Ancram Opera House begins seasons with work-in-progress, movement workshop
ANCRAM, N.Y. — Ancram Opera House (AOH) will begin its 2022 Summer Play Lab Series Friday, May 27–Sunday, May 29 with a work-in-progress presentation of songs by the artists of “SUNWATCHER,” a Noh-inspired piece directed by Nana Dakin, with music by Tidtaya Sinutoke, and book and lyrics by Isabella Dawis. The Summer Play Lab residency provides theater artists of all practices a space to develop innovative new performances and connect with the community in meaningful ways.
An experimental chamber musical, “SUNWATCHER” intertwines the story of two women — the astronomer and “hidden figure” Hisako Koyama (1916–1997) and the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu. Hisako was a self-taught solar observer who drew the sun in painstaking detail every day for 40 years, a landmark achievement that ranks among the likes of Galileo. “SUNWATCHER” celebrates this underrecognized Asian woman in science and her extraordinary dedication to ordinary observation.
In World War II Tokyo, despite the threat of firebombing from the U.S., Hisako looks through her telescope every day and sketches the spots on the sun’s surface. Her observations lead her to the sun goddess Amaterasu, a powerful deity besieged by her violent brother. Hisako’s experience of war collides with creation mythology, as both goddess and mortal are tested by tragedy and despair.
Work in progress showings of “SUNWATCHER” are scheduled for Friday, May 27 and Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 29 at 3 p.m. at the Ancram Opera House, 1330 County Rte. 7 in Ancram, New York. The $20 admission supports the Summer Play Lab residency program.
The “SUNWATCHER” team will also lead a free Creative Movement Workshop at AOH on Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Director Nana Dakin will guide participants through a series of simple exercises to awaken physical awareness. Next, the artists will talk about their creative process and the inspiration for “SUNWATCHER,” including scientific information about the Sun and sunspots. Composer Tidtaya Sinutoke and librettist Isabella Dawis will share some of the music they created based on this sun data. Participants will then be guided by Dakin on how to use these scientific facts and musical material as inspiration to create their own one-of-a-kind movement. Enrollment is limited and registration is required.
A new Summer Play Lab (SPL) Bundle ticket purchase gets tickets to one performance each of “SUNWATCHER” and Celeste Lecesne’s “POOF!,” which runs July 8–10, for just $30 (a $10 savings). This offer is only good through the run of “SUNWATCHER.”
—A.K.
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Stockbridge Sinfonia announces rehearsal schedule, upcoming concerts
STOCKBRIDGE — Summer 2022 marks the Stockbridge Sinfonia’s 50th anniversary season and its program will honor the milestone with a co-commission with Berkshire Children’s Chorus, which is celebrating its 30th season. The season is also dedicated to our planet.
Stockbridge Sinfonia rehearsals will be held on Saturday mornings, from 9:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m., in the Common Room of Zion Lutheran Church, located at 74 First Street in Pittsfield. The first rehearsal (strings only) is Saturday, May 28, in preparation for a special concert on Sunday, June 12 with the Berkshire Children’s Chorus. Regular rehearsals of the full orchestra begin on Saturday, June 4, at 9:30 a.m., and continue every Saturday up to concert dates.
Interested players are encouraged to visit www.StockbridgeSinfonia.org website to print out respective parts and view the latest COVID protocols established by the Sinfonia. Players are required to wear masks, be fully vaccinated, and bring their own music stands.
This summer’s repertoire includes “City,” a premiere by local composer Alice Spatz; a co-commission of “O Colored Earth” by Steven Heitzeg with Berkshire Children’s Chorus; Yom Kippur for brass ensemble and shofar by Sinfonia founder Joy Dronge; Antonin Dvorak’s “In Nature’s Realm”; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pastorale”). Three concerts, free and open to the public, will take place Saturday, July 30 at 3 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School; Saturday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield; and Sunday, Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. at Saint James Place in Great Barrington.
—A.K.
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Bidwell House Museum kicks off season with concert and reception
MONTEREY — The Bidwell House Museum will open for its 31st season on Memorial Day weekend. Tours by appointment will be held Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30. An opening concert and reception with singer-songwriter Diane Taraz will be held Sunday at 2 p.m., where Taraz will perform her new show, “No Such Thing as Idle Hands: The History of Women’s Work.”
Through music and folk songs, Taraz will explore the number of things women used to have to know to keep their families alive. Taraz has been a mainstay of the Museum’s opening weekend for many years and this will be her first in-person concert at the Museum since 2019. Following the show there will be a small reception to usher in the new season. Tickets can be purchased on the Museum website. Admission to the show and reception is free for members and $15 for non-members.
