A FAMILY FUN FUNDRAISING EVENT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 AT DODD STADIUM TO SUPPORT LOCAL CANCER PATIENTS OF BACKUS HOSPITAL

Panera Bread will present the 4^th annual SPOOK-A-THON family fundraiser on Saturday, October 25, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut, home of the Connecticut Tigers. People of all ages (and their pets) are invited to “Dress Up to Scare Cancer” at this Halloween-themed event, which will feature the FAMILY 4K CORNSTALK WALK and costume contest, as well as a haunted locker room and dugout, “batty” cages, face and pumpkin painting, cookie decorating, pie eating contest, free breakfast by Panera Catering and lunch provided by local vendors for purchase.

School groups, families, clubs and local businesses are invited to form and name their own costumed teams and generate local support on the official fundraising website, www.SpookathonCT.org.  Teams that register on the website will be automatically signed up for the FAMILY 4K CORNSTALK WALK. The Walk is a new opportunity this year to encourage dressing up in costumes and walking in honor or support of loved ones battling cancer.

General admission to SPOOK-A-THON for those who do not pre-register online is a $5 donation per person. All proceeds will benefit local families that are served by the Backus Hospital Breast and Cancer Centers through the Connecticut Sports Foundation.  Participating sponsors include Aqua Ball, Backus Hospital, Becky’s Farm, City of Norwich Community Development, Connecticut Sports Foundation, Connecticut Tigers, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, Farmer’s Cow, Hair Cuttery, Hard Rock Cafe, Karma Water, Metrocast Cable, Mohegan Sun, Norwich Public Utilities, Robin’s Ice Cream, Rolling Tomato, Rotary Community Corporation of Norwich, WCTY Radio Country 97.7FM, and WFSB-TV Channel 3.

All 28 Panera Bread locations in Eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts owned and operated by the Howley Bread Group (HBG) are also inviting cafe guests to make a donation of $1 or more and receive a SPOOK-A-THON wristband to show their support.  These funds will also support local families battling cancer.

“SPOOK-A-THON is a great way to celebrate Halloween and other fall family fun activities, while supporting local residents battling cancer,” said Wendy Kopp, Panera Bread/HBG Director of Marketing.  “We are grateful to our customers who donated funds enabling us to present Connecticut Sports Foundation with a $10,000 check over the summer, which will be redirected to local families to help pay mortgage and rent payments, and utility bills,” Kopp added.

“Over the years, our valued partnership with Panera Bread has helped make it possible to help thousands of Connecticut families with daily living expenses, allowing them to focus on recovery,” said Connecticut Sports Foundation Executive Director Jane Ellis.  We are extremely grateful to Panera Bread for their continued generosity,” Ellis added.

Founded in 1987, Connecticut Sports Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to financially assist Connecticut cancer patients and their families, as well as to fund cancer research.  Patients are referred to CSF via a network of oncology social workers at Connecticut hospitals and cancer centers. Resources are provided with dignity and privacy, helping patients maintain self-respect, while lessening the stress that may inhibit their recovery.

“We’re so grateful to Panera Bread and Connecticut Sports Foundation for inviting us to partner on this event and for all that they do on behalf of local cancer patients,” said Genevieve Schies, Program Manager, Backus Office of Philanthropy and Development.  “SPOOK-A-THON is going to be a great way for families to get involved in helping make their community healthier,” Schies continued.

Panera Bread’s mission is to offer high-quality food in an inviting and comfortable environment, while making a difference in the communities it serves. The company carries out its purpose-driven philosophy to “Live Consciously” by participating in charitable events and by donating all unsold bread and baked goods at the end of each day to local hunger-relief agencies and charities through its “Day-End Dough-Nation” program.  Over the past 10 years, with their customers’ support, Panera Bread/HBG has donated over $7 million in food and funds to local charities within its communities. Panera Bread/HBG also has a Donations Department where organizations can request food donations for various non-profit fundraisers and events.  Please visit www.panerabreadhbg.com and click on “Donations, Partnerships and Charities” to request a donation.

Panera Bread/Howley Bread Group owns and operates a total of 28 bakery-cafes in the Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut markets.  Panera caters and delivers, too; visit www.paneracatering.com for a list of catering cafes.

Five Cinemas Across CT Take Part!

Audiences in over 250 Cities Spanning 6 Continents Unite for One Week for One Purpose . . . to Judge the 10 Finalists in the 17^th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival.

Filmgoers in Connecticut will unite with audiences in over 250 cities spanning six continents to view and judge the work of the next generation of filmmakers from around the world when the 17th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival screens at the Bijou Theatre, Bridgeport, Saturday 10/4 at 8pm, The Palace Theatre, Danbury on Saturday 9/27 at 8pm, The Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, in Hartford on Thu 10/2 at 8pm, Sat 10/4 at 7pm, Sun 10/5 at 2pm, The Garde Art Center in New London on Sunday 10/5 at 3pm, and the Bank Street Movie Theatre New Milford on Sunday 10/5 at noon.

