Worcester Magazine July 30 - August 5, 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Worcester Magazine 100 Front St., Fifth Floor Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com VP, Sales & Strategy Andrew Chernoff Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Veer Mudambi Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Liz Fay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Matthew Tota Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Kate Carr, Diane Galipeau, Sammi Iacovone, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Regina Stillings Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske Worcester Magazine is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement.

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Featured ........................................................................4 City Voices ..................................................................10 Cover Story.................................................................13 Artist Spotlight..........................................................19 Table Hoppin’ .............................................................19 New on DVD ...............................................................25 Adoption Option.......................................................28 Classifi eds ..................................................................29 Games..........................................................................30 Last Call .......................................................................31

On the cover ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

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FEATURED

‘Virtual clubhouse’ has proved vital for members of the Genesis Club Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Support during the isolation of the pandemic was crucial for everyone but especially so for members of the Genesis Club, struggling with serious mental health issues yet unable to access the physical location they had come to rely on. For Genesis, it was especially vital that the organization come to a remote alternative for the sake of their members.

Working with the challenge of how to enable meetings when the clubhouse was at limited capacity for in-person interactions, the Genesis Club got creative in their use of video conferencing software to provide more points of accessibility to reach meetings.

This “virtual clubhouse” proved to be a lifeline — not only through COVID but beyond.

“It meant a lot to me to be connected to everyone who could support me through those diffi cult times.” Matt Perrone, a Genesis Club member of 30 years, said, “I used the virtual ways to access Genesis Club very often when the Clubhouse was only at 25% capacity during the pandemic, and I still use the virtual methods currently when I cannot come to the Club in person.”

Founded in Worcester in 1988, Genesis is a community for mental health recovery and anyone with a serious mental health diagnosis can become a member. In fact, the World Health Organization has recognized the Clubhouse Model as a

The exterior of the Genesis Club, on Lincoln Street in Worcester. A “virtual clubhouse” has proven invaluable to members who weren’t able to utilize the facility in person during the pandemic.JOHN FERRARONE/T&G FILE PHOTO

rights-based, person-centered approach to community mental health.

For many years, it has helped members fi nish or start their education or fi nd employment and housing while they

are working on their recovery in their own way and at their own pace. Most members used to come in almost every single day, participating in the daily operations of the clubhouse which simulate a workday in

preparation for the workforce and rebuilding social networks.

All services are free to members as the funding is obtained through donations, foundations and contracts with the Departments of Mental Health

at the state and federal levels.

However, with the pandemic restrictions, all that was interrupted. Rachel Riani, development associate at Genesis, exSee GENESIS, Page 5

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 5

Genesis Continued from Page 4

plained that the clubhouse had to change to virtual communication with members and it helped them come to the realization that there is an ongoing need for virtual communications, as some people still don’t feel comfortable leaving isolation. As a result, they decided a hybrid model was the way of the future, so anytime a member cannot be present in person, they can virtually access the community and the support network it provides.

With a grant from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts’ Activation Fund, Genesis was able to completely revamp the website and with it provide sustainable remote access to mental health programs. Other tools include an increased number of video ref-

erences as well as a comprehensive list of opportunities and resources for members and their families. They took the opportunity for an aesthetic update as well, seeing as the site was dealing with increased usage. “When building it, we really made sure it felt warm and welcoming,” said Riani, just as would be the case with a brick and mortar facility, “to make potential members feel comfortable reaching out.”

Lisa Brennan, Executive Director, indicated, “even now, we have some members who don’t feel safe leaving their home or have other conditions so it’s a great opportunity even after the restrictions were lifted especially since some members have moved but still want to stay connected but don’t have any transportation.”

According to Riani, with 550 active members, on a day to day basis they often see 80-100 members come into the club-

house. “Still a little bit lower than pre-pandemic numbers but especially during isolation, we saw our members really needed the community.” The average age of members is generally between 30 and 60, so it’s a fairly wide age range. Anyone can become a member when they turn 18 and members in their 60s and 70s are still coming to the club every single day.

To make the hybrid format feel inclusive for virtual attendees, cameras are set up to allow members to see everyone in the room. However, just as in-person meetings at the club are contingent upon transportation and travel, a virtual clubhouse depends on a certain level of technological access.

While this is something many take for granted, it’s by no means a certainty for members. “Genesis received funding from other foundations as well, which allowed us to pro-

vide some of our members with tablets and other tech to access virtual services,” said Brennan.

“We would help them set up a tablet or laptop and show them how to call into the WebX or Zoom.”

“Members defi nitely feel like the virtual interactions are a meaningful connection to the clubhouse,” Riani emphasized.

Each of their units has a meeting every day where they go over the work of the day and have staff sign up to complete certain tasks. Members can call into any of those and sign up for the work. The funding has helped them make great use of sharing screens and google shared documents as well as conference calls for virtual wellness check-ins. In addition, “the hybrid work has been a lot of fun and we’ve enjoyed incorporating that into our day.”

Many of the onsite work opportunities now have a remote

component and are done in partnership with one person at the clubhouse, and the other working remotely, off ering fl exibility in how members engage with the activities while also building skills needed for the post-COVID workforce. Telehealth opportunities were also funded so members can connect with their medical providers to ensure that the pandemic did not result in a break in treatment or therapies.

The isolation may be ending for the majority of people in Worcester — and the country — as restrictions are lifted but many are still eff ectively in lockdown, not from government mandates but their own health. Measures such as those taken by the Genesis Club ensure that these people are not left to fall through the cracks and still receive the help and support they need through which to try and re-enter the world.

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Wildlife experts ask help in stemming avian illness Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

“Birds need to be practicing physical distancing right now and people understand that message at this point after the pandemic,” said Mark Richardson of Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston.

While there have been no documented cases in Massachusetts yet, there is a mystery avian illness impacting large areas of the eastern United States, and to prevent it from racing across the landscape and into New England, the state has taken the unprecedented step of asking residents to empty bird feeders, remove bird baths, take them down and clean them with 10% bleach solution cleaner.

In late May, wildlife experts in Washington, D.C., began receiving reports of sick or dead songbirds, mainly blue jays, starlings and grackles, but also robins, cardinals and others.

The phenomenon has since spread through 10 states, including West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Delaware, and in 61 of 67 Pennsylvania counties.

The symptoms include conjunctivitis with swelling and crustiness around the eyes, and neurological problems such as disorientation, stumbling while walking, having trouble keeping their balance, reduced ability or inability to fl y, and walking in circles.

Some birds also have tremors or an inability to stand.

“People always think about bird feeders in particular as a way to support birds,” said Richardson, “but unfortunately during times like this we realize that’s not the best approach, since it can potentially create a vector for disease. And creating those artifi cial places to congregate is something to avoid for now.”

Martha Gach of Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook

Sanctuary in Worcester said “there’s a good possibility it will get here eventually.” But the more that it can be delayed, the more time likely that we will have a better understanding of the cause — whether it is a toxin, bacteria, virus, parasite or a newly emerging disease where the pathogen hasn’t been identifi ed or cultured before.

State ornithologist Andrew Vitz said it’s important to note that, though it appears to be mainly impacting backyard birds, the disease could be affecting forest birds as well but people aren’t seeing them.

He points out that it is not unusual to have large scale avian mortality events — in fact, it may happen every year with diff erent species, due to cyanobacteria blooms in summer, West Nile virus in mid to late August into September, etc. But “it is quite unusual to have thousands of birds impacted and you don’t know what it is,” he said, “the combination of symptoms is unusual, usually it’s one or the other.”

From the MassWildlife agency’s perspective, said Vitz, they really want people to take down their bird feeders and bird baths, but residents can be assured it won’t negatively impact the birds. “There’s a lot of bird food out there through the summer and fall, and birds don’t need backyard feeders to obtain food.”

MassWildlife is in communication with other state agencies and with Tufts Wildlife Clinic, which has not received birds with symptoms. “It’s a fl uid situation,” Vitz said, “and there is more information coming in every day.”

Both Gach and Vitz agreed that it’s never good to have a die-off of anything because that is like taking a cog out of the gear of how the environment works. Gach explained that birds are vital for pest conSee ILLNESS, Page 8

A Carolina wren, left, and a wood pecker share a bird feeder as it snows. GENA RIDER

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Bright Eyes will play the Palladium July 30. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

Bright Eyes makes a stop at The Palladium Robert Duguay Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Over the past 25 years or so, Conor Oberst has become one of the best songwriters of his generation. He brings an intense vocal delivery with poetic lyrics that tell a story and take hold of the senses, all while playing his six-string or the keys on a piano.

He’s been synonymous with the Omaha indie rock trio Bright Eyes during this time period and last year the band ended a nine-year hiatus right before COVID-19 changed everything. How’s that for timing, huh?

