Berkshire Historical Society presents incredible one-man play about Herman Melville
Pittsfield— On Wednesday, June 21st at 5:30 p.m., Berkshire Historical Society (BCHC) presents “Sailing Towards My Father”, a one-man play about Herman Melville.
Performed at Arrowhead by Stephen Collins and written and directed by Carl A. Rossi, “Sailing Towards My Father” chronicles Melville’s life from youth to old age concentrating on his evolution as a writer and his complex relations with God, his parents and siblings, his wife and children, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Stephen Collins has eight one-man shows in his repertoire, including Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, James McNeil Whistler, and Robert Frost. “Sailing Towards My Father” by Carl A. Rossi is the newest addition to his repertoire. Met to rave reviews for over a decade, Collins’ performances deliver not just the poetry and plays, but they bring poets and playwrights to life on the stage. His performances convey an understanding of the impact and reactions of the characters to their respective times, giving the audience not just a performance, but an experience.
The play is on Wednesday, June 21st at 5:30 p.m. at Arrowhead (where Herman Melville wrote “Moby-Dick”) on Holmes Road in Pittsfield. The performance is two hours long. Tickets are $10 for BCHS members and $15 for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit BCHS online and click “BOOK NOW”.
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The Bidwell House Museum presents ‘Wild Edibles on the Bidwell House Museum Grounds with Russ Cohen’
Monterey— On Tuesday, June 13th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Bidwell House Museum presents “Wild Edibles on the Bidwell House Museum Grounds with Russ Cohen”.
Russ Cohen connects to nature via his taste buds, and assists others in doing the same. The Southern Berkshires region is home to over 80 species of edible wild plants, many of which are more nutritious and/or flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. Join wild edibles enthusiast Russ Cohen, author of the book “Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten”, on a ramble through the fields, gardens and forests surrounding the Bidwell House Museum to learn about at least 18 species of edible wild plants.
Pending favorable weather conditions, several edible mushroom species may be encountered as well. Keys to the identification of each species will be provided, along with info on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe, ethical and environmentally responsible foraging.
The two-hour ramble is on Tuesday, June 13th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bidwell House Museum on Art School Road in Monterey. Tickets are $10 for members and $20 for non-members. This walk is limited to 25 people and pre-registration is required.
Please note that some of this walk may traverse uneven terrain so wear shoes appropriate for hiking. Bring water and dress for the weather. If heavy rain is forecast, the walk may have to be postponed. The Museum will notify attendees as early as possible for any changes to the date or time. More information can be found by visiting the Bidwell House Museum online.
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Salisbury Family Services’ Hewat Community Garden presents ‘Swords to Plowshares, Guns to Garden Tools’
Salisbury— On June 10th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Salisbury Family Services’ Hewat Community Garden presents “Swords to Plowshares, Guns to Garden Tools”.
How often do you see something designed for death turned into a tool to keep us alive? Guns are being forged into gardening tools all through our state, our country, and the world. Come see guns being turned into garden tools!
Bishop Jim Curry, retired bishop of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, is one of the founders of our state’s Swords to Plowshares program. He will bring his portable forge to the parking lot of the SVNA and Housatonic Day Care Center next to the Salisbury Family Services Hewat Community Garden for a demonstration of guns being forged into garden tools.
Community members will be invited to take a few swings at the anvil. There will be testimonials, and thoughtful conversation as well as refreshments and a presentation of a garden tool to the leadership of the Hewat Community Garden. There will be garden tools and jewelry available for sale.
The “Swords to Plowshares Program” began in 2017 with a focus on reducing gun violence in our communities. With 40,000 gun deaths per year in our country, something must be done now. The strategy this program applies to the problem is to convert weapons of death into tools of life, and then use those tools to the betterment of the community, all with the goal of reducing senseless gun deaths. They have developed a program which simultaneously reduces the number of guns on our streets and re-purposes them into something which provides for a positive community action.
The demonstration is on June 10th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Salisbury Family Services’ Hewat Community Garden on Salmon Kill Road in Salisbury. For more information, visit Salisbury Family Services’ Hewat Community Garden online.
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BFMC and BIFF present “Tea Talk: Excellence in Film Through the Lens of Berkshire Female Filmmakers panel discussion” at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington— On Saturday, June 3rd at 12:30 p.m., Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) and Berkshire International Film Fest (BIFF) present “Tea Talk: Excellence in Film Through the Lens of Berkshire Female Filmmakers panel discussion” at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
The panelists include Karen Allen, actor, director, entrepreneur and BFMC advisory board member; Barbara Kopple, Oscar-winning documentarian; Cynthia Wade: Oscar-winning documentarian and BFMC advisory board member; and Diane Pearlman, producer and executive director of BFMC.
