Berkshire School’s Theater and Music Department presents spellbinding, Tony Award®-winning musical ‘Hadestown: Teen Edition’
Sheffield— On February 19th, 20th, and 21st at 7:30 p.m., Berkshire School’s Theater and Music Department presents the spellbinding, Tony Award®-winning musical “Hadestown: Teen Edition.”
The electrifying mythological musical, by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin, won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It is a timeless tale that intertwines the story of young lovers Orpheus and Eurydice with that of Hades and Persephone, King and Queen of the Underworld, inviting audiences on an unforgettable journey, literally “to hell and back.” Set against a backdrop of capitalism and industry, this defiantly hopeful, full-length production explores themes of hope, resilience, and awakening to the power of love and art to change the world.
“This is a rare opportunity to produce a show right here in Sheffield that is still running on Broadway,” says Theater Program Director Jesse Howard. “This show provides an opportunity for our talented performers and backstage crew to tackle mature themes of love and sacrifice in a way that feels incredibly relevant to today’s world.”
Joining local students Luka Davis, Chloe Howard, Zoë Sayler, and Jessica Sonner in the production are a vibrant ensemble of Berkshire School performers, a 7-piece onstage band, a set and lighting that will take your breath away, and a completely student-run stage crew.
Performances are on February 19th, 20th, and 21st at 7:30 p.m. at Berkshire School’s Allen Theater, located at 245 North Undermountain Road in Sheffield. There is a $2.00 suggested donation at the door to support the Wil Smith Scholarship Fund. Reservations are not required.
***
Berkshire International Film Festival’s winter series continues with a screening of ‘Bad River’ at The Triplex
Great Barrington— On Sunday, February 22nd at 3 p.m., Berkshire International Film Festival’s winter series continues with a screening of “Bad River” at the Triplex Cinema.
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker, Mary Mazzio, “Bad River” is narrated by Quannah ChasingHorse and Academy-Award nominee Edward Norton, and was produced by owner of the Atlanta Hawks Grant Hill and Allison Abner, writer for “Narcos” and “West Wing,” and descendant of the Stockbridge Munsee Band.
The documentary film chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty, a story which unfolds in a groundbreaking way through a series of shocking revelations, devastating losses, and a powerful legacy of defiance and resilience, which includes a David vs. Goliath battle to save Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in America. As Eldred Corbine, a Bad River Tribal Elder declares: “We gotta protect it… die for it, if we have to.”
The screening is on Sunday, February 22nd at 3 p.m. at the Triplex Cinema, located at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington. It will be followed by a panel discussion, Q&A, and a reception. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts presents ‘How Religion Influences Our Relationship with the Environment,’ a talk with Dr. Alexander de Sherbinin, Director and Senior Research Scientist at Columbia Climate School’s Center for Integrated Earth System Information
North Adams— On Wednesday, February 18th at 5:30 p.m., Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), as part of its Green Living Seminar Series, presents “How Religion Influences Our Relationship with the Environment,” a talk with Dr. Alexander de Sherbinin, Director and Senior Research Scientist at Columbia Climate School’s Center for Integrated Earth System Information.
Dr. de Sherbinin will examine the complex connections between spiritual beliefs and environmental stewardship. The talk will explore how different faith traditions shape attitudes toward nature, conservation, and climate action.
A geographer whose research focuses on climate-related mobility, climate vulnerability mapping, and population-environment interactions, Dr. de Sherbinin manages the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center and leads the UN Global Centre for Climate Mobility’s Global Knowledge Hub. His work integrates geospatial data to address critical questions about human dimensions of climate change. He holds a PhD in Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation from the University of Twente in the Netherlands and has served as an agricultural extension agent with the U.S. Peace Corps in Mauritania, West Africa.
The talk is on Wednesday, February 18th at 5:30 p.m. at MCLA’s Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation (Room 121), located at 77 Blackinton Street in North Adams. Admission is free and it is open to the public. More information can be found online.
***
OLLI at Berkshire Community College presents ‘Tyrants, Smugglers, and Hostile Takeovers: U.S.-Venezuela Relations,’ a talk with professor and author Javier Corraleson
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, February 18th at 7 p.m., OLLI at Berkshire Community College presents “Tyrants, Smugglers, and Hostile Takeovers: U.S.-Venezuela Relations,” a virtual talk with the Dwight W. Morrow 1895 professor of Political Science at Amherst College and author Javier Corraleson.
The talk will reveal an informative update on U.S.-Venezuela Relations. Receiving his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in 1996, Dr. Corrales’s research focuses on democratization, presidential powers, ruling parties, democratic backsliding, populism, political economy of development, oil and energy, the incumbent’s advantage, foreign policies and sexuality. He has published extensively on Latin America and the Caribbean.
His latest book, “Autocracy Rising” (Brookings Institution Press, 2022), discusses the transition to authoritarianism in Venezuela since the 2010s, with comparisons to Colombia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. It argues that deep democratic backsliding is determined by party system features, variations in autocratic legalism, institutional capture, and innovations in the use of coercion.
The virtual talk is Wednesday, February 18th at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Admission is free for students, staff, and faculty from BCC, MCLA, and Williams; youth ages 17 and under; and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards. Registration and more information can be found online.
***
Berkshire Art Association presents annual 10×10 Real Art Party benefit at Clock Tower Artists
Pittsfield— On Thursday, February 19th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Berkshire Art Association (BAA) presents their annual 10×10 Real Art Party (RAP) benefit at Clock Tower Artists.
Admission to the event is free with the option to buy an ARTIX. Each $35 ARTIX guarantees a piece of original 10×10 art to take home. Many well-known Berkshire and regional artists produce beautiful art for this show. ARTIX, which sell fast, are sold online until February 18th. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Proceeds of the event benefit BAA Fellowships for college art majors, art field trip awards, and support for art projects for high school art classes.
The event is on Thursday, February 19th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Clock Tower Artists in the Clock Tower Business Center, located at 75 South Church Street in Pittsfield. Hot Plate Brewing Co. will serve beer and wine and event sponsor Hand Crafted Catering & Events will serve locally crafted hors d’ oeuvres. Walter’s Cookies will also be on hand. More information can be found online.
***
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents ‘Hebrew Calligraphy and Letter Arts Today: Tattoos, Type, and Graffiti,’ a presentation by Professor Joanna Homrighausen of Jewish Art Education
Pittsfield— On Thursday, February 26th at 7 p.m., Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents “Hebrew Calligraphy and Letter Arts Today: Tattoos, Type, and Graffiti,” a presentation by Professor Joanna Homrighausen of Jewish Art Education.
Professor Homrighausen will look at some of the new technologies in and controversial surfaces on which artists do calligraphy in the 21st century. These letters suggest a variety of ways of doing tradition Jewishly.
Joanna Homrighausen writes and teaches at the intersection of sacred text, lettering arts, and scribal crafts. Having earned her PhD in Religion (Hebrew Bible) at Duke University, she teaches Religious Studies at the College of William & Mary, where she has taught the biblical Hebrew sequence, the history of ancient Israel, and first-year writing seminars.
The presentation is on Thursday, February 26th at 7 p.m. on Zoom. No knowledge of Hebrew language required. Registration and more information can be found online.
