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What’s Happening: November 16, 2017

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO | Sophia Strauss (center), with saloon girls Lyng-
ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO | On Friday, November 24, Peter Waldner will host a screening of “Behind Curtains,” his documentary about the 2017 Shelter Island School production of the musical “Curtains.” Above, a western-themed number from the show.

SIEF GRANTS CELEBRATION

All Islanders are welcome to join board members of the Shelter Island Educational Foundation (SIEF) and grant recipients at the Grants Celebration on Sunday, November 19 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Shelter Island Library. The event is a chance for students and teachers to talk about opportunities they’ve had in the past to learn outside the classroom through the SIEF grant program.

Grants awarded during 2016/17 included a 7th grade schooner voyage, a 10-day adventure in Cadiz, Spain, trips to the Grand Canyon, Washington, DC, to Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera, Camp Quinipet, a Barnard College writing camp, an Estonian singing camp, and other enrichment programs. SIEF also hosted Perlman Music Program musicians at the school, supported the Edible School Garden and the Historical Society’s Living History program.

Visit shelterislandedfoundation.org to learn more about the organization’s educational programs.

THEATER ON FILM

On Friday, November 24 at 7 p.m., Peter Waldner will host a screening of “Behind Curtains,” a documentary about the 2017 Shelter Island School production of the musical “Curtains.” The film will be screened at the school auditorium and offers a behind the scenes look at the production process — from first rehearsals to final bow. Admission is free.

 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT FOR THEINERT FUND

The annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament to benefit the Joseph J. Theinert Memorial Fund will take place on Saturday, November 25. The double-elimination tournament begins at 2 p.m. in the Shelter Island School gymnasium. Team registration is $150 and each team must have a high school student and a female player. All players receive a tournament t-shirt. Spectators pay a $5 suggested donation at the door and will be entered into a door prize raffle drawing. To register visit josephjtheinertmemorialfund.org.

NIGHT CRITTERS

It’s not always easy to catch a glimpse of nocturnal animals, but on Saturday, November 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. Mashomack Preserve presents “Creatures of the Night: A Live Animal Presentation.” A Quogue Wildlife Refuge naturalist will entertain and amaze with facts about the very cool adaptations that reptiles, owls and opossums have which help them to thrive at night. Close up views of animals guaranteed during this Thanksgiving weekend treat for the whole family. Program runs rain or shine. Contact the Mashomack Preserve office at [email protected] or (631) 749-4219 for reservations and meeting place.

CELEBRATING ST. NICK

St. Nicholas was born in the third century and was made a saint because of his generous works of kindness and giving to children (especially those in need). He also had a deep concern for sailors and ships, which might have made him partial to Shelter Island.

In honor of jolly old St. Nick, on Saturday, December 2, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church holds its annual St. Nicholas Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Nicholas arrives between 11 a.m. and noon, bearing gifts and treats. For sale will be hand-made items, crafts and a “nearly new” table. Silent auction bidding will start at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. There will also be crafts for children, a “Cookie Walk” and light lunch will be available at the Christmas Cafe which will be open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with special waiters to take orders.

For further information, call Jane Babinski at (631) 749-1097.

SANTA’S WORKSHOP

The Shelter Island Historical Society’s Holiday Open House with Santa’s Workshop is Sunday, December 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Havens Barn.
There will be pictures with Santa, holiday gift workshops, ornaments and decorations. On view will be the Shelter Island School art show. Join in a holiday Sing-Along with the Island Folk. Participation is free; donations gratefully accepted.

OPEN HOUSE AT MASHOMACK

Mashomack Preserve’s annual Holiday Open House at Bass Creek Cottage is Saturday, December 9 from 2 to 5 p.m. Mulled cider, eggnog, and the good cheer of the season are the perfect complement to the cottage’s festive decorations. Join in the holiday spirit with neighbors and friends, sing favorite songs and tour Mashomack’s 19th century Victorian mansion which will be decked out in holiday greens. There will also be a nature craft activity for kids. Contact the Mashomack Preserve office at [email protected] or (631) 749-4219 for reservations

DO AS YOU PLEASE IN NYC

On Wednesday, December 6, join the Shelter Island Recreation Department for a trip to New York City. Passengers will be driven by bus to New York where they will be on their own to go shopping, tour a museum or see a show — just make sure to meet back at the bus to catch your ride home.

The trip will meet at the North Ferry in Greenport. The bus leaves Greenport at 7:15 a.m. and departs Manhattan at 5:45 p.m. The trip is for ages 18 years and over and the fee is $30 per person.

