Vera Nicolopoulos, 91; Former Mitchell’s Seamstress, WWII Survivor
Obituary, The Marblehead Reporter
Vera Nicolopoulos, who survived World War II in Germany, came to America in search of a better life, and raised two children as a single mother, passed away at the Lafayette Nursing Home on June 13, 2021, just short of her 92nd birthday. She was a strong and brave woman who faced adversity with determination and good humor and was an inspiration to all who knew her.
She was born Vera Helene Martha Thomas on June 18, 1929, the only child of Arnhold and Helene Thomas. Her father was a blacksmith who died during the war, circumstances unknown, while on medical leave in Berlin. She and her mother lived in Berlin throughout the war, surviving numerous bombing raids and the Berlin Blockade which led to severe food shortages in the city.
After the war, Vera completed a three-year apprenticeship in dressmaking and emigrated with her four-year-old daughter, Petra, to join her husband in Stamford, Connecticut, where he had accepted a position as an engineer. In an effort to better acclimate to life in the U.S., she sent her daughter back to Berlin to live with her mother so she could go to night school to learn English and eventually get a job working as a pattern maker for Vogue Patterns.
After her first marriage ended and Conde Nast Publications, Vogues parent company, moved to New York City, she worked as a seamstress for several clothing stores, including H. Frankel & Sons in Stamford and Mitchell's in Westport. While she would have had greater job opportunities in New York, she decided that a big city was no place to raise a child.
In 1968, she married Peter Nicolopoulos, who had recently emigrated from Greece, and they later had a son, Christos, when she was 41 years old. She and her second husband lived in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Clearwater, Florida, until their divorce in 1982. She continued to live in Norwalk where she was a member of the Calvary Baptist Church in Darien and the Quartette Club Singers, a traditional German singing group.
In 2014, she and her son moved to Marblehead to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law, and she became a member of Grace Community Church. She lived independently with her son on Summer Street and then with her daughter and son-in-law before entering the Lafayette in 2018.
Vera is survived by her daughter, Petra Langer, and her son, Christos Nicolopoulos, both of Marblehead; her son-in-law, Phil Axten; her two grandchildren, Simon Axten, and his wife, Sarah Benrath, of Bend, Oregon, and Karen Axten, and her partner, Aaron Johnson, of Boston; and four great-grandchildren, Lucy, George, Frederick, and Alistair.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to Grace Community Church, 17 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. For upcoming service information, or to share a memory or offer online condolences to the family, please visit eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com.
Westport Country Playhouse Celebrates 90th Anniversary on June 29th as Futuristic Virtual Production Debuts
Photo by Wells StudioNinety years ago on June 29, 1931, Westport Country Playhouse opened its doors to its very first stage production. This year, on the exact same day, the Playhouse will mark its 90th anniversary with the opening of the virtual production, “Tiny House,” written by Michael Gotch, and directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. The regional premiere of the timely comedy about escaping urban life in an isolated mountain paradise will stream on demand from Tuesday, June 29 through Sunday, July 18.
“I love the coincidence of June 29!,” said Lamos. “As we honor the Playhouse’s remarkable 90-year history, we also look forward to new artistic choices that speak to the world today.”
In the early 1800s, the building that would become Westport Country Playhouse was built as a tannery, manufacturing hatters’ leathers. In the 1920s, in what was then the outskirts of Westport, it stood as an abandoned barn. That barn was transformed into the “Country Playhouse” in 1931 by Lawrence Langner and his wife Armina Marshall, residents of Weston, Connecticut, and producers with Broadway’s Theatre Guild. Their first Playhouse production, “The Streets of New York,” opened on June 29, 1931. The Langners ran the Playhouse first as a Broadway try-out house, then as a summer theater, bringing to its stage many of the most celebrated names in entertainment of the era.
In 1959, the Langners turned over operation to James B. McKenzie, who held the title of executive producer for most of his 41 seasons with the Playhouse. In the 1960s, McKenzie became the originator of a new business called star packages, rehearsing 10 plays in New York every June, and sending them to 10 different summer theaters. The Playhouse was an established stop on the New England straw-hat circuit of summer stock theaters through the end of the 20th century.
In 2000, acclaimed actress and director, and long-time Westport resident Joanne Woodward took the helm, along with theater veteran Anne Keefe. After a multi-million dollar renovation in 2005, the Playhouse emerged as a year-round, state-of-the-art producing theater, preserving its original charm.
Mark Lamos, prominent director of theater and opera, is currently in his 13th season as Playhouse artistic director. During his tenure, the Playhouse was named “Theater Company of the Year” by The Wall Street Journal.
Among the over 800 productions staged at the Playhouse, some have made the leap from Westport to theatrical history. In 1940, after seeing a performance of the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” at the Playhouse, Richard Rodgers was inspired to write “Oklahoma!” with Oscar Hammerstein II, based on the play. Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe saw “Pygmalion” at the Playhouse in 1952, sparking them to transform it into the musical “My Fair Lady.” In 1949, the world premiere of “Come Back, Little Sheba,” starring Shirley Booth, transferred from the Playhouse to Broadway, earning Booth a Tony Award. Another Broadway transfer in 1969, “Butterflies Are Free” with Blythe Danner and Keir Dullea, garnered a Tony for Danner. A revival of “Our Town,” with Paul Newman in 2002, went from a sold-out run at the Playhouse to Broadway and was filmed for Showtime and PBS.
