Lenox Library's Read for a Cause Program Combines Reading with Making a Difference

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LENOX, Mass. — Lenox Library invites high school students, or those who are 13 to 17 years old, to a new program, Read for a Cause, which combines reading with making a difference in your community. 
 
The first meeting will be Wednesday, May 28, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Lenox Library, 18 Main Street, Lenox. Registration is required. 
 
Participants will meet to discuss what types of community issues (e.g., food insecurity, climate change, mental health, child welfare, etc.) they would like to learn about, then read a book related to that topic. Books will be provided for free from the Library and available to keep. Copies will be available to pick up at a later date and participants will be notified when they are ready.
 
Participants then will have an opportunity to discuss the book as a group at the second meeting and learn from a local organization about their chosen topic. The group then will decide what the community service project will be and schedule a time to complete it. Please note that depending on the project, participants may be required to meet at a location other than the Library for this meeting.
 
Visit the Lenox Library youth department or email Youth Librarian Vanessa Justice at vjustice@lenoxlib.org to register. Future meeting days and times will be determined by the group; snacks will be provided.
 
Visit https://lenoxlib.org or the Library's Facebook page for more information.
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Puppeteer Carl Sprague to Present 'Hansel & Gretel' at Ventfort Hall

LENOX, Mass. — The popular puppeteer Carl Sprague will return to Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum in Lenox with "Hansel & Gretel" for two school vacation week marionette performances. 
 
The dates and times are Thursday, Feb. 19 and Friday, Feb. 20, both at 3:30 pm. The audiences will have the opportunity to meet Sprague, who knows how to pull strings.
 
"Hansel & Gretel" is a classic German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about two siblings abandoned in the woods who find a house made of sweets, owned by a witch intending to eat them. The clever children outsmart her by pushing her into her own oven, and escape with her treasures to find their way home. This fairy tale symbolizes themes of cleverness, survival, and greed vs. kindness, stated a press release.
 
Sprague, who has appeared annually at Ventfort Hall with his "behind the scenery" mastery, has been a puppeteer since childhood.  He inherited a collection of 60 antique Czech marionettes, each about eight inches tall, that were assembled by his great-grandfather, Julius Hybler.  Hybler's legacy also includes two marionette theaters. 
 
Also, Sprague has been a set designer for such motion pictures as "The Royal Tenenbaums" and Scorcese's "The Age of Innocence," as well as for theater productions including those of Shakespeare & Company. 
 
Admission to the show is $20 per person; $10 for children 4-17 and free for age 3 and under. Children must be accompanied by adults. 
 
Reservations are required as seating is limited and can be made on line at https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or by calling (413) 637-3206. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.
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