“America(na) to Me” world premiere opens Jacob’s Pillow Festival 2022
BECKET — The world premiere Pillow-exclusive engagement, “America(na) to Me,” will kick off Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022 as the first week-long performance in the newly renovated Ted Shawn Theatre, from Wednesday, June 22–Sunday June 26. Week 1 of the Festival will also feature several one-night-only performances on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage, including Eastern Woodland Dances, Ted Shawn’s “Dance of the Ages” (1938) performed by Adam Weinert and Dancers, and Collage Dance Collective.
Eastern Woodland Dances opens the Festival as the first of 20 one-nighters on the Leir Stage, on June 22; “Dance of the Ages” will be performed June 23; and Collage Dance Collective on June 24. On Saturday, June 25, The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program will perform on the Leir Stage, and the event can be viewed in person and as a free livestream.
In addition to these performances, PillowTalks will be offered free of charge in Blake’s Barn, including a Saturday reading and book signing with Paul Scolieri, who has written a book about Jacob’s Pillow founder Ted Shawn, and a Sunday discussion about two short films that highlight the triumphs and challenges faced by dancers today, as exemplified by company directors Earl Mosley of Diversity of Dance and Kevin Thomas of Collage Dance Collective.
“America(na) to Me” encapsulates the heart of the 90th Anniversary Season at the Pillow, looking at the dance landscape and the world at large today. In 1942, Jacob’s Pillow inaugurated the Ted Shawn Theatre — the first theater in the United States designed exclusively for dance — with a showcase of American Folk Dances curated by Shawn. In this modern-day interpretation, Associate Curators Melanie George and Ali Rosa-Salas revisit the theme by inviting dance artists to reflect on what American identity means to them. This world premiere will feature Warwick Gombey Troupe, Jasmine Hearn, Nélida Tirado, Sara Mearns and Joshua Bergasse, Alexandra Tatarsky, and Pillow commissions performed by Dormeshia and Guests and Mythili Prakash. Many of the works will also include live music.
Eastern Woodland Dances highlights the breadth of Indigenous performance traditions within the Eastern Woodland region and its diaspora. The program will feature performers who are of Wampanoag, Pequot, Mohican, and Narragansett ancestry, tribes forcibly removed from this region, along with the Iroquois Traditional Dancers, and Acosia Red Elk. Nipmuc elder Larry Spotted Crow Mann returns as a curator of this year’s celebration.
Visit the Jacob’s Pillow website to view the entire season’s schedule and purchase tickets.
PERFORMANCE & TICKET DETAILS
America(na) to Me
June 22–26, Wednesday–Saturday at 8 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday at 2 p.m.
Ted Shawn Theatre, $55–$85
Eastern Woodland Dances
Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m.
Henry J. Leir Stage, $15–$35
Dance of the Ages
Thursday, June 23 at 6 p.m.
Henry J. Leir Stage, $15–$35
Collage Dance Collective
Friday, June 24 at 6 p.m.
Henry J. Leir Stage, $15–$35
PillowTalk: Author Paul Scolieri on Ted Shawn
Saturday, June 25 at 4 p.m.
Blake’s Barn, FREE
The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program
Saturday, June 25 at 6 p.m.
Henry J. Leir Stage, FREE
Flamenco Workshop with Nélida Tirado
Sunday, June 26, 10-11:30 a.m.
Open to all experience levels, ages 12+
PillowTalk: Perseverance on Film
Sunday, June 26 at 4 p.m.
Blake’s Barn, FREE
—A.K.
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David Grover: A Celebration of Life to be held Sunday at the Colonial
PITTSFIELD — On Sunday, June 12 musicians, friends and family will come together at The Colonial Theatre to celebrate the life and career of David Grover, a beloved member of this community who performed for over 50 years.