In this post-pandemic world that we recently entered, the band will be coming to The Palladium’s outdoor stage at 261 Main St. in Worcester at 5:30

p.m. July 30 as part of the band’s summer tour with Richmond, Virginia, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus.

Last August, Bright Eyes signaled its re-arrival with its tenth studio album, “Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was.” Oberst and bandmates Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott had drummer Jon Theodore — formerly of The Mars Volta and currently of

Queens Of The Stone Age — and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea involved in the making of the record while doing the sessions in four diff erent recording studios.

“We spent about two years in total working on the record and we were bouncing around a lot between L.A. and Omaha,” Oberst says on the making of the album. “It was incredible working with Jon and Flea, I’ve

been a huge fan of them both for a long time. Mike, Nate and myself are the core of the band, but we’ve always had diff erent people involved on our records and tours so we just decided to shoot for the stars. I’ve loved Jon Theodore ever since I’ve seen him play with The Mars Volta ages ago, and Nate was touring with the Red Hot Chili See BRIGHT EYES, Page 8

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Bright Eyes Continued from Page 7

Peppers for a couple years before the pandemic so he became good friends with Flea and he just came up in conversation.”

Oberst says, “It was kind of a dream come true. They’re coming from a diff erent space because obviously they tend to play a bit harder music than ours, but they both are incredible musicians. They’re super tasteful while wanting to make the songs the best that they can be. It was amazing to have their

creative input.”

Bright Eyes originally started out as a project conceived by Oberst during the mid-’90s, which he increased his focus on after the band he was in at the time, Commander Venus, broke up in 1997. Since then, it has grown from being a oneperson endeavor into a fullfl edged band in a very natural and collaborative way.

“The very fi rst Bright Eyes record called ‘A Collection Of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997’ came out in ‘98 and it was basically just me on a fourtrack,” he says. “Pretty much after that, Mike Mogis got involved with helping me record

and tour. He spends a lot of time producing records so he couldn’t go on all the tours early on but he was basically in the band right at that point. After our fourth record, ‘Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground,’ Nate started touring with us and became sort of a permanent member.

It’s changed a lot since the late ‘90s, it keeps evolving and I’ve always liked that we tend not to repeat ourselves that much.

“I feel that we’re always trying to stay within our wheelhouse while trying to make different sounding records,” Oberst adds. “It’s always a bit of an experiment when we start

Illness Continued from Page 6

trol, insect control, moving seeds around and the natural food chain, and mass die-off s mean upsetting the balance of nature.

“It is not at that level yet,” Vitz pointed out, “based on reports from other states, and no one is predicting impacts throughout the food web.” That being said, no one has any idea of the total number or type of birds that are dying, so if a particular species is more susceptible, it could have population impacts on those species. But it won’t be known for a few years after major bird counts have taken place.

At present, what is being reported elsewhere is that juvenile birds are impacted the most. Vitz said that young birds have high mortality rates, even without the disease, so it’s likely that the eff ects of this will not be cascading through the ecosystem.

Richardson said that Tower Hill actually stopped putting out bird feeders years ago. “We decided it was unnecessary, since we see a lot of bird activity throughout the garden and they’re mostly hunting in-

The Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has issued a warning, asking homeowners to take down bird feeders as a preventative measure against a mystery illness killing birds in other areas of the country. PHOTO FOR THE ITEM

sects.”

He said they would probably remove the bluebird boxes as well, “because while it’s important to provide those nesting sites for birds, it’s really more for us than for them and they can fi nd natural nesting sites.

We don’t want them congregating.”

Vitz, Richardson and Gach agreed that most of the region’s native birds feed insects to their young, as opposed to fruit, nuts and seeds, since they are really looking for the high protein content. Plants are habitats for insects which in turn makes them habitats for birds.

Gach is also taking down her

recording, so even though it might be weird on paper if Jon and Flea are playing on it, we do that kind of thing a lot where we put diff erent ingredients in the recipe and it might not be so obvious.”

Outside of Bright Eyes, Oberst is involved in other acts, including his backing band, The Mystic Valley Band, punk band Desaparacidos and Better Oblivion Community Center with fellow musician Phoebe Bridgers. After this current run of shows, he plans on concentrating on Bright Eyes while leaving the door open for other projects.

“We’re going to start touring

again in the spring and these are all essentially shows in markets that got previously canceled in 2020,” he said.

“We’re basically going to do the best we can to try to do the tour that we originally had planned, so we’ll be back on the road during that time and go into Europe and probably Australia.

It’s going to be pretty Bright Eyes-centric for a while. I’m always working on something so it’ll be cool to get some of the old bands together in the future, whether it’s Desaparecidos, Better Oblivion Community Center or whatever. Maybe I’ll even start some new bands, who knows?”

hummingbird feeder. She says she rarely sees them anyway, as they prefer the fl owers in the yard. So the focus should be on growing food for the birds and that includes insects, “we need to support the insect population to make natural food for the birds.” Audubon is advising people to take down hummingbird feeders as well because downy woodpeckers, who have been aff ected by the disease in other states, will visit those and maybe spread it to hummingbirds.

Vitz agreed that though they haven’t heard anything suggesting hummingbirds are impacted, Mass Wildlife is recommending all feeders, including hummingbird feeders be removed, “because we just don’t know enough.” Sometimes, he confi rmed, as Gach suggested, you get orioles or woodpeckers at hummingbird feeders so even if they’re not impacted, it could attract some of those songbirds who may be diseased.

While we still don’t know nearly enough about this new illness, here are a few precautions everyone can take to try and cover our bases according to MassWildlife. h Bird feeders and baths need to not only be taken down but thoroughly cleaned. Specif-

ically, with a 10% bleach solution (one part bleach mixed with nine parts water), rinsed with water before being allowed to air-dry. This will eliminate the possibility of any lingering bacteria. h Samples are generally whole birds, so collecting a sample will mean handling a dead bird. The best way to do so is to place an inverted plastic bag over your hand to avoid direct contact with the bird. h Avoid handling live birds unless necessary. If you do handle them, wear disposable gloves and wash hands afterward. h Keep pets (including pet birds) away from sick or dead wild birds as a standard precaution. Dog and cat owners should be especially careful, as these will certainly want to investigate a bird carcass. h Finally, if you see a bird exhibiting any of these symptoms — such as being unable to fl y, losing its balance and walking in circles — immediately report it via the MassWildlife website, www.mass.gov/orgs/divisionof-fi sheries-and-wildlife. “The most important tool is data,” said Vitz. If tracked properly and with the correct precautions, New England may be able to protect our feathered friends.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 9

�������� Ross Marquand, seen here portraying Aaron on “The Walking Dead” with an uncredited zombie extra, is one of the guests at Terrifi Con this weekend at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.

GENE PAGE/AMC

Terrifi Con brings Michael Rooker, Ross Marquand and more to Mohegan Sun Craig S. Semon Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

If you like “All Elite Wrestling,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “General Hospital,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Highlander: The Series,” “Avengers: Infi nity War,” “The Land of the Lost,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Young and the Restless,” than this weekend’s Terrifi Con is the place for you.

For “Walking Dead” fans, you have Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon) and Ross Marquand (Aaron) at Connecticut’s largest comic book convention, being held this week-

end at the Expo Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

Marquand also played “The Red Skull” in “Avengers: Infi nity War” and “Avengers: End Game.”

For “Guardians of the Galaxy” fans, you have Rooker (Yondu) and his fellow Ravager Sean Gunn (Kraglin), while for “Gilmore Girls” fans, you have Gunn (Kirk Gleason) and Scott Patterson (Luke Danes).

For “The Land of the Lost” fans (and who isn’t), Terrifi Con reunites Saturday morning television siblings Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman (Will and Holly, respectively) with prehistoric primate playmate See TERRIFCON, Page 12

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10 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CITY VOICES LANDGREN FINDING THE UPSIDE OF MASKS IN SCHOOLS

FIRST PERSON

WORCESTERIA

After ‘Free Guy’ and ‘A Christmas Carol,’ Worcester is a natural for ‘Deadpool 3’ Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

As I type this, Ryan Reynolds is at Mechanics Hall, fi lming scenes for a reimagined “A Christmas Carol.” This interesting for two reasons: 1.)

Because Charles Dickens himself gave a “bravura” performance of “A Christmas Carol” in that very hall in 1868, and 2.)

It’s the second time Ryan Reynolds has shot a movie in Worcester. The fi rst, of course, was “Free Guy,” which we’re starting to see trailers for now.

