'Tis the Season to Embrace Differences
The Christmas holiday season can be a challenging time for American Jews and yet according to Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut, PhD, former rabbi of the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, this has not always been the case.
Derek Davies and Lizzie Plapinger always dreamed of hosting a music festival on Martha’s Vineyard. As best friends spending summers at the Chilmark Community Center, they shared a love of music and the Island. As they grew up, they never lost sight of their passions or their goal.
If you’re looking for live music, you’ve come to the right Island. Martha’s Vineyard features a diverse selection of music venues, from dives to dancehalls and everything in between. If it’s local musicians you want to hear, check out some of the watering holes in Edgartown or Oak Bluffs. For big-name bands, visit Dreamland in Oak Bluffs or Flatbread at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.
As a black pickup truck rumbled away from the Depot Corner gas station in Edgartown with a pair of lawn mowers stowed in its bed, the screen at the pump displayed the hard truth: $191.64 for just over 41 gallons of regular gasoline. And this isn’t an exceptional case. Infamous in years past for its high prices, the Vineyard is a place where drivers should expect to see their wallets lightened by some of the nation’s most expensive gasoline this summer.
Despite its small size, the Vineyard has long fed the creative spirits of numerous artists, from writers to painters and everything in between. For those Island artists of a more literary persuasion, Jan Pogue’s publishing house Vineyard Stories has for years helped make dreams a written reality. Dedicated to documenting the creative spark of Island authors, Ms. Pogue opens this summer season with four new books.
Kevin Ryan, vice president of Island Theatre Workshop, had one more round of auditions to do. The principals had been cast, as had most of the other roles for ITW’s upcoming production of The Wizard of Oz. Just one group remained: the munchkins.
A group of five children varying in age from second to sixth grade gathered around an out-of-tune piano to rehearse the chorus from Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead. Learning to pronounce the right words and follow the melody is key for the part. Some bravely belted out the tune while others sang shyly looking at the floorboard.