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WSESU Area Students Excel on Standardized Tests

by Not Signed In | Education

Test scores for area students are on a positive trajectory according to recent statistics released by the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU). Over the past two academic years, students in the towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, and Vernon improved their proficiency in literacy by 10% and in math by 14%. “This remarkable growth is the result of a solid curriculum and the dedication of our teaching staff,” said Mark Speno, Superintendent.

According to an analysis of student test results, six of the eight schools that were measured for literacy improved their scores. Two schools, Green Street School and Guilford Central School, had scores that improved by 10% and 13% respectively. Of nine schools measured for math proficiency, five improved their scores. Brattleboro Union High School, Putney Central School, and Vernon Elementary School improved their scores by 10% while Guilford Central School improved by 19%.

Howard Levy 4 and Eugene Friesen Bring Virtuosic Jazz, Blues, and Global Sounds to Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts presents The Howard Levy 4 plus special guest Eugene Friesen on Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Doors open at 6:45 pm.

Led by Grammy Award–winning harmonica virtuoso, pianist, and composer Howard Levy, The Howard Levy 4 is a dynamic Chicago-based ensemble that defies easy categorization. Blending jazz, blues, Latin, Brazilian, and world music influences, the group creates an expansive and deeply engaging musical experience rooted in both virtuosity and spontaneity.

Joining Levy are guitarist Chris Siebold, bassist Joshua Ramos, and Brazilian drummer Luiz Ewerling. Together, they perform inventive arrangements of American and Brazilian classics alongside a diverse repertoire of original compositions that seamlessly weave together cultures, rhythms, and musical traditions.

Peter Tavalin Accompanies Safety Last! Live at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY, VT — Next Stage Arts presents a special screening of Harold Lloyd’s classic 1923 silent comedy Safety Last! on Friday, July 17 at 7:00 p.m., featuring a live improvised musical score by acclaimed pianist and composer Peter Tavalin. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are $10 and available at nextstagearts.org.

Silent films were never truly silent. During the early days of cinema, live musicians accompanied screenings, enhancing the action, emotion, and humor unfolding on screen. Tavalin continues that tradition with a spontaneous score created in real time, making each performance a unique artistic experience.

Clàudia Prat on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Creative

An EMMY award winning producer and video-journalist, Clàudia Prat has created compelling independent video documentaries using cutting edge Cinematic Virtual Reality. She’s the Director of Development & Communications for Interaction: Youth Services & Restorative Justice here in Brattleboro.

Vermont Suitcase Company Brings Silent-Film Comedy My Lady of Whims to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY, VT — Next Stage Arts presents Vermont Suitcase Company in My Lady of Whims, a fast-paced theatrical adaptation of the 1925 silent film, on Friday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Filled with action, intrigue, romance, and comedy, My Lady of Whims follows a frantic race against time as a councilman’s daughter disappears just before a crucial fundraising gala. With scandal threatening to derail a political campaign, a hired gun and an ambitious maid set out on a rescue mission that becomes increasingly tangled with bohemians, bankers, and the fate of a historic hotel headquarters.

Good Old Days

by spoon | History

“Much has been said about decadent agricultural conditions in Vermont. Tears are shed over her abandoned farms and the emigration of her children to the cities. Complaint is made that she is lagging behind other states.  We are told her cultivated lands have decreased by half in fifty years. Mention is made of the good old days when a million sheep were pastured on her hills….The census of 1850 may be taken as a fair indication of the good old days before the Civil War and the opening up of the West.  How does it compare with the census of 1920?” (Zephine Humphrey, Vermont, A Comparison: 1850…1920, The Vermonter, Vol.29 No.3, 1924).

        Ah yes, even in 1920 the young were abandoning the farms for the cities. And perhaps, by comparison with any other time 1850 was indeed the good old days that have never been seen and enjoyed since. Railroads, still crude and inefficient, had just came into Vermont but were yet confined to the major river valleys. The web of rail that ultimately wove through every town was yet to be built. The pace of life was still, necessarily, dictated by the horse.

