Shakespeare & Company to offer workshop production of “Measure for Measure”
LENOX — Shakespeare & Company continues its 2021 season with a workshop production of Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure.” Directed by Alice Reagan, the production will open for a limited run September 1–5.
“Measure for Measure” tells the story of Angelo, a minister who is abruptly appointed to rule over a chaotic and debauched city and restores order with repressive laws and an iron fist over licentiousness. The object of his own twisted desire is a young nun, whom he puts in an unthinkable position. “To whom should I complain?” is all that young Isabella can utter when she finds herself the target of his abuse of power. Justice can never come soon enough.
A New York-based freelance director, Reagan’s recent directing credits include “No Good Things Dwell in the Flesh” by Christina Masciotti at Yocum Institute; “HIR” by Taylor Mac at Shakespeare & Company; “Jeune Terre” by Gab Reisman through New Plays at Barnard; “Grounded” by George Brant at Dobama Theatre; “Jackie by Elfriede Jelinek” at Boom Arts; among many others. She is the recipient of two Foundation of Contemporary Arts Grants, a Princess Grace Award, and a Princess Grace Special Project Grant. Reagan is associate professor of professional practice at Barnard College.
This workshop production will feature some costumes, minimal sets, and cast members performing with scripts in hand. The cast includes: Ariel Bock (Duke), Sheldon Brown (Claudio), Nehassaiu deGannes (Isabella/Pompey), David Gow (Angelo), Charls Sedgwick Hall (Lucio), Rory Hammond (Escalus/Abhorson), Kristen Moriarty (Marianna/Provost), and Indika Senanayake (Mistress Overdone), with Norman Anthony Small as Stage Manager.
“Measure for Measure” will be performed outdoors at The Roman Garden Theatre.
—A.K.
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CozQuest offers Downtown Pittsfield StoryWalk® treasure hunt, Aug 28–Sept. 6
PITTSFIELD — Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and the Berkshire Athenaeum will continue the Downtown Pittsfield StoryWalk® of Ty Allan Jackson’s book “When I Close My Eyes” through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6. They have partnered with CozQuest for a free, family-friendly Treasure Hunt along the StoryWalk® route from Saturday, Aug. 28–Monday, Sept. 6. Kids will be able to solve “Spot Cozmo” picture puzzles to find hidden QR codes which will unlock treasure at local businesses. If they find all of the QR codes, they’ll be entered to win one of five limited edition “When I Close My Eyes” posters signed by the author, and one grand prize Winner will also receive a tote bag full of library swag.
Sixteen local businesses and organizations in downtown Pittsfield are participating in the StoryWalk®, and you can click here to access a map and virtual tour. Download the PocketSights app to follow the virtual walking tour on your GPS-enabled mobile device.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition (VBPC) and the Kellogg Hubbard Library.
StoryWalk® locations:
- START: Dottie’s Coffee Lounge (444 North St.)
- Circa (436 North St.)
- Radiance Yoga (401 North St.)
- Hotel on North (297 North St.)
- Paul Rich & Sons (242 North St.)
- AdLib, Inc. (215 North St.)
- Steven Valenti’s Clothing (157 North St.)
- Barrington Stage Company’s Wolfson Center (122 North St.)
- Berkshire Bank (99 North St.)
- Lee Bank (75 North St.)
- Phoenix Theatres Beacon Cinema (57 North St.)
- Marketplace Cafe (53 North St.)
- Deidre’s Special Day (2 South St. #100)
- Colonial Theatre (111 South St.)
- Patrick’s Pub (26 Bank Row)
- FINISH: Berkshire Athenaeum Children’s Library (Bartlett Ave.)
—A.K.
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James Benjamin Rodgers to present music of Kurt Weill at Mac-Haydn
CHATHAM, N.Y. — The Mac-Haydn Theatre’s Limited Performances series continues with Exiled: The Evolution of Kurt Weill, featuring James Benjamin Rodgers and Jillian Zack, presented September 1 and 29.
