Will Call

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erica Dankmeyer, Artist-in-Residence in Dance, and Janine Parker, Artist-in-Residence in Dance, are choreographing dance scenes that have been integrated into the play; seven student dancers from Contemporary Dance Ensemble (CoDa) will perform.

The Tempest: A Gyre

Directed by Jean-Bernard Bucky

Choreographed by Erica Dankmeyer & Janine Parker

Music Directed by Matthew Gold

Adams Memorial Theatre, 62 Center for Theatre and Dance

Williamstown, Mass.

November 12, 13, & 14 at 7:30 p.m.

$3 Tickets can be ordered online or by phone: (413) 597-2425

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The live music accompanying the dances (and used throughout, as leitmotifs) will be performed by WiPE, the Williams Percussion Ensemble. WiPE is directed by Matthew Gold, who will also be conducting the musicians during the shows; the compositions used throughout are by John Luther Adams (excerpts from the three drum quartets from Adams’ “Earth and the Great Weather”) as well as original music composed for this production by Williams alum Brian Simalchik.

Costumes have been designed by Williams’ costume shop supervisor Barbara A. Bell; set design is by William’s associate professor of theatre David Gurcay-Morris; lighting design is by Jeff Bruckerhoff.

And the play is directed by William’s wonderful professor of theatre emeritus Jean-Bernard Bucky.

This new version of The Tempest features an innovative collaboration between Williams Theatre, CoDa , and WiPE (Williams Percussion Ensemble). Encompassing many dramatic themes: jealousy, betrayal, revenge, sexual desire, romantic love, power, forgiveness, The Tempest is often seen as conscious of its own existence as a play, provocatively examining theatrical illusion and the creation of “art.”  The Tempest takes place on an enchanted island where Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, lives in exile with his daughter Miranda. Dwelling on the island with them are Prospero’s slave-spirit, Ariel, and the depraved witch’s son, Caliban.  Prospero’s sorcery, performing much of the stage-magic of the play through his agent Ariel, moves the plot forward through elaborate stage effects and the most magical presence of all: a hypnotic atmosphere suffused by music. Caliban declares that the isle is “full of noises,” and it is both the sonic life of the play and the magic manifested throughout that inspires the contribution of live music and dance in this production.

Tessa Kelly and Chris Parkinson are reviving the literary legacy of Pittsfield through architectural design.

We talk to Tessa Kelly and Chris Parkinson, two architects who are designing five writers studios for the writing residency program component of Pittsfield’s In Motion: Pittsfield initiative. The writing residency program plans to place its first residents in the summer of 2016. The studios are based on five prominent Pittsfield authors who wrote in the area between 1840 and 1860: Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Henry David Thoreau.

Kelly and Parkinson are both Berkshire natives: Kelly was born and raised in Pittsfield, and graduated from Williams College in 2007; Parkinson was born in North Adams and grew up in Williamstown, then graduated from Amherst in 2007. Both are ecstatic about the opportunity to practice their trade on a subject so close to home.

You can see the designs for the studios in the exhibition The Mastheads, which is on public display at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts from November 6th to November 28th, then by appointment in December.

 

 

 

In Motion: Pittsfield is a city-wide initiative to preserve the literary community of Pittsfield by creating new works and opportunities for literary engagement in the community. From the Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development’s press release:

In Motion: Pittsfield will feature programs and events at the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival and several Pittsfield cultural organizations including Arrowhead, the Berkshire Museum, the Berkshire Athenaeum with possible programming at the Colonial Theatre and Barrington Stage Company as well.

The writing residency program has received a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the Our Town program.

 

This episode features the song “Coach” from Andromeda4.

Andromeda4 was comprised of Evan Harlan on accordion, Andrew Blickenderfer on acoustic bass, Íma Jonsdottir on violin, and Adam Larrabee on banjo, guitar and mandolin.

Deirdre Flynn Sullivan joins us again for a Kid-Lit episode of “Will Call,” and she chooses our topic wisely to coincide with All Hallow’s Eve — haunting tales.

We put on our armchair psychologist/historian/archaeologist/sociologist mortarboards and dig deep to understand the source, symbolism, and explanation of the terror that has pervaded children’s stories since, probably, the beginning of time.

