April 25, 2018

New Look, New Format, and New Design Celebrate Hopewell Theater’s Reopening

ECLECTIC ENTERTAINMENT: “It’s not enough to give people a cultural experience, you need to give them a place where they want to be. People are eager to have that experience, to come together, and meet others.” Sara Scully, executive director of Hopewell Theater, is shown in the first floor of the newly renovated theater.

By Jean Stratton

The curtain has gone up once again at the Hopewell Theater. Newly renovated, it reopened last September, and offers a revised eclectic entertainment format, including live music, first-run independent films, multi-media events, talks with performers, and dine-in opportunities.

Located at 5 South Greenwood Avenue in Hopewell, the theater has a long and varied history, dating to 1880. Originally known as Columbia Hall, it served as a community center with a lyceum-style theater, and hosted lectures, performers, and films on its second floor until 1939. The first floor was used for community groups, the fire department, and Borough Council meetings. more

Morven in May Craft Show and Plant Sale

ARTS AND CRAFTS: This year’s Morven in May craft and plant sale weekend will feature the work of 36 contemporary craft artists from around the U.S. Clockwise, from top left, are works from Stephen Zeh, basketry; Erin Wilson, decorative fiber; Rick Laufer, furniture; and Paul Eshelman, ceramics. Held at Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton, the event is open to the public on Friday and Saturday, May 4 and 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In early May each year, Morven Museum & Garden welcomes 36 contemporary craft artists from around the U.S. for its Morven in May, a craft and plant sale weekend raising funds for the organization. 

Lena Stringari, deputy director of The Guggenheim Museum, selected this year’s exhibitors, whose exquisite work in glass, ceramics, wood, decorative and wearable fiber, jewelry, furniture, metal, and basketry will be displayed in gallery-style booths under a grand tent on the museum’s Great Lawn, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton. more

The Way We Are Today: Ray Davies and the Kinks 50 Years After the “Village Green Preservation Society”

By Stuart Mitchner

Ray Davies was envisioning the nightmare of Trumplandia 25 years ago in the last Kinks album Phobia and as far back as 1969 in lyrics like “I’m King Kong, got a hydrogen bomb … and so much money I can buy anybody who gets in my hair.” Then there’s “Powerman,” who’s “got money on his side … everybody else is just a sucker to him.”

In the Kinks rock musical Preservation (1974) a villain called Flash who “ruled with a fist … purchased all the land … plowed up fields and cut down trees,” doing it all “for a pot of gold and property speculation.” Besides songs like “Demolition” (“We’ll build a row of identical boxes and sell them all off at treble the profits”), you have “Flash’s Confession,” where Ray sings, “Been a cheat, been a crook, never gave … always took … crushed people to acquire anything that I desired. Been deceitful and a liar, now I’m facing Hell Fire.”

“Every time there’s a Trump,” Davies told the New Statesman in April 2017, “people say, ‘Revise Preservation.’” A month later he told The Guardian: “I’ve bumped into him a few times and it was all right. Like bumping into a bloke in a bar …. You get all the rhetoric when they’re trying to get into power, but as soon as they get the key to the front door, the pressure is on. He’s trying to run the country … and he only knows one way to get what he wants: total power.” more

Broadway Musical “Titanic” Is Presented at Kelsey Theatre; Show Examines Command Decisions, Passengers’ Lifestyles

“TITANIC”: Performances are underway for Playful Theatre Productions’ presentation of “Titanic.” Directed by Frank Ferrara, the musical runs through April 29 at the Kelsey Theatre. Above: Some of the affluent passengers on the ill-fated ship, and the cast members who portray them. (Photomontage designed by Ruth Kresge)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Titanic is being presented at the Kelsey Theatre. Audiences who liked the James Cameron film should enjoy the Broadway musical, which covers the same history with a different emphasis. The show examines the decisions leading up to the sinking of the ship, on April 15, 1912. It also surveys the lifestyles and romantic aspirations of the passengers and crew whose lives were affected by those choices. more

