Biography of Comic Book Legend Stan Lee Discussed with its Author Abraham Riesman with Westport Library
Press Release
The Westport Library is very pleased to welcome author and journalist Abraham Riesman to discuss his highly anticipated biography of pop culture legend and one of Marvel Comics' architects, Stan Lee!
This free, virtual event will be held on Monday, March 8th at 7:00pm. To register go to https://westportlibrary.org/event/abraham-riesman-on-true-believer-the-rise-and-fall-of-stan-lee/
To order a bookplate-signed copy of True Believer, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-presale-true-believer-the-rise-and-fall-of-stan-lee-tickets-138045141735
Stan Lee was one of the most beloved and influential entertainers to emerge from the twentieth century. He served as head editor of Marvel for three decades and during that time launched Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor . . . the list seems to never end. Known for his carnival-barker marketing prowess, Lee single-handedly saved the comic-book industry and superhero fiction. Without him, the global entertainment industry would be wildly different—and a great deal poorer.
Stretching from the Romanian shtetls of Lee’s ancestors to his own final days in Los Angeles, True Believer chronicles the world-changing triumphs and tragic missteps of an extraordinary life, and leaves it to readers to decide whether Lee lived up to the responsibilities of his own talent.
Abraham Riesman is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, New York Magazine, and many other outlets. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his spouse and their three cats.
Coleytown Middle Schools Gets Art Upgrade over Break
Westport Arts Advisory Committee: Westport artist Eric Chiang stands beside his large-scale acrylic painting installed at the newly refurbished Coleytown Middle School, which will greet students when they return to classes Monday. Are We Born Connected?, a three-piece (triptych) canvas measuring 4 feet x 15 feet was hung in the school’s grand staircase, on what had been a beautiful yet vast empty space. Arranged to display by the Westport Arts Advisory Committee (WAAC,) the painting will be on loan to CMS until the end of the school year. Although the public cannot visit in person, the piece may be viewed on WAAC’s website, along with 1500+ other artworks that comprise the Westport Public Art Collections (WestPAC). Click here for more about Eric and his work.
Haiku Moment with Westport’s Poet Laureate
From Westport’s Poet Laureate Diane Lowman
The River Reflects
What’s Important and What’s Not
And I Reflect Too
Nina Bentley Exhibits at Westport Book Shop
Press Release 02/15/2021The first art exhibit in the Westport Book Shop’s Drew Friedman Art Place is on view for the month of February. The exhibit features a series of photographic prints of artworks by renowned Westport assemblage artist Nina Bentley.
Westport Book Shop, a nonprofit used book shop, is located at 23 Jesup Road, across Jesup Green from the Westport Library, in downtown Westport. The art exhibit is open to the public during the Book Shop’s business hours, Thursdays and Fridays from 3pm to 6pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5pm.
Nina Bentley’s work has been exhibited extensively in the United States and Europe. In reflecting on her art, Nina said, “My work tends to be conceptual in nature and concerned with social issues. From early childhood I have been moved both by aesthetics and the human condition, not only matters affecting me personally but those evident on a broader social scale. I create art in order to gain some perspective on the world around me, while trying to retain a sense of humor. In short, my work can be seen as multi-dimensional social commentary.”
The Book Shop’s “Drew Friedman Art Place” is an area of the store dedicated to exhibiting the work of community artists year-round, on a rotating basis. Miggs Burroughs, a Trustee of the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, and a founding member of the Artists Collective of Westport, is curating these exhibits, which will change monthly.
The current exhibition of Nina Bentley’s works will be on view through February 28th.
Westport Elementary Schoolers Sing “Stand By Me”, a Gift to Westport
A January Board of Education meeting described excitement about a future song release from Westport fourth and fifth graders, a great triumph for the Arts Education programs during pandemic learning. Through Google Drive, the song was finally released and approved to be shared by The Westport Local Press by Stephen Zimmerman, Music and Visual Arts Coordinator for the Westport Public Schools.
The elementary school chorus groups worked with Backtrack Vocals, a professional Acapella group who assisted in putting together the video. The kids sang the song Stand By Me and hope their work could serve as a gift to their community during hard times. View above or by clicking this link.
Westport Country Playhouse Presents Conversation about Thornton Wilder’s American Classic, “Our Town”
From the 2002 production of “Our Town” at Westport Country Playhouse, L-R, Maggie Lacey, Paul Newman, Ben Fox. Photo by Larry Merz
Westport Country Playhouse, in conjunction with the recent book release of “Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ in the 21st Century” by Howard Sherman, will present a virtual conversation about the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, beginning on Sunday, February 14, at 3 p.m., on the Playhouse’s website (westportplayhouse.org) and Youtube channel (WestportPlayhouse), free-of-charge. Running time is approximately 35 minutes. Published video is below.
