‘Jewish Survival in Albania and Kosova’ to honor Holocaust Remembrance Day
Pittsfield — In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires will offer the community program “Jewish Survival in Albania and Kosova,” the story of the Albanian people’s rescue of Jews during World War II, on Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m. at the Berkshire Museum. The program marks one of the first times the story will be shared, through testimonials and film clips, at an event geared toward the general public.
“Jewish Survival in Albania and Kosova” is not simply a story of Jewish refugees and their mostly Muslim rescuers, but is also a story of how an episode that might have been lost to history was recovered and is finally being shared as a universal message of courage and religious and ethnic tolerance. The actions of the Albanian people were rooted in an ethical code known as besa, which involves an honor-bound fulfillment of the obligation to provide hospitality and protection to those in peril.
The featured guest speaker will be Leke Rezniqi, the great-grandson of Arsllan Rezniqi who led the rescue effort and was the first Kosovar Albanian recognized as a Righteous Gentile by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust martyrs’ and heroes’ remembrance authority in Israel. Rezniqi will be joined by Agim Alickaj, whose late father, Arif Alickaj, was deputy secretary of the municipality of Decan during the Nazi occupation of Kosova. Also presenting will be Joseph J. DioGuardi, a two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives who was instrumental in rediscovering the tale and sharing photos and documentation of it with officials of Yad Vashem.
The program will be followed by a community candle lighting and prayers for those murdered in the Holocaust as well as a public reception and exhibition on the Kosova rescue. Students of Clarksburg School will present a display of projects highlighting additional Righteous Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews and other persecuted groups during the war.
Th event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires at (413) 442-4360 x10.
–E.E.
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BFMC announces screenwriting competition
Pittsfield — Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative has announced its first annual short film screenplay contest. The competition is open to all amateur writers who live in the western Massachusetts counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire, as well as full-time students attending schools in the region). Amateur writers are defined as those who haven’t sold a screenplay, had short scripts televised or been shown theatrically.
The contest is being organized by BFMC board of directors member, award-winning screenwriter Emerson College faculty member Stephen Glantz. Acting as judges will be local film and television luminaries including Glantz, actor/producer Jayne Atkinson, WGBY executive producer Tony Dunne, writer/director/playwright Julianne Haim, writer Marc Maurino, writer Maria Nation, writer and former HBO executive Paige Orloff, writer John Orloff, director Matthew Penn, and art house film distributor/writer John Lawrence Ré.
Scripts should not exceed 20 pages in length and are due by midnight on Monday, May 22. All submissions should be in script format and sent to info@berkshirefilm.org. Three finalists will be selected to be guests at BFMC’s annual Posh Picnic fundraiser at Tanglewood in Lenox on Sunday, July 23, where the winners will be announced. First-, second- and third-prize winners will be awarded $1,500, $750 and $250 respectively. For more information, contact BFMC at (413) 528-4223.
–E.E.
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Karen Dolmanisth exhibits art at GB senior center
Great Barrington — The Claire Teague Senior Center is featuring the work of multimedia artist Karen Dolmanisth through Sunday, May 30.
Dolmanisth’s intuitive, abstract style is derived from sound, light, color and concrete materials as well as energy, movement, rhythm and space. She received an MFA with honors in sculpture, drawing, new media, installations and video from the UMass Amherst and a BFA from the New School, Parsons School of Design in New York City. She also studied at the New School for Social Research, Cooper Union and New York University. Her list of accomplishments includes grants, reviews, solo and group shows, videos, performance art and teaching assignments. She has completed special projects in India, the Netherlands and Vienna.
For more information, contact the senior center at (413) 528-1881.
–E.E.
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Williams College to host ‘Remnants’
Williamstown — Psychologist and playwright Henry “Hank” Greenspan will perform his one-man play “Remnants” at Williams College on Monday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the ’62 Center’s CenterStage. The performance will be followed by a discussion between the playwright and the audience.
“Remnants” was first produced for radio in 1992 and is based on 20 years of the playwright’s conversations with Holocaust survivors. Greenspan’s performance recreates moments in which survivors reflect not only on the destruction of the Holocaust, but also on their lives in its aftermath. “Remnants” has been presented at more than 100 venues throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as in the U.K., Israel, the Czech Republic, and at the Magdeburg attic theatre in the former Theresienstadt concentration camp.
A lecturer, psychologist, oral historian, playwright and author, Greenspan has been writing and teaching about the Holocaust for almost three decades and has written the books “On Listening to Holocaust Survivors: Recounting and Life History,” and, with Agi Rubin, “Reflections: Auschwitz, Memory, and a Life Recreated.” Greenspan teaches in the University of Michigan’s social theory and practice program. He holds a B.A. and M.Ed. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University.
The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar. For building locations on the Williams campus, consult the online map or call the Office of Communications (413) 597-4277.
–E.E.
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WAM Theatre announces auditions for ‘The Last Wife’
Lenox — WAM Theatre will hold auditions at its offices for its fall mainstage production of “The Last Wife” by Kate Hennig on Sunday, May 7, and Monday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The production will be directed by Kelly Galvin and will run Friday, Oct. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 5, in Lenox.
A contemporary reimagining of the relationship between Henry VIII and his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, “The Last Wife” is an examination of patriarchy, sexual politics and women’s rights. There are roles for three women, two men and one child. Actors should speak in their own voices and accents, and actors of diverse backgrounds will be considered for all roles.
Equity actors will be hired on a Small Professional Theatre Agreement contract, category 3. Non-Equity professional actors will be hired on a contract directly with WAM Theatre at the same weekly rate as SPT, category 3. Equity Membership candidates and non-Equity actors will be seen as time permits and are encouraged to submit a photo and resume and indicate their non-union statuses in their requests. Actors without appointments are welcome to show up on audition days and will be seen at the first available openings.
WAM Theatre invites interested professional actors to submit resumes and headshots as PDF and JPEG attachments for audition appointments to Hope Rose Kelly, general manager, at hope@wamtheatre.com with “Submission: The Last Wife” in the subject line. The deadline for submissions is Thursday, May 4.
Character breakdowns and complete audition information are available online.
–E.E.
