Latest news with #Shakers
Perth Now
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Amanda Seyfried and Scoot McNairy join The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd cast
Amanda Seyfried and Scoot McNairy are to star in prison break thriller 'The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd'. Written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, the upcoming motion picture tells the story of a teacher in an abusive marriage who falls for a convict after landing a job at a maximum-security prison. The movie will be a reunion for 39-year-old Seyfried and Nelson, who will star opposite one another in forthcoming historical musical film 'Ann Lee', in which Amanda portrays the titular founding leader of the Shakers religious sect. Nelson is quoted by Deadline as saying: "I feel deeply fortunate to be able to tell this story with such an extraordinary lead cast. "I have always admired Amanda, and getting to work with her on Mona Fastvold's film 'Ann Lee' last summer confirmed for me what an extraordinary person she is aside from her talent." Nelson admitted McNairy's role is a "demanding part", but he is looking forward to seeing the 47-year-old actor "accomplish" the role. He added: "As for Scoot, it's great to be able to offer him such a demanding part. "No one has seen him do what he's about to accomplish in this role. "It will be magnificent to be on set with these two performers." 'The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd' - which will be produced by Julie Buck, Nelson, Ryan Bartecki, Miles David Romney, and Billy Hines - is in production in Georgia. Nelson said: "It's a difficult story, but also one meant to grab its audience and not let go. "We've assembled a cast and crew of people dedicated to making something not only compelling but unforgettable." In December, it was revealed Seyfried is to lead the cast of 'Ann Lee', a movie put together by the team behind the Golden Globe-nominated historical drama film 'The Brutalist'. It is described as an "epic fable" about the religious leader Ann Lee, the founding member of the Shaker Movement, who was proclaimed by followers as the female Christ and ended up building one of the largest utopian societies in the history of the United States.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
In wake of 'devastating' cuts, volunteers step up to ready Shakers for the season
May 13—NEW GLOUCESTER — The soft whisk-whisk of straw brooms brushing across the walls and beams of the meetinghouse filled the room as three volunteers worked quietly. Undeterred by the gloom of a cold, rainy day, they moved reverently around the room, brushing away the dust that settled over winter. There's nowhere else Jackie Pike would have wanted to spend the day. "This place has a certain peace about it all the time," said Pike, who drove three hours from Brooksville for the annual spring workday at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village. Twice a year, friends of the Shakers show up by the dozens to volunteer — in the spring to prepare the village and museum to open for the season, and again in the fall to put it to bed for winter. Friends come from across the Northeast — and sometimes across the country — to dust and wash windows, pack dried herbs, prepare the garden for a new season and clean up winter debris on the hillside property. Many of them have been coming for decades, drawn by their love of the place, the people and the joy they find in a community where worship and work are deeply intertwined. They united to embody the motto of Mother Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shakers: "Put your hands to work and give your hearts to God." "This is a real true example of them having that willing spirit to come and help out. They bring kind of an infectious positivity to the community," said Brother Arnold Hadd, who speaks on behalf of the Shakers. "We deeply appreciate it because we couldn't afford to hire people to come in and do the work and we can't do it ourselves." Being surrounded by friends felt even more significant this year for those who live and work at the Shaker Village. Last month, they were notified they would lose nearly $1.5 million in federal funding they were counting on to restore the historic herb house and do other work to preserve the village. The loss of the grants was devastating, but the dedication friends have shown to supporting the project, and the Shakers themselves, has been heartwarming, Hadd said. This year's spring work day looked a little different than usual because of the rain. The outdoor work was rescheduled to May 17, but the work will still be done in time for the museum and shop to open on Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday, volunteers cleaned several buildings, packed herbs to sell in the shop, and cleaned the barn and organized donations for an old-fashioned barn sale on June 14. "For us, this is a fantastic way to get everyone together to work shoulder to shoulder," said Jamie Ribisi-Braley, the village office manager and a board member of Friends of the Shakers, a nonprofit started in 1974 to support the community. "The opportunity to all be together and work in community is what the whole village is about." WORKING FOR THE FUTURE The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing — more commonly known as the Shakers for the ecstatic bodily agitation that was once part of worship — was founded in Manchester, England, in 1747. It was brought to the U.S. in 1774 by Mother Ann Lee, who received a revelation directing her to establish a Shaker church in America. Shakers established 18 communities in New England, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Georgia and Florida. After reaching a peak of 500 members in the decade leading up the Civil War, the number of Shakers dwindled over time and communities closed. Sabbathday Lake, which dates to 1783, is now the only active Shaker community in the world. In recent years, it has been home to Brother Arnold and Sister June Carpenter. A third member recently joined the community. The Sabbathday Lake Shakers first