Newtown Musician & Resident Featured—

‘The Road Taken… The Merritt Parkway’ Screening Planned

STAMFORD — The Avon Theater will present a special screening of The Road Taken…The Merritt Parkway, a new half-hour documentary by Westport filmmaker Lisa Seidenberg, on Wednesday, December 10. Mixing historical information, personal anecdotes and rarely seen footage from Connecticut’s past, the 30-minute film looks at the Merritt as an artistic work from the unique bridges and landscaping to those twists and turns that give the road its character.

The screening will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10, $7 students and seniors ($6 members). A post-film panel discussion will include Ms Seidenberg; Renee Kahn, director of the Historic Preservation Program; and Christopher Wigren, deputy director of the CT Trust for Historic Presentation and co-author of the National Register nomination for the Merritt Parkway.

First opened in 1938, the Parkway has been celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Often called the “Queen of Parkways,” the Merritt is celebrated through an inclusive and surprising cast of characters ranges from architectural historians to humorist Alan Abel, as well as former DOT Commissioner Emil Frankel, and a relative of Stamford Congressman Schuyler Merritt, for whom the parkway is named. The Lakeside Diner makes an appearance, too.

Also included in the large cast of characters is  Newtown resident Susan Washburn. Original music by Danny Jovanelly, another Newtown resident, was included in the film.

While working on the film, Lisa Seidenberg visited Ms Washburn after learning that the Newtown resident had done two paintings depicting the parkway.

“I used to drive on the Parkway to Silvermine College of Art and also afterwards to the Silvermine Guild of Arts just about every day, so the Merritt Parkway became part of my frame of reference,” said Ms Washburn. “I couldn’t help but include it in my creative works a little. She asked me … about the paintings and a little of how they related to my experience driding on the Merritt Parkway over the years.

“I do love the bridges and I saw turkeys this past Thanksgiving Day even, sitting on top of a stone wall happily along the parkway as I was driving to my parents’ in Stamford for Thanksgiving dinner,” continued Ms Washburn, whose company, AAAbility Art/Music Company, has volunteered its services to projects such as The Merritt Parkway Conservancy “because we love the architecture of the bridges. The idea of the road is and was to have trees and landscape and a beautiful place on which to travel,” said Ms Washburn.

Some of the music for the documentary was created by Danny Jovanelly, a friend and partner of Ms Washburn who was recommended to Ms Seidenberg once the director mentioned she was still looking for music for the movie. Mr Jovanelly composed two works toward the film’s score, one of which Ms Seidenberg selected.

“She was looking for something moody but not depressing,” said Ms Washburn. “Danny wrote something that sort of epitomized the feeling of someone driving on the Merritt Parkway.”

Lisa Seidenberg did The Road Taken… The Merritt Parkway, said Ms Washburn, “to help the people who want the Merritt Parkway to stay as it is: a two lane highway with beautiful trees and rock outcroppings and brooks on either side.”

A Connecticut native, Ms Seidenberg is an award-winning videographer and documentary filmmaker with 20 years of experience shooting in international news and promotional, legal, and educational programs. She has worked for ABC News, CNN, Reuters, among others in Southeast Asia, Russia, the Middle East, Mongolia, China, and Haiti. Her feature, Pledge of Allegiance Blues, which was shown at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

The Road Taken… The Merritt Parkway was supported by the Connecticut Commission for Culture and Tourism and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy.

The theater is at 242 Bedford Street; call 203-967-3660 or visit AvonTheatre.org for directions and additional information.