Singer/Songwriter Naomi Westwater Performs at the Katharine Cornell Theater

 

Free concert with award-winning singer/songwriter Naomi Westwater, 7pm Thursday August 24th

Vineyard Haven Library welcomes you back to the Katharine Cornell Theater for a free concert! Naomi Westwater (they/she) is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Massachusetts who you may have heard on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. Their work combines folk music, poetry, and spirituality. Under the Radar Magazine describes one of Westwater's songs this way: “Feeling My Feelings’ sees Westwater once again pulling from their eclectic array of influences, from jazzy songstress legends like Ella Fitzgerald to indie folk mainstays like Wilco. The percussion skirts around the edges of the song while acrobatic guitar lines wind and enlace with Westwater’s smoky vocals.” You can see some of Westwater's videos by clicking here. 

Naomi  holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music and she is a part of The Club Passim Folk Collective. She was nominated for a 2021 and 2022 Boston Music Award for best singer-songwriter, and has been featured in Under The Radar, WBUR, Vanyaland, WGBH, Allston Pudding, and The Bluegrass Situation.

This event will be held at the historic Katharine Cornell Theater at 51 Spring Street, above the Tisbury Town Hall.

Save the Date! Luce Playreaders Benefit for the Library!

Proceeds support the Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund's Capital Campaign for the new Library Community Room

Live In-Person Performance

Sun Jan 8, 4:00 pm @ Martha's Vineyard Film Center

Doors open for admissions 30 minutes prior to screening

Enjoy a special reading of I AND YOU, performed by John Brannen and Beebee Horowitz of the Peter H Luce Playreaders, directed by Linda Comstock. Come support our library and its mission to build a brand-new Community Space! 

Your in-hand *TICKET buys you a chance to WIN AWESOME PRIZES from: 

Salvatore’s, Cronigs, Our Market, Louisa Gould Gallery, Nochi, Pie Chix, Calleen’s Day Spa, Vineyard Pilates, The Green Room, CB Stark Jewelers, and Bunch of Grapes Bookstore!

“I AND YOU” is a play about the search for connection as two young adults (performed by two not-so-young Play Readers!) navigate a rocky path to a relationship. As they work together on a project in witty, non-stop repartee, they discover what makes up an ‘I and You’ relationship – a challenge as Caroline is housebound with a life-threatening illness while Anthony is a popular thriving athlete. Written by Lauren Gunderson, a multiple award-winning playwright, who in 2019 alone had a whopping total of 16 plays in production!

* Tickets are $25, sold at the Film Center or online at mvfilmsociety.com. 

Performance sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the MV Film Society.

“I AND YOU” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

Luce Play Readers: Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage

On Wednesday, February 12th at 6:30 pm at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers will present a free reading of "God of Carnage," a play by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. Paul Doherty will direct a cast that includes Cynthia Segal, Roberta Hurtig, John Brannen and Wayne Greenwell. This free performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library, and refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 6 pm for the 6:30 pm performance.

In this "Comedy of Manners, without the manners," A playground altercation between 11-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter. At first, niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses and the liquor flows, tensions emerge, the gloves come off, and the conversation goes from civilized to savage. "God of Carnage" is the winner of numerous awards, including Tony Award for Best Play and Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

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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 10:15am on the second Saturday of every month at the library.

Family Friendly Concert with Rolie Polie Guacamole

The Vineyard Haven Library presents a family-friendly concert with Brooklyn's "kindie" rock band Rolie Polie Guacamole, at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 17th at the bandstand in Owen Park. Rolie Polie Guacamole's high energy, interactive shows are a mix of funk, rock, and folk music mashed into original tunes about natural living, eating healthy, and staying active. This free event is made possible by a generous contribution from The Anderson Foundation and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

Rolie Polie Guacamole lays claim to being the one of the hardest working bands in kids’ music, and that just might be true. They’ve released six albums and played well over 2,000 shows nationwide since hitting the boards with their first performance in 2007, receiving top picks from Boston.com, Time Out NY Kids, and Time Out Chicago.

Winner of the prestigious Parents’ Choice® and NAPPA Awards, Rolie Polie Guacamole has developed a smart, parent-friendly musical style that dresses up original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and deft instrumental layers, plugging in a sizzling electric current of rhythm that lights up lyrics humming with relevance and humor.

