Holiday Happenings at the Concord Museum!

/0 Comments/in , /by

 A CELEBRATION OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Concord Museum’s 26th Annual Family Trees

Join the Concord Museum to celebrate the 26th Annual Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature opening to the public on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2022.  Admire 32 fancifully decorated holiday trees and wreaths inspired by acclaimed works of children’s literature.

“Family Trees was started at the Concord Museum 26 years ago to give a creative twist to Concord’s esteemed literary history and to share one of life’s greatest pleasures- reading to a child. Since then, we have brought over 800 children’s book titles to life using trees and wreaths of all shapes and sizes as the canvas,” explained Carol Haines, Manager of Exhibitions and Design at the Concord Museum. “Such an endeavor is made possible by the talented and dedicated volunteers who organize the event and design and decorate the trees, and by our many generous sponsors, including Barefoot Books. “

This year’s Honorary Chair of Family Trees is award-winning author and illustrator Grace Lin. whose work has been named by a Caldecott Honor and a Newbery Honor among others. Grace Lin explained, “Family Trees is such a joyous celebration of the holidays, and books. It’s so much fun to see your book come to life on a tree.” Past Honorary Chairs of Family Trees have included Tomie dePaola, Gregory Maguire, Peter Reynolds, Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple, Cokie Roberts, Jerry Pinkney, D.B. Johnson, Melissa Sweet, Pamela Zagarenski and Nicole Tadgell.

 

Admission: During this benefit event, Concord Museum admission is $18 adults, $15 seniors & students; $8 Youth (6-17); Children $5 (3 to 5); Children (2 and under) free. Members Free. The Museum is open  Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. (Also open Monday, December 27; Closed November 25,December 24 and December 25). Walk-ins welcome. Go to www.concordmuseum.org for more information and this year’s Family Tree’s Booklist. For questions 978-369-9763 x222

 

Family Trees is organized by the Concord Museum’s Guild of Volunteers as a benefit for the Museum’s education initiatives.

A special thank you to our lead sponsor Barefoot Books and to our media sponsor Boston Parents.

 

Family Trees Programs

Page to Stage Puppet Show

Saturday, December 4 | 11:00 – 11:45 am

Free with Museum admission

Colorful and beloved characters from stories around the world come alive on the puppet stage. Some stories are interactive, some hilarious, all have positive messages!

 

Constellation Craft

Sunday, December 5 |10:00 – 12:00 pm

Free with Museum admission

During Family Trees, families can drop in to read Ada and the Galaxies and imagine the universe we live in. Design your own constellation of stars while exploring the galaxy.

 

An Afternoon with Authors & Illustrators

Sunday, December 5 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Meet some of the accomplished authors and illustrators who books are featured in Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature. Explore the decorated forest of trees throughout the Museum and visit with authors and illustrators as they sign your books. In partnership with the Concord Bookshop.

 

Reach for the Stars Stargazing Event

Sunday, December 5 | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Explore the galaxies without having to leave Earth! Join Jim Zebrowski of the Aldrich Astronomical Society for a demonstration of how telescopes help us see far, far away, all in honor of the new picture book, Ada and the Galaxies.

11th Annual Holiday House Tour- Inside Out!
Saturday, December 11, 2021

Join the Guild of Volunteers for the 11th Annual Holiday House Tour on Saturday, December 11!  We are thrilled to return this year’s event to an in-person format, with the exciting twist of featuring a variety of beautifully decorated outdoor spaces sure to delight and inspire.  Hidden and often overlooked spaces, like patios, porches, doorways, barns, and gazebos, will take center stage for this showcase of outdoor winter wonderlands.  Concord’s holiday charm will be on full display in these unique settings, with the magic of twinkling lights and richness of abundant greens enhanced by the seasonal atmosphere.  Gather your friends and bundle up to enjoy this one-of-a-kind holiday tour!

Tickets: $30 Museum Members/$35 General Public

Inclement weather date: Sunday, December 12

Please note: Attendees will not have access to home interiors.  The event will take place entirely outdoors.

