Fiona Scruggs’s Qualia Dance Collective selected by Jacob’s Pillow to perform in the ‘Artists of the Berkshires’
Becket— Fiona Scruggs’s Qualia Dance Collective was selected by Jacob’s Pillow to perform in the “Artists of the Berkshires” performance on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage on Friday, August 18th at 6 p.m. The collective will be performing two pieces choreographed by Fiona Scruggs, “Chiaroscuro Third Movement,” danced by Veronica Bone, Laura Coe, and Fiona Scruggs, and “Qualia: Time,” danced by Veronica Bone and Gillian Ebersole.
Scruggs is the founder, artistic director, and choreographer of Qualia Dance Collective.
Founded in 2022, Qualia Dance Collective seeks to explore the qualities of space, time, and energy as catalysts for movement and art, performing the choreography of Fiona Scruggs. Scruggs’s background is in ballet, so her movement is grounded in principles of line and technical precision. The work she creates explores creative narratives of visual art and often possesses a surrealist quality, inviting her audience to envision new worlds. They aim to awaken the imaginations of everyone they meet. The collective performs in local venues and festivals to stay connected to its Berkshire neighbors and form stronger bonds with nearby communities. To engage with the community, they offer integral post-show dialogues bridging access into the artistic process.
Born in Tübingen, Germany, Scruggs is a dancer, choreographer, researcher, educator, and writer. Fiona’s choreography has been presented at the 5×5 Dance Festival in Connecticut, The Foundry, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Berkshire Theatre Group, Chesterwood, Berkshire Busk, Choreography on the Edge in New York, the New Rochelle Arts Fest in New York, the Hudson Valley Academy of Performing Arts in New York, the Radford University in Virginia, and the Salzburg International Ballet Academy Gala in Austria. She is an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher through Level 5 and recently completed a two-year Teaching Artist Fellowship through the Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Youth Development program. She is a teaching artist at Berkshire Pulse and she is the former School Programs Coordinator at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, where she researched, wrote, and curated an archival collection about The School at Jacob’s Pillow’s 90-year history and legacy. She also spent time in France conducting research on the life, career, and legacy of Josephine Baker, which she has presented at numerous regional conferences.
The performance is on Friday, August 18th at 6 p.m., following Jacob Pillow’s Free Annual Community Day, on the Henry J. Leir Stage. This event is “Choose What You Pay” and there is no minimum. Ian Spencer Bell, 860 MVMNT, and Sayer Mansfield are also performing. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Ancram Opera House presents ‘Plein Air Plays’ in three secret outdoor locations
Ancram— Through August 20th, the Ancram Opera House invites you to an all new edition of their outdoor theatrical triptych, the “Plein Air Plays”. Experience the magic of plein air theater as they present three captivating short plays staged in three secret outdoor locations.
The three plays are “Made in Pakistan”, written by Mukta Phatak and performed by Abuzar Farrukh, in which a soccer coach meditates on family, connection, and his relationship to the land as he gets ready for an important game; “Summer”, written by Barbara Wiechman and performed by Glenn Barrett and Martina Deignan, in which a couple spars over differing versions of the story of their marriage on a summer evening, sitting under a tree; and “Giving up the Ghosts”, written and performed by Salty Brine, in which a gravedigger in a small town finds himself trapped in an existential crisis that has him contemplating everything from love to philosophy to dead pets in his search for the answer to life’s biggest question.
The plays run through August 20th. Tickets are $40 for general admission, $20 reduced admission, $15 for students with valid I.D., and $60 with a pay it forward option, which helps reduce admission for accessibility. The opera house asks that your ticket selection reflects what you are able to comfortably pay. The three site-specific works will be presented as a roving performance with audiences traveling by car to each secret location to experience these self-contained plays in environments relevant to their content. A short distance across grass that is sometimes gently sloping is required. For whom this may be a concern, please email info@ancramoperahouse.org for accommodations. Blankets and some seating will be provided. Audiences are also welcome to bring their own seating. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Chester Theatre Company presents Annie Baker’s ‘Circle Mirror Transformation’, their final production for the 2023 season
Chester— Through August 20th, Chester Theatre Company presents Annie Baker’s “Circle Mirror Transformation”, their final production for the 2023 season.
