Center Stage Theatre in Shelton to present 'Oklahoma!'

SHELTON - Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, setting the standards and rules of modern musical theatre. 

Center Stage Theatre will present 11 performances of the classic musical 'Oklahoma!' from Feb.16-25. The theater is located at 54 Grove St.

Tickets range from $18-$50. View the full schedule and purchase tickets at centerstageshelton.org.

In a Western territory just after the turn of the 20th century, a high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides a colorful background for Curly, a charming cowboy, and Laurey, a feisty farm girl, to play out their love story. Their romantic journey, as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road, contrasts with the comic exploits of brazen Ado Annie and hapless Will Parker in a musical adventure embracing hope, determination, and the promise of a new land.

This beloved classic was revived on Broadway several years ago with a contemporary, updated rendition of the classic story. 

This production will be similarly reimagined, including a modified seating chart which includes both regular theater seating and VIP Picnic Table Seats putting you in the middle of the action with a Box Social picnic treat served by the cast during intermission.

This is shared from the theater's Facebook page.

Griffin Health offers free 'That's It - Learn to Quit' smoking cessation program

Contributed photo

Griffin Health is helping individuals looking to quit smoking in 2023 with its free smoking cessation program starting Jan. 18 in Shelton.

“That’s It – Learn to Quit” teaches a variety of methods to help individuals quit smoking over the course of four weekly sessions. 

The program consists of Wednesday meetings at 6 p.m. from Jan. 18-Feb. 8 at the Griffin Health Family Health Center, 110 Commerce Drive, Shelton.

Through group discussion and interactive activities, participants learn how to develop a quit plan that addresses their personal behaviors and habits. Strategies to manage nicotine withdrawal, behaviors, triggers, and urges are discussed as well as weight control and stress management.

Participants must be prepared to attend all four sessions.

To register for “That’s It – Learn to Quit,” call 203-732-1369.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

'Turnback Tuesday' features The Salt Box House in Shelton

Turnback Tuesday visits the Salt Box House.

The house was made known in the pages of a book written by Jane de Forest Shelton called the “Salt Box House” published in 1900. (The library has a copy to borrow.)

The Salt Box House was located in the Ripton/Huntington section of Shelton.

Jane and her sister, Louisa, lived in Derby on Seymour Avenue. The image was sketched by William M. Davis of Cottage Street, Derby. The frame was made of the pickets surrounding the Salt Box House.

The image and frame was donated to the Library by William M. Davis.

Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week.

Get your tickets for Dancing with the Stars to benefit Adam's House of Shelton

SHELTON - Adam’s House will host ‘Dancing with the Stars’ from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 15 at Birchwoods at Oak Lane in Woodbridge. 

Join us for dinner, drinks, silent auction, music and dancing. 

The highlight of the evening will be a dance competition with six local community leaders teamed up with professional dancers to wow the audience with their routines from rumba to chacha, disco to salsa, and everything in between.

Join our Masters of Ceremonies, Ron Claiborne, retired ABC News correspondent and Bill Purcell, President of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

A panel of esteemed judges will critique each routine and award the Judges’ Choice Award to the pair with the highest score. 

But don’t worry, it’s not all up to the judges! Guests, friends, family, and community supporters can cast their votes for their favorite dancing duo by visiting www.adamshousect.org/dwts2021 to crown a pair of dancers with the People’s Choice Award!

Thanks to our event partners this fundraiser is made possible by; Judges Table Sponsor:Sperry Cares; Spotlight Sponsors: Eversource, Mutual Security Credit Union, OEM Controls and Valley Community Foundation.

All proceeds from the event will go to benefit Adam’s House - a children and family grief and loss education program in Shelton that provides no-cost support to Connecticut children and their families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

Tickets for the event are on sale now. Space is limited so don’t wait! 

Visit www.adamshousect.org/dwts2021 to reserve your seat!

Who’s Dancing?

• ●  George Logan, Director of Community Relations, Aquarion Water Co. & Lydianna Vega, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Orange

• ●  Loni Richards, CEO/President of Service After Service & Nenad Pavlovic, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Orange

• ●  Paul Tavaras, Retired Hamden Firefighter/EMT & Allyson Bettini, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Hamden

• ●  Katie Skoronski, KFC & Eric Turcio, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Hamden

• ●  Charles Stango, Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney at the Milford State’s Attorney’s Office & Amanda Meador - Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Canton

• ●  Jill Rutsky, “Helping Hearts Heal” Alumni & Stefan Zuber, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Trumbull

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

SHELTON - 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 at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 and 1 p.m. Dec. 12. The library is at 65 Wooster St.

