The worthiest enemy of authoritarianism is authority. But who are the authoritative heroes available to us, and to the younger generations in particular? Who speaks a truth that everyone can get behind?
Mozart’s opera was always modern. That’s one secret to its greatness. "Don Giovanni" has consistently offered every era a reflection of its own fraught time.
I asked the directors of several area theaters how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting their theaters and their staff in ways that might not be so evident to the lay public.
Directed by Travis Daly with music direction by Erin M. White and choreography by Kathy Jo Grover, the production features more than 100 Berkshire-area students.
Second-home owners have no voting rights in Massachusetts, so their influence in state and local affairs is necessarily limited. They certainly are permitted to attend town meetings and, in most towns, are allowed to speak at the discretion of the moderator.
Director Jonathan Loy has done a fine job with this piece, giving us the drama and the romance without the major forces of a large "court" to surround or frame these elements. It is due to his vision that the piece, pared down to its needs, delivers the world of Mantua so very well.
"The writer is in the business of making discoveries, and whatever we can do to help her make those discoveries is fruitful. But the writer must surprise herself."
-- Poet Jayne Benjulian
It is wonderful that this fledgling company took the risk to bring this to the Berkshire public, because its glorious music and this stunning physical production also brings an extraordinary cast to our local stage.
SEVEN was commissioned in 2006 by the Washington, D.C.-based Vital Voices Global Partnership, which had seven playwrights dramatize the stories of seven women.
Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM) will hold its gala event, “Knock Three Times and Whisper,” on Thursday, August 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Ski Butternut. The event will feature a Roaring 20s speakeasy theme, live music by the Wanda Houston Band.
