Berkshire South 5K Fundraiser Returns

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire South Regional Community Center's 5K Fall Fun Run returns this year on Sunday, Sept. 29. 
 
The walk/run starts and finishes on the runway of the Walter J. Koladza Airport in Great Barrington, with check-in beginning at 8:00 a.m. and a race start time of 9:00 a.m.  The annual event is a critical fundraiser for Berkshire South's free Teen Outreach Nutrition and Exercise program (TONE).
 
New this year is a Family Scavenger Hunt, which takes place at 9:30 a.m. and is appropriate for children ages 10 and under.
 
"Students in the TONE program learn about what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Crucially, the program allows for all students to have access to facilities for which there's typically a fee. This is extremely helpful for students who come from low-income backgrounds and who do not have the means to pay for memberships. The program gives students the opportunity to learn about health and nutrition, how to exercise safely, and make smart choices for their overall wellbeing," said Jenise Lucey, executive director of Berkshire South.
 
Registration for the event will remain open at berkshiresouth.org/5K for a discounted rate of $35 through noon on Saturday, Sept. 28. Registrations on the day of the race require a $45 entry fee. The first 100 entrants receive a race t-shirt. Snacks will be available post-race and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in various age brackets.
 
The 5K is a family friendly event. All fitness levels are welcome. The 2024 5K Fall Fun Run will be administered by the Berkshire Running Center. Those who are not able to participate in this year's walk/run are encouraged to make a donation at berkshiresouth.org/5K.
 
Berkshire South thanks this year's 5K sponsors: Ed Herrington, Inc, The Montessori School of the Berkshires, Berkshire Corporate Retreats, SS Home Improvements, Berkshire Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center, C.W. Nelson Land Design, Sheldon Glass Service, Ormsbee Gas Co, Inc, Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, Race Mountain Tree Service, Timpane Construction, Inc, Adelson & Company PC, Lee Audio 'N Security, Inc, and Reliable Yardworks, in addition to the Great Barrington Airport. 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

King and Confidantes Debate Hope and Change in 'American Five'

By Alan PetrucelliSpecial to iBerkshires
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Fiction and fact meld in the regional premiere of "The American Five," now playing at the Larry Vaber Stage of the Unicorn Theatre. 
 
The play takes a fictionalized look at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his four closest confidants in the months leading up to the famed March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. The quintet, through differing opinions, animated arguments, constant threats of violence and a late-night meal featuring challah bread and wine, become a family as they prepare for the history-making march that galvanized the Civil Rights movement.
 
Most of us know the King saga. It's the second act in which playwright Chess Jakobs' genius shines. Prejudice runs rampant here: Is Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer from New York who shows up in Montgomery to join the fight for racial equality and "to repair the world," viewed as white? Jewish? Both? And march strategist and organizer Bayard Rustin experiences his own fight for civil rights because of his homosexuality. Here, Jakob explores prejudice on different levels.
 
The cast is top-notch with many emotional highs. As King, Rashun Carter (who would look more like his character if he had a full moustache) and Sydney Elisabeth (as Coretta Scott King) are at their best during a scene that bounces between humor and poignancy. 
 
She questions her husband about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy; he is angry and refuses to discuss it. "There is no 'you' out there, without a 'me,' in here," she says, leading King to agree that because of her self-worth and unwavering devotion to him, she is "Coretta Scott Queen."
 
As Clarence Jones, King's personal counsel, Brett Diggs has assurance and dignity; Harry Smith's portrayal of lawyer Stanley Levison, is nothing short of extraordinary. Destan Owens' performance as gay Bayard Rustin is the play's most outstanding performance as he defends his relations with men: "You don't get to judge me!" he tells King. "I'm just trying to find love."
 
"The American Five" is tightly directed by Gerry McIntyre; the historic period projections and footage/designed by Alex Hill remind people that there are dreams, such as hope and change, that are still being fought.
 
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