For more information and tickets click here.

Drop-In Flower Design

Saturday, December 11 and Sunday, December 12 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Free with Museum Admission

Families can design their own flowers while reading Have You Ever See a Flower? And Welcome Flower Child: The Magic of Your Birth Flower. Learn about the different types of flowers and the symbolism behind them.

 

Holiday Members Night

Tuesday, December 14 | 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Free and Exclusive to Concord Museum Members

Celebrate the winter season with an evening of viewing Family Trees and enjoying festive treats. Stop by pop-up shops throughout the Museum to find unique gifts and take advantage of discounted holiday shopping. This event is open to all members of the Concord Museum.

 

 

 

Middle School Building News & Important Dates

/0 Comments/in /by

Greetings from the Middle School Building Committee,

Here’s an email jam packed with event information as we quickly approach our January 20th special Town Meeting.  We would love to share it all with your members because if anyone is looking to join Middle School Building Committee members for coffee and conversation about the proposed schematic design for a new Concord Middle School building, we have what seems like a million opportunities over the next few weeks, and we wouldn’t want your members to miss out.

The Building Committee is hosting a series of coffees, where Building Committee representatives will address the proposed building design, educational strategy, community use features, sustainability, and timelines. These coffees are more casual, with opportunity to engage and ask questions.

Here’s what’s coming up.  Get out your calendars!

Wednesday, November 10 at 9:15 am at Willard 
Join us at the Willard School for this event coordinated with the Willard PTG.  Come for the talk about the middle school, stay to see how the schools have been mitigating COVID: by bringing everything from classrooms to lunch outdoors in tents!.  Our coffee will be in Willard’s tent, so dress warmly.

Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom for Pre-School Night
Join us virtually on Zoom! Anyone is welcome, but we’re lucky enough to have Concord Children’s Center director and CMSBC co-chair, Pat Nelson, to lead our conversation about the middle school with parents of children attending our many area preschools.  This event was coordinated with the Integrated Preschool.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/94009511339?pwd=SElCWVM1YktRclJoMEo4ODVWUUlXUT09 

Meeting ID: 940 0951 1339
Passcode: 682196

Friday, November 12 at 1 p.m. at Ripley, Conference Room 4
This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.

Tuesday, November 16 at 12 p.m. at Ripley, Conference Room 4
This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.

Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m. at Sanborn
Come join us in the Sanborn Library. This is an open discussion, sponsored by the CMSBC and open to all.  Come see the site itself.  It could be your last chance to see and experience Sanborn if the new building passes at Town Meeting on January 20th and the subsequent election on February 3rd. Remember that because this is an indoor event, a face mask is required.

Friday, November 19th at 9 a.m. at Thoreau’s ‘Wedding Tent’
Join us at the Thoreau School in what has become affectionately named the Wedding Tent.  Dress code is not black tie, it’s more like hats and mittens. But the tent is heated so if you don’t like the cold, this one’s for you.

Wednesday, December 1st at 7 p.m. on Zoom for Community Forum 7
A full forum, open to all, and sponsored by the CMSBC.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/97545700844?pwd=T3FPS3FtWFlOWTk4c05UZ0htYkVKdz09
Meeting ID: 975 4570 0844
Passcode: 141014

Friday, December 3rd at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Join us at the League of Women Voters First Friday Series.  As always, we’re thrilled to join the League for what is always a lively and informed discussion.  Zoom link forthcoming closer to the event itself. Stay tuned!

Wednesday, December 8th at 7 p.m. for our Sustainability Panel Discussion 
We’re excited to launch a new format: panel discussions with experts and specialists! The first in this series will be a panel discussion on Sustainability as it relates to the proposed Middle School Building.  Zoom link forthcoming closer to the event itself. Stay tuned!

*Finally, as we did with Listening Sessions last winter and spring, Building Committee members are also happy to join any of you at one of your existing meetings.  If you would be interested in this, please email Heather Bout at hbout.sc@gmail.com.