Boheme Opera NJ Presents the “Realism” of 19th-century Opera

By Nancy Plum

One-act operas present unusual challenges to directors in how to combine them into an evening’s entertainment and the possibility of double casting. Two short operas often linked in one production are Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, creating an evening of 19th-century human drama. These two operas represent the school of verismo, in which composers portrayed the ugly realities of life, with ordinary people doing ordinary things — such as stealing each other spouses and killing one another off. Boheme Opera NJ presented Cavalleria and Pagliacci in a double bill this past weekend at The College of New Jersey’s Kendall Main Stage Theater, with a cast of nine principals who demonstrated that this regional opera company wastes no expense in seeking the highest level of talent. With a nod to its home base, Boheme Opera NJ set both of these productions in a late 1940s Italian-American community in northeastern United States, similar to what the Chambersburg section of Trenton might have been like in the years after World War II.  more

Beirut: Grieving Diplomat Returns to Beirut in Revenge Thriller

By Kam Williams

In 1972, Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) was a career U.S. diplomat serving overseas in Lebanon. He and his wife Nadia (Leila Bekhti) were so comfortable living in the Middle East that they had decided to adopt Karim (Idir Chender), a 13-year-old Palestinian refugee.

This, despite the fact that unstable Lebanon had a history of falling into a state of unrest where warring factions faced each other for months, if not years. However, as a seasoned veteran, Mason knew how to keep the lines of communication open because the fighting starts once the talking stops. more

Gritty Senior Star Sullivan Shows Skill, Passion As Tiger Women’s Lax Pulls Away From Cornell

TRUE GRIT: Princeton University women’s lacrosse player Cammie Sullivan unloads the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, senior co-captain and star midfielder Sullivan scored a goal and scooped up five draw controls to help Princeton defeat Cornell 15-10. The 18th-ranked Tigers, now 8-5 overall and 4-1 Ivy League, host No. 10 Penn (11-2 overall, 5-0 Ivy) on April 25 before playing at Columbia (6-8 overall, 3-3 Ivy) on April 28 in their regular season finale. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was Senior Day for the Princeton University women’s lacrosse team as it hosted Cornell last Saturday and handmade posters of each of the six seniors being recognized hung behind the Princeton bench.

The poster honoring senior co-captain and midfielder Cammie Sullivan included the words “hungry, soldier, guts, passion.” more

Princeton Men’s Lightweights On a Roll, Bringing Good Form Into H-Y-P Regatta

SHINING LIGHTS: The Princeton University men’s lightweight varsity eight shows its form in a regatta this spring. Princeton topped Penn last Saturday on the way to winning the Wood-Hammond Trophy. The third-ranked Tigers now head to New Haven, Conn. on April 28 to battle top-ranked Harvard and No. 4 Yale in the annual H-Y-P Regatta. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

By Bill Alden

After posting opening day wins over Navy and Georgetown on March 24, the Princeton University men’s lightweight varsity eight suffered a setback as it got edged by Columbia a week later.

While Princeton head coach Marty Crotty was disappointed by the result against the Lions, he urged his rowers to stay the course. more

Displaying Depth, Quality at Mercer Relays, PHS Boys’ Track Primed for Championship Meets

BIG SHOT: Princeton High boys’ track star Paul Brennan competes in the shot put during a meet last season. This past Saturday, junior star Brennan came up big as PHS competed in the Mercer Relays last Saturday at WW/P-North. He helped PHS win the discus relay at the meet posting a best mark of 164’ 7 with teammate Ben Kioko producing a heave of 111’ 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the county meet and state competition on the horizon, the Princeton High boys’ track team served notice that it will be a title contender as it dominated the Mercer Relays last Saturday.

Showing its quality and depth, PHS won the unofficial team title 86-69 over Hamilton West in the meet held at WW/P-North. more

With Junior Star Tuffy Serving as Catalyst, Hun Baseball Piling Up Runs in Starting 6-4

TOUGHING IT OUT: Hun School baseball player McGwire Tuffy takes a big swing in recent action. Last Thursday, junior shortstop and co-captain Tuffy went 3-for-3 with a double, triple, three runs scored, and an RBI as Hun defeated Lawrenceville 8-3. In upcoming action, the Raiders, who dropped a doubleheader to the Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) last Saturday to fall to 6-4, play at the Hill School (Pa.) on April 25, host Blair on April 28, and then play Trenton Catholic that evening at Veterans Park in Hamilton, and then host Hill on April 30 and Peddie on May 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the leadoff hitter for the Hun School baseball team, McGwire Tuffy prides himself on being a catalyst for the Raiders.

