Arts and entertainment notes

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John Wallace as crooked hoodwinker Harry Brock and Jennifer Lyon as his girlfriend, ex-chorus-girl Billie Dawn. (Photo courtesy of The Ghent Playhouse)
Ghent Playhouse GHENT, N.Y. — After 29 years of being known as "The Columbia Civic Players," the active theater troupe in Ghent has announced an official name change to The Ghent Playhouse. "The name change reflects that we now have an official ‘home" in Ghent since we were able to purchase the historic former town hall,” Playhouse President Dana Berntson said in a news release. “Also, thanks to generous community support of our Capital Campaign, we not only bought the charming landmark building but have also been able to invest in a new addition and improved facilities, including a larger, more spacious box office, two new bathrooms, and an expanded dressing room/green room for the cast and crew." The Playhouse has announced five shows for the upcoming 2004-2005 season, which will have longer runs than in previous years. In past seasons, all non-musical productions have run for two weekends and musicals for three weekends. Thanks to a growing audience and steady track record of sellout performances, every show this year will run for three weekends, Berntson said. The season will open with Garson Kanin’s 1946 hit comedy, “Born Yesterday,” directed by Roseann Cane, on Friday, Oct. 1, and will run through Oct. 17. Nov. 19 through Dec. 5, the playhouse will present the 2001 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winner “Proof,” by David Auburn and directed by John Trainor. Starting off the New Year will be Michael Frayn’s frisky, freewheeling sex comedy “Noises Off,” directed by Kate Gulliver, Jan. 28 to Feb. 13. From April 1 to April 17, the playhouse will feature Rodger and Hart’s “Pal Joey,” directed by Dianne Hobden. The landmark masterpiece was the first to feature an "anti-hero" as a catalyst to propel a musical, earning the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and Donaldson Award for Best Musical in 1952. Closing the season will be the psychological drama “Equus,” directed by The Ghent Playhouse Artistic Director Tom Detwiler and running May 20 through June 5. The historic Ghent Playhouse is just off Route 66 in the center of town, across from the firehouse on Town Hall Road. All performances take place on weekends — 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 for members and $15 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Reservations or to become a member: box office, 518-392-6264. Detailed information on shows and events: www.ghentplayhouse.org. Folk concert SHELBURNE FALLS — Hilltown Folk, at Memorial Hall, 51 Bridge St., will present Xavier Rudd and Nine Mile in concert on Sunday, Oct 3, at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6. Tickets are $14 in advancem, $16 at the door; children under 18 half-price. Information and tickets: 413-625-2580 or www.hilltownfolk.com. Advance tickets are available at: World Eye Bookshop and Boswell's Books. Xavier Rudd, an Austrailian singer-songwriter, plays didgeridoo, slide guitar, aztec drum, and stomp box, all at once. Toronto-based Nine Mile melds rock, funk, Caribbean and folk influences into what concert organizers describe as high-energy, groove-oriented “urban acoustic pop.” Pipa virtuoso WILLIAMSTOWN — All are invited to the next world music concert at Williams by internationally renowned pipa virtuoso Wu Man tonight [Thursday, Sept. 23] at 8 in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall, Williams College (second floor of the Bernhard Music Center, accessed via Chapin Hall Drive, off Route 2). The free performance has been arranged by the college’s department of music and funded by its Asian studies program. Wu Man has been cited by the Los Angeles Times as “the artist most responsible for bringing the pipa to the Western World”' She is an inheritress of the Pudong School of pipa playing, one of the most prestigious classical styles of Imperial China, and is a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Wu Man was the first recipient of a master's degree in pipa and is recognized as a leading interpreter of contemporary pipa music. She currently lives in Boston, where she was selected as a Bunting Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study at Harvard University. Wu Man was selected by Yo-Yo Ma as the winner of the City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize in music and communication. She was also the first artist from China to have performed at the White House, with the noted cellist, with whom she performs in the Silk Road Project. Wu Man has collaborated with other distinguished musicians including, Yuri Bashmet, Cho-liang Lin, Dennis Russell Davies, Christoph Eschenbach, Gunther