Please register early as the Hampton Jitney will cancel the trip if not enough participants sign up. To register call Bethany Ortmann, Recreation Director at (631) 749-0309.

TEA AND TREE

At Sylvester Manor Educational Farm’s 65th Annual Tea & Tree on Sunday, December 10, Manor staff will express their gratitude to supporters and members at a celebration inspired by Yuletide traditions begun by Alice and Andrew Fiske. Not a member? No worries! To receive an invitation, become a member of Sylvester Manor or make a donation by December 1. Visit sylvestermanor.org for details.

TREE LIGHTING

Shelter Island’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Center. The Chamber of Commerce’s 4th Annual Decorate Your Door, Store, and More event will begin on December 1.

Across the moat

LITERATURE LIVE: DEATH OF A SALESMAN

For its annual “Literature Live!” production, Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor is presenting “Death of a Salesman.” Directed by Joe Minutillo, school group performances run during the week. Public performances are Thursday through Saturday, November 9 to 18 at 7 p.m., and Thanksgiving weekend, Friday and Saturday, November 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. Matinee performances will be offered Saturdays, November 18 and 25 at 2 p.m.

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning “Death of a Salesman,” considered to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, was written in 1949 by the renowned playwright Arthur Miller. Set in the late 1940’s, the play follows Willy Loman, a failing salesman, and his family as they face the harsh reality they have been denying. As Willy spirals into mental disarray and fails to achieve his own dreams, he criticizes his son Biff for not being successful. As Biff faces his own disappointments, he confronts his father’s unrealistic expectations for him and his inability to face the truth about their lives. Ultimately, Miller explores themes surrounding the uncertainty of the American Dream and the struggles that families face in the wake of a changing economy, both of which are as contemporary today as when the play was written.

Tickets are $20 to $55 and available online at baystreet.org, or by calling (631) 725-9500.

POETICA ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT

The Bridgehampton Museum presents a concert by the Poetica Ensemble on November 18 at 5 p.m. The group is composed of Terry Keevil on oboe, Song-A Cho on Violin, Christopher Shaughnessy on Viola and Rebecca Perea on Cello. The musicians have been performing together for more than a decade at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Scorca Hall and other renowned concert halls throughout the world. Through their performances and educational endeavors, they strive to foster their shared love of chamber music to local communities.

Tickets to the Poetica Ensemble are $25 per person. Pre-purchase is highly recommended at bhmuseum.org or call (631) 537-1088. The concert will take place at the Bridgehampton Museum Archives, 2539-A Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton.

SUFFRAGETTES IN SOUTHAMPTON

The Rogers Memorial Library, the Southampton Historical Museum, the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, and Southampton Arts Center will present “Ladies of Liberty: Songs to Celebrate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage in New York State” on Sunday, November 19, at 3 p.m. at the Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton Village. Valerie diLorenzo, with musical director Amanda Borsack Jones, will offer a musical review of Women’s Suffrage from its beginnings during the abolitionist and temperance movements through modern feminism in the 21st century. The fee is $10. Register at southamptonartscenter.org or call (631) 283-0967.

THE POETIC NATURE OF EMPATHY

The Empathy Theme Poetry Contest, which Shelter Island resident Virginia Walker recently organized in order to raise money for the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Cure, has announced the winners. A celebratory poetry reading to honor the winners and contestants will be held on Saturday, November 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Onyx Theater in the CM Performing Arts Center located in Lighthouse Commons Mall, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale, New York.

Contest winners Stacey Lawrence of South Orange, New Jersey; Joanne Pilgrim of East Hampton; and Cecilia Crittenden O.P. (friends of this deceased Dominican Sister of Hope sent in her poem). The winners, friends of winners and some contestants will read their poems on the theme of empathy. The winning poems are published on lustgarten.org and neuronwalker.com.

The contest raised $805 for the Lustgarten Foundation, bringing the total raised by the Neuron Mirror Outreach to $10,363. Neuron Mirror, a poetry book by Virginia Walker and Michael Walsh, is dedicated to the memory of four Long Island poets who died of pancreatic cancer — Robert Long, Siv Cedering, Diana Chang, and Antje Katcher.

The reading is open to the public, but registration is required as seating is limited. Also, those who would like to read their own poems on empathy may take part in the reading, but must register for the event and indicate that they want to read. Call or e-mail Virginia Walker at (631) 749-2394 or [email protected].