Colonial Theatre to present ‘A Christmas Carol’
Pittsfield — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) will present its 11th annual community production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Eric Hill and directed by Travis G. Daly, at the Colonial Theatre Saturday, Dec. 10, through Tuesday, Dec. 22.
The classic holiday fable “A Christmas Carol” tells the story of miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is shown the error of his ways and reformed by four spirits. The performances will include a coat drive at which BTG will accept donations of gently warn coats to help local families in need. On Sunday, Dec. 18, at 5:30 p.m., BTG will offer a sensory-friendly performance, which will be slightly modified to accommodate individuals with sensory-input disorders.
Tickets to “A Christmas Carol” are $38 for adults and $28 for children age16 and under. Tickets to the sensory-friendly performance are $20 for adults and $10 for children age 16 and under. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call the Colonial ticket office at (413) 997-4444.
–E.E.
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Reporter, author Alec MacGillis to present ‘One Month Later’ election talk
Pittsfield — On Friday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) will present “One Month Later: Making Sense of the 2016 Election,” a conversation with award-winning national political reporter and author Alec MacGillis and Berkshire Eagle editor-in-chief Kevin Moran, in the auditorium of the Berkshire Museum.
A native of Pittsfield who now resides in Baltimore, MacGillis covers politics and government for ProPublica, a nonprofit online investigative journalism organization and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner. He was the 2015 winner of the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting and his work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker and the Atlantic. He is also the author of “The Cynic,” a 2014 biography of Sen. Mitch McConnell, and spent five years as a reporter for the Washington Post. He was also a metro reporter for five years at the Baltimore Sun, where he and collaborators were Pulitzer Prize finalists for their coverage of the Beltway sniper. MacGillis has also reported for the New Republic, where his coverage included articles on the racial politics of Milwaukee, Chris Christie and political corruption in New Jersey.
Moran is editor-in-chief and regional vice president of news for New England Newspapers, overseeing the newsroom operations of the Berkshire Eagle, Bennington Banner, Brattleboro Reformer, Manchester Journal and related publications. He served as the managing editor of the Berkshire Eagle from 2005 to 2013 and has won numerous awards during his 20-plus years in journalism.
Tickets are $10 general admission and free for OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Museum members and BCC students. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or contact OLLI at BCC at (413) 236-2190.
–E.E.
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Sundance Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA
North Adams — On Friday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m., Sundance Institute Theatre Lab will return to MASS MoCA with a presentation of “Club Diamond,” one of four projects it supports with its two-week artistic residency in North Adams. “Club Diamond,” created and written by Saori Tsukada and Nikki Appino, paints the story of a young woman traveling alone from Tokyo to New York City in search of fame. Drawing from Tsukada’s background in Japanese storytelling and Appino’s experience with American film, “Club Diamond” unfolds with a cross-cultural blend of mediums and storytelling techniques, rendering a single narrative through the use of silent film, illustration and live animation. The production is accompanied by Tim Fain’s delicate violin composition.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 on the day of the performance, $21 preferred and $8 for students. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call (413) 662-2111.
–E.E.
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YAA to present ‘Pervert’ art show at LABspace
Hillsdale, N.Y. — Young Albany Artists (YAA) will present the one-weekend group show “Pervert” at LABspace on Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11. A reception will be held on Friday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The verb “to pervert” is the organizing principal around the show, as the artists actively pervert standard uses of materials and subject matter, deteriorating form, playing with contortions of reality, and creating interdisciplinary and cross-media artwork. Each artist is completing a bachelor’s degree in art from SUNY Albany.
Bugzdale begins with digital photographic self-portraits, which he then transfers to canvas. Jake Fallat perverts the use of traditional metal casting of busts and portraiture along with animal organs collected from his day job as a butcher to create metal castes of grotesque imagery. Kelsey Bzdyk paints on panel to open portals of perception of space and perspective. Using intuitive mark-making, Robert Houle constructs figurative realism from an abstraction that changes focus depending upon scale. Ariana Schrader-Rank contrasts perceptions using her work with printmaking, drawing, animation and other various media. Bettina Martin creates figurative abstractions of the female form that look fragmented like stained glass. Melissa Flagler paints awkward and clichéd snapshots of other people’s interactions.
For more information, contact LABspace at (646) 567-9681 or labspaceart@gmail.com.
–E.E.
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iPhone drawing for BHS employees
Pittsfield — Berkshire Money Management Inc. is sponsoring an iPhone 7 drawing for all current employees of Berkshire Health Systems (BHS). The random drawing, which will take place on Thursday, Dec. 15, includes 10 new phones. Winners will be picked at random and there is no entry fee or purchase requirement in order to participate or win.
BHS employees can enter the drawing online or via U.S. mail by sending a written submission to Berkshire Money Management Inc., 392 Merrill Rd., Pittsfield, MA 01201, Attention: iPhone 7 Drawing Entry. Participants should include their names, addresses, email addresses, and daytime telephone numbers. Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
For more information, contact Bill Schmick at 1 (888) 232-6072 or wschmick@berkshiremm.com.
–E.E.
