Rasputina’s ‘Unknown’ tour to Helsinki Hudson
Hudson, N.Y. — Melora Creager’s ever-evolving indie-rock cello band Rasputina returns to its hometown rock venue Club Helsinki Hudson on Thursday, October 15 at 8 p.m. as part of its “Unknown” tour named for the latest album of original material by the group, its first in six years.
The current tour reunites Creager with Carpella Parvo, one of the group’s original cellists from the mid-1990s who has been on hiatus largely due to a crippling case of carpal tunnel syndrome for which she has finally found relief. The current tour also marks the first time Rasputina is touring with Luis Mojica, a keyboardist and beatboxing vocalist also of the Hudson Valley. Originally formed as a female cello-rock trio, Rasputina has evolved over the years at the same time that hipster musical trends have caught up with Creager’s idiosyncratic creativity that anticipated styles including freak-folk, modern Victorian and Steampunk.
Rasputina released “Unknown” last April. The record is a concept album exploring Melora Creager’s trauma after her computer was hacked into. The album is only available on CD from the band’s website so, as Creager states, “conceptually… anyone who purchases it is known to me.” The entire album was recorded solo by Creager in three weeks.
See the Berkshire Edge calendar for tickets and more information or call the club at (518) 828-4800.
–E.E.
African American actor needed for staged reading
Great Barrington — Local theater director Aimee Michel is looking for an African American actor between the ages of 25-35 for a reading of an original play set in New Orleans following a hurricane. The play, “Hurricane Hotel,” is adapted from a book by the same name that was written in response to Hurricane Katrina by John K. Lawson while he and his family were displaced after losing their home in NO.
The character is Treme, a young African American man born in New Orleans who is a celebrated DJ with a powerful presence.
The reading will take place as part of the Made in the Berkshires Festival at the Unicorn Theater at the Berkshire Theater Festival in Stockbridge on Saturday October 24 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.
Please email Aimee at amichel@simons-rock.edu with any questions.
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Harvest Run to benefit BCC nursing program
Pittsfield — The Berkshire Healthcare Harvest Run will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 17 on the cross-country trails of Berkshire Community College (BCC). The event will begin with a 5K trail run including a relay race for those interested, followed by a one-mile Kids’ Race at 10:45 a.m. All proceeds from this event will benefit BCC’s nursing program.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the overall male and female 5K finishers. The top three male and female finishers in seven age categories will also be recognized. Ribbons and cider doughnuts will be awarded to all one-mile finishers. Post-race refreshments for all runners will be provided thanks to donations from many local businesses. There will be a tailgate party-inspired dish competition among affiliates of Berkshire Healthcare Systems. The public is invited to sample the tailgate entries.
Online registration is $27 for all adult racers. Race day registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at BCC’s Paterson Field House and fees will be $30 for the 5K and $10 for the one-mile race. The first 150 runners to register for the 5K will receive a free long-sleeve technical shirt. Youth T-shirts can be purchased for an additional $5.
Call (413) 236-2185 for more information.
–E.E.
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Eleventh annual North Adams Open Studios
North Adams – Residents at the Eclipse Mill Artist Lofts are pleased to open their doors once again for the 11th annual North Adams Open Studios. This two-day event will take place on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The Eclipse Mill houses dozens of professional artists as well as a number of creative businesses. Artists practice a range of disciplines, from painting and sculpture to puppeteering and lighting design. Residents’ works are displayed year-round throughout the Mill’s hallway walls, and the Eclipse Mill Gallery on the first floor presents a rotating schedule of exhibitions curated by or featuring resident artists.
–E.E.
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‘Body and Soul’ documentary examines Jewish ties to Israel
Pittsfield — On Wednesday, October 14 the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires, in collaboration with Berkshire Hills Hadassah, will screen the documentary “Body and Soul: The State of the Jewish Nation” at Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema at 7 p.m. A Q&A with the film’s producer and director, Gloria Z. Greenfield, will follow.
This film presents a comprehensive examination of the broad and deep connections between the Jewish People and the Land of Israel. World-renowned historians, archaeologists, political scientists, religious leaders, and international law and media experts trace the evolution of the more than 3,000-year-old relationship between the Jewish People and their homeland. The journey moves through antiquity to the Middle Ages and then to modernity, where the development of political Zionism catalyzed the blossoming of a new Jewish spirit.
Tickets are $7.50 general admission ($5 for Museum members) and can be purchased in advance by calling the museum box office at (413) 443-7171.
–E.E.
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Dr. Sharon Maxwell to speak on getting ready for “The Talk”
Great Barrington — The Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School (GBRSS) Parent Association presents clinical psychologist, noted lecturer, mother, and author of “The Talk,” Dr. Sharon Maxwell, on Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.
For all those who dread, procrastinate, and wonder what to say to children about growing up, Dr. Sharon Maxwell will spend an evening in the Berkshires coaching parents and other caregivers to start a conversation to help children stay healthy and responsible in an in-your-face world. With a unique ability to understand both children and parents, Dr. Maxwell helps parents think through the message they want to give their children based on their own values in addition to offering concrete ways to share those values, set safe guidelines, lay the foundation for ethical behavior, and keep the conversation going as children grow.
There is a suggested donation of $20 per person (adults only) at the door. Parents from all schools are welcome. Proceeds will benefit the GBRSS Parent Association. Call (413) 528-4015 for more information.
–E.E.
