Cultural Pittsfield This Week May 8-14, 200901:15PM / Friday, May 08, 2009
Friday-Sunday: Gertrude, Fanny, & Emily
The Colonial Theatre brings you three great plays celebrating women for Mother's Day weekend. Friday night, it's Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, a one woman play set in 1938 in Stein's legendary Paris apartment. The following evening Fanny Kemble: Unyielding Spirit is an intriguing tell of love and loss. Sunday Broadway actress Barbara Sims performs The Life of Emily Dickinson. This afternoon of Dickinson's letters, poems, and excerpts from William Luce's The Belle of Amherst reveals Emily to be a humorous, passionate, witty, and unique individual.
Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein | Friday, May 8 | 7pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 997-4444 | $20
Fanny Kemble: Unyielding Spirit | Saturday, May 9 | 8pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 997-4444 | $20
The Life of Emily Dickinson | Sunday, May 10 | 2pm | The Colonial Theatre | 111 South Street | 997-4444 | $20
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For more events at The Colonial Theatre, follow this link.
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Friday night: 411 in the 413: Rapping in the Round Barn
If you're a young performer or just enjoy seeing a good show, then you need to make your way to this year’s 411 in the 413 performance following today's youth conference. It’s busting at the seams with the arts and performances. Share your passions and talents to create countywide connections for future opportunities, empowerment, peace, performances, and more. Performers include Youth Alive, Higher Organix, Twisting Karma, Reason 837, Space Jam, Soultube Music, and many more. Don’t miss out on a great Friday night!
Friday, May 8 | 8pm | Round Barn at the Hancock Shaker Village | 34 Lebanon Mountain Road | 443-0188 | $5
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Learn more about the Berkshire Youth Conference by following this link.
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Fri, Sat & Wed: Live Music @ Mission
Mission Bar continues to bring great live music downtown. Friday night it's Miss Tess and Bon Ton Parade, playing modern vintage music straight from Boston. Saturday folk and indie artist Chuck E. Costa returns in this intimate second appearance after being featured in the February’s Songwriter Showcase. This Wednesday & every Wednesday in May new artist-in-residence, Mia Dyson brings her cool indie, blues, & rock to the Mission Bar.Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade | Friday, May 8 | 8pm | Mission Bar & Tapas | 438 North Street | missionbarandtapas@gmail.com | $10/$15
Chuck E. Costa | Saturday, May 9 | 8pm | Mission Bar & Tapas | 438 North Street | missionbarandtapas@gmail.com | $10/$15
Mia Dyson | Wednesday, May 14 | 8pm | Mission Bar & Tapas | 438 North Street | missionbarandtapas@gmail.com | $5
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Click here to read the Eagle's article on Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade today.
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Fri & Sat: David Ives' One-Act Comedies
The BCC Players presents four one-act comic masterpieces from the pen of playwright David Ives: Enigma Variations tells the zany hijinks of a pair of lookalikes trying to solve an identity crisis; The Mystery of Twicknam Vicarage features the bullet-riddled body of Jeremy Thumpinton Fuh-Fuh-Fienes, a bumbling Scotland Yard detective, and three suspects with ridiculous accents; English Made Simple is the story of two would-be lovers kept apart by the perversity of language; and Words, Words, Words, in which three monkeys named Milton, Swift & Kafka attempt to produce Shakespeare on their typewriters.
Friday and Saturday, May 8-9 | 8:30pm | Robert Boland Theater at the BCC | 1350 West Street | 499-0886 | $10/$5
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Follow this link to read more about the BCC’s production of this play.
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Saturday: Urban Farming Made Fun!
This Saturday, both the Westside Farm Project & Hancock Shaker Village offer environmentally friendly events. The Westside Farm Project is a community-supported garden that supplies fresh produce to the Christian Center and provides environmental education and training in gardening techniques to area youth and their parents or guardians. Their kick-off event features tours, refreshments, and performances by Youth Alive and other community groups. For even more learning, people interested in advancing their skills in composting, weed eradication, and bug control may want to attend the Gardening and Sustainable Farming Workshop out at the Hancock Shaker Village.
Westside Farm Project Celebration | Saturday, May 9 | 11am-3pm | Westside Farm Project | 148 Robbins Avenue | 329-1400 | Free
Organic Gardening Workshop | Saturday, May 9 | 10am-2pm | Hancock Shaker Village | 34 Lebanon Mountain Road | 443-0188 | $68/$75
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Click here to learn more about this event as well as others at the Hancock Shaker Village.
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Saturday night: Irish Dancing or Bernice Lewis
This Saturday, the Elks Club offers a night of traditional fun with Ceili dancing including reels, jigs, waltzers, perhaps a barn or two, and Irish ballads from Daniels and McManus. Also that night, the Second Saturday Folk Music Series brings in Bernice Lewis, along with special guest Jeff King. Lewis comes equipped with her guitar and soulful folk lyrics to entertain you.
Traditional Ceili Dancing | Saturday, May 9 | 7:30pm | Elks Club | 27 Union Street | 441-4849 | $10
Bernice Lewis | Saturday, May 9 | 8pm | Underground Pub | One West Street | 499-2000 | Free
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Follow this link to sample the lyrics of Bernice Lewis.
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Saturday night: The Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe
Enjoy a night of improv comedy with the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe! Performing a mix of theater games reminiscent of the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, this show is sure to be a delightful one. Come prepared to laugh and possibly participate because RBIT promises to entertain.
Saturday, May 9 | 8pm-9:30pm | Barrington Stage Co Stage 2 | 36 Linden Street | 236-8888 | $10/$15
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For a complete listing of events at the Barrington Stage, follow this link.
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Mon & Tues: Emily Dickinson & the Dowmel Lecture Series
The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires hosts two lectures this week. First off, college English professor Susan Kerr provides a lecture on poet Emily Dickinson. Kerr will discuss Emily Dickinson as both a woman and a writer, and explore that nature in her work in light of puritanism, which was both a muse she embraced and an antagonist that she rejected. In addition, Dowmel Lecture Series coordinator Robert Haas gives a talk about the series and how it came about. Haas will discuss the history of the series, its “no charge” policy, guest speakers selection, the schedule for the 2009-2010 season, and highlights from seasons past.
A Poet’s Journey to Her Puritan Past | Monday, May 11 | 1pm | Congregation Knesset Israel | 16 Colt Road | 442-4360 | Free
Dowmel Lecture Series | Tuesday, May 12 | 1pm | Congregation Knesset Israel | 16 Colt Road | 442-4360 | Free
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For a complete listing of events at the Congregation Knesset Israel, click here.
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Wednesday & Thursday: Ladies’ Nights
More than just a night out with the girls, this Downtown, Inc. benefit event will entertain, educate and pamper women of all ages. Enjoy mini spa services, shop for fun accessories and hear guest speakers address issues on women’s health. The following night, The Berkshire Hills Chorus Chapter of the Sweet Adelines International perform. Enjoy an evening of harmonizing voices and easy on the ear lyrics.
Pamper Your Inner Goddess | Wednesday, May 13 | 5:30pm-8:30pm | Crowne Plaza | 1 West Street | 443-6501 | $20
The Berkshire Hills Chorus | Thursday, May 14 | 7pm | Berkshire Athenaeum | One Wendell Avenue | 499-9480 | Free
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| To learn more about Downtown Inc., click here. |
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