We appreciate so very much your engagement and attention to this extremely important town project.

– CMSBC Communications Committee

Umbrella Presents “The Old Man and The Old Moon”

/0 Comments/in , /by

Epic Sea-Faring Musical Continues Umbrella Stage Season
Spectacular Stagecraft, Musical Storytelling, Makes for a Rousing Adventure

 

Adventure lovers of all ages are invited to set sail on a high-energy, family friendly epic that combines live, narrative folk music, puppetry, and theatrical effects for a unique, fantastical theater experience as The Umbrella Stage Company continues its 2021/2022 season with the The Old Man and The Old Moon, Nov. 12 – Dec. 5!

 

The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the
deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change. Hailed by The New York Times as “a story of time and tides and quests, the sort of fable on which mythologies and religions are founded,” The Old Man and The Old Moon is a fantastical tale with rollicking folk music by the innovative PigPen Theatre Co., and “asks us to appreciate the finer arts of wild storytelling, while speaking to the childish mind in all of us.”

“We are thrilled to bring The Old Man and The Old Moon to The Umbrella this season,” said Producing Artistic Director Brian Boruta. “As we planned our return to the stage, I wanted to find stories that were uniquely theatrical. The beautiful, yet simple stagecraft and the way the story is told harkens back to the very beginnings of theater itself – how do we create something out of nothing? Audiences of all ages will be left feeling that this story was meant to be seen in
a theater, and experienced live and in person.”

 

Directed by the award-winning Julia Deter, it stars Jonathan von Mering*, Gregory Boover*, Emily Serdahl*, Jennie McGuinness, Jay McCarthy, Kayla Shimizu, Lily Steven, Griffin Ostrowski and Erica Risti, each of whom also play instruments, and features dazzling sets, lighting, and stagecraft to tell an unforgettable story of love and devotion.

 

ABOUT THE SEASON
The Old Man and The Old Moon will be presented at The Umbrella Arts Center’s MainstageTheater144, 40 Stow Street, Concord, with limited seating capacity to allow for optimal social distancing. Facemasks are mandatory, and proof of full vaccination or negative Covid test is required for attendance.

The 2021-2022 season lineup also includes: an updated, relevant new presentation of the satirical The Colored Museum; an original world premiere play commission created by Hortense Gerardo; and the joyous musical comedy Head Over Heels, from the visionaries behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Avenue Q, fueled by music from the Go-Gos.

Buy tickets today!

$10 off tix to The Old Man and The Old Moon Nov 12-14 shows booked online – Use Code MOON10

Chase Bjork Foundation & Brain Health Bootcamp

/0 Comments/in /by

About the Chase Bjork Foundation and Brain Health Bootcamp

The Chase Bjork Foundation (a 501(c)3 nonprofit) was established by the Bjork family in February 2020 to honor Chase Bjork, who lost his life to suicide at age 18. Losing Chase ignited a passion to meaningfully address the lack of education and awareness of mental illness resources available to adolescents, their families and the communities in which they live. In September 2021, CBF launched the Brain Health Bootcamp (BHB), a free, online program for students, parents and communities to learn about mental health: what it is, how to talk about it, and how to get help for it. The program is available online at  brainhealthbootcamp.org and can be customized in partnership with school districts that wish to integrate it into their curricula. BHB is being piloted at Concord-Carlisle High School and Waldorf School of Massachusetts Bay.

If you are a parent, student, teacher, or school staff that would like to get involved with promoting mental health education and resources, or bringing the BHB to your school, please reach out to use at team@chasebjork.org. We would love to hear from you!

In Chase’s Memory

Chase Bjork was a beautiful boy who ultimately died from his mental illness. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to overcome the power of his hidden disease. In his memory, the Bjork family and Concord community established the Chase Bjork Foundation to educate families on mental illness and get more adolescents the treatment they need and deserve, pre-crisis.

Read more.

Wacky Wednesday: Visit the Concord Cheese Shop!

