PS21 announces 2022 season lineup
CHATHAM, N.Y. — PS21’s 2022 season will include expanded community programming for residents of Columbia County, U.S. company debuts, world and North American premieres, international artists, and performances of work developed in PS21’s growing artists’ residency program. The season features more than 50 events — in the theater, fields, and along the trails — by a constellation of celebrated and emerging dancers and choreographers, musicians and singers, actors, directors, and international street artist. The expanded PS21 Pathways program, at its largest and most ambitious, is still free of charge to the community. Tickets can be purchased here.
International Dance
- From Lagos, Nigeria: Re:INCARNATION, by QDance, an ode to the richness of Nigerian culture, celebrating the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and Africa’s powers of reinvention in a show that draws on Afrobeats, Afro dances, and Black aesthetics
- From Israel: One. One & One, by Vertigo Dance Company, an entrancing piece about our yearning for wholeness and spiritual connection to the natural world, and the tension between the competing desires for independence and connection
International Theater
- Farm Fatale, “a theater of post-apocalyptic deceleration” by French director and visual artist Philippe Quesne, where following an environmental collapse, the sole survivors, five scarecrows, embrace new roles as dreamers, poets, and activists in a quest for a kinder, less destructive future
- “And So You See . . .” by Robyn Orlin (South Africa), political cabaret performed by Albert Khoza, exuberant, baroque, and entertaining, both scathing and enthralling. A jubilant purge, a reinvention of Africa’s relationship with the West.
- The Legend of the Waitress and the Robber, the groundbreaking creative collaboration between Concrete Temple Theatre, Seoul, Korea-based Playfactory Mabangzen, and Yellowbomb, in partnership with Korean Cultural Center NY. Developed in residency and premiering at PS21.
PS21 House Blend
PS21’s Modern Music series, brewed with audiences in mind. House Blend programs, featuring celebrated soloists and ensembles, marry classic virtuosity with contemporary ingenuity. This season includes the world premiere of “I am the utterance of my name,” a music-theater piece by composer-percussionist Nathan Davis, and Bang on a Can performing Michael Gordon’s “Field of Vision,” a large-scale, site-specific work for 48 percussionists.
Global Music
- Xenia Franca from Bahia Brazil, a 2018 Latin Grammy nominee
- Vox Sambou, a Montreal based hip-hip collective, that focuses on the traditional rhythms of Haiti mixed with elements of Afrobeat, jazz, reggae, and hip-hop
PS21/Chatham Pathways
Free and affordable performances, classes, workshops, and encounters; community programs tailored to the area’s permanent residents. Pathways: Blazing Trails for a Sustainable Future is a staple of PS21’s annual community programming and central to its mission. Pathways’ season-long series of art installations, participatory theater, educational workshops, and processional arts are offered to the community free of charge.
Unfolding dramaturgies of the Anthropocene and beyond
- 2022’s expansive programming includes Philippe Quesne’s ecological fable Farm Fatale; C’est pas là, c’est par là (It’s Not That Way, It’s This Way!) by Compagnie Galmae, an outdoor participatory theater installation by Juhyung Lee, a South Korean artist based in France; and Bang on a Can performing Michael Gordon’s Field of Vision, a large-scale, site-specific work for 48 percussionists
- Movement without Borders: May–September: Yoga, Pilates, and Dance with Hudson Valley-based theater makers and Master Classes with visiting artists and other performers throughout the summer
- “Free on Friday!” Programs for Young People: PS21’s annual series of Friday afternoon performances and workshops by visiting companies, tailored for kids and their families, as well as other Immersive Workshops, Classes, and Encounters with the Arts and Nature
- The Pathways initiative targets communities in Columbia County, providing access to cultural resources they otherwise lack and creating distinctive programming that forges connections between local cultures and the larger world
Residencies
- The Legend of the Waitress and the Robber, Concrete Temple Theatre, Playfactory Mabangzen and Yellowbomb (South Korea) at PS21, May 1–23, world premiere May, 21 and 22
- QDance (Lagos, Nigeria) perform Re:INCARNATION and engage in community based initiatives, May 30–June 6
- Mark Morris Dance Group, works from the company’s classical repertoire, a premiere, and in residency, August 1–6
- Jamal Jackson Dance Company members working with students of Hudson-based youth service organizations to create dances and percussion compositions based on dama, the masked dance rituals practiced by the Dogon people of Mali and Burkina Faso, August 7–14
- Berkshire Opera Festival in a weeklong technical development residency for Three Decembrists by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, July 17–23. New York premiere at PS21, July 21 & 23
- Composer-percussionist Nathan Davis, actor-playwright Sylvia Milo, and choreographer Joanna Kotze, developing “I am the utterance of my name,” March 14–18 and July 8–10, world premiere, July 10
- Paul Taylor Dance Company rehearsing and performing works from its repertory of modern classics, August 21–25
—A.K.
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Williamstown Theatre Festival announces 2022 season
WILLIAMSTOWN — The 2022 Williamstown Theatre Festival season promises laughs, singing, and introspection, including a thrilling new suspense comedy, a disarmingly personal and intimate WTF-commissioned world premiere play, and a musical concert event celebrating Frank Loesser’s score from “The Most Happy Fella,” retold with new orchestrations.