Herbig, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Stern, the Kronos Quartet, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Soloists, Ensemble Modern/Germany, Nieuw Ensemble/Holland, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Austrian ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR and RSO Radio Symphony Orchestras and the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, as well as theater directors, dancers, singers and playwrights. Theater performances PITTSFIELD — The Two of Us Productions of Copake, N.Y., in collaboration with Public Arts Resource Center, will present the highly acclaimed Broadway spellbinder “Agnes of God” by John Pielmeier at the Berkshire Artisans’ Lichtenstein Gallery, 28 Renne St., this weekend. Performances will be on Friday, Sept. 24, and Saturday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 3 on Sunday, Sept. 26. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door. Information: 499-2071 or 518-329-6293. Local author PITTSFIELD — Local author Carole Owens will appear at the Berkshire Historical Society on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m. in the 1840s barn at Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road to sign copies of her newly published photographic history, “The Berkshires: Coach Inns to Cottages.” Owens will read from her book, facilitate a discussion and sign copies, which will be available for sale at the Historical Society. Admission is free; refreshments will be served. With more than 200 vintage photographs accompanied by detailed text, “The Berkshires: Coach Inns to Cottages” is a photographic record of Berkshire dwelling places from the rough simplicity of stagecoach inns to the glittering luxury of Gilded Age cottages. “Our buildings are the repositories of memories,” wrote Owens in her introduction. “Houses are the keys to the soul of a culture. To understand how people live is to understand their economics, politics and more. ‘The Berkshires: Coach Inns to Cottages’ shows where visitors lived when in the Berkshires. By simply seeing and describing the dwelling places, historic periods are better understood.” Owens, a Berkshire resident, has written, lectured and taught about the Berkshires for more than 20 years. Her other works include “The Berkshire Cottages and Bellefontaine.” Tours of Arrowhead, a Berkshire house and museum, will be available for a fee that same afternoon. Information: Historical Society office, 442-1793. String quartet GREAT BARRINGTON — The Bard Festival String Quartet will perform at Simon’s Rock College of Bard on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. Formed at the Bard Music Festival in 1995, the quartet has been praised for the intensity of its performances and its lyricism. The group has performed music by Milhaud, Magnard, Stanford and d’Indy, as well as Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Debussy, Bartok, Borodin, Schoenberg and others. Quartet members are Laurie Smukler and Patricia Sunwoo, violins, Ira Weller, viola, and Robert Martin, cello. Smukler and Weller were founding members of the Mendelssohn String Quartet. Sunwoo was a member of the Whitman String Quartet, and Martin was cellist of the Sequoia String Quartet. The quartet will perform in an all-Beethoven program in the new McConnell Theater of the Daniel Arts Center. Tickets will be available at the door. Prices are $20, seniors $12, students free. Information: 528-7212. Art lecture WILLIAMSTOWN — One of the world's great museum collections will be highlighted in a free public lecture at the Clark on Sunday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m. Michael Clarke, director of the National Gallery of Scotland, will give the talk, "Improving an Old Master: The National Gallery of Scotland." Clarke will introduce listeners to highlights of the National Gallery collections and its expansion project. The lecture is the first in a series of public talks focusing on great collections of the world and other themes of "Art in the World." The lectures are introductory, general interest talks. Clarke has been director of the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh since 2000 and was keeper at the National Gallery since 1987. He directed and oversaw the recently completed $50 million Playfair Project, which involved the restoration of the neighboring Royal Scottish Academy building and constructing an underground link to the National Gallery. His numerous publications include “Corot and the Art of Landscape.” He is in residence at the Clark this fall as a Clark Fellow. The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is at 225 South St. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 5. Gallery admission is $10 (members, students, and 18 and under free). Information: 458-2303 or www.clarkart.edu. Frost series BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Friends of the Bennington Free Library will present its Fall reading series this month, focusing on the life, poetry and prose of Robert Frost. Lea Newman, retired professor of English at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a founding member of The Friends of Robert Frost, will lead the sessions. The series will begin with a discussion of Jay Parini’s “Robert Frost, a Life” on Sunday, Oct. 3. On Oct. 17 and 24, Frost’s book “Poetry & Prose” will be discussed. Books are available for loan at the front desk of the library. Discussions will take place between 2 and 4 p.m. on the dates listed. The reading series is free and open to all, due to the support of Friends of the Library and The Vermont Council on the Humanities. Information: Susan Nutting, 802-447-3286, evenings or weekends. Hubbard fundraiser CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. — The Rice Mansion Inn will host a major fundraiser for Hubbard Hall, both on historic Main Street, on Saturday, Sept. 25. A Roaring ’20s speakeasy, complete with casino games, will fill both floors of the mansion. Guests participating in the gaming will receive a memento of the evening: a cocktail glass and original stem charm, created for the event by Cambridge’s Over the Moon Beads and Gifts. The speakeasy will feature music by Hubbard Hall’s Kevin McGuire, accompanied by Richard Cherry and friends. Entertainment will include casino gaming tables, dancing, a bubble lounge, cigar bar, silent auction and exclusive gift shop. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided ,along with a cash bar. The mansion’s velvet ropes will open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person for Hubbard Hall members and $35 for non-members. Period attire is optional but suggested. Reservations: 518-677-2495 or e-mail info@hubbardhall.org. All proceeds will benefit Hubbard Hall, the only multi-arts center in Washington County, bringing theater, music, dance and the visual arts to the region. Hubbard Hall offers a wide range of classes and workshops for all ages and skill levels. Information: www.hubbardhall.org. Images series WILLIAMSTOWN — Images Cinema, 50 Spring St., will screen five French-African films in a free series on consecutive Mondays, beginning Monday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The Tournées program was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture, the Williams College Department of Romance Languages, Program in Comparative Literature, Center for Foreign Languages, the Lecture Committee and funding from the Kagle Gift. To kick off the film series, special guest Frieda Ekotto, associate professor of romance languages and comparative literature at the University of Michigan, will speak on “The Question of Film in the Francophone Wolrd,” Monday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m,. She will look at the major obstacles and theoretical issues facing Francophone filmmakers in Africa. The film that night will be “Frontieres” (Borders). The other films in the series are as follows: Oct. 4, “Tasuma;” Oct. 11, “En Attendant le Bonheur” (Waiting for Happiness); Oct. 18, “The Hop;” Oct. 25, “L’ Autre Monde” (The Other World). Information about Images, one of the few nonprofit, single-screen cinemas left in the country, and a program schedule: www.imagescinema.org. Play auditions NORTH ADAMS — Main Street Stage will hold open auditions for “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” on Tuesday, Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the theater, 57 Main St. Needed are three men and four women, ranging in age from 25 to 60. Bring two short, contrasting audition pieces, classical or contemporary, that show versatility. Rehearsals will begin the week of Oct. 18. Performances will be Friday and Saturday evenings, Nov. 26 through Dec. 18, at Main Street Stage. Information or to make an audition appointment: 663-3240. Mahaiwe performance GREAT BARRINGTON — The Olga Dunn Dance Company will present A Gala Performance Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Mahaiwe Theatre. Native American singer and composer Joanne Shenandoah and American roots-music singer and composer JoAnne Redding will be featured. For the gala, Dunn has choreographed a diverse program to celebrate the traditional music of Native Americans, historic European influences, grassroots Americana and original contemporary sounds. "Our past programs have emphasized classical music and jazz," Dunn said in a news release. "This is our first show to emphasize international sounds and vocal music. It’s been fun to reinvent the company’s identity with these new works. And of course, we are very excited to be the first group to perform in the Mahaiwe Theatre following its extensive renovations." Shenandoah, a Grammy-nominated Native American composer, vocalist and performer will be