PORTSMOUTH – The Players’ Ring Theatre is no stranger to introducing thought-provoking performances during its Mainstage season. 
 
Now, the historic venue on Prescott Park, known for its high quality, stirring theatre productions, is transforming its lobby into an art exhibition space in collaboration with artist Molly C. Meng. The exhibit - titled “Strangely Fantastic” - begins with a preview night on Oct. 22 and will be on display until the end of the Mainstage season in June 2026.
 
This is the second time the Ring has held an art exhibition, said Executive Director Margherita Giacobbi. The first time was in 2022, when during the production of “Pain[t]” – a play about an artist who is no longer able to create because of a physical injury – the Ring invited Darlene Furbush Ouellett to exhibit some of her pieces.
 
“This collaboration came to existence because of a marvelous trail of connections between humans – the short version is that Margherita heard me speak at Leadership Seacoast in the Spring, about being a ‘working artist’ and saw images of the artwork I make,” Meng, who lives and works in Portsmouth, said.  
 
“Someone asked me in the Q&A what I thought of the art scene in Portsmouth and I responded that I didn’t know because I’m not actually ‘in’ the scene. Margherita ran up to me as I was leaving the building and said, ‘I’d like to change that!’ She asked if I’d be interested in exhibiting in the lobby of the Players’ Ring. An immediate ‘yes’ from me.”
 
Meng had never been to the Ring before but, after meeting Giacobbi, she jumped right into researching.
 
“I now know a lot about the theater, right down to the number of seats!  As soon as I walked in, I loved it, I knew I was in the presence of old history – you can feel it in the brick walls. So, I immediately hopped over to the archives at the public library to research what had been there (a pipe fitting shop once), who had been there (back to the Abenaki Tribe), and the history of that specific Puddle Dock/Strawbery Banke area, which influenced my work massively.”
 
The show, “Strangely Fantastic” describes the feeling, or experience, I hope others have while, or after, viewing the work, Meng said.
 
“My goal in creating and showing this work is that the energy of each piece, the intention behind it, can shine through, because so many of the ‘important’ details are actually hidden – besides the way that I specifically ‘hide’ them, they also reside in the back story, or the long game, or somewhere maybe I’ll never even know about – and that’s why I love using vintage materials. There’s an entire story inside this thing before I ever found it! …I also want people to just be able to experience the work however it comes to them, in the moment they’re in.”  
 
Giacobbi also remembers listening to Molly’s presentation while waiting for her turn to join a panel discussion during the Arts & Culture day of Leadership Seacoast. 
 
“I immediately felt the urge to connect,” she said. “We chatted, I invited her to visit the theatre, and she was instantly smitten. We both agreed it would be wonderful to feature some of her work in our lobby.”
What Giacobbi didn’t expect was that Meng would embark on creating an entirely new body of work inspired by the Ring itself.

“And the results are extraordinary,” Giacobbi said. “Molly’s art is all about layered storytelling, precious yet sometimes disregarded materials and moments, which makes it absolutely perfect for a theatrical space like ours.”

For years, the Ring’s lobby proudly displayed paintings by its founder, Gary Newton, a prolific artist whose spirit still fills the space. 

“But inviting new artists to exhibit here feels like a natural evolution of our mission: to uplift and celebrate creators of all kinds. We’ve long done that for theatre-makers—why not open the door to visual artists as well?” Giacobbi said.
Artwork will be for sale benefitting both the artist and the Ring. 
 
To discover more about Molly C. Meng, visit https://www.mollycmeng.com/