'Van Gogh's Ear' to be Presented in Great Barrington

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Ensemble for the Romantic Century, a theatrical and musical group that combines fully staged dramas with live chamber and vocal music, has partnered with the Clark Art Institute to present “Van Gogh’s Ear” from Thursday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 30, at the American Institute for Economic Research, located at 250 Division St.

Tickets are $85 per performance or $99 for a package ticket that includes admission to the Clark’s Van Gogh and Nature exhibition, on view through Sept. 13. View showtimes or purchase tickets online. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 413-458-0524.

Richard Kendall, the Clark’s curator at large and the curator of "Van Gogh and Nature," will discuss the exhibition at a free lecture on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m., preceding the 7 p.m. performance at AIER. Kendall will touch upon Van Gogh’s lifelong preoccupation with nature, from the minutiae of birds’ nests and insects to the sweeping landscapes of rural Holland and France.

Based on Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo, “Van Gogh’s Ear” takes the audience on a journey through the artist’s final years in the south of France, accompanied by live performances of the music of Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Chausson, and César Franck. Written by Eve Wolf and directed by Donald T. Sanders, the performance features actor Simon Fortin in the leading role. The Ensemble’s recent engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music was hailed as “ingenious ... breathtaking ... sheer poetry!” by The New York Times.

Dalton Resident Ranks Third in National Snocross Race

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:18PM / Sunday, December 21, 2025

Sal LeBeau on his machine with his sister, Kenna, in the black hat, and friend Brandon and his sister Alea.

DALTON, Mass. — At just 16 years old, Salvatore LaBeau is already making avalanches in the national snocross racing scene.

 

Last weekend, LaBeau raced in the Mount Zion Snocross National race in Ironwood, Mich., the first of eight races in the national circuit series. 

 

Competitions take place across national circuits, attracting racers from various regions and even internationally. 

 

Labeau rides for CT Motorsports, a team based in Upstate New York, on a 2025 Polaris 600R. 

 

This is LaBeau's first time competing on the CT Motorsports team. Years prior, he raced for a team owned by Bruce Gaspardi, owner of South Side Sales and Service in North Adams.  

 

Despite a bad first day on Friday when he fell off his snowmobile and didn't make the final, LaBeau carried on with confidence and on Saturday obtained his first national podium, placing in third for the Sport Lite class. 

 

"I'm feeling good. I'm gonna start training more when I come home, and go to the gym more. And I am really excited, because I'm in 11th right now," the Wahconah High student said.