On Monday, May 30, the Museum will begin guided tours of the house. These personal, small-group tours last about an hour and include a look at the architecture of the house, a history of the Bidwell Family and their connection to Monterey, information about housewares and decor in 18th century New England, and a walk through the first and second floors of the house. The Museum is accessible and there is a video tour of the 2nd floor for those visitors who are unable to climb stairs. As in 2021, all tours will be by appointment only, must be booked 24 hours in advance and will be available on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tours can be reserved by calling 413-528-6888 or emailing bidwellhm2@gmail.com. Tickets for adults are $15, seniors are $10, student tickets are $5, and children 12 and under are free.
—A.K.
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ROAM gallery announces exhibit by 11 young African artists
NORTH ADAMS — ROAM will present 11 young African artists in collaboration with the Uweza Foundation from Nairobi, Kenya, in the exhibition “Kibera: Expressions of Life in Contemporary Art of Kenya.” The show opens Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m. with a reception in the third-floor gallery. The day’s events will include programming and community engagement activities with ROAM curator Aria Corrine Gannon and Uweza Country Director Japheth Okoth.
The Uweza Foundation works with youth and their families from the Kibera neighborhood, the largest informal settlement, or slum, in Nairobi. The Foundation provides space, instruction, and time for students who get little if any educational resources or opportunities to teach them the tenets of painting or art creation.
The exhibition at ROAM this summer will include over 20 paintings of work highlighting the motifs and topics that are familiar to the students, such as family, African animals, cities, landscapes, and the Kibera community itself. The student artists spend their free time at the Uweza Foundation art center located in the neighborhood, a respite for many from the daily experiences of living in a community without systemized roads, water, and energy sources. During their time at the Foundation, the artists learn how to paint, and some even become teachers themselves. Kibera has an estimated quarter million residents who live in a condensed area the size of approximately 20 football fields. The majority of residents live in extreme poverty and face unimaginable challenges in their daily lives, and more than half of Kibera’s residents are below the age of 18.
ROAM gallery owner Xtina Parks is an African wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and conservationist who lives in the U.S. and Botswana. She strives to support and promote contemporary and traditional African artists who do not have access or opportunities for global exposure. The 11 artists who will be highlighted in Kibera: Expressions of Life in Contemporary Art of Kenya have been selected by Parks. All pieces in the show are for sale.
Gallery hours are Wednesdays–Sundays, from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Private tours are available by calling 413-663-8000 or emailing aria@roamgallery.photo.
—A.K.
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1/2 TIX program to return June 2 for seven Berkshire venues
PITTSFIELD — Barrington Stage Company announces the return of the popular ½ TIX program for 2022, which offers half-priced tickets to residents and visitors throughout the Berkshires. Patrons can buy same-day, half-priced tickets to performances at two d ½ TIX booths, located at the Barrington Stage Company box office at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield and Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre at 6 East Street in Stockbridge.
The program kicks off June 2 with offers through September 4, Tuesdays–Sundays from 12–4:30 p.m. 1/2 TIX booths are closed Mondays, with ticket sales for Mondays sold on Sundays.
Patrons seeking information about daily performance availability and general ½ TIX information should call the ½ TIX Hotline at 413-743-1339 or visit the website, where information is updated daily by 11a.m. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and all transactions are cash only. There is an additional $4 handling charge per ticket.
The venues participating in the 2022 ½ TIX Program are: Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, Chester Theatre Company, Mac-Haydn Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, Tanglewood, and The Theater Barn.
—A.K.
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Summer Stage at Ski Butternut to launch this summer
GREAT BARRINGTON — Josh Kelleher of JJK Productions (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts) has created a family-friendly concert series to be held this summer at Ski Butternut. The Summer Stage at Ski Butternut 2022 season will include four concerts. The cover bands span a range of rock styles and time periods including Dave Matthews, Prince, Pink Floyd, and Tom Petty tributes.
A variety of beer and wine will be available for purchase and Ski Butternut will offer food from the Pit Stop. Attendees are invited to bring their own chairs and blankets. No outside food or beverages will be allowed. The concerts will happen rain or shine.
The series includes:
- June 4: The Dave Matthews Tribute Band
- July 16: Dean Ford and the Beautiful Ones; A Tribute to Prince
- August 27: The Machine: Dark Side of the Moon and Greatest Hits
- September 17: The Breakers: A Tribute to Tom Petty
Summer Stage takes place at Ski Butternut, 380 State Rd Great Barrington MA, 01230. Tickets available here.
—A.K.
