Encourage Creativity!

We are celebrating National Arts in Education Week at Opera House Arts! This is a time to celebrate, advocate and participate in the power that arts education has on our nation-wide learning community.  

Last week's Shakespeare Workshop at DISHS, Lend Me Your Ears, was great way to kick off another year of Arts Integration at our island schools. Visiting Artists Joshua McCarey and Meg Taintor joined ELA classes to introduce the play's plot, characters and figurative language as part of our year-long Shakespeare Immersion at OHA.  Thank you to Marion Austin, John Lincoln, Kim Larsen and participating students for making this a success. Here's to learning in and through the arts! 

Want to learn more about National Arts in Education Week? Click here!

Behind the Scenes at the Opera House: The Interns

It's crazy to think that the summer season is almost at an end. We only have three shows left on the summer calendar - tomorrow's Jonathan Edwards concert, Peter Atkinson, and the Derrick Semler Band - and then it is officially fall at the Opera House.

There have been a lot of big shows this summer, sometimes multiple shows on a single night. And for those of us working down here there was really only one thing that kept everything running smoothly...the interns.

Whether they were behind concessions, creating amazing archival and engagement videos, painting and building sets, putting up flyers, working as stage crew, performing on stage, leading us in dance breaks, finding taxidermied seagulls, taking "selfies" of taxidermied seagulls, or any of the other million tasks they performed, OHA's 2015 interns were the tops.

In the words of Lily Felsenthal:

As Intern Coordinator this summer I had the pleasure of working closely with all of our fantastic interns. As a former OHA intern myself, I know how demanding the job can be-- there are always costumes to be sewn, sets to be painted, inventory to be stocked, lights to be hung, and a hundred other things. This year's interns took all of it in stride. They came in early and stayed late, they showed up to rehearse and strike sets and support the staff in the office, they made films and theater pieces and built props and sets. I was so floored by their willingness to jump in and help out wherever they were needed, as well as their eagerness to learn about things they didn't know how to do yet. It was an honor to work with such motivated, talented, creative young people, and I hope they know how valuable their work was and how much they will be missed.

It is very true. Having said good-bye to many of them earlier in the week, the space feels much emptier. But, we wish them absolutely all of the best in the new school year.

Most importantly, however, we send with them our profound gratitude for all their hard work, and the fun and joy they brought to that work. This season would not have been possible without you guys. Thank you!

Behind the Scenes at the Opera House: Bari Robinson

We're so happy to welcome Bari Robinson to the Opera House this summer as Bardolph and Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor. It's been such a pleasure for us to get to know him and now it's your turn...

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up in Boston, MA, right in Dorchester.

How would your elementary school classmates remember you? 

I was the kid who always challenged people to a race on the playground. I was also the kid who laughed at every joke that was ever told to me.

Name four fictional characters with whom you’d be okay being stuck in an elevator. Why them?

Wall-E, because he could teach me how to focus on the little things and see the bright side.

Batman, because he's the greatest superhero of all time!

Stephen Colbert, because I'd want him to try to interview Batman and Wall-E

Dori from Finding Nemo, because at least we'd forget our troubles!

If you were a cartoon character, which cartoon character would you be?

I would definitely be Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or at least that's who I wanna be!). 

When did you fall in love with theater?

When I was in high school we did a production of Tartuffe in the commedia dell arte style. I got to play the son, Damis, and after that, I knew theater was the thing for me!

You still have THREE chances to see The Merry Wives of Windsor! Come down to the Opera House tonight at 7 pm, Saturday at 7 pm or Sunday at 2 pm to get in on the fun...

Behind the Scenes: Tommy Piper

Good morrow, folks! You're in luck today, as we have Tommy Piper visiting the blog. You've seen him on the Opera House stage over the years as Bottom, Touchstone and more...and this summer as Dorn in The Seagull over at Ames Farm. Now, you have the chance to watch him as the hilarious Sir John Falstaff in this summer's 80's-infused production of The Merry Wives of Windsor! But first, dear friends, take a moment to get to know Tommy a little bit better...

Where did you grow up?

Well- I was born in Chicago... The biggest baby ever born in Evanston Hospital, at 9 lbs 14oz.  That record, sadly, has since been shattered. However, I spent most of my childhood in St. Louis, MO, and then graduated high school in Atlanta, GA.

How would your elementary school classmates remember you?

Devilishly handsome, wicked smart, incredibly talented, and one heck of an athlete.  Ohh... And a bit of a clown....

Name four fictional characters with whom you'd be okay being stuck in an elevator. Why them?

Dean Moriarty and Yossarian... Cause we could cause some trouble and tell some stories. Galadriel 'cause she's like Cate Blanchett with magical Elven powers (no brainer, right?) -- And then Schneider from One Day at a Time 'cause he could fix it.

Or maybe we want Schneider back in his apartment and that Chinese acrobat from Ocean's Eleven in the elevator so he can crawl out and go  tell Schneider to fix it.

If you were a cartoon character, which cartoon character would you be?

Racer X from Speed Racer.

When did you fall in love with theatre?

When I was a kid I went to a production of Showboat with Eddie Bracken at the Muny Opera in St. Louis. Bracken was the father of my Mom's best friend from college, so we got to go backstage after the show, meet the cast and see some of that 'behind the scenes' magic.  The next day Bracken came to our house, picked my pocket, stole my watch, and told stories.  Lots of stories. Stories about hitchhiking his way across the country at 16 to get to Hollywood, and Vaudeville, and how Carol Burnette daily bursts through his front door.

The seed was planted...

But I guess that's more like seeing the pretty girl at the other end of the bar, and feeling the butterflies in your belly while you work up the nerve to go strike up a conversation.  The love part comes later. 

And that's another story...a long one. 

And then there's the time Theatre and I got married, and then we moved into that house, and then we had lots and lots of little theatre rugrats running around, and then...and then...and then...

Join Tommy and other OHA favorites - Jeffrey Fracé, Melody Bates, and Matt Hurley - along with talented new faces and area residents all this weekend and next Thursday through Sunday at The Merry Wives of Windsor!

Behind the Scenes at the Opera House: Found Files

Folks! This is so exciting. We've been rummaging through the archives like mad and found another conversation between Mistress Ford and Mistress Page! It seems like they're might have been some things going on in between this and the first one we uncovered, but we'll have to wait until next Thursday to find out more about that. For now, we can get at least a little insight into their day on the town...

Brace yourselves, everyone...we found photos with this one! 

Our Merry Wives decided to take a nice day on the town, with a visit to the Touch Tank at the Downeast Fisheries Center and a little shopping at The Dry Dock. 
But they couldn't quite shake the Fat Knight....

Throwback Thursday

Rebecca Hart, Tommy Piper, Mark Watson and Stephanie Dodd 

in OHA's 2009 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Tommy Piper is back for more Shakespeare in Stonington...this time as the Bard's most beloved comic creation, Sir John Falstaff. Join him, as he and his talented costars bring The Merry Wives of Windsor to the Opera House stage in a blaze of 1980s neon. Get your tickets today!

Throwback Thursday

The Emilia Dahlin Quartet took the stage during last year's 14th Annual Deer Isle Jazz Festival.

Don't miss any of this year's amazing performances...starting tomorrow night we have GSA's J-A Double-Z opening for Evan Christopher's Clarinet Road, followed up on Saturday by Maine's own Novel Jazz Septet opening for singer & pianist Geri Allen.