The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle While most of “Free Guy” – wherein Reynolds plays a video game character – was shot in Boston, as I under-

stand it, it’s hard not to squint at the trailer to see if you can see Worcester underneath the layers of CGI. There were a couple of shots which I at fi rst thought could be a digitally altered Franklin Street or maybe Southbridge Street down past the Hanover Theatre, they probably aren’t. Really, there’s only one snippet of the whole trailer that’s undeniably Worcester: A shot from inside the Brew on the Grid, looking out at the Worcester Common.

Reynolds’ back is turned to the camera in the shot, but he clearly hasn’t turned his back on Worcester, because here he is, back again. While many Alist movie stars have come to Worcester in recent years, See NATURAL, Page 11

Plum Island is 11 miles in length ... There were trails and unbeaten paths and wooden stairwells that popped up unexpectedly with nary a food truck or cash bar in sight. CRAIGSTOCKS/ISTOCK

An encounter with the piping plovers of Plum Island Joe Fusco Jr. Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

My sister-in-law Susie and her husband John love the Great Outdoors. When we visit them, they usually drag my old, reluctant, city-boy ass off to an Adventure with Nature.

This time, it was a trip to Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge near Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Plum Island is 11 miles in length and I swear we walked every GD inch of the territory!

There were trails and unbeaten paths and wooden stairwells

that popped up unexpectedly with nary a food truck or cash bar in sight.

At one point, we stopped at a very rocky beach where a young, bearded, portly fellow was standing by a sign that read, “Piping Plovers Nesting Season. No Admittance.”

“Are you guarding this section of the beach to prevent humans from disturbing the piping plovers mating rituals,” I asked my new acquaintance.

He gave me an assertive nod.

“Say someone crossed over into the nesting area, say some misguided senior citizen, what would be your course of ac-

tion?” I continued.

“I’d have to shoot him with my walkie-talkie,” he replied.

It was a hot afternoon in mid-June and I noticed our young champion of the birds was sweating profusely as he patrolled the border.

“They don’t give you a chair.

How long is your shift?” I inquired.

“11-3 every Sunday,” he wearily replied.

I read that the male piping plover puff s his chest out and stomps his leg before marching to the female during their mating ritual. If she decides that he See PLOVERS, Page 11

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 11

Natural Continued from Page 10

Reynolds may well be the only one to have visited twice.

Which, of course, could mean that we scared all the others away (We’re sorry, Chris Evans! ) or that they just go where the tax credits land them and this is all a happy coincidence, but I’m choosing to believe it means that Ryan Reynolds likes us. He really, really likes us!

That means that it’s probably not too early to put in our bid for Reynolds to fi lm at least some of “Deadpool 3” here.

Deadpool, for those unfamiliar, is an extraordinarily popular character from the X-Men family of comic books, put out by Marvel Comics. Because Marvel sold the fi lm rights to the XMen characters to Fox Studios in 1993, Deadpool hasn’t appeared yet in the “proper” Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside the Avengers, Thor and Captain America. (Again, our apologies to Chris Evans.)

Since then, Marvel’s owner, Disney, has outright bought Fox Studios, including the rights to the X-Men characters, and the plan is to jettison all the previous X-Men fi lms and re-boot the franchise as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the only exception being Reynolds’ two “Deadpool” movies, which will be reportedly inte-

Plovers Continued from Page 10

has built a nice enough nest and has a decent 401K, she complies.

I also learned that the piping plovers prefer to winter in Bermuda. Not too shabby for an endangered species.

We saw many other “nature” things during our 11-mile stroll. Poison ivy, a discarded

grated into the Marvel monolith with Reynolds remaining in the lead. Which is great, because he is hilarious in the role, and it’s impossible to see Deadpool as anyone else.

Obviously, since Deadpool as a character is prone to getting “meta” and breaking the fourth wall, shooting one of his movies here would provide ample opportunities for “Free Guy” and “A Christmas Carol” references. (Check out the video of Reynolds as Deadpool and “Free Guy” co-star Taika Waititi – done up as his character, Korg, from Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” critiquing the “Free Guy trailer, for a good example of Reynolds’ ability to have the character push the boundaries between reality and fi lm. Also?

His verdict on “Free Guy”?

“This looks fun, in a ‘last days of Fox fi re sale’ kind of way.”)

I’m sure there are other benefi ts to shooting “Deadpool 3” here, besides the obvious – the aforementioned tax breaks and varied locations that have led numerous other fi lms and TV shows to fi lm here. I mean, really, Jon Hamm was just here, and the Telegram & Gazette’s offi ce got turned into a movie set … which kind of messes with one’s sense of reality, actually. Which is kind of Deadpool-esque, in and of itself.

Other than that? Well, we have an awesome comic book store where you can fi nd all the Deadpool comics, even the issues of “X-Force” where Dead-

brown belt, and swarms of mosquitoes to name a few.

When we returned to civilization, we stopped in Newburyport for a late lunch at The Grog. I consumed two Pain Killers and a half-pound cheeseburger with onion rings.

Driving back to Worcester, my stomach started gurgling around the Lowell exit.

“Mother Nature, you got to love her! Where’s the nearest rest area?” I inquired.

Ryan Reynolds, with his back to the camera, stands inside the Brew on the Grid and waves to the Worcester Common like it were an old friend. FOX STUDIOS

pool creator Rob Leifeld clearly didn’t know how to draw feet and put too many non-functional pockets on superhero costumes, but really, the best

reason is that shooting “Deadpool 3” here would make Reynolds the only three-time A-list movie star to shoot here, and that would be meta as heck,

and really, really cool.

And once again, our apologies, on behalf of the whole city, to Chris Evans. He knows what we did.

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Terrifi Con Continued from Page 9

Phillip Paley (aka Chaka) for a “Land of the Lost” reunion.

The show’s co-creator and head-writer David Gerrold (who also wrote the classic “Star Trek” episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”) will also return to “The Land of the Lost.”

If you ever had a bout of amnesia, miraculously came back from the dead, suff ered from a severe case of sibling rivalry from your evil twin or been on the losing end of a paternity mix-up, chances are you’re fans of soap opera stars Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio on “General Hospital” and Colin Atkinson on “The Young and the Restless”) and Sean Kanan (Deacon Sharpe on both “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless”),

which will scheming something wicked fun at Terrifi Con. “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” fans will want to go, go to Terrifi Con to meet Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Power Ranger on “MMPR” and Green Ranger on “Power Rangers Zeo”) and Steve Cardenas (the second Red Power Ranger on “MMPR” and the Blue Ranger on “Power Rangers Zeo”).

In addition, All Elite Wrestling Women’s World Championship contender Tay Conti and AEW TNT longest reigning champion Darby Allin will be hitting the mat.

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“Highlander: The Series,” will also be at Terrifi con.

And for those comic book geeks who actually still go to comic cons for the comic book artists and writers, there’s a heavy roster of talent on hand, including Jim Starlin (artist/ writer of the “Infi nity Gauntlet” and creator of Thanos), Donny Cates (writer of “Venom,” “Thor,” “Cosmic Ghost Rider” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and Tim Sale (artist of “Batman: The Long Halloween,” “Hulk: Grey,” “Daredevil: Yellow,” “Spider-Man: Blue” and “Captain America: White”) just to name a few.

Like all comic cons, Terrifi Con was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Mitch Hallock — president of Big Fedora Marketing, LLC, which runs Terrifi Con — insists that this year’s Terrifi -

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‘Cape Cod Scrambler’ Ari Charbonneau Special to Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK Somewhere between the Cape and a bowl of overpriced pasta, I lovingly watch you order the wine.

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Ari Charbonneau is a musician and writer living in Worcester.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 13

COVER STORY

‘Julius Caesar’ will reign outside at Worcester Common Oval in August Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK

WORCESTER – William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” is a play with resonances that echoes through the centuries to audiences from the fi rst times it was staged at the Globe Theatre in London probably in 1599 over 420 years ago. h Putting on “Julius Caesar” outside at the Worcester Common Oval this August, “I thought that the play is so hyper relevant right now I didn’t need to layer a big concept on to it. It’s relevant on its own, without putting too fi ne a point on it,” said director Livy Scanlon. h The Hanover Theatre Repertory will perform a free production of “Julius Caesar” on the steps of City Hall and the Worcester Common Oval through a partnership with the City of Worcester and support from the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District and many sponsors and donors.

“William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar” will run Aug. 4 to Aug. 22 with previews Aug. 4 to 6 and the offi cial opening night Aug. 7. Performance times are 8 p.m. The shows are free, but people can reserve seats at tables at Worcester Common Oval by going to www.thehanovertheatre.org.

Reserved

seats

must

be

claimed by 7:30 p.m. to be guaranteed. At 7:30 p.m., unclaimed seats will be released to walk-up audience members. There is fl exibility for rain dates and additional performances.