/0 Comments/in /by

    

    

 

   

Did you know about their Cheese & Charcuterie Club?

Every month changes with new selections of cheese charcuterie. Available for pick up second Wednesday of every month. Subscriptions available for 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months.

House Made Quiches

If you haven’t tried our house made quiches, well…you need to. Come in and say hello to Meg, our self proclaimed quiche queen. Fresh made every Tuesday and Thursday. Always a meat and vegetarian option. We also take orders. And yes, we can make gluten free quiches too.

House-Made Meals

From our lunch and dinner specials, to our custom sandwiches and platters, we’re ready to serve you delicious feasts for 1-100 people.

 

Every Day Lunch and Catering

…served con mucho gusto. Due to seasonal availability, we reserve the right to make product substitutions. The utmost care will be taken to ensure that any substitutions made are for products of equal or greater value and quality. We would appreciate orders of 12 or more to be called or faxed in anytime by 5:30 pm on the previous day.

Stay Informed

To stay up to date with happenings at The Cheese Shop of Concord, please join our email list!

KICKS for CANCER & MIGHTY MOOSE 2021

/0 Comments/in /by

“Bringing the Community Together for a Great Cause”—Coach Wells

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021
-The Mighty Moose 5k

        

 

In late September, Kicks for Cancer brings together soccer players and fans at Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord, MA, to support local high school teams and to rally to advance ovarian cancer prevention. Players take to the fields wearing jerseys with the name of a loved one who has battled cancer displayed on their backs. This year, the fields will once again be filled with men’s and women’s soccer games starting early in the day and stretching into the evening.

 

 

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
​save the dates for
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021

 

 
About Lois Wells
To say that my mom was a wonderful person would be an understatement.  She was a truly remarkable person: an amazing and devoted mother, a caring friend, a woman of strong faith, who lived a healthy life.  When some abdominal discomfort eventually led her to a diagnosis of Stage Four Ovarian Cancer in 2006, our family was shocked given what a healthy person she was.  We were even more shocked when, after a successful surgery to remove much of the cancer at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and seemingly successful chemotherapy treatments at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she was unable to overcome her battle with cancer and passed away in March of 2007, less than a year after her initial diagnosis, at the age of 67.  Throughout everything, she remained faith-filled, positive, upbeat, and optimistic, even when her prognosis became bleak.

Kicks for Cancer originated in 2007 as an idea – a way to honor the life and spirit of Lois Wells, the mother of Concord-Carlisle High School (CCHS) varsity soccer alums (1996-1998) Steve Wells and Dan Wells (1989-1990).  After playing soccer for Connecticut College (1999-2002), Steve returned to CCHS as an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team in 2003.  In 2009, Steve joined the CCHS Special Education department as tutor and has been a Special Education teacher since 2012.  We asked Steve to share his thoughts on the history of Kicks for Cancer and its impact:

The First Kicks for Cancer Event–2007
​The first Kicks for Cancer event was played at Memorial Stadium at CCHS in October 2007–a single game against Boston Latin High School.  The idea of the game originated from the brilliance of CCHS coach Ray Pavlik who had rallied the team to do something to support me during a very difficult time for me after our mother’s death.  Initially, CCHS staff had looked into doing a charity walk/run in memory of my mother, but when fundraising minimums made this impossible for a team of 20-plus players and coaches, Coach Pavlik came up with the idea of playing a benefit game where all of the CCHS players wore pink jerseys with ‘WELLS’ on the back to honor my mother.  The first event was very successful and featured the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by members of the choir from my mother’s church, Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA, a ceremonial “first kick” done by my nephew Wells Ipema to the team captains, and many alumni in attendance.  I was blown away by the $8,000 that we raised and donated in support of women’s cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  Little did I know that this was only the beginning and would be much more than a one-time event.​

