RECENT EVENTS

Also, visit our YouTube channel to view some of the past events & performances.

Friday, July 6th – Wine & Cheese Reception – 7pm
Join us for a special Wine & Cheese Reception to celebrate the collaboration between Metuchen Market Day, the Metuchen Arts Council, & the Borough Improvement League in offering the first “SummerHouse for the Arts” series. Our featured vintner for the evening will be Unionville Vineyards, a New Jersey winery set in the hills of Hunterdon County. Artisanal cheeses from Cherry Grove Farms of Lawrenceville will be featured as well.

Saturday, July 7th – “Remembering Levon Helm” – 7:30pm
A special evening of music in tribute to the songs and musical genius of the late, legendary Levon Helm. Featured performers include Evan Watson, Jeremy Benson & friends, Karyn Oliver, & Sharon Goldman. $10 adults, $5 seniors, free up to 12 years old.


Evan Watson in the ingelnook - a great show!

July 14th - The Stress Effect Workshop
This workshop by Jamie Checket explores the effects of stress on our body and mind. Come and learn the ways various foods and behaviors can either create or lessen stress in your life. You will begin to understand that you have the power to make simple positive changes that result in greater peace and happiness. Learn about Jamie at www.BeginAgainHealth.com.

“Belly Dance Bootcamp” - July 9th to July 13th
For more information, contact Diana at dianasklans@yahoo.com.

Desert Reveries

Saturday, July 14th – “A Tale of Two Cities” Bastille Day Movie - 7:00pm
Special classic movie night at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse, featuring the "Tale of Two Cities" starring Robert Colman and Elizabeth Allen. Nominated for the Academy Award for best picture, this 1935 version is still considered by many the best of all film adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic novel about the French Revolution and a stepping stone to greater achievements for producer David O. Selznick that peaked with "Gone With the Wind."
We'll start off with a couple black & white comic shorts at 7:00pm, then begin the movie promptly at 7:30pm. Feel free to bring your baguettes, brie, and beaujolais beforehand to picnic outside on the lawn by the grapevine. Also, you're welcome to bring your own comfy chairs for the movie viewing (folding chairs provided). Free to BIL members, but $5 donations towards the preservation of the schoolhouse will be graciously accepted.

The Artist's Eye: Art Into Writing and Back Again” – Two Sessions
July 16th through July 20thth and July 23rd through July 27th
A lively Writing + Visual Arts Camp for kids ages 10- 14 designed to encourage creative participation in writing and visual art, taught by writer Jana Siciliano and glass artist Amy Brooks. Weeks begin with a foundation of art & writing, then diverge into a wide range of topics, including poetry, memoir, film writing, cartooning, illustration, food art, & more. Contact Amy at paradisecsg@verizon.net.

July 21st - Let's Cook Indian: Simple Indian Vegetarian Recipes
This workshop by Hema Devarajan is an introduction to the basics of Indian cooking. We will use simple spices and fresh produce from the Metuchen Farmers Market to put together simple and healthy Indian Vegetarian recipes that you can try out at home. Read Hema’s blog at www.yourspicekitchen.com.

Saturday, July 21st – “The Clayhole Brothers” – 7:30pm
The Clayhole Brothers use acoustic guitars, washboards, fiddles, mandolins, ukuleles, cowbells, electric violins, drum kits, and (little) amplifiers to present beautiful and unexpected familiar songs from a repertoire that spans 700 years, from medieval folk music to rock n’ roll; some presented traditionally, others with a modern approach. $10 adults, $5 seniors, free up to 12 years old.

July 28th - Say Cheese! Say Cashew Cheese!!
Dairy allergy or lactose intolerance got you down? Making nut cheese is fun and simple to learn! Join us for a cashew cheese making demo with Health Coach Evelyn Fuertes of from Sprouts to Supper. For more information on Evelyn and her Health Coaching approach, visit www.fromsproutstosupper.com.

Saturday, July 28th – “The Great Gatsby” Raconteur Radio play - 8:30pm
It's West Egg, 1922, and a mysterious millionaire is hosting a summer party the whole Sound is talking about. Guess what? You're invited! The Great Gatsby: A Staged Radio Play, 8:30 PM, Sat. July 28. With Mike Jarmus, Carlyle Owens, Laurence Mintz, Francesca Tedesci, and Alex Dawson. $10. For reservations and more information, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com. Will there be Lillet Blanc on the lawn? 

August 4th - Fresh Fruit & French Pastry: a Match Made in Heaven
Learn how to take a handful of fresh, local ingredients and transform them into a scrumptious and elegant dessert. In this workshop, Kir Rodriguez, a pastry chef instructor and local foodie, will teach how to make Farmers Market Berry Shortcakes. Kir Rodriguez is a Pastry Chef Instructor at The International Culinary Center in New York City. An Edison resident, he was formerly Executive Pastry Chef at Orso, Pastry Chef at Le Cirque 2000, Cafe Boulud & Union Square Cafe. 

