WAM Theatre to present online production of ‘The Thanksgiving Play’
Lenox — WAM Theatre will present an online production of “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) Thursday, Nov. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 22.
In this fast-paced satire directed by WAM associate artistic director Talya Kingston, good intentions collide with absurd assumptions as a troupe of white liberal teaching artists scramble to devise a grade-school theater performance that somehow manages to celebrate Turkey Day while also honoring Native American Heritage Month. The cast features Carissa Marie Dagenais as Alicia, Molly Parker Myers as Logan, Rylan Morsbach as Caden, and Tom Truss as Jaxton. The production also includes illustrations by Katari L. Wilson (Sicangu Lakota Nation).
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community of the Mohican Nation, the traditional stewards of the land Berkshire County sits on, will provide an introduction and cultural context to the production. As part of WAM’s ongoing anti-racism and reparations work as well as using its art as activism, it will be making a donation to the Mohican Nation.
Tickets are $15-$100. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar, or contact WAM Theatre at (413) 274-8122 or info@wamtheatre.com.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Museum’s Pajama Night to go virtual
Pittsfield — Berkshire Museum will host a virtual 24-Hour Pajama Read-A-Thon beginning Friday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m. until Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m. in celebration of literacy, community, and imagination. The event will be livestreamed on the museum’s website and Facebook page.
Throughout the 24-hour event, children and adults of all ages will tune in to hear from an all-star team of volunteer readers including educators, neighbors, public figures, and authors from near and far as they share everything from picture books to poetry, plays and selections from classic novels. Read-A-Thon Host Peter Liffers and his crew of museum educators and staff will present educational programs, share moments with favorite aquarium friends, and respond to questions all day and all night. Adults are encouraged to tune in during the late-night hours to hear readings of works by Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and others.
The 24-Hour Pajama Read-A-Thon takes the place of the museum’s annual free community Pajama Night. In the past, the event has drawn as many as 1,200 pajama-clad attendees in one night to hear from volunteer readers stationed throughout the museum’s galleries. This year, the online event will allow families and volunteers to join in the fun from the safety of their own homes and bring the joy of reading and storytelling to audiences in the Berkshires and beyond.
–E.E.
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The Mount to host NightWood outdoor immersive sound and light experience
Lenox — The Mount has teamed up with Design by Chris Bocchiaro to create NightWood, an annual sound and light experience that will transform the property into a fantastical winter landscape for the holidays. Inspired by the natural beauty and architecture of the Mount, NightWood will immerse visitors in a series of vignettes designed to evoke elements of fantasy, mystery and whimsy.
“I have always wanted to do a site-specific son et lumière, or sound and light show, on the grounds,” says Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount. “This holiday season is going to be very different from previous years, with COVID regulations in place and the need to social distance from one another. We wanted a way to bring the community together for a shared experience on the property and Chris Bocchiaro has been instrumental in showing us how we can do this in a safe and engaging way.”
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-18, and free for children 5 and under. NightWood will run Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. Admission will be limited and timed. Participants will need to wear masks and maintain 6 feet of distance from parties not in the same household. Reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, see the Berkshire Edge calendar, or contact the Mount at (413) 551-5111 or info@edithwharton.org.
–E.E.
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Shining Star holiday program helps with gift-giving
Great Barrington — Berkshire South Regional Community Center’s holiday supplemental program for families in need, Shining Star, is now accepting both gifts and applications.
Enrollment for the program is open through Friday, Nov. 20. All enrollment information is confidential. Gifts or donations for families should be dropped off at Berkshire South no later than Friday, Dec. 4. Those who prefer to stay at home this season may offer a monetary donation that will allow others to shop for them.
For more information on becoming a shopper or submitting an application, contact Ginger Alexander at (413) 528-2810 x32 or galexander@berkshiresouth.org.
–E.E.
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Spencertown Academy to offer virtual children’s music workshop
Spencertown, N.Y. — On Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m., Spencertown Academy Arts Center will present Raw Resonance live from Amsterdam teaching a creative sound and music playtime workshop for kids. During the energetic 50-minute virtual session, Raw Resonance founders Han van’t Land and Jeroen Hensel will lead participants on a journey making music together, sharing creative ideas and having fun.
Workshop leaders van’t Land and Hensel are trained music teachers specializing in interactive events for children. In addition to performing in schools and festivals, Raw Resonance has created “De Vulkaan” (“The Volcano”), a children’s music-theater project on issues of living in harmony with nature. Van’t Land also trains teachers in conflict areas working with refugee children, while Brazilian Samba percussionist Hensel is developing a program for children in Rio de Janeiro.
The workshop is free and open to the public via Zoom, and is recommended for participants ages 8 and up. Registration is required. For more information or to register, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact Spencertown Academy Arts Center at info@spencertownacademy.org.
–E.E.
