The Player's Ring is making a lot of moves and changes, behind their closed doors.
If they open in October - as hoped - it will be with new policies in place. All tickets sales will be online and limited to 25 per performance, and for the first time seats are assigned. In addition, patrons will be appointed specific doors for entrance, before arrival, Board of Trustee Ed Simeone says.
The venue has checked in with producers to reconfirm which are still interested in producing. Some have asked for delays, largely as their script's call for actors' close proximity, Simeone says. The Ring will attempt to accommodate, giving them an end-of-season placement.
The theater has also made a structural change to its schedule. Shows will now run two rather than the traditional three weeks, with the addition of a matinee each weekend. A run will lose only two shows.
"This is in response to feedback from producers and tech staff," Simeone says. "There's three things. First, it will be a clean-up weekend between productions. Second, it will allow us to reset all the tech aspects. ... And third, it allows us to schedule something on that weekend, (such as) children's programs or a weekend of repertory ... a mini festival of some kind. Finally this is the expansion of the programming we're looking at - how can we accommodate more theme-based productions (or) if something comes up ... we feel is important enough to include."
All this has the venue looking to making a second hire. It only brought on its first paid staff last year. This time, they're considering hiring a managing director.
"We want someone who can really focus on operations, someone with that kind of background," he says "Given the complexity moving forward ... we need a managing director and production manager."
The board of trustees is currently giving all changes a final review, and looking at still other options.
"But you know, 'the best-laid plans of mice and men can go awry.' The next day ... it can be changed by what is ultimately happening," Simeone says. "But our feeling is we have to stop the period of 'what if' and start getting into ’when.’ If in a couple of weeks from now, or a month, it's not going to work for a variety of reasons, we have to adjust the decisions."
’Polka Party’ in the pandemic
WUNH's "Polka Party," hosted by musician and composer Gary Shredzienski, is in its thirty-third year as of this month. Should have been a big occasion, but things aren't working out that way.
WUNH is on air courtesy of its Chief Engineer Aaron Pepelis, who is replaying old shows, squirreled away over time.
"We were told at noon on Friday, March 20 that we were to vacate by 4:30 p.m. The Monday before I had installed some remote access software, so I connected to the station using that," Pepelis says. "Over the years, I have backed up the radio station's server every week to my house, that includes the hour archived blocks. I looked and I have almost every hour of radio going back to March 2014."
And so that's what listeners hear, programs along with inserted IDs with original air dates every five minutes within an hour's frameworks.
"A couple hours after the station was locked up, I had those playing a full-day's programming from the past," he says.
DJs are pre-recording shows and sending them to the program director. Pepelis then uploads "and I toss them into the time that they would (normally) broadcast," he says "Currently, all Monday from 9 a.m. to Tuesday 1 a.m. are now pre-recorded shows (plus other blocks)."
The station is currently waiting on the University of New Hampshire to announce a reopening date.
"The last I heard was in August, but it might not be until school opens," Pepelis says. I hope to give people who aren't comfortable coming back to the station an option to pre-record their shows and get them played. At least until the pandemic is over." (Check https://ift.tt/2WAvp07)
And as for Sredzienski, well, he admits he initially enjoyed the break after 33 years, but wouldn't mind getting back to it now.
Until then, he's working a new venture creating and recording pop-rock-traditional covers, with the help of one other artist (social distancing) and posting them on Facebook weekly.
His cover of "Smoke On The Water," performed with Bill Zecker, had garnered more than 4,500 views as of a week ago.
"These (viewers) are from all around the world and they wouldn't go to an accordion concert ever," Shredzienski says laughing. "I also have kids I went to school with in the third grade say, 'We thought you were the biggest dork ever with that accordion. Now seeing this, you rock.' I'm reinventing the wheel for the poor instrument that's dying."
"Anyway, I have a whole new audience on Facebook, because of the pandemic." (See: https://ift.tt/398NtU0)
Dance camp outdoors in Exeter
MusicalArts Academy of Music and Dance in Exeter is the latest summer camp to open, and yes with changes.
The Academy's music offerings, voice and instrument, will remain remote. Dance is live, but with some adjustments.
"Dance shifted to doing different camps, not regular camp. These are just weeklong camps, ... some mornings, some all day," Director Taryn Herman. "So, dance camps will be nine or 10 (campers) max, and we're keeping it outdoors as much as possible, and masked and distanced if we're indoors."
Most camps are full, with waiting lists only, with the exception of its second Circus Camp in August.
"We are lucky to have a nice lawn and shade right in front of the building that houses the studio, so basically we will just dance, craft, and play games outside when possible," Herman says. "Some things, like the aerial for Circus camp, will have to be indoors, but we got extra silks, and everyone will have their own craft kit every day, so no sharing."
Being back with the kids at camp "will be an adventure," she says. "I'm ready to be back and be creative with the kids in person."
The Academy was at mid-semester when it shut down in March, but succeeded in completing classes remotely and pulling off virtual recitals, Herman says.
"We delivered costumes to all the (dance) kids curbside - door-to-door costume delivery," Herman says. "I got to know the Exeter area very well."
Instructors for both genres had a final Zoom dress rehearsal. As each child performed their dance routine or musical performance at home, their "live audience" was asked to record it on their phone.
"Now we have the videos in and we're making it into one show," Herman says. "The funny thing is this is something they'll have forever essentially. ... The upside." (Info at https://ift.tt/3hctCGr)
Jeanné McCartin keeps her eyes and ears open for gossip at maskmakernh@gmail.com.
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July 19, 2020 at 11:13AM
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Gossip: Players’ Ring preparing for October opening - Foster's Daily Democrat
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