MONIFF's "Voodoo Macbeth" Screens at New Park Theatre

Film about 1936 first all-Black staging of Shakespeare's classic tragedy screens at film fest event at Jaffrey's new performing arts center

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (October 12, 2021) The Monadnock 9th Annual Film Festival presents a new film about the staging of the first all-Black production of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The critically acclaimed film drama, Voodoo Macbeth, will screen at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, NH as part of the MONIFF festival on Friday, October 22 at 7 pm.

1936 Harlem is a neighborhood battered by economic strife and hardship. With FDR's New Deal providing funding for the Federal Theatre Project's Negro Unit, director Rose McClendon convinces co-director John Houseman to help her bring Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to the Harlem community at the Lafayette Theater--with an all-Black cast.

They choose for their groundbreaking production a gifted but untested 20-year-old director by the name of Orson Welles, whose reimagined Haitian vision for the Scottish play is as daring and fresh as the cast and crew themselves.

Based on actual events surrounding the Negro Theatre Unit's revolutionary 1936 production of "Macbeth," this is the story of a group of committed artists who set out to create what is now considered a landmark event in African-American theatrical history.

Voodoo Macbeth will be shown in the 333-seat Eppes Auditorium within The Park Theatre. The event will include a panel discussion following the screening. The evening will also include pre and post-screening hors d'oeuvres provided by Sunflowers Café and wines sponsored by Chuck Saunders & Casey Leach. Off The Cuff, a semi-acoustic instrumental and vocal group, will provide music.

"Nothing compares to the big screen, and this will be MONIFF's first time back in the theater since the pandemic began. We couldn't imagine a better partner than The Park Theatre to bring back the magic to festival-goers," said Deirdre Fitzgerald, MONIFF's Board Chair and Festival Programmer.

"We are proud to have MONIFF present this important new motion picture at The Park Theatre during its 9th festival. The film reveals a remarkable historical event for theatre and specifically Black theatre in America," said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre.

Tickets are $15. Please note that masks are mandatory at all screenings regardless of vaccination status. Tickets can be booked online at moniff.org or theparktheatre.org. The theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey. Masks are mandatory at the theatre regardless of vaccination status.

Stand-Up Comedy Returns To The Park Theatre

"Monad Knock-Knock" debuts new season, Thursday, October 21

JAFFREY, New Hampshire (October 12, 2021) The laughs return to southern New Hampshire. Jaffrey's Park Theatre debuted a monthly stand-up series, Monad Knock-Knock, at their temporary theatre, The River Street Theatre, back in 2017. The monthly comedian series debuts again at the new Park Theatre performing art center's King Auditorium on Thursday, October 21 at 8pm.

Greg Boggis returns as Monad Knock-Knock producer, host and comedian. He will be presenting two comedians for the evening:

A seasoned professional, comedian Joe Yannetty draws on his travels, his Italian heritage, family situations and Boston blue-collar upbringing to bring family-oriented comedy to audiences around the world. Yannetty has been a guest on dozens of television shows and has headlined in major venues in the United States and beyond. Joe has appeared at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Yannetty wrote and appeared in Suckers, an HBO movie based on his own life. He was awarded the Premiere Video Award for Best Screenplay for the film. Yannetty will be the headliner comedian for this Monad Knock-Knock show.

With five surgical procedures, four pets, three kids, two shoulders full of anchors, and one retired Roller Derby jersey in her closet, Mona Forgione is a Mombot by day/Stand-up Comedian by night. This Chelsea, Massachusetts native first stepped on stage to share her riotous tales after a journey of self-care for a midlife crisis landed her in the surgical center...twice. Now, fully retired from skating, Mona's focus is sharing takes on her life's most ludicrous moments. Where bitter meets motherly, this Stay-at-Home mother of three has gone rogue.

Tickets are $12. Please note that some material may be best suited for mature audiences. Masks are mandatory at all events at The Park Theatre regardless of vaccination status. Advance tickets can be booked online at theparktheatre.org, by visiting the box office or calling the box office hotline (603) 532-8888. The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, just 90 minutes from Boston.

United Way to Hold 21st Annual Heating Assistance Forum for Local Nonprofits

FITCHBURG, MA: October 13, 2021 - United Way of North Central Massachusetts (UWNCM), in partnership with Unitil and New England Farm Workers' Council, will host an online heating assistance forum for area nonprofits on November 3.

