BSC to offer free streaming of “Ain’t I A Woman” beginning January 20
PITTSFIELD — As part of its Black Voices Matter initiative, Barrington Stage Company (BSC) is sponsoring Celebration of Black Voices by sharing a live-captured version of “Ain’t I A Woman,” beginning January 20 on the BSC YouTube channel.
Written by Shirley Edgerton and Felicia Robertson, and directed by Edgerton and Ted Thomas, “Ain’t I A Woman” tells the stories of unsung African American heroines. Guest artist Wanda Houston tells the story and sings the songs of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Narrated by Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed, the cast includes members of the Women of Color Giving Circle, Rites of Passage and Empowerment program, Youth Alive, and other Pittsfield residents including: Sabrina Allard, Amarie Allen, Tonya Babbs Boudreau, Sandra Blomberg, Lynn Browne, Noah Cook-Dubin, Jerome Edgerton Jr., Samirah Evans, Sanyah Frazier, Elise Henderson, Nicholas Jery, Aaron Johnson, Linda Kelley, Isaiah Nagggs, Olivia Nda, Keya Robertson, Jimmy Ruberto, Rebecca Thompson, Jeffrey Turner, Megan Whilden, and Wilysche Willaims.
—A.K.
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Greylock Opera Collective to present “My Way of Life”
NORTH ADAMS — Greylock Opera Collective’s second production, “My Way of Life,” is based on George Bernard Shaw’s play “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” written in 1893. Performances will take place Thursday, Feb. 3 at Studio 9 in North Adams at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 4 at The Players in New York City at 7:30 p.m.
“My Way of Life” follows the plot of “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” which focuses on the relationship between Vivie Warren and her mother. Vivie is a modern young woman who has had limited contact with her mother and has never known her father. During the course of the play, Vivie discovers her mother is a former prostitute who is now the owner of “gentlemen’s hotels” in various European cities. Vivie ends her relationship with her mother in order to pursue the life she wishes to live.
The cast includes Lauren Zakrin (of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway) as Vivie, Erin Casey as her mother, Paul La Rosa as George Crofts, Josh Gurwitz as Praed, and Christopher Van Liew as Frank.
In the interest of the health and safety of all patrons, proof of vaccination will be required and masks must be worn at all times.
—A.K.
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Cornelia Brooke Gilder to offer talk on Constance Cary Harrison at Ventfort Hall
LENOX — Local historian and author Cornelia Brooke Gilder will tell the story of Constance Cary Harrison, a theatrical producer and best-selling author in Lenox’s Gilded Age, at Ventfort Hall Saturday, Feb. 5 at 3:30 p.m. The lecture is also available to attend on Zoom.
Constance Harrison’s story is unique and worthy of an Edith Wharton plot. In the late 1860s, penniless but well-connected, she came to New York from Richmond, Virginia, after her husband’s release from solitary confinement in a military prison. Together they reinvented their lives, and she became one of the most popular novelists of her day (a decade before Wharton’s rose to fame.) From their rented summer house on the Old Stockbridge Road, Harrison staged plays at the Lenox Library and incorporated Berkshire scenes in her scores of effervescent short stories and novels.
Gilder has co-authored with Richard S. Jackson Jr.,” Houses of the Berkshires, 1870–1930,” named an honor book by Historic New England; authored “Edith Wharton’s Lenox”; co-authored with Julia Conklin Peters “Hawthorne’s Lenox: The Tanglewood Circle”; and with Joan Olshansky, wrote “A History of Ventfort Hall.” Gilder also contributed to the exhibition “A Walk in the Country: George Inness and the Berkshires,” on view at the Clark Art Institute.
Tickets are $20 per person. To attend in person, reservations are required by calling 413-637-3206. To attend via Zoom, click here to purchase your ticket. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. Payment is required to make a reservation for an event. Proof of vaccination, ID, and masks are required.
—A.K.
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BCC’s 40 Under Forty nominations due by March 1
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces nominations are now open for its annual 40 Under Forty awards celebration. 40 Under Forty honors talented millennials and Generation Z professionals in the Berkshires who have shown their support for the region through leadership, community service, and a deep dedication to improving the quality of life for those living and working in the community. The event is presented by the Berkshire Community College Foundation, The Berkshire Eagle, and 1Berkshire.
Nominees for 40 Under Forty must be 39 years old or younger as of September 30, 2022 and must work in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Nominations can be submitted by anyone who knows of a potential nominee. A panel of judges reviews the nominations and scores them according to four criteria:
- Career path — How fast has the individual risen? How is his or her rising career path unique or unusual?
- Commitment to the community — Does the individual volunteer? In what capacity?
- Outside recognition — Has this individual been recognized by any industry or community groups?
- Overall nomination — Is the nomination complete? Is it thorough and thoughtful?
To submit a nomination by March 1, 2022, click here. Awards will be presented at a special ceremony in the fall. For more information, contact the Office of Advancement at 413-236-2185 or 40under40@berkshirecc.edu.
—A.K.