Advance single ticket reservations for the 2022 Festival go on sale April 18, but you can secure your place now and save up to 20% by purchasing a Season Ticket Bundle that includes all three shows.
Most Happy in Concert
Main Stage, July 13–August 7
Songs from Frank Loesser’s “The Most Happy Fella”
In association with the Fisher Center at Bard College
The Main Stage bursts back to life as 12 musicians and seven female-identifying and non-binary performers discover anew the magnificent score for “The Most Happy Fella” by Frank Loesser (“Guys and Dolls”). Conceived and directed by Daniel Fish (director of the Tony Award-winning revival of “Oklahoma!”) and choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (MacArthur Fellow and founder of Urban Bush Women), “Most Happy in Concert” draws on a broad range of musical genres, reinvigorating the musical concert form.
Man of God
Nikos Stage, July 5–16
Written Anna Ouyang Moench
Directed by Maggie Burrows
In association with Geffen Playhouse
Chaos ensues when four teenage girls on a mission trip to Bangkok discover a camera hidden by their pastor in their hotel bathroom. Do they leave it to God or take matters into their own hands? The pressure builds quickly in this suspenseful comedy that interrogates justice, privacy, religion, the patriarchy, and who you follow on Instagram. Juxtaposing girl power with teen angst, the girls’ ideals emerge as they discover what it takes to fight back.
we are continuous
Nikos Stage, August 2–14
Written by Harrison David Rivers
Simon and his mother, Ora, have always been close. She’s been his champion, his defender, and his friend. But when a life-changing secret comes to light, can their bond survive? 2020 WTF Foeller Fellow Tyler Thomas directs this exquisitely-wrought WTF-commissioned play by Harrison David Rivers (“Where Storms are Born”) that explores how people can change and love can evolve.
Additional programming and events, as well as complete casting and creative team information will be announced at a later date.
—A.K.
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Bennington Museum season-opening celebration to be held April 2
BENNINGTON, Vt. — Bennington Museum announces that this year’s Arnold Ricks Award will be presented to Michele and John Pagán, Museum members and residents of East Dorset, Vermont. In May of 2021, the Pagáns made a $25,000 gift to the Museum’s permanent endowment, creating a fund that would provide paid summer internship opportunities for Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and Southwest Tech students. Their gift spurred a matching memorial contribution and a flood of other support for this youth development opportunity.
The Museum hosted its first intern last summer, Anna Hogan, of Mount Anthony Union High School and the Southwest Technical School. Applications for this summer close April 15. The Pagáns’ goal is to grow this endowment to $125,000 so the Museum can fully support two intern positions each summer.
The Museum will present the award to the Pagáns at its annual spring party on Saturday, April 2, from 4–6 p.m. The evening will include the opening of the “Parks & Recreation” exhibition with a curator-led tour, music by the Jeff McRae trio, beverages, and passed appetizers by Spice Root. All ticket proceeds are fully tax deductible and will be applied to the Curatorial Internship Fund.
—A.K.
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Clark Art’s next First Sunday Free is April 3
WILLIAMSTOWN — The Clark Art Institute’s popular First Sunday Free program continues Sunday, April 3, with free admission to the galleries and special exhibitions from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., along with a series of special activities. April’s theme is “photography.” A pop-up installation of early photography will be on view in the Manton Study Center for Works on Paper, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., art-making will take place in the Clark Center’s lower lobby from 1–4 p.m., and a guided hike from 2:30–4 p.m. will explain best practices for photographing nature.
Visitors can also see the Clark’s current special exhibition, “As They Saw It: Artists Witnessing War,” which examines the role artists played in documenting the events and experiences of war over four centuries (1520–1920). Veterans, active-duty military members, and their families receive daily free admission to the Clark through the run of the exhibition.
Also on view is a year-long installation of contemporary works by artist Tomm El-Saieh, “Imaginary City,” the latest offering in the Clark’s ongoing presentation of contemporary art in public spaces.
Additionally, the Clark’s full permanent collection is on view, featuring an array of works by artists including John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Berthe Morisot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas. The Clark’s grounds, which are always open free of charge, provide miles of walking trails traversing meadows and woodlands.
While admission to the galleries is free to all visitors on April 3, advance registration is strongly recommended. All visitors age 5 and older must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination at entry and must wear face masks indoors.
—A.K.
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CHP to host free, virtual IEP training for parents of children with special needs
GREAT BARRINGTON — For parents of children who receive special needs instruction in public schools, Community Health Programs will host a free, virtual workshop, IEP Training 101, on Wednesday, April 6 at 10 a.m. Participants may register and request a log-in link by contacting Rania Markham, rmarkham@chpberkshires.org, or calling 413-528-0457.
Children with special needs are entitled to an individualized education plan (IEP), which is developed in collaboration with parents/caregivers and school education specialists.
“It’s important for parents to understand their options and rights when special education is needed in public schools,” said Markham, workshop co-leader and parent of a child with special needs. “The more information parents have, the better they can communicate with the school and advocate for their child.”
Guest presenters for the workshop are Dr. Barbara Snyder, M.D.; Kornelia Krzyzanowska, CHP school liaison; and Karen Mowry, IEP advocate. Markham will co-lead the workshop with Melanie Wickwire, South Berkshire WIC coordinator and mother of a special needs child.
—A.K.