joined by accompanying musicians. She is a Wolf Clan member of the Iroquois Confederacy-Oneida Nation, has made 13 recordings, and her music is on more than 40 compilations. Her newest CD, "Covenant." is available on Silver Wave Records. Berkshire artist Redding’s new CD, "How It Is," is a collection of American roots music written by her. She has shared the stage with Hank Williams Jr., Asleep at the Wheel, Neal McCoy, and The Mavericks. She has performed at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and is a regular at the Guthrie Center. Redding and her band will perform a collection of music, "American Idioms," spanning Tin Pan Alley, gospel, jazz and blues. Dunn has also created a new work to premier at the gala, "We Are All Related," integrating German, French, Russian, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese and Gypsy vocal music. "In Memory," composed by J.E. Fabio of Copake Falls, N.Y, for piano and cello, is a piece inspired by the loss of a child. The gala program will also include a reprise of "Dogorama," a comedic theater piece Dunn choreographed to include five canines, a monologue and dance. "Dogorama" features an original score by Bob Seymour of Lanesboro, and the voice of well-known Berkshire dog trainer Lois Platt. The Olga Dunn Dance Company, founded in 1976, is a nonprofit performing-arts organization supported by donations, volunteer work and the commitment of dancers and crafts people. The performance is sponsored by the Ungar Foundation. Some of the dance company members featured will be Yon Burke, Olga Dunn, Michaela Federspiel, Anita Kergaravat, Jessie Tomanek, and Marti Wolfson. Tickets will be available at the door, the Bookloft and the Olga Dunn Dance Studio, 321 Main St., Great Barrington. Prices are $7, $12 and $25. Information: 528-9674. New exhibit GREAT BARRINGTON — Photographs and abstract paintings by Barbara Winters and Will McDougal will be on display at Berkshire South Regional Community Center through Nov. 6. Winters is a former fashion designer who sought relief from the industry’s commercialism through the pursuit of photography. Her works treat the subtleties of Berkshire landscapes and the beauty of single flowers when examined closely. She is a contributor to the Art and the River project and has won several awards for her photography. She is a resident of Mill River. McDougal, of Great Barrington, explores the concepts of music and tension in abstract paintings to achieve harmonies and dissonances between colors and forms. The works can be viewed during the center’s business hours, Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 8 to 5. The center is at 15 Crissey Road, just north of the Price Chopper Plaza. Rockwell Travels STOCKBRIDGE — The international exhibition featuring Norman Rockwell's "Triple-Self Portrait" painting, Moi! Self-Portraits of the 20th Century, completed its engagement at the Museé du Luxembourg in Paris, France, and will run through Jan. 9, 2005 at the prestigious Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy. The showing marks the first time the venerable Italian museum has hosted a contemporary art exhibition. The Uffizi Gallery contains one of the most important collections of art in the world, including classical sculptures and paintings on canvas and wood by 13th- to 18th-century Italian and foreign artists. It is said to be the world's oldest museum and was the first museum to be opened to the public: In 1591, the grand duke granted visitors permission to see the collection by request. "To have Norman Rockwell's work on view at the Uffizi is an incredible honor and acknowledgement of his skill as an artist," Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum, said in a news release. Moffatt was scheduled to attend the exhibition's opening reception at the Uffizi. The Norman Rockwell Museum loaned Rockwell's famous self-portrait to the exhibit of more than 150 artists of the 20th century. Because of the quality of the selection of artworks in the exhibition, Professor Antonio Paolucci, Soprinendenzo per i beni cultural of Tuscany, decided to hold the exhibition at the Uffizi, in tribute to the collection initially assembled by Cardinal Leopold of Medici and later augmented by the Great Dukes of Tuscany. The exhibition had originally been scheduled for the Palazzo Strozzi. The Uffizi will extend the exhibition into the Vasari Passage, which connects the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti, where the museum's outstanding self-portraits collection is hung. The self-portraits in the "Moi!" exhibition will carry on the tradition of the Quattrocento self-portraits collections. Organized by the Museé du Luxembourg, "Moi! Self-Portraits of the 20th Century" is a revealing collection of self-portraits by some of the most renowned names in 20th century art. Self-portraits of artists