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Arts & Entertainment

Limited Run! Performances begin August 12 - August 24, 2025

Community Contributor

Press release

TheaterWorks Hartford Presents:

Emmy Award-Winner RICHARD THOMAS inMark Twain Tonight!by Hal Holbrook

Limited Run! Performances begin August 12 - August 24, 2025

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TheaterWorks Hartford will host the first production of the new national tour of Mark Twain Tonight! written and originally performed by Hal Holbrook featuring Emmy Award-winner Richard Thomas. The NETworks Presentations touring production will perform at TWH for a limited time August 12 - August 24, 2025.

Hartford favorite Richard Thomas brings to life “the nation’s one true comic genius” (The New York Times) with creative consultation by Michael Wilson (The Trip to Bountiful, Enchanted April.) Join the millions who have cheered for the legendary one-man show, bursting with Twain’s “uproariously funny” and “pungently wise” (Time Magazine) humor.

Most recently seen on Broadway in Our Town, on tour as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, on Netflix’s Ozark, and beloved generations as John-Boy Walton, Thomas is the first and only actor authorized to perform the play since the original.

Mark Twain Tonight! runs from August 12 - August 24 at TheaterWorks Hartford (233 Pearl St. Hartford). Performances are Tuesdays - Friday at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 12:00pm & 5pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm. The run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are priced at $35-55 (fees not included). twhartford.org or by calling the box office at 860.527.7838.

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The Connecticut Association of School Psychologists has nominated Afrika S. Lyons, of Hartford, for the title of School Psychologist of the Year.

“Afrika Lyons is a dynamic and visionary school psychologist whose work has transformed how we support children and families,” said Connecticut Association of School Psychologists President Eric Elias in a statement. “Her innovations—ranging from strengths-based assessments and trauma-informed data tools to advancing cultural competence in education—have reshaped practices statewide. She has also played a key role in legislative efforts that have removed barriers to certification, making the profession more accessible to aspiring psychologists.”

Lyons’ efforts include “tools for Functional Behavioral Assessments, trauma-informed behavior tracking systems, and advocacy for culturally responsive practices. Her voice has been vital in shaping equitable policy and representation, especially in her efforts to support school psychologists of color,” according to a release.

“I became a school psychologist because I believe every child—especially those from marginalized communities—deserves to be seen, valued, and supported, not just for their struggles but for their brilliance,” said Lyons. “As a woman of color, my work is rooted in advocacy, healing, and justice. Representation matters. Equity matters.”

School psychologists play a “crucial role in supporting students’ academic success and mental well-being. They collaborate with educators, families, and professionals to assess learning and behavior, deliver mental health services, and foster positive school climates,” according to a release.

Lyons holds a Master of Science in Education and an Advanced Certificate in School Psychology from Brooklyn College in New York. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Dickinson College and is an alumna of the Watkinson School in Hartford. She currently serves the Goodwin University Magnet School District.

Lyons will be honored at the School Psychologist of the Year award ceremony on Tuesday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. at J. Timothy’s Taverne in Plainville.

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Arts & Entertainment

Bonnie Goldberg's review of the current production at Hartford Stage

Community Contributor

Review by CT Critics Circle member Bonnie Goldberg

Depending on the part of the world you inhabit, you might fear, on a daily basis, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, fires, floods and landslides. How reassuring is that? People exist without adequate food, water, or shelter, not to mention fear of deportation, arrest, loss of freedoms, and absence of democracy. What if you reside on a quiet New Jersey cul-de-sac, a peaceful housewife going about your days, caring for your family, pursuing your career, without a care in the world for your daily survival. How lucky are you?

Playwright Madeleine George is about to upend your carefully controlled world in her new play “Hurricane Diane” at the Hartford Stage until Sunday, June 29 and life as you know it might be changed forever. Hold on to your gardening hat and trowel and prepare for a bumpy ride in the dirt.

Come meet four friends Carol (Katya Campbell), Pam (Christina DeCicco), Beth (Alyse Alan Louis) and Renee (Sharina Martin) who have no warning that their lives are about to change, when they encounter a Greek demi-god Dionysus or Bacchus, Diane to you, who crashes with boldness and purpose into their kitchens. Bernadette Sofia’s Diane is a force to be reckoned with whether you are ready or not to play her compelling game: Save the Earth. Diane has picked you for her team and there is no choice in the matter.

As a powerful lesbian queen and landscaper, Diane insists the quartet help her save the planet by worshipping her and following her complex landscaping design in their backyards. She wants them to return their land into a primeval forest, a green paradise, with no lawn, but with a permaculture and paw paw plants, a Garden of Eden if you will. Diane coaxes each woman out of their comfort zone, to change their path, with a taste of her honey, encouraging them to worship her and follow her every mood and move. Only Carol resists her charms but how long can she hold out? Is the end of the world coming and can Diane control the outcome? Let director Zoe Golub-Sass guide you on this fantastic journey planted with surprises.

Find out what's happening in Greater Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at HartfordStage.org. Performances are Tuesday to Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Batten down the hatches as Diane, the Greek demi-goddess of wine, song, orchards, fruits and vegetables, fertility, insanity, religious ecstasy, hunting, agriculture, and theatre, is ready to invade your sacred space and claim it for her own. Don’t say you weren’t forewarned.

The assessor's office will mail out property tax bills on Friday, June 20, with a July 1 due date.

Michael Lemanski, Patch Staff

Town of West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Property tax bills will go out on Friday, June 20, with West Hartford officials announcing some changes as to how motor vehicles are taxed.

