Pontine Theatre to Host 'HISTORY OF THE PORTSMOUTH PLAINS' Workshops

Pontine Theatre presents HISTORY OF THE PORTSMOUTH PLAINS Community Arts Project. A series of six workshops, held from 5:30 to 7pm on Thursdays, begins 14 September and ends 19 October.

Workshops will focus on different aspects of this lively neighborhood. Of special interest is the history of the 1845 Plains School, the only remaining one-room schoolhouse still owned by the city of Portsmouth. Pontine Theatre, in collaboration with the city, is in the process of transforming the Plains School into a center for cultural and arts activities.

The Plains school operated through 1942 and there may well be former students of the school (or other Portsmouth schools) who will join us to inform us about their experiences. The group will also look at the various versions of the Indian Massacre on the Plains which took place in 1696. The Plains neighborhood also has a rich history full of taverns and travelers which we look forward to exploring.

This project is free and open to the public (no experience or expertise required), thanks to a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Fund's Piscataqua Region. Activities will be led by Pontine Theatre Co-Directors, Greg Gathers and Marguerite Mathews. Interested individuals who would like more information are invited to attend the first session on Thursday, 14 September. Meetings will be held in the School Department's Conference Room located in Portsmouth City Hall, 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth NH. PontineTheatre is a resident company at Portsmouth's Strawbery Banke Museum. For more information, email info@pontine.org or call 603-436-6660.