Category: Connecticut Travel

The Square One Theatre Company in Stratford, Connecticut announces that its 28th Anniversary Season will include Core Values, “an entertaining play with many genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud moments” (theatremania.com); White Guy on the Bus, “an unusually frank drama…This one goes for the jugular.” (Chicago Tribune) and The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky, which “leaves you beaming with joy” (The New York Times).

In Steven Levenson’s Core Values, the owner of a small, struggling travel agency finds the world around him is changing at a dizzying pace. Clinging to the values he holds most dear: teamwork, loyalty and the incalculable importance of good trust falls, it takes a weekend staff retreat for him to realize that his team-building exercises won’t stave off the realities of a rapidly evolving marketplace. Steven Levenson is also the book writer of Broadway’s award-winning Dear Evan Hanson. Core Values opens on Thursday, November 2 and continues through Sunday, November 19, 2017.

Bruce Graham’s White Guy on the Bus, replaces the originally announced Agnes of God. Graham also authored The Outgoing Tide, which garnered critical and popular acclaim for Square One two seasons ago. In this recent Off-Broadway production, a wealthy white businessman rides the same bus, week after week, befriending a single black mon. As they get to know one another, their pasts unfold and tensions begin to rise, igniting a disturbing and crucial exploration of race. According to BroadStreetReview.com, “Playwright Bruce Graham has a delicious way of penning realistic-sounding talk that seems to meander, but actually articulates important themes and ideas entertainingly and without preachiness”. White Guy on the Bus opens Thursday, March 1 and continues through Sunday, March18, 2018.

The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky features one actor portraying every character in a small Jersey shore town unraveling the story of Leonard Pelky, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant 14-year old who has gone missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love and what they leave behind. The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelky opens Thursday, May 3 and continues through Sunday, May 20, 2018.
Performances for each of the three productions begin the first Thursday (only) at 7pm and continue Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

Discounted three-play subscriptions at $50 each are available now through November 19, 2017, online at squareonetheatre.com or via US mail order through the administrative office of Square One Theatre Company at 656 Longbrook Avenue, Stratford, CT 06614.
Single tickets will be available beginning October 16, 2017.
Square One Theatre is in residence at Stratford Academy located at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut. Those new to Square One Theatre should set the GPS for 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut, located off I-95 at either Exit 31 or 32 (northbound and southbound). There is ample FREE parking.

Stratford Academy’s stage has been re-configured by Square One into an intimate 64-seat black box-type theatre. The audience is seated in new padded chairs on the stage along with the actors, insuring that all patrons have a good seat to hear and see. With this redesigned, modern venue no audience member is more than 15 feet from the stage.

Tickets are:
$50 for three-play subscriptions
$20 for each adult single ticket
$19 for each senior citizen & student single ticket

Single tickets may be purchased:
By phone: Box Office at 203.375.8778(24/7)
Online at: squareonetheatre.com
In person: at box office 60 minutes prior to each performance
By mail: self-addressed, stamped envelope & check payable to Square One Theatre sent to Administrative Office; 656 Longbrook Avenue, Stratford, Ct 06614-5117

The Stratford Academy is wheelchair accessible. Please inform the box office of any special needs when reserving tickets.
For more information and up-to-date news about the theatre, the plays and the actors visit squareonetheatre.com
All play titles and dates are subject to change.

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When Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016, the thought of his music dying, too, was unacceptable to Westport’s singer-songwriter-performer Suzanne Sheridan, suzannesheridanmusic.com. “When I heard that Leonard had died, I immediately called my band members and asked them to join me at my home to play his music. Subsequently, I got on the phone and invited dozens of my friends to come over to hear us. We ended up with about 50 people at my home, sitting on chairs and on the floor. We were all singing together. It might well have been the first singing shivah.”

