“The Princess and the Pea” puppet performance at Ventfort Hall
Lenox— Puppeteer Carl Sprague will perform “The Princess and the Pea” at Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum in Lenox on Monday, February 20 and Thursday, February 23, both at 3:30 p.m. The Princess and the Pea is based on Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale. It’s the story of a young woman meeting an unusual test.
Sprague inherited a collection of 60 antique Czech marionettes each about eight inches tall that were assembled by his great-grandfather, Julius Hybler, with purchased heads and hand-made costumes. Hybler’s legacy also includes two marionette theaters. Sprague has been a set designer for such motion pictures as The Royal Tenenbaums and Scorcese’s The Age of Innocence, as well as for theater productions including those of Shakespeare & Company.
Admission to the show is $15 per person; $7 for children 4-17 and free for age 3 and under. Children must be accompanied by adults. Reservations are strongly recommend as seating is limited and can be made by calling (413) 637-3206. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows.
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Learn about the promises and risks of multi-species imaginings
Williamstown— On Tuesday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m., the Clark Art Institute’s Research and Academic Program hosts a talk by Research and Academic Program Fellow Shawn Michelle Smith that contemplates the promises and risks of multi-species imaginings while reflecting on what it means to think about species historically and today. Smith considers Alison Ruttan’s artwork “The Four Year War at Gombe” (2009–2011) in this presentation. The talk takes place in the Clark’s auditorium and is free and open to the public. A reception in the Manton Research Center reading room at 5 p.m. precedes the program.
Shawn Michelle Smith is professor of visual and critical studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois. She studies the history and theory of photography and gender and race in visual culture. Smith has published seven books, including the award-winning titles “At the Edge of Sight: Photography and the Unseen” (Duke University Press, 2013) and “Photographic Returns: Racial Justice and the Time of Photography” (Duke University Press, 2020). Her project at the Clark, titled “Environmental Double Consciousness,” approaches environmental catastrophe through the lens of critical race studies and is also supported by a 2022 Guggenheim fellowship.
Free; no registration is required. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
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Reporter James Brooke to discuss the future of Ukraine, Russia and the West
Pittsfield— OLLI at Berkshire Community College presents an online discussion with former New York Times foreign correspondent and former Ukraine reporter James Brooke on “Ukraine, Russia and the West– the Outlook for 2023” on Wednesday, February 22 at 7 p.m.
Veteran foreign correspondent Jim Brooke is back to give OLLI another in-depth analysis of the war in Ukraine. Jim draws on a total of 14 years living and working Kyiv and Moscow— as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, the Voice of America, Bloomberg and several business news outlets. In earlier talks with OLLI members, Jim went beyond the headlines to explain Russian intentions and flawed assumptions, Ukrainian capacity to resist, and the impact of the war around the world. It’s a good time to check back in with Jim on the one-year anniversary of the conflict and the unfolding tragedy that Ukrainians are undergoing.
This online Zoom discussion is free and open to the public. Register here.
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Wildlife tracking and ecology hikes from the Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center
Windsor— Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center is hosting two small hikes on Sunday, February 19.
The boreal spruce-fir forest ecology, trees and tracking snowshoe 2-mile trek will take place on Sunday, February 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Tamarack Hollow. This hike by Naturalist and Tamarack Hollow Director Aimee Gelinas M.Ed will feature the unique high elevation ecology of the boreal forest in winter as well as wildlife tracking, winter tree ID and winter ecology. Supported by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund and Central Berkshire Fund. $20pp. Snowshoe rentals available for $5. For registration email: aimee@gaiaroots.com
Additionally on Sunday, February 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. a winter wildlife tracking and tree identification snowshoe trek in the spruce-fir forest will take place at Notchview in Windsor. This round trip, 2-mile trek on the Hume Brook Trail will be led by naturalist guide and Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center Director Aimee Gelinas M.Ed. Learn how to identify wildlife tracks, signs of wildlife, spruce-fir forest ecology and tree ID along the way. Program is a snowshoe or hike depending on trail conditions. Registration required. For more information about Tamarack Hollow visit www.tamarackhollow.org. For event fees, info and to register visit www.thetrustees.org
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“The Wounded War: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War” lecture
Great Barrington— On February 22 at 6 p.m. the W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center in Great Barrington will present a lecture by historian Dr. Chad Williams on the topic “The Wounded War: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War.”
For nearly two decades W.E.B. Du Bois attempted to write what he believed would be the definitive history of the African American experience in World War I. This is the subject of Dr. Williams’ forthcoming book, “The Wounded World” in which he explores Du Bois’ complex relationship with the history and legacy of World War I and what it reveals about the struggle for democracy, racial justice, and peace in the 20th century.
Dr. Chad Williams is the Samual J. and Augusta Spector Professor of History and African and African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. He was one of the two dozen scholars who participated in the W.E.B. Du Bois Freedom Center’s inaugural Du Bois Forum retreat last summer.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
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“A Ukrainian Journey” concert by Music at Trinity Lenox
Lenox— Music at Trinity Lenox has announced its new concert series. The season will include a voice recital, a chamber music concert, a sung Evensong service, and performances by Cantilena Chamber Choir.
The opening concert will take place on Sunday, February 19 at 3 p.m. Entitled “A Ukrainian Journey,” the performance features Ukrainian soprano Irina Petrik singing songs of Ukraine and America as she spins the tale of her immigration and her life in both countries.
Music at Trinity Lenox, launched in 2022, serves to bring a variety of creative classical music performances to the Berkshires. Led by Artistic Director Noah Palmer, its programs include a wide range of repertoire, sacred and secular, including collaborations with Cantilena Chamber Choir, instrumental chamber music, vocal recitals, and special musical services.
Tickets are on sale now for a $25 suggested donation. All concerts are located at Trinity Episcopal Church, at 88 Walker St in Lenox, MA. To purchase tickets, and for complete season information, visit www.trinitylenox.org/music.
