Day: November 3, 2018

November brings an electrifying moment of Irish theatre!

For two weekends only, Cape Ann Theatre Collaborative (CAT) is producing The Beauty Queen of Leenane—a dark comic masterpiece with more twists than Hitchcock & Bergman combined.

Hailed as a modern classic on its debut, The Beauty Queen of Leenane has been produced on the West End & Broadway, and received multiple critical awards for “Best Play.” It’s the work of Martin McDonagh, the acclaimed screenwriter ofIn Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Starring Pauline Miceli, Elinor Teele, Jeffrey Forte, and Marc St. Pierre, and directed by Marc St. Pierre, this is a Gloucester-based event not to be missed!

• Dates: November 9-11 & 16-18

• Times: Fri & Sat at 7:30 PM; Sun at 3 PM

• Venue: Gorton Theatre, Home of Gloucester Stage; 267 East Main Street, Gloucester MA 01930

• Tickets: $20 cash or check at the door

• Reserve: Email catcollab@gmail.com to reserve tickets

• Explore: Visit www.capeanntheatrecollaborative.com to learn more about the play, the cast, and the company!

On December 2nd from 1:00pm to 4:00pm the Elks Lodge 892 and the Cape Ann YMCA are holding a Hoop Shoot, Free Throw Contest for Youths ages 8-13.  Participants will have a chance to win 2 Celtics Tickets (winner & guardian) in their age category:  Girls: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13  Boys: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13.  Winners will also have a chance to advance through to District, State, Regional and National competitions.  This is a FREE event and all participants will receive fun prizes.  Young people from any city are welcome to participate.

As you know, the Elks is a not for profit charitable organization that promotes patriotism, youth programs, veterans assistance and community assistance programs.  

A reminder that we turn back the clocks tonight and end Daylight Savings Time. Over the years, this ritual has been moved around on our calendars for various reasons. I found an interesting example in the Gloucester Daily Times microfilms available at the Sawyer Free Library.

From the Gloucester Daily Times Sept 26 1938. You will note this article states the reasoning for continuing Daylight Savings Time an additional week because “The railroad, however, is on eastern standard time and so it the post office, a condition made necessary by the new train schedule.” 

And then, a few days later, on Sept 30 1938, another tidbit “The governor issued the proclamation after he had received an appeal from the flood executives pointing out that an extra hour of daylight would aid the flood victims in clearing up their property.”

Flood victims? Yes, (and some of you are ahead of me on this) due to the Hurricane of 1938:

It was a chaotic time for all, but hopefully our transition this weekend will be calmer. See you an hour later on the morrow!

For years, residents of Cape Ann have lined up at the Annisquam Village Hall before the doors open for the annual Christmas Fair to purchase the beautiful greens, gifts, and gourmet goodies made by the ladies of the Annisquam Sewing Circle.

The fair is known for its beautiful wreaths, but there will also be decorated boxwood trees and mantle and table centerpieces suitable for smaller spaces.

The abundance and variety of handcrafted items will dazzle the eye—sweaters, socks, hats and mittens; placemats, potholders and monogrammed dish towels; needlepoint tree ornaments created by the members of the Annisquam Sewing CIrcle just for this fair, as well as many more one-of-a-kind items that will not be found anywhere else! Once again, Circle member Grace Murray has knitted one of her unique hats (her 335th!), which will be offered in a silent auction. Only one of these hats becomes available to the public each year.

Beautifully wrapped foods and baked goods grace the gourmet table —from homemade preserves to fancy cakes, gluten-free items and even Food for Fido and your Favorite Feline. The fair also features a glittering display of costume jewelry which for many shoppers is a destination itself. Hostess baskets and grab bags are also popular traditional items at the fair.

A delicious three-course luncheon will be served at 12:30. Tickets are $18 and reservations are recommended (visit Annisquamsewingcircle.org)
Founded in 1837, the Annisquam Sewing Circle is one of the oldest continuous independent societies of women in the United States and is the oldest one on Cape Ann. All proceeds from the Fair are contributed by the Annisquam Sewing Circle to Cape Ann community programs.