Weston Playhouse lineup; natural grasses workshop at VTica; free healthy living workshops

Educating Rita, 42^nd Street among Weston Playhouse offerings

Weston Playhouse Theatre Company’s summer season runs from June 25 through Sept. 11, opening with Educating Rita and three other familiar titles.

Educating Rita is the story of a gutsy hairdresser seeking to better herself with an Open University course. The play runs through July 6. Weston’s Playhouse Main Stage is located at 12 Park St. in Weston.

WPTC next presents the Vermont premiere of the Tony-nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical Next To Normal, July 11 through 27. Next to Normal tells the story of a suburban family struggling with life’s many challenges, striving to be just “next to normal.”

42^nd Street, which runs Aug. 1 through 24, is the multi-Tony Award winning musical about a small-town girl who realizes her dream of opening in a big Broadway musical, only to find herself thrust into the lead.

Lastly, from Aug. 27 through Sept. 11, the theater will perform the American classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch dares to defend a black man in the American south in this iconic story about Southern life and racial injustice. Based on the novel by Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird will be performed for Weston’s summer audience and also for Vermont school students as part of the company’s school matinee program.

Weston’s OtherStages, located in the Weston Rod and Gun Club, 982 Rte. 100, will play host to two theatrical premieres plus a children’s show.

From June 20 through July 7, Weston’s Young Company of theater undergrads will perform a musical adaptation of the children’s story, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Running July 18 through Aug. 4, is Loving Leo, winner of Weston’s 2012 New Musical Award. It is the story of David and Lena, whose childless marriage is re-examined and reaffirmed when they take in Lena’s aging stepfather.

This Blessed Plot, co-authored by Obie-winning actor/writer Marc Wolf with Robert Westfield, was developed in part at a Weston Artists Retreat. This one-man play, about the battle for free Shakespeare in Central Park, runs Aug. 15 through Sept. 1

Weston will also open its Cabaret in Café at the Falls, located downstairs in the playhouse, following most MainStage evening performances. The cafe will be open for pre-show dinners.

Ticket sales begin in June. For information on tickets and a complete performance schedule, visit the company’s website at westonplayhouse.org.

Workshop on natural objects as art

Fiber artist Emily Traynor leads the workshop “Grass & Natural Objects in the creation of art” at the Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts, 15 Depot St., Chester 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 9.

Traynor, whose work was seen in VTica’s “The Uncommon Thread” exhibit, will guide participants in helping them to create their own art by repurposing natural objects, while focusing on grasses and a meditative process.

The fee for the workshop is $45 per person. Parking is available at People’s United Bank or Chester Hardware nearby on Main Street.

For more information, call (802) 875-1018 or email info@vtica.org.

Chronic pain, illness management workshops

Sign up now for free Healthy Living Workshops designed to help those with chronic pain or chronic health conditions learn to manage their condition and improve their quality of life.

Family and friends are also invited to attend. Classes meet once each week for six weeks and participants are encouraged to attend all six sessions. The programs offer instruction in disease management, improving health, medication management, improving communications with family, friends and health-care providers. Participants will also learn about nutrition, healthy eating habits, exercise, and much more.

The Healthier Living Workshops are facilitated by two trained leaders, and assist people living with chronic conditions, such as arthritis, depression, asthma, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, emphysema, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain among others.

•  March 4 – April 8 – Healthier Living Workshop for Chronic Pain

Mondays, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Huber Building, 80 Main St., in Springfield.

•  March 4 – April 8 – Healthier Living Workshop for Chronic Health Conditions

Mondays, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Whitcomb Building, Mineral Street, Springfield

•  April 4 – May 9 – Healthier Living Workshop for Diabetes

Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Health Care And Rehabilitation Services, 390 River St., North Springfield

•  May 8 – June 12 – Healthier Living Workshop for Chronic Pain

Wednesdays, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Fireplace Conference Room, Rockingham Medical Group,

The Health Center, 1 Hospital Court, Bellows Falls.

These events are sponsored by Springfield Medical Care Systems and the Vermont Blueprint for Health. For more information or to register, please contact Michelle Kuusela at 802-885-7346or  e-mail mkuusela@springfieldmed.org.