This week we chatted (via email) with Rob Mermin, director, lecturer, author, clown, mime, magician, raconteur and the founder of Circus Smirkus. Rob grew up outside of New Haven, Connecticut and in his youth was influenced by Blackfriars Summer Theater, a company run entirely by teenagers from all around southern Connecticut. Each season the group performed Shakespeare, drama, comedy and a musical. Rob’s first …
Audrey Grant
This week we talked with Audrey Grant, a senior at Hazen Union High School, to learn more about how the pandemic is affecting emerging artists. Audrey has been a stage manager for every performance at Hazen since she was in 8th grade, and has also worked with HCA, Hardwick Town House and Lamoille County Players. You might also recognize her from her time as …
Peter Gould
Peter Gould is a true renaissance man, earning accolades as a writer, director, performer, award-winning teacher and political activist. In 1998 Peter founded Get Thee to the Funnery, a series of youth camps that present Shakespeare in a free-wheeling physical style yet remain utterly faithful to Shakespeare’s original, glorious language. Peter refers to his Funnery sessions as “life camp” because, he says, “theater education is the antidote to—well, …
Chair Yoga with Alicia Medd
Sit down and get moving! Many of us are spending more time in front a computer, causing aching necks and poor posture. This week we talked with certified yoga teacher Alicia Medd about the benefits of chair yoga for those of us stuck in front of a screen or who can’t get onto the floor easily. Alicia recently relocated to Vermont …
Scudder Parker
In celebration of National Poetry Month, we chatted with poet Scudder Parker about his new book of poems, recommendations to add to your reading list, and how to overcome roadblocks that hinder the creative process. Scudder Parker grew up on a family farm in Danville Vt. He has been a Protestant minister, a state senator, a utility regulator, a candidate for Governor, a consultant on …
Interview with Bess O’Brien
This week we chatted (via email) with award-winning filmmaker Bess O’Brien. Bess discussed her latest project, the film industry’s response to nationwide closings, and her recommendation to get busy writing that memoir you’ve been thinking about! Bess O’Brien is an award-winning filmmaker and producer based in the Northeast Kingdom. Through her work she has addressed foster care in Vermont; domestic violence; eating disorders; and the …