opened a museum and library in 1931. It became a roadside attraction for vacationers traveling along Route 26 and was expanded into unused buildings as interest in the Shakers grew in the 1960s. The village received National Historic Landmark status in the 1970s and the museum and research library were organized as a nonprofit two years later. The Shakers still depend on revenue from visitors — from paid tours and sales in the gift shop, which includes herbs grown in the garden — to sustain the village. Brother Arnold is cautiously optimistic it will be a good year despite predictions that tourism will be down. But the Shakers are also planning for the long-term sustainability of the community through a multi-million-dollar plan that includes restoring the original herb house and transforming it into a cultural center. The herb house project is well underway, but suffered a blow recently when the Trump administration canceled a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project lost nearly $187,000 of a $750,000 grant, plus another $1.2 million from a congressional grant through the U.S. Department of Agricultural Rural Development fund. Shaker Village Director Michael Graham said they're still figuring out how to complete the project. Being surrounded by support during the work day "makes all the difference in the world right now," he said. "The outpouring of support is more and more critical as times change, and especially right now, when we have to adjust our gaze from the horizon to things a little bit closer to home," he said. "It's wonderful when we begin to look around and see friendly faces and people who, like us, are determined that this place continues. It's really the antidote for the sting of the pain that we feel." 'A SENSE OF BEING HOME' The heady scent of herbs — parsley, dill, thyme and others grown in the garden and dried in the attic — and sounds of animated chatter spilled out of the Sisters' Shop, the building Shaker women once used for sewing, weaving, mending and washing. In the herb room, a dozen people crowded around work tables to measure herb blends into small tins. Volunteer Bonnie Falkner of Yarmouth has been coming here since the 1970s and now teaches workshops at the village. "It's a very special place. It's wonderful to see it being preserved for the future," she said. "There aren't many places like this." When Shakers arrived at Sabbathday Lake in 1783, their first act as a community was to build the meetinghouse for public worship. One outsider, a passerby named Mr. Carpenter, joined them to help build the meetinghouse and "not a spare word was spoken," Graham said. "Most of that building was constructed in absolute, reverent silence," he said. Dale Graham's first task on Saturday's workday was to bring a group of volunteers to the meetinghouse, where she went over all the work that needed to be done. Tours of the village start in this building, which is used to interpret the earliest eras of Shaker history from the 1740s to 1860s. Dale Graham has been volunteering at the village for 30 years. When her son, Michael Graham, started working there, he turned his parents into a work crew, she said. She enjoys "the fellowship centered around the Shakers" and has made friends from across the country. The volunteers cleaning the first floor included Michael Pare, who drove up from Rhode Island. A self-described history buff, he discovered the Shaker Village a decade ago and was drawn in by the "sense of peace, calm and fellowship." "Just driving down the road, there's a sense of being home," he said. On the second floor of the meetinghouse, Dale Graham and Suzanne Prinz carefully dusted the trim, railings, artifacts and windowsills. "When I clean here and I'm on my own, I like to think about the Shakers walking up these stairs," Dale Graham said. Prinz, of Old Orchard Beach, grew up in Portland and remembers coming to Shaker Village as a child with her mother for Christmas fairs and other events. When they turned onto Shaker Road, she said she always felt peaceful and knew she was in a special place. "I feel like I'm in a sacred place today," she said. "It's like the Shakers who came before us are here guiding us." Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Weekend events around Dayton: April 25
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Bellbrook's massive Sugar Maple Festival is coming this weekend! 2 NEWS compiled a list of events happening around the Miami Valley. 220 Years of Shakers in the West – 10 a.m., Harmon Museum. See a collection of Shaker furniture, art and artifacts. Learn more. Woodland Historic Tour – 6 p.m., Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum. $5. View the graves of Wright Brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Erma Bombeck, James Ritty, the Stanley Family, the Mead Family, George Newcom and many other famous Daytonians. Register here. Parents Night Out – 6 p.m., Community Park Learning Center. $20. Looking to enjoy a night out? Kids aged 4 through 12 can enjoy a fun night with the Youth and Family staff. Register here. Wilmington College inaugurates first female president Opening Day Parade – 8:45 a.m., Union Boulevard. The Englewood Little League's parade. Learn more. Second Annual Bird Meet Scholarship Fundraiser – 9 a.m., Preble County Fairgrounds. $10. Mason 'Birdman' Roell died on April 29, 2023. He was a 2022 graduate from MVCTC & Eaton High School. This scholarship will aid a Preble County School student looking to go into the trades. Roell was a truck enthusiast. Learn more. Street Names of Dayton – 11 a.m., Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum. $5. A tour to see the people who have influenced Dayton's history and have had streets named after them. Register here. Lebanon museum unveils maritime gallery with 60 ship models Dayton Dragons – 1:05 p.m., Day Air Ballpark. $16. See the Dragons play against the West Michigan Whitecaps. Learn more. Public Paint Party – 3 p.m., Veterans of Foreign Wars. $30. Enjoy painting a photo of Tulips on a 16-by-20-inch canvas. Learn more. Carillon Park Concert Band Performance – 3 p.m., Carillon Historical Park. Over 100 Miami Valley high school students will perform together. Learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The toothless striker who helped fire Bury FC to glory