“Circle Mirror Transformation” was honored with an Obie as the best new American play in 2010. It tells the story of five very different people who come together in a Vermont community center for a theatre workshop. Their games and exercises teach them more about themselves and each other than they do about acting.
The exceptional cast includes Corrina May, Alex Draper, Joel Ripka, Tara Franklin, and Hero Marguerite. Former Producing Artistic Director Daniel Elihu Kramer will be directing the production.
The Berkshire Edge’s J. Peter Bergman said, “It’s hard to believe that you can see a funnier play than this one in the summer of 2023.” Mac Hartshorne of Read Up On It, said, “I have no reservations in saying that this show was the most moving, funniest, and best-acted production of all the 37 reviews of local theater I’ve published.”
The performances run through August 20th at the Chester Town Hall There on Middlefield Road in Chester. Tickets are $52.50 Chester and Middlefield residents, members of the military and their families, ConnectorCare enrollees, and those holding EBT/SNAP cards may purchase discounted tickets by calling the box office. Student Rush $10 tickets are available on the day of the show. Tickets and more information can be found online or by calling the box office at 413-354-7771.
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The Foundry presents ‘Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday’ with Tom Truss
West Stockbridge— On Saturday, August 19th at 8 p.m and Sunday, August 20th at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., The Foundry presents “Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday” with Tom Truss.
“Tell Me What You Learned Tuesday” is an irreverent and reverential journey into a queer boy’s life, and the joys and sorrows of his family. Through physical theatre, monologues, and multiple parts, performer Tom Truss becomes the Johnsons, a quirky and troubled family, as they unpack treasures and tragedies around their dining room table.
The performances are on Saturday, August 19th at 8 p.m and Sunday, August 20th at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at The Foundry on Harris Street in West Stockbridge. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The content of the show is suitable for mature audiences only. This is an indoor event. Parking is limited at the venue so please utilize the three public parking lots in Town. To avoid a parking ticket, visit the Foundry online for further details. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Free admission to the Berkshire Museum on Monday, August 21st thanks to the Highland Street Foundation
Pittsfield— On Monday, August 21st, admission to the Berkshire Museum is free thanks to the Highland Street Foundation, a great chance to see “Romance & Nature: Art of the Hudson River School” which runs through October 1st.
This 2,000 square-foot exhibition features the highlights of Berkshire Museum’s Hudson River School collection as well as a collection of Lithographs from John James Audubon exploring how the relationship of these prominent 19th century American artists developed with the natural world. The 19th century in America was full of exploration and expansion, with a new appreciation for natural landscapes. As the country grew with the acquisition of the Louisiana purchase in 1803, settlers turned westward to the allure of what they saw as uncharted, untouched land. Art depicting scenes of pristine nature, from the Hudson Valley to the Rocky Mountains, was wildly popular, exemplifying the romanticization of the natural world during this period. All works featured in this exhibition are part of Berkshire Museum’s permanent collection.
Everyone is admitted free on Monday, August 21st at the Berkshire Admission on South Street in Pittsfield. More information can be found online.
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The Scoville Memorial Library presents the Salisbury Band Concert on the lawn
Salisbury— On Saturday, August 26th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Scoville Memorial Library presents the Salisbury Band Concert on the lawn.
As summer winds down, you are invited to the library lawn for the Annual Salisbury Band concert. Bring chairs, blankets, and your favorite refreshments. The Salisbury Band was founded in 1928 and has a long-running tradition of treating locals to a free summer concert at the library.
The free performance is on Saturday, August 26th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the lawn of the Scoville Memorial Library in Main Street in Salisbury. More information can be found online.
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The Becket Arts Center’s Speaker Series is pleased to present Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee Chair, Cindy Delpapa, and Volunteer and Projects coordinator, Meredyth Babcock
Becket— On Sunday, August 20th at 4 p.m., the Becket Arts Center’s Speaker Series is pleased to present Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee Chair, Cindy Delpapa, and Volunteer and Projects coordinator, Meredyth Babcock.
Delpapa and Babcock will discuss programs designed to protect and enhance the Westfield River, whose 78 miles of headwater tributaries and three major branches are designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Come hear what our community is doing to preserve the river’s uniqueness and how you, too can be a river steward.
The presentation will be on Sunday, August 20th at 4 p.m. at the Becket Arts Center on Brooker Hill Road in Becket. More information can be found online.