Two Acclaimed Folk Duos Bring Harmony-Filled Evening to Twilight on the Tavern Lawn

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY, VT — Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts continue the 23rd season of Twilight on the Tavern Lawn with an evening of exceptional contemporary folk music featuring Flagship Romance and The Rough & Tumble on Sunday, June 28 at 6:00 pm on the Putney Tavern lawn. The concert is free and open to the public.

Flagship Romance, the acclaimed alternative folk duo of Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson, have built a devoted following through their breathtaking vocal harmonies, heartfelt songwriting, and engaging stage presence. Performing with just two voices and an acoustic guitar, the pair creates a rich, expansive sound that has captivated audiences across the country. Fresh from the release of their self-titled double album, they arrive in Putney while touring the United States on a six-month cross-country journey.

Stéphane Wrembel Brings World-Class Jazz Manouche Ensemble to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY — Internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Stéphane Wrembel returns to Next Stage Arts on Saturday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m., bringing his world-class ensemble to Putney for an evening of virtuosic musicianship, original compositions, and genre-defying jazz.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost guitarists, Wrembel has built an international reputation for his dazzling fusion of jazz, Gypsy swing, world music, and contemporary improvisation. Born in Fontainebleau, France, and now based in the United States, Wrembel has captivated audiences around the globe with a style that is both technically brilliant and deeply expressive. Rolling Stone called him “…a revelation.”

Rev. Vince Anderson Brings Electrifying “Dirty Gospel” to Bandwagon Summer Series

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY — The Bandwagon Summer Series continues on Friday, June 26, with an unforgettable evening of music from Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir, whose high-energy blend of gospel, blues, psychedelic soul, and rock has earned acclaim from audiences around the world.

Proclaimed an “institution” by Questlove, Rev. Vince Anderson has spent more than three decades developing his signature style of “Dirty Gospel” — a joyous, revival-style musical experience that transforms every performance into a full-on celebration. Leading from the piano, Anderson and his five-piece Love Choir deliver a powerful mix of soulful grooves, spirited improvisation, and infectious energy.

Vermont Suitcase Company Brings “New Clothes” to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY — Vermont Suitcase Company will screen its feature film debut, New Clothes, at Next Stage Arts in Putney on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen, New Clothes reimagines the classic fable through the lens of the Vermont touring theater troupe’s fast-paced, inventive style. The film follows two struggling swindlers who scheme their way into a royal palace, hoping to trick the Emperor and his court out of the very clothes on their backs.

Far Out: Life On & After the Commune Screens at Next Stage Arts June 12

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY — The acclaimed 2024 documentary Far Out: Life On & After the Commune, directed and edited by Charles Light, will screen at Next Stage Arts on Friday, June 12, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

The screening will take place at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are $10 general admission and are available at nextstagearts.org.

A Q&A with director Charles Light, commune resident Verandah Porche, and composer and performer Patty Carpenter will follow the screening.

Twilight On the Tavern Lawn Welcomes High and Loathsome for an Evening of Exploratory Folk and Improvised Sound

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY — Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts continue the 23rd season of Twilight on the Tavern Lawn with an evening of exploratory folk, free improvisation, and ambient soundscapes featuring High and Loathsome on Sunday, June 14, at 6 p.m. on the Putney Tavern lawn, 133 Main Street.

The concert is free and open to the public. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. In the event of rain, the performance will move indoors to Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill. Food will be available on site. RSVPs are encouraged at nextstagearts.org.

High and Loathsome is a quartet that drifts fluidly between song and improvisation, balancing structure with atmosphere and spontaneity with intention. Drawing on decades of experience as musicians, composers, and sonic explorers, the group creates music that feels both grounded and searching.

The City That Slept – Summer Series at Sandglass Theater

by SandglassTheater | Entertainment

Sandglass Theater opens its New Visions Summer Series with The City That Slept, an imaginative puppetry performance by Tom Tuke, on June 5 and 6 at 7pm. The production blends shadow puppetry, lantern puppets, and large-scale marionettes with sound recordings collected in New York City’s Union Square. The performance also features an original technique developed by Tuke: floating shadow puppets that glide across a pool of moving water, creating luminous images of motion and reflection.

