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Starlight Stage Youth Theatre Presents Farce July 26-29

Williamstown, Mass. - For their 31st season production Starlight Stage Youth Theatre presents Cyrus Wood’s hilarious farce “Good Night Ladies” July 26-29 at 8 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Williamstown.

“Good Night Ladies” is about Professor “Spider” Matthews (Chris Donovan of North Adams, MA), an Arachnologist who is perfectly at home with his eight-legged specimens but deathly afraid of the human female! One of his students, Dodie Tarleton (Lauren Christiansen of Williamstown, MA) has a crush on the professor, and has discovered that he is an old friend of her brother-in-law, Mike Bonner (Evan Schuekler of Stamford, VT), and intends to stay with him while attending a conference in New York City. Mike and Dodie’s sister Kittie Bonner (Alexandra Allen of New Ashford, MA) invite Spider, Dodie, and Mike’s business associate Fred Blake (Andrew Allen-Nash of New Ashford, MA)  and his wife Alicia (Hannah Paul) out to dinner.  Unfortunately, the party is crashed by the arrival of Dodie and Kittie’s mother, Mrs. Tarleton (Thalia Rossier of Williamstown, MA).  The women get angry with the men and decide to go on to a night club without them.  The men decide to attend the “Pagan Revels” to help Spider get over his fear of women.  The Revels are raided by the police and the men escape into a ladies’ health club, where they have to disguise themselves as women to prevent being discovered by the police or the club’s clientele.  While incognito at the club they meet up with a stripper (Grace Singelton of Williamstown, MA) and – surprise! – their wives, students, mother-in-law, etc. show up and chaos ensues.

Other cast members include: Aaron Burns, Brandon Burns, Maggie Crane, Jamie Meehan, Rebekeh Packer, Charlotte Sachs, Damien Sharp, Isabel Stomberg, Carly Vallone, and Julia Vallone, all from Williamstown, MA; Emma Gregory and Brianna Richardson from Clarksburg, MA; and Catherine Middleton of North Petersburg, NY.

Founded in 1976, Starlight offers a hands-on theatre experience for young people ages 8-18. Starlight has been directed by Robert Y. Burns and the Burns family of Williamstown since its inception.  Starlight is the third oldest continuously operating summer theatre in Berkshire County, after the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Williamstown Theatre Festival.  Over the past 30 years hundreds of local youngsters have received their introduction to theatre with Starlight.  Some have gone on to careers in the performing arts and the technical aspects of theatre and film, but all, whatever path they have chosen in life, have come away with a deep love and respect for the theatre, and happy memories of their Starlight experience.

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children, available at the door. All performances take place in the handicap accessible Fellowship Hall of the First Congregational Church-UCC of Williamstown, located at 906 Main Street (Rt. 2).  Parking is available in the church lot off of Chapin Hall Drive. For further information contact Starlight Stage Youth Theatre, 57 Linden Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, call 413-458-4246, or e-mail ssyt@adelphia.net.

Student Independent Film Festival

WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. - Images Cinema and Minerva Stage are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Student Independent Film Festival (SIFF). This year there will be two components: film production and festival planning. Both components are for students aged 13 or older. Workshops will begin in early June. The culminating event will be a festival of student work, both created and solicited, at Images Cinema July 28 through 30.

The production workshop will take students through all the major steps for creating a short film, including writing a treatment, storyboarding, performing for the camera, directing and editing. All work will be shown at a public screening. The cost for the production workshop is $300. The festival planning section will give students an opportunity to plan and organize a festival that will include work from the production workshop, as well as work collected from an open call. There is no cost for the organizing workshop.

Kathleen O’Mara founded Minerva Stage in 1996, to introduce children and young adults to the plays of Shakespeare. Since then, Minerva Stage has worked with thousands of students in a myriad of artistic, expressive, and academic projects. Minerva Stage summer programs also include a Shakespeare Workshop and Film Camp.

One of the few non-profit, single-screen cinemas left in the country, Images Cinema is ever-expanding to entertain and educate with quality programming, while maintaining its strong dedication to independent film and media. Check for up-to-date happenings at www.imagescinema.org.

Kid Films at Images

Williamstown, Mass. - During the Month of June Images Cinema will screen
several kid and family-friendly films. Beginning Saturday June 10, as part
of the Williams College Reunion Weekend, Images will screen CURIOUS GEORGE
and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF. The Kids First! Film Club will screen LITTLE
MANHATTAN on Friday, June 16 at 3pm and on Saturday, June 17 there will be a
10am Kids First screening of a variety of videos. Details follow below.

WILLIAMS COLLEGE REUNION WEEKEND FILMS

***Saturday, June 10 at 2pm and 7pm***
CURIOUS GEORGE (2006)

Directed by Matthew O'Callaghan
Featuring the voices of Will Ferrell & Drew Barrymore
Rated G * 1 hour 26 minutes * Comedy

The Man in the Yellow Hat befriends a little monkey named George. George
gets into all sorts of mischief as a result of his extreme curiosity. Based
on the popular children's books by H. A. Rey.

