary delights in one of Kent’s many restaurants & cafés. In addition to gingerbread displays, Kent will have special holiday events every weekend, from the Annual Kent Holiday Champagne Stroll, wine tastings and even Pancakes with Santa to an old time horse-drawn carriage ride through town and a Messiah sing-along. For more holiday information a visit http://kentct.com/events/

Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2018 season, featuring five productions that are “big for the soul,” according to Artistic Director Mark Lamos. The Connecticut professional theater’s lineup includes two comedies, one modern and one classic; a drama; a musical; and a world premiere, running from May 29 through November 17. 2018 season tickets are now on sale.

“In this American Moment of turmoil and mistrust, unsteadiness and accusation, comes a season of productions at our historic Playhouse that digs deep into the heart and gives the soul an uplift,” said Lamos. “A wide human canvas of emotions, from joy and surprise to tears of hope — this is what characterizes the coming 2018 season of drama, comedy, and thrilling musical theater. Five productions. Five chances to connect with feelings we can sometimes only access when we confront, and are embraced by, live performance.”

The 2018 season will begin with “Flyin’ West,” playing May 29 – June 16, written by Pearl Cleage, directed by Seret Scott. Set in 1898 when the Civil War is still a living memory, the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas, offers a refuge for many former slaves. At one homestead lives a family of courageous and sharp-witted women determined to make a place for themselves. They overcome tremendous odds in a heroic effort to escape the scars of the past in this uplifting story of bravery, pride, and sisterhood.

“A Flea in Her Ear,” a new version of Georges Feydeau’s farce, written by David Ives and directed by Mark Lamos, is scheduled July 10 – 28. The comedy is a co-production with Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware. Raymonde has everything a turn-of-the-century Parisian housewife could want. Everything, that is, except for a husband who lavishes her with attention in bed. Doubting his fidelity, she gets a “flea in her ear,” sending all involved on a wild ride of accusations, mistaken identities, and riotous confusions.

“The Understudy,” written by Theresa Rebeck and directed by David Kennedy (2017 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Best Director of a Play), will run August 14 – September 1. Audiences mob the theater when a Hollywood action star takes the Broadway stage in a recently discovered play by Franz Kafka. But what if he can’t go on? Enter Harry, the understudy, a journeyman actor who has the chops but not the résumé. This hilarious look at life backstage gets even crazier when Harry reunites with the stage manager (his ex-fiancée) and dukes it out with the film star as obstacles mount and tensions rise.

“Man of La Mancha,” written by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion, and directed by Mark Lamos, will be staged September 25 – October 13, 2018. Winner of 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and based on Cervantes’ masterpiece, this “Impossible Dream” comes to life in an imaginative journey with Don Quixote as he tilts at windmills and battles for good and the love of his fair maiden Aldonza.

The 2018 season culminates with the world-premiere drama, “Thousand Pines,” written by Matthew Greene and directed by Austin Pendleton, playing October 30 – November 17, 2018. The new drama was incubated in early 2017 by Westport Country Playhouse’s New Works Initiative. Thanksgiving feels hollow this year to the families of a small suburban town where the memories are still too fresh. Nothing is the same since the day when Thousand Pines Junior High School was on every news channel and in everyone’s hearts. This important and uplifting tale of redemption shows that everyone is the same in wanting to feel safe and in wanting to heal.

In addition, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” will return by popular demand for a special engagement in December 2018, directly following the regular season. The acclaimed musical memoir stars Grammy-nominated pianist and storyteller Mona Golabek, and is directed by Hershey Felder. In 1938 Vienna, a 14-year-old piano prodigy finds her dreams of becoming a concert pianist threatened by the looming war in Europe. When her parents buy her a one-way ticket to England on the Kindertransport, the children’s survival train, a story of art preserving life begins.

All play titles, artists, and dates are subject to change.

The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Special series feature Taste of Tuesday, LGBT Night OUT, Opening Night, Sunday Symposium, Open Captions, Thursday TalkBack, Together at the Table Family Dinner, Playhouse Happy Hour, and Backstage Pass.

5-Play and Pick 4 season tickets are now available, including online purchasing capability 24/7. Patrons who purchase before Saturday, October 14, will receive a one-half price guest pass, and save 25% on “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” if added to their package. All season ticket holders receive a host of benefits not afforded to single ticket buyers, including up to 35% off single ticket prices, priority seating, free and easy ticket exchanges, and discounts at selected Westport restaurants. In addition, they will be invited to a season preview event in the spring with Lamos and other artists. 2018 Flex Passes are also currently on sale for those seeking to see any combination of shows on varying days and times. Single tickets will go on sale in March.

For more information and to buy season tickets, visit http://www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

About Westport Country Playhouse

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from December through May to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training through Broadway Method Academy, the Playhouse’s resident conservatory; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

Shen Yun, a global sensation returns to the Palace Theatre in Waterbury located on 100 East Main Street with a brand new production. Watch glorious legends and heavenly realms spring to life through classical Chinese dance. See dazzling costumes and powerful flips fill the stage with color and energy. And let the orchestra’s exquisite melodies, the singers’ soaring voices, and the dynamically animated backdrops uplift your spirit and transport you to another world.

Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Its stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired.

A Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance. Experience the world of China’s divine culture at the Palace Theater.
Performances are on December 22 at 7:30 pm and at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 pm on December 23. Tickets are available online.