Transforming experience into art

For New York City actor Mark Lanham, it started with serving free coffee to people experiencing homelessness in Manhattan’s Union Square Park. What began as a simple Saturday-morning gesture grew into friendships, honest conversations, and a profound shift in the way he understood compassion, faith, and community. That experience eventually became “Anything Helps,” a play that asks us to look beyond stereotypes and, perhaps, simply show up.

This is our staff pick because it promises to be more than a night at the theater. It’s an opportunity to hear stories that challenge assumptions, connect with the people around us, and consider how small acts of kindness can ripple outward.

The production, part of Merryall Center’s “To the Power of One” theater series, has already earned praise for its authentic portrayal of homelessness and its message that meaningful change can begin with listening and caring. The evening also includes a post-performance talkback, extending the conversation beyond the stage and into our own community.

And there’s a particularly fitting way for audiences to carry that spirit home: attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food donation for the New Milford Food Bank.

Put this one on your calendar. Come for the theater, stay for the conversation, and leave thinking about what

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