Participating in the “Our Town at the Playhouse” panel will be Howard Sherman, author; Anne Keefe, current Playhouse associate artist, and former associate artistic director with Joanne Woodward at the time of the Playhouse’s 2002 production of “Our Town”; and Jake Robards, who appeared in the Playhouse production. Host is Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director.
“When I first proposed my book ‘Another Day’s Begun’ to the publisher, I knew that the Westport Country Playhouse production would have to be part of it,” said Sherman. “This was not only because it was the most recent production of ‘Our Town’ to reach Broadway, with a distinguished cast, but also because my first post-college job, only two weeks after graduation, was at Westport. It’s a theatre that remains close to my heart. This conversation was a particular pleasure because it was a chance to discuss the book and the production with Mark Lamos, my boss at Hartford Stage after I left the Playhouse, my friend of over 35 years, and the person who truly opened my eyes to what theatre can be.”
Sherman’s book “Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ in the 21st Century” was published in January 2021 by Methuen Drama and may be purchased directly from Bloomsbury/Methuen and Bookshop.org.
Westport Country Playhouse produced “Our Town” in the summer of 2002, under the artistic direction of Joanne Woodward. Directed by James Naughton, the cast included Paul Newman as the Stage Manager, Jayne Atkinson as Mrs. Gibbs, Frank Converse as Dr. Gibbs, Jane Curtin as Mrs. Webb, Jeffrey DeMunn as Mr. Webb, Jake Robards as Howie Newsome, Kristen Hahn as Rebecca Gibbs, Maggie Lacey as Emily Webb, Ben Fox as George Gibbs, Stephen Spinella as Simon Stimson, John Braden as Professor Willard, and Mia Dillon as Mrs. Soames. Set and costume design was by Tony Walton, lighting design by Richard Pilbrow, and sound design by Ray Schilke. Production manager was Ruth Moe; stage manager, Katherine Lee Boyer; and casting director, Deborah Brown.
The Playhouse production transferred to Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a limited run, and was filmed for Showtime Networks and PBS's “Masterpiece Theatre.” The production is currently available at DVD Netflix.
“Our Town” was first produced at the Playhouse in 1947 with its author Thornton Wilder as the Stage Manager. The story of everyday lives in the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners in the early 1900s opened on Broadway in 1938.
Due to the global pandemic, the Playhouse campus remains closed since last March. The 2021 Season is scheduled to begin in April, online and in-person. Playhouse management will be following the science and the State of Connecticut Department of Health guidelines in deciding when and how to safely open its buildings to the public.
Westport Country Playhouse Announces Youth Council Members
Press ReleaseWestport Country Playhouse announces recently selected members of The Playhouse Youth Council, a new advocacy group to support the artistic and community-building mission of the historic theater which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. The Playhouse Youth Council is comprised of high school students from across New Haven and Fairfield County.
The Playhouse Youth Council members are:
Sofia Michelle Carrillo, 16, New Haven, Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School
Henry Carson, 15, Westport, Staples High School
Nate Cohen, 15, Ridgefield, Ridgefield High School
Kat Corrigan, 17, Wilton, Wilton High School/Regional Center for the Arts
Kate Davitt, 16, Westport, Staples High School
Sophia DelGaudio, 16, Fairfield, Fairfield Ludlowe High School
Shea Frimmer, 14, Weston, Weston High School
Cessa Lewis, 15, Westport, St. Luke’s School
Charly Peter, 15, Stamford, Westhill High School
Sofia Schaffer, 16, Ridgefield, Hopkins School
Joelle Singer Jensen, 16, Greenwich, Greenwich High School
Ethan Smith, 16, Bethel, Bethel High School
Sophia Vellotti, 15, Westport, Staples High School
“The Youth Council will act as young ambassadors to the Playhouse as well as share their ideas and opinions that will help shape the Playhouse of the future,” said Jenny Nelson, Roz and Bud Siegel director of education and community engagement. “In addition, the Youth Council authentically aligns with our education department's core values of Empathy, Collaboration, Literacy, and Activism. At the Playhouse, we have a seat at the table for everyone, and we are committed to giving voice to the young artists of New Haven and Fairfield County.”