***Saturday, June 10 at 9pm***
FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986)

Directed by John Hughes
Starring Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey
Rated PG-13 * 1 hour 42 minutes * Comedy

Ferris Bueller cuts school to spend the day with his girlfriend and neurotic
friend, while seeing the sights in Chicago. Meanwhile, his sister and the
dean of students are both set on getting Ferris in trouble. Can Ferris make
it through the day unscathed?

KIDS FIRST FILM CLUB

Images Cinema's presentations of Kids First! continues through June, and the
following months. The Kids First! Film Club is a project of the Coalition
for Quality Children's Media (CQCM), and the content of Kid's First programs
are free of gratuitous violence, bias, or inappropriate sexual content.

There will be two screenings in June, all at Images Cinema, at 50 Spring
Street, Williamstown. Admission is $2. Any questions about this program can
be directed to Janet Curran, (413) 458-1039.

** Friday, June 16 at 3pm** Images Cinema
LITTLE MANHATTAN (84 minutes, ages 8+) LITTLE MANHATTAN is a feel-good
comedy that is perfect for all ages. Life as a kid in modern-day New York
has enough challenges, but sometimes it seems nearly impossible! Gabe and
Rosemary have known each other nearly all their lives, but when they come
face to face in a karate class, they see each other in a whole new light.
Filled with all the magical, marvelous, and maddening, moments of first
love, this charming film is fun for the whole family.

**Saturday, June 17 at 10am** Images Cinema
PEEP: DRY DUCK (ages 2-5, 20 minutes)
The animated series PEEP and the Big Wide World, narrated by award-winning
actress Joan Cusack, gives wings to the innovative idea of teaching science
to preschoolers. Wry and distinctive visual humor, charming plotlines, and
lovable characters combine with a comprehensive science program to attract
and engage young kids.

LON POPO (ages 4-8, 12 minutes)
In this Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood, a mother leaves her three
children home alone while she goes to visit their grandmother. When the
children are visited by a wolf, pretending to be their granny, they let him
in the house, but ultimately are not fooled. Combines ancient Chinese panel
art techniques with a contemporary palette of watercolors and pastels.

STARS STARS STARS (ages 7-9, 10 minutes)
This story takes you on a colorful ride through outer space to visit planets
and stars, using collage-style animation.

At 10:45am: LITTLE MANHATTAN (84 minutes, ages 8+)

One of the few year-round single-screen nonprofit cinemas left in the
country, Images Cinema is ever expanding its programming to meet the
educational and cultural needs of the community, while maintaining its
dedication to quality independent film. Images Cinema is supported in part
by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Current happenings
are listed at www.imagescinema.org.

Nearly 40 Fresh Air Fund kids visiting North Berkshire this summer -- can you host one?

How would you like to spend a hot summer in the city?  if Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund — an independent not-for-profit agency — has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million children from New York City’s toughest neighborhoods. The point is to give kids who are used to concrete a chance to romp in a backyard, take a swim in a brook, see dark, starry nights, go to sandlot baseball game, take in some cultural or outdoor attractions, or just play with other kids. The For years, hardly any families stepped forward in the Williamstown-North Adams-Adams-Cheshire area – only two last year, for example.  But this year there has been an "amazing response", especially in Northern Berkshire, says Fresh Air Fund volunteer Liza Barrett of Williamstown. She says her team, along with Nicole Hardee, of Cheshire, have signed up nearly 40 families to take kids either July 5-19, Aug. 2-16 or Aug. 8-16. That’s on top of the usual cadre of about 26 kids in the Great Barrington area, where coordinator Leila Bruun has worked the phones for several years.  “All it really takes is an open heart,” says Barrett. “You need not be a family, or married, working or not.” There’s an extensive interview and background check, however.   Summer camps like camps Mohawk, Sarasparilla, Half Moon, Marion White and Rudolph Steiner open up their hearts, too, offering free tuition to Fresh Air Fund visitors. There are still some slots for the August weeks. If you’re interested, call Liza at 458-4089, Nicole at 743-8916, or Leila at 528-6701.

For sale, one vintage convertible, to benefit Youth Center, auction ends Thursday, June 2; can you top "kilsbo's" $7,500?

Now here's a unique gift. Outgoing Williamstown Youth Center director Jonathan Igoe reports that the town's youth drop-in and activity center has been given a 1970s-era Chevrolet Impala two-door convertible. "Although tempted to keep it for official business, we thought it best to auction it on eBay to raise funds for the WYC," Igoe wrote in an email. "Having driven the Impala some this spring, I can say it's quite a ride." The youth center is using the online auction site eBay to sell off the car -- and the auction ends on Thursday.  As of Tuesday night, 13 bidders, lead by "kilsbo" had bid the car up to $7,500. Click HERE if you want to look at the auction and consider putting in a bid. The car was donated by Charlie Pardoe, a part-time Williamstown resident. Igoe says Pardoe had owned the car for a number of years and enjoyed driving it, but was ready to pass it on.  "Before donating it to the Youth Center, Charlie had new upholstery installed so the interior of the car looks beautiful," adds Igoe. "Over the winter I drove the car a number of times. I'd say it is in excellent condition, but I am no expert on vintage cars . . . One thing about this car that's amazing is how it feels like it is floating down the road at 60 or 70 miles an hour.  It's really an incredible ride, even in the winter." Concludes Igoe: "I can only imagine how much fun it would be to drive in the summer with the top down."

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