What’s it like to be in the mind of an artist during the creative process? What if your childhood fears were real? How does all of that work when mixed with real adult fears that come with consequences?      Welcome to the world of “Archibald Avery,” a new musical making its world premiere April 12 through May 7 on the Cape Rep Theatre stage. Based on original characters and poetry by Macklin Devine ...

“Succession” is my latest obsession. For years, I’ve been hearing all sorts of talk around every corner of the internet about how incredible it is, how it outpaces nearly every other HBO original series, and how it elevates every single one of its performers to the next level of their acting careers. In the second week of March, with three weeks until the premiere of the fourth and final season, I decided I would...

When I awake these days it is still dark but by the time I’ve taken care of the dog, made my coffee and settled down with the daily paper online, the birds have begun to sing. It’s not a full dawn chorus yet but the song sparrows, cardinals, and red-winged blackbirds are all chiming in. A singular robin, perhaps the same one from last year, has claimed his spot near the top of an oak in the backyard and has begun...

It’s here, finally, that most wonderful time of year when the weather fluctuates between winter and summer, often in the same day. If you love the cold and damp, Cape Cod springs are for you. Throw in an occasional migratory bird sighting, fields of dandelions, and peeping spring peepers and you may become ecstatic. Seriously, though, springs on Cape Cod are predictably unpredictable, often cold and wet, and o...

A pair of talented Nova Scotian sisters will light up the stage at The 204 on Saturday, March 18 with their unique mix of traditional and contemporary Celtic instrumentals and vocals. Cassie and Maggie MacDonald have delighted audiences across North America, the UK, and Europe with their fiddle, piano and guitar arrangements, as well as with their vocal harmonies in both English and Gaelic. Their music has won...

A beautiful and historic building in Orleans is receiving a well-deserved makeover. The Academy of Performing Arts, built in 1873, has withstood a lot of weather outside and witnessed many years of theater magic and education inside. Now the time has come to give the iconic building on the hill a loving restoration, thanks to the Orleans Community Preservation Committee and the Orleans Historical Commiss...

As I walk along the beach on the first sunny morning of the week, I note that the wrack line is filled with clumps of seaweed and glittering rocks and shells. The tide is receding but the sea is active and there’s plenty of white water cresting the waves as they near the shore. The water is that deep blue-green we get in March and the tang of salt water is strong in the air.  I note that the wrack line is full...

     Gail Tilton has an affectionate nickname for the students in her Artful Living class. She calls them her Wellness Warriors.      If the nickname sounds heroic, there’s good reason. Let’s face it. Finding ways to stay healthy, active and engaged throughout the winter season can be challenging, and the pandemic didn’t make things any easier. Exploring new methods of keeping fit and learning new things among f...

     As springtime approaches, everything prepares to burst into bloom. This includes our local art galleries, in which plans are being made and calls for art are being prepared for the first exhibitions of the 2023 season.      At Galley West Art Gallery in Orleans, director Sue Sasso has announced that the call for art submissions for the Spring Show will take place from March 17 to April 17. The exhibition w...

The other day I attended my oldest grandson’s final high school sports event at the same high school I attended. My daughter, his mother, also had graduated from this school. As we watched the game I became aware that members of our state title basketball team from 1972 were sitting high up in the bleachers taking in the game as well.  Sneakers squeaked, players ran and shot or blocked baskets, and spectators ...

     Romance is in the air as the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club celebrates its reopening as a year-round hotel with a Revel In Romance Literary Weekend Feb. 24 to 26.      Meredith Goldstein, podcast host and Love Letters advice columnist for The Boston Globe, will moderate the weekend, including chats with New England-based romance novelists Kristan Higgins and Lucy Keating. The weekend will include welcome ...

     There’s the family you’re born into. There’s the family you choose. And then, for many, there’s the comfort of a church family.      The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House (UUMH) in Chatham has found a unique way to celebrate all of the ways we define our families while sharing their talent, their stories and the keepsakes they’ve shared with us along the way.      What makes this art show unique is...