Author: Pat D

ANNISQUAM VILLAGE PLAYERS TO PERFORM “GLOUCESTER STORY” MUSICAL AUG. 10-13

IN CELEBRATION OF GLOUCESTER’S 400^TH+ BIRTHDAY

Auditions to be held May 28 – Real Fishermen Wanted!

In honor of the City of Gloucester’s 400^th+ Birthday Celebration, the Annisquam Village Players – the country’s longest continually running community theatre – will perform Clayton B. Stockbridge’s “Gloucester Story” Aug. 10-13, 2023, on the docks at the Maritime Gloucester Wharf.

The show will require many cast and crew members so auditions will be held starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Annisquam Village Hall, 38 Leonard St. in Gloucester.  To add to the show’s flavor, local fishermen are encouraged to audition and be part of this historic production.

The play was performed in Gloucester several times in 1953 and in subsequent years. And, for a short period of time, it became a popular pick for summer stock theaters.  This summer, the AVP will transform the original two-act play into a musical for the first time. 

In keeping with the celebration’s community theme, the show will incorporate original musical numbers from local musicians, including Daisy Nell, Peter Souza, and Corey Wrinn. Longtime AVP Music Director Marcia Groom will lead the musical transition.

In celebration of the Gloucester 400^th+, there will be no charge for performances, but a ticket reservation is required. Tickets will be available starting July 10.

“Gloucester Story reflects the heart of old Gloucester and what it was like to be part of the fleet in 1905,” said Terry Sands, AVP director. “Given the historic nature of this year’s performance and the connection to our community, we’d love to have some of the local salts be part of the show – either on stage or helping behind the scenes. It takes a community to stage a theatre!” 

Known as the Plumber Playwright of Gloucester, Stockbridge (1895-1973) crafted “Gloucester Story” to reflect the Cape Ann fishing industry in 1905 when schooners still ruled the seas and dory fishing claimed many lives. It tells the tale of a young son of a fish merchant dreaming about a life at sea, only to get his wish and some of the tragedy that came with it.

The play was published in 1953 in response to a 1952 Cape Ann Festival of Literature and Drama competition, sponsored by Broadway Playwright/Librettist Russel Crouse, for the best play about Gloucester from a resident of Gloucester. A life-long upper Main Street resident, Stockbridge had spent his youth working on the fishing docks before becoming a career plumber. He drew upon that experience, local lore, and the environment to create a story that genuinely depicts the livelihoods, personalities, and superstitions of that era. It is entirely fictional but the names, businesses, and plot motivations dealing with the folklore are all factual.

Sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more details about “Gloucester Story,” the life of Clayton Stockbridge, or the upcoming auditions, please visit www.annisquamvillageplayers.org.

Photo credits:

Photo of below deck, 1953 scene: Photograph by Bill Worden. Clayton Stockbridge Collection of the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives, Gloucester, MA.

– Photo of Paul Lundberg as Capt. Nate Morrison in the 1969 performances:  Clayton Stockbridge Collection of the Cape Ann Museum Library and Archives, Gloucester, MA

Two updates regarding City Hall; please take special note of change in location for a portion of the Gloucester Student Art Festival.

It’s been beautiful for a couple of days so we went down to Minglewood on Rogers St for a couple of drinks and snacks on the back deck. WIN WIN is all I have to say. I ordered the frozen strawberry margarita (on the specials menu) and Jim got a beer. Since Zach had done such a great job at the meatball challenge, we had been hoping to get the meatball special but they had sold out of those on the first night they were offered on the specials menu. We soothed our disappointment with Veggie Spring Rolls and the nacho Plate of Love under the watchful eye of one of the resident seagulls. We had a blast thanks to our server Shawna but were even more tickled to learn there was a $10 bonus waiting for us on our Serenitee Rewards card! BOOM. It’s not hype that this reward program is a winner in money saving at participating restaurants. If you’re not enrolled, I gotta wonder…….

I took a little walk around Seven Seas Wharf along Rogers Street recently and was compelled to capture these shots. As I got home and studied them a little bit, I thought it’s no wonder filmmakers love our area. There are stories to be told at every turn. These seemed to be story elements, though I do not have the story outline to share. In a sentence or two, what’s your story using these elements?

The gang relaxing at Crow’s Nest following the very successful Bluefin Blowout 5K Family Fun Run earlier today from Stage Fort Park.

We found this determined egret in West Gloucester recently working its catch so that it could be consumed. The egret had a large fish and was trying to position it so that it could be swallowed. It dipped the fish several times into the water and back up again. Finally it was in position and down the hatch it went. You could clearly see the lump traveling down and such a large chunk apparently required a follow up gulp of water or two. This took several minutes and brought to mind a quote from my mother (adapted for the occasion): Be careful what you fish for. You might get it.

We finally got ourselves over to Topside Bistro for a weekday dinner. Formerly Topside Grill, the new Topside Grill on Rogers Street is now open and operating. It was a quiet evening downstairs for our dinner. The booth style seats appear to be refurbished, there’s local artwork on the walls and as one other customer noted “It’s a great bar up there.”