Picture

Kicks for Cancer Expanded
I had assumed that the first Kicks for Cancer was just a one-time event, so when Coach Pavlik approached me the next season and said that the plan was to do it again, I was shocked–a great surprise!  The event took off, eventually expanding into two games side-by-side in 2010, six games in 2011 and sixteen soccer games in 2019. The Concord-Carlisle and Lincoln-Sudbury women’s teams first joined the Kicks lineup in 2013 to the delight of soccer fans.  The most amazing thing was that each year we raised more money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute than the previous year.  Every time I was told how much money was raised, I was more and more blown away!  The generosity of the CCHS community and now that of many other towns is indescribable.  The time, effort, and energy that is put into Kicks for Cancer by Coach Pavlik and so many parent volunteers (as the event has grown, a committee had to be formed to handle all the various aspects of the event) is unbelievable.
Kicks for Cancer Today
Now, including the partnership with CCHS Field Hockey’s Sticks for Cancer, the CCHS Cross Country teams’ K(ilometer)s for Cancer, the CCHS Pink Dance, and The Mighty Moose 5k Run/Walk, Kicks for Cancer is the cornerstone of an incredible weekend which is so much more than just soccer.  It truly brings the community together for a great cause, and I am beyond humbled and awed by the magnitude of the event.  That, combined with the specific donation to Dr. Elias’s lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fund ovarian cancer early detection and treatment efforts, makes me and so many others in the community proud to be a part of this event each year.  Our commitment to cancer research and to the patients and families impacted by cancer is unwavering.  Thank you to everyone involved–the players, the volunteers, and the community!

Picture

 

Picture

Picture

Events and towns supporting Kicks for Cancer!

Kicks for Cancer Weekend 2021
​save the dates for
Friday, September 24, 2021
​-Pink Dance (will be canceled this year due to Covid concerns)
Saturday, September 25, 2021
-Kicks for Cancer 
Sunday, September 26, 2021
-The Mighty Moose 5k

Soccer Teams
Acton-Boxborough
Bedford
Boston Latin
Brookline
Burlington
Cambridge
Concord-Carlisle*
Holliston* (Field Hockey only)
Lincoln-Sudbury
Milton
Needham
Newton North
Newton South
Reading
​Wakefield
Waltham
Wayland
Westford
Weston
Woburn* Soccer and Field Hockey teams

PictureThe Mighty Moose Fun Run/Walk is held in memory of Jenna Swaim, a loving mother and wife who lost her courageous four year battle to ovarian cancer on July 3, 2018. She was 43 years old. The name of the event is inspired by Jenna’s Alaskan roots, love for fun, and strength! The event is part of the Kicks for Cancer weekend, which is the very successful fundraiser that the Concord Carlisle High School soccer team and coaches Ray Pavlik & Steve Wells started in 2007.

Together, we will continue Jenna‘s legacy and vision to raise crucial funding for this cause. All funds raised will support the ovarian cancer research of Dr. Kevin Elias of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Together we are making a difference!

Jenna Hoge Swaim, age 43, of Concord, Massachusetts, died peacefully at home on July 3, 2018, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Jenna grew up enjoying the majestic views and pristine landscapes of Alaska. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1996, where she played varsity soccer, earned multiple league honors, and served as the team captain her senior year. Upon graduation, she worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley and received a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 2001. She transitioned from finance to human resources and worked at OneBeacon Insurance and PeopleFluent, all while raising her young family. Jenna thrived in and loved her career.

Jenna met Derek Swaim the first weekend at graduate school. They shared passions for sports, the outdoors, and traveling and after getting married settled in Concord, Massachusetts. She cherished nothing more than Derek and their three beautiful children Luke, Jason, and Nora, and she put all of her incredible spirit, talent, and energy into her family. They brought smiles and laughter to her heart every day. Jenna was active in her community and tirelessly supported her children’s schools, clubs, and abundant activities, always cheering for, and often coaching, them and their teams. With her family, she enjoyed hiking, biking, running, golfing, skiing, and the outdoors, and together they traveled extensively.

