In this year-end column, Gossip takes a look back at some of the happenings it has reported over the last year.
Piscataqua Riverfest to return
The first Piscataqua Riverfest was presented by the Gundalow Company, in partnership with the Strawbery Banke Museum, and with the involvement of approximately 36 groups. The plan is to grow it over the years.
“I just think the whole thing, the vision behind this is … to celebrate the rivers, bays and tributary, in a fun and educational setting,” Gundalow Company Director Rich Clyborne said at the time. The company has announced this year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 6.
Gundalow also announced a logo contest for the event. The winning logo design will be displayed on festival T-shirts, the event website, all marketing materials, as well as festival programs. The winner will receive a free T-shirt, five complimentary tickets to the event, and a $50 cash prize. Visit piscataquariverfest.wordpress.com/design for more details.
Escape Room opens second location
The Portsmouth Escape Room had quite a game of its own trying to open its second location in Biddeford, Maine, in 2019. Ingenious Escape Games was set to open in February; “We (hadn’t) even started building yet!” co-owner Javi Kalback said at the time.
It finally had its grand opening on Aug. 10 with the location’s first game “The Secret Laboratory of Dr. Prometheus. Others will be added over time.
McElroy buys Gary’s Guitars
Musician Marc McElroy bought Gary’s Guitars, a 30-year old business (and counting).
McElroy worked the shop under previous owner Gary Traversy off and on for 20 years. For his part, Traversy just wanted to “semi retire.” He still works the shop – but less frequently.
“… It’s my first time with a retail business,” McElroy says at year’s end. “The demands are more constant, it took some time to adjust to that, but it’s going well.”
The repair service continues, but McElroy has plans to grow it and will offer more lessons, with more teachers.
“The biggest success is increasing our inventory on hand to have many more choices for our customers,” McElroy says “We’re now a dealer for Fender guitars. Fender is the ‘Apple’ of guitars now, it’s an indispensable brand that is most people’s go-to.”
Thespian couple opens summer camp
Thespians Alexis and Steve Dascoulias returned from their decade in Hawaii, jumped right back into the Seacoast arts scene, and more importantly made their dream of an arts, overnight summer camp come alive.
The couple transformed a 63-acre, former golf course in Livermore, Maine, into Camp CenterStage arts camp. Work had barely started in December, but come summer it opened for its first season.
The camp, which focuses on theater arts and film, sports a formal dance studio with mirrors and a dance floor. They built a pool and numerous structures, and were ready for campers by July.
Dascoulias was grateful for her initial naiveté heading into the project, she said while in the throes of the building process.
“We’re only just discovering nobody has done this in 30 or 40 years – built from scratch. People have bought existing camps, but not built new,” she says. “We’re glad no one told us that before. We might have been more nervous. But it’s what we wanted to do, and knock on wood everything is falling into place.”
Seven Stages Shakespeare expands programming
Seven Stages Shakespeare Company introduce new programming in 2019, with plans to continue growing the company.
The two co-founders, Dan Beaulieu and Christine Penney, moved back to the Seacoast from New York City, to allow them to concentrate on 7SSC’s development. It also added Tim Jacobs as resident company manager to its staff, which includes Managing Director Kevin Condardo.
This year they added a fully-staged “Macbeth” as a Halloween-season production with an eye toward more presentations in future spooky seasons. 7SSC further developed “Shakespeare on Tap,” its second reading series, held at the Press Room, the home of its long-standing “ShakesBEERience.”
With the addition of the new series to its already popular ShakeBEERience and Encore, the company now offers monthly programming.
This year, it also presented a reading of “A Shakespeare Carol,” an original written by Artistic Director and Co-Founder Dan Beaulieu, a mashup of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare featuring Christopher Marlowe rather than Marley as the heralding ghost. The company hopes it will give 7SSC and other Shakespeare troupes, a winter holiday offering.
Beaulieu says people can expect more from the company in the coming year.
PMAC presents cartooning class
PMAC teamed up with the Portsmouth City Library to offer an eight-week cartooning program with Tom Bonello, a PMAC instructor, thanks to a grant from Jane’s Trust.
The grant also permitted additional off-site programming, which allowed PMAC to reach more children, “especially those that might not be able to afford the traditional classes,” Executive Director Russ Grazier said at the time.
The free programming was offered at Greenleaf Rec Center. The grant also funded scholarships for PMAC ensembles including the Sandpipers Children’s Chorus.
“It’s a wonderful grant, and we’ve really been using it to let the entire community know that our programs are available to everyone,” Grazier said, adding, “and to reduce the stigma for asking for tuition assistance.”
The hope is to find support, and keep the programs going.
And then there was Grazier’s favorite event this year: “Bowie and the Moon,” a collaboration with 3S Artspace that featured six bands, among them Mother Superior and the Sliding Royales’ sole show of the year.
“(It was the) largest non-student production PMAC has ever done,” Grazier says. “And there was a student component with students from both 3S and PMAC.”
Sue’s expands footprint
Sue’s at the Salmon Falls Mills, Rollinsford, expanded its footprint. Initially, Sue’s Space (for gatherings) and SuesStudios (14 artist studios) were separated by another business. When the “between” space became available, they took it on.
The initial intent was to add 10 new, affordable studios with remaining footage used to expand Sue’s Space’s tiny green room. The organization has posted new studios are up for rent Dec. 1, 2019.
“This new space will solidify that basement as a Sue’s ‘thing,'” Co-Founder and Manager Joey Pratt said. “Both (Sue’s and SuesStudios) are the same idea, but different in function. … Neither is created to make money. They are just meant to provide affordable creating and gathering spaces.
Upside Arts offers camps in first year
The fledgling Upside Arts was able to pull off both a summer day and overnight camp its first year.
The Portsmouth Middle School hosted its day camp.
As part of the agreement between the city and Upside, the organization offered scholarships open to anyone, but with additional financial assistance to Portsmouth students, co-owner Alden Caple reported at the time.
Upside’s overnight came was located at Camp North Star, in Poland, Maine.
Beat Night marks 20 years
In April, Beat Night celebrated its 20th anniversary with an all-female lineup and the return of its founder – if only for the night.
Founder, musician Larry Simon, who returned to his native New York after a few years on the Seacoast, made the trip back to take part in the celebration. The event was held at the Book and Bar, its fourth location over its two decades.
Clothing Swap celebrates a decade
The Portsmouth City Library held its 10th annual Clothing Swap (founded by Jennifer Moore). After a decade, it’s proven itself a major exchange and a popular community, social event.
Poulin inducted into Hall of Fame
Susan Poulin, writer and performer, was inducted into Maine’s Franco-American Hall of Fame this year by Maine Senator Mark Lawrence and Representative Michele Meyer.
Remembering Dawn Marie Pierre
Though the Gossip column stopped noting deaths of artists sometime back, it’s making an exception this year in the case of Dawn Marie Pierre, one of three Elvis Room founders. Pierre continued to work to keep the much loved club’s memory alive. Pierre died in April due to complications from a stroke.
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