Thursday, February 24th at 6:00pm
Registration begins February 1st

Based on the life and times of Aretha Franklin, the woman who would come to be known all over the world as the undisputed Queen of Soul, this story follows her beginnings back to when she'd first come onto the music scene as a singer in the choir at her father's church when she was a young girl growing up in Detroit. Following many difficulties in her adult life, due to bad marriages and other unwise choices, she still managed to keep contributing her natural talent to the music world, becoming one of the art's most recognizable voices, and producing songs that would be known and enjoyed by many generations. 145min/PG 13.

​We will have tables and chairs set-up just like an old fashioned dinner theater! You can bring anything from a sandwich, to sushi, to a take-out meal from your favorite restaurant.

Thursday, February 10th at 6:30
Registration begins January 15th
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Certified Silver KonMari consultant Christine Thorn of Connecticut presents an informative, in-depth and entertaining talk on Marie Kondo and the KonMari MethodTM of tidying and decluttering. Thorn will discuss the life-changing benefits of the KonMari Method's category-by-category system of tidying. How the KonMari MethodTM focuses on keeping only those items which bring joy to your life rather than focusing on what needs to be eliminated. The importance of the fundamental KonMari question: Does this spark joy? Detailed explanations of the KonMari Method's six principles and how this method can lead you on a journey of self discovery. A question-and-answer period will follow.

Thursday, February 3rd at 6:30
Registration begins January 15th
Zentangle® is a simple pathway to relaxation and inner focus.  In this workshop you’ll use tiny lines, curves and circles, in a guided pattern to create beautiful paper ‘tiles’! The Zentangle® method teaches us, just as in life, “Anything is possible, one stroke at a time.” Benefits include: calming the mind; gaining self-confidence; tapping into a need to be creative; and cultivating mindfulness.  Plus its social & fun with ENDLESS possibilities! Hosted by Debra J Mitchell.  Limited to 15 people.
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ZOOM Only Event!

Thursday, February 17th  at 6:30 via Zoom
Registration begins February 1st

Join Nora Toomey, Clinical Herbalist of True Bloom, for this deep dive into plants and holistic practices that can improve sleep! You will learn the foundations of a healthy sleep cycle, why sleep is so important for your overall health, as well as a handful of sleepy-time plants and recipes that can help you get a good night's rest! The first 20 participants to register will receive a sleepy time tea blend!

 

ZOOM Only Event!
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Nourishing the Nervous System: Herbs for Stress and Anxiety

Thursday, January 20th at 6:30 
Registration begins January 3rd
We could all use a little stress relief these days. Luckily, the plants are here to help! Join Nora Toomey, Clinical Herbalist of True Bloom, to dive deep into a handful of plants that nourish and support the nervous system. In this one-hour program, you will learn plant actions and energetics, as well as practical applications and preparations of various plants that prevent and relieve anxiety. The first 20 participants to register will receive a tea blend so you can begin your relationship to these plants and jump-start your home apothecary!

Thursday, January 27th at 6:00pm
Registration begins January 3rd
Set in the 1990s, a young woman quits college and moves from California to New York City. An aspiring writer, she hustles her way into a job with an old-school literary agency that represents the American classic writer J.D. Salinger, author of A Catcher in the Rye. Her job is strictly secretarial and involves answering the fan mail of Salinger with a boilerplate form letter. The young woman gets into big legal and ethical trouble when she decides to start skipping the form letter to compose her own answers to Salinger's fans without the author's prior approval. 101 Min/ R.

​We will have tables and chairs set-up just like an old fashioned dinner theater! You can bring anything from a sandwich, to sushi, to a take-out meal from your favorite restaurant.

Thursday, January 13th at 6:30
Registration begins January 3rd

Everything you want to be exists within you. But this doesn’t mean going it alone. In this workshop, Kara Lynch and Josh Black of Poor Me Tea will help you build your confidence and gain clarity on the strengths within you. Through tea meditation, journaling, and guided meditation we will show you how to quiet your mind and awaken your full potential so that you can become all that you desire. Return home with a clear focus on how to begin a daily meditation habit at home. Please bring: a journal (or notebook) and pen.

Thursday, January 6th at 6:30
Registration begins December 15th

Rev. Autumn Blackwood, CLC of The Untamed Priestess, LLC will be presenting an hour long program on how to build a solid mindfulness practice. During the hour Autumn will guide participants through various breathing techniques, a brief visualization, journaling prompts, and some tips and tricks on how to stick with a mindfulness routine. Learn why mindfulness and meditation work to relieve stress in this informative, casual program and add the exercises to your routine to relieve stress and tension.

Thursday, December 16th at 6:30
Registration begins December 1st

​In 1853 Charles Dickens began public readings of his most popular work, A Christmas Carol. When he ended his performances in 1870, he had read it 127 times. From December 1867 to April 1868 he performed over 400 readings on an American tour in Boston, New York, Washington DC and other East Coast cities including Hartford. A Christmas Carol was his most performed reading on this tour. Tonight Mr. Dickens will come alive again reading A Christmas Carol. It is the same shortened version of the story that Dickens performed. He removed sections for public readings so they would be about 90 minutes. Dickens was also a professional actor, so, like his, this reading will be animated and captivating. Please join us as a group of friends assembled to hear a tale told and to share in the true spirit of Christmas.
 
 
Biography:
Kenneth Noll is a professor of Microbiology at the University of Connecticut and has been performing in community theater near his home in Storrs, Connecticut for over 20 years. He recently began to portray Charles Darwin in museums, schools, community events and universities. He now also portrays Charles Dickens as a way to spread cheer and good will during the Christmas Season.

Thursday, December 9th at 6:30
Registration begins November 15th

Mae West: she shattered box office records and public sensibilities. She rocketed from Broadway to become the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. Her one-liners scandalized the censors yet made her an icon. She rescued studios from bankruptcy and created stars. Without her, Cary Grant may have remained a nobody. Meet the woman behind the wit. Who was Mae West, really?

Join us at the Torrington Library as we live stream a live performance by Martina Mathisen!