Approximately 25 local and national musicians who shared the stage with him will perform songs written or inspired by David. Family members, former students and friends who will pay tribute include Danny Allen, Puggy Demary, Michael Fabrizzio, Ben Fusco, Annie Guthrie, Terry Hall, John Harding, Carol Ide, Steve Ide, Judi Jaeger, Andy Kelly, Isabella Kent, John Miller, Warren Odze, Jared Polens, Tom Powers, Rob Putnam, Bob Reid, Paul Rice, Mike Sacco, Alice Spatz, Larry Spatz, Bobby Sweet, Gordon Titcomb, Joe Torra, Phebe Lace Wood, and John Zarvis.
Event Schedule:
- 12–1 p.m. Light food, drink and reminiscing in The Colonial Theatre Garage with Kathy Jo Grover
- 1–3 p.m. Musical tribute to David Grover in The Colonial Theatre
- 3–4 p.m. Coffee and dessert in The Colonial Theatre Garage
Tickets for this event are free and general admission. To reserve tickets, click here or contact the BTG Ticket Office at 413-997-4444.
—A.K.
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Amy Lafave to present talk on Fanny Kemble, at Lenox Library
LENOX — Local History Librarian Amy Lafave will present “When I think, I must speak:” The World Stage of Fanny Kemble, at the Lenox Library, Thursday, June 16 at 5:30 p.m. The program will be held in person, as well as on Zoom, and is free and open to the public.
British actress turned Lenox resident Frances Anne “Fanny” Kemble gave a reading of “As You Like It” in 1868, to benefit the Lenox Library. The event was staged at what was then the Berkshire County Court House in Lenox, a far cry from London’s Covent Garden, where Kemble made her 1830 debut as Juliet. From theaters up and down the Atlantic Seaboard, to the drawing rooms of her Berkshire friends, Fanny’s feet avoided one set of boards — the abolitionist’s soapbox — until history gave her no choice.
In 1834, Kemble married Pierce Butler, owner of several hundred enslaved people. She described her face to face experience with those who lacked the “bare name of freemen” in her “Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation.” For the first time in her life, Kemble was stripped of her voice, in her role as obedient wife and mother. Ultimately, she could not sway her husband from the institution of slavery; their tumultuous 1849 divorce was national news.
Using unique material from the Lenox Library’s archival collections and other primary sources, Lafave will give a presentation on Kemble’s experience on her husband’s Georgia plantation, and her subsequent Lenox refuge.
—A.K.
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Spencertown Academy to present Jay Ungar and Molly Mason in concert
SPENCERTOWN, N.Y. — Spencertown Academy Roots & Shoots Concerts Series will present celebrated American roots music duo Jay Ungar and Molly Mason on Saturday, June 18 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets ($25 public, $20 Academy members) may be purchased in advance and will be available at the door pending availability.
Based in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Ungar and Mason are best known for their work on the soundtrack of Ken Burns’s PBS documentary series “The Civil War.” Ungar’s composition “Ashokan Farewell” became the musical centerpiece of the Grammy-winning soundtrack and was nominated for an Emmy. His fiddling is known for playfulness, drama, soul, and technical verve, as he explores many musical styles and idioms that he has internalized and made his own. Mason’s inventiveness on piano and guitar supports the tunes and follows the flow of the melody. Her rich, expressive vocals round out the experience. Together they have recorded numerous albums of traditional and original fiddle music along with vintage country and jazz.
—A.K.
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Barrington Stage to host free Juneteenth talk with “Ain’t Misbehavin’” director
PITTSFIELD — Barrington Stage Company (BSC), in conjunction with its season opener “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” will host a free Juneteenth Event — “Lookin’ Good but Feelin’ Bad: An Exploration of Fats Waller and the Art of Subversion” — Sunday, June 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the Boyd-Quinson Stage (30 Union St. in Pittsfield).
Choreographer/Director Jeffrey L. Page and guests will discuss the depth, relevance and inspiration of BSC’s unique production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” running June 16–July 9.
For more information or to reserve seats for this event, contact the BSC Box Office at 413-236-8888 or BoxOffice@BarringtonStageCo.org. Please note that registration is required, as there is limited availability.
—A.K.
