The Acting Company presents ‘Odyssey,’ live at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington— On Saturday, October 14th at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 15th at 1 p.m., The Acting Company presents “Odyssey,” written and directed by Lisa Peterson and performed live at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
Lisa Peterson’s stage adaptation of “The Odyssey”, performed by Members of The Acting Company, brings new life to this ancient epic. Set in the present day, four young women trapped in the limbo of a refugee camp retell Odysseus’ adventures as they struggle with their own search for a home. Through the extraordinary characters of this epic tale, the women explore what it is to host a stranger, follow the rules of generosity, question what it means to belong without a “place” to call home, and discover the thrill of adventure at the heart of it all. A production based on the revelatory new translation by Emily Wilson, its bold theatricality brings new humor and grace to a story we all think we know.
The performances are on Saturday, October 14th at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 15th at 1 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Castle Street in Great Barrington. Tickets are $15 to 60. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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The Norfolk Library presents “NEW”, paintings by Jane Bevans
Norfolk— From October 1st through November 15th, The Norfolk Library presents “NEW”, paintings by Jane Bevans.
Bevans uses experimental juxtapositions of color to explore space, form, and composition. For decades, Bevans’ work focused on still lives and portraiture. Recent works mark a transition in her practice. The chaos of the current times, highlighted by the isolation we have experienced, has altered Bevans’ work away from realism and towards abstraction.
The exhibition runs October 1st through November 15th at the Norfolk Library on Greenwoods Road East in Norfolk. There is a reception with the artist on Sunday, October 1st from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. More information can be found online.
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Gedney Farm, as part of their sommelier series, presents “Olmstead Wine Company Dinner” with Olmstead Wine Company
New Marlborough— On Wednesday, October 4th at 6 p.m., Gedney Farm, as part of their sommelier series, presents “Olmstead Wine Company Dinner” with Olmstead Wine Company owner Oscar Hernadez and Gedney Farm’s Sommelier Peter Miscikoski.
The theme of this event is “natural wines from the old world and new world,” which are paired with a five-course dinner including dessert. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a meet and greet with Hernadez and Miscikoski and something sparkling to complement select hors d’oeuvres including grilled oysters, charcuterie, and artisan cheeses.
Only a handful of tickets remain and this not-to-miss event is sure to sell out.
The dinner is on Wednesday, October 4th at 6 p.m. at Gedney Farm on Hartsville-New Marlborough Road in New Marlborough. Tickets are $100 per person. Call 423-229-3131 for availability. More information can be found online.
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The New Marlborough Meeting House presents ‘A Writer and a Robot Walk into a Bar – Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence’ with Simon Winchester
New Marlborough— On Saturday, October 7th at 4:30 p.m., the New Marlborough Meeting House presents “A Writer and a Robot Walk into a Bar – Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” with Simon Winchester.
Simon Winchester, acclaimed author of over 30 books, most recently “Knowing What We Know,” will lead a panel discussion on the impact of Artificial Intelligence not only on writers but all of us. Joining Winchester will be Francine Prose, critic and writer of fiction and non-fiction, including “Blue Angel”, which was a finalist for the National Book Award; Timothy Bent, Executive Editor of Trade Books for Oxford University Press; and Chandra Prasad, author of adult and young adult fiction, whose forthcoming novel focuses on the intersection between AI, identity, and environmental ethics.
Central to the panel’s discussion is the question of what does our world look like as AI becomes more and more powerful and is able to produce books and art which are the equal of or even superior to ours.
“This is starting to get scary because AI keeps learning at a remarkably rapid pace,” adds Winchester. “Right now, I think we’re still better but that may well change. Many of us are wringing our hands with concern about the future. I do hope that young people are aware of this and will join us in October. It is their future that is now on the line because AI can do it all.”
The presentation is on Saturday, October 7th at 4:30 p.m. at the New Marlborough Meeting House on Hartsville-New Marlborough Road in New Marlborough. Tickets and more information can be found online or by calling 413-229-5045.
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The Clark Art Institute presents artist talk on genocide as climate change
Williamstown— On Sunday, October 1st at 1 p.m., the Clark Art Institute hosts a conversation on genocide as climate change with exhibiting artist Christine Howard Sandoval and scholar Jessica L. Horton, Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Delaware and a former Clark fellow.