See CAESAR, Page 14

14 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Joshua Wolf Coleman, playing Marcus Brutus in the upcoming production of “Julius Caesar,” walks to rehearsals on the Worcester Common Oval.

ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Caesar Continued from Page 13

“Julius Caesar” is not stamped with an unalterable date and time in terms of spirit and feeling. The title character has seemingly done much good for Rome as its leader, but cer-

tain members of the Roman Republic fear he has become a tyrant.

Caesar increasingly speaks of himself in the third person, and says he is as constant at the Northern Star. But what will happen to the fi rmament if it is disrupted, even for the best of intentions? To put it another way, the play is a timely tragedy that chronicles the

battle for the soul of arepublic andwarns of what befalls when civil strife erupts in civil war.

“It is a pretty modern play, meaning that audiences 300 to 400 years ago to now, they all understand,” said Joshua Wolf Coleman, who will be playing Brutus, the earnest senator who becomes convinced that assassinating Caesar is the

morally right course of action.

“Does might make right? Or does right make right? What is right?” Coleman said.

The cast will be in costumes of Ancient Rome. But while the text is Shakespearean and the costumes Roman, the THT Rep production will also have a look and aspect to it that is modern American.

“We wanted to make sure our Ancient Rome also looked like modern-day America, at least in its casting if not in its costumes,” Scanlon said.

Scanlon is artistic director of THT Rep, managing director of the BrickBox Theater, director of “Julius Caesar,” and is also in See CAESAR, Page 15

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 15

Caesar Continued from Page 14

the cast as Antonia, more traditionally known as the male character Mark Antony, Caesar’s unswerving loyalist who stirs up people against his assassins.

“Mark Antony is named Antonia so it fi ts Shakespearean scansion,” Scanlon said, referring to the rhythm of a line or verse in poetry.

Other nontraditional casting includes Cassia (played by Meri Stypinski), aka Cassius, the senator who convinces Brutus, who is also her brother-in-law, to join in the plot against Caesar.

“We don’t have women playing men, we have women playing characters who are usually male that we’ve reimagined as women,” Scanlon said.

“I’ve given Julius Caesar (Dale Place) a husband (Calpernius, played by John Morello) instead of a wife, and changed the gender of a couple of minor characters to have more women in the play.”

The Soothsayer who famously declares, “Beware the Ides of March,” is played by a female woman actor (the part is traditionally a male), and the role has been expanded so that she’s almost like “a supernatural presence watching over the events,” Scanlon said.

“It certainly brings American politics and cultural resonances into the play. However … other than changing the ending of the names to be ‘a’ for the feminine or ‘us’ for the masculine and changing the pronouns, I haven’t changed anything else (in the text),” Scanlon said.

“So there’s nothing in the play (that’s been changed).

They don’t talk about Cassia being a woman. They don’t talk about Caesar being gay. It’s just there. It’s part of the world, so whatever the audience brings to it, will be their own. There’s nothing in the text to guide them about how they feel about

Caesar having a husband instead of a wife. They’ll have to have their own thoughts on that. Same with the women playing male roles,” Scanlon said.

“It also makes the play more representative of the human race,” she said. In “Julius Caesar,” there are something like 50 roles written for men and two for women, Scanlon noted.

“As you know, that ratio isn’t necessarily accurate,” she said.

“And also because this is modern-day America and not ancient Rome, we have actors of all diff erent skin color because that’s what America is, a country with all sorts of diff erent people living in it.”

Coleman said he has gained a much better understanding of Brutus living the character and playing him for the fi rst time.

His preconception was that Brutus is, “like Hamlet and Macbeth Jr. Turns out he’s a diff erent man altogether.

Shakespeare understands the human condition and doesn’t make copy-cat characters. Brutus is Brutus.” And rather than being too earnest or too egotistical, as Coleman had initially thought, “his intentions are actually good,” he said.

Similarly, Stypinski, as Cassia, said, “The thing I want to honor is this sense of patriotism and the world being on our shoulder to fi x … I love her. If I may, she’s a bit of a bad ass.

And she’s smart.”

As Cassia tries to win Brutus over to the cause of protecting the Republic by drastic means, Stypinski said, “We’ve done a lot of work to guarantee as best we can to avoid any romantic currents between Cassia and Brutus. The focus is on her own ideas.”

Dale Place as Caesar said his character has come to believe in his omnipotence.

“I think he goes almost completely into the third person, and I think it cleverly builds that way. I think it really gets out of control at the senate at the end,” Place said.

Meri Stypinski, playing Cassia in the upcoming production of “Julius Caesar” on the Worcester Common Oval, is photographed by Mike Hendrickson during a rehearsal.

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Director Livy Scanlon chats with Meri Stypinski, playing Cassia, and Joshua Wolf Coleman, playing Marcus Brutus, during rehearsals on Wednesday, July 21.

ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

Caesar Continued from Page 15

This is the second time Place has played Caesar, the fi rst occasion being about 20 years ago.

“I have to think I understand a great deal more about the

piece and the subtleties of the political doings of the time,” he said.

As for Caesar having a husband, Place said that at auditions conducted by Zoom he shared dialogue with both a male and female actor as Calpurnius/Calpurnia.

In “Julius Caesar,” Calpurnius/Calpurnia dreams that Cae-

sar is murdered and begs him not to go to the senate, as planned, where his soon-to-be murderers will be waiting. Caesar dismisses the entreaty.

“I think it’s so easy if it’s a a man and a woman, it’s so easy to come out in an expected way, a chauvinist way,” Place said of the scene and the Caesar-Calpurnia interaction. “When it’s a

man, it became a bit more understanding (on Caesar’s behalf). I don’t know what that says about me, but for me it was more intimate.”

Scanlon, as Antonia, gets to deliver one of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches after Caesar’s murder.

“It’s a really big, magnifi cent scene. I do think it’s one of the

best scenes of all of dramatic literature,” she said.

Scanlon’s own view is there’s also “quite a lot of comedy and almost satire in it.

Then it gets unfunny. But I think Shakespeare is using ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen’ to make a commentary, a See CAESAR, Page 17

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 17

Caesar Continued from Page 16

satirical commentary, on political theater.”

But as Scanlon intimated, the conclusion of “Julius Caesar” can be seen as quite chilling. What have Cassius and Brutus wrought? Antony’s ally, Octavius, has plans of his own, as history will show.

“I think it’s devastating,” Stypinski said of the play’s ending. “I think from the moment we kill Caesar, its all downhill from there.”

“It is an entertaining show, an exciting show, it’s a suspenseful show, a fun show,” Scanlon said. “And then it’s also a very dark show. In the end everything just unravels.

The characters unravel. The world itself unravels.”

Of all Shakespeare’s plays, “Julius Caesar” seems to have had the most done to it in terms of adaptation. In a 2017 Shakespeare in the Park production at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, the title character had a modern-day suit and a big red tie. Orson Welles put on a production of “Julius Caesar” with the protagonists wearing the brown shirts of Mussolini’s fascists. A production in England in the 1960s had Brutus and Marc Antony orating like slick, suited, Harold Wilson-style politicians giving party political broadcasts on television. A few years ago the Vokes Theatre of Wayland staged a production by Craig A. Foley with both Caesar and Brutus played by women, with the characters each having wives.

Purists might still raise eyebrows, although perhaps not so much now as they would have done a decade or so ago.

“I don’t think it’s so much the case now and even if it is I’m not bothered,” Scanlon said about her production.

“The point is to normalize women in positions of power, and Black people in positions of power, and gay people in positions of power, and to expand

peoples’ notions of who they can be and who other people can be,” she said.

The production itself is very much modern Worcester in terms of the support in bringing a major event to life.

The total cost is $200,000, Scanlon said, and the cast consists of 20 actors.

“It’s actually very, very lean for something of this scope,” Scanlon said of the $200,000 budget.

Nevertheless, “Its a big undertaking. A lot of people have to come on board,” she said.

“Julius Caesar” won’t be the fi rst Shakespeare under the stars production in Worcester.

The former Forum Theatre, and later the Redfeather Theatre Company which became The Worcester Shakespeare Company, staged Shakespeare plays outside at Green Hill Park off and on for several years. In 2012 the Worcester Shakespeare Company moved to what is now the Open Sky Community Services complex in Whitinsville. WSC made a couple of trips back to perform on Worcester Common for one or two nights each time before going on hiatus in 2019. There has been no word on any return.

Scanlon said she started talking with Troy Siebels, president and CEO of The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, about possibly staging “Julius Caesar” when they were both working on last December’s THT Rep’s production of “A Christmas Carol Reimagined” at the BrickBox Theater.