Luce Play Readers: Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers

On Wednesday, March 13th at 7pm at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers will present a reading of  Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers, produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Charlena Seymour will direct a cast that includes Polly Brown, Joe Corbo, Felicity Russell, Cynthia Segal, Jay Sigler, Linda Vadasz and CK Wolfson. This free performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library, and refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 6:30pm for the 7pm performance.

By America's great comic playwright, Lost In Yonkers won a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize. This memory play is set in Yonkers in 1942. Bella is thirty-five years old, mentally challenged, and living at home with her mother, stern Grandma Kurnitz. As the play opens, ne'er-do-well son Eddie deposits his two young sons on the old lady's doorstep. He is financially strapped and taking to the road as a salesman. The boys are left to contend with Grandma, with Bella and her secret romance, and with Louie, her brother, a small-time hoodlum in a strange new world called Yonkers. Neil Simon is widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific and performed playwrights in the world.

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 10:15am on the second Saturday of every month at the library.

Children's Programs Schedule Update

Vineyard Haven Library's weekly children's programs are on hiatus for the first two weeks of June. On June 18th the library will resume weekly Preschool Storytimes, every Monday and Tuesday at 10:30 am throughout the summer. (There will be no Wednesday storytimes during the summer.)

Afternoon programs including Wednesday Build Club, Thursday Crafts, and Friday Game Time, will also resume the week of June 18th, at 3:30pm.

Special musical events for preschool age children will be offered on the following dates at 10:00 am and 11:00 am, instead of our regular 10:30 am programs:

"Music Together" with Joyce Maxner
Tuesday, July 3rd at 10:00 am & 11:00 am

Musical Storytime with Jeremy Berlin and Rob Meyers
Tuesday, July 10th at 10:00 am & 11:00 am

Check our online calendar for the latest information on library programs, and stay tuned for an announcement of our full Summer Reading Program schedule of special events!

Ring in the Chinese Lunar New Year with Family Puppet Program!

Note time change for this event: performance begins at 6:30pm

 

In anticipation of the Chinese lunar new year,  Vineyard Haven Public Library will present an exciting free family event on Thursday, February 8th at 6:30 pm. Behind the Mask Studio will perform "Monkey King Makes Mischief in Heaven", the tale of a boisterous and unlikely hero in search of immortality, who causes havoc in Heaven and Hell. Boston-based puppeteers Eric Bornstein and Margaret Moody will use a combination of masks, music, storytelling, and dance to tell the story.

Bornstein received his MLA from Harvard, studied mask-making in Bali and Italy, and founded Behind the Mask Studio in 1990. Over the past thirty years, his masked characters have appeared in a variety of venues including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Ballet, the Peabody/Essex Museum, the Boston Lyric Opera, the Windsor School, and Young Audiences of Massachusetts, and, for fifteen years, were a highlight of Boston’s First Night celebrations. Bornstein explains that “mask-making is about rich storytelling and fascinating characters—human, animal, magical. When I create a mask, I celebrate the depth and diversity of the stories I love, the natural and the mystical worlds we inhabit, and my very own soul.”

Puppeteer and voice actress Margaret Moody will also be adding her talents to the program. Margaret loves old stories and the characters that inhabit them. She studied traditional puppetry in Taiwan, and often uses traditional Chinese choreography and small puppets in her work. Margaret’s multitude of characters, hand, rod and life-sized puppets, act as windows into folktales, fantasies, and historical stories and bring history and heritage to her performances.

This free family event is made possible by a grant from the New England Roundtable of Children’s Librarians and the Massachusetts Library Association. The Jordan Miller Storytelling Grant is awarded bi-annually to a New England library to bring storytelling to its patrons. The award is named for Alice M. Jordan (1870-1960) who was the first Supervisor of Work with Children at the Boston Public Library, serving from 1900 to 1940. In 1906, Jordan founded NERCTL to provide a meeting ground for the profession. Since 1960, NERTCL and the MLA have sponsored the Jordan-Miller Grant in recognition of her commitment to storytelling.

The hour-long program is suitable for ages 4-94 and begins at 6:30 pm. Seating is limited.

Sunday with Friends: Peter H. Luce Play Readers

On Sunday, January 21st 5:30pm, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers will perform a free reading of the one-act play "Face to Face" by David Williamson. The reading is presented by special arrangement with Cameron's Management, Sydney. This free performance is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library and the Martha's Vineyard Mediation Program, and refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 5pm for the 5:30pm performance at the library.

