The Salem Theater Scene

There is a lot of great theater coming our way in Salem. This weekend the Salem State College, Mainstage Theatre kicks off its 14^th season of summer theatre when A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opens on June 20th. This classic musical is directed by David Allen George and stars Peter Zachari (in photo, courtesy SSC). Performances are: June 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and June 22 and 29 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 general admission and $15.00 for seniors and students.

Also this weekend - Dickens will come to life at The Griffen Theatre. Eric Rodenhiser, artistic director of the Griffen Theatre, will present Charles Dickens as he explores the second career of Dickens, which took place in the 1850s and 60s when Dickens became a public reader and actor of his novels in both England and America. Rodenhiser will recreate Dickens' acclaimed evenings, bringing the man to life, reading from his popular works, such as the ever-thrilling "Sikes and Nancy" episode from Oliver Twist, and an excerpt from the beloved A Christmas Carol. Performances are: June 20th and 21st at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and children. The show runs approximately 80 minutes, with an intermission and complimentary beverages between acts.

For more information on both performances, including links visit the calendar of events on Salem.org.

HauntedHappenings.org is updated!

I've been waiting to blog about this, and I'm so excited to tell everyone that HauntedHappenings.org has been updated and features the current schedule for 2008!

This is a working schedule, and it will be expanded as we get closer to October - so check back often. We will also be adding information to the site on parking, road closures, links to accommodations, restaurants and attractions, information for groups, event sponsors, more pictures, and a page of information specific to the needs of Salem residents.

Salem Haunted Happenings is America's Halloween Festival, and we look forward to another year of fun costumes, exciting events, a few ghosts and goblins, and more fantastic fireworks to cap it all off!

If you have any questions about Salem Haunted Happenings, feel free to contact us at halloween@salem.org.

Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair

Learn about cover renewable energy, transportation, building and remodeling, lawn and garden, organic food, household products and much more this Saturday at the Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair. It will be a fun, free, family Event!

Presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Salem Main Streets and the Salem Renewable Energy Task Force, the fair will showcase businesses and organizations that promote green / renewable products. There will be exhibits from local, regional and national companies, activities for children, a series of green talks by environmental leaders at The Gathering and a free screening of "Kilowatt Ours" at Cinema Salem.

Schedule of Events:
10 am - 10: 55 am: Free Screening of "Kilowatt Ours" at Cinema Salem
10 am - 3 pm: Over 40 Vendor / Exhibitor Booths at Old Town Hall
11 am - City of Salem Clean Energy Day Proclamation in front of The Gathering
11 am - 12 pm: Salem Goes Green / Wind 101 presentation at The Gathering
12 pm - 1 pm: Living with Climate Change presentation at The Gathering
1 pm - 2 pm: Greenscapes 101 presentation at The Gathering
2 pm - 3 pm: Green Home Remodeling presentation at The Gathering
11:15 am & 12:15 am: Storytelling by Tony Toledo at Old Town Hall

For more information visit the Living Green Fair website: http://www.salem-chamber.org/livinggreen.html

Bridget Bishop

On June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop was executed on Gallows Hill in Salem. She was the first to be found guilty by the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which was established in May to try the witchcraft cases.

The Salem witch hysteria lasted for ten months of 1692, beginning in January when Reverend Parris' nine-year old daughter, Betty, fell ill. Other girls fell ill in the coming weeks, and the village physician deems the children "bewitched." The children are persuaded to reveal the names of people who are bewitching them, and those who are named are examined and arrested. By the end of the hysteria, nineteen people were executed for witchcraft. One man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to stand trial. More than 150 men and women from throughout the region were accused and imprisoned.

Today we remember the victims at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, located behind the Charter Street Burying Point. The memorial was dedicated in 1992 by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and it stands as a reminder of the lessons of tolerance and compassion learned from the Salem witch trails.

For more information on the Salem Witch Trials, visit the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch House, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, or the Salem Wax Museum of Witches & Seafarers. Information from the blog came from the Salem Witch Museum Miscellany.

To view images of the Witch Trials Memorial, visit The City Guide at Salemweb.com

Pioneer Village

I've been getting a lot of requests for information on the 2008 schedule at Pioneer Village, and I'm happy to report that Salem Preservation, Inc., and Gordon College plans to open Salem in 1630: Pioneer Village for school groups and others by appointment in the month of June. The Village will be open regularly with History Alive! Folkways programs beginning in July 2008.

Located in Forest River Park about a mile south of downtown Salem, Salem 1630: Pioneer Village was created for pageants and demonstrations to celebrate Salem's tercentenary in 1926. The property includes replica structures that give visitors a sense of what it was like to live in Massachusetts in the 17th-century.

Today, Pioneer Village is being restored and preserved by Salem Preservation, Inc., and the Folkways program at Gordon College is providing interpretation. (Gordon College also does the wildly popular Cry Innocent programs in downtown Salem.)

Salem Preservation, Inc. has promised more information as it's available, and when I get it, I'll post it! In the meantime, there is great information about the preservation and restoration of Pioneer Village in Salem Preservation, Inc.'s newsletters.

Click here to see more of the beautiful photography by Rex Passion of Pioneer Village and the Gordon College Folkways program.

Twilight at the Phillips House

One of Salem's hidden treasures is The Phillips House at 34 Chestnut Street. It is the only house on Chestnut Street that is open to the public, and the collections are an incredible sampling of souvenirs from around the world. The house provides a window into Salem's most elegant era.

The Phillips House is launching a new program this week: Thursdays at Twilight. You are invited to visit the Phillips House at twilight and see how electric light of the early twentieth century transforms a Federal-era house. Selections from Phillips family home movies provide a glimpse of how the family lived in the house and entertained, and where they traveled in their leisure time.

Registration is required, and you can visit historicnewengland.org or call 978-744-0440 for more information. $10 Historic New England members / $15 nonmembers. If you can't go this week, the program will be offered again on July 3, August 7, September 4, and October 2.

Sizzling Summer Cruises from Salem

Experience a new wave of entertainment cruises departing from Salem this summer! Join Salem Harbor Cruises on the Voyager III for a series of spectacular evenings filled with music, dancing, food, and fun! The vessel features a fully stocked cash bar, appetizers from Finz Seafood and Passage to India, and three decks for maximum comfort and enjoyment.

Schedule

June 6: Salem PRIDE Cruise to benefit the Matthew Shepherd Foundation, tickets $39.00
June 27: Sunset Dance Cocktail Cruise
July 18: Jolly Roger Reggae Cruise
August 1: TBA
August 23: Blues of the Bay
September 20: Sinatra Saturday
October 25: Halloween Costume Cruise

Details

• All cruises run from 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
• $35.00 at the dock, or save $5.00 by booking in advance.
• Advance sales made online or over the phone at (978) 741-0220
• Cruises depart from the Salem Ferry dock at 10 Blaney Street, Salem, MA 01970
• Parking is free!
• All cruises are 21+