The Hanover Theatre has said that “William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is our gift to the community, subsidized by our generous sponsors. Together, we want to recognize the extraordinary support we’ve received throughout the pandemic while off ering a safe way for people to connect through the experience of the performing arts.”

The “Julius Caesar” project

Dale Place plays Julius Caesar in the upcoming production of “Julius Caesar” on the Worcester Common Oval. ASHLEY GREEN / TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

See CAESAR, Page 18 WM-0000469921-03

18 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Caesar Continued from Page 17

started to come together early this year, Scanlon said. The City of Worcester came on board, saying it would cover the city’s costs. THT Rep launched an “Ides of March” matching gift campaign, with supporters Veronica and Howard Wiseman matching contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $30,000.

The fundraiser reached its $60,000 goal.

“It’s truly a community effort, from small $5 donations to the city (of Worcester) covering its costs,” Scanlon said. Assumption University is providing housing for out-of-town actors, while Lundgren Honda of Auburn is providing them with transportation. The Downtown Business Improvement District received a grant form the Mass Offi ce of Tourism, which is helping to advertise “Julius

“It is an entertaining show, an exciting show, it’s a suspenseful show, a fun show,” Scanlon said. “And then it’s also a very dark show. In the end everything just unravels.

The characters unravel. The world itself unravels.”

Caesar.”

Scanlon has an extensive background in theater as an award-winning producer, director, actor and teaching artist. She has worked with Nora Theatre Co., New Rep, Commonwealth Shakespeare, Playhouse Creatures, Trinity Rep, Asolo Rep, Hartford Stage, and Bridge Rep, which she founded and helmed for fi ve years.

The cast of “Julius Caesar” includes professional, Equity actors in principal leading roles, as well as community actors such as recent participants in THT Rep’s new no cost Worc

at Play training program for actors.

“I’m very proud of them and proud of the program,” Scanlon said.

Scanlon has never played the role of Antonia before in its entirety and while she directed a small studio production of “Julius Caesar” indoors, she has never directed any kind of show outside.

“I certainly have not. It’s a whole other ball game,” she said laughing at the scope of the project.

The audience will sit at the heavy tables and chairs that are

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already on the Worcester Common Oval supplemented by some rented tables and chairs for a maximum of about 250 people.

The action will take place on the steps behind City Hall as well as the the stone slabs on either side of the steps. An aisle will run through the Oval and there will also be some action in it, as well as “a few moments” by the fountain, Scanlon said.

Four actors will play Commoners, as Shakespeare called them, located at four locations around the Worcester Common Oval to try to stir the audience to cheer, boo or hiss at key moments, most likely including Antonia’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech. Crowd participation (and togas) will be encouraged. “It should be fun,” Scanlon said.

Actors will be wearing microphones, and there is no face mask requirement for the audience.

Because “Julius Caesar” is a free public performance, “there’s nothing to stop people walking by. You could sit on a bench. You could watch for a little while. You could leave,” Scanlon said. Still, “The show is staged to be best viewed from the Oval.” There will be “some security in place to make sure people don’t wander on to the stage.”

Wolf thinks that the production of “Julius Caesar” is going to put Worcester on the map this summer. Originally from New York City, he now lives in Boston after spending some time on the West Coast. This is his fi rst time here, but he knows Scanlon’s work.

“Liv Scanlon is really a highlevel artist,” Wolf said. “Central

Massachusetts — this should be the place that people fi nd.”

Besides playing Julius Caesar before, Place has also portrayed a well-known character that Worcester audiences will be familiar with — he was the fi rst Ebenezer Scrooge in The Hanover Theatre’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Place also lives in the Boston area.

“What a space,” Place said of The Hanover Theatre.

Looking around the Worcester Common one recent late afternoon just before a rehearsal of “Julius Caesar,” he said, “This going to be very interesting.”

Stypinski, who has also been seen in “A Christmas Carol,” said she moved to Worcester recently.

After she and Scanlon were cast as Roman senators, the show’s costume department had to create a Roman costume for women senators, since there were no female senators in ancient Rome, Scanlon noted.

Rehearsals outside have seen Scanlon and crew donning more modern attire, including belt packs with head sets, to direct and oversee rehearsal facets such as blocking.

“It’s funny. We all look like we’re gonna give a tour of downtown Worcester, but it works well enough. It’s been fun working outside,” Scanlon said.

“Folks come up to us and ask how we’re doing. It’s just fun to have something wholesome and exciting happening downtown.”

Asked if such an event could be an annual summer happening, Scanlon said “probably not ‘Julius Caesar,’ but something.”

But fi rst … The Soothsayer will be watching.

“I think everyone is waiting with baited breath to see how it goes,” Scanlon said.

William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Previews 8 p.m. Aug. 4, 6 and 6. Regular performances 8 p.m. Aug. 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 22. www.thehanovertheatre.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 19

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

CITY LIVING TABLE HOPPIN’

Barre’s Pie Town off to a great start Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

“Teacher’s Pet” LYNN NAFEY/ARTSWORCESTER

Lynn Nafey Lynn Nafey Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Lynn Nafey’s artwork emerges from her diverse background in sculpture, puppetmaking, surface design and jewelry-making.

Inspired by these experiences, she is always on the hunt for unusual material combinations and is especially passionate about integrating traditional hand techniques and contemporary digital processes. Born and raised in New Jersey, Lynn lives in Stow, Massa-

chusetts. She received her formal art training at Boston University, graduating summa cum laude in 1983 with a BFA in Sculpture. Her work can be seen at https:// www.lynnnafey.com.

This Artist Spotlight is presented

by Worcester Magazine in partnership with ArtsWorcester. Since 1979, ArtsWorcester has exhibited and advanced the work of this region's contemporary artists. Its exhibitions and educational events are open and free to all. Learn more at www.artsworcester.org.

Pie Town in Barre is a newly opened go-to café for made from scratch sweet and savory pies and a summer lineup of apps and drinks.

April Adams and Elisa Kjerting, both of Barre, launched the business (their fi rst) in June in the building formerly occupied by Picasso Restaurant & Bar. The business closed in August 2020.

“We had more than 20 people waiting at the door on opening day,” said Adams about Pie Town (café, kitchen, lounge). “Honestly, we were a little terrifi ed. We sold out of pies in two hours.”

The dish: Kjerting, originally from Shrewsbury, said she always dreamed of opening a small food business, while Adams looked more to a “little coff ee shop in town.” The women sealed the deal for Pie Town during one of their regular morning walks around the Barre Common. “We talked about it often and one day decided to go for it,” said Kjerting.

“No regrets so far.”

Adams previously was events coordinator at Hardwick Vineyard and Winery in Harvard; Kjerting worked in transportation and human resources.

“Elisa’s a great baker and cook so she works in the kitchen, while I take care of the front of the house” said Adams, who

admitted she isn’t so much of a cook as she is a great tastetester. Her husband, Christopher, often helps plate and expedite food on busy weekends.

He’s a veteran of the Ware Police Force. Kjerting’s son and Adams’ daughter also work in the business.

The owners are starting off with a small menu of pies (personal and whole), fl atbreads, salads (single and family size) and “fun stuff ” like pretzel bites with mustard or icing and pie holes with dipping sauce.

Soft drinks, coff ee and root beer and cola fl oats are available.

“We want to be consistent with our food, off ering weekly specials whenever we can,” said Adams. “Nothing we serve is frozen,” added Kjerting. “We don’t even own a freezer.”

Pie Town, located at 2 Common St., Barre, is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Full liquor license. Free WiFi. Telephone: (978) 257-8080; Connect on Facebook. Use off street parking or back lot.

The women renovated and “refreshed” the dining and kitchen areas before opening.

Former Picasso guests may recognize some of the dining room furniture left by the previous owner. “We brought in new bar chairs and plan to have high top tables soon,” said Adams. “We’re sort of taking it one day at a time, not getting in way over our heads.”

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seasonal dining. Call for information about booking small meetings and special parties.

Currently, customers cannot pre-order pies. “Not yet, anyway,” said Adams, explaining the owners hope to make it possible in time for the holidays.

“Right now, customers can eat in or take out,” she said.

The menu off ers a choice of a whole 9-inch pie or personalsize pie served with a side salad. Brisket Pie already is the signature dish for the business, according to the owners, who said the meat is smoked on premise. Juicy beef brisket is combined with vegetables in this popular home-style pie.

Whole pies range from $10 for a Nacho Pie to $30 for Brisket Pie. Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd’s Pie and Mac-N-Cheese Pie also are ion the savory side of the menu; Salted Apple Caramel, Strawberry Chocolate, Chocolate Crème and Key Lime Fluff , sweet. There’s also Ham and Swiss Quiche or Spinach, Tomato and Feta.