Picasso, Matisse, Vuillard, Warhol, Basquiat, Chagall, Chuck Close, Degas, Dubuffet, Ernst, Giacometti, Frida Kahlo, Ferdinard Leger, Miro, and Mondrian, among others, are featured in the exhibition. Norman Rockwell's self-portrait (which is actually three self-portraits) includes portraits of Norman Rockwell's artistic heroes, Dürer, Rembrandt, Picasso and Van Gogh. Sylvestre Verger Art Organization, selected Rockwell's work to be the signature image for the French showing. Rockwell's image appeared on the cover of the exhibition's catalogue and invitation and on posters, metro cards, billboards, and bus posters throughout Paris. The Italians have followed suit and selected Rockwell's "Triple Self-Portrait" as the signature image for the Florence venue, as well. The Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to art appreciation and education through new scholarship that illuminates Rockwell's unique contributions to art, society and popular culture. As a center devoted to the art of illustration, the museum also exhibits the works of contemporary and past masters in an ongoing series of artist showcases. Information: 298-4100, ext. 220, or www.nrm.org. Children’s shows BENNINGTON, Vt. —Bowie the Magic Clown and the Puppet People will offer free children’s programming each weekend at The Apple Barn & Country Bake Shop on Route 7. On Saturday, Sept. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m., Bowie will sculpt animal balloons in between performing magic tricks. On Sunday, Sept. 26, the Puppet People will perform “The Last Dragon,” a whimsical fairy tale, which challenges traditional wisdom that says princesses are helpless and knights are brave and strong. The production will features classical music, large rod puppets, mouth puppets, a 7-foot dragon and a life-sized knight on horseback. The free performance complement Vermont’s oldest cornfield maze which this year has been carved into a giant map of the Green Mountain State, highlighting products and destinations. Information: 802-447-7780, 1-888-8-APPLES or www.theapplebarn.com. Odds Bodkin STOCKBRIDGE — Berkshire Country Day School will sponsor a free program by master storyteller Odds Bodkin on Friday, Sept. 24, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. Bodkin will perform an introduction to Homer’s “The Odyssey” to students in grades four through eight. The New York Times called Bodkin, “a consummate storyteller” when he performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City, and TimeOut NY, an entertainment weekly, said Bodkin is a “one-man vocal universe.” Bodkin is well known for his range of character voices, likened to Mel Blanc and Robin Williams, enacting all the characters and playing a variety of musical instruments to help carry a story along. He is the author of four books, “The Banshee Train,” “Ghost of the Southern Belle,” “The Christmas Cobwebs” and “The Crane Wife.” His most recent recording, “The Harper and the King: The Story of Young David,” won a 2004 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, the nonprofit organization’s top honor. Firehouse Gallery BENNINGTON, Vt. — The Stark Hose Firehouse Gallery has announced its fall “Friends & Faculty” part of several celebrations in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Vermont Arts Exchange. The second exhibit in the series will open Saturday, Sept. 25, as part of exchanges Birthday Bash at the Sage Street Mill in North Bennington. The Stark Hose Exhibit will run through November and be open on Fridays 4 to 6 and Saturdays noon to 6. A wide range of art will be on display and for sale. Small works featured at the gallery include oil paintings, photography, sculpture, blown glass, prints, ceramics and handmade paper. Stark Hose Firehouse Gallery is at 102 Pleasant St., next to Your Belly’s Deli. Information: 802-442-5549. Tupperware film NORTH ADAMS — The award-winning filmmaker behind “Tupperware!” a documentary about the small-town inventor and the self-taught saleswoman who built an empire out of bowls that burped, will show and discuss the film at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the Triplex Theater in Great Barrington later this month. Laurie Kahn-Leavitt, a Massachusetts documentarian, will talk about her experiences researching the world of Tupperware and creating the film at 7 p.m., Sept. 28, at Sullivan Lounge on the MCLA campus and at 6 p.m., Sept. 29, at the Triplex. Both events, funded by the Massachusetts Foundation for theHumanities, are free and open to the public. Refreshments reminiscent of the 1950s, when Tupperware parties were in their heyday, will be served before the film starts at both venues. The film includes rare footage collected from basements, attics, and back rooms; color home moves taken at Tupperware House Parties, as well as ads and television excerpts from the period. The footage is interwoven with stories told by Tupperware ladies who witnessed the company's early years. Young Gallery GREAT BARRINGTON — The Geoffrey Young Gallery has announced the opening of "Pencil Me In," a large group show featuring artists who draw on paper with the common pencil. A reception for the artists and public will take place Saturday, Sept. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.. All are invited. Refreshments will be served. "Pencil Me In" has gathered examples of the work of 25 artists who live in New York, Berlin, Los Angeles, Long Island, Salisbury and Great Barrington, among other places. The show will range from the fastidious copies of celebrated artist photos by Dan Fischer and Mark Flores, to the libidinous eloquence of Carroll Dunham, to flights of imaginative fancy by Kirsten Deirup, John Kleckner, and Steve diBenedetto. Naturalism will be represented by Walton Ford and Philip Knoll, abstraction by Katia Santibanez, James Siena and Jacob El Hanani. The exhibit will run through Oct. 17. Geoffrey Young Gallery will also participate in Great Barrington's Town-Wide Art Walk on Saturday, Oct. 2, with extended hours through 7:30 p.m. New autumn gallery hours beginning Sept. 24 are Friday to Sunday, 11 to 5. The gallery is at 40 Railroad St. Information: 528-6210. Square dance PITTSFIELD — The Pittsfield Squares square dance club has invited all interested adults and teens to a free evening, “Introduction to Western-style Square Dancing,” at South Congregational Church (rear), 110 South St. at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28. Those attending will have an opportunity to learn basic dances in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Dress is casual and refreshments will be served. Club caller Cliff Brodeur, who has made appearances nation-wide will be the caller for the evening. Brodeur and the Square One Band and folk star Pete Seeger worked for the Jonas Foundation introducing square dancing to children from around the world. Information: 443-0231 or 458-5643. Muir Quartet PITTSFIELD — The Muir String Quartet will perform at South Mountain Concerts, Sunday, Sept. 26, at 3 p.m. The quartet celebrated its 25th anniversary in the 2003 season. Winner of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Evian International String Quartet Competition, its performances have enjoyed high critical acclaim. The Muir String Quartet has been in residence at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts since 1983 and gives workshops at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. In the cause of advancing contemporary American music, the quartet has commissioned works written for them by Joan Tower, Sheila Silver, Richard Danielpour, Richard Wilson and Charles Fussell. The program at South Mountain will include “Quartet in G Minor, Op. 20, No. 3,” by Haydn, “Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 67,” by Brahms, and a world premiere of “String Quartet” by Ronald Perera. Perera, of Northampton, is retired Elsie Irwin Sweeny professor of music at Smith College. The commission for the work was awarded by South Mountain Association. The South Mountain Concert Hall is on U.S. Routes 7 & 20. Tickets: box office, 442-2106. Dance party MANCHESTER, Vt. — Southern Vermont Arts Center will host its gala late-summer fundraiser, “A Night at Studio 54,” with a dance party Saturday, Sept. 25, from 8 to 11:30 p.m. The evening will include a disc jockey, colored laser lights, videos and a smoke machine in the Arkell Pavilion. Tickets are $25 per person for arts center members and $30 non-members. A cash bar and party snacks will be available. All proceeds will benefit the arts center. The Garden Café will serve dinner at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required: 802-366-8298. To charge tickets via Visa or Mastercard: 802-362-1405, or pay by cash or check in person during gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5. The Arts Center is just off West Road in Manchester. Information: www.svac.org. Fancy Dancing GREAT BARRINGTON — “The Business of Fancy Dancing” will be shown as part of the Diversity Film Series at Simon’s Rock College of Bard on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Center. The showing is free and open to the public. The film, about a famous American Indian’s return to his Spokane Reservation home to attend a funeral, was directed by Sherman Alexie and screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002 and at Cannes in 2004. The Diversity Film Series will continue with “Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour” on Oct. 19 and “Kandahar” on Oct. 26, both at 7 p.m. in the Lecture Center.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant. 

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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