The annual forum, now in its 21st year, will provide up-to-date information on local, state and federal heating assistance programs and energy efficiency initiatives for staff members of nonprofit agencies that connect clients with such programs.

This year's program will include information regarding energy assistance programs to help reduce residential energy costs and financial assistance to families that may struggle to afford home heat and electricity. Information from Unitil, National Grid and New England Farms Workers' Council will be featured. Presenters from UWNCM will also discuss other available resources nonprofits can recommend to people in need.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Unitil to host this annual forum, which will be very informative," says UWNCM Director of Community Impact Judy Tomlinson. "As part of UWNCM's role in the community, we seek to partner with businesses like Unitil to provide updated resources and information for non-profits throughout the region."

The forum will be run on Zoom from 8:30am-10:00am, and space is limited. Nonprofit agencies interested in participating should RSVP to Judy Tomlinson, UWNCM Director of Community Development, at judy@uwncm.org.

The United Way of North Central Massachusetts serves the communities of Ashburnham, Ashby, Athol, Ayer, Devens, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Harvard, Hubbardston, Leominster, Littleton, Pepperell, Lunenburg, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Shirley, Templeton, Townsend, Westminster and Winchendon.

The 7 James Bonds at The Park Theatre

Seven potential James Bond replacements were presented at the new Park Theatre in Jaffrey, New Hampshire before the theatre's sneak preview screening of the new 007 film, No Time To Die on Thursday, October 7, 2021. Daniel Criag is retiring from the iconic role and the New Hampshire theatre wanted to forward some local candidates to the Jame Bond movie production company, Eon Productions, just in case they needed more Bond options. The Park Theatre's neighbor, Country Bridals & Formal Wear provided the tuxedos. The critically acclaimed film plays at theatre until October 21. theparktheatre.org

Audit Shows 25 Percent of Newly Retired Massachusetts Educators Received Delayed Retirement Benefit Payments

BOSTON - In an audit released today, the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump (OSA) found that nearly 25 percent of newly retired educators did not receive their first monthly benefit payments from the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement System (MTRS) within the mandated timeframe. The audit, which examined the period July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019, notes these delays may have resulted in financial hardship for retirees. MTRS is the largest of the Commonwealth's 104 contributory retirement systems and provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits to Massachusetts teachers, administrators and their families.

A similar audit released by the OSA in January 2021 found that 97 percent of all new retirees did not receive their first payments from the Massachusetts State Retirement Board within the mandated timeframe.

Under Massachusetts state law, MTRS must distribute initial benefit payments within 62 days of the employee's retirement date. For the 4,907 retirements included in the audit analysis, processing times ranged from 1 day to 1,064 days, with the average being 55 days. The audit notes that MTRS more frequently experiences delays in issuing first benefit payments when applications are received 60 days or less before the proposed retirement date. To streamline the process, the audit recommends MTRS consider redeploying existing resources toward processing retirement applications received within this timeframe.

"Eliminating the delays in issuance of retirement benefits requires action by both applicants and the MTRS. Members need to be encouraged to apply for their benefits sooner, and MTRS needs to dedicate more existing resources to processing applications received on short notice," said Auditor Bump.

MTRS agreed that 25 percent of initial payments were delayed and also indicated that delays in processing are sometimes caused by retirees or employing school districts submitting inaccurate or incomplete retirement information. Additionally, the audit revealed that MTRS paid a total of approximately $1,470 in monthly benefit payments (approximately $40 per month) under an invalid social security number (SSN) to an individual. MTRS reported the invalid SSN to the Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax purposes. MTRS indicated that it had corrected the member's SSN and issued corrected tax forms to both the member and the IRS.

The audit does note that MTRS has been properly ensuring that adjustments are made to monthly benefit payments, as a result of changes to wage and service time, and that beneficiaries' benefit payments are adjusted or terminated accurately after a related retiree passes away.

MTRS is administered by the Massachusetts Teachers' Retirement Board, and it is overseen and regulated by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission. The Board is comprised of seven members, one of which is the Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or her designee. In fiscal year 2019, MTRS issued more than $3 billion in benefit payments to more than 67,000 retirees and survivors.

The full audit is available here.