Paintings of Charles Thomas O’Neil on display at Berkshire School
Sheffield — Berkshire School’s Warren Family Gallery is hosting the exhibit “Redacted Elements,” a solo show of paintings by Charles Thomas O’Neil.
The show’s title, “Redacted Elements,” refers to O’Neil’s painting technique, by which narrative elements in the work are redacted using created stencils in an effort to gain objectivity. By using traditional techniques of layering and removal of paint, O’Neil searches for a fundamental balance between order and chaos.
O’Neil, who has a studio in Stockbridge as well as at Fishers Island, New York, has exhibited nationally and internationally over the last 30 years with more than 15 solo shows around the country. O’Neil was featured in a solo exhibition at Howard Scott Gallery in New York City in 2017. His work is in private and public collections including the Hallmark Art Collection in Kansas City, Missouri; Paul Allen in Seattle; the Smith Barney collection in New York City; and the Portland Museum of Art in Maine. This past summer, O’Neil opened the Red Barn Art Gallery on Fishers Island.
The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, Dec. 21. For more information, contact Berkshire School at (413) 229-8511.
–E.E.
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Berkshire Playwrights Lab to present ‘Reunion’ by Michael Brady
Great Barrington — Berkshire Playwrights Lab will present a staged reading of “Reunion” by Michael Brady Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:00 p.m. at Saint James Place.
Four friends graduate from high school, vowing to be “friends till the end.” Over the course of several class reunions, they love, betray, damage and heal each other, living their lives as best they can. Will their promise endure, or will life get in the way? Directed by Michelle Joyner, “Reunion” features Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Caitlin Teeley, Caroline Fairweather, Chris Tucci and David Gow.
Brady’s play “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday” was developed through the literary department of the Ensemble Studio Theatre and later received Newsday’s Oppenheimer Award and was produced as a film by Sony Pictures. Brady is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. As a producer, Brady created TheatreFest, a celebration of new works for the theater at Saint James Place. His recent play “Pipeline” was featured in Barrington Stage Company’s 2019 10×10 New Play Festival in Pittsfield. He has also served in Barrington Stage’s Playwright Mentoring Program. In addition to his work in theatre, Brady served for several years with the Massachusetts Cultural Council, overseeing a grant-giving program for literary, visual and performance artists.
The reading is free and open to the public. Donations will support BPL’s Berkshire Voices playwriting group. Registration is recommended due to limited seating. For more information or to register, see the Berkshire Edge calendar, or contact Berkshire Playwrights Lab at (413) 528-2544 or admin@berkshireplaywrightslab.org.
–E.E.
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Lee Library to screen ‘Alice’s Ordinary People’
Lee — Lee Library will host a screening of the documentary film “Alice’s Ordinary People” Monday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. The film will be followed by a discussion with director Craig Dudnick.
Born in 1929, civil rights activist Alice Tregay fought segregation in Chicago schools. She marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, and directed voter registration campaigns to improve job opportunities for African-Americans. In the 1990s, she marched in Washington, D.C., to demand the creation of jobs. She received many awards for her civil rights work, most notably one presented to her in 2004 by then-Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Lee Library at (413) 243-0385 or lee@cwmars.org.
–E.E.
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‘Marathon for Justice’ to highlight environmental inequality
Williamstown — The Davis Center at Williams College will present a screening of the film “Marathon for Justice” Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Paresky Auditorium. A facilitator-led discussion will follow.
“Marathon for Justice” chronicles past and present cases of environmental inequity in the United States, revealing ways in which people of color have been disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in the air, water and land. By introducing audiences to communities around the country that have experienced the detrimental effects of pollution, contamination and the degradation of their lands, the film shows how these citizens are mobilizing for lasting solutions.
The film looks at a protest against a refinery in Philadelphia; examining the impact of past uranium mining on Najavo lands in Thoreau, New Mexico; and travels to South Dakota, where Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, D-S.D., explains why certain lands are considered sacred by indigenous peoples.
The event is free and open to the public. For building locations on the Williams campus, consult the online map or call the Office of Communications at (413) 597-4277.
–E.E.
