Sunday with Friends: Peter H. Luce Play Readers Perform "Seven"

On Sunday, November 16th at 2pm at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers will perform the documentary play "Seven" as a staged reading. A collaboration of 7 award-winning women playwrights, "Seven" is based on personal interviews with women who have triumphed over huge obstacles to create major changes in human rights in their home countries. The play is performed with the permission of the Dramatists Play Service, Inc., and this performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library. The performance is free, and refreshments will be served.

Playwrights Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deavere Smith and Susan Yankowitz interviewed woman from 7 different countries. The common thread is the serious injustices done to women in these countries and how--slowly but steadily--strong individual women are beginning to speak out and be heard; changing laws, rescuing women in distress and bringing the attention of the world of the plight of disadvantaged and abused women.

The first productions of "Seven" were launched during International Women's Week in 2008, with performances in New York City, Washington D.C. and Deauville, France. Since then the play has been performed almost continuously in cultural festivals throughout the United States and all over the world, often with the encouragement and sponsorship of the U.N. and many other international institutions.

Leslie J. Stark has adapted and staged the play for the Luce Play Readers and will also direct. The cast includes Connie McCreery as Inez McCormack of Northern Ireland, Charlena Seymour (as Anabella De Leon of Guatemala, Nora Nevin as Farida Azizi of Afghanistan, Rise Terney as Marina Pisklakova of Russia, Sofia Anthony as Mu Sochua of Cambodia, Ellie Beth as Hafsat Abiola of Nigeria, and Elaine Bart as Mukhtar Mai of Pakistan. Each of the performers will also read the speeches of several minor characters. The play will be performed without intermission and should run just over one hour. It will be introduced by Linda Vadasz, who originally brought this play to the attention of the Play Readers.

For more than 15 years, the Peter H Luce Play Readers have met every Wednesday of the year at the Vineyard Haven Senior Center from 9AM to Noon to read plays of every era and of every genre, from the Greek and Roman classics to the cutting-edge works of contemporary playwrights... and everything in between: Shakespeare, Shaw, Checkov, Moliere, Miller, Ibsen Albee, O'Neil, Pinter and Neil Simon. The group is named for its founder, Peter Luce, who died in 2007.

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library encourage public understanding of the Library's vital role in the community, support activities for both adults and children, and provide various other volunteer services. Their mission is to support the Library, to build a partnership between the Library and the community and to advocate for exemplary library service. All volunteers and those who are interested in knowing more about the Friends meet at 10:00am on the fourth Saturday of every month (except December) at the library.

Additional Opportunity to Participate in Tisbury Vision Planning

Tisbury is hosting a second town-wide visioning workshop. Participants will review the findings from the first workshop, discuss a draft vision statement and explore strategies to achieve our vision.


Residents and businesses are all encouraged to participate in one of the upcoming workshops to help draft a vision plan to guide future town decision-making.  For more information, visit the town’s website, www.tisburyma.gov


There are two opportunities to participate in this workshop:


Wednesday, November 5, 2014 from 7-9PM
Tisbury Senior Center, 34 Pine Tree Road

Friday, November 7 from 10:00AM-Noon
Gen. George W. Goethals Post 257 (American Legion Hall), 34 William Street


If you know which session you plan attend, an email RSVP to visionplan@tisburyma.gov would be greatly appreciated.

Art in the Stacks: Harry Seymour

"The Hug" by Harry Seymour

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library are pleased to present an exhibit of paintings by Harry Seymour, on display on the library’s Art Wall on the lower level throughout the month of October. "Art in the Stacks" is an initiative of the Friends of the Library to provide artists an opportunity to show their work, and for library patrons to enjoy art throughout the year.

Harry Seymour grew up in Ecorse, Michigan, a small suburb southwest of Detroit, and now divides his residency between western Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard. In his artwork, including pastel, scratchboard and egg tempera paintings, he draws upon the beauty of Martha's Vineyard and his African American cultural experiences for inspiration. His work has been shown in Martha’s Vineyard galleries such as the Dragonfly, L’Elegance Art Gallery and Carol Craven Gallery. He recently joined a select group of artists included in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Permanent Art Collection.

For more information, visit the artist's website here: http://hseymour.artspan.com/

Sunday Hours and Programs Resume on October 19th!

Sunday, October 19th, will be the first Sunday of the season that the library will be open. The library will be open from noon-4pm throughout the winter, except for a few holiday weekends.

As in past years, the Friends of the Library will be presenting a variety of special programs on Sunday afternoons at 2pm, including a play reading and free craft programs with Jennifer for adults and teens.

The Library will be open special evening hours for Halloween on Friday, October 31st. We will stay open until 8pm that evening so your family can take a break from trick-or-treating and enjoy cider and candy provided by the Friends of the Library.