Who Knew: Long Live the Playhouse

‘Who Knew?’ is sponsored by Walter Stewart’s Market. * * *

Shared experience is powerful stuff. 

Where, once upon a time, all the world lined up to see Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, or E.T., we now sit in separate little rooms on separate little screens watching algorithmically programmed little dances performed by strangers and their cats and then read torturous think-pieces that ask when we all stopped getting along. Movies often get made now for focus-grouped market segmentations for maximum merch sales, not for all of us, and as a result, there are, at my last count, several thousand installments of the Transformers franchise. Movie palaces around the country (and as nearby as Darien) have been razed to become mixed-use buildings, providing more little rooms for more little screens. I’m sure I sound like a nostalgic old-timer here, but I’ve missed those golden late 80’s afternoons at the Orinda theater (a classic movie palace of the highest order) where le tout 7th grade would also be in attendance, and also, since I’m leaning into my new persona, would you please get off my lawn?

Letter to the Editor

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter to the editor. Email letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here. ***

Dear Editor,

Broadway Bound Theatre Festival (BBTF) enjoyed its first season at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park this August, in partnership with the Town Players of New Canaan. Founded in NYC in 2016, BBTF 2024 offered new plays written by seven new playwrights from across the country in 28 performances. Thank you to all those who attended our performances.

Letter to the Editor

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter to the editor. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here. ***

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the New Canaan Parent Support Group and our co-Host New Canaan Community Foundation, I’d like to thank all those who made our August 29th Community Addiction Awareness Vigil a success. We had 500 people in attendance, on a beautiful evening at the corner of South Avenue and Elm Street. Our goal was to show through heartfelt testimonials that recovery from addiction is possible, and we believe we succeeded with our recovery speaker line-up of Aidan C., Cini Shaw and Ben Tuff.  

Our conviction grows each year in the Power of Story, that each time a recovery story is shared, at least one life is saved.

Letters to the Editor

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letters to the editor. Send letters to editor@newcanaanite.com to have them published here. ***

Dear Editor,

I am honored to serve as the Emcee for the 8th Annual New Canaan Community Awareness Vigil on Thursday, August 29th, at 7 p.m. This event is more than a vigil; it’s a powerful gathering to honor those lost, celebrate recovery, and challenge the stigma surrounding substance use disorder. The opioid epidemic continues to impact our community. While there has been progress, with a 5% reduction in overdose deaths and expanded access to Narcan, a life-saving treatment everyone should have in their home or workplace, the crisis remains urgent.

Op-Ed: Remembering Art Brown

[Jay Egan is athletic director at New Canaan High School.]

Our friend and colleague Coach Art Brown passed on Friday, August 9th. 

Art was a cross country and track coach at New Canaan High School  for the past 15 years. Prior to coaching at NCHS, Art had a long and successful career as a teacher and track coach at Stamford High School.  He was named the CHCAA  Track Coach of the Year in 2002 and was inducted into  the FCIAC Hall of Fame in 2008 in recognition of his work as a track coach at both Stamford and Rippowam High Schools. Art was loved by all the athletes he coached because they knew he unconditionally cared about each one of them. Art was also a great Fan of the Rams. He regularly attended football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse games and loved to share his coaching advice with the NCHS staff. We will remember Art as a dedicated and passionate coach who was loved and respected by all of his athletes.