Clarion Concerts announces new spring season, Leaf Peeper concerts set for fall
COPAKE, N.Y. — Clarion Concerts has announced its 2022 Leaf Peeper season for the fall, as well as the addition of a new spring concert series.
“The last two years have been a major challenge for us, as they have been for so many artists, festivals and presenting organizations,” said Dave Hall, president of the board of Clarion Concerts. “Thanks to the generosity of our board and the amazing loyalty of our audiences, we’ve come through with flying colors and are able to expand our season this year by three concerts, to take place in March, May, and June.” The spring lineup is as follows.
Saturday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
Saint James Place, Great Barrington
The group Umama Womama will perform music for flute, viola and harp by Valerie Coleman, Claude Debussy, Hannah Lash, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, and Camille Saint-Saëns.
Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m.
Saint James Place, Great Barrington
Ran Dank and Soyeon Kate Lee perform music for two pianos by Marc-Andre Hamelin, George Gershwin/Percy Grainger, Franz Liszt, Mozart, and Maurice Ravel, with a special guest appearance by flutist Eugenia Zukerman.
Sunday, June 5 at 3 p.m.
Private location in Egremont
Players from the New York Philharmonic — Sheryl Staples, Yulia Ziskel, Cong Wu, and Eric Bartlett — will perform a program to be announced.
Clarion Concerts’ fall Leaf Peeper series will include the Harlem String Quartet (September 17 at 7 p.m.); the Borromeo String Quartet (October 16 at 3 p.m.) and a concert of Baroque music featuring harpsichordist Anthony Newman joined by Young Concert Artists award winners (November 5 at 7 p.m.). Further details will be announced soon.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Museum suspends COVID restrictions
PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Museum has suspended its mask and vaccine requirements for visitors. This move follows guidance from the CDC, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Pittsfield.
Although guests are not required to wear masks nor show proof of vaccination, museum staff will continue to wear face coverings and encourage anyone who is unvaccinated, has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease due to age or an underlying medical condition, or who have someone in their household with a weakened immune system to do the same.
“As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are following scientific evidence, striving to be good neighbors and community members, and adhering to the standards put forth by city and county leaders, and our public schools,” said the Museum’s co-Executive Directors Hilary Ferrone, Miriam Kronberg, and Craig Langlois. “We will continue to do so and recognize that this may be a temporary loosening of restrictions.”
—A.K.
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Great Barrington Public Theater announces Zoom casting call
GREAT BARRINGTON — Great Barrington Public Theater (GBPT) will hold two days of auditions and interviews for its 2022 Mainstage season. Equity and non-Equity actors and non-Equity stage managers are being sought. GBPT encourages all actors, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender identity, to audition. See below for a description of the plays and a full cast breakdown of roles available.
Auditions will be held via Zoom on Friday, March 18 from 2:30–9 p.m. and Saturday, March 19 from 1–5 p.m. Actors may also submit a link to a pre-recorded audition or reel to the email address below. To arrange an audition time, email a headshot, resume, and phone number to Tristan.greatbarringtonpublic@gmail.com.
The plays will be produced under an Equity SPT Tier 4 contract with a minimum weekly rate of $416, plus pension and health for AEA members. Performances will be in the McConnell Theater at the Daniel Arts Center on the campus of Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
“Public Speaking 101” by Mark St. Germain, directed by Jim Frangione
Synopsis: A neurotic amateur actress leads her community theater class of terrified adults to compete in their county’s First Annual Public Speaking Competition. This will be the premiere production. Rehearsals begin June 21. Performances run July 14–24, Thursday–Sunday.
Cast Breakdown
- Sunny Strut, female, age 50–60. First-time teacher and community theater actress in the process of a divorce
- Millie Harrow, female, age 30–50. Afraid of taking over the family funeral home business; more comfortable talking to the dead than the living
- Sgt. Mike Gallion, male, age 35–45. Crocus police sergeant; a big personality except in front of a crowd
- Rev. Montavious Lester, male, age 35–45. Pastor at Mount Calgary who delivers his best sermons to an empty church
- Fletcher Tuft, male, age 35–45. Dispassionate writer for Rock Magazine
“Things I Know to be True” by Andrew Bovell, directed by Judy Brah
Synopsis: A sweeping, powerful midwestern family drama, it was first presented by Milwaukee Rep in 2019 to rave reviews and was headed for Broadway until COVID intervened. GB Public Theater will present the East Coast premiere of this play. Rehearsals begin July 8. Performances run August 4–14, ThursdaySunday
Cast Breakdown
- Bob, male, age 60–65. A retired auto factory worker; married to Fran; restless and lost, fiercely devoted to his family, adrift inside himself
- Fran, female, age 55–60. A senior nurse; married to Bob; the alpha of the family; painfully insightful about her kids’ inner workings; can’t keep her mouth shut
- Pip, female, age 30–35. An education department bureaucrat; oldest child of Bob and Fran; unhappily married mother of two; at a crisis point
- Mark/Mia, age 28–32. An IT specialist; after a life of hiding, comes out to their family and undergoes gender transition during the course of the play
- Ben, male, age 25–30. A financial services worker. Lives life in the fast lane but, curiously, keeps running home.
- Rosie, female, age 18– 22. The youngest child; doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to be; precious to all of her family and desperately trying to grow up
—A.K.
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Ventfort Hall offers two Slavic Easter egg decorating workshops
LENOX — Learn a time-honored Eastern European craft at Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum. The annual Slavic Easter egg decorating demonstrations and instructional workshops will be held Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m.–noon and 2–4 p.m. at the mansion’s former gatehouse at 55 Kemble St. in Lenox. Workshops will be limited to 6 people at each session to allow for social distancing. Mask wearing, proof of vaccination, and ID will be required.
Lenox resident Tjasa Sprague, who will again lead the workshops, learned this egg decorating technique many years ago from her Czechoslovakian mother, Maria Krofta. It is a wax resistant technique which employs aniline dye later in the process. The eggs are uncooked and are blown out after decorating has been completed. The eggs may be displayed, when stored carefully, for an indefinite number of years.
The fee for each workshop, which includes all materials, is $35. Reservations are required and seats are limited. Children should be at least 12 years of age. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. Payment is required to make a reservation for an event. For reservations, click here.
—A.K.
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Registration for MCLA Summer Sessions now open
NORTH ADAMS — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has opened online registration for its three summer sessions. Any student at any college may register for summer classes at MCLA.
The College’s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE) is offering more than 70 summer classes this year, allowing opportunities for MCLA undergraduate and graduate students, students from other colleges seeking a summer course, high school students wishing to try out college courses, college graduates interested in Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master of Education (MEd) courses, and community members and others seeking courses for personal or professional growth.
Summer Sessions Schedule
Session A: May 23–July 1
Session B: June 20–July 29
Session C: July 5–August 12
In addition to introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses, MCLA also offers graduate-level courses. Classes will take place on the MCLA campus and at MCLA–Pittsfield, located at 66 Allen Street.
MCLA DGCE also offers a bachelor’s degree completion program one evening per week in Pittsfield, a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master of Education, and certificate programs including Accounting, Network Security, and a graduate certificate in business administration. MCLA’s Master of Education offers educational opportunities including Initial Teacher Licensure in early childhood, elementary, middle and high school fields; Moderate Disabilities and Reading Specialist; Professional Teacher Licensure; and Individualized Plan of Study (non-licensure).
For more information about MCLA’s continuing education programs, contact dgce@mcla.edu or call 413-662-5575.
—A.K.
