‘Way Down East’ screening to mark Silent Movie Day
GREENFIELD — To mark National Silent Movie Day on Monday, Sept. 29, the Garden Cinemas at 361 Main St. will screen “Way Down East” (1920) at 6:30 p.m.
Live musical scoring will be provided by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based composer who specializes in creating scores for silent films.
The movie, a melodrama directed by D.W. Griffith, is set in old-time rural New England, and was partly filmed on location in New Hampshire and Vermont. Lillian Gish stars as a poor country girl who travels to Boston to visit her rich relatives in hopes of getting financial help. While there, she’s romanced by a rich womanizer (Lowell Sherman) who takes advantage of her innocence by tricking her into bed with a fake marriage ceremony. Convinced she’s found the husband of her dreams, Gish returns home to the country, only to be abandoned. She informs her faux husband she’s pregnant; he orders her to get an abortion. Instead, Gish goes into exile to have the baby, finds herself persecuted for giving birth out of wedlock and flees into the rural countryside to seek refuge.
Rapsis specializes in creating music that bridges the gap between an older film and the expectations of modern audiences. Using a digital synthesizer that recreates the texture of a full orchestra, he improvises scores in real time as a movie unfolds.
“It’s kind of a high-wire act, but it helps create an emotional energy that’s part of the silent film experience,” Rapsis said in a statement. “Films such as ‘Way Down East’ were created to be shown on the big screen to large audiences as a communal experience. With an audience and live music, silent films come to life in the way their makers intended. Not only are they entertaining, but they give today’s audiences a chance to understand what caused people to first fall in love with the movies.”
Admission is $10.50 for adults or $8.50 for children, seniors and students. Tickets are available at gardencinemas.net or at the door.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital hires new chief nursing officer
NORTHAMPTON — Chika Anueyiagu has been chosen as chief nursing officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital following an extensive search.
As chief nursing officer, Anueyiagu will partner with Dr. Sunny Shukla, associate chief medical officer, and the entire Cooley Dickinson team to advance quality, safety, patient experience, and the practice environment for providers and clinical staff.
With more than 20 years of experience in nursing leadership, Anueyiagu most recently served as director of nursing/patient services at Yale New Haven Hospital. She is a published author and has presented her work at both local and national platforms.
Anueyiagu began her nursing career as a certified nursing assistant, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the State University of New York, followed by her doctorate in nursing practice from Fairfield University. She earned her Nurse Executive Board Certification (NE-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She has completed the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) Director Fellowship and received the AONL Certification in Executive Nursing Practice. Additionally, she is a certified trainer with the Academy for Communication in Healthcare.
“We are delighted that Chika has joined the CDH team to lead nursing and patient care services,” Kevin Whitney, president and chief operating officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, said in a statement. “She is an exceptional leader who brings decades of experience and impressive outcomes to this role. We look forward to her leadership and the continued efforts of the entire team to best support our patients, families and community.”