Click Here to View Trailer – feel free to use it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jw-p3mwlyo

This year, MANHATTAN SHORT received 589 short film entries from 47 countries, England, Norway, Australia, Netherlands, France, Mexico, Germany and the USA are the countries represented in this year’s Festival. These short films will not only entertain a global audience but will be judged by that audience as well. Cinema goers will become instant film critics as they will be handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for Best Film and Best Actor. Votes will be sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on Monday, Oct. 6, at 10 AM (EST).
With past finalists achieving the ultimate in recognition by being nominated and even winning the Oscar in the short film category, MANHATTAN SHORT is known as a breeding ground for the next big thing in film. The 10 selected films are set in diverse locales, ranging from outer space to the deserts of Mexico and the mountains of Norway to the streets of New York, Berlin, London, and Amsterdam.
The MANHATTAN SHORT 2014 line-up is as follows:

Finalists for 2014:
“97%”                                                                           (Ben Brand)                                            Netherlands
“Crime – The Animated Series”                         (Alix Lambert & Sam Chou)            USA
“On The Bridge”                                                      (Elena Fuller)                                        England
“Shift”                                                                         (James Croke)                                       Australia
“The Fall”                                                                  (Andreas Thaulow)                             Norway
“On/Off”                                                                    (Thierry Lorenzi)                                 France
“La Carnada”                                                           (Josh Soskin)                                         Mexico
“Mend And Make Do”                                         (Bexie Bush)                                           England
“The Bravest, The Boldest”                              (Moon Molson)                                     USA
“Rhino Full Throttle”                                         (Erik Schmitt)                                        Germany

“This film festival will unite people in all corners of the globe, from Sydney to Mumbai, from Buenos Aires to Cairo. Venues also include cinemas in 20 cities in the Ukraine, 40 cities in Russia, and 47 states in the USA. In times like these, cross-border events like MANHATTAN SHORT that contribute toward greater tolerance and understanding are needed more than ever. I want to thank and congratulate all the filmmakers and cinemas involved in this global cinematic event. This project is not going to cable TV or Video on Demand, it’s about communities bonding together via their local cinema,” said MANHATTAN SHORT Founding Director Nicholas Mason.

MANHATTAN SHORT began in 1998, when Mason screened 16 short films onto a screen mounted to the side of a truck on Mulberry Street, Little Italy, in New York City. A year later, the Festival moved uptown to Union Square Park in New York City. In the aftermath of 9/11, MANHATTAN SHORT transformed into a worldwide phenomenon, becoming the only film festival on the planet that unfolds, simultaneously, in more than 250 cinemas on six continents, bringing over 100,000 film-lovers in all corners of the globe together for one week, via the next generation of filmmakers. Click here to read how it all began For more information on the Festival and to read detailed interviews with the 10 Finalists visit www.ManhattanShort.com or click on the following links:
To see a list of cinemas taking part in 2014 at                            http://www.manhattanshort.com/cinemas.html

To read interviews with Filmmakers at                                         http://www.manhattanshort.com/finalists.html

View and Post Trailer for Festival: at                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jw-p3mwlyo

Download the Trailer for your story/website:                                http://www.manhattanshort.com/trailer.html

Read how the event began:                                                 http://www.manhattanshort.com/how_it_all_began.html