“I love it,” said junior shortstop Tuffy, in reflecting on being at the top of the order. “I love getting on. I love stealing.” more

April 18, 2018

Off to See the Wizard

With Toto in her basket, Heather Achenbach, Executive Director of SAVE, a Friend to Homeless Animals, was ready to go to Oz at the organization’s annual gala fundraiser last Saturday night. Achenbach is flanked at “The Wizard of Paws” by Liza Morehouse, board member; Pam Murdoch, president; and board members Cate Murdoch and Tara Hand. The event was held at Princeton Airport. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

PPD Focuses on Community Policing Mission

By Donald Gilpin

Community policing, including many outreach programs, positive police-citizen interaction, and improved communication through direct contacts and use of technology — along with successful recruitment and training — are the key themes that emerge in the Princeton Police Department’s 2017 Annual Report, and in subsequent reflections offered by PPD Chief Nick Sutter. more

Community Members Hear “The Dope On Marijuana Legalization”

By Donald Gilpin

Two expert panelists in favor of legalization of marijuana in New Jersey and two opposed presented “The Dope on Marijuana Legalization,” an information and discussion session hosted by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) on Sunday, April 15 at the Suzanne Patterson Center.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, sponsor of a current bill in the State Assembly for legalization; and David Nathan, Princeton psychiatrist, educator and founder and board president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, spoke first, presenting their perspectives and cases for legalization of recreational marijuana. more

Political Legacy of Brendan Byrne Is Focus of Memorial Symposium

By Anne Levin

Brendan Byrne’s family wanted an event held in his honor at Princeton University last Friday to be focused on the work he did before, during, and after his two terms in state office.

The “Symposium on the Legacy of Brendan Byrne, New Jersey Governor 1974-1982,” at Alexander Hall, was “not a memorial, but a useful and candid discussion,” said his son Tom Byrne, at the start of the program in which politicians and public servants recalled Byrne’s achievements, personality, and influence. He died at age 93 on January 4. more

University Trustees Name Garden, Arch For Betsey Stockton and Jimmy Johnson

James Collins “Jimmy” Johnson was a fugitive slave from Maryland who worked on the Princeton campus for more than 60 years, first as a janitor and then as a vendor of fruits, candies, and other snacks that he sold from a wheelbarrow. He died in 1902. (Photo Courtesy University Archives, Princeton University Library)

By Princeton University Office of Communications, Anne Levin

The Princeton University trustees have accepted recommendations to name a publicly accessible garden between Firestone Library and Nassau Street for Elizabeth “Betsey” Stockton, and to name the easternmost arch in East Pyne Hall for James Collins “Jimmy” Johnson. more

Trinity Church’s One Table Cafe Has Become a Local Tradition

By Anne Levin

Back in 2011, the clergy and congregation of Trinity Church on Mercer Street were looking to address the problem of hunger in the community. But they wanted to approach the issue in an innovative way, different from programs that already existed in town. more

IAS Celebrates Freeman Dyson’s New Book; Longest-Standing Institute Member Presides

PATTERNS IN SCIENCE AND LIFE: Freeman Dyson (on left), renowned as mathematician, physicist, and original thinker on multiple topics, talked with Institute for Advanced Study Director Robbert Dijkgraaf last Friday, April 13 at a celebration of Dyson’s new book, “Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography Through Letters.” (Photo by Donald Gilpin)

By Donald Gilpin

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) celebrated Freeman Dyson, the longest-serving professor in the Institute’s history, and his new book, Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography Through Letters, with a public reading and interview on Friday, April 13 in Wolfensohn Hall on the IAS campus. more

Cory Booker Is Speaker At University’s Class Day

On June 4, U.S. Senator Cory Booker will deliver the Class Day address at Princeton University. Held the day before Commencement on historic Cannon Green, Class Day is being organized by members of the graduating class and is one of Princeton’s oldest traditions.  more

People & Stories Benefit Features Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Seshadri

Vijay Seshadri, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of 3 Sections, Wild Kingdom, and The Long Meadow, will read from his work at the People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos annual spring benefit at the Princeton Nassau Club at 7:30 p.m. on April 20. Proceeds will support People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos, a reading and discussion program offered in English or Spanish for adults and young adults who have had limited opportunities to experience the transformative power of enduring literature. more

“Cross Cultural Currents” Coming to WWAC 

This acrylic and oil painting called “Meng’s Land” by Chung-Fan Chang will be on display at the West Windsor Arts Center’s exhibition “Cross Cultural Currents” along with work by four other Chinese-American artists who are also faculty at colleges and universities throughout NJ.