All the panelists have films in this year’s festival, Karen Allen in “A Stage of Twilight”, Barbara Kopple, director of “Gumbo Coalition”, and Cynthia Wade, director of “Flags and Fins”, which is receiving a free screening.
The discussion is on Saturday, June 3rd at 12:30 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Castle Street in Great Barrington. For tickets, passes, and more information about the Berkshire International Film Festival, visit BIFF online.
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The Schumacher Center for a New Economics presents “Creating a Global Renewable Energy Commons”
Great Barrington— On June 15th at 2 p.m., the Schumacher Center for a New Economics presents “Creating a Global Renewable Energy Commons”.
As the 50th anniversary of the book “Small is Beautiful”, 2023 is an opportunity to advance solutions to today’s social, economic, and environmental challenges that build on Schumacher’s original vision. To do so, the Schumacher Center is convening a monthly series featuring New Economic thinkers, builders and activists from a range of fields.
The theme for June is “Creating a Global Renewable Energy Commons”. Hosted by Greg Watson, Director of Policy and Systems Design at the Schumacher Center, the panel features Stuart Cowan of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, Naomi Davis of Blacks In Green/Friends of Wind and David Sturmes Verbeek of Fair Cobalt Alliance.
June’s panelists are those uncovering novel solutions to renewable energy in uncertain times. Thinking globally and acting locally, their work affirms community, global cooperation and right livelihood. Together, they point toward a phase-shift from the prevailing, market-competitive approach to energy, toward a global commons rooted in biospheric stewardship and mutual interdependence. Each panelist is invited to reflect on how “Small Is Beautiful” connects with their own thinking and activism, opening up a broader conversation on renewable energy and a global energy commons, followed by a Q&A.
“What matters… is the direction of research, that the direction should be towards non-violence rather than violence; towards an harmonious cooperation with nature rather than a warfare against nature; towards the noiseless, low-energy, elegant and economical solutions normally applied in nature rather than the noisy, high-energy, brutal, wasteful, and clumsy solutions of our present-day…” -E.F. Schumacher, “Small is Beautiful”
“Small is Beautiful” calls for a reorientation of economic activity toward the health and flourishing of humans and our natural environment. Today, with the climate and biodiversity crises reaching new levels of urgency, the need to shift out of our unsustainable energy system is clearer than ever. Yet, top-down approaches to a green transition risk perpetuating old harms and further ratcheting global tensions. Beyond this worn-out paradigm, emerging approaches hold the promise of affirming justice and unlocking human potential.
The free panel discussion will be held virtually on June 15th at 2 p.m. Register online. More information can be found by visiting the Schumacher Center online.
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Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents “Drag Brunch at Dottie’s – Berkshire Pride Edition”
Pittsfield— On Sunday, June 4th at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Dottie’s Coffee Lounge presents “Drag Brunch at Dottie’s – Berkshire Pride Edition”.
Biscuits and gravy and waffles, oh my! Tickets include a delicious meal, bottomless mocktails/coffee, games, and a fabulous drag show featuring Gemini DaBarbay and Vuronika Baked, hosted by Bella Santerella.
The brunch is on Sunday, June 4th at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Dottie’s Coffee Lounge on North Street in Pittsfield. Tickets are $40. Proceeds fund Berkshire Pride in support of our LGBTQIA+ community. This is a family friendly event. Tickets and more information can be found by visiting Dottie’s Coffee Lounge online.
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Naumkeag presents the 2nd annual ‘Berkshire Pride Tea Dance’ in the gardens at Naumkeag
Stockbridge— On Sunday, June 4th from 4 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m., Naumkeag presents the 2nd annual “Berkshire Pride Tea Dance” in the gardens at Naumkeag.
The Berkshire Pride Tea Dance is the 18-and-over pride party that you don’t want to miss! Naumkeag is excited to welcome back the legendary DJ RuBot (Occupy the Disco) from his Paradisco residency at Le Bain at the Standard Highline in NYC, who will be providing the music that is going to get the Berkshire’s LGBTQIA+ community and their allies moving to his beats.
The dance is on Sunday, June 4th from 4 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. at Naumkeag on Prospect Hill Road in Stockbridge. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Please email naumkeag@thetrustees.org if you require financial assistance to attend. All proceeds from the event go to support Berkshire Pride and the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition. This event will be rain or shine, a tent will be set up in case of inclement weather. A car pass ($5) required for all parking on site. Carpooling is encouraged. More information and tickets can be found by visiting Naumkeag online.
