<p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Last night, the scent of possibility hung in the air like a warm piece of pie as supporters of A.C.T. of Connecticut gathered for a special Sneak Peek of </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, the final production of the 2024–2025 season. Served fresh and unvarnished, the evening offered more than a taste—it offered the heart of the story, plated with raw truth and grace.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">When Artistic Director Daniel C. Levine chose </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, he wasn’t simply picking a show. He was issuing a love letter to resilience, an ode to the unspoken strength of women. “I felt strongly that a female-centered story should be included,” Levine said. “I try to think about my audiences and want to make sure there is something for everyone. The story of </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> resonates strongly with so many people. The themes—resilience, self-discovery, friendship—they matter. They’re worth exploring.”</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">And explore them they will.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A Story Baked in Truth</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">At its core, </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> is a bittersweet recipe of heartbreak and hope. Jenna, a gifted pie maker and diner waitress, is stuck—trapped in a toxic relationship and stifled dreams. But like the flour-dusted counters of the diner she works in, she’s also a blank slate—a surface waiting for the right ingredients to rise.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Abigail Sparrow, who stars as Jenna, spoke from the stage, visibly moved: “She’s so real. The characters in this show are written like people you know—like you. Like me. For me, it’s not about playing her—it’s about being her. This role… it changes you.”</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">And it’s meant to. The show doesn’t shy away from bruises, both literal and emotional. But neither does life. And that’s what makes </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> sing—Sara Bareilles’ soulful score doesn’t sugar-coat; it lifts, it mourns, it rejoices. It lets us feel it all.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A Feminine Force</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">This isn’t just a musical—it’s a moment. </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> made history as the first Broadway musical with an all-female creative team, and A.C.T. of CT honors that legacy not with imitation, but intention. Levine—who often directs the productions himself—stepped aside. “As much as I love this show, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to direct it,” he shared. “I wanted to honor how it was created—by women, with a female voice.”</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Enter Sara Brians. Director. Choreographer. Storyteller. Soul-sculptor. “This show balances so much,” Brians said. “There’s violence. There’s humor. There’s pain. There’s joy. It’s like life—we experience all of it in a single day. </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> lets those moments breathe. It honors them.” It is Jenna’s friends, co-workers, who lift her up, Brains says, “like guardian angels”.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Brians, a longtime collaborator of Levine, brings her seventh show to the A.C.T. stage—and her fingerprint is felt in every step, every beat, every pause that allows heartbreak to echo.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">The World Inside the Diner</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">There are no velvet ropes or polished silver here. The set—a teal-and-chrome 1950s-style diner—feels worn-in, loved, and lived in. The floor tiles are scuffed. The stools squeak. The coffee pot hums with the grind of everyday life. Sara Brians and her team deliberately designed the diner not to dazzle, but to cradle. “It envelopes the audience,” she explained. “Rounded walls, imperfect textures—it’s feminine. It’s real.”</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Nothing here is perfect. Not the hair, not the aprons, not the lives being lived. And that’s the point. The waitress isn’t a fantasy—she’s the woman you saw this morning, carrying too much but smiling anyway.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Crafted With Care—and Speed</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A.C.T. of CT isn’t just producing this show—they’re performing magic under pressure. With just under a month to rehearse, A.C.T. of CT builds Broadway-caliber productions from the ground up. “Where are we in the process right now?” Levine asked the audience last night. “We’re finishing up week three. Designers come tomorrow. Then it’s lights, costumes, microphones, sound. Tech starts. And then—just like that—we open.”</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">It’s a high-wire act they’ve mastered season after season. This time, with 19 actors (compared to the original Broadway’s 28), a staggering 350 props, and an immersive set design, A.C.T. leans into creativity and precision. Ensemble members serve as a kind of Greek chorus—moving between characters, and offering innovative, seamless transitions.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Nicholas Connors, Music Director, guides the Bareilles score with reverence and spark. Folk rock mingles with diner jukebox. The result? A sound that feels like a memory you’ve never had but somehow recognize.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Get Your Slice Before It’s Gone</strong></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">WAITRESS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> runs from </span><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">May 29 through June 22</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">. It is the grand finale to A.C.T.’s seventh season—and it’s no ordinary closer. It’s a reminder. That art can heal. That stories can empower. That women’s voices, when amplified and unfiltered, can change the room.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">This isn’t just theater. It’s nourishment. A hot slice of truth, served with a side of hope.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Don’t miss your moment to be part of it.</span></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Tickets are on sale now</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">:</span><a href="https://www.actofct.org/waitress" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> </a><a href="http://www.actofct.org/waitress" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">www.actofct.org/waitress</a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Your seat at the counter is waiting.</span></p>

