Derby Historical Society to hold Twelfth Night celebration at Humphreys House

 

The holidays can be challenging after losing a loved one, but life goes on

Last weekend marked two years since my dear husband Ralph passed. It's hard to believe how quickly those years went by.   

The date he died is a palindrome: 12-2-21. A good friend of ours joked that Ralph, who was a detail-oriented guy, did that on purpose!

The weekend timing of his passing was perfect - being a part of several Christmas season events helped me get into the spirit.  

I attended the Ansonia Christmas tree lighting Friday at Veterans Park. 

The program run by the Ansonia Cultural Commission is a nostalgic one for me. Ralph served as commission chairman for several years, and was an integral part of  organizing it.

Although the weather didn't cooperate there was a great turnout. Despite the drizzle Santa was able to get there to hear all the childrens' Christmas wishes. My blog post about the festivities can be read here.

On Saturday actor Patrick Spaddicino brought his adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" to Derby Public Library. He portrayed 25 characters from Charles Dickens' Christmas classic in a wonderful performance directed by Library Director Scott R. Brill. His one-man show was awe-inspiring.

Next up I had a great time shopping with a friend at the Holiday Marketplace in the Ansonia Armory, which gave me another reason to get into the season.

And on Sunday I truly felt the holiday spirit at the church I attend, First United Methodist Church of Ansonia. It was our second annual Christmas Sing-A-Long and churches from the community were invited. Friends and I sang classic carols and enjoyed musical interludes from a violinist, flutist, and guitarist.

I hope to attend more local events this Yuletide season. 

Ralph would want me to do just that. 

Save the date: Derby Historical Society to host annual 12th Night Celebration

 

Valley Shakespeare Festival to present Community Christmas Carol

Join us on FACEBOOK LIVE today starting at 6:30 p.m. as we premiere our audio-only Community CHRISTMAS CAROL!
Hosted by Valley Shakespeare Festival founder Tom Simonetti, and Board Chair Kayleigh Mihalko.
Starring our friends from 

Seasonal Catering

, 

TEAM, Inc.

 and the 

Valley United Way

!

Valley Shakespeare Festival to offer staged reading of 'A Christmas Carol'

SHELTON - Join Valley Shakespeare Festival's fifth annual Staged Reading of Charles Dickens' perennial classic "A Christmas Carol" at 7 p.m.  Dec. 7 at Plumb Memorial Library.

Audience members will join Ebenezer Scrooge on his transformational journey through his own personal darkness of bitterness and disillusion on that fateful Christmas Eve and emerge with him on that brilliant Christmas morning with renewed faith in humanity.

Presented without elaborate period costuming and staging, VSF's production puts the emphasis on the true meaning of the story.

The Library is at 65 Wooster St.

*Information shared from a Facebook event page.

Center Stage in Shelton to hold auditions for 'A Christmas Carol' musical

Center Stage Theatre in Shelton will hold auditions for the Alan Mencken musical version of "A Christmas Carol" on Sept. 22 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 
It is directed by Scott Brill assisted by Brett Boles, as musical director, and Todd Santa Maria as choreographer. 
Seeking interested adults, teens, and children (4th grade and older). 
All roles are open. 
For further information, visit: www.centerstageshelton.org/auditions or call 203-225-6079.


*Information shared from a Facebook post by Gary Scarpa, manager of Center Stage Theatre in Shelton.

Valley troupe to stage 'A Christmas Carol' readings at Shelton library

SHELTON - Charles Dickens wrote his holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” in London in 1843 in the midst of England’s industrial revolution. 

It was originally written to be published as a pamphlet to inspire social reform.  
At the time, London was teeming with problems: in only 80 years its population quadrupled from 1 million to 4.5 million; crime was rampant-the police estimated that 20,000 children were being trained in thievery; the city’s water supply was polluted; housing was sparse and cramped with entire families living in one small room; and education for children was at an all-time low.

It is into this world that Valley Shakespeare Festival will take its audiences. 

Presented without elaborate period costuming and staging, VSF’s production puts the emphasis on the true meaning of the story.