When asked about their favorite pie on the menu, Kjerting replied, “great fan of the chocolate crème.” Adams loves them all, but her personal favorite item is Buff alo chicken fl at bread. “It’s the best,” she said.

Owners take pride in using seasonal ingredients from local farms, said Kjerting, who went with a fresh homemade peach cobbler as last week’s featured dessert. Adams made peach sangria as a bar special, promoting the drink on social media.

They are especially “grateful for community support and positive feedback.” On their wish list is to hire a local musician for weekends at the café and to fi nd a classic red Chevy pickup truck, their business logo. The truck would not only help promote the café, but also would be used for in-town pie deliveries, according to the owners.

Owners April Adams and Elisa Kjerting behind the counter at Pie Town restaurant in Barre. RICK CINCLAIR/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

This business makes for a wonderful pie stop when traveling through Barre, which by the way, has the Barre Farmers Market on the Common from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Worcester. Rain or shine event.

Visit www.wootrucks.com for information about tickets, etc. Nineteen food trucks and more than 20 crafters participating.

Food Truck Throw Down coming

Lasagna Day!

Reminder: Worcester Food Truck Throw Down and Craft is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m.

July 31 at Beaver Brook Park in

July 29 was National Lasagna Day! Celebrate at your favorite restaurant, or head to the kitchen to bake up a pan of the pop-

ular pasta dish.

This month, Pastene is donating 10 percent of all lasagna purchases to @WeAreLasagnaLove. Lasagna Love is nationwide grassroots movement that works to connect neighbors with neighbors through homemade delivery.

Visit https://lasagnalove.org for more information.

Lasagna al Pesto is one of many recipes you’ll fi nd at www.pastene.com. It’s a twist

on traditional lasagna, using fresh basil and green beans.

Both ingredients are in good supply at local farmers markets and roadside stands. Two sauces, pesto and Béchamel add to the rich fl avor of this dish. The website also has a White Lasagna, if you want to skip the red sauce.

If you have tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 21

SUMMER IS BACK NOW – SEPT 5TH

MORE MONEY

CATCHIN’ RAYS

MONDAYS

Adrian Paul, seen here portraying Duncan MacLeod in “Highlander: The Series,” is one of the guests at Terrifi Con this weekend at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Terrifi Con Continued from Page 12

Con is going to be bigger, better and safer than ever before.

“One of the things people always complimented me on is that the aisles were wider to begin with, before the pandemic, that you don’t get crushed in this place, like some shows there are so many people you can barely breathe,” Hallock said. “I always made sure that the aisles were beyond what was specifi ed by fi re code, which you’re supposed to have it so many feet.

But I was like, yeah, it’s OK we can make it a little bigger. So guess what? I made it even bigger this time around.”

Hallock said he could have kept selling exhibitors booths but, instead, decided to cut out almost 100 booths and has been turning potential comic book artists and vendors away.

“That’s money out of my pocket,” Hallock continued.

“You know what? At the end of

the day, who cares about money? You want to make sure everyone is happy and they’re not walking around saying, ‘Oh, there are so many people here.’”

In addition, Mohegan Sun’s tribal health department has unobtrusive checkpoints that monitor people’s temperature without them even knowing it, Hallock said.

Terrifi Con will be held 1:30 to 8 p.m. July 30; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 31; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1 at Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd, Uncasville, Conn. Tickets for adults are $30 for Friday, $35 for Saturday, and $33 for Sunday; $85 for a three-day adult pass.

Tickets for kids ages 8-12 are $15 for Friday, $15 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday; $40 for a three-day kid pass. Prices increase by $5 on the day of the show, if they are not already sold out. Children 7 and younger admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult (limit of 2). Free parking. For more information, check out www.terrifi con.com.

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Get a free Hot Summer Fun t-shirt* then catch the best live tribute bands for free at Party on the Patio.

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22 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

LISTEN UP

On new album, Medford-based duo Honest Mechanik’s harmonies cut through to the truth Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the most delightful things about the eponymous album by Honest Mechanik – a collaboration between Medford singer-songwriter Susan Cattaneo and Paul Hansen of the band The Grownup Noise – is that pretty much everybody is lying. People lie to themselves that they’re cooler than they are, and they lie to themselves and others that they and a former paramour can fall back in love. They lie to themselves that they’re OK when they really aren’t. They lie to themselves about not being alone, but yet, they also lie to to themselves that things are worse than they actually are.

For all the sadness and delusion baked into this album, it also positively drips with hope, and that’s kind of amazing.

The duo tells the audience what’s happening pretty much right up front, in the song “Translate”: “I could never give you the one thing you will fi nd on your way,” they sing. “I won’t even know it I can’t/pretend to know what to say/Some things don’t translate.” There are morals to the stories the album’s personas share, but they’re things the subject and the listener need to fi gure out for themselves. Some things don’t translate, but the truth burns out in the corner of each frame.

The album jumps stylistically from song to song, held together by an intrinsic quirkiness and some absolutely stellar vocals, weaving harmonies out of strands of dissatisfaction and loneliness, each singer’s voice layered on top of the other’s, alternating leads but always co-equal. “Can’t make it on love alone,” they sing, in

Honest Mechanik is a collaboration between Medford singer-songwriter Susan Cattaneo and Paul Hansen of the band The Grownup Noise. PHOTO COURTESY OF DINO CATTANEO

“Love Alone,” “Can’t move like a rolling stone/Can’t wait for a ghost to show,” and then later, “These perfect people whose lives are boring just like mine/ They hold no secret I can fi nd.”

But there IS a secret, one which is patently obvious when you step back and look at it: all those ”perfect people” wrestle with the same sense of loneliness and emptiness as everyone else, but the persona’s not ready to hear that yet, a sentiment which rolls into the slow burn of “Under the Weight,” where every note sinks against the listener’s skin. The persona is, as in the previous song, waiting for a ghost to show. A lot of time can slip through your fi ngers when you do that.

The loneliness begins to

spur external action when the album pivots to the more Americana-fl avored duet, “Maybe,” wherein the singers take on the personas of former lovers weighing the possibility that they could fall back in love.

The pair sell the sense of longing, but the idea of rekindling is less compelling, and really, being able to create that nuanced of a feeling is a testament to just how well these two singers mesh. At one point, Hansen sings, “Am I on the outside looking in,” and Cattaneo replies, “No, that’s how you see everything,” and the spark of that moment illuminates the whole album. No matter, the next song, “Glory,” shows the relationship in disarray already: “You can take all the glo-

ry,” sings Hansen, “and I can take a taxi home/I hope you trip on the ceiling/dancing with your ego this evening,” to which Cattaneo responds, “You say you’re misunderstood/way too cool for your own good/though we know that your faking/all alone in that bed you’re making.” Nothing’s been learned yet, and the characters are trapped in a cycle. That “Glory” has one of the more catchy and cheery melodies on the album makes the acrimony even more telling. The vibe continues into the enormously earwormy “InBetween,” a song about liminal spaces, both physical and emotional.

By the time we get to “In This Town,” the album’s cards are on the table: “I love the rumors,”

they sing, “if only I could choose ‘em/ you don’t seem to care if they’re true/whispered stories/of all my made up glories/you told me that the street light was a moon.” It’s a stripped-down, brooding bit of contemporary folk, and it resounds with honesty and and a sort of tender resignation. It’s a song that screams “reality,” whereas the subsequent song, “Movie,” moves more toward fantasy: “I say I’m doing better to your face/turn around and count the steps back to my place/I’m waiting for the movie/of you wrestling a bear/ walk the wire/and come to dinner with me/down the regal stairs/where the fancy people stare.” It’s one of those songs where nearly every line is memorable, and absolutely delightful, but the lies are now so apparent they’ve become farcical. Life’s not a movie, whether the fancy people are staring or not.

The album’s endgame begins in the penultimate song, “Sun or Shadow,” with its refrain of “we fi nd our way back to each other,” which now feels more sincere, like a thing that’s possible and not a delusion. Finally, the album closes with “Outsider,” with the refrain, “Everybody thinks of themselves as an outsider.” The pair of songs leave the album’s personas in a state of honesty with each other, and beginning to be honest with themselves. It’s a beautifully imperfect ending, one where we don’t know exactly where either voice will land, but there’s nonetheless a sense of resolution, a sense that in the end, each voice has fi gured out a few things for themselves, which is the only way they’ll probably stick.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 23

CONNELL SANDERS

Do’s and don’ts of seasoning with salt Sarah Connell Sanders Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

I worked at a restaurant where we deliberately did not set salt shakers on the tables. It was explained to me that food had been properly seasoned by the kitchen in the precise manner it was intended to be enjoyed. As a server, I began to resent salt-people.