Today, celebrating 90 years, Westport Country Playhouse is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, professional, regional theater, and a landmark on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places.
In addition to “Tiny House,” the Playhouse’s 2021 season includes “Doubt: A Parable,” the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, from November 2 through November 21. Two HD video productions from the Playhouse archives will stream on-demand, beginning with the musical, “Man of La Mancha” (2018), from August 23 through September 5, and another TBA, from September 13 through 26. All 2021 Playhouse events are listed at: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/whats-on/. All dates, titles, artists, and formats subject to change.
2021 Season Sponsor is the Eunice and David Bigelow Foundation. 2021 Season Media Sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio.
Due to the global pandemic, the indoor portions of the Playhouse campus remain closed since March 2020. As the Playhouse resumes its in-person events, beginning on June 26 with “Cabaret in the Robards,” Covid-19 health and safety protocols, including capacity restrictions and mask-wearing, will be observed.
More information and virtual tickets for “Tiny House” at: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/tinyhouse/ or visit westportplayhouse.org, call (203) 227-4177, or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
Westporter Christine Taylor Earns All-American Lacrosse Honor as Trinity College Junior
Trinity College Release
Trinity College photo
Trinity College women's lacrosse senior tri-captain Katrina Angelucci (Weston, Mass.) and junior Anna Costello (Milton, Mass.) were each named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) 2021 Division III All-American Third Team. Both Bantams, along with Trinity junior Christine Taylor (Westport, Conn.) were selected for the IWLCA Division III All-Berkshire Region First Team, while senior tri-captain Marcella Flibotte (Cohasset, Mass.) and classmate Sydney Bell (Falmouth, Maine) each graced the IWLCA All-Region Second Team.
Angelucci, Flibotte, and Costello were also chosen for the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference First Team, and Taylor and junior Gabriella Young (Raleigh, N.C.) made the All-NESCAC Second Team. Trinity, coached by Katy Dissinger (8th Season), finished the 2021 season with a 3-4 record and in third place in the NESCAC West Division. The Bantams' five All-NESCAC selections were the most in the conference.
Angelucci enjoyed an exceptional ending to her career, collecting 13 goals (2nd on team, 10th in NESCAC) including two hat tricks and a season-best six goals against nationally-ranked Wesleyan. Angelucci registered a team-high three free-position goals and added eight ground balls, 11 draw controls (3rd on team) and six caused turnovers. An IWLCA National Player of the Week during 2020's pandemic-shortened season, the versatile scorer played attacker and midfielder for the Bantams. A graduate of Weston High School, Angelucci is majoring in biology at Trinity. She is the daughter of Linda and Dante Angelucci.
Anna Costello anchored Trinity's defense in 2021, finishing with a team-high 17 caused turnovers (3rd in NESCAC) and 13 ground balls (2nd on team). A starter since her rookie spring, Costello was an IWLCA All-Region Second Team honoree in 2019 and a NESCAC All-Academic selection in 2020. A graduate of Thayer Academy, Costello is majoring in political science at Trinity. She is the daughter of Gina and Frank Costello.
Taylor led the Bantams in goals with 14 (9th in NESCAC) and scoring with 22 points (7th in NESCAC) and second on the squad with eight assists (6th in NESCAC) as an attacker this spring. She scored one game-winning goals, twice on free positions, and added four caused turnovers. A graduate of Staples High School, Taylor is majoring in economics at Trinity. She is the daughter of Meghan and Timothy Taylor.
Flibotte filled up the stat sheet from the midfield position throughout her career, finishing with eight goals, including three in a 10-5 win over nationally-ranked Hamilton, and two assists for 10 points. She paced the Bantams in both draw controls with 20 (10th in NESCAC) and ground balls with 14 to go with five caused turnovers. A graduate of the Groton School, Flibotte is majoring in political science at Trinity. She is the daughter of Lucia and Mark Flibotte.
Bell started every game, sliding back seamlessly from midfield to defense in her final season. She totaled seven ground balls and nine caused turnovers (2nd on team) and graced the NESCAC All-Academic Team in 2020. A graduate of Falmouth High School, Bell is majoring in public policy & law at Trinity. She is the daughter of Denise and Kirt Bell.
Young, Trinity's starting goalkeeper since her rookie season, finished second in the conference in save percentage (.594), GAA (8.06), and third in saves (60), including four games with double-digit stop, while going 3-2 in six games and 305 minutes of play. A graduate of Cardinal Gibbons High Schoo, Young is majoring in psychology at Trinity. She is the daughter of Maria and Mike Young.
Westport Wrecking Ball: 6 Bradley Street, Built in 1925
An application to demolish 6 Bradley Street has been filed and will go before the Westport Historic Commission for further discussion. The 96 year old Compo Beach neighborhood home was last sold in January for 1.5 million to Goldan Homes, LLC, and was previously owned by Thomas “Big Red” Leyden and his wife, Rita. Mr. Leyden passed away in July 2020 at 82 years old.