Theatre Tryouts

This Sunday, Jan. 25, the Island Theatre Workshop, Inc. is holding tryouts for two programs of one-act plays to run at the end of March. Artistic director Lee Fierro and board member Kevin Ryan will be joined by Leslie J. Stark to direct the five plays. The tryouts will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. For details, call 508-693-5290.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts is sponsoring a free family-to-family educational course in Oak Bluffs for family members of individuals with a serious mental illness. The course has been given nationwide to over 100,000 family members since its inception. It is taught by two trained family member volunteers and is intended to help family caregivers cope with a close relative’s mental illness.

Teachers and parents from across Massachusetts took part in the Rising Stars of Massachusetts celebration, an annual event sponsored by the Early Education for All campaign to highlight the positive impact high-quality early education has on young children and families. But the real starring role was played by pre-kindergarteners from Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Early Childhood Program.

On display at the Steamship Authority’s Vineyard Haven terminal Thursday, Jan. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. will be a special collection of works by young artists Islandwide. Their subject: Vineyard smiles. The show is meant to be a teaser for National Children’s Dental Health Month, coming up in February. Sponsored by Vineyard Smiles, an oral health initiative of Island Health Inc. and the Vineyard Health Care Access, the purpose of the show is to increase youth awareness of the importance of dental hygiene.

Welcome Alexander

Samantha and Michael Horton of Nantucket announce the birth of a son, Alexander Meverll Horton, on Jan. 5 at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Alexander weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and measured 19 and a half inches at birth. He is the grandson of Anne and Meverell Good of Vineyard Haven and Nancy and Travis Horton of Glastonbury, Conn.

Announcing Bess

Shannon and Daniel Carbon are happy to announce the birth of Jack’s sister, Elizabeth Graciosa Carbon. Bess was born on August 12, 2008 in Porto, Portugal. Her grandparents are Virginia and Jack Carbon of Edgartown and Pat and Dorothy Gregory of West Tisbury.