Bradley’s ‘Calendar Girls’ brings
warmth, humor and more
PUTNAM — Get ready to laugh, shed a tear, and feel deeply inspired, because The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut at The Bradley Playhouse is kicking off June with a production that promises to do just that. From June 5 to June 14, the historic Bradley stage will host “Calendar Girls,” a comedic drama that celebrates friendship, courage, and the sheer audacity of women daring to defy expectations.
The performances are at 7:30 p.m. June 5, 6, 12 and 13 and at 2 p.m. June 7 and 14. : Tickets are: $28 for adults and $25 for seniors, students, veterans, and first responders (all prices include fees). Due to the limited run and anticipated popularity, purchasing your tickets in advance is highly recommended. at www.thebradleyplayhouse.org or by calling the box office at (860) 928-7887. “Calendar Girls” contains mature themes and partial nudity, making it recommended for audiences over the age of 18.
“Calendar Girls” is the story about women refusing to be invisible — reclaiming their bodies, their voices, and their right to take up space at any age. It's a true story of a group of ordinary women from the Yorkshire Women’s Institute. When one of their own suffers a tragic loss, they hatch a bold plan to raise money for blood cancer research: an unconventional charity calendar featuring themselves, artfully posed... with nothing to hide but their humor and courage.
Under the direction of Tina Huey, The Bradley Playhouse ensemble includes: Tonya Brock as Chris, a formidable presence both on stage and within the Bradley Playhouse community. As President of the Board of Directors for The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut, and with nearly 40 years of involvement with the organization, Tonya embodies the dedicated spirit that keeps the Bradley Playhouse thriving. She is joined on stage by Christine Healy as Annie, Rebecca Theriaque as Cora, Sheila H as Jessie, Joan Stewart as Celia, and JoAnn Bromley as Ruth. Marren Sanders appears as Marie, with Dale Magnuson as Lady Cravenshire, Rylie Appolonia as young Elaine, and Bonnie Theriault as Brenda Hulse. Annie’s husband, John, is played by Dan Healy (a real-life connection to Christine Healy!), and Wade Johnson takes on the role of Chris’s husband, Rod. The cast is rounded out by Ren Fontes as Lawrence, the shy photographer whose lens captures their remarkable journey, and Jordan Miller as Liam.
What began as a local, lighthearted idea quickly blossomed into a national sensation, not only raising over $5 million dollars for cancer research but also challenging perceptions of beauty and aging, while profoundly impacting the lives and friendships of the women involved. This production is a testament to the fact that beauty is indeed ageless, and a determined spirit, powered by undying love, can accomplish anything.
The play carries a quietly urgent message about health awareness, with characters confronting the realities of cancer and the critical importance of screening. It’s a reminder that courage isn’t always loud — sometimes it looks like a group of friends in a church hall, choosing to be vulnerable for something bigger than themselves. That combination of humor and heart is what has made Calendar Girls resonate with audiences worldwide, and what makes it feel especially vital on a community stage like The Bradley.
.
Putnam Science Academy heading to Overtime Elite
PUTNAM — Putnam Science Academy’s men’s basketball program is taking another major step onto the national stage. After capturing five national prep championships since 2018, the Mustangs are now headed to Overtime Elite (OTE), one of the premier high school basketball leagues in the country.
Led by longtime head coach and athletic director Thomas Espinosa since 2002, Putnam Science Academy has built one of the top prep basketball programs in America. The recent success of the Mustangs has gained national attention, and now the program will join Overtime Elite beginning next season.
Putnam Science will continue to compete in the New England prep school circuit while also playing a weekly OTE schedule. The league will feature nine teams from across the country, including programs from Florida, California, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia. Putnam Science Academy will be the only New England team in the league.
OTE is widely considered the “NBA of high school basketball,” featuring many of the best players in the nation. The exposure the league provides is unmatched and will elevate the profile of Putnam Science Academy even further. With the move, the Mustangs are expected to become one of the most recognized prep basketball teams in the country.
The transition will also bring increased travel and national attention, but excitement around the program is at an all-time high. Putnam Science is expected to host an OTE showcase event later this year, likely in November or December, featuring several other OTE teams.
Many former OTE players have already gone on to the NBA, and numerous Top 50 recruits from each graduating class choose the league to compete against elite talent.
Espinosa reflected on the journey that brought the program to this moment.
“It’s been a long road — a lot of ups and downs, a lot of challenges, a lot of obstacles — but this is pretty special,” Espinosa said. “I can’t really put into words what this means for our program. People wouldn’t believe how far we’ve come, where we started from, and now to be playing in OTE next year is something I can’t describe.”