I had a house salad with sirloin tips and Jim tried the shrimp tacos. There are plenty of non-meat options as well as a variety of non alcoholic drinks. There’s a good selection of appetizers, several of which appealed to me for a meal choice. We enjoyed a pleasant meal with excellent service (thanks Erika!). The bar area indeed was hopping! Welcome to Rogers Street Topside Bistro!

I never noticed how many anchors there are down by Gloucester House on Rogers Street. They are majestic even though a bit rusted and forgotten. Many of you already know this, but I double checked whether to say “Anchors Aweigh” or “Anchors Away”…….and now I know too….

For those of you who may be planning a visit to Gloucester to one of your favorites, here’s an update from Sugar Magnolias on Main Street. We’ll have to be patient, but they promise to return! And we’ll be waiting…

These barns are tucked a little bit off the byway at the Cox Reservation on Eastern Ave in Essex near Farnhams. I like to take a walk up there once in a while to see what’s new. You know how it is when you finally “see” something that’s been there all along but this time it strikes you differently? Well, that’s what happened with these two barns. One is an art studio and you can clearly see the light must be fantastic for working in there. The other seems to be more functional but they each reflect their own majesty. They face each other like good friends with very different personalities. Access is free and the walks are relatively easy.

Sharing information from DeCKlyns Facebook page. They are located on the Harbor Loop.

I took a little walk around Rocky Neck on a grey Saturday morning recently and it was lovely, as always. Thanks Rocky Neckers!

As a follow up to the discussion held on the podcast about Pat’s hummingbirds, I humbly accept the honor bestowed for being the first of the contributors to post hummingbird news. (How’s that Joey?) As you saw last week, our hummingbird station was all set and ready to roll but we soon discovered the new larger tube we got wasn’t going to work. It was much too large to work efficiently so I replaced it with a small one in addition to 2 small hangar style feeders. So far, the single male we have had visit is very happy with the small hangars. Hoping to see a female soon! This is what it looks like when the hummingbirds can come to your deck and avoid various sporting equipment usage nearby.

Sharing information from the Gloucester Beaches Facebook page regarding resident beach stickers. This is the link you need to fill out the application: https://gloucesterma.viewpointcloud.com/categories/1082

Cat Cavallini shared the following photos and information regarding the recent Open House at the Grace Center‘s new location at 264 Main Street. From Cat: “With their usual caring and compassion the Grace Center celebrated their new home at 264 Main St. with a community open house on Saturday.”

Senator Bruce Tarr, Mayor Greg Verga and friends outside Grace Center’s new home.

Dedicated, hard working staff members Frank, Dre (with GC mascot Roswell) and Dave.

Senator Tarr with State Citation to GC

Lots of local love went into this beautiful celebration!

Happy May Day! This post is appropriate for today. I made my annual visit to Tip Top Tulips in Ipswich (Lowes Lane right off 133 behind Dairy Queen) recently. Though I LOVE the Generous Gardeners Tulips along the boulevard, I also love to go to Tip Top Tulips. Part of the reason is that you can pick and purchase tulips there; the other part is the extra fun the baby goats, alpacas and young children offer. I was greeted by Farmer Paul, (who remembered me!) who introduced this year’s theme of Hope. The annual themes are another reason I love stopping by. You do need tickets (reasonably priced) which can be purchased online or at the gate. Tulips bloom only for a short period, so if you have time in your schedule maybe you want to stop over there and feast your eyes. Maybe you want to try the goat yoga! If you do, you can let me know what you think since you won’t see me doing that…..

We were invited back to the William Haskell house at 11 Lincoln St for a spring visit this week. I was delighted to go back and revisit the house which was very pretty in the springtime greens. I met Rick, one of the new owners and he welcomed me to look around at the rooms available through AirBnB. This would certainly be a unique option for visitors! Tours of this historic house can be booked through this link with Vijay Joyce. It’s lovingly cared for and full of history for all to enjoy. Thank you Natalie and Richard for reaching out!

I had a meeting to discuss some upcoming posts (stay tuned!) and we decided to meet at Willow Rest on Holly Street because it’s cozy and convenient. I had a coffee and a pastry and just enjoyed looking around a bit as I waited for a short time. Jim and I don’t get over here enough! There’s a little bit of everything: prepared foods and fresh veggies along with pastries, local goods and frozen items. PLUS the neighborly hustle and bustle of the morning crowd! If you haven’t been in a while, it’s worth a stop.

We went to dinner with our friends Susan and Leo recently and decided to go to Lobsta Land on Causeway Street to celebrate its opening for the season. We made reservations by phone which was a wise decision as it was as busy as always there. Leo had Seafood Risotto, Susan ordered baked scallops; Jim had the Paella and I had the Buffalo Scallops in honor of the scalloping season. Good company, delicious food, friendly service all add up to a great big WELCOME BACK Lobsta Land! Can’t wait for deck season.

You may have seen the demo of Pat D’s Photos new flags on a recent podcast. I think they make a great Mother’s Day gift idea at $35 with free local delivery. They are 28 x 40″ and ready to hang. They are sturdy vinyl and printed on both sides.

Check out Pat D’s Photos or the GMG blog post to order directly or reach out to me in the comments or by messaging me Pat D’s Photos And Adventures on Facebook. I can also be reached by email GMGPatD@gmail.com. Including a photo from a happy customer.