Community Access to the Arts and Berkshire Botanical Garden present exhibit of nature-inspired paintings and drawings by artists with disabilities
Stockbridge— From February 28th through March 23rd, Community Access to the Arts (CATA) and Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) present “Seeds of Connection,” an exhibit of nature-inspired paintings and drawings by artists with disabilities.
The exhibit features over 40 paintings, drawings, and collages created through Community Access to the Arts’ year-round workshops serving children, teens, and adults with disabilities. Some of the works were created on-site at Berkshire Botanical Garden as part of an ongoing partnership between CATA and BBG, while others were created by CATA artists at day programs and residences serving people with disabilities, as well as in CATA’s studios in Great Barrington. The exhibit includes botanical studies, landscapes, collages, and abstract paintings, each ranging widely in stylistic expression and scale of size. Works are professionally matted, framed, and available for sale, with proceeds supporting commissions for the individual artists.
The exhibit runs from February 28th through March 23rd at Berkshire Botanical Garden, located at 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge. There will be a free opening reception on Friday, February 28th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Crandell Theatre presents live action Oscar shorts at PS21
Chatham, N.Y.— On Friday, February 28th at 7 p.m., Crandell Theatre presents live action Oscar shorts at PS21.
See the Oscar-nominated Live-Action Short Films before the Academy Awards on March 2nd. This annual pre-Oscars feature, produced by ShortsTV for the past 20 years and the largest commercial release of short films on the planet, showcases Oscar-nominated short films in three categories on the big screen. This year’s films tackle modern-day struggles with a variety of styles in multiple languages.
The nominees are:
- “A Lien,” Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz, USA, in English. On the day of their green card interview, a young couple confronts a dangerous immigration process.
- “Anuja,” Adam J. Graves, USA, in Hindi. Backed by producers Priyanka Chopra and Mindy Kaling, this American-made short in Hindi tells the captivating tale of two Indian girls struggling to make ends meet.
- “I’m Not a Robot,” Victoria Warmerdam, Belgium/Netherlands, in Dutch. In Victoria Warmerdam’s surrealist dramedy, a series of failed Captcha tests plunges a woman into a strange new reality.
- “The Last Ranger,” Cindy Lee, South Africa, in Xhosa. When young Litha is introduced to the magic of a game reserve by the last remaining ranger, they are ambushed by poachers.
- “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent,” Nebojsa Slijepcevic, Croatia, in Croatian. Dramatizing the Štrpci massacre of 1993, when 18 Muslims and 1 Croat were pulled off a train by the Serbian White Eagles paramilitary group and massacred, this short centers on Tomo Buzov (Dragan Mićanović), the sole non-Bosniak passenger on the train who tried to stand up against the attackers.
The event is on Friday, February 28th at 7 p.m., at PS21, located at 2980 NY-66 in Chatham. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Berkshire Opera Festival presents ‘Choose Your Own Opera Adventure,’ an interactive family concert
Great Barrington— On Sunday, March 2nd at 2 p.m., Berkshire Opera Festival presents “Choose Your Own Opera Adventure,” an afternoon of interactive opera adventures where the audience gets to decide what happens.
In the grand tradition of the pasticcio opera, the precursor to today’s jukebox musical, this performance features an original story with music by Mozart, Bizet, Donizetti, and more. Four characters from our favorite operas come together on a quest to find an important lost item — and they need your help. This is a great opportunity for audience members age eight to 14 and their accompanying caregivers to experience wonderful music and choose how the concert will progress.
The free concert is on Sunday, March 2nd at 2 p.m. at the Indigo Room, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s new venue, located at 20 Castle Street in Great Barrington. Reservations and more information can be found online.
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Jewish Federation of the Berkshires presents ‘An Introduction to Beer in Judaism’ with Rabbi Drew Kaplan
Pittsfield— On Thursday, February 27th at 7 p.m., the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is “hoppy” to host Rabbi Drew Kaplan, on tap for “An Introduction to Beer in Judaism.”
Wine certainly gets the primary focus in Judaism when it comes to beverages, yet what about beer? Beer has been around in human existence longer than wine, so where does it fit into the Bible, Talmud, and subsequent Jewish practice? Join Rabbi Kaplan for an introductory overview of the most overlooked beverage in Jewish life. In addition to his trailblazing Jewish drinking initiative, showcasing the wisdom tradition, history, and more on drinking in Jewish life, Rabbi Kaplan also hosts “The Jewish Drinking Show” podcast.
The virtual presentation is on Thursday, February 27th at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Registration and more information can be found online.
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Lenox Memorial High School presents Disney’s ‘Freaky Friday: A New Musical’
Lenox— On March 1st, 7th, and 8th at 7 p.m. and March 2nd and 8th at 2 p.m., Lenox Memorial High School presents Disney’s “Freaky Friday: A New Musical.”
“Freaky Friday” follows teenager Ellie, and her mother, Katherine, on the freakiest day of their whole lives. Katherine and Ellie just can’t seem to understand each other. Ellie wants her mom to stop trying to change her, while Katherine wants her daughter to be the best version of herself. On a fateful Friday, the day before Katherine’s wedding, mother and daughter swap bodies. Now, both will have to一literally一spend a day walking in each other’s shoes, learning about each other and the struggles each goes through and forging a new mother-daughter relationship in this hilarious, energetic, and moving musical comedy.
The performances are on March 1st, 7th, and 8th at 7 p.m. and March 2nd and 8th at 2 p.m. at Lenox Memorial High School’s Duffin Theater, located at 197 East Street in Lenox. For more information, email rbannen@lenoxps.org.