“I want to thank all my former and current coaches for helping us get to this point, and all my former players who really bought into what we do here and committed to us. They helped us get to this point, and I can’t thank them enough.”
Espinosa also made sure to recognize longtime assistant coach Josh Scraba for his role in the program’s rise. “I can’t thank my longtime assistant Josh Scraba enough as well,” Espinosa said. “That guy has been by my side for most of this crazy ride. I trust him and love him like a brother. I wouldn’t have wanted to be on this ride with anyone else.”
Putnam Science Academy has won five national championships in program history, capturing titles in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2025. The program has also sent more than 150 players to Division I basketball programs, including several who have gone on to play in the NBA.
.
Centaurs finish 2nd in Class MM; records set
A thorn in the side. That’s what Hillhouse has been to the Woodstock Academy Centaurs girls’ track team.
For a third consecutive year, the Academics captured the Class MM girls’ track and field state championship with 91 points.
There was some good news for the Centaurs, however.
They finished with 79 points to get past Mercy High School (77) and finish in the runner-up position after a pair of third-place finishes in the past two years.
“We can be happy with second place and take home some lessons at the same time,” coach Josh Welch said. “We could go through too much with them would have, could have, should have, but that’s the day we had. I know we didn’t put our absolute bests together but the girls pushed really hard and represented well.”
The Centaurs led the proceedings for much of the meet thanks to a fine start, especially from their field performers.
But Hillhouse managed to forge ahead late and held a three-point advantage going into the final event, the 4x400m relay.
“We knew that Hillhouse had an awesome 4x400m relay as did Mercy. We knew if Mercy finished too far up and we finished too far back, we would slip to third and we also knew that Hillhouse was in reach if they didn’t have a great run so it was an exciting finish to the day.”
The Academics just got past Mercy in the relay as their quartet finished in a season-best time 4 minutes, 0.32 seconds, just 4/100th’s of a second better than Mercy to take the 10 points and guarantee them the MM state championship.
Woodstock finished eighth and got one point to stay just ahead of Mercy.
The Centaurs built the early lead on the foundation of their field performers.
Lily Morgis now owns the Class MM state record in the discus as she finished first for a second consecutive year with a heave of 137-feet, 6-inches.
Morgis was the top point getter for the Centaurs with 21 as she also placed third in shotput and fourth in javelin.
Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain was the MM state champ in javelin for a third straight year with a throw of 126-5.
Avery Plouffe (39-feet, 3-inches) finished first in the shotput for a second-straight year with Morgis (34-8 ½) third and Kiley Elliott (34-7) fifth.
“The field really carried us today,” Welch said. “Both jumps and throws helped stack up points but to have a sweep of first places (for a second straight year) is incredible. Izzy was a standout not only for her javelin win but for her third place in the high jump and for the way she held up her team.”
Emma Weitknecht easily outdistanced the field in the 100m hurdles, winning by almost a half-second in 14.86 seconds. The senior also placed fourth in the 300m hurdles.
Elise Coyle added a fifth-place finish in the long jump and Ella Lidonde was sixth in the triple jump for the Centaurs.
Boys’ Track
Boys’ track coach Gerry LaMontagne knew everything would have to fall almost perfectly for his Centaurs to come out on top of the Class MM boys track state championship meet.
While the Centaurs did put together some good performances, they had to settle for a fifth-place finish overall as a team.
The Centaurs put together 56 points and finished behind state champion Daniel Hand (88.5); Xavier (76); Rockville (70) and Avon (58).
“Top five was my expectation coming in,” Lamontagne said. “We had some unfortunate injuries and circumstances that cost us so we could have been a bit higher but that’s sports. This team has nothing to hang its heads about.”
Woodstock was in second place after 12 events thanks to some fine performances.
Eli Manning, who began the day with a 46-foot, 1-inch heave in the shotput to finish third followed with a 164-3 throw in the javelin for a second-place finish.
Owen Williamson added eight points to the Woodstock total when he recorded a personal best 15.14-second time in the 110m hurdles to finish second. Williamson also captured a seventh-place finish in the 300m hurdles.
“Really pleased with the efforts from Eli and Owen,” LaMontagne said. “Owen getting a second and a spot in the State Open championship next weekend is a great accomplishment in a tough event. Eli did his thing. I think he would tell you that he wanted more buts it’s the nature of the sport and why he was in that spot to begin with. There are not that many three-event scorers around in the throws anymore,” LaMontagne said.
