Tuesday, May 13, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

BITS & BYTES: Olga Dunn Dance at Saint James Place; Berkshire Opera Festival spring recital; Women of Spirit in the Berkshires gathering; Francisca Oyogoa at Lenox Library; ‘Twelve Angry Jurors’ at Bennington Theater; Springfield Museums Earth Day Festival; Berkshire Humane Society to waive adoption fees

In its fifth decade, the Olga Dunn Dance Company continues to encourage dance through professional-level training and creation of new works.

Olga Dunn Dance Company ’In Concert’ at Saint James Place

Great Barrington— On Saturday, April 26th at 7 p.m., Olga Dunn Dance Company presents Olga Dunn Dance Company “In Concert” at Saint James Place. 

In its fifth decade, the Olga Dunn Dance Company continues to encourage dance through professional-level training and creation of new works. Olga Dunn Dance Company “In Concert” offers contemporary dance works accompanied by live music.

The performance is on Saturday, April 26th at 7 p.m. at Saint James Place, located at 352 Main Street in Great Barrington. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Berkshire Opera Festival presents ‘Young Verdi in Love,’ a spring recital at Saint James Place

Great Barrington— On Sunday, April 27th at 2 p.m., Berkshire Opera Festival (BOF) presents “Young Verdi in Love,” a spring recital at Saint James Place. 

The program focuses on the music of Giuseppe Verdi, in anticipation of BOF’s upcoming mainstage production of “La Traviata” in August. Join a few of opera’s up-and-coming stars for an afternoon relishing the sounds of a young composer in love. Featured artists include soprano Aviva Fortunata, bass-baritone Alan Williams, and pianist Francesco Barfoed.

Courtesy Berkshire Opera Festival.

The concert is on Sunday, April 27th at 2 p.m. at Saint James Place, located at 325 Main Street in Great Barrington. There will be a post-show reception for premium ticket holders. Tickets and more information can be found online. On Saturday, April 26th at 3 p.m., BOF’s Artistic and Education Coordinator Luca Antonucci presents “A Presentation on the Life and Music of Italian Composer Giuseppe Verdi” at the Stockbridge Library, located at 46 Main Street in Stockbridge. More information can be found online.

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Women of Spirit in the Berkshires presents ‘Seeding and Growing Connection,’ its April gathering

Lenox— On Sunday, April 27th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Women of Spirit in the Berkshires presents “Seeding and Growing Connection,” its April gathering. 

Women of Spirit in the Berkshires is a non-denominational circle of women that seeks to create an oasis of care and nourishment through enlivening conversation and inspirational programming. This month’s program is dedicated to strengthening women’s sense of belonging in a world that many feel is becoming increasingly harsh and isolating. The afternoon program will offer an opportunity for participants to develop connection and friendship.

Courtesy Women of Spirit in the Berkshires.

The event is on Sunday, April 27th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Annex of the Church on the Hill, located at 55 Main Street in Lenox. It is is open to all women. A donation of $10-20 is appreciated. More information can be found online.

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Lenox Library presents ‘Race and Gender Inequality in Service Work on Trains, Airplanes, and Cruise Ships,’ a lecture by Francisca Oyogoa

Lenox— On Sunday, April 27th at 4 p.m., the Lenox Library, concluding its 2024-2025 season of Distinguished Lecture Series, presents “Race and Gender Inequality in Service Work on Trains, Airplanes, and Cruise Ships,” a lecture by Francisca Oyogoa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Sociology and African American Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock.

Using firm-level data from railroad, airline, and cruise ship companies, the central questions addressed in this talk are: why and how were race-gender hierarchies created, maintained, and legitimized on trains, airplanes, and cruise ships? Dr. Oyogoa focuses on employers’ role in producing inequality among workers by examining management’s actions and their own expressed race-gender ideology regarding service workers in the Pullman Railroad Company (1860s to 1960s,) the four major U.S. airlines (1930s to 1970s,) and U.S.-owned cruise companies (1970s to 2000s.)

Dr. Francisca Oyogoa. Courtesy Lenox Library.

Francisca Oyogoa, Ph.D., graduated from Bowdoin College (BA) and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (PhD.) Her teaching and research interests include labor, class, gender, globalization, race and ethnic studies, and migration. Dr. Oyogoa is the author of “Servants on the Move: Employers’ Race-Gender Ideology and Service Work on Trains, Planes, and Cruise Ships.” Her current research project focuses on race, gender, and the North American expat experience in Latin America.

The lecture is on Sunday, April 27th at 4 p.m. at the Lenox Library, located at 18 Main Street in Lenox. It is free and open to the public. More information can be found online. 

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Bennington Theater presents ‘Twelve Angry Jurors,’ a gripping courtroom drama

Bennington, Vt.— From May 1st through May 4th, Bennington Theater presents “Twelve Angry Jurors,” a gripping courtroom drama. 

In a sweltering jury room, twelve strangers must decide the fate of a young man accused of murder. At first, the verdict seems clear, but as tensions rise and hidden biases emerge, one juror’s doubts spark a fierce debate that could alter the course of justice. Will reason and compassion triumph, or will prejudice and personal agendas rule the day? With razor-sharp dialogue and electrifying performances, Twelve Angry Jurors is a riveting theatrical experience that challenges us to question our assumptions and stand up for what is right. Don’t miss this unforgettable courtroom drama that remains as relevant today as ever.

Courtesy Bennington Theater.

The performances run from May 1st through May 4th at Bennington Theater, located at 331 Main Street in Bennington, Vt. Tickets and more information can be found online. 

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Springfield Museums presents its 2025 Earth Day Festival, a free family celebration of clean air, land, and water

Springfield— On Sunday, April 27th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Springfield Museums presents its 2025 Earth Day Festival, a free family celebration of clean air, land, and water.

The festival features a wide array of environmental education exhibits, programs, and activities. Visitors will learn how they can become better environmental stewards both locally and globally and how to promote conservation through everyday actions. Earth Day Festival visitors can participate in activities that demonstrate ways to enjoy the outdoors from a variety of nonprofit and community agencies who specialize in Earth-centered work and conservation of the beautiful natural world which surrounds us. There will be a live performance by the Boys of the Landfill Bluegrass Band and visitors can explore the outdoor installation “Habitat,” which showcases the unique natural environments of animals, plants, and other organisms, their importance to life, and what people can do to help preserve them.

Demonstrator Tom’s Wildflower Honey. Courtesy Springfield Museums.

The festival is on Sunday, April 27th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Springfield Museums, located at 21 Edwards Street in Springfield. It is free and open to the public. More information can be found online.

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Berkshire Humane Society to waive adoption fees of all dogs at least one year old

Pittsfield— Through April 27th, Berkshire Humane Society will waive adoption fees of all dogs that are at least one year old. 

Harvey. Courtesy Berkshire Humane Society.

Ten shelters across the state are participating in the fee-waive event, named “Big Dog Energy. “Dogs are staying longer in shelters,” said John Perreault, Executive Director at Berkshire Humane Society. “And it’s not just here in the Berkshires; it’s across the state and across the nation. We have some great dogs here for the right families and we’re hoping this event will get them in the homes they deserve.”

The event runs through April 27th at Berkshire Humane Society, located at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield. To adopt a dog, you must fill out an application and be approved by Berkshire Humane Society staff. To download an application and see adoptable dogs, visit Berkshire Humane Society online. 

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