PS21 presents the Paul Taylor Dance Company
Chatham, N.Y.— On August 2nd and 3rd at 8 p.m., PS21 presents the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
A perennial PS21 favorite, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been called “One of the most exciting, innovative, and delightful dance companies in the entire world” by The New York Times.
Captivating audiences with its athleticism, emotion, and daring, the company returns to the Pavilion Theater with three of the choreographer’s signature works, “Brandenburgs” (1988) and “Promethean Fire” (2002,) with music by J. S. Bach, and “Runes” (1975,) with music by Gerald Busby.
The performances are on August 2nd and 3rd at 8 p.m. at PS21’s Pavilion Theater at 2980 Route 66 in Chatham, N.Y. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Great Barrington Public Theater and Shakespeare & Company present regional premiere of ‘Flight of the Monarch’
Lenox— From August 3rd through August 25th, Great Barrington Public Theater and Shakespeare & Company present the regional premiere of Jim Frangione’s “Flight of the Monarch” at Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre.
Directed by Judy Braha, this darkly comic play tells the story of two siblings, Sheila (Corinna May) and Thomas (Allyn Burrows) both born and raised in a small New England fishing village where they still live. It delves into what we owe to the people who know and love us best and how family members’ needs and desires may push the boundaries of what we can be expected to do for others.
“The siblings ride an emotional roller coaster as they attempt to decode the past and find their way into a future of their own making,” said Braha. “There are moments of deep reflection, antipathy, and humor as the siblings navigate the challenges, both physical and cognitive, of growing older.”
The performances run from August 3rd through August 25th at Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Hudson Hall presents ‘Hans Frank: Cosmic Art’
Hudson, N.Y.— From August 3rd through September 22nd, Hudson Hall presents “Hans Frank: Cosmic Art,” curated by David Ebony and Jan Orluck.
When art critic and author David Ebony happened upon the paintings of the late Hans Frank in a Rhinebeck home, he was stunned. Brilliantly hued compositions of radiant orbs, sinuous lines and swirling, rhythmic forms covered the walls. Ebony immediately knew he was staring at the work of a bonafide visionary painter.
A German World War II refugee and recluse, Frank produced innumerable colorful, imaginative, hallucinogenic images of the universe inspired by scientific theories of the cosmos and his own explorations of the stars through his powerful studio telescope. After his death at the age of 62 in 1997, Frank’s sister Renata preserved his voluminous body of work, paintings on canvas of various sizes, and many works on paper exactly as he had left them at the time of his death. Now, for the first time in 55 years, Frank’s extraordinary “Cosmic Art” will be on view.
The exhibit runs from August 3rd through September 22nd at Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House at 327 Warren Street in Hudson, N.Y. There is conversation with the curators on Saturday, August 3rd at 4 p.m. followed by an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. More information can be found online.
***
Chesterwood presents Tableaux Vivants, Victorian-era ‘Living Pictures’ entertainment
Stockbridge— On Saturday, August 3rd at 5:30 p.m., Chesterwood continues its popular performing arts series, “Arts Alive!” with a special theater performance that revives a favorite Victorian-era form of entertainment, tableaux vivants, or “living pictures.”
Created and directed by actor Doria Bramante, the ensemble cast invites you to join “Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Chester French” in their garden and studio to play one of their favorite parlor games, the creation of “live pictures” using costumes, props and a large frame. Tableaux vivants are a form of “pantomime” whose origins go back to the very beginnings of drama. Tableaux are representations of well-known works of art and seem to have been invented by Lady Emma Hamilton late in the 18th century.
Daniel Chester French’s daughter Margaret reminisced, “My father made a large frame (still stored away on the ceiling of the studio cellar) and stretched a layer of mosquito netting across the front to give a softer appearance to the picture. Then he would drape various members of the family and friends with yards of lovey materials, pose them behind the frame, which was clearly lighted by kerosene lamps and supporting reflectors, and lo! a charming living-picture would result.”
The performance is on Saturday, August 3rd at 5:30 p.m. at Chesterwood at 4 Williamsville Road in Stockbridge. Meet the actors at a complimentary post-show reception. Tickets and more information can be found online.
***
Berkshire County Historical Society presents eighth annual ‘Moby-Dick’ read-a-thon and Monument Mountain hike to commemorate Melville’s Birthday
Pittsfield— The Berkshire County Historical Society’s annual Moby-Dick Read-a-Thon will begin on Thursday, August 1st at 10 a.m. continuing daily until the book is finished. Participants will read aloud for fifteen minutes with the next participant picking up where the prior reader left off. The event is held at Melville’s historic home Arrowhead where the novel was written. More information can be found online.
On Sunday, August 4th at 9 a.m., hikers are invited to celebrate the day Melville met Nathaniel Hawthorne on a literary hike up Monument Mountain to read local poet William Cullen Bryant’s “Monument Mountain” with a similar hike and literary talk. The family-friendly guided hike takes approximately two and a half hours. Hikers should meet at the Monument Mountain Reservation Parking lot on Route 7 and should be prepared with their own water, proper footwear, hiking gear, and bug repellent. More information can be found online.
***
Berkshire Talking Chronicle (WRRS 104.3 LPFM) presents ‘Deep Cuts’ with Dave Bartley, a new radio show
Berkshire— Beginning on Friday August 2nd at 1 p.m., Berkshire Talking Chronicle (WRRS 104.3 LPFM) presents “Deep Cuts” with Dave Bartley, a new radio show on Fridays at 1 p.m.
For an hour every Friday afternoon, Bartley will take listeners on a backstage tour of different musical artists. Sit back and enjoy as he shares his insights about each artist’s inspiration and growth in jazz performances. As you listen to different pieces from throughout their careers, he will guide you through each musician’s creative process.
In his first show on August 2nd, Bartley will guide you through the illustrious career of Duke Ellington, one of the most influential musicians in the history of Jazz. Bartley himself is a jazz pianist who performs regularly in Western Massachusetts in solo and various ensemble line ups. David’s sound is influenced by classical training in college where he gained an appreciation of Romantic, Impressionist, and 20th Century music, and a lifetime love of blues and swing music.
Berkshire Talking Chronicle, WRRS 104.3 LPFM, is a reading radio service brought to you by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and UCP of Western Massachusetts.