Her extended family and friends were also very important to her. Jenna possessed a gift for forming lasting friendships wherever she went. She loved getting family and friends together. She was tremendously thankful for all the support that her sister, family, friends, neighbors, and children’s teachers provided to her family and her.

Her positive and kind attitude was infectious. She will be remembered by the many lives she touched for her bright smile, humility, thoughtfulness, strength of character, and dedication to every endeavor. Jenna loved life, cherished it, and lived it to the fullest. She was extremely grateful and felt lucky to have had such a full life in a short period of time.

-The Mighty Moose 5k

   

 

THE UMBRELLA WELCOMES AUDIENCES BACK!

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

The Umbrella Stage Company returns in its 2021/2022 season with six fresh,
varied productions, including an original world premiere, staged in-person in its two recently constructed theaters at 40 Stow Street.

Halted by COVID-19 midway through its inaugural season as a professional company, the award-winning team led by Producing Artistic Director Brian Boruta has taken time this year to construct a thoughtful, balanced season to ease stage-starved audiences back into a theater experience for a tentative time.
Planning for limited capacity seating and Covid safety protocols, the season begins with an intimate staging of Audrey Cefaly’s romantic comedy, The Last Wide Open (Sep 24-Oct 10), and builds modestly from there – forgoing the large  casts of originally planned musical spectacles such as War Paint in favor of smaller, diverse and lesser known productions.

The lineup also includes: the music-rich and imaginative sea-faring epic The Old Man and The Old Moon; an updated, relevant new presentation of the satirical The Colored Museum; and the joyous musical comedy Head Over Heels, from the visionaries behind Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Avenue Q, fueled by music from the Go-Gos. Balancing out the season is an expanded
family friendly concert, Holidays Under The Umbrella, and an original play commission created by Hortense Gerardo and directed by Michelle Aguillon, who have partnered with The Umbrella on multiple pandemic projects.

NEW APPROACHES FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF SEASON
With one exception, productions will be in The Umbrella’s new 344-seat proscenium-style mainstage at roughly half capacity to allow for optimal audience distancing from the cast and each other. The Umbrella joins a cohort of peer theaters in implementing heightened cleaning, mask mandates, fully vaccinated workplaces, and required proof of full vaccination or negative Covid test for adult attendees to protect community members.

Boruta cast the widest possible net to engage a diverse panel of Umbrella community members – performers, directors, designers, as well as board and staff members of all ages and backgrounds – to review, discuss and consult on selections that would feel meaningful, accessible and exciting to all its constituents just easing out of the pandemic.

THE UMBRELLA STAGE COMPANY PERFORMANCES

THE LAST WIDE OPEN – Sep. 24 – Oct. 10, 2021

Play by Audrey Cefaly, Music by Matthew M. Nielson , Directed by Nancy Curran Willis

Fate plays its hand in this romantic comedy that features original songs and live music. Lina, a young waitress, and Roberto, an Italian immigrant,  have been working together for years but rarely talk. If they
do, it’s from a distance or gets lost in translation. But when a late-  finds them alone in the restaurant at closing time, they find their lives intersecting in surprising and mystical ways. Over wine and conversation, they test the waters of happiness and intimacy. A love song in three movements, The Last  Wide Open imagines how the universe conspires to bring us together.

THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON – Nov. 12 – Dec. 5, 2021

Play by PigPen Theater, Directed by Julia Deter
The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

HOLIDAYS UNDER THE UMBRELLA – Dec. 17 – 19, 2021

Directed by Sarajane Morse Mullins
The Umbrella’s beloved holiday concert returns the mainstage after last season’s virtual presentation. Familiar faces and Umbrella Stage favorites will return to sing seasonal songs and share their own holiday memories in a family friendly concert to put everyone in the spirit of the season!