EUGENE O’NEILL THEATER CENTER CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 51st ANNUAL NATIONAL PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE Waterford, CT – The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is now accepting scripts for development during the 2015 National Playwrights Conference. Applicants may submit works to the O’Neill’s Open Submissions Process through Friday, October 17, 2014. The National Playwrights Conference, which celebrated 50 years of new play development during the summer of 2014, is the founding program of the O’Neill and is led by Artistic Director Wendy C. Goldberg. The conference supports playwrights during the creation and development of new plays. Authors of selected works will be awarded a residency with a stipend, housing, meals, and transportation to support an intensive rehearsal process and two script-in-hand public readings. The O’Neill takes its mission for the discovery of new work and artists to heart: approximately 1,000 scripts are submitted for consideration each year. All developed projects in 2014, and seven of eight projects in 2013, 2012, and 2011, were discovered through the Open Submission Process. Submissions are sent to readers across the country and read blindly, allowing volunteer readers to focus on each writer’s voice and story, rather than a recognizable name or previous accomplishment. Each year, additionally, there might be one or two invitations for established writers or collaborations with other institutions; these help launch conversations with the larger national field. Goldberg, Artistic Director since 2005, noted, “It’s been a remarkable year celebrating our 50th anniversary, and now we look to the future. For our 51st season, I look forward to building on our immense artistic legacy and helping to nurture the most innovative and fearless storytellers of our time.” During Goldberg’s tenure, more than 50 works have gone on to world premiere productions. The 2014-15 theatrical season will see world premieres of Halley Feiffer’s I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard (NPC 2014) at the Atlantic Theater Company, Lost Lake by David Auburn (NPC 2013) at Manhattan Theatre Club, Little Children Dream of God by Jeff Augustin (NPC 2013) at Roundabout Underground, and Lauren Yee’s Samsara (NPC 2013) at Victory Gardens. Additionally, Jennifer Haley’s Susan Smith Blackburn prize-winning The Nether, developed at NPC 2011, will have its New York premiere at MCC Theater. The National Playwrights Conference was launched in 1964. Playwrights have shaped the Conference from its very inception. When founder George C. White first gathered a prominent group of emerging writers to discuss their needs, the result was the “O’Neill model” – a place where playwrights can focus entirely on the development of their plays in workshop production without the pressures of commercial endeavors. More than 600 plays have evolved through the National Playwrights Conference. The O’Neill continues to build an endowment to support Open Submissions. Initiated in 2006 with donations made in honor of O’Neill playwright Wendy Wasserstein, interest income helps support the submission and selection process. Submission Details – Early submissions are strongly encouraged – No agent/representation required – Plays of any length or genre are eligible – The work must remain unproduced through July 31, 2015 – Both electronic and hard copy applications are accepted – The submission fee is $35 USD and covers the cost of the process The O’Neill will also host three online Q&A sessions about the process on the O’Neill Facebook page: Tuesday Sep. 30th at 1pm, Sunday Oct. 5th at 3pm, and Wednesday Oct. 15th at 6pm. Visit http://www.theoneill.org/summer-conferences/npc/submission-info for application and guidelines. Please direct any questions about the conference to Anne G. Morgan, Literary Manager at (860) 443-5378 ext. 227 or email litoffice@theoneill.org *** About the O’Neill: Founded in 1964, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014. It is the country’s preeminent organization dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for American theater. In the bold tradition of its namesake Eugene O’Neill – four-time Pulitzer Prize Winner and America’s only playwright to win the Nobel Prize in Literature – the O’Neill has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and to more than 2,500 emerging artists. Scores of projects developed at the O’Neill have gone on to full production at other theaters around the world, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and major regional theaters. Recipient of a 2010 Tony Award for Regional Theatre and 1979 Tony Award for Theatrical Excellence, O’Neill programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and National Theater Institute (NTI). NTI offers intensive theater training programs for academic credit, including the brand-new National Music Theater Institute, the Moscow Art Theatre Semester (MATS), a semester of study abroad, and six-week Theatermakers Summer Intensive. The O’Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage as a museum open to the public. The childhood summer home of Eugene O’Neill, the Cottage is a National Historic Landmark.

Fall Music and Movement Programto start September 26^th

Westerly, RI – The Chorus of Westerly will be offering its second season of Music and Movement classes for early elementary aged children starting on Friday, September 26th. This 8-week program for ages 5 to 7 will take place at Kent Hall on Friday afternoons at 4 pm and will last 45 minutes per session. Children enrolled in the program will be introduced to the fundamentals of music through fun activities, movement, and song. Previous experience in music is not required for children to enroll. The program is directed by Dr. Audrey Cardany, a long-time music educator and head of the Music Education program at the University of RI. Tuition for the program is $90 for the session. A second winter/spring session will also be offered starting in February 2015.

Those interested in registering their son or daughter in the program should visit chorusofwesterly.org/musicandmovement or call the Chorus office 401.596.8663 Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 5 pm.

The Chorus of Westerly, directed by Andrew Howell, is a multi-faceted performing arts organization based in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1959, the Chorus of Westerly, a fully auditioned ensemble, represents that nation’s only independent intergenerational chorus. This means that the 80 child members of the Chorus (ages 8 to 18) sing alongside the 110 adult members of the ensemble on every performance of the season regardless of work, difficultly, or demands. This is a practice that is rare in the American choral music and makes the Chorus unique among its peers. The Chorus of Westerly’s performance season now includes several ‘Classical’ concert series, a Christmas Pops series, five performances of A Celebration of Twelfth Night, an annual Summer Pops concert in Wilcox Park (with audiences annually of 20,000 to 25,000), and several choral workshop programs and camps. The Chorus, owners and operators of the historic George Kent Performance Hall, also presents annually a Collegiate Concert Series featuring the finest student a cappella concerts in the country, and the Kent Hall Masters Series which features some of the best professional musical ensembles in the world. In addition to its performance offerings at Kent Hall, the Chorus of Westerly recently launched its Community Music Program, a new music education program designed to offer more artistic opportunities to the greater Westerly region. Offerings within the program include a youth orchestra, music and movement classes for young children, vocal classes for adult and teen singers, and music theory classes at Kent Hall. The Chorus has toured internationally three times in its history, twice to Great Britain and once to Italy. The Chorus will engage its fourth international tour in July 2014 to Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. For more information on programs of the Chorus of Westerly or on the George Kent Performance Hall, please visit www.chorusofwesterly.org or call 401.596.8663.