Pontine to Premiere 'CRIME & PUNISHMENT ON THE ISLES OF SHOALS' at WEST, 4/8

Tuesday, April 8, at 5:30pm, Pontine Theatre resumes it's Humanites Series with Crime & Punishment on the Isles of Shoals: The Ballad of Louis Wagner, an hour-long presentation by Seacoast musician, John Perrault. The presentation is open to the public free of charge, thanks to funding from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Light refreshment will be available and reservations are not needed. Pontine's West End Studio Theatre is located at 959 Islington Street in Portsmouth. The building is not visible from the street; look for the big 959 at the head of the drive.

Louis Wagner was accused of murdering Anethe and Karen Christenson on Smuttynose Island, Isles of Shoals, in March of 1873. He was convicted on the first charge and executed in 1875. Although sentiment against Wagner was at a fever pitch immediately following the murders, time and reflection have generated an ongoing debate as to the fairness of the trial and the validity of the verdict. John Perrault invites audiences to examine the judgement of Louis Wagner. Perrault weaves his "Ballad of Louis Wagner" through the course of the program with guitar and vocal.

John Perrault is author of Jefferson's Dream-The Ballad of the Declaration of Independence; The Ballad of Louis Wagner and other New England Stories in Verse; and a poetry Collection, Here Comes the Old Man Now." He is a touring artist on the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts. His poetry has appeared in The Cafe Review, the Christian Science Monitor, Commonweal, Poet Lore and elsewhere. He was poet laureate of Portsmouth, NH from 2003 to 2005. Pontine's Humanities Series continues on Tuesday, April 22 with Seacoast Historian, Dennis Robinson's presentation, Treasure from the Isles of Shoals: How New Archaeology is Changing Old History

In addition to its Humanities Series, Pontine, a resident company at Portsmouth's West End Studio Theatre, presents an annual Performance Series featuring its own original productions and those of invited guest artists. April 17-20, Pontine presents Shakespeare's Will, featuring guest artist, Tannis Kowalchuk. May 1-11, Pontine presents it's original production, Isles of Shoals: The Eternal Sound of the Sea. Now celebrating its 36th Season, the company was named "Best Historical Theater" by NH Magazine in July 2013: "Pontine conspires to fascinate the contemporary mind with original works based upon stories and literature of New England.