THE COLORED MUSEUM – Jan. 28 – Feb. 20, 2022

By George C. Wolfe, Directed by Pascale Florestal
Serving as an elaborate satire of the prominent themes and identities of African American culture, the play is set in a fictional museum where iconic African American figures are kept for public consumption.
Told in a series of eleven sketches, each segment centers on a different “exhibit” in the museum, and serves as a small one-person play or monologue. Exploring themes of racism, stereotypes, intracommunity conflicts in black culture, and the ongoing legacy of slavery and segregation, The Colored Museum received overwhelming critical praise for its provocative subject matter and in-depth
exploration of the African American theatrical and cultural past.

A WORLD PREMIERE – Mar. 18 – Apr. 10, 2022

By Hortense Gerardo, Commissioned by The Umbrella, Directed by Michelle Aguillon
Local playwright Hortense Gerardo (Incantation) will create a brand new play specifically for The Umbrella Stage Company season. Stay tuned throughout the year for more information, sneak peeks, and special events leading up to this world premiere event

HEAD OVER HEELS – May 13 – Jun. 6, 2022

Adapted by James Magruder, Concept and Original Book by James Whitty, Music by The Go-Go’s,
Directed by Brian Boruta
Head Over Heels is the bold new musical comedy from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. This laugh-out-loud love story is set to the
music of the iconic 1980’s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s, including the hit songs, “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.”
A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, it follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction—only to discover the key to their realm’s  within each of their own hearts.

40 STOW STREET, CONCORD MA 01742
978.37 1.0820
TheUmbrellaStage.org

Celebrate Concord’s 386th Birthday and all-new Concord Museum Celebration

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

WE’RE MAKING HISTORY (Literally)!

CONCORD’S BIRTHDAY AND THE ALL-NEW CONCORD MUSEUM!

In celebration of Concord’s 386th Birthday and the opening of the Concord Museum’s 16 new permanent galleries, the public is invited to a week of activities including Forums, Gallery Talks, Encampments, and Family events starting Labor Day, September 6 through Sunday, September 12, 2021.

The week-long celebration includes free Museum admission for all Concord residents and the opportunity to see the newly renovated Museum first-hand on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

On Tuesday, September 7, 2021 the public is invited to a panel discussion “Concord Farms: Resilience, Revolutionaries, and Renegades” on the history of agriculture in Concord that is both informative and celebratory as we help spread the word about the resilience of the Concord farmer. On Wednesday, September 8 join Jacqueline Jones, the president of the American Historical Association and Concord resident, in a conversation about her prize-winning books including: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to the Present.

 

Drop by the Museum to experience the history of Concord’s incorporation as a town! Families can participate in activities that explore life and craft in the era of the 1600’s Concord from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

Free outdoor community activities are scheduled on the weekend! Meet baby lambs and a fluffy angora rabbit outside the Museum. Watch as their wool and fur are carded and spun into fine yarn with a master weaver at work at a loom. On Sunday, visit an encampment with the Acton Minutemen for cooking, music, crafts, and musket drills as the men and women prepare for battle.

 

The final phase of Concord Museum’s decade-long $16 million renovation project is culminating with the opening of renovated and interactive galleries and celebration starting on Labor Day, September 6, 2021. The ten newest galleries include a renewed focus on Concord’s famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, the women who led the effort to abolish slavery, and African Americans who lived in Concord before and after the Civil War.

Friday, 9/10:

11am: Henry David Thoreau Gallery Talk

2pm: Farming in Concord: History Learning Center Program

 

Saturday, 9/11:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Mill Brook Walking Tour 

2pm Getting a Living Gallery Talk

 

Sunday, 9/12:

10am Celebrate Concord Community Day

11am Incorporating Concord Gallery Talk

2pm History Learning Center Program

For a full program listing of Family Activities visit www.concordmuseum.org

Sponsors: WBUR, Gourmet Catering and Middlesex Savings Bank.

 

 

Concord-Carlisle Food Resources

/0 Comments/in /by

Wacky Wednesday: Fritz & Gigi – 50% off Summer Sale!

/0 Comments/in /by

Shop 50% off Summer Sale at Fritz & Gigi!

And check out the new Fall arrivals that are arriving daily.