We can’t guarantee that ALL the titles we mentioned appear here in the show notes, but we’ll add them below if we’ve missed any!

Two places online that we encourage you to check out:

LibriVox—Free Public Domain Audiobooks. Visit the site to learn how to hear great works read aloud or to volunteer your time and voice to their mission of making as many public domain works as possible available as audiobooks.

The Wikipedia entry for poet James Whitcomb Riley, creator of my childhood poem of terror, “Little Orphant Annie.”

 

Be sure to check out Deirdre’s extremely happening Facebook groups, which can provide an unmatched source of information and inspiration throughout your day!

 

Deirdre of the Arts

ARTSPEAK: Artists Networking in the Berkshires and Beyond

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Define Your Terms: Americana Music From Roots to Punk

The Scene: From the Renaissance to Hollywood

 

Young Children

 

 

Chapter Books

 

Young Adult

 

This exhibit, “An Eye for Excellence: Twenty Years of Collecting,” reveals the remarkable story of how the Clark’s collection has grown and become stronger over the past two decades through the museum’s vision and the support of its generous donors.

An Eye for Excellence: Twenty Years of Collecting

October 25, 2015 through April 10, 2016

The Clark Art Institute

225 South Street

Williamstown, Mass.

 

Stephen Dankner’s String Quartets

Sunday, October 25, 3:00 p.m.

Michael Conforti Pavilion

The Clark Art Institute

225 South Street

Williamstown, Mass.

FREE

 

Nearly one quarter of the 9,713 objects in the Clark’s collection were acquired from 1995–2015. An Eye for Excellence focuses on some the finest acquisitions the museum has made during this period, considering how these objects came into the Clark’s collection and telling the stories of discriminating donors and collectors whose private collections are now held by the Clark.

The exhibition includes paintings, decorative arts, sculpture, prints, drawings, and photographs from the early sixteenth century through the early twentieth century. A group of rarely exhibited late twentieth and early twenty-first century artists’ books from the Clark library is also presented in the exhibition

Marissa Carlson, founding member of Mill City Productions and director of their currently running production of “CLUE: The Musical” talks about the company as it launches its second decade.

 

Clue: The Musical

Friday, October 23,  8:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 25,  4:00 p.m.

Mill City Productions

Western Gateway Heritage State Park

North Adams, Mass.

Buy Tickets Online

Ten years ago a group of 20-somethings, many of whom had been members of the Drury Drama Team and studied with Dr. Len Radin, decided that they missed the fun and comradery of that experience and formed Mill City Productions—a true Community Theatre that welcomes folks of all ages and levels of experience to get involved, on stage and off.

Founding company member Marissa Carlson talks about the company’s history, and their eleventh season now underway with CLUE running through October 25 at their performance space at Western Gateway Heritage State Park, a new Halloween Pumpkin Walk in the works, and their annual Holiday Variety Show set for early December.

Don’t forget to check out Mill City Productions at their Facebook page, too.

We speak in this episode to Stefanie Weber about this moving, shaking, stomping, bidding, butt-kicking benefit to support They Dance For Rain’s programs in Nairobi, Kenya.

Soft Shoe Boom!

Saturday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.

The Whitney Center for the Arts

42 Wendell Ave.

Pittsfield MA 01201

 

Buy Tickets Online

All evening—$50.00

Dance Projection Party, starting at 9:00 p.m.—$25

 

 

 

This unusual evening begins with an “unsilent” auction of original visual art work and sonic performances inspired by the sole tool of Tap Dance, the Tap Shoe. Included are Kenyan tastes for your palette, a cash bar and an Afro-pop, dance and projection party.

Much more information is available at the Facebook page of They Dance for Rain and Stefanie Weber’s website, “Fertile Universe,” where you can bid on the visual art featured until October 24 at 8:45 p.m.

 

Cannot make it to the 24th but want to be there in spirit to support? Soft Shoe Boom! accepts donations for in-spirit attendance as well. They’ll take a moment to honor our in-spirit attendees during the event. Go here to make a contribution.

To make a tax-deductible contribution: https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=9160

Please do check out Ogden Gigli’s website—he does some great work!

They Dance For Rain is a dance-making project that works with arts-for-social-change organizations in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

Cohorts in culture Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims explain how they select and curate the dozens of artists and events that make up the three day extravaganza that is the 5th Annual “Made in the Berkshires” Festival.