Let me clarify: there’s nothing wrong with salt itself. In fact, it is one of the most powerful tools we possess for enhancing the fl avor of food.

However, like all secret weapons, salt can bring great reward or terrible ruin. It can modify muscle fi bers in meat, help vegetables cook more quickly, thicken sauces, and make dishes taste all around juicier. Salt can also hold excess fl uid in the human body and increase our blood pressures.

Applied properly, salt is used to achieve balance. It suppresses the bitter and enhances the sweet — the same impact my husband often has on me. Adding salt early yields an even distribution of fl avor. Adding it late, as seasoning, provides a concentrated hit that yanks you back to the fulcrum of the dish. Salt is not the only rock we treasure, but it’s the only rock we eat.

There is more than one kind of salt. Rock salt comes from mines in the earth and sea salt comes from evaporated ocean water. I am a sea salt girl.

If I had to pick my poison, it would be Saltverk, an Icelandic salt maker that uses geothermal energy from hot springs and hand harvesting methods fi t for a Danish king. After all, it was he who pioneered salt production in Reykjanes in the 18th century. Back then, salt was viewed by many as “white gold.” In fact, the word “salary”

Like all secret weapons, salt can bring great reward or terrible ruin. PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

comes from the Latin word for salt, “sal.” The etymology stems back to ancient times when soldiers were sometimes even paid in salt.

I’m embarrassed to say, it was Gordon Ramsay’s clumsy fl ake raking that fi rst drew me to Saltverk. On the newest season of Ramsey’s National Geographic show, “Uncharted,” he

tries his hand at harvesting sea salt while one of the career salt makers watches on with a pained look on his face.

“Gently, please,” he urges Ramsey.

Soon after I saw the episode, I spotted an article about Saltverk in New York Magazine’s Strategist feature, “This Thing’s Incredible.” Eventually,

I fessed up and sprang for some Saltverk when I noticed the brand featured on Food52, a nerdy cooking blog where I regularly window-shop and source my recipes. I liked the idea that there would be zero carbon footprint. Moreover, when it arrived, the birch smoked salt quickly became my favorite. I’ve since experi-

mented with Saltverk’s seaweed salt on fresh fi sh and their licorice salt on chocolate desserts. Both were exquisite.

I might be a salt person now, but you won’t fi nd me asking for table shakers at your restaurant anytime soon. I trust my chefs to do the work for me.

And at home, I trust Saltverk.

24 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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PREMIERES 8 P.M. EDT AUGUST 5, 2021 The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, presented by U.S. Polo Assn., showcases the top student athletes from every state.* A grand finale in a series of regional and state recognition programs, the show honors the on- and off-field excellence of high school athletes in communities across the country. Tune in to see who will be named the nation’s best in 25 sports!

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 25

NEW ON DVD

The Abbott family is forced to go beyond the sand path in the sequel “A Quiet Place Part II,” starring Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. PROVIDED PHOTO

Silent terror returns in ‘A Quiet Place Part II’ Aaron Gilman Tribune News Service

A scary sequel where the very last thing you want to do is scream tops the DVD releases for the week of July 27.

“A Quiet Place Part II” picks up immediately after the events of the fi rst fi lm, while also providing a tantalizing glimpse of Day 1 when the monsters fi rst arrived and ushered in humanity’s silent era. In the fi lm’s present, the surviving members of the Abbott family must leave home and fi nd new shelter from the deadly creatures with super hearing.

Cillian Murphy, who joins the budding franchise in “Part II,” teams with Millicent Simmonds in an eff ort to end the existential threat posed by the creatures, while Emily Blunt and her other two children face their own dangers.

John Krasinski returns as director (and also wrote the script), and though his

character heroically died at the end of the fi rst fi lm, he reprises the role in Day 1 fl ashback scene.

“Krasinski’s sure-footed sequel (and, in the dynamite opening sequence, prequel) is everything you want a summer horror movie to be, made by a writer/director who is clearly both a fan and a student of scary movies,” writes critic Chris Hewitt in his review for the Star Tribune. “As Krasinski showed in the fi rst “Quiet Place,” he’s not afraid to guide the story into a situation that seems impossible to get out of, only to fi nd an ingenious way to do just that.”

ALSO NEW ON DVD JULY 27 “American Gods: Season 3”: The fi nal season of the Starz series based on Nail Gaiman’s novel concerning the battle between the Old and New Gods.

“Every Breath You Take”: Casey Affl eck stars as a psychologist who introduces his family to the brother of a deceased patient, with sinister results.

“Joey & Ella”: A baby kangaroo, part of a circus, gets mixed up in a jewelry heist thanks to bumbling thieves. She becomes separated from her mother for the fi rst time, and is in possession of a diamond with strange powers.

“Keeping Faith: Series 3”: Eve Myles returns as Faith in the fi nal season of the BBC mystery set in rural Wales.

“Midnight In The Switchgrass”: Bruce Willis and Megan Fox team up to investigate a series of unsolved murders where women are taken from truck stop areas.

“The God Committee”: The members of a three-person board who decide which person gets an available organ transplant struggle with the consequences of one of their decisions, seven years after the fact. Stars Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles and Colman Domingo.

“The Last Champion”: A disgraced former wrestler stripped of his Olympic medal returns to his hometown after the

death of his mother in this sports drama.

“The Neighborhood: Season Three”: The CBS sitcom stars Cedric the Entertainer as the Los Angeles neighbor of a friendly, white Midwesterner who moves in to the predominately African American neighborhood with his family.

“Unforgotten: The Complete Fourth Season”: Led by Nicola Walker’s chief inspector character, London detectives investigate cold cases in this British drama airing on PBS’ “Masterpiece.”

“Devils: Season One”: A new British series set in the world of high-stakes fi nance involving a global conspiracy at an investment bank.

OUT ON DIGITAL HD JULY 27 “Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two”: This animated feature continues the story inspired by the ‘90s comic book series in which the Caped Cruasder must fi nd and stop a serial killer.

26 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

5 THINGS TO DO

Marty Stuart, Sapling and more ...

Richard Duckett and Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are set to appear at Indian Ranch. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

Fabulous and Country Grammy Award-winner singer-songwriter and musician Marty Stuart has moved between musical styles (including honky-tonk, rockabilly, country-rock, country, traditional country, gospel, and bluegrass) almost as often as he changes his wardrobe of rhinestone laden “Nudie suits.” He’ll be at Indian Ranch for a show at 1 p.m. July 31. The entertaining performer is not running short of superlatives, either, as the Superlatives (aka The Fabulous Superlatives/His Superlatives) has been Stuart’s band since 2002. Also at Indian Ranch this weekend will be Jamey Johnson, 1 p.m. Aug. 1. (RD) What: Marty Stuart and His Superlatives When: 1 p.m. July 31 (doors 11:30 a.m.)

Where: Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster How much: $35+ (adult). www.indianranch.com.

Comic homecoming “I’m at a point where I think I look great for 35,” quips comedian Anthony Amorello, “but I’m 25.” Amorello – a Worcester native who currently lives in Los Angeles, makes a lot of hay about his burly appearance, saying that he looked that way his entire life. “When I was 13 my dad looked at me,” says Amorello, “and said, ‘You look big enough, why don’t you start paving roads.’ So I did.” The jokes that unfold from there are absolutely hysterical, including a truck driver offering him meth. “I was a stupid 13-year-old, I’m like, ‘You’re in my math class?’” He’s a natural storyteller with a great sense of timing, and most of all, he’s pretty dang funny. (VDI) What: Anthony Amorello: One Night in Worcester, with Zenobia Del Mar, Scotty Cav and Jon Fletcher When: 8 p.m. Aug. 6 Where: BrickBox Theater at the JMAC, 20 Franklin St., Worcester How much: $20

Worcesternative comedian Anthony Amorello is set for a show the the BrickBox Theater at the JMAC. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 27

Ready to rock

From left, Amber Tortorelli, Rainy Logan, and Jonathan Cordaro of Sapling in Kelley Square. CHRISTINE PETERSON

One need only listen to the 2020 album “No Sequoia” see why Sapling is among the most exciting rock bands to emerge from the Worcester area in sometime. It’s smart an album that’s smart when it needs to be, such as on the multilayered “Maria Vs. Machine Maria,” and hilariously vulgar when that’s what’s called for, such as on “(Expletive) this Yuppie Barbecue.” It’s fearless, in-your-face rock ‘n’ roll that makes no apologies nor asks any permissions.

