MASS MoCA presents New York City trumpet player Dave Guy
North Adams— On Friday, February 28th at 8 p.m., MASS MoCA presents New York City trumpet player Dave Guy.
Dave Guy’s hip-hop and soul-inflected jazz conjures his influences, as much A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul as Donald Byrd and Hugh Masekela, and makes it clear why he has regularly appeared on records and onstage with the likes of Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Pharell, Sharon Jones, and Al Green, and on TV with Jimmy Fallon.
Now with “Ruby,” his first solo LP on Big Crown Records, Guy is stepping from the band’s flank to the front with a well deserved light shining directly on his sound. See him shine at MoCA fronting his own smoking-hot band, including Marco Benevento on keys, Homer Steinwiess on drums, Nick Movshon on bass, Mike Buckley on saxophone, and Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, percussion.
The concert is on Friday, February 28th at 8 p.m. at MASS MoCA, located at 1040 MASS MoCA Way in North Adams. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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MCLA’s MOSAIC presents the world premiere of ‘ReWritten’
North Adams— On February 28th at 7 p.m. and March 1st at 2 p.m., MCLA’s MOSAIC presents the world premiere of “ReWritten,” an evening-length multimedia dance theater performance that travels through time to examine the relationship between writers Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne and extend the queer archive.
Created by Matthew Cumbie and Tom Truss, “ReWritten” inspired by one of America’s most mysterious and intense friendships through letters, between Herman Melville and Nathanial Hawthorne. As it turns out Melville’s letters to Hawthorne still survive and are filled with copious amounts of admiration, innuendo, and longing, but what happened to Hawthorne’s letters and responses? “ReWritten” steps into this historical literary gap to expand the queer archive and ask what happens when you say no to a dream and what really happened between Melville and Hawthorne?
If you caught any of the site-specific versions of “ReWritten” at Arrowhead, this staged version is vastly different after having been workshopped during residency at the University of Toronto over Thanksgiving.
The performances are on February 28th at 7 p.m. and March 1st at 2 p.m. at MCLA’s Venable Theater, located at 375 Church Street in North Adams. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Barrington Stage Company presents ‘Whispers of Strength’
Pittsfield— On Monday, February 24th 6 p.m., Barrington Stage Company presents “Whispers of Strength,” a new thought-provoking play that offers a series of intimate, raw conversations between Black children and adults.
Audiences are invited to witness the vulnerability, wisdom, and hope that pass between generations, encouraging both Black individuals and others to embrace their unique identities, stand in their truth, and rise above the weariness that sometimes comes with being unseen or misunderstood.
Written by Sharron Frazier-McClain and directed by Sabrina Francis, “Whispers of Strength” features performers Joseph Gunn, Christine Bilé, Chynna Williams, Mekhi McClain, Gloria Williams, Nolan Reynolds, Emery Campbell, and Mecca McClain.
The performance is on Monday, February 24th 6 p.m. at Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage, located at 36 Linden Street in Pittsfield. Tickets and more information can be found online.
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Ventfort Hall presents ‘Witness: Sharing Cancer Stories,’ a quilt exhibit created by Francesca Olsen
Lenox— Through March 31st, Ventfort Hall presents “Witness: Sharing Cancer Stories,” a quilt exhibit created by Francesca Olsen
“Witness” is a show about the experience of young adults during and after cancer treatment. It’s designed to create striking visuals that draw attention to the alarming increase in young adult cancers. While there has been an overall decrease in cancer deaths, cancer rates for people under age 50 (across the world) have increased by 80%.
People under 50 are starting or building their careers. They often have children to care for, or they are in the middle of taking care of aging parents, or doing both at the same time. After treatment, they’re often expected to go back to “normal” without much time to re-evaluate who they are and what’s important now, while living with cancer and its indefinite treatment, or the constant reminder that it could recur, often with daily complications and severe after-effects from treatment.
To develop the quilts for this show, Francesca Olsen interviewed 17 young adults whose lives were touched by cancer. Their invaluable perspective drives work about balance, re-entering the world, dealing with caregivers and the medical industry, and building community among people who have been through it. Olsen’s quilts showcase this experience. “Witness,” for which the show is named, includes embroidered quotes from survivor interviews in the style of a temperance banner or Victorian-era community quilt.
The exhibit runs through March 31st at Ventfort Hall, located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox. It is included with admission. More information can be found online.
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Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. presents ‘Focus on Downtown,’ a photography exhibition at Framework
Pittsfield— Through March 26th, Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., as part of the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival, presents “Focus on Downtown,” a photography exhibition at Framework.
“Focus on Downtown” features three Berkshires-based photographers who will show you Downtown Pittsfield through their lens. Brian Beckett, Shaun Harmon, and Autumn Phoenix have taken over the Framework gallery space with vibrant and artistic shots of Downtown.
The exhibit is on view through March 26th at Framework at the Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. offices, located at 431 North Street in Pittsfield. There will be a reception with the photographers on Sunday, February 23rd from 10 a.m. to noon. More information can be found online.
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OtherWords poetry series continues at the Mason Library
Lenox— On Saturday, February 22nd from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the OtherWords Series, presented by the Friends of Great Barrington Libraries, continues with readings by poets Peter Gizzi and Abigail Chabitnoy at the Mason Library.
Peter Gizzi is the author of several collections of poetry, most recently Fierce Elegy winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Massachusetts Book Award. Currently a Senior Global Fellow in Poetry at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, he teaches poetry and poetics at the UMass Amherst.
Abigail Chabitnoy is the author of “In the Current Where Drowning Is Beautiful” and “How to Dress a Fish,” shortlisted for the 2020 International Griffin Prize for Poetry and winner of the 2020 Colorado Book Award. She teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts and UMass Amherst and is a member of the Tangirnaq Native Village in Kodiak.
The reading is on Saturday, February 22nd from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mason Library, located at 231 Main Street in Great Barrington. It is free and open to all. Wine, cider, and cheese will be served before the reading. There will be a time to meet and talk with the poets after the reading. More information can be found online.
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CHP Berkshires presents ‘Maintain Your Brain’ webinar
Berkshire— On Thursday, February 27th from noon to 1 p.m., CHP Berkshires is hosting a free webinar on the importance of lifestyle in maintaining cognitive health during the older years.
Presented by Lisa Nelson, MD, the web talk is based on a recent study showing substantial cognitive benefits for older adults who received online coaching on lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. It was the largest study of its kind, and the findings showed that participants receiving online support (compared with education alone) produced significant improvements in cognitive wellness.
The free virtual event is on Thursday, February 27th from noon to 1 p.m. It is ideal for anyone aged 55 and older and for caregivers and relatives of older adults, elder care service providers, and others. Registration is required. Registration and more information can be found online.