Tom Simonetti, the company’s Executive and Artistic Director (and Bob Cratchit), explains his reasoning this way:

“The story is powerful enough on its own not to need all kinds of embellishment.  I love to see the children’s and families’ reactions to Jacob Marley’s chains, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge’s last speech.  It’s a story that needs to be told because it reminds us of the kind of people we should be all year long.  It’s exactly what we need.”

Audience members will join Ebenezer Scrooge on his transformational journey through his own personal darkness of bitterness and disillusion on that fateful Christmas Eve and emerge with him on that brilliant Christmas morning with renewed faith in God and humanity.

Jeremy Funke, who has portrayed Scrooge in the company’s productions from the very beginning, explains why the experience is new for him each year:

“… for myself personally, a sense of not knowing what comes next – I think Scrooge approaches his first Christmas with such a childlike energy precisely because he doesn’t know what comes next, and there’s a genuine excitement that comes along with that.”

Valley Shakespeare Festival will present its staged readings of “A Christmas Carol” at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St., at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 and at 1 p.m. Dec. 9.

Reservations encouraged 
Anyone wishing to come and experience this memorable moment in history may reserve seats by calling Valley Shakespeare Festival at 203-513-9446 or by visiting www.vsfestival.org. 

The event is presented free of charge with a suggested donation of $10 per person.  
Seating is limited and reservations are encouraged.  
Post-performance refreshments will be provided courtesy of the Plumb Memorial Library.

This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit theater company serving the communities of the lower Naugatuck Valley.

'Twelfth Night' celebrated at David Humphreys House in Ansonia

The Derby Historical Society held its annual Twelfth Night celebration for the public Sunday afternoon at the David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St., Ansonia. The event featured a buffet with ham, roasted vegetables, soups, cake, cookies, hot cider, and more. For the first time a reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was presented by docents and members. As you can see by the scaffolding in the photo the house is undergoing a major renovation project. 


Stay tuned for photos in the next issue of The Valley Voice newsletter.

Seymour Historical Society to host reading of 'A Christmas Carol'

Valley Shakespeare Festival to present 'A Christmas Carol' in Shelton, Seymour

 Members of the Valley Shakespeare Festival to present 'A  Christmas Carol' in December./ Contributed photo


Charles Dickens wrote his holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” in London in 1843 in the midst of England’s industrial revolution.  

It was originally written to be published as a pamphlet to inspire social reform.  
At the time, London was teeming with problems: in only 80 years its population quadrupled from 1 million to 4.5 million; crime was rampant-the police estimated that 20,000 children were being trained in thievery; the city’s water supply was polluted; housing was sparse and cramped with entire families living in one small room; and education for children was at an all-time low.

It is into this world that Valley Shakespeare Festival will take its audiences on Dec. 10 and 11.  
Presented without elaborate period costuming and staging, VSF’s production puts the emphasis on the true meaning of the story.

Jeremy Funke (Scrooge) explains, “What I like best about VSF’s stripped-down presentation of this classic tale is that it forces the audience to focus on the story-the audience’s imagination is our special effects designer, and I can’t think of a better way for them to experience it.”

Audience members will join Ebenezer Scrooge on his transformational journey through his own personal darkness of bitterness and disillusion on that fateful Christmas Eve and emerge with him on that brilliant Christmas morning with renewed faith in God and humanity.

Tom Simonetti, the company’s Executive and Artistic Director (and Bob Cratchit), echoes this sentiment.

“The story is powerful enough on its own not to need all kinds of embellishment," he says. "I love to see the children’s and families’ reactions to Jacob Marley’s chains, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge’s last speech. It’s a story that needs to be told because it reminds us of the kind of people we should be all year long.  It’s exactly what we need.”

Valley Shakespeare Festival will present it staged reading of “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 10 at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton, and on Dec. 11 at the Seymour Historical Society, 59 West St., Seymour.

Anyone wishing to come and experience this memorable moment in history may reserve seats by calling Valley Shakespeare Festival at 203-513-9446 or by visiting www.vsfestival.org.  

The event is presented free of charge with a suggested donation of $10 per person.  
Seating is limited and reservations are encouraged.

