Friday & Saturday:  Rich is the Wolf at Little Cinema

The Rendezvous with French Cinema series features Rich is the Wolf.  Perplexed at the sudden disappearance of her husband, a wife watches hours of videotape that he's recorded over the previous seven years to piece together some clues. The filmmaker,Damien Odoul's, most daring feature, whose color and black-and-white images are culled from his own videotaping, confirms his place as one of France's genuinely exploratory filmmakers.

Friday & Saturday, March 22 & 23 | 7pm | Little Cinema | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street |413-443-7171 | $5

Friday & Saturday: Live Music at Flavours

Enjoy live music all weekend long at Flavours. On Friday, Berkshires favorite the Tony Lee Thomas Band will be there. 8 Foot River (at left) takes the stage on Saturday night. 8 Foot River is an alternative indie rock band featuring mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation spanning an eclectic range of all-original hard-hitting rock and sweetly melodic indie pop.  21+.

Friday & Saturday, March 22 & 23 9:30pm | Flavours of Malaysia | 75 North Street | 413-443-3188 | $5

Saturday:  Meet the Author Book Signing with Stephanie Abrams

Barnes & Noble presents Berkshire County's newest novelist Stephanie Abrams and her novelRUMORS as part of a meet the author/booksigning event. Abrams is a nationally syndicated radio show host and globally recognized travel expert who will answer travel questions during the event. Guests to this book signing who are over 21 years of age are entered to win a two-day, one-night stay at The Algonquin Hotel in NYC which is the setting for a rendezvous of two of the characters in RUMORS and the hotel of choice of another character.

Saturday, March 23 | 2pm | Barnes & Noble | 555 Hubbard Avenue | 413-496-9051

Saturday:  ZipStohr's Comedy at the Plaza #21

ZipStohr's wildly popular Comedy at the Plaza series is back with its first installment of 2013 in the Grand Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza. It features the talents of hilarious comedians Ryan Hamilton, Veronica Mosey (pictured left) and Tom Daddario. Partial proceeds of this event go to the Berkshire Humane Society.  Tickets are expected to sell out, so guests are encouraged to buy tickets early.

Saturday, March 23 | 8pm | Crowne Plaza Grand Ballroom | 1 West Street | 413-822-2247

Saturday:  Potholder Rug Workship at Shire City Sanctuary

There are a few spots open for the Potholder Rug Workshop by Crispina ffrench. Spend a day in the studio and learn all the details and tricks to making beautiful Potholder Rugs. Each student will end the day with a 30″x40″ rug they have made to take home. The use of all tools and materials for the day are included in tuition. Pre-registration required.

Saturday, March 23 | 10am-4:30pm | Shire City Sanctuary | 40 Melville Street | 413-441-9766| $175 full day $75 half day

Saturday:  Blue Jazz at Mad Jacks

Blue Jazz is a jazz quartet leaning heavily toward the blues. The band has been described by audience members as, "great, entertaining, good mix. Perfect combo with the setting – comfort music with comfort food.”

Saturday, March 23 | 7pm | Mad Jacks BBQ | 295 North Street | 413-442-2290 | NO COVER

Saturday:  Marilyn & Friends at Spice Dragon

The fabulous Karen Lee's appearance at Spice Dragonduring the 10x10 Upstreet Arts Festival was so successful, she's coming back for cabaret, live music, burlesque, comedy and prizes. Come out and celebrate an era of elegance, charm, passion and pleasure with the sensational Karen Lee, the fabulous Johnny Segalla, special guest Cayla Buettner, and the wonderful Burly Q Band: Dan Broad, Cindy Gutter, Max Weiner, and Deirdre Flynn Sullivan.

Saturday, March 23 | 9pm | Spice Dragon | 297 North Street | 413-499-7924 x 133 | No cover, donations welcome

Saturday:  Hip Hop Night at Chameleons

Three of the Berkshire's biggest hip hop groups all on the same night on the same stage! MASS all day,Nostalgia and The Professors get ready to rock the crowd with the livest hip hop around.  Hosted by DJ Young Champ.  18+.

Saturday, March 23 | 9pm | Chameleons | 1350 East Street | 413-499-2582 | $5 in advance $8 at the door

Sunday:  Small Stories in Hidden Places at the Lichtenstein

This March the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM) presented its firstStanding on Her Shoulders Award to women leaders over the age of seventy.  One recipient, Vera Kalm (pictured left), will be sharing her story.  Kalmbegan her career with the United Nations' Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva. Recruited by the World Health Organization for its New York office with the United Nations, she retired as the director of that office—the first nonmedical woman to hold that position.  WFWM executive director Carla Oleskaand co-editor of African Women Writing ResistancePauline Dongala will also share and discuss their own far-from-small stories.

Sunday, March 24 | 1pm | Lichtenstein Center for the Arts | 28 Renne Avenue | 413-499-9348 | FREE

Sunday:  C.J. Ramone at Chameleons

C.J. Ramone, one of the surviving members of the world famous Ramones will be appearing live.  C.J. Ramone first took his place on stage with this legendary band way back in 1989 will be performing some of the Ramones' best-known songs and material from his new release Reconquista. Steve Soto and Dan Root from the Adolescents are in C.J.'s band.  Get your tickets here ahead of time. This will likely sell out.  

