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Friday, October 23, 2015
Volume 11 • Issue No. 43
Ten Years On, It’s Still “Nice Work� for Brad Kenney By Scott Andrews, Staff Columnist
Brad Kenney is currently celebrating his 10th season as the executive artistic director of the Ogunquit Playhouse, which has prospered greatly under this leadership. (Neil McMahon photo)
OGUNQUIT Ten years ago this December, Brad Kenney took the reins of the Ogunquit Playhouse as executive artistic director. As his 10th season draws to a close this weekend, the notices are in: The shows are better than ever, and the venerable playhouse is prospering. Kenney’s decade at the helm has been dominated by positives. Its production season is lengthening, attendance is rising, revenues are increasing and the playhouse’s stature in the Maine and New England arts community is higher than ever. One of the first and most noticeable changes during Kenney’s tenure has been a longer season. When “Saturday Night Fever� closes this weekend, it will mark the playhouse’s longest-ever season since it was founded in 1933. Extending the schedule was one of Kenney’s first moves. Upon his arrival, the playhouse had previously committed only one show for the 2006 season: a midsum-
mer production of “Hello, Dolly!� with Sally Struthers in the title role. Everything else was Kenney’s choice. Believing that the weeks after Labor Day might prove auspicious for a musical that appealed to the older, empty-nest tourists who tend to take their vacations during that period, Kenney picked “Menopause: The Musical� for his final show of 2006. He scheduled it to run well past Labor Day, into the middle of September. It was a low-risk gamble, he recalled. If successful, the run could be extended. If it flopped, it could be closed quickly to cut the playhouse’s loss. Kenney’s roll of the dice paid off. “Menopause: The Musical� was wildly popular with both the critics and the public, and the run was extended into October. “It was our biggest show ever in terms of tickets sold and length of run,� said Kenney. “It changed the playhouse forever.� What used to be a traditional summer stock calendar now begins in late spring and continues into the See KENNEY page 15...
Birthing & Family Care Expansion Begins with Groundbreaking YORK York Hospital is embarking on the largest renovation of its Birthing & Family Care Center in over 25 years — and to celebrate, all community members, donors, volunteers, medical staff and employees are invited to attend the official groundbreaking for the expansion scheduled
Index
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Arts & Entertainment Business & Finance Calendar of Events Classifieds Computer Lady Health & Fitness Home & Business Library News Obituaries 28, Pets Puzzles Real Estate Sports Where To Dine
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for Thursday, October 29, at 3:30 p.m. under the tent at York Hospital’s main entrance. All are welcome to enjoy the construction project as it officially begins “From The Ground Upâ€?‌ From pumpkin decorating, a visit with a balloon artist, kid-friendly raffle and swag bags to healthy snacks, sandwiches, pizza, chili and chowder, cider and dessert — families looking for some after-school ‘Fall Food & Fun’ should put this free event on their calendar. Changes about to be made
during the renovation include updating the private labor, delivery and recovery rooms, creating two private newborn nursery rooms, a new family waiting area, and an enhanced security system, along with a dedicated pediatric room with 24/7 telemedicine connection to Massachusetts General Hospital. “Our Obstetrics and Family Care Team at York Hospital makes a promise every day to provide this often intangible concept of the ‘best’ to the children in our community. We’re thrilled to
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now be providing uplifting and contemporary surroundings right
here for them‌ and for everyone. See GROUND page 22...
Chef Kathy Gunst Speaks on Family Recipes SOUTH BERWICK The ritual of preserving and passing on family recipes is the subject of a talk by awardwinning chef Kathy Gunst at the Counting House Museum located at Main and Liberty Streets. It will be held on Sunday, November 1 at 2 p.m. in the museum’s historic upstairs hall. The program is the conclusion of a series called “Chefs in the Counting House: Talk, Tales and Chatter from a Trio of Culinary Authors.� Admission is $10 at the door and supports the Old Berwick Historical Soci-
ety’s Rally Round the Flagpole Campaign and local history pro-
Master chef Kathy Gunst will talk about the rituals of preserving and passing on family recipes.
grams. Gunst, a James Beard Award winning journalist and author of 15 cookbooks, will focus on the way the sharing of family recipes is a powerful way to record and maintain family traditions. “Oral history happens in many ways—recording family stories in audio and video, photo albums, song, and also recipes,� she said. “Food traditions are an important part of our culture and family backgrounds.� Gunst has been “Resident Chef� for the award-winning
NPR show “Here and Now.� She writes for publications including the Washington Post, The New York Times, Eating Well, Newsweek, Yankee and Modern Farmer. She was a recent TedX presenter regarding her work teaching elementary school children, including those at South Berwick Central School, how to grow food and cook fruits and vegetables. Her latest book, Soup Swap, will be published by Chronicle See CHEF page 9...
Don’t forget our local festivals!
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Rendering of the future Birthing & Family Care wing at York Hospital
Health & Fitness A section concerning your health... INSIDE:
PG 19-22
Also check out our section on
BUSINESS & FINANCE PG 16-17
October 23-25 Look for activity guides in the area.