Come join Tony and Tina in holy matrimony

by Kathy Horrigan

Come join Tony and Tina in holy matrimony. And I’ll take your picture while you’re at it!

I am currently in the midst of one of the most unique theatrical experiences of my life. Months ago I noticed in the Capital Center for the Arts newsletter that Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, one of the longest running off-Broadway shows, was coming to Concord and they were looking local actors to audition for some of the supporting roles. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

SO, off I go to the Grappone Conference Center to audition. Oddly when I get there, the door I need to get in is blocked by a wedding party taking photos. I think this is fate since I have ended being cast as the wedding photographer, Sal Antonucci. This part is usually played by a male but for some reason, the people casting the show see fit to put me in the part. The director, who was called in at the last minute because the original director suddenly had to go to the Berkshires to work on an Ang Lee movie, was somewhat thrown since in his twenty years of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, he has never seen a female Sal. We work around my gender in rehearsal.

Let me comment on the rehearsal process… the professional actors drove up from New York City this Saturday. And yes, it was raining heavily for their whole trip. They’re exhausted but off we go and start rehearsing. We are in some board room way, way at the top of the Kimball Mansion next to the Capital Center for the Arts. We do a read through, block the ceremony scene, have a dinner break and then go back up the three flights of stairs to work some more. The bunch of us carpooling from the seacoast area drive home in the pouring rain.

Day two, Sunday, we rehearse from 1-9 pm. Yes, eight hours. Day three, Monday, we rehearse from 6-10 pm. Tuesday, the 6-10 again. All days we drive home in rain or fog or both. Yesterday, Wednesday, Opening Night! Somehow in four days we go from people who barely know each other, with a script we have only had for two days to a fully functioning cast that somehow makes that this audience last night of about a hundred people really feel like they are at an Italian wedding.

We have some celebrities on the cast. The director and the man playing Vinnie Black, Tony Patellis, has been on the Sopranos and recently did voice over work for Grand Theft Auto Four (a video game that I have never played but my college roommate’s teenaged sons like it so I guess it’s good…) Also, Krystal Barry, Miss New Hampshire 2005, plays Maddy Monroe, the father of the groom’s girlfriend. I think her legs are as long as I am tall.

The show runs through this Sunday. And yes, there are some matinees over the weekend so at least if you have to drive in the pouring rain, you will be driving during daylight hours. If you think you might be going tonight or Sunday I have a special promotional code I can give you for “family”.

For more information go to the Capital Center for the Arts or the Tony n’ Tina official web site:

http://ccanh.com/ShowDetails/106/353

http://www.tonylovestina.com/shows_tony_tina_wedding_1.cfm?eid=65

Or just come see me. I can show you some of Sal’s fantastico photos.

David Berona gives a talk on “Wordless Books”

by Kathy Horrigan

Tuesday, August 12th at 7pm

RiverRun Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH

http://www.riverrunbookstore.com

David Berona gives a talk on “Wordless Books”

“Wordless books” were stories from the early part of the twentieth century told in black and white woodcuts, imaginatively authored without any text.  Although woodcut novels have their roots spreading back through the history of graphic arts, including block books and playing cards, it was not until the early part of the twentieth century that they were conceived and published.  Despite its short-lived popularity, the woodcut novel had an important impact on the development of comic art, particularly contemporary graphic novels with a focus on adult themes.

Scholar David Berona examines the history of these books and influence of pioneers like Frans Masereel, Lynd Ward, Otto Nuckel, William Gropper, Milt Gross, and Laurence Hyde (among others).

David Berona is a member of the visiting faculty for the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont.  A recognized scholar on woodcut novels and wordless books, Berona is also the library director at Plymouth State University, New Hampshire and a reviewer and contributor to “International Journal of Comic Art”, “Print Quarterly”, and “Library Journal”.  He lives in Gilmanton, New Hampshire.

Diane’s Retirement Gathering

by Kathy Horrigan

On, Friday, May 30^th, a wonderful soirée was held in the Hubbard Reading Room of the Dimond Library to mark Diane Tebbett’s retirement after 43 years. A fantastic photo display and slideshow were on hand along with beautiful floral displays from Flora Ventures of Newmarket, an elegant catered buffet of finger sandwiches and other goodies by Susan Jackson-Rafter of Portable Pantry in Northwood (http://www.portablepantrynh.com/) and kourabiedes, baklava and chocolate dipped strawberries provided by Louise Craig, formerly of the Admin Office, now the Administrative Assistant in UNH’s Recreation Management & Policy Department. Attendance ranged from the very young to the very retired and a grand time was had by all.

Go to Lisa Nugent’s online photo gallery to take a look see:

http://photo.unh.edu/Clients/tebbetts/index.htm

When Does Blackboard ‘Pause’?

by Kathy Horrigan

From Signals, April 2008, v.6, n.5

Critical dates for the Blackboard Upgrade

1. Friday, June 27th

A “snapshot” of all Bb 6.3 data (courses, organizations, modules, etc.) will be done at 5:00pm. Changes made in Bb 6.3 AFTER June 27th, will NOT be copied to Bb 7.3. This means, for example, if the leader of a Bb organization adds a person or uploads a Word document between June 28th and July 20th, that work will be not be reflected in Bb 7.3.

CIS recommends that you make as few additions/changes as possible to Bb organizations, modules, etc. from June 28th through July 20th. For Bb courses, instructors will need to archive at the end of their summer session courses in order to save any changes made after June 27th. Please go to http://unh.edu/idc/first/tips/blackboard/BbQT065.pdf. Staff from the Instructional Development Center (IDC) will contact faculty with summer courses at the end of the summer to ask if they need or want help with this process.