Sunday, March 24 | 6:30pm | Chameleons | 1350 East Street | 413-499-2582 | $15 in advance $18 at the door

Sunday & Monday:  You Will Be My Son at the Little Cinema

The Rendezvous with French Cinema film series presents You Will Be My Son.  Instead of grooming his son to inherit his lucrative wine-growing business, an imperious vintner looks to a talented California-based grower, rendering a harvest of jealousy and worse. The narrative takes on Shakespearean qualities  while the film's observations on the wine-growing business are thoroughly engrossing.

Sunday & Monday, March 23 & 24 | 7pm | Little Cinema | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street |413-443-7171 | $5

Monday:  The Suicide Shop at Little Cinema

The Rendezvous with French Cinema film series continues with The Suicide Shop.  Master filmmaker Patrice Leconte makes a startling and unforgettable departure from his previous work with this whimsical animated musical about a family business offering certain special "end-of-life” services. Rather than succumbing to a purely mordant perspective, the movie switches course and mood, driven by the family's perpetually happy child whom they can't control. Based on the novel by Jean Teule.

Monday, March 25 | 1:30pm | Little Cinema | Berkshire Museum | 39 South Street | 413-443-7171 | $5

Monday:  Connecting for Wildlife at BCC

Share your unique knowledge of the land, the wildlife, and the roads to make Western Massachusetts more sustainable and safer. Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) is collaborating with transportation planners, biologists, universities, and community members to identify, survey, and analyze road segments within critical wildlife corridors. The project, Connecting for Wildlife, aspires to reduce vehicle wildlife collisions and increase motorist safety where wildlife cross roads.

Monday, March 25 | 6pm-8:30pm | Berkshire Community College | Room K-111 | 1350 West Street | 413-429-6416 | FREE

Tuesday:  Hands on with Tablet Devices

Get help using your iPad or other tablet device from the experts, in this free program especially for the local Baby Boom population. All programs are free (and you don't have to be a Baby Boomer to attend.)  Registration is required.

Tuesday, March 26 | 10am-11:30am | Berkshire Athenaeum | 1 Wendell Avenue | 413-499-9480| FREE

Tuesday:  Amistad at Berkshire Athenaeum

The Cinema of Law film series features the filmAmistad this week. Amistad is about a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a courtroom drama about the free man who led the revolt.  Click here to watch the Amistad trailer.Pittsfield immigration attorney Joe Best will be introducing the film.  The series is sponsored by the Berkshire Law Library, the Berkshire Bar Association and the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum.

Tuesday, March 26 | 6pm | Berkshire Athenaeum | 1 Wendell Avenue | 413-499-9480| FREE

Tuesday:  Angel Nafis at Y Bar

Word X Word presents world renowned slam poetAngel Nafis. She'll be reading from a collection of her poems from her book Black Girl Mansion. "These are poems that fill the mouth. They sing sorrow and stitch a family together, then rip it apart again and again. These are poems that fly, that tell the stories of women, their wounds, their love, their bodies, their deep, hungry song…these poems do not beg forgiveness. They do not ask permission or sit cute and quiet in the corner,”  Tameka Cage Conley, from the foreword of Black Girl Mansion.  Click here to watch Angel in action.

Tuesday, March 26 | 8pm | Y Bar | 391 North Street | No phone | No cover

Wednesday:  Wind and Rain – Poetry and Song at the Lichtenstein

The Berkshire Festival of Women Writerspresents this poetry and song collaboration.  PoetRosemary Starace and singer-songwriter JoAnne Spies will be trading art forms and collaborating with each other and the elements in this interactive performance. Guitar, dulcimer, drums, melodicas, accordions, rattles, and chimes will accompany original and familiar pieces spoken, chanted, and sung.

Wednesday, March 27 | 7pm | Lichtenstein Center for the Arts | 28 Renne Avenue | 413-499-9348 | $5

Wednesday:  Harlem Globetrotters at Boys and Girls Club

The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their basketball shenanigans to Pittsfield. You'll see some amazing moves by the worlds' greatest dribblers.  Come sing Georgia Brown and check out the exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy.   Click here to watch the Globetrotters in action.

Wednesday, March 27 | 7pm | Boys and Girls Club of Pittsfield | 16 Melville Street | 413-997-2287 | $28

Thursday:  Hillcrest St. Patrick's Reception

Massachusetts Speaker of the House, Robert DeLeo, is coming to Pittsfield to receive the "Irish” Person of the Year award from Hillcrest Educational Centers during their 12th Annual Robert (Bees) Prendergast St. Patrick's Reception. Hillcrest will also present the Judge John A. Barry Community Service Award to the Berkshire Young Professionals. Founded in 2003, BYP is a program of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce that serves as a professional and personal resource for young professionals living and working in Berkshire County.  The reception features, heavy hors d'oeuvres, buffet selections, auctions, raffle prizes and live music.

Thursday, March 28 | 6pm-9pm | Country Club of Pittsfield | 639 South Street | 413-499-7924 x 133 | $50