Sheridan will once again take the stage at The Coffeehouse at the Wheeler’s @ the Westport Historical Society to keep Leonard Cohen’s music alive and to honor the first anniversary of his death. Suzanne Sheridan has been performing the music of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen for audiences in many parts of the world. “Losing Leonard Cohen was one of music’s greatest losses ever. He has written hundreds and hundreds of songs and I am sure that if we had not lost him, he would have given us many more. But what we do have is his treasure trove and I look forward to performing at least 20 of those treasures on November 10.” Joining Sheridan on stage for this Leonard Cohen tribute will be Bob Cooper on keyboards and Joe Meo on saxophone, flute, and clarinet.

Among the 20 songs Sheridan will be performing are “Coming Back to You,” “Hallelujah,” “I’m Your Man,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” “Anthem,” “Famous Blue Raincoat,” and “Closing Time.” To keep Cohen’s music alive and available to audiences is a goal that Sheridan promises to keep.

Jeff Burger, in the Preface of his book, “Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen,” writes, “How many of the 701 people inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by 2013 hit their peaks in their mid- and late seventies? Maybe just one: Leonard Cohen, who at age seventy-three, began his first tour in fifteen years in 2008, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

The opportunities to hear Cohen’s music performed live are diminishing. But the opportunity to hear the music now is a rare and wonderful happening. Admission is $20 and includes light snacks and wine or beverage. Calling 203-222-1424 will allow you the opportunity to reserve your seats for this special occasion. The Westport Historical Society is located on 25 Avery Place in Westport

The Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Rd. in the bucolic village of Washington is hosting a Veterans Day Celebration on November 12 from 12 noon to 5 p.m.

This Veterans Day celebration is a bit unusual as each year the IAIS honors local Native Americans that have served in the United States Military. The public is invited to join museum staff in honoring and remembering all veterans, Native and non-Native, that have served our country with courage and pride. Throughout history, Native Americans have served their country with the highest record of service per capita when compared to the general American population and to any other ethnic group. Following a traditional ceremony in the authentically replicated outdoor Algonkian village, participants and visitors are invited to a light lunch in the Institute’s Research and Collections Building.

Also in November, beginning on November 25 and running through December 17 on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am – 4 pm, the Winter Indian Arts and Crafts Market takes place to celebrate the holiday season. Visitors are invited to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts from the Institute’s local Native American crafters, jewelers, and artists at the Winter Indian Arts & Craft Market! Meet and buy directly from the artists while learning about contemporary Native American art and cultures. Stop by to purchase pottery, jewelry, rattles, artwork, flutes and more!

In November, the David M. Hunt Library on Main St. in Falls Village will present the exhibit SEEING THROUGH by Lime Rock photographer Patricia Decker. A reception with refreshments for the artist will be held from 5pm to 7pm on Friday, November 10. The exhibit will be on display from November 3 through December 1, 2017. This event is free and open to the public. For more information call the library at 860-824-7424 or visit huntlibrary.org. The Library is open Tues. & Thurs. 10 am -5 pm, Fri. 3-7 pm and Sat. 10 – 1 pm.

Patricia Decker’s focus is fine art photography with an emphasis on STILL, as an adjective, noun, adverb and verb. Her studio in Lime Rock has a sign out front that reads STILL Photo. As the artist says, “STILL is a moment when the perfect ‘found’ forms meet, they resonate. The images in SEEING THROUGH are linked loosely in categories of WATER, TREES, FORMS. Subject matter is perpetually changing; it renders itself meaningless when the ‘space’ is found. Life is full of light, humor and relevance if you see it. I have some of that hidden in this group.”

Ms. Decker studied at City College, Art Students League, and the Studio School; attended workshops at ICP in New York City, Maine Photographic Workshops in Rockport, ME and Woodstock School of Photography, NY and attended Fotofest in Houston, TX. Her multimedia exhibit in 2005, NOUX HUDSON, utilized the 150-year-old Hudson Opera House and local residents in live performance captured in still photography and video to show the evolution of the town of Hudson through characters including The Infant Moralist, AMA Ministers, opera singers, travelers, minstrel groups, orators, prostitutes, bankers, politicians, comedians, actors, Liberals and Radicals. In reference to SEEING THROUGH, the artist noted that “This showing is Noux too…all of us and TIME, and then again, we are us.”