Originally from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Tuke studied at the University of Connecticut’s Puppet Arts Program and has performed with Bread and Puppet Theater.

Darren Mark on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Sci-Tech

A fascinating look at a new way for folks to connect – Brattleboro entrepreneur DARREN MARK has developed humNET, a new app that links people through good vibrations – literally – and which aims to create a world-wide web of empathy….. Darren also gives a lovely tribute to Parker Huber.

Brattleboro Historical Society Planning Hallways of History

by BHS | History
BHS research room 2026

It’s finally happening! After months of initial planning, the Brattleboro Historical Society Board of Trustees is thrilled to announce our latest project – bringing this town’s history out of storage and into the land of the light, with a museum. As you may know, BHS has developed exhibits and displays in numerous locations over the years and even in Montpelier at the Vermont Historical Society. This new project continues that tradition – but all in one place – Brattleboro’s own Municipal Center hallways! 

The museum will bring to light the impressive history that surrounds us here in Brattleboro. Lighted display cases and panels will be installed on existing walls and available floor space. Halls will be filled with both changing displays, permanent displays; electronic and interactive exhibits and just plain curiosities. The three floors will incorporate Brattleboro’s fascinating prehistory through to the changing society of today and everything in between. And, you will be able to enjoy the exhibits anytime the Municipal Center is open. The museum will be so unique as to be a destination for tourists and a place for Brattleboro locals to stop in and enjoy anytime.

Casting 2 African American Individuals for Words Trail!

by Bobmarcus | Entertainment

Tiny Theater has been selected to participate and perform at the celebration of the Amtrak Brattleboro Words Trail Mural at the new Amtrak Station unveiling , at both the Amtrak station/and Library on June 24th .

We are looking for 2 African-American individuals (M/F) who can portray Frederick Douglas and Lucy Terry Prince.

No acting skills are required. This is simply an opportunity to portray these notable authors and read some of their writing selections, and interact with our other actors. You will read from selected works (no memorizing). The effort for each performance is about 45 minutes at each event. 11:30am at Amtrak and 6pm at the Library will take no more the 30-45 minutes of performance time.

Peter Gould on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

One of our most popular performers and innovative theater educators, PETER GOULD is also a playwright, novelist and activist. Peter leads with humor and an innate magical approach to life.

Tune in for great stories and insights into wondrous possibilites… AND Catch his”Juliet & Romeo” Production May 20-23 at U-32 Performing Arts Center!

Vermont Comedy All Stars Return to Next Stage Arts June 6

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts will host the Vermont Comedy All Stars Live Stand-up Comedy Showcase on Saturday, June 6, bringing together a lineup of comedians from Vermont, Boston, and New York City for an evening of stand-up comedy in Putney.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Next Stage Arts, with doors opening at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

The showcase features Bitsy Biron, Raoul Biron, Maddie Cross, Kendall Farrell, and Gordon Clark.

Becky Graber on”Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

BECKY GRABER shows us a sure-fire way to bring folks together in harmony – through singing! Join her and Brattleboro Harmonia (formerly The Brattleboro Woman’s Chorus) for her farewell concert as conductor on Mother’s Day, May 10 at 4pm at the Latchis Theater.

And tune in to hear personal stories of Becky’s life, singing, storytelling, composing, and teaching in the oral tradition.

Twilight on the Tavern Lawn Returns for 23rd Season with Vermont Jazz Center Sextet Opening Night

by hahrenholz | Music

Twilight Music and the Next Stage Arts Project will kick off the 23rd annual Twilight on the Tavern Lawn concert series on Sunday, May 31, with a performance by the Vermont Jazz Center Sextet. The beloved summer series brings a wide range of live music—spanning folk, world, jazz, zydeco, bluegrass, pop, and Americana—to downtown Putney every other Sunday through August 23.

All concerts begin at 6:00 pm on the Putney Tavern lawn. Audience members are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating. In the event of rain, performances will move indoors to Next Stage Arts at 15 Kimball Hill. The series is free and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted. Food will be available, creating a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere in the heart of the village.