Uncorked: Arts & Culture

Artistry is part of the culture in Marlborough. Vintners practice the art as well as science of winemaking. Architects and chefs blend imagination with chemistry, math and physics. Artists and performers invent their own alchemies.

Vibrancy pulses through our communities. So, it only makes sense for Marlborough Weekly to spotlight the array of creativity – and creatives – enriching our region.

Thus emerged Arts & Culture, a dedicated destination in print issues and on the App.

Debuting soon after my Weekly debut, A&C has covered art exhibitions, dance performances, music festivals, museum exhibits and theatre productions. This edition showcases the Café Nautique series of community conversations.

I’ll confess, A&C is as much for me as for you. I love artistic and cultural experiences – and writing about them, too. I get to meet inspiring people while also keeping up to date on what they’re doing.

This past week, I attended two events which I got to preview: “Shakespeare in Love” at the Boathouse Theatre and Kia Hūkere te Hoe, the regional kapa haka, at Stadium 2000.

I’d seen the film version of “Shakespeare in Love” and a previous play at the Boathouse, yet still found myself pleasantly surprised. So much fit into such a compact space! My wife and I enjoyed our midweek night out.

Kapa haka, however, was brand new to me. What I saw transcended what I expected. I only could come during the second day, for two pairs of performances, so I know I just scratched the surface.

The finale packed the place. I fortunately found a seat next to a woman who had family in the stands and on the stage. Between kapas, she kindly shared bits of background. After the last, she asked if I understood what the songs and movements conveyed.

I shook my head. “But I felt,” I said, touching my palm to my chest at heart level. She nodded, smiled, then warmly wished me well as we parted.

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