Exiled from Germany in 1933 at the height of his popularity, Weill’s music was banned in the country for the next 12 years. In this limited performance, Rodgers and Zack follow Weill’s journey from Berlin to New York as he adapted to survive as an artist and a human being.
Rodgers was a winner of the Kurt Weill Foundation’s 2007 Lotte Lenya Competition. Audiences will remember Rodgers for his performances at the Mac-Haydn as Curly in the 2019 production of “Oklahoma!,” Quasimodo in the 2018 production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and Jean Valjean in the 2013 production of “Les Miserables.”
As a pianist, Zack has performed recitals throughout the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand, in addition to her work as a music director and vocal coach. Most recently she performed as the onstage organist for “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Broadway.
Vaccination is required for all patrons. For tickets and details on COVID-19 protocols, please visit the Mac-Haydn website or call the box office at 518-392-9292.
—A.K.
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Olana’s Young at HeART returns for fall plein air pastel painting, memoir writing
HUDSON, N.Y. — The Young at HeART series will return this September for in-person landscape inspired plein air painting and virtual memoir writing. Join The Olana Partnership at the Olana State Historic Site for one or both creative aging courses for adults age 55 and older.
Painter Shawn del Joyce connects students’ developing plein air painting skills with the work of Frederic Church, Martin Johnson Heade, and the Hudson River School of Art. This course is offered in conjunction with Olana’s 2021 exhibition, “Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church, and Our Contemporary Moment,” which explores the connections between art and nature.
During this eight-week painting course, participants will develop a working knowledge of pastel painting, make a finished work and several studies each class, and gain the ability to independently paint plein air. The course will be held during multiple times of day to give students an opportunity to observe the ways quality of light in the landscape affect their creations. The course runs Tuesdays from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. (Tuesday, Sept. 28 will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m.) and Wednesdays from 1–4 p.m., September 14–October 6. To participate, students must plan to attend all eight sessions. The cost for this course is $200 person or $150 for members of Olana.
The virtual Young at HeART: Memoir as Sight and Sound course will explore Martin Johnson Heade’s 19th century paintings by studying the artist’s commitment to the vivid representation of the natural world and applying it to their own writing. During this six-week course, Emily Sachar will teach participants to craft a memoir essay of 1,500 words that will consider such essential topics as: the narrative arc, describing a setting, creating a reliable narrator, and writing dialogue. The course will be offered on Tuesdays from September 21– November 9 at 6:30 p.m. The cost to participate is $200 per person or $150 for members of Olana. Students must attend all sessions.
Capacity for both courses is limited and advanced registration is required. Full scholarships are available. For more information, please contact education@olana.org or call 518- 567-2170.
—A.K.
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Hawthorne Valley announces publication of new book
GHENT, N.Y. – Hawthorne Valley’s Center for Social Research announces the publication of “A Road to Sacred Creation: Rudolf Steiner’s Perspectives on Technology, a Compendium, Vol 1.” The book is edited by Gary Lamb and published by SteinerBooks.
“A Road to Sacred Creation” charts both an inner and outer course — part pilgrimage toward greater perception and knowledge, part dramatic, unfolding plot line of the future of humans and machines. Taken together, the relevant concepts, ideas, and insights of Rudolf Steiner, brought into sequence and dialogue by Lamb, reveal how the work to arrive at a more spiritually imbued technological future has its origins in the core of our being, fundamentally entwined with our moral progress toward freedom and selfless love.
The book is available at Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, Turose Gift Shoppe, and online.
Gary Lamb is a director of the Hawthorne Valley Center for Social Research and its Ethical Technology Initiative. His technical background includes degrees in civil technology and mathematics, and employment in the fields of building construction, medical technology, and manufacturing. Previously, he edited “Steinerian Economics” with Sarah Hearn, a compendium of Rudolf Steiner’s perspectives on economics published by Adonis Press, and has authored books on Waldorf education and associative economics published by AWSNA Publications (now Waldorf Publications).
—A.K.