The Playhouse Youth Council offers students in grades 9-12 a way to connect with young artists in their community and learn about the inner working of a non-profit, professional, regional theater. Members will meet, virtually, if need be, six times per year to learn about the Playhouse’s mission, vision, and programming. They will serve as advocates in the community, in particular to help facilitate stronger partnerships with local schools. In addition, they will engage with working theater professionals through a speaker series, have behind-the-scenes access, attend board of trustees’ meetings, and help create a community event at the Playhouse. Youth Council members will also contribute creative solutions on how the Playhouse can broaden its appeal to a more diverse community within Fairfield County and beyond. Compensation for Youth Council members will include complimentary tickets to Playhouse productions and events. Community services hours may be applicable.
Four members of the Playhouse’s Theater Council serve as an advisory board to the Youth Council. They are Athena Adamson, vice chair of the Playhouse board of trustees; Adam Clemens, secretary of the Playhouse board of trustees; Rashana Graham, New Haven middle school teacher; and Dr. Peter Marghella, medical and public health preparedness and response authority.
The Theater Council of Westport Country Playhouse is a group of volunteer leaders who serve as theater ambassadors through the promotion of and advocacy for the Playhouse’s artistic integrity, expansion and generating of new patronage, and cultivation of a diverse and inclusive environment.
The Playhouse Youth Council Sponsors are Athena and Daniel Adamson. Other 2021 Education Program Sponsors and Supporters are The David & Geri Epstein Foundation; George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation; Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Inc.; The Westport Young Woman's League; Eunice and David Bigelow; Anna Czekaj-Farber; and Roz and Bud Siegel.
For more information on the Playhouse Youth Council, contact Jenny Nelson, Roz and Bud Siegel director of education and community engagement, at jnelson@westportplayhouse.org or 203-571-1149
MoCA Westport Announces the Acquisition of a New Permanent Human Rights Teaching Exhibition by Westporter Ann Weiner
Artist Ann Weiner. Photo by Stacy Bass Photography.MoCA Westport (formerly the Westport Arts Center) is honored to announce that When Caged Birds Sing, a Human Rights Teaching exhibition created by esteemed Westport, CT-based artist Ann Weiner, has been acquired for its permanent collection.
Weiner’s representation of Malala Yousafzai. Photo by Stacy Bass Photography.
Weiner is a long-time resident of Westport, CT who has had a tremendous impact on the artistic community through her works of art, writings, teaching and philanthropy. She has participated in numerous solo exhibitions and group exhibitions throughout her career.
The exhibition will be on view at MoCA Westport every 3-5 years and loaned to other museums and university museums in between.
When Caged Birds Sing features eight life-size sculptures representing current women’s rights activists who suffered and survived abuse because of their gender, and who continue to advocate for the rights of others at risk. The title of the exhibition is based on the Maya Angelou poem, Caged Bird, which includes the refrain, “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.”
Through assemblage art, Weiner has shined a spotlight on categories of lethal abuse including sex trafficking, kidnapping, transphobia, female genital mutilation (FGM), honor killings, domestic abuse, the conversion of kidnapped girls into sex slaves and killers by rebel armies, merciless Taliban law and transphobia.
“Of all the evils for which man has made himself responsible, none is so degrading, or so shocking or so brutal as his abuse of the better half of humanity; the female sex.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
Weiner conceived of the idea for the exhibition after reading a book about the abolitionist Grimke sisters (The Invention of Wings) by Sue Monk Kidd, and was inspired by the Grimkes’ appearance in one of the most famous works of early feminist art, “The Dinner Party,” by Judy Chicago.
Of the exhibition, Weiner stated, “I tell the stories of these incredible women in the hope that their voices will be heard, their suffering will be seen, and that more of the world will rise up to prevent the abuses they have endured, which are still inflicted on their mothers, sisters, and daughters.”
Ruth Mannes, Executive Director of MoCA Westport, stated, “We are deeply honored to be selected as the guardians of these incredibly moving and poignant works. These stories of survival, social justice, and advocating for others need to be seen. Visitors to the exhibition will walk away with a new sense of responsibility to others and will have a deepened understanding of how their actions can have an impact.”
Weiner explained, “I support the notion of American author and poet Caroline Randall Williams, who stated ‘Museums celebrate, preserve, and catalogue the human condition, its history, its accomplishments and its art. And it follows then that we must be concerned with the people behind these museum worthy artifacts, their ways of being, their wellness, their lived experiences.’”
When Caged Birds Sing is MoCA Westport’s first permanent collection. In addition to these works, MoCA Westport will continue to present a diverse range of solo and group exhibitions in its two galleries, featuring a balance of both local and international artists.
For more information, please contact Leslie LaSala (leslie@mocawestport.org) or Director of Exhibitions Liz Leggett (liz@mocawestport.org).