"Face to Face" is a moving and powerful play about lies, betrayal, sex and bullying in the workplace. This dramatic and character-driven play takes its format in a realistic setting of 'community conferencing,' an alternative method of justice which celebrates the strength of community over our "rigid and often seemingly unfair court system." When young construction worker Glen rams into the back of his boss’s Mercedes in a fit of anger, he is given the opportunity to discuss his actions in a community conference, rather than going straight to court. This face-to-face confrontation between the young man, his boss, his boss's wife, co-workers, and others lifts the lid not only on his dysfunctional life but on their workplace dirty laundry.

David Williamson is Australia’s most enduringly popular social comedy writer. As one of Australia's best-known dramatists and playwrights, he has been the recipient of four Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Screenplay. His play "Face to Face" was adapted into a film in 2011, directed by Michael Rymer. Reviewers for the Daily Telegraph have said "The emotional twists and turns the script takes to reach the end point are alternately subtle, disturbing and occasionally hilarious as Williamson takes us into an exploration of conflict in the workplace and the humanity and compromise required to overcome it."

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. This reading will be directed by John Brannen, and cast includes Mike Adell, Bob Aldrin, Sophia Anthony, Joe Corbo, Paul Doherty, Marianne Goldsmith, Roberta Hurtig, Kathy Hochberg, Louis Pashman and Jay Sigler.

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 10:30am on the first Saturday of every month at the library.

Summer Reading for Kids, Teens, and Grownups at Vineyard Haven Library!

Registration for the Summer Reading Program at the Vineyard Haven Public Library begins Monday, June 26th. Children may visit the library to sign up, log the books they read, and earn prizes including a T-shirt and gift certificates from local businesses. Teens ages 12 to 18 can register online, then visit the library to claim a prize just for signing up.

The Martha's Vineyard Library Association is hosting a FREE event to kick off the Summer Reading Program. On Saturday, July 1st, Jungle Jim will perform at the Agricultural Hall at 35 Panhandle Road in West Tisbury. Jungle Jim's 45-minute action-packed performance will include balloon artistry, magic, comedy and improv. Doors open at 10:30am; performance at 11am.

Free programs for young children at Vineyard Haven Library will include a visit by storybook character Olivia, musical story times with Ellen Allard, Jeremy Berlin, Hugh Hanley, and Joyce Maxner, yoga storytime with Anne Caldwell, Drumming workshop with Rick Bausman, and a performance by Nappy's Puppets. Older kids can participate in weekly crafting and maker programs, robotics, cartooning classes with Andy Fish, lantern painting for Illumination Night, and gaming including an "Escape Room" adventure. For complete details, pick up a calendar at the library or visit our website.

Vineyard Haven Library also has a Summer Reading Program for “Grownups”. Adults who keep track of their reading are eligible to win gift certificates and other prizes sponsored by the Friends of the Library. To participate, pick up a Summer Reading bookmark at the Library, read at least one book in a category of your choosing, and hand in your bookmark including your name and contact information. Prize drawings will be held at the end of July & August.

The summer reading program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Programs for children at Vineyard Haven Public Library are supported by the Friends of the Library and are free for participants. Reading incentives have been provided by Bob's Pizza, The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Candy Haven, Island Cove Mini Golf, La Choza Burritos, Mad Martha's Ice Cream, MV Film Society (Capawock and Strand Theaters), Mocha Motts, Murdicks Fudge, Sandy's Fish and Chips, Tisberry Frozen Yogurt, The Toy Box at Tisbury Marketplace, Wolf Den's Pizzeria, and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

Sunday with Friends: Peter H. Luce Play Readers

On Sunday, January 22nd 5:30pm, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers will perform staged readings of two one-act plays by Christoper Durang: "Death Comes to Us All, Mary Agnes", and "The Actor's Nightmare". The reading is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. Christopher Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2013. This free performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library, and refreshments will be served. Doors will open at 5pm for the 5:30pm performance at the library.

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. Performers for this reading include Bob Aldrin, Sofia Anthony, John Brannen, Polly Brown, Linda Comstock, Paul Doherty, Elaine Eugster, Esther Hopkins, Judy Miller, Nancy Shaw Cramer, Jay Sigler, Myra Stark, and Gaston Vadasz.