Fifteen internationally acclaimed local artists will show selections from their works in “Thinking Visually: The Art of Connecticut Illustrators,” an exhibition celebrating the rich diversity of illustration as an art form that will run through Sunday, Dec. 3, in the Visual and Performing Arts Center Art Gallery at Western Connecticut State University.The exhibition will be open for public viewing during gallery hours from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission for gallery viewing is free and open to the public.

The exhibition will provide a sweeping presentation of works encompassing a broad spectrum from popular children’s book illustrations, magazine covers, cardboard constructions and stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service to evocative graphic images for cartoons, albums, advertising, video games, films and television series. Each of the participating illustrators resides in Connecticut and has attained critical recognition nationally and abroad through unique contributions to the art of illustration.

Artists who will be featured in the show include: Guy Billout, Leslie Cober-Gentry, Robert Crawford, Bruce Degen, Randy Enos, Robert Giusti, James Grashow, Gerard Huerta, Roger Huyssen, Christine Kornacki, Ross MacDonald, Wendell Minor, Jon Sideriadis, Bill Thomson and David Wenzel.

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To honor the men and women who have served – and are serving – our country, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is offering free admission to veterans and current active-duty military during the month of November.

The Maritime Aquarium offers a $10 admission discount to veterans year-round. But, throughout the month in which we mark Veterans Day, we are happy to expand our offer to veterans for completely free admission. Admission is always free to those currently serving in any branch of the military, not just in November.

Maritime Aquarium admission is $22.95 for adults, $20.95 for youths (13-17) and seniors (65+), and $15.95 for children (3-12). Admission includes a 40-minute IMAX® movie.

ID/proof of service is required at the door to receive the veterans’ and active-duty discounts. (The offer is not available with advance online purchases.)

Also thoughout the month of November, Aquarium guests will be encouraged to fill out thank-you notes, which will be forwarded by Operation Gratitude to those currently serving in our Armed Forces.

As a bonus during Veterans Day Weekend, on Sat., Nov. 11 and Sun., Nov. 12, three military vehicles will be onhand for exploration and photos during “Military Touch-A-Truck.” Sit inside a World War II Jeep, a 1950 M38 Jeep and a 1987 Humvee (HMMWV) during the special visits. You can even pop a helmet on for a photo!

In addition, on Sat., Nov. 11, who better to join in on the Aquarium’s three daily seal-training demonstrations than a decorated former U.S. Navy SEAL? Capt. Peter Wikul retired in 2009 after a 39-year Navy career with the honorific title of “Bullfrog 13” as the longest-serving active-duty SEAL. His roles included deputy commander of Special Operations Command South and commanding officer of the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center at the Office of Navy Intelligence.

Wikul will participate in the seal trainings on Nov. 11 at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 & 3:45 p.m. He actually will be the second Navy veteran in the Aquarium’s seal exhibit: in the 1980s, Rasal the harbor seal was trained by the Navy to retrieve objects from the sea floor.

Between the demonstrations on Nov. 11, Wikul will be onhand to talk with Aquarium guests about the Navy and his experiences as a SEAL.

Plus, on Nov. 11th, 12th & 13th, veterans are free to come aboard The Maritime Aquarium’s special “Scenic Coastal Cruises,” departing each day at 1 p.m. (Tickets for non-veterans are $29.95, or $24.95 for Aquarium members.) Space aboard the R/V Spirit of the Sound™ is limited, so advance registration is strongly suggested for these 2-hour cruises, which will follow the beautiful Connecticut coastline as Aquarium educators point out historic lighthouses, gorgeous waterfront homes and other sights. Advance registration is by phone only: (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206. Tickets will be sold at the dock, space permitting. ID/proof of service is required at the dock prior to boarding.

Get details about all of the Aquarium’s current exhibits, programs, IMAX® movies and more this fall at www.maritimeaquarium.org.