(VDI) What: Sapling with Strange Fate and DYR FASER When: 8 p.m. Aug. 6 Where: Ralph’s Rock Diner (on the patio), 149 Grove St., Worcester How much: $7

The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble are set to perform at the Riley-Pappas Pavilion in Auburn. SUBMITTED PHOTO Sonia Kennebeck’s documentary “Enemies of the State,” will be presented by cinema-worcester in the Park View Room. IFC FILMS

A welcome return

in Sonia Kennebeck’s bizarre documentary “Enemies of the State,” an American family seeks refuge in Canada after their hacker son is targeted by the U.S. This troubling story of secrets and lies is being shown by cinema-worcester at 7:30 p.m.

July 30 in the Park View Room. (RD)

The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble returns to the stage for its first in-person performance since 2019’s “Welcome Yule” holiday presentation with a concert at 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at Auburn’s Riley-Pappas Pavilion as part of the Summer@MW series presented by Music Worcester. The ensemble, led by Worcester Chorus assistant director and accompanist Mark Mummert, will perform “An Evening of Broadway.” The concert is also part of Auburn’s Thursday Night Summer Concert Series. Seating is first-come-first-served on the lawn by the stage. (RD)

What: “Enemies of the State” presented by cinema-worcester When: 7:30 p.m. July 30 Where: Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester How much: $10; $8.50 students and seniors. www.cinema-worcester.com

What: Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble When: 6 p.m. Aug. 5 Where: Riley-Pappas Pavilion, 203.5 Pakachoag St., Auburn How much: Free; bring lawn chairs, blankets. www.musicworcester.org.

‘Enemies’ Abound

28 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

ADOPTION OPTION

Meet Waffl es and Strudela!

Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes.

WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

Waffl es and Strudela — these two sweeties are most likely sisters. They love each and spend a lot of time grooming one another and cuddling. As soon as you come into a room, they will greet you and they love giving bunny kisses.

Their fur is so soft and they enjoy a good pet. They really enjoy snacking on apple sticks and have excellent litter box habits. To meet Waffl es and Strudela, please call WARL at (508) 853-0030 for an appointment WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of Nov. 9, 2020 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected.

• ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/ adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl. org to schedule an appointment.

• CASUAL VISITS TO THE SHELTER are prohibited. We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation ... fi nding homes for animals in need.

• ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030.

• SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off /pick up procedures.

• DONATIONS ACCEPTED except

Waffles and her sister Strudela are available for adoption from WARL. PHOTO COURTESY MELISSA SCHER

for open bags of food.

• Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist — https:// www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0

• Weekly training classes are going on for adopters.

• The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can. We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from

the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@ worcesterarl.org.

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30 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J O N E S I N’

Enjoy Fun By The Numbers puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

R U O Y E C A PL AD HERE! Call

66

-34 4 5 2 8 8 8 cla

or email a.com i d e m e s u o ateh ssifieds@g

Across 1 Disappear gradually 5 Olivia of 2018’s “The Predator” 9 Off-price event 13 “Amadeus” director Forman 14 Mayberry kid 15 “Fathers and Sons” novelist Turgenev 16 Lazy attempt at a scare?

18 Repair books, in a way 19 Gather in the field 20 1,000,000,000 years, in geology 21 Secondary songs, once 23 Celeb’s promoter 25 2020 Pixar offering 26 Santana hit based on a bank?

32 Actor Whishaw 35 Detach, as a trailer 36 Small jazz combo 37 Wilson of “The Office” 39 “Ah, I see” 40 Many are empty for the 2020 Olympics 41 East, in Spain 42 Deliberately misinforms 44 Primus frontman Claypool 45 News anchor Lester on location in California?

48 Spike Lee’s “___ Gotta Have It” 49 Incurred mobile charges, maybe 53 With 61-Across, cheap price on some granular seasoning?

56 Lower, as lights 58 Almond ___ (toffee candy) 59 Singer Ora 60 See 54-Across 63 God on an eight-legged horse 64 “Voice of Israel” author Abba 65 Mother of Perseus 66 Social Distortion frontman Mike 67 Prepare the laundry 68 Bedframe strip Down 1 Clerk at work 2 “Half ___ is better than none” 3 Strong drink also called double espresso 4 Sixth sense letters 5 “Got My ___ Working” (Muddy Waters classic)

“Yes, Lieutenant”--an unexpected ending.

by Matt Jones

6 Second word of “The Raven” 7 Nothing, on scoreboards 8 Laptop with a smaller screen 9 Make a hissing sound 10 Ready and eager 11 “Stay in your ___” 12 Has a series finale 13 Abbr. on a new car sticker 17 Country home to Mocha 22 Its U stands for “utility” 24 Olympic runner Jim who later became a congressman 25 Squish down 27 Groups on risers 28 Gasped with amazement 29 River through Kazakhstan 30 Miller beer brand 31 Play some Cornhole 32 Make kombucha 33 Lack of intensity 34 They can be picked 38 They may have tickets at Barclays Center 40 Millennium Falcon pilot 42 Brother of Ophelia, in “Hamlet” 43 Singer nicknamed “The Velvet Fog” 46 “Never heard of them” 47 Foot bone-related 50 Disney title character voiced

by Auli’i Cravalho

51 Flamboyance, from the French 52 Time to remember 53 “___: Legacy” (2010 sci-fi sequel) 54 Like the Amazon River 55 Singer Redding 56 One of the few words not to be repeated in “Happy Birthday” 57 “It just ___ my day” 61 “Succession” network 62 Flyer contents

Last week's solution

©2021 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1051

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | 31

LAST CALL

Eric Nichols, exhibition producer for Exposure 2021 Veer Mudambi Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Eric Nichols, professor of photography at Worcester State University and native Worcesterite, has watched his city rapidly evolve from a former factory town to an artistic and cultural hub.

While he’s witnessed these developments with no small amount of pride, now he wants others to see it, too. As a member of the board of directors for the Photographic Resource Center, a Cambridge-based arts nonprofi t, he was instrumental in getting the organization’s fl agship exhibition, “Exposure 2021,” to be held at WSU’s Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery from July 9 to Aug. 20. He sat down with Last Call to discuss his larger goal of bringing in attention traditionally held by Boston and Cambridge.

The exhibition is usually held in Cambridge at Lesley University’s College of Art and Design. This is a big change — how did it happen?

When Lesley University closed down for the academic year due to COVID, the PRC lost access to the school’s gallery.

So the exhibition was planned to be purely online. Moving the exhibition to Worcester just sort of happened but worked out perfectly. It is something I have been working on for some time — to bring an exhibition out to Worcester and this is not only an exhibition but a fl agship exhibition at WSU. What’s “Exposure” all about?

“Exposure” is the PRC’s annual fl agship exhibition, meant to highlight emerging photographers. Submissions are accepted from all over the U.S. and a jury selects between 10 and 15 artists who then show several pieces of their work. This has been going on for 25 years.

A number of artists who have been showcased here have gone on to have successful and illustrious careers, so it’s like a “who to watch” in photography.

It’s defi nitely an impressive exhibition to have here.

Do you think this will boost WSU’s profi le a bit?

I’m hoping it will boost the profi le of the gallery specifi cally. WSU has a really great exhibition space. One of the reasons I’ve been trying to do this is to

Worcester State University photography professor Eric Nichols inside the Exposure 2021 gallery show at the Ghosh Science And Technology Center. ASHLEY GREEN/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

highlight the quality of the gallery space. Our impressive gallery is often overlooked so it was a way to bring attention from out of town. Trying to get Boston area artists to take a second look at Worcester is something I’ve been working on for a while. Then once they’re here, why not check out other art spots like the JMAC or Worcester Art Museum. Or maybe some of the restaurants?

So this is part of a larger bid to draw attention to Worcester?

Yes, bringing people interested in art to Worcester could help the local art community as well as the city. I’ve been

part of the Worcester art community since I was about 20 years old, and growing up in Barre, Worcester was always the nearest city. Even now it’s still got a hint of the post-industrial reputation from the ‘90s.

What would you say sets the Worcester art scene apart?

Worcester is small enough that everybody kind of knows each other and large enough that it has a vibrant arts scene. In other cities, the photo scene is only the photo scene and painting is just painting. But in Worcester, it’s all the arts scene and everybody connects with each other regardless of medium. Kind

of a shared community across the board.

That’s proven by events like the block party from earlier this summer with events at the JMAC and ArtsWorcester.

Organizations in other cities don’t always work together and talk to each other but here it’s not segregated by genre and medium.

Anything to add?

There’s a lot going on out this way and the city is still rapidly evolving and changing. People are surprised about Worcester — “oh, it’s nicer than I thought.” I’m like, “yeah, it’s not the ‘90s.”

32 | JULY 30 - AUGUST 5, 2021 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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