Shakespeare & Company presents ‘An Iliad’
Lenox — The OBIE Award-winning play “An Iliad” comes to Shakespeare & Company with Michael F. Toomey starring as The Poet in this one-man tour-de-force. Actor and director Jonathan Epstein takes the reins on this fresh take of a timeless classic that also features musician Gregory Boover. Written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, this carefully crafted and expansive tale based on Homer’s epic poem explores the topic of whether anything has really changed since the Trojan War. Previews begin October 3 and performances run through November 1 in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre.
A modern-day retelling of Homer’s tale of gods and goddesses, undying love and endless battles, “An Iliad” is told through the eyes of a single narrator whose monologue captures both the heroism and horror of war. Crafted around the stories of Achilles and Hector, this powerful piece drives home the timelessness of mankind’s compulsion toward violence.
Tickets and information are available from the Berkshire Edge calendar and the Shakespeare & Company box office at (413) 637-3353.
–E.E.
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Local folklore comes to life in haunted Colt Mansion
Pittsfield — Writer, folklorist, and local historian Joe Durwin, in collaboration with Berkshire Paranormal and the Whitney Center for the Arts, will present an evening of local lore, curiosity, and enigma in one of downtown Pittsfield’s most elegant, and reputedly haunted, historic mansions on Saturday, October 3.
Curiosity-seekers of all ages are welcome to a free pre-release para-reception beginning at 7 p.m. to celebrate the publication of “These Mysterious Hills: an Unauthorized History of the Berkshires.” A few intrepid souls will stay on for a unique, real-life ghost hunting adventure exploring the mysteries and purported phenomena of this 1870s manor house, beginning at 9 p.m. Berkshire Paranormal will offer introductory coaching and training in methods and equipment gleaned from 10 years of active paranormal investigation expertise throughout New England, and Durwin will share further history and unexplained accounts about the building. Armed with this new knowledge, participants will be able to investigate for themselves throughout the building in a rare, behind-the-scenes look into some of the more storied portions of the mysterious and legendary house.
Limited VIP tickets for this ghost-hunting extravaganza are available for $50 and include a signed copy of “These Mysterious Hills.” Email mysterioushills@gmail.com or call (413) 347-9877 to reserve tickets.
–E.E.
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The Wiyos to bring old-time music to Helsinki Hudson
Hudson, N.Y. — Old-time trio the Wiyos bring their original blend of music inspired by the early American musical idioms of the 1920s and 1930s to Club Helsinki Hudson on Friday, October 2 at 9 p.m. The Wiyos are Michael Farkas, Teddy Weber, and “Sauerkraut” Seth Travins.
Beloved for a unique blend of early swing jazz, rural folk, old-time blues and Appalachian music, the Hudson Valley-based trio’s music comes from a time before commercial formatting separated blues from country, ragtime from gospel, and swing from hillbilly. The band’s sound is reminiscent of days gone by, when live bands could be heard both on the radio and at community dances, juke joints, and house parties.
See the Berkshire Edge calendar for tickets and more information or call the club at (518) 828-4800.
–E.E.
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Music & More welcomes Simon Winchester, new series host
New Marlborough — Music and More welcomes Simon Winchester as the new host of its literary program, “Award Winning Authors.” Winchester, who is originally from England, will discuss with fellow expatriate writers Madhur Jaffrey and Peter Godwin just why they have chosen to settle and write in the United States, thousands of miles from their homelands, on Saturday, October 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the New Marlborough Meeting House, 154 Hartsville-New Marlborough Rd.
Peter Godwin is an author, journalist, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, and former human rights lawyer. Best known for his writings concerning the breakdown of his native Zimbabwe, he has reported from more than 60 countries and written several books. Madhur Jaffrey, CBE, is an Indian actress active in radio, theatre, television, and film as well as a food writer, television chef, and entrepreneur who, alongside acclaimed performances in such films as Shakespeare Wallah, Six Degrees of Separation, and Heat and Dust, introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India. Simon Winchester, OBE, host, is a British author and journalist and resident of Sandisfield. Through his career at The Guardian and the London Sunday Times, Winchester covered numerous significant events, including Bloody Sunday, the Indian emergency, the creation of Bangladesh, and the Watergate Scandal. As an author, Winchester has written more than 26 nonfiction books, including The Professor and the Madman and Krakatoa. His newest book, a history of the modern Pacific Ocean, comes out at the end of October.
Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for members and can be obtained by calling (413) 229-2785.
–E.E.
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Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants at Williams College
Williamstown — Houda Ethmane of Mauritania and Dominique Roberts of Argentina have been awarded Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program grants to serve as teaching assistants in Arabic and Spanish and take courses at Williams College for academic year 2015-16. While in the United States, Ethmane and Roberts will share their language and culture with U.S. communities to inspire Americans to travel and study overseas and make U.S. citizens better prepared to engage with businesses, governments, and organizations abroad.
Recipients of Fulbright FLTA grants are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as demonstrated leadership potential. Since 2001, more than 4,000 Fulbright awardees have been Fulbright FLTAs. Fulbright FLTA recipients are among over 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year.
–E.E.
