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Ben Franklin returns

Bill Meikle as Ben Franklin

As the 300th anniversary of his birth approaches in January, Benjamin Franklin will visit Nantucket – the place of his mother’s birth. In two performances of “Franklin Alive!,” Boston area actor Bill Meikle will regale audiences with story and song about the man George Washington called the “father of our country.”

Meikle won an Emmy Award for video performances as Franklin on public broadcasting in the 1990s and has made a career of playing him for 25 years. Franklin’s mother Abiah Folger, daughter of early Nantucket settler Peter Folger, was born on Nantucket in 1667 and became the second wife of Franklin’s father Josiah in 1690.

Performances are in the basement of the Methodist Church on Centre Street on Friday, Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door. Get them in advance by calling 228-1515.

Find humor in the holidays

The comedy duo Gould & Stearns performs “Simple Gifts,” a funny examination of winter holiday traditions, on Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1:30 p.m. at the Nantucket Atheneum. Admission is free.

John Knox-Johnston reads “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” The Independent file

In a one-hour show, the audience finds two touring performers, passing a lonely December night on the road, far from home and family, in yet another cheap motel. “Simple Gifts” is family entertainment, including all original Gould & Stearns stories, physical comedy and songs. Called “Vermont’s Clown Jewels,” Peter Gould and Stephen Stearns met in 1976 at the dump in Brattleboro, Vt. They took to the stage as a duo in 1980 to standing room only houses and extended runs.

Together, they have created 11 shows and plays spanning 18 years. Free tickets for the performances are available in the Weezie Library beginning Saturday, Nov. 26.

On stage with TWN Theatre Workshop of Nantucket is offering a

variety of stress-free entertainment for the holidays, including “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley” (see related story). Performances are every Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 1 – 17 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11.

A TWN Christmas tradition for many years is the reading by veteran actor John Knox-Johnston of Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” reminiscences from a child’s-eye-view of the duties, delicacies and delights of old Christmas. Two more free performances will take place in the performance center upstairs in the Methodist Church on Dec. 2 and 3 at 5:30 p.m.

TWN will host its Victorian Tea on Dec. 11, at the Jared Coffin House. At this fundraising event, patrons enjoy tea, scones, sandwiches and dessert served by actors in Victorian dress from the theatre’s extensive costume collection. Bob Lehman and friends perform Christmas carols, as well as do the Accidentals and the Naturals. Door prizes. Tickets are $25. This event sells out fast and can be reserved by calling Gina MacVicar at 228-3474.

Lighten up

The Nantucket Historical Association’s 12th annual Festival of Trees opens to the public on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St.

The festival features 81 trees decorated by community members, nonprofit organizations and school children. It will be open through Dec. 19 with the following hours: Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is $15 for adults; $5 for Nantucket residents with a valid driver’s license; and free for children and NHA members. The Whaling Museum is handicap accessible. Art in the evening On

On Friday, Dec. 2, portraitist Ted Seth Jacobs is demonstrating his craft from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Brigham Galleries, upstairs at 50 Main St. A Stroll Weekend open house at the Galleries is Saturday, Dec. 3 is from 4 to 7 p.m. after the caroling.

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