The West Windsor Arts Center will present “Cross Cultural Currents,” an exhibition showcasing four Chinese American artists, who are also professors at four New Jersey-based colleges and universities, from April 30 through June 22. The exhibition, which features the works of Chung-Fan Chang, Zhiyuan Cong, LiQin Tan, and Jing Zhou, highlights the cultural influences on their art. An opening reception will be held on Sunday, May 6, from 4-6 p.m. more

“African Walk”

Original paintings from Princeton Junction artist Nalini Sawhney are on exhibit at the West Windsor Library through April 30. The paintings are from the artist’s “Water Views” collection, and feature a variety of seasons and global locals that span Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The works are a mix of acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings on canvas. West Windsor Library is at 333 North Post Road in Princeton Junction.

“Beirut: Theater of Dreams” at PU’s Bernstein Gallery

“BEIRUT/BIG BEN”: The black-and-white digital photography of Manal Abu-Shaheen will be featured in “Beirut: Theater of Dreams,” at Princeton University’s Bernstein Gallery in Robertson Hall. The exhibit runs April 23 through August 15, with an artist’s reception on Friday, April 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.

An exhibition of black-and-white digital photography by Manal Abu-Shaheen, “Beirut: Theater of Dreams,” will open at Princeton University’s Bernstein Gallery in Robertson Hall on April 23. The exhibit will run through August 15, with an artist reception on Friday, April 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit and reception are free, open to the public, and sponsored by Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. more

Of a Cat at the Window and Cecil Taylor’s World of Sound

By Stuart Mitchner

The sound is already in us and that sound is based on the heartbeat. — Cecil Taylor (1929-2018)

A six-month-old male tuxedo cat is gazing out the window, mesmerized by a frenzy of birdsong, like a dawn chorus at dusk. He’s poised, tensed, all at once frustrated, excited, delighted by the sounds he can’t see. Since the birds are nesting in the hedge outside, the hedge seems to be singing, and so attentive is the cat in his search for the source of the song, it’s as if he’s finally, actually seeing it. He’s on his hind legs now, primed to pounce, except he’s a house cat, he’s never been in the wild, he’s hunting the sound not the birds, it’s all new to him, and the quick, shrill piping little cries he’s emitting are more like mimicry than mewing. He’s calling to the invisible birds and they’re calling back. more

A Mysterious Painting Causes Conflict in “Bakersfield Mist”; Pegasus Theatre Project Presents Stephen Sachs’s Tragicomedy

BAKERSFIELD MIST: Performances are underway for Pegasus Theatre Project’s production of “Bakersfield Mist.” Directed by Peter Bisgaier, the play runs through April 22 at the West Windsor Arts Center. Maude (Donne Petito, left) and Lionel (Rupert Hinton) have a heated discussion about the authenticity of a painting. (Photo by John M. Maurer)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Bakersfield Mist is a tragicomedy in which Maude Gutman, an unemployed bartender, has purchased a painting from a thrift store. She believes that her acquisition is a Jackson Pollack masterpiece worth millions of dollars; the initial conflict arises when Lionel Percy, a haughty art expert, doubts the painting’s authenticity.  more

Richardson Chamber Players Explore “Voices of America”

By Nancy Plum

Richardson Chamber Players journeyed into a new comfort zone this past weekend with a concert celebrating chamber pieces by African-American composers. The 11 members of the Chamber Players performing Sunday afternoon at Richardson Auditorium presented works ranging from the familiar Duke Ellington to a world premiere by one of the University’s own graduate students. A rare collaboration among Princeton University’s jazz and classical faculty, this concert not only showed the versatility of the Chamber Players musicians but also how far outside the box these individuals have traveled in their musical careers. more