eastwickpress

Review by Alex Brooks

Hubbard Hall has opened a new production of the 80s feminist show Parallel Lives in their small black box theater

A series of loosely related vignettes about the dilemma of being a woman in the modern world, faced with the conundrums of religion and sex, clueless men, capricious supreme beings, and over-the-top feminists. Although at times it feels a bit dated, this show has moments of poignancy and hilarity that are worth the wait.

Two actresses, Jeannine Haas and Julie Waggoner, handle all the parts in these two-person sketches, and they are accomplished actresses who make the most of the material. They play young and old, male and female. Haas in particular is good at transforming herself into a male character, not with elaborate costuming, but just by the way she speaks and acts.

The script was written and first performed by Kathy Najimy (co-star with Whoopie Goldberg of Sister Act) and Mo Gaffney in the 1980s. Haas and Waggoner originated this version of the show in 2009, when they performed it in a variety of venues in and around Northampton, MA.. The current Hubbard Hall production, co-produced by Haas’ company Pauline Productions, is a reprise of that show. These are characters they know well, and they are able to play them with great assurance and panache. Although the culturally specific references are aimed more at a Northampton audience than an Eastwick audience, the charm of the show does not rely on its specific context as much as it does on the chemistry between Haas and Waggoner, the way they are able to create unexpectedly deep moments in the midst of short comic sketches.

Remaining performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm Jan. 24-25 and Jan 31-Feb 1, and Sundays at 2 pm Jan 26 and Feb 2 in the small Freight Depot Theater behind Hubbard Hall.

For more information, call Hubbard Hall at 518-677-2495 or visit their web site at www.hubbardhall.org. Hubbard Hall is at 25 East Main Street in Cambridge, NY.

submitted by Dianne Hosterman, Executive Director, HACA

The Hoosick Area Church Association (HACA), for the tenth year, is offering free assistance to the public in preparing income tax returns through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA program. The VITA site is located at the HACA Center at 26 John Street, Hoosick Falls. The office will be open each Saturday beginning February 1 from 10 am to 3 pm and on Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 through February. In March and April, offices will be open on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm and on Thursday evenings by appointment. Office hours have been scheduled for evenings and weekends to accommodate people who find it difficult to take time off from work. The service is free and is provided by IRS Certified VITA/TCE Volunteer Preparers. To help accurately prepare their returns, taxpayers should bring the following:

• photo identification;

• valid Social Security cards for the taxpayer, spouse and dependents;

• birth dates for primary, secondary and dependents on the tax return;

• current year’s tax package, if received;

• wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, from all employers;

• interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099);

• a copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available;

• bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposit;

• other relevant information about income and expenses;

• total paid for day care, and

• day care provider’s identifying number.

Call Alison at Hoosick VITA 518-686-9491 to make an appointment.

Volunteer positions at the site such as reception, filing, photo copying or hostess are also available.

The VITA program offers free assistance to those with low-to-middle incomes (wage earners who make $51,000 or less) who file Form 1040EZ, Form 1040A or a basic 1040 Federal tax return. Most returns for both Federal and State (including Vermont and Massachusetts) can be filed electronically and upon request, refunds can be deposited electronically into a checking or savings account.