This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit theater company serving the communities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Valley Shakespeare Festival to present 'A Christmas Carol'

Performances planned in Shelton, Seymour

Valley Shakespeare Festival will present its third annual script-in-hand dramatic reading of Charles Dickens’ immortal classic, A Christmas Carol at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton, at 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and at the Seymour Historical Society, 59 West St., at 2 p.m. Dec. 11. 

The production at Plumb Memorial Library will be held upstairs in the library’s elegant 1895 Romanesque Revival-style Reading Room which features a soaring cathedral ceiling, Victorian wing chairs and a massive fireplace.

This year is the first time VSF will perform at the Seymour Historical Society. The company is very excited to be presenting this beautiful story of redemption and the true meaning of Christmas in its debut at the venue.

Performances are being presented to the public free of charge with a suggested donation of $10 per person.

Valley Shakespeare Festival is a federally-certified non-profit theatre company based in Shelton. It is known throughout the Valley as the company which performs free full-length productions of Shakespeare plays in Shelton’s Riverwalk-Veterans Memorial Park each summer in July and its infamous Shakespeare in the Bar series which runs twice yearly in local eating establishments.

A Christmas Carol, adapted for the event by VSF’s Executive/Artistic Director Tom Simonetti, will be performed with minimal props and costuming and a cast of local and out-of-state actors, many of whom returning audience members will recognize from previous VSF productions.

Audience members will also have an opportunity to mix and mingle with the cast and crew after both performances.

For more information or to make reservations, please call Valley Shakespeare Festival at 203-513-9446 or visit www.vsfestival.org.

Seating is limited at both venues, so please reserve your place early and begin your holiday season by celebrating the true spirit of Christmas with this classic tale for all ages.


This is a press release from Valley Shakespeare Festival, a 501(c)(3)non-profit theatre company dedicated to bringing free theater to the communities of the lower Naugatuck Valley and beyond.

Valley Shakespeare Festival to present 'A Christmas Carol' in Seymour

The Seymour Historical Society is located at 59 West St.

Shelton Historical Society to host open house to meet cast

SHELTON - ‘Tis the season to celebrate with the Shelton Historical Society.

From 2-5 p.m Saturday the Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road, will host an open

house to meet the Valley Shakespeare Festival cast after their performance of A Christmas Carol at Plumb Memorial Library, and to learn about Christmas celebrations of the past.

In addition to meeting the actors, the Brownson House at Shelton History Center, built circa 1822, will host 

Christmas Through the Ages, an exhibit that highlights the evolution of our modern holiday customs through five decades.  

Each tree will be trimmed using decorations typical of the period depicted. 

Visitors might find it surprising to learn when certain 

gifts became available to the public, or they may remember their own special Christmas surprises.

Seasonal refreshments will be served. 

Whether attending the performances or not, the public is invited to Shelton History 

Center. Admission is free, but donations to benefit Shelton Historical Society programs are welcome.

For more information about the Valley Shakespeare Festival and its performances of A 

Christmas Carol, visit www.vsfestival.org.

The Shelton Historical Society owns Shelton History Center, a museum complex of six 

historic buildings located just north of the Huntington Green, and provides programs of 

historical interest to the community.   

For more information or directions, call 203-925-1803 or visit www.sheltonhistoricalsociety.org.


This is a press release from the historical society.

Reading of 'A Christmas Carol' on tap this week in Shelton

Did You Know?

That Dickens used a lot of Shakespeare in his writing? Especially in A Christmas Carol.

Find out more below for a quick preview from our specially prepared Guide and learn more about A Christmas Carol...

And don't forget...

December 4th at 7pm
December 6th at 1pm
Plumb Memorial Library
65 Wooster St., Shelton
FREE with suggested $10 donation.
Reservations Strongly Recommended.
203.513.9446
or click HERE.

Featuring...

Jeremy Funke* as Scrooge
Tom Simonetti*    Kristen Kingsley
Alex Luft   Jessica Breda
Tyler Huntley and Gwendolyn Niles

*Denotes member of Actor's Equity Association, the union for professional stage actors.


This is a press release from the Valley Shakespeare Festival.