Kir Rodriguez

Saturday, August 4th – “Play Like A Girl:
Simon & Garfunkel Re-Imagined”–8pm
The "Chicks With Dip," a NYC-based singer-songwriter collective will perform a one-time-only show based on and inspired by the work of Simon & Garfunkel. Hosted by Metuchenite singer/songwriter Sharon Goldman, performers also include Meg Braun, Anna Dagmar, Honor Finnegan, Victoria Lavington, Catherine Miles, Elisa Peimer, Allison Scola, Carolann Solebello, Allison Tartalia, and Kirsten Williams. $10 at the door. There has been a great deal of advance press about the show. For a PDF copy of the poster belowe, click here.

Friday, August 10th – “Arts Night... Art & Music on the Edge” 7:30pm
A collaborative evening of arts with an edgier side. On-site creations include a collaborative work from recycled materials, silk-screening of t-shirts, poetry readings, dance, etc. along with live music by Shayfer James, Peter Horn, Robyn Lee-Horn, and more. For more info, contact Roy at artegrity@optonline.net.

Shayfer James and Robin Horn at Art & Music on the Edge

August 11th - "Bread-Making for the Whole Family" with Dan Slobodien
There is nothing like the smell and taste of fresh-baked bread! Once you see how easy it is, requiring a just a little elbow grease and a minimal amount of ingredients and equipment, the whole family will want to turn into bakers. Chef Dan Slobodien, former Chef/Owner of Dan's on Main, has lived in Metuchen virtually his whole life, and frequently teaches cooking and baking classes. This is one of his most popular workshops.

Saturday, August 11th – “The Empire Strikes Back” Raconteur Radio - 8:30pm
$10. For reservations and more information, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com. With Carlyle Owens, Michael Jarmus, Francesca Tedeschi, Laurence Mintz, and Alex Dawson. Don't miss our most ambitious performance to date!

"Hans and Leia"

 August 18th - Cooking Gluten Free & More!
Whether you have celiac disease, food allergies, or have decided to make lifestyle choices, going gluten free and vegan doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste. Karen McNamara and Allison Inserro, both BIL members, will show how you to make healthy and delicious morning treats: applesauce muffins with gluten-free oats and fruit smoothies.

Scrapbooking “Crop Fest” - August 13th through August 19th
Open Crops, Parent/Child Crops, and a special workshop on Tuesday, August 14 from 7pm to 9pm, “How To Design a Gorgeous Photo Book” demo by Janna Morishima. For more information about this special week of cropping for scrappy enthusiasts, contact Terry at terry.callaghan@gmail.com.

August 25th - How to Pack a Japanese-Style Bento Box Lunch
Forget PB&J – how would you like a multi-course meal complete with vegetables, broiled meat or fish, and fruit? In this workshop, you'll learn not only how to prepare a Japanese-style bento box lunch, you'll also get tips on how to whip up a healthy, gourmet lunch fast from Janna Morishima, a local foodie, who has learned how to cook many traditional Japanese dishes by reading cookbooks and learning from her husband's family and friends in Japan.

Saturday, August 25th– Vinyl Night with DJ Rudy - 7pm
We've got two turntables and a microphone... Ye Olde Franklyn Skool Haus is WHERE it’s AT.  BYOVinyl and we'll play it. BYOB and we'll drink it. Have LPs or singles to swap? Bring 'em. We'll have swag raffles and people *may* dance.  Maybe it’s an LP languishing in the basement, or the first record you ever bought with your own money, or a 45 you hunted down for months at record fairs, but admit it… you miss that crackle, hiss, and pop of your vinyl. so, lend it an ear… less than two miles from the “Birthplace of Recorded Sound,” a one-room schoolhouse we know Thomas A. Edison saw as he passed by (did he visit?).   We’ll have some giveaways, swaps, and refreshments. Polka to Punk, Big Band to Bagpipe, Calypso to Country, Disco to Death Metal, DJ Rudy will play it all. and, it’s the final public event of the Borough Improvement League’s "SummerHouse for the Arts" series, so don't miss it! for more information, contact Steve @ 732-713-9080 or popopies@hotmail.com.

THEATREPROV - August 27th through September 1st
THEATREPROV is an improvisation/theatre ensemble based in Metuchen featuring students from Metuchen High School and Edgar Middle School. Using suggestions from the audience - the ensemble creates characters and scenes in a variety of different styles of theater, movies and television. For more information, contact Cheryl or via email at hchulteen@aol.com.

Friday, September 21, 2012 at 8:30pm
Raconteur Radio presents...

BATMAN: The Dark Detective; a staged radio play set in the behomithic bedlam of Arkham Asylum. With Laurence Mintz as everyone's favorite nutjob, felonious funnyman the Joker, Michael Jarmus as true blue police commissioner Jim Gordon, and Carlyle Owens as the cowled crusader himself. Theatrical lighting! Extensive Sound Effects! The Old Franklin School in Metuchen. $10. Reservations strongly suggested!

www.RaconteurRadio.com