Life and Labor Weekends kick off at The House of the Seven Gables

SALEM ? From Friday, May 5, through Sunday, May 7, visitors are invited to join the staff of The House of the Seven Gables for a weekend of expanded programming to commemorate four centuries of life and labor on its National Historic Landmark museum campus. Visitors may view a dramatic performance of ?I am Joan Sullivan,? explore The Gables? new exhibition, take part in Living History Lab activities and view a butter-making demonstration. Opening night performances of ?I am Joan Sullivan: A Theatrical Experience? kick off Life and Labor Weekends ? a months-long tribute to 350 years of historic enterprise at The Gables. Snacks and a cash bar are available. Show times are Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, at 6, 7 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 7, at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Advance tickets start at $15 for general admission ($10 for members) and are available at www.7Gables.org. The theatrical performance, ?I am Joan Sullivan: A Theatrical Experience,? introduces visitors to Joan Sullivan, a former Irish Catholic indentured servant of merchant John Turner and her new master, the intimidating and vitriolic Quaker merchant Thomas Maule. Turner built The Gables, known then as the Turner Mansion, in 1668. ?I am Joan Sullivan? is dramatic and entertaining, full of tumult and suspense. Performances are held in the Hooper-Hathaway House, on the museum?s campus. Life and Labor Weekends are scheduled for the first weekend of every month through October as part of The Gables? year-long recognition and exploration of daily life and work beginning when the historic house was built in 1668. The museum?s thematically related exhibition, ?Life and Labor Over Four Centuries at The House of the Seven Gables,? is open during regular operating hours and free with admission. Visitors explore the history of work through special objects from the collections and archives, an interactive music kiosk and historic documents. During Life and Labor Weekends, families are welcome to take part in hands-on history in The Gables? signature Living History Labs programming. Living History Labs take place on May 6 and 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Education staff teach lessons on wool carding, seventeenth-century food, nautical life and settlement house activities. On Sunday, there will be a butter making demonstration from 2 to 4 p.m. Family activities are included with general admission to the site. The House of the Seven Gables is located at 115 Derby Street in Salem, Mass. For rates, hours and more information visit www.7Gables.org. About The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association The mission of The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is to preserve The Gables? National Historic Landmark and leverage its power as an icon of American culture to engage diverse audiences and provide education opportunities for the local immigrant community. For more information visit www.7gables.org. This year The House of the Seven Gables explores life and labor over four centuries on the historic museum campus. Special programming includes an interactive exhibition, lectures, conversations and family programming. All programs are designed to share the history of work using The House of the Seven Gables as a model for both ordinary and extraordinary jobs. Website event page: http://www.7gables.org/event/i-am-joan-sullivan-a-theatrical-experience/ Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1309838282414799/