Abe McGregor also added eight points for the Centaurs with a second place in the long jump, clearing 21-4. That was before he suffered a hamstring injury and had to pull out of the event.
Thatcher Paterson placed sixth. The quartet of Kai Brailsford, McGregor, Collin Teal and Williamson placed fifth in the 4x100m relay while Oliver Pierce, Sam Greene, Jackson Durand and Ronan Curran were sixth in the 4x800m.
“That was a season-best for the 4x800m group which is exciting. All of them come back next year. Hopefully, they get another shot next week at the State Open,” Lamontagne said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
.
Wed. June 3
Photo Exhibit
WOODSTOCK --- The Center for Woodstock History is presenting a photo exhibit, "Woodstock Through the Camera's Eye in Post-Civil War America." Please call for more info: 860-928-1035.
Art Exhibit
THOMPSON --- The Friends of the Thompson Public Library will present “Pigment of Imagination” by Christopher Strout through the month of June. Reception is at 6 p.m. June 9. In the display case: TPL Children’s Department: Plant a Seed, Read. Summer Reading.
Art Exhibit
PUTNAM --- The Putnam CT Arts Council is presenting the art of Anna Ionkin in the Corridor Gallery in the Putnam Municipal Complex on School Street. The exhibit, “Many Paths,” is on display through June. PutnamCtArtsCouncil.com
Fri. June 5
'Calendar Girls'
PUTNAM --- The Bradley Playhouse will present "Calendar Girls" for two weekends: at 7:30 p.m. June 5, 6, 12 and 13 and at 2 p.m. June 7 and 14. : Tickets: $28 for adults and $25 for seniors, students, veterans, and first responders. www.thebradleyplayhouse.org or 860-928-7887. “Calendar Girls” contains mature themes and partial nudity, making it recommended for audiences over the age of 18.
Sat. June 6
Revolutionary Program
POMFRET --- A program, “Painting the Revolution” will be presented at 3 p.m. at the Pomfret Historical Society’s Old Town House. Bev York will discuss the paintings of John Trumbull which recorded the battles of the Revolutionary War. John Trumbull of Lebanon was a soldier and the son of CT Governor Jonathan Trumbull. In addition, Mike Rocchetti, author of Hometown Heroes of the Revolutionary War, will speak on his recent book about the local men who served in the Revolutionary War.
Sun. June 7
Paddle for Hope Fund-raiser
BROOKLYN --- Neighbors Against Cancer is holding its second annual Paddle For Hope at Riverside Park. Registration is at 8; the launch is at 10. There is no registration fee, but we ask that those attending please make a donation. For infor: 860-974-1202. For info on Neighbors Against Cancer: 860-933-2935.
Fund-raiser
POMFRET --- The new nonprofit, cultural organization, Celtic Club of Northeastern Connecticut, will hold a concert fund-raiser from 4 to 7 p.m. at Grill 37. Donations welcome and making a dinner reservation is recommended. https://www.facebook.com/share/1avtr3x79H/
Tues. June 9
Al-Anon Meeting
POMFRET --- Al-Anon will meet at noon on Tuesdays at the Christ Church, 527 Pomfret St. Please use the lower level door, near the flagpole. All welcome.
Fri. June 12
‘Rhyming Trail’
PUTNAM --- River Trail and Rhyme Time for parents and kids will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Farmers Market Pavilion off Kennedy Drive. Free. Parents and children will work on writing a poem with guidance from Putnam Poet Laureate Aubrey Waz-Grant. Rain date 4:30 p.m. June 24.
Sat. June 13
Particle Accelerator
PUTNAM --- The 20th Particle Accelerator Benefit Music Fest in Memory of Jack Young Jr. will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at Rotary Park. Free family fun for a cause.
Shred Day
THOMPSON --- bankHometown will hold a free Shred Day for customers and residents at the North Grosvenordale office on Riverside Drive. InfoShred will be in the bank’s parking lot and can accept up to two boxes of documents per car. No appointment is necessary.
Thur. Sept. 10
The Wall That Heals
PUTNAM --- The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Putnam Sept. 10 through 13, at Murphy Park. It will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. thewallthathealsputnam2026.org www.vvmf.org
Sat. Oct. 3
Revolutionary Abington
ABINGTON --- The Pomfret 250th Committee will present a simulated battle re-enactment Oct. 3 and 4 at the Pomfret Recreation Park. There will be two encampments – one British, one American. Battles will be staged at some points Oct. 3.
.