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Vol. 90 No. 15
APRIl 10 - 16, 2025
129717 3423 1226
Page 3 $1.00
Retiree carves a new artistic life for himself watching instructional videos on YouTube, and believe it or not, that’s how I learned.” A longtime user of the recreAfter working more than five decades in science educa- ation center’s pool and gym facilities — “maybe 20 years,” tion, Jeffrey Herschenhous, of Mer rick, didn’t slow down he estimates — Herschenhous when he retired three years ago would often stop into the Art Alcove to view the — he picked up a works on display. carving tool and But it was his deep, started sculpting. intuitive passion for About 30 of his wooden sculpture intricate wooden that eventually creations are now drew him in as a on display at the featured artist. Freeport Recreation Herschenhous Center’s Art Alcove began carving with for the month of a simple knife, but April, a source of transitioned to pride not only for using specialized Herschenhous, 81, power tools, includbut also for his wife, JEFFREy ing a high-speed S u s a n , a n d t h e HERsCHENHous rotary tool called a Free por t-Mer rick retired science Dremel —commoncommunities that director ly used by jewelers have watched him and dental technigrow into this next cians for detailed carving and chapter of his life. “I was a science director in etching work. The transfor mation from public schools, and I taught biology as well,” Herschenhous biology teacher to artist was said. “And then I finally retired, sparked just three years ago, after he left his final teaching and I’m the kind of guy who, if I’m interested in something, I role at the Allen-Stevenson just go out and learn about it. School in Manhattan. “I figured I could teach a few So I always wanted to be able to carve and sculpt things, and I more years, not being adminisstarted to try this, and I started Continued on page 9
By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ
mrafiq@liherald.com
I
Tim Baker/Herald
arianna Saccomanno, as addaperle, and Kristana Valentino, as her assistant, Sabrina, matched flair with comedic timing.
Woodward Center presents remake classic ‘The Wiz’ By MoHAMMAD RAFIQ mrafiq@liherald.com
In a colorful, energetic and emotional staging of “The Wiz,” students at Woodward Children’s Center brought down the house last week, presenting the musical in what codirectors Matthew Heller and Jonathan Kaplan called their best show yet. “This is our fifth show that we’ve put on here at Woodward,” said Heller, who created the school’s musical theater program five years ago, during the pandemic shutdown. “I started as an English teacher, and I have a background in music education, so once this
program got started, it just kind of fell into my lap as a natural fit.” The cast included 19 students, and eight more worked on the stage crew, all of them high school age, ranging from 14 to 21. Many of them deal with social and emotional challenges. For Heller and Kaplan, that made their performances all the more powerful. “The music in ‘The Wiz’ is a lot more fun and funky,” Heller explained, noting that after four years of Disney-centric musicals, he wanted something “fun and upbeat” but also unfamiliar and challenging for the stuContinued on page 10
’m the kind of guy who, if I’m interested in something, I just go out and learn about it.