Curated by Deely and Sims from dozens of open submissions from regional artists, Made in the Berkshires is a locally-grown festival of new works including theatre, film (Cherry Cottage and A Small Good Thing), dance (Albany Berkshire Ballet, 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruslan Sprague, Funk Box Studio), poetry, music (cellist Ivan Trabka and the Williamstown-based group Long Journey), short stories, performance and visual art.

The arts mavens sit down with Will Call to talk about the tremendous talent on tap in the Berkshires, and why it is so important to bring area artists together to network and perform.

This year’s line-up includes dozens of events and exhibits, and performances at the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield and Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge.

Rock-bottom ticket prices, including a $75 All Festival Pass (literally, you can do it ALL for $75!) For tickets: (413) 997-4444 or visit www.berkshiretheatregroup.org

Amiée Gelinas keeps the beat of international percussion in sync with the the pulse of conservation.

PLUS: Kameron Steele directs Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” at the ’62 Center

The 6th Annual Drum and Dance Fest is a fundraiser for the Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center’s “Raise the Roof” fund to build a sustainable nature and education center and to conserve 32 acres of highland Boreal forest in Windsor, MA.

6th Annual Drum and Dance Fest

Friday October 16, 2015; 7:30 p.m.

Berkshire Community College’s Boland Theater

SILENT AUCTION in the lobby before, during and after the event

Suggested donation of $10 or more

The Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center is a 32 acre conservation area and non-profit education center in Windsor, MA adjacent to the Notchview Reservation. At 2000 feet in elevation, this unique and ecologically sensitive forest ecosystem features boreal forest ecology much like the forests of Canada, the Northeast Kingdom, and the Summit of Mt Greylock. Founded in 2007 by naturalist educator/musician Aimee Gelinas M.Ed & artist/musician Daniel Cohen.

 

Some of the featured performances will include: Mountain River Taiko, Freedom Dance, Chapungu Mbira, Iroko Nuevo Performance Group, Gaia Roots, Forefeather band, The Funk Box Dance Studio, Modig Internal Disciplines, The Pittsfield Youth Alive Step Team, SIFER, Stefanie Lynx Weber, They Dance For Rain, Serenity Circles, Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes, Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness

Federico García Lorca’s masterpiece, “Blood Wedding,” as relevant, provocative as ever

 

 

“Blood Wedding,” by Federico García Lorca; directed by Kameron Steele

Evenings 10/15–10/17, 7:30 p.m.; Matinée 10/17, 2:30

’62 Center for Theatre and Dance, CenterStage

1000 Main Street, in Williamstown, MA

$3; Box Office;(413) 597-2425

 

This tragic love-triangle narrative underscores the widespread misfortune that class conflict and a rigid, hierarchical society can produce. Staged in the signature magical-realist style of director Kameron Steele, the production also features an original score for violin, cello, and percussion by Ileana Perez Velazquez. “Rather than try to replicate the Andalusian society,” says Steele, “this production takes advantage of the CenterStage’s unique, flexible structure to focus on the universal appeal of Lorca’s poetry and iconocl...

Artistic Director Paul Sturtz and Managing Director Sandra Thomas discuss the new format, film making, and efforts to make the Wind-Up Fest increasingly inclusive.

Since 1999,the Williamstown Film Festival has brought the finest contemporary films, directors and actors to the pastoral hills of the Berkshires. Each Film Festival season aimed to honor film’s history while concurrently celebrating the present cultural moment.

Wind-Up Fest, Williamstown Film Festival 2.0, shifts the focus to a core of world-class documentary films and their makers, while re-envisioning the festival as a celebration of nonfiction in all of its forms in a truly northern Berkshires experience, incorporating venues across Williamstown and North Adams. It is an enchanted expedition to the fiery core of nonfiction, guided by the world’s most compelling creators of documentaries, podcasts, long-form journalism, live performance and storytelling.

Enter the word “earlybird” into the promo code box when you buy your Wind-Up Fest pass online to get a sizable discount.

“Uncertain” trailer

UNCERTAIN – Film Trailer from Lucid Inc. on Vimeo.

“Of Men and War” trailer

Of Men and War, Trailer from alice films on Vimeo.