Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire presents ‘RED NATIONS RISING: A Restorative Justice, Remembering and Reconciliation Dialogue’, a film screening and discussion with Indigenous award-winning filmmaker Fidel Moreno
Housatonic— On Wednesday, June 21st at 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire presents “RED NATIONS RISING: A Restorative Justice, Remembering and Reconciliation Dialogue”, a film screening and discussion with Indigenous award-winning filmmaker Fidel Moreno.
Moreno will screen segments and interviews from his film and video archives that span his 32-year career as an ethnographic indigenous filmmaker. They cover treaty violations, fishing, timber and water rights, religious freedom, and human rights as they relate to American Indians and Indigenous people, cultures, and communities throughout North, Central and South America. A discussion and prayer circle will follow.
Moreno identifies as Huichol, Zacateco, Chichimecca and Chicano. His films include “Gather Our Hearts at Standing Rock”, “The Peyote Road”, ‘LifeSpirit”, and “Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations”. He was also the Co-Producer of Rock, Rattle and Drum American Indian Pow Wow & Spirit on the Mountain Music Festival here in the Berkshires and tribal-state region of MA, NY and VT.
It is anticipated that this evening’s dialogue will be a forerunner to a larger discussion this fall in conjunction with the premier and release of “Killers of the Flower Moon” on October 20th. This feature film was produced by Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Apple Films and Paramount Studios. In May it received the longest standing ovation (15 minutes +) in the history of the Cannes film festival. Based on a book by the same name, by author and investigative journalist, David Grann, it chronicles the shocking, tragic and true story of the murder of the Osage Nation’s citizens for their oil leases and the birth of the FBI.
‘‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is powerful and riveting, detailing a horribly tragic dark chapter in the history of American Indians and Indigenous people and cultures in North America. The thought of an Indigenous Black Lives Matter movement across this nation might allow for healing the historical and contemporary divide that exists between Native America and the United States as a society and address the generational trauma and multi-generational grief that tribal communities and families are carrying for the last 500+ years.’ – Fidel Moreno
The screening and discussion is on Wednesday, June 21st at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire on Main Street in Housatonic. Before the event, there is a community potluck at 6 p.m. in the social hall. The event is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. The evening concludes with a prayer for community healing and reconciliation. For more information, visit Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire online.
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Opening Weekend of ‘Berkshire Busk!’ showcases 13-year-old winner of Australia’s National Busking Competition, Noah Robertson
Great Barrington— On Friday, June 30th and Saturday, July 1st, “Berkshire Busk!”, the downtown music and arts festival opens, featuring an array of teen talent. Dubbed “School’s Out!”, the festival’s opening Saturday night event will showcase both local and international teenage talent.
Headlining the event is Noah Robertson, aged 13, the acclaimed winner of the 20th Australian National Busking Competition. A multi-talented artist and adventurer – he’s a guitarist, singer, songwriter, sailor, and world traveler – Robertson will be on Lower Railroad Street, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Natalie Lewis, a Monument Mountain senior and seasoned “Berkshire Busk!” performer will be at the Triplex courtyard area singing a wide range of familiar covers.
Adding a touch of whimsy will be circus performers Bruce Bowey & Kim Hyman, set to dazzle kids with their balloon blow-ups and face painting, and “The Bubble Guy,” who will entertain with giant bubbles.
The festival is scheduled to continue every Friday and Saturday night, weather permitting, from June 30th to September 2nd. For more information, visit “Berkshire Busk!” online.
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Grace Kelly, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader that has rocked the jazz world is coming to MCLA in North Adams
North Adams— Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15th at 7 p.m., MCLA presents the Grace Kelly Quartet.
Grace Kelly is singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader that has rocked the jazz world. The “NY Times” said she is “clearly in possession of virtuoso talents”.
The concert is tomorrow, Thursday, June 15th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Venable Theatre at MCLA on Church Street in North Adams. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for MCLA faculty, staff, and alumni, and free for current MCLA students. For tickets and more information, visit MCLA online.
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Experience life on an army campaign in 1770’s New England, the Bidwell House will be hosting ‘The Army on Campaign’, a three day exploration of the lives of troops and followers during the American Revolutionary War period
Monterey— On June 23rd, 24th, and 25th, the Bidwell House will be hosting “The Army on Campaign,” a three day exploration of the lives of troops and followers during the American Revolutionary War period.
The reenactment will be hosted by His Majesty’s 52nd Regiment and Spencer’s Additional Continental Regiment, and will feature multiple lectures focused on laundry, health and wellness, military discipline, provisioning the army, and more. Three tactical demonstrations will be conducted throughout the weekend. Visitors are also encouraged to visit the camps and speak to the participants about everyday life in the British and Continental armies.
The weekend event opens on Friday at 4:30 p.m. with a special VIP preview night that includes “Tag, Rag, and Bobtail: Women of the Army”, a moving theatrical performance about women of the army. Emma Cross and Emily Doherty detail the experiences of women on both sides of the conflict, who followed the army while on campaign. All of the dialogue in this performance is drawn from firsthand accounts and will draw you deeply into their stories. Emma and Emily are extraordinary and have performed this play at the Kennedy Center. A Q&A and light refreshments will follow the performance. Tickets to the Friday event include admission on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday at 9 a.m., the camp opens to the public. There are tactical demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m., and a performance of “Tag, Rag, and Bobtail: Women Belonging to the Army” at 12:45 p.m.
