Becket Arts Center to open ‘Wood Art,’ the work of Sam Craig, Bryan Powers, Lou Wallach and Paul Chojnowski
Becket— From May 31st through June 23rd, the Becket Arts Center opens ‘Wood Art,’ the work of Sam Craig, Bryan Powers, Lou Wallach and Paul Chojnowski, whose wood-burnt “Search Lights” is pictured above.
There is an opening reception on Friday, May 31st from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Becket Arts Center on Brooker Hill Road in Becket. More information can be found online.
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Great Barrington Public Theater opens season with world premiere of Leigh Strimbeck’s ‘Dog People’
Great Barrington— From May 31st to June 16th, Great Barrington Public Theater (GBPT) opens their season with a world premiere of Leigh Strimbeck’s “Dog People.”
“Our company actively looks for and develops new plays that speak to today,” GBPT’s Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha explains. “Dog People does so in a clever, inspired way that is meaningful yet whimsical and fun. As Leigh says, ‘it’s the story of two people, two dogs, one day in the park. The dogs are rescues, and their people need second chances too. Who really rescues who?’ Her script deals with issues many of us face; the search for meaning, grappling with loneliness and our shared wish for nurturing partnerships in life.”
“Leigh has written the kind of fast-paced play that sneaks up, and takes you in before you know it,” Braha adds. “Dog people or not, everyone will come away smiling, and a little wiser about the human need for rescue, refuge, recovery and self-discovery in our fractured, topsy-turvy world.”
The show runs from May 31st to June 16th in the Liebowitz Theater in the Daniel Arts Center at Bard College at Simon’s Rock at 84 Alford Road in Great Barrington. Reservations can be made online or by calling the box office 413-372-1980.
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Berkshire County Historical Society to present Melville linguistics lecture
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, May 29th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Berkshire County Historical Society to present “Voices of Melville: The Linguistic Landscape of Nineteenth-Century America Through a Literary Lens,” a Melville linguistics lecture.
We can’t know how Herman Melville sounded or hear his characters’ voices…or can we? In linguistics, the study of language, we can study how English has changed since Melville’s time and why languages are always changing. Join us as we welcome linguist Wren Wood to Arrowhead for a lecture demonstrating how we can hear Melville’s dialect in samples of his work, even without audio recording.
Wren Wood is a linguist and webmaster for the Chicopee Historical Society. They use maps, statistics and linguistics to encourage discussions around local history and historic preservation. Prior to moving to Western Massachusetts, they used GIS to study bilingualism and threatened languages in the U.S. Wood holds a bachelor’s in English from Bridgewater State University and a master’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of New Mexico.
The lecture is on Wednesday, May 29th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Arrowhead at 780 Holmes Road in Pittsfield. Tickets are $10 and $5 for members. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Pittsfield High School Proteus Theatre’s annual talent showcase
Pittsfield— On Friday, May 31st at 7:30 p.m., Pittsfield High School Proteus Theatre presents their annual talent showcase.
Featuring various performances by PHS students, the showcase is directed by Proteus Students Stephanie Martin, Aaliyah Johnson, and Kayla Hunter.
The showcase is on Friday, May 31st at 7:30 p.m. in the theater at Pittsfield High School on East Street in Pittsfield. Tickets are $5. Tickets and more information can be found online. Tickets are also available at the door by cash or check.
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Berkshire Music School announces talent and merit scholarship auditions
Pittsfield— The Berkshire Music School is pleased to continue its scholarship program to support musicians of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience, offering need-based financial aid for private lessons, as well as talent- and merit-based scholarships to attract musicians in the region.
Students accepted into BMS’ Talent & Merit Scholarship Program will benefit from generous financial assistance, up to 100% tuition. Auditions are open to the entire community, and musicians do not have to be a current BMS student to be considered. BMS encourages people of all ages and diverse backgrounds to audition for these scholarships.
BMS Trustee Lynn Festa comments on the auditions saying, “BMS is proud to open these auditions to all members of our community, no matter age. These scholarships, which are given to students with a shown love for music, will provide top-notch lessons from our exceptional faculty and will promote music education in an inclusive and supportive environment.”
Auditions will be held by appointment on Saturday, June 15th for a panel of Berkshire Music School faculty. For the audition, instrumentalists should be prepared to perform major and minor scales in two or more octaves and two songs of your choice in contrasting styles. Vocalists should be prepared to sing two songs in contrasting styles. Instrumentalists should be prepared to perform without accompaniment; vocalists may perform to pre-recorded accompaniment that they provide; an accompanist will not be provided.
To schedule an audition, musicians should email Executive Director Luis Granda at lgranda@berkshiremusicschool.org and include their musical training and/or performance background. For those who cannot attend on June 15th, please contact Luis Granda at the above email or contact the office at 413-442-1411.
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Laurel Hill Association environmental essay competition for Stockbridge students
Stockbridge— The Laurel Hill Association is proud to announce its sponsorship of an essay competition focused on environmental issues for students in Stockbridge Schools.
Students in the eighth, ninth, and tenth grades attending W.E.B. Du Bois, Monument Mountain, Berkshire Country Day, and Waldorf schools, as well as Stockbridge homeschoolers, are invited to participate. They are encouraged to write a 900-word maximum essay addressing the question: “What do you think are the biggest challenges to the environment? If you were in charge, how would you meet these challenges?”
The winner of the competition will be awarded a prize of $250 with an honorable mention prize of $100. Winning essays will also have the opportunity to be published in local news outlets, providing a platform for students to share their perspectives and ideas with the broader community.
The deadline for essay submissions is June 30th. Complete competition details and submission guidelines can be found at laurelhillassociation.org/essay.
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2nd Street seeks literary submissions from presently or formerly incarcerated residents of Berkshire County
Pittsfield— 2nd Street seeks submissions for “Using Our Outside Voices,” a literary project created in partnership with Berkshire Community College that is designed to promote creativity, acceptance and inclusion for presently or formerly incarcerated men and women in Berkshire County.
Authors whose work is selected will receive a cash award of $200 and winning submissions will be published in a journal and readings will be held at various venues in the Berkshires.
Any presently or formerly incarcerated resident of Berkshire County is invited to submit original poetry, short fiction, personal essays, or other literary works. Those who need editorial help can bring their work to 2nd Street, located at 264 Second Street, Pittsfield.
For more details on how to submit a literary work, visit www.2nd-street.org and click on “Special Projects,” or call 413-443-7220, ext. 1275. The deadline for submissions is June 15th.
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BRTA fare-free buses in June and July
Berkshire— From June 1st through July 31st, all Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) bus and ADA complementary services will be free thanks to a grant included in the state budget and awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The “Try Transit” initiative will be supported by the state grant that was awarded to fourteen of the Commonwealth’s Regional Transit Authorities who worked together to submit a joint application and implementation plan. This is the second year this grant was awarded.
The Advisory Board of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is enthusiastic about this opportunity to offer free transit service both as a thank you to our faithful riders and offer an opportunity to those unfamiliar with our services to “try transit.”
Questions regarding the “Try Transit” fare free events should be directed to BRTA’s Customer Service at 413-499-2782, ext. 1.