The first installment of real estate, personal property, and motor vehicle taxes on the Oct. 1, 2024, Grand List are due and payable on July 1, 2025, with late fees charged if not paid by Aug. 1.

The town's revenue collection office will mail tax bills on Friday, June 20.

This year, the formula used to calculate motor vehicles has changed.

Find out what's happening in West Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Check out the calculator feature on the Assessment Office web page.

Enter your plate number, and the assessment value will automatically appear. Multiply that number by the statewide mill rate of 32.46 mills to get your total tax bill amount.

As of Oct. 1, 2024, all assessment departments in Connecticut will use the manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP) of each vehicle and apply the depreciation schedule to calculate the depreciated value of each vehicle.

This depreciated value will then be multiplied by the statewide assessment ratio of 70% to determine the vehicle's assessed value for taxation.

The vehicle's assessed value will decrease yearly based on the depreciation schedule, but will never fall below a $500 assessment for taxation purposes.

The assessment is then multiplied by the statewide mill rate of 32.46.

As for real estate taxes, the town budget adopted by the West Hartford Town Council in April requires a real estate/personal property mill rate (the rate paid in taxes) of 44.78 mills.

That is an increase of 2.43 mills.

If your home is assessed at $300,000, taxes will go up by $729 in addition to what one's tax bill was a year ago.

For more information, click on this link.

In Bloomfield, a referendum in May on the budget showed plenty of voter discontent: The “no” vote prevailed by a 4-1 ratio, with nearly 13% of all eligible voters in town opposing it.

But it passed.

Just 20 miles away, Berlin voters gave a more mixed message that same month. They narrowly rejected a budget 320-292; fewer than four out of every 100 voters showed up, and “no” votes were cast by barely 2% of eligible voters.

But it failed anyway, and Berlin had to hold a new referendum.

The surprisingly different outcomes are because rules for referendums vary from town to town. Typically most residents pay little attention; more than half of Connecticut’s communities don’t have referendums, and leave the decisions to their town council or board of selectmen.

And even in communities where referendums are standard, a huge majority of voters don’t participate. A budget referendum where a third or more of the people show up to vote usually signals a significant controversy, and some communities often have meager single-digit turnouts.

Still, civic organizations and fiscal watchdog groups are big supporters of keeping the system, and they’re not alone.

“I’m a firm believer in referenda, I’d hate to see them go,” said political science Prof. Gary Rose of Sacred Heart University. “I wish we had ballot initiatives, too. Town meetings and referenda are quintessential New England politics at work.”

Like many, he laments how turnout seems to have dropped in recent decades.

“Civic engagement in local politics has really gone down significantly. Some of that is the decline of newspapers, some of it is the partisan stuff going on today. People aren’t pleased with the tone,” he said. “There’s been a dearth of civic engagement. There’s a transitory nature in a lot of communities, so maybe people don’t feel as invested in them. ”

Still, doing away with referendums and town meetings would only make it worse, he said.

“In principle it’s a great idea: direct democracy,” said Prof. Jonathan Wharton, who teaches political science at Southern Connecticut State University.

“It’s exactly what the intention of democracy is,” he said. “But in some towns, the numbers just aren’t there. Sometimes it’s a matter of when they get the word out.”

When Old Saybrook voters adopted their budget last month, the Democratic Town Committee celebrated — but not entirely.

“The good news: the budget passed. The bad news: only 270 residents voted,” Democrats said in a Facebook post. “This is less than 3% of the registered voters in town!”

It asked for suggestions on how to boost participation.

“I voted, but so many people I talked to over the past few days didn’t even know there was a referendum. As a town, we need to do better at notifying the citizens,” Michael Bender replied.

An Essex woman wrote that the same pattern had happened in her town, saying “We had a budget vote with very low turnout and I didn’t even realize it was voting day until I saw an announcement the day of.”

Wharton said towns that teach about local and state government in the elementary and high school grades are likely to have higher turnouts because students will grow up aware of how budgets are passed.

“There are some towns that stand out: Glastonbury, West Hartford, Wethersfield and others,” he said.

Turnout can be especially important in controversial cases, since those on the losing side can argue that the meager participation didn’t accurately reflect the community’s opinion.

“An extraordinarily low turnout for the referendum,” Berlin mayoral candidate Brian DeLude wrote after the first referendum there this year. “4.4% of the public voted. There is clearly a disconnect between the public and the budget process. It’s hard to put any real stock in the results considering low voter turnout.”

“Only 18% of eligible voters voted in the budget referendum. So no surprise the increased budget passed,” Watertown resident Jack Flynn said in a Facebook post after his town’s vote.

Numerous people suggested the town do automatic phone calls or emails to residents to advise them when a referendum is coming.

Turnout can vary widely from town to town: Tolland had more than 25% at each of its three referendums this year, while Simsbury passed a budget with just 5.4%, or roughly 1 in 18 voters taking part.

But even a fairly significant turnout can mean nothing, depending on a town’s charter. Many communities require a minimum turnout, say 10%, before a referendum result is binding. But Bloomfield sets a higher bar: A turnout of 15%, and a requirement that the “no” vote garner 15%.

So even though Bloomfield voters met the first standard with a 15.6% turnout, they fell short of the second one. A total of 1,934 people voted “no” compared to a mere 464 voting “yes,” but opponents needed to get at least 2,296 votes for make the referendum count.

Feelings were so acrimonious afterward that the town posted an explanation on its website.

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