About When Caged Birds Sing
The exhibition shares the stories of dispersed cultures and histories tied together by the human condition–specifically, the circumstances and bodies of women. Through Weiner’s execution of strong, rough and often violent materials and handling, each figure also possesses an indomitable and elated spirit—the artworks and environments are sculpted with meticulous care and love. By assembling objects ranging from birdcages and lace to guns and barbed wire, stoic female sculptures emerge, each offering their unique story and situation with weight and elation, violence and peace.
Weiner’s representation of Grace Akallo. Photo by Stacy Bass Photography.This exhibition educates an audience with both literal stories and a humanistic, visceral approach. The life-sized sculptures are confrontational–challenging the viewer’s empathy and ability to see beyond one’s conventional, personal and comfortable spaces–to take on the histories and lives of women throughout the world. Some of the works are extremely life-like while others are more representative of the woman’s overall experience.
When Caged Birds Sing includes two well-known women, Malala Yousafzai, a survivor of Talibanization who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Laverne Cox, a survivor of transphobia who was the breakout star of the TV series “Orange is the New Black,” and is now a transgender advocate.
Although the additional women included in the exhibition may not have the same name recognition, they efforts are extremely notable, including (more information is available on annweiner.net):
● Grace Akallo, a survivor of Joseph Kony's Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda in 1996, who became an advocate for the children of Northern Africa
● Maria da Penha Fernandes, a survivor of domestic violence in Brazil, whose determination led to new domestic violence law in her country
● Waris Dirie, a survivor of FGM in Somalia who went on to create The Desert Flower Foundation to help eradicate the practice
● Mukhtar Ma’i, who survived honor-based violence in Pakistan and built a school and refuge for young girls
● Nujood Ali, a child bride survivor of Yemen whose autobiography helped changed the laws surrounding the practice of child marriage
● Jhinna Pinchi, a survivor of sex trafficking who was the first person to face her abusers in court in Peru; she was recognized as a Trafficking in Persons Court Hero
When Caged Birds Sing debuted at Brown University (Cohen Gallery) in Providence, R.I. in 2017 and was later on view at Housatonic Museum (Burt Chernow Gallery) in 2018, and at Southern Connecticut State University (Bueley Gallery) in 2019.
About Ann Weiner
Weiner completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at Queens College and subsequently pursued careers both as an art teacher and as the art director of a noted apparel company. In 1997, she left her teaching and commercial design career to reenter the studio and begin her career as an exhibiting artist.
Her work has been represented by the Turner Carroll Gallery in Santa Fe, NM since the early 1990s, including her one-person lenticular traveling exhibition, Transient Images, which was shown at the Midwest Museum of American Art (Indiana), the Parkersburg Art Center (West Virginia), and the Anderson Museum of Art (Indiana).
She was the recipient of a Silvermine Living Art Award in 2017, celebrating preeminent thought leadership in Art Education. Along with her late husband Sid, Weiner also sponsored the Bill Sessions Woodworking Center at Silvermine Arts Center, providing woodworking and sculpture classes for the community.
The Weiners are also the sponsors of the A Better Chance (ABC) of Westport’s Glendarcy House, named in memory of their two eldest children. The organization provides motivated, outstanding minority youth with the opportunity to achieve their dreams through education.
For further detail on Ann Weiner’s biography and past works, please visit annweiner.net.
Staples Players Radio Theatre Presents: Sorry, Wrong Number Tonight at 7
Staples Players Radio Theatre will present “Sorry, Wrong Number” tonight at 7:00 PM. The show can be enjoyed by visiting WWPT Radio Station Online at wwptfm.org.
The audible experience was postponed from Sunday due to the snow storm that blanketed the community. Staples Players have remained active throughout the pandemic, rising to the occasion and practicing the art of radio theatre through sponsors and background work.
Staples Players Postpone Radio Show to Wednesday due to Snow
Press ReleaseDue to snow, Staples Players’ radio theatre production of “Sorry, Wrong Number” has been POSTPONED to Wednesday, February 10th at 7 PM.
“Sorry, Wrong Number” airs for FREE Wednesday, February 10th at 7 pm EST via livestream at www.wwptfm.org .
Have 23 minutes to spare in a winter of a whole lot of waiting? Turn off Netflix, forget about TikTok, cease the mindless YouTube binge, because the 23 minutes you spend with Staples Players, engrossed in the thriller “Sorry, Wrong Number”, could be the most memorable of the season. Orson Welles called it the “greatest single radio script ever written” (and the War of the Worlds scribe knew a thing or two about creating suspense over the airwaves).