Howard Sandoval, an enrolled citizen of the Chalon Indian Nation of California and artist featured in the “Humane Ecology: Eight Positions exhibition”, will present a screening of her video, “Niniwas- to belong here” (2022) (12:23 minutes) and have a discussion with Horton on a paper they recently co-authored, “‘Genocide is Climate Change’: A Conversation about Colonized California and Indigenous Futurism.”
“Humane Ecology: Eight Positions”, on view at the Clark though October 29th, features artists who explore the inseparability of the natural and social. Each represents a distinct approach and place, or position, but all think in ecological terms—that is, about the complex relationships between living things and their environments. In doing so, they challenge ideas of “nature” as something separate from humans. They also center humans who have often been marginalized in discussions of the environment. Through sculpture, video, sound installation, and plantings, these artists illuminate patterns of cultivation and care, migration and adaptation, extraction and exploitation that span historical, geographical, and species lines.
The free event will be on Sunday, October 1st at 1 p.m. at the Clark Art Institute on South Street in Williamstown. More information can be found online.
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‘The Art of the Audition’ at Shakespeare & Company with Artistic Director Allyn Burrows
Lenox— On Saturday, October 7th and Sunday, October 8th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training presents a new workshop, “The Art of the Audition” led by the Company’s Artistic Director Allyn Burrows.
Designed to better prepare actors for Shakespeare auditions, Burrows will work with participants to craft their next Shakespeare audition, offer practical feedback, and add valuable insight into the business of acting. Burrows said the workshop will be an opportunity for actors to “tune-up” audition pieces and to examine them with fresh eyes in a changing environment.
“Working on these pieces can be a lot of fun, and enlightening,” he said. “Your audition pieces are not only your calling card in an ever-shifting industry, but also a chance to take a moment to share insight into material that you can call your own.”
The workshop is on Saturday, October 7th and Sunday, October 8th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Shakespeare & Company on Kemble Street in Lenox. It is appropriate for actors looking to improve or revisit audition pieces as well as those new to the audition process. Tuition is $385 and single-occupancy dorm rooms are available for an additional $50 per night. Scholarships and discounts are available for People of the Global Majority/BIPOC artists; alumni, and union members. For more information and to apply, visit Shakespeare & Company online.
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Berkshire Community College alums to hold dance workshops that includes the making of a short film
Pittsfield— From October 4th to October 13th, Berkshire Community College (BCC) hosts “A Body That Is Yours to Find,” a series of dance/movement workshops that includes the making of a short film, on four dates in October. The workshops are presented by action-based dance artist Stefanie Weber and filmmaker Michael Sinopoli, both BCC alums.
Weber, an accomplished workshop facilitator and choreographer, will guide the sessions, which will culminate with the filming of specific shots in and around the inspiring BCC Connector space with Michael Sinopoli behind the camera. The creative workshop series offers a unique experience for participants in discovering phrases of arranged and improvised movement, together with the creation of a short art film illuminating motion in bodies lost and found. According to Weber, the work is inspired by the progressive process of Parkinson’s disease.
The workshop are on Wednesday, October 4th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, October 6th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, October 11th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, October 13th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Connector on BCC’s main campus on West Street in Pittsfield. The workshops are free for BCC students, alumni, and faculty/staff, and $50 (includes all four sessions) for the public. All bodies are welcome and participants should dress in comfortable clothing suitable for moving. For more information or to register, please contact the BCC Alumni Office at alumni@berkshirecc.edu or 413-236-3071.
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Senator Mark announces Berkshire County staff office hours
Berkshire— State Senator Paul W. Mark announced that his staff will host office hours at five locations in Berkshire County in October. Residents of any of the 57 municipalities in the Senator’s Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District are encouraged to ask for assistance with issues involving any state agency or to share ideas on current or potential state legislation. Appointments are not required.
The office hours are as follows:
Adams: Tuesdays, October 3rd and 17th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Town Hall, 8 Park St., Adams.
Dalton: Monday, October 2nd from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Senior Center, 40 Field St., Dalton.
Great Barrington: Mondays, October 2nd and 16th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Town Hall, 334 Main St., Great Barrington.
North Adams: Tuesdays, October 3rd and 17th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the MCLA Alumni Relations Building, 228 E. Main St., North Adams.
Pittsfield: Wednesdays, October 11th and 25th and Thursdays, October 12th and 26th from 9 a.m. to noon at the District Office, 773 Tyler St., Pittsfield.