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 10:30am on the fourth Saturday of every month (except December) at the library.

Vineyard Haven Library Joins a Nationwide Reading of "It Can't Happen Here"

On Wednesday, October 26th at 7pm, Vineyard Haven Library will join theaters, universities and libraries across the country to imagine the rise of fascism in America with a reading of Sinclair Lewis's semi-satirical "It Can't Happen Here." The play was adapted by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen from the novel by Sinclair Lewis, and will be performed by the Peter H. Luce Play Readers. Admission to this event is free, and doors will open at 6:30pm.

Published in 1935, "It Can't Happen Here" tells how the fictional Senator Buzz Windrip, a charismatic and power-hungry politician, is elected president. Windrip easily defeats his opponents, including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then quickly becomes a dictator, enacting martial law and throwing dissenters into labor camps. Shortly after it was published, the novel was recreated as a play and opened in 21 cities nationwide on October 27, 1936.

This year, the Sinclair Lewis estate is allowing libraries, theaters, schools and other institutions to hold readings of "It Can't Happen Here" royalty-free. The readings coincide with the opening of the play at Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California.

The reading at Vineyard Haven Public Library will be performed by the Peter H Luce Play Readers, under the direction of Paul Doherty. For more than 15 years, the Peter H. Luce Play Readers have met every Wednesday at the Tisbury Senior Center, 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. The group is named for its founder, Peter Luce, who died in 2007.

Read more about the Nationwide Reading on the Berkeley Repertory Theater website:
http://www.berkeleyrep.org/season/1617/10650.asp#tabbed-nav=reading

Newton Nomadic Theater Performs "Molly Sweeney"

On Sunday, March 13th at 5:30pm, Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to present a free performance by the Newton Nomadic Theater, sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Newton Nomadic Theater, a new theater company dedicated to producing simply staged, high quality theater in interesting and unconventional theater spaces, will perform Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney. From one of Ireland’s best modern playwrights, this striking piece of dramatic writing is a daring piece of theater. Three points of view about a poignant drama are related by three characters addressing the audience directly. Their stories interweave on stage, threading in and around each others’ lives, until the unexpected and touching conclusion to this striking tale. This wonderful play by Brian Friel is the tale of a blind woman, her sighted husband and her doctor, inspired by an essay by Oliver Sacks. Newton Nomadic Theater vet Billy Meleady is back, both directing and acting, joined on stage by Nomadic newcomers Stephen Cooper and Noni Lewis in the title role. The event is free and refreshments will be served.

Billy Meleady (actor, director) has been a regular performer on Boston stages for 25 years. He was a regular performer with The Sugan Theatre Co. for over a decade. He received both Elliot Norton and IRNE awards for his work with Sugan and also for his work with The New Repertory Theatre and Boston Playwrights Theatre. He was nominated for a 2011 Elliot Norton award and an IRNE award for his performance in TirNa Theatre Co's Trad a 2013 LA Ovation award for "featured actor" in The Belle of Belfast (world premiere) and received the 2014 Best Actor award at Boston's 48 film festival. He recently performed with The Revels in Sander's Theatre and off Broadway in the Irish Repertory Theatre Co's  east coast premiere of The Belle Of Belfast.  He recently appeared in Black Mass (Warner Bros. released Sept. 2015). Newton Nomadic audience will remember Billy for his performances in Faith Healer and in Turn of the Screw, in which he both directed and played four different characters. He is delighted to be back with the "Nomads" and to perform in another play by the late great Brian Friel.

Noni Lewis is a Welsh actress and voiceover artist currently based in Boston. Having spent many years as a stage and screen performer, in more recent years has enjoyed voice acting from her home studio. Fresh from performing in The Christmas Revels at Sanders Theatre, Harvard, Noni is delighted to join Billy Meleady on stage once again. Previous credits include Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Aardman Animations/Dreamworks), poetry readings, plays and audiobooks for BBC Radio Four, Macbeth and Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre, London), Odysseus’s Journey (Bristol Old Vic). Noni has also recently appeared as Tessa in the Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm and can be heard on radio and television advertisements across Wales, on websites, phone messages, apps, computer games, audio trails, in museums and even lifts through her work at www.welshvoiceover.co.uk.