On Sunday at 10 a.m., the camp re-opens to the public. At 11 a.m., join Sandy Wolkon Spector as she shares Martha Washington’s experiences while wintering with General Washington and the Continental Army in “Venturing Forth out of Virginia: Martha Washington’s Winters with her Husband and the Army”. Sandy excels at her portrayal of Martha Washington, and has dedicated many years to learning about Martha’s life in order to create her amazing impression. At 12:30, join Timothy Abbott, from Spencer’s Additional Continental Regiment, who will share the story of the soldiers from Berkshire County who enlisted in the Continental Army & State Levies, and their involvement in the American Revolutionary era. There will be a final tactical demonstration at 1:45.
The event is at the Bidwell House Museum on Art School Road in Monterey. On arrival, all visitors will be given a map of the property showing the location of the camps, presentations, and vendors. There will be food available for purchase on both Saturday and Sunday. Flour Bin catering will offer a selection of sandwiches and salads. There will also be a table selling SoCo ice cream, juice and soda, and snacks.
This event runs June 23rd to June 25th and is open to all ages. Tickets are $40 for a two-day pass for non-members, $25 for a two-day pass for members, $25 for a one-day pass for non-members, $15 for a one-day pass for members, and children 12 and under are free. Parking is free. Visit Bidwell House online for full details and a schedule of events.
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OLLI presents “The Memoir of a Female Soldier” with Steve Nelson
Pittsfield— On Tuesday, July 11th at 7 p.m., the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) presents “The Memoir of a Female Soldier” with Steve Nelson.
Deborah Sampson was a young woman from Massachusetts who donned men’s clothing to enlist in the Revolutionary War. Stationed at West Point for 17 months, she was wounded in combat against Tory loyalists terrorizing the Hudson Valley, and promoted as an aide to General John Paterson from Lenox. Her gender was finally revealed while unconscious with a deadly fever.
In “The Memoir of a Female Soldier”, a novel by Jan Lewis Nelson, Deborah takes quill pen in hand to tell her story. A wife and mother disabled by her war wound, her petition for a veteran’s pension ignored by Congress, and the victim of media misinformation, she became the first American woman to do a lecture tour. She won respect as the man she wasn’t but sought respect for the woman she was.
Steve Nelson is a longtime resident of the Berkshires. He is the author of a memoir, “Gettin’ Home: An Odyssey Through The ‘60s”, and of “Homo Electric: Evolution of a Dynamic New Human Species”. He is a graduate of Cornell University, Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School.
Copies of “The Memoir of a Female Soldier” will be available for sale and signing.
The free event is open to the public. The event is hybrid, in person on Tuesday, July 11th at 7 p.m. at Berkshire Community College on West Street in Pittsfield (Room H-202), and virtually, on Zoom. Registration and more information can be found by visiting OLLI online.
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The Mount to host three panel discussions on ‘Wharton, Women, and War’
Lenox— The Mount, the home of Edith Wharton, is pleased to announce the lineup for three compelling panel discussions, hosted in celebration of the 30th year of the Summer Lecture Series, which brings leading biographers and historians to the Berkshires each year.
Favorite speakers from years past, including former ABC News correspondent and bestselling author Kati Marton, will be returning to The Mount to moderate conversations with contemporary experts on the ever-relevant topics of “Wharton, Women, and War”.
On Friday, June 30th at 4 p.m., Wharton specialists and literary experts Jennifer Haytock, Sheila Liming, and Nathan Wolff share their views on why Edith Wharton’s writings remain relevant today, moderated by Wharton scholar and Barnard College American Studies Chair Jennie Kassanoff.
On Saturday, July 1st at 11 a.m., Sylvia Plath, Louisa May Alcott, and Gertrude Stein authorities Heather Clark, John T. Matteson, and Barbara Will compare notes on the challenge and pleasure of writing the lives of women ahead of their time, moderated by former host of WAMC’s “The Book Show” and Guggenheim fellow, Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina.
On Saturday, July 1st at 2 p.m., Washington Post columnist Max Boot, international affairs journalist Anne Nelson, and New York Times contributor Ted Widmer share their war-reporting experiences and observations on ongoing global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, moderated by former ABC news bureau chief and Angela Merkel biographer Kati Marton.
The discussions will be held at the Mount on Plunkett Street in Lenox. Tickets are $30 for general admission, $25 for members, and free for students and children 18 and under. All discussions will take place in an outdoor, open-sided tent. For tickets and more information, visit the Mount online.
Boxed lunches are offered at the Stable in between the two July 1st panel discussions and can be ordered in advance online. Boxed lunch offerings include a variety of High Lawn Farm artisanal cheeses, Vermont Salami, and dried fruit and crackers, with a bottle of water for $30; roasted balsamic vegetable salad with grilled vegetables, arugula, candied pecans with a side of goat cheese and balsamic dressing, with a bottle of water for $20; and a Waldorf chicken salad, leaf lettuce, and tomato on a spinach wrap, with a bottle of water for $20.