After helping fire Bury FC to promotion ace striker DJ Pedro was all smiles. Or at least he would have been had his two front teeth not been knocked out in a match last month. DJ, who bagged 24 goals in 30 games as he helped the reformed Shakers to the North West Counties Premier Division title, lost his pearly whites after catching a stray elbow during a 7-0 victory against Liverland REMYCA. "It happened in the first five minutes," said the 21-year-old. "It was a pretty hard knock. READ MORE: Lorry driver fined £600 for driving too much READ MORE: The criminals locked up in Greater Manchester this week "I carried on playing for a bit, but I lost a lot of blood and got subbed off. After the game I went to the emergency dentist and they were like you need implants and to get it done in the UK it'll be around £2,500 each." DJ had temporary implants fitted so he could carry on playing and wore a gum shield for the rest of the season. But he says the injury left him in a lot of pain and discomfort. "I have to be very careful," he said. "I can only eat certain foods and and it's only a temporary fix so it could break." But it didn't stop him banging in the goals as Bury clocked up as remarkable run of 15 straight wins to take the title. DJ described Saturday's historic victory, which saw almost 9,000 fans turn up at Gigg Lane six years after the club was kicked out of the league and almost went out of existence, as 'absolutely incredible'. "You wouldn't get 9,000 fans at some league clubs," he said "I knew it was going to be packed but seeing it in person was just mental, especially when we lifted the trophy. "I'm not from Bury, but coming here and playing in front of these fans you quickly realise how much it means to them." And now he's finished celebrating he's trying to the raise the £5,000 needed to have dental implants fitted in time for the new season. "When it first happened all the lads were taking the Mick saying I was better-looking without them, but it's football - you can't bite back, you just have to take it," he said. "But I'm hoping to get to fixed so I can get my smile back in time for next season." You can donate to 'DJ's dental disaster' crowdfunder here.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A day that Bury will never forget
Bury FC fans are celebrating a day they will never forget after the Shakers were crowned champions following a knock-out match against Burscough. The 4-0 win will finally see the team promoted back up the football pyramid, after six 'desperate' years trying to recover from a devastating loss in Radcliffe. The club were expelled from the League in 2019 what was the darkest day in the club's 140-year history. Fans were left devastated. But after a two year push for change by supporter-led groups, the Shakers are now 'back where they belong', according to fans. Almost 9,000 supporters crowded into the stadium at Gigg Lane to watch the match. They needed just a point at home to Burscough in order to be crowned North West Counties League Premier Division champions - and came out with four killer goals and a ticket to the next League. READ MORE: Husband's gruesome act of 'pure hatred' after discovering wife's affair READ MORE: 'I couldn't ignore what I found at beauty spot - there are families here' While many fans entered with little more than cautious optimism, the atmosphere quickly turned jubilant after Aiden Walker scored a goal in the 19th minute, and another followed from Tyler James four minutes later. After two more goals in rapid succession during the second half, the crowd knew exactly where the game was headed and promptly started a mosh pit at the barriers. Storming the pitch after the final whistle was still ringing out across the stadium, fans celebrated ecstatically. Supporters of all ages sang, launched flares, chanted and danced together in the players' honours. There were tears and many, many drinks spilt. Speaking after their champions' status was officially confirmed, long-term fan Liam Murphey, 37, said: 'I'm ecstatic. I've been a fan since 1993. I was broken when we were expelled from the league, I was there when we restarted. Today has been full of emotion and it's been bloody brilliant. 'I've not seen a crowd like this for a long time. It's been worth it. Worth all the heartache to come back and see this today, fans united together to watch a team like this playing fantastic football. Get in there.' And long-term fan Rachel Lewis, 56, who attended the game with her son Aled, 29, was almost in tears as she exited the stadium. 'It's really emotional,' she said. 'Everything we've been through these last few years. It's been a long time coming.' Fans shared they were off for drinks or chippy teas in Bury and Manchester to celebrate the victory. 'I'm sure Bury will be buzzing tonight. They deserve a good night out,' Rick Ramsden, 38, said, adding that this was 'just the beginning' and he hoped to see a few more promotions in the coming years. In total, 8,719 fans crowded into the stalls at Bury today - a huge number for the ninth tier of English football. Fans' commitment have kept the club alive. And it's clear there's already a next generation of Bury loyals are also well on the way. It was three-year-old Charlie's first football game with dad, Andy, 33. "It's always been my dream to bring my own little boy to a Bury football match, and here we are!" And Hannah, 24, attended the final with four generations of her family and, 'honorarily' her out-of-town boyfriend. Hannah was 'born into' the Bury FC loyalty. "Dad had me in Shakers' stompers before I could walk," she said. And even Shakers' veterans were out in force today. Roger Lightbown, 79, has been watching Bury games since 1952. His son and carer Graham, 55, 'makes it a priority that he never misses a game' even after all these years. Whether old or young, today's game will be one the Bury FC fans won't be forgetting in a hurry.