<p class="ql-align-justify">The American Legion’s annual grave decorating will take place on the Friday evening of May 23rd. </p><p class="ql-align-justify">There are over 1200 flags that need to be placed on the veterans’ graves that evening. A huge task and the American Legion relies on help from all: volunteer organizations, including the Cub Scouts, Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, as wellas volunteers from the townspeople. All are invited to lend a patriotic hand.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Volunteers should report to the American Legion Hall (the little Red School House), 71 North Salem Road (Rte. 116) on Friday evening by 6 p.m. After a very brief instruction on the proper placement of the flags, volunteers will disperse into the cemeteries. In the cemetery, there will be Legionnaires stationed about as informational guides. It is suggested that you bring a large screwdriver or a tool to make a guide hole for the placement of the flags. With enough hands, this task is usually completed in an hour’s time. We look forward to another good turnout, and what a great way to participate in the true meaning of Memorial Day!</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p><br></p>

<p class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">“P-06877-etry”</strong></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Welcome to another award-winning "P-06877-etry” feature where Ridgefield’s second Poet Laureate, Ira Joe Fisher, shares his poetic prowess with HamletHub readers!&nbsp;</span></p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FttbQkF9oLg?showinfo=0"></iframe><p><br></p><p><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Roaming</strong></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A poem climbs the hills and roughs the grass</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">like a wind, a wise wind weaving</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">through leafy-shaped shadows</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">and a million dotted suns.</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A poem pads soft – like a doe – up a slope of moss</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">or stomps through the bracken fronds</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">like a wild and angry horse.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">A poem is kind as it skirts along the creek bank</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">of dark needs where riversong flutes</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">and trees lean to listen –</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">that maple, those three willows</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">low by the roiling water –</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">where the red-winged blackbird</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">chortles her song to the poem roaming</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">along the dust road that caved to paved</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">as the roaming poem aged and its ink dried</em></p><p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">and lovelied the hills by a poem’s roaming.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">For poetic inspiration, follow Ira Joe Fisher on Instagram @</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/irajoefisher/#" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">irajoefisher</a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">And Ira Joe Fisher - The Professional Speaking Coach on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049350887865" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">Facebook&nbsp;</a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Interested in honing your speaking skills? Send Ira a note:&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:ijfspeaking@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">ijfspeaking@gmail.com</a></p>

<p>The Ridgefield Police Department is aware that the Senior Assassin game is underway in town. The game involves high school seniors "eliminating" each other by spraying them with water guns. </p><p>While this seems like a fun and harmless game, we want to make people aware of the issues that could arise from deviating from the rules and not playing with due regard for public safety. This game is not condoned by the school, the police department or the Town of Ridgefield, but this post is to make you aware that it is happening locally. </p><p>We also want to remind participating students that <u>water guns are not all the same,</u> for example, those brightly colored, large, and rounded in shape, present serious safety concerns. </p><p>A few safety tips for those seniors involved in the game and their parents:</p><ul><li>Do NOT trespass onto other people’s property while playing the game. Especially at night! If you are asked to leave, do so.</li><li>Use brightly colored water guns that make them easily identify as water guns/toys!</li><li>Please avoid major roads and busy parking lots</li><li>Do NOT hide in a dark place carrying anything that can be mistaken for a firearm! This is a recipe for disaster.</li><li>Do NOT wear masks, camouflage, etc.</li><li>If you see the police coming, Do NOT run or hide. Simply show yourselves and explain to the officers what you are doing. Cooperate if they ask you to stop.</li></ul><p>As always, if you see someone or something suspicious, say something. Do not confront anyone; call 911. We’ll check it out for you!</p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">Tiger Hollow, the Ridgefield High School (RHS) athletic complex, will install a Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame seeks to recognize and honor former outstanding RHS student-athletes, coaches, and athletic program administrators for their accomplishments and services to athletics. Tiger Hollow is currently accepting applications for inductees for the Tiger Hollow Walk of Fame. Find more information on the criteria and how to nominate&nbsp;</span><a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/KlKz8z?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">HERE</a><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">.</span></p><p><em style="color: rgb(115, 115, 115);">Information courtesy RPS Friday newsletter. Read it in its entirety&nbsp;</em><a href="https://secure.smore.com/n/kqxe0-rps-update?ref=email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(2, 177, 151);"><em>here</em></a><em style="color: rgb(115, 115, 115);">.</em></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17);">Ridgefield Public Schools (RPS) recognized students receiving the annual CABE (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) and WCSA (Western Connecticut Superintendents Association)/CAPSS&nbsp;awards during Monday's BOE meeting. RHS, East Ridge, and Scotts Ridge chose two students for each prize. Principals spoke about these exemplary students, in and out of the classroom, as well as in the community. BOE Board Chair Tina Malhotra joined principals to present CABE awards, and Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva joined in the presentation of CAPSS.</span></p><p>Please read what the principals wrote about the&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/B_xpn9?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">ERMS</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/eP6Sdi?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">SRMS</a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/4NZPj5?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">RHS</a>&nbsp;CABE winners.</p><p>Please read about&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/8jUTWB?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">ERMS</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/duMx6t?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">SRMS</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://out.smore.com/e/kqxe0/ZaBGSf?__%24u__" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(28, 110, 152);">RHS</a>&nbsp;WCSA/CAPSS&nbsp;students.</p><p>Information courtesy RPS Friday newsletter. Read it in its entirety <a href="https://secure.smore.com/n/kqxe0-rps-update?ref=email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>