The production will be held upstairs in the library’s elegant 1895 Romanesque Revival-style Reading Room.  

With its soaring cathedral ceiling, Victorian wing chairs and massive fireplace, there is no better place to experience Dickens’ classic story of the spirit of Christmas and the power of redemption.  

The performance is 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.  It is also known for its infamous Shakespeare in the Bar series which runs twice yearly at Porky’s Café in Shelton, most recently selling out the venue with its script in hand adaption of The Tempest.  

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.  

A reception of light refreshments will follow both performances at which time the cast and crew will be available to socialize with audience members.

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

Seating is limited; 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 play features murder, madness

Troupe to stage 'A Christmas Carol' next

Walker Studios photo

SHELTON - Valley Shakespeare Festival presented “Titus Andronicus” to a packed house Oct. 30 at Porky’s Café as the second offering in its “Shakespeare in the Bar” series.

Audience members filtered in to the upper-level bar area of the café to partake of Porky’s pizza, and mingle with cast members before the performance.

Jeremy Funke was a tour de force in the leading role of Titus Andronicus as he took the audience along on his roller coaster ride from celebrated war hero to betrayed patriot and father down into the abyss of murder and madness.

Funke’s nemesis Tamora was played by Lawren Teel Roulier.

Walker Studios photo

As the Queen of the Goths and new wife to Rome’s recently crowned and spoiled brat Emperor Saturninas (played to delicious perfection by VSF’s Executive and Artistic Director Tom Simonetti), Roulier was both powerful and chilling as the devious and vengeful queen who plots the rape and disfiguring of Lavinia, Titus’ innocent young daughter.

Jess Breda played the difficult role of that daughter. 
Lavinia goes from a being young, carefree, recently betrothed girl to outcast and ultimately the victim of a vicious rape, who then has her tongue removed and hands severed to prevent her from revealing the identities of the perpetrators.

Breda was touching as she begged Tamora for mercy and mournful as the maimed, ruined, and mute survivor who received none.

Raphael Massie as Tamora’s true beloved Moor and party responsible for orchestrating all the brutal mayhem, was delightfully evil, his booming voice filling the room as he declared, upon being asked if he was sorry for his deeds, “I, that I had not a thousand more…Tut, I have done a thousand dreadful things as willingly as one would kill a fly, and nothing grieves me heartily indeed, but that I cannot do ten thousand more.”

Some audience members found themselves more “immersed” in the action than they may have anticipated as blood spatter, severed heads and body parts made their way into the laps of unsuspecting innocent bystanders in the front rows. (Word of advice to future attendees: don’t sit in the first row unless you’re ready and willing to be drawn into the action.)

They were rewarded, though, for their participation as all who attended received Halloween goody bags and one lucky team won the grand prize of a Halloween-themed “Bucket o’ Booze.”

Adam Kezele, who played Demetrius, one of Tamora’s demented offspring, also served as the production’s fight champion, choreographing all of the fight scenes and designing and creating that completely washable “blood.”

The cast was comprised of both local and out-of-town talent, including Kristen Kingsley of Shelton, Tyler Huntley of Seymour, and Matthew Catalano of Stratford.

Funke and Massie are from New Haven, while Xander Johnson, Max Simone, Travis Robert Czap, Breda, Kezele, Roulier, and Simonetti travelled in from New York for the event.

Valley Shakespeare Festival plans to present another Shakespeare in the Bar performance this coming March, but before then it will reprise its holiday offering, a scripted dramatic reading of the Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol.”

The event will be held in association with the Shelton Historical Society and will be presented at Plumb Memorial Library at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and again at 1 p.m. Dec. 6.

The Shelton Historical Society will host a reception at the Shelton History Center at 70 Ripton Road after the performance, at which audience members may tour the Society’s buildings and mingle with cast members.

The event is free, with a suggested donation of $10.

For more information on this and other upcoming events contact Valley Shakespeare Festival at 203-513-9446, or visit www.vsfestival.org, and follow on Facebook.


Valley Shakespeare Festival is a fiscally-sponsored, non-profit theater company dedicated to bringing free theater to the communities of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.


The play review and release were submitted by Shelton resident Cheryl O'Brien.