Stephen Cooper returns to Brian Friel after appearing as Hugh in Translations (Bad Habit Productions) at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion in 2014 – a production he was forced to leave after he suffered a serious injury.  After his recovery in 2015, Stephen appeared in Michael Frayn’s Alphabetical Order (Mugford Street Players) and in Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes (Exiled Theatre). Other recent roles include the haunted widower in Conor McPherson’s Shining City and Picasso in Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso (both with Salem Theatre Company). Stephen is a member of SAG-AFTRA; his radio drama work has been broadcast on NPR and can be heard at www.scribblingwomen.org. He formerly lived in Los Angeles, where he studied acting for seven years under the late Susan Peretz.

Memorial Day Week: Schedule and Special Events

The Vineyard Haven Public Library will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 25th.

On Monday, the town of Tisbury hosts a Memorial Day Picnic from noon to 4 pm on the grounds of the restored Tashmoo Spring Building on West Spring Street off State Road. Entertainment will include live music by the Flying Elbows, supported by the MV Cultural Council, as well as outdoor games, pony rides, chalk art, rowboat rides, and tours of the Spring Building.

On Tuesday, May 26th, at 11am, the Library will have a special guest performance for children. Kids of all ages are welcome to sing-a-long with Nappy’s Puppets. Jim Napolitano is a shadow puppeteer who integrates story telling with singing to keep his young audience engaged. This event is free to the public through the generous sponsorship of the Anderson Foundation and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

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.

Flying Elbows with Jemima James & Friends in Concert April 16th

On Wednesday, April 16th at the Katharine Cornell Theater at 7pm, come enjoy a live concert featuring the Flying Elbows with Jemima James and friends. The concert is free and will represent America’s Music genres such as "Old Timey" and Blue Grass.

The concert is part of the America's Music series that the Vineyard Haven Public Library launched in January. America's Music is a project of the Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with the American Library Association, Tribeca Flashpoint, and the Society for American Music. "America’s Music" has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

The Peter H. Luce Play Readers perform "The Whole Shebang"

"It's a witty, whimsical, charming one-act play." --New York Daily News

Rich Orloff's comic one-act play "The Whole Shebang" will be performed as a staged reading on Sunday, December 1st at 2pm at the Vineyard Haven Public Library. The play will feature performers from the Peter H. Luce Play Readers, directed by Leslie J. Stark. The cast includes Sofia Anthony, Elaine Bart, Ellie Beth, Jay Sigler, Leslie J. Stark, and Eric Turner. The program is presented by the Friends of the Library as part of their monthly "Sunday with Friends" series. The reading is free and refreshments will be served.

"The Whole Shebang" asks the question, "What if the entire universe was just some nerd's science project?" In a classroom in a dimension far beyond ours, a student striving for a "Master of the Universe" degree gives an oral presentation on an unusual thesis -- the creation of the heavens and the earth. Two professors and a dean interrogate the student and his two visual aids, a "typical" man and woman.

For nearly 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, Chekhov, Moliere, Miller, Ibsen Albee, O'Neil, Pinter and Neil Simon. The group is named for its founder, Peter Luce, who died in 2007.

Future "Sunday with Friends" programs planned for this winter include craft workshops for adults, a talk by Betsy Bray on Beatrix Potter, and a travel presentation by Joe Doebler on sailing the Mediterranean. Check the schedule at the library or on our website for details on these and other free programs.

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 1:00 pm on the fourth Monday of every month (except December) at the library.

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

"Rich Orloff's charming and whimsical comedy about the creation of the universe delivers impish fun, along with a thoughtful and provocative message. Orloff brings a witty and engaging innocence to the excellent script." --Variety

The Peter H. Luce Play Readers perform "Comedies of Manners"

The two best-known, most highly-praised and most frequently-produced comedies of manners are Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" and Noel Coward's "Private Lives". Scenes from both classic plays will be performed as staged readings on Sunday, January 13th at 2pm at the Vineyard Haven Public Library. The program is presented by the Friends of the Library as part of their monthly "Sunday with Friends" series. The reading is free and refreshments will be served.

Excerpts from Act II of "...Earnest" will feature performers Mike Adell, Ellie Beth, Myra Stark and Eric Turner. The performers in excerpts from Act III of "Private Lives" will be Mike Adell, Linda Comstock, Leslie J. Stark and Rise Terney. Mr. Stark has adapted and will direct both scenes. Elaine Eugster will introduce the program, and will read the stage directions.

For nearly 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 clasics 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 1:00 pm on the fourth Monday of every month (except December) at the library.