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Food of Love: Coming Feb. 9 to Williamstown

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If you'll be near a radio Thursday morning, try to tune in to WAMC (FM 90.3) from 10 to 10:30 a.m.  Three students and Deb Burns will be on the Round Table with Susan Arbetter, discussing chocolate and the
Food of Love and the Fall Festival and such.

Early Music Concert February 10 at Chapel

Williamstown, MA - Williamstown Early Music, in collaboration with the Aoede Consort (Dan Foster, artistic director), will present a performance of Heinrich Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien on  Saturday, February 10  at 8:00 pm at Thompson Memorial Chapel, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Richard Giarusso, co-director of Williamstown Early Music, will conduct.

Written in 1636 for the funeral of a German nobleman, Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien (Musical Obsequies) are the towering achievement of this early baroque master. Like Brahms’s famous German Requiem, for which Schütz’s work served as a model, the Exequien use a series of biblical texts to shape a musical meditation upon issues of death, mourning, and resurrection. Featuring intricate choral writing and elaborate passages for solo voices, the piece is remarkable for the rich variety of its musical textures and its exquisite attention to details of text setting. The performance of the Exequien will be complemented by motets of Orlando di Lasso and excerpts from Schütz’s Geistliche Chormusik.

Tickets are required ($15 general admission, $5 students) and may be purchased at the door. If you wish to reserve tickets in advance, please call (413) 458- 0276. Visit www.williamstownearlymusic.org or www.aoedeconsort.org for more information.

Actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith to Speak at Clark February 9

WILLIAMSTOWN/NORTH ADAMS, MA-  Organized by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art), and the Williams College Museum of Art, the 4th annual Berkshire Conference provides a forum for exploring the social, cultural and economic ramifications of the dynamic and increasingly complex interaction between the worlds of business and culture.  The Berkshire Conference provides the opportunity for arts, business, and policy leaders to gather for serious dialogue.  The conference is built around a series of five moderated panel discussions that explore institutional developments, philanthropic and management trends, and the connections between the worlds of culture, business, and media.  More than 150 invited guests attend for the weekend, boosting hotel occupancy throughout the region and attracting new visitors to the many cultural activities offered in the region.

While the conference sessions are not open to the public, limited seats are available for the keynote address on Friday, February 9, at 8 pm at the Clark.  The conference's keynote speaker is playwright and actor Anna Deavere Smith. Free tickets for Smith's talk must be reserved in advance and are available on a first-come basis by calling 413-458-0524.

Hailed by Newsweek as "the most exciting individual in American theater," Smith uses her singular brand of theater to explore issues of race, community and character in America. She was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation "genius" Fellowship for creating "a new form of theater - a blend of theatrical art, social commentary, journalism and intimate reverie."

Smith is perhaps best known as the author and performer of two one-woman plays about racial tensions in American cities - Fires in the Mirror (Obie Award-winner and runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize) and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 (Obie Award-winner and Tony Award nominee). She plays National Security Advisor Nancy McNally on NBC's The West Wing and co-starred in the CBS drama, Presidio Med. She appeared in the films The Human Stain, Philadelphia, Dave, and The American President, and on TV's The Practice. 

Her latest book (2006) is Letters to a Young Artist: Straight-up Advice on Making a Life in the Arts - For Actors, Performers, Writers, and Artists of Every Kind. She also is the author of Talk to Me: Travels in Media & Politics, which documents the creative process behind her play, House Arrest. In an effort to discern the mythic role of the presidency in American society, Smith interviewed over 400 people from all walks of life, from prison inmates to President Clinton.

In 1998 in association with the Ford Foundation, Smith founded the institute on the Arts & Civic Dialogue at Harvard (now at New York University). The institute's mission is to explore the role of the arts in relation to vital social issues.

Smith is a tenured professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and is affiliated with the NYU School of Law, where she teaches a course on "The Art of Listening." Smith is working on a book about art and politics. Her new play, Let Me Down Easy, debuts in 2007.

At the conclusion of the conference, the organizers will publish a series of white papers summarizing the proceedings, which will be made available to the public.  White papers from past conferences are available on the Berkshire Conference website at www.berkshireconference.org.

Nobel Laureates offer insights on World Issues

Williamstown, MA - On Monday, February 5 at 7pm Images Cinema will screen NOBELITY, a documentary presented by the Williams College Students for Social Justice. Admission is pay-what-you-can.

The film coordinator for Students for Social Justice, Emily Button says, “I hope people come see this film to hear new perspectives about how we should think about our role in the world from people who have actually accomplished great things. It has the potential to be very inspiring in that respect. Also, people should come if they are curious about the work and personalities of these Nobel prize winners.”

The film features Nobel Laureates Steven Weinberg, Jody Williams, Ahmed Zewail, Rick Smalley, Wangari Maathai, Sir Joseph Rotblat, Dr. Harold Varmus, Desmond Tutu, Amartya Sen.

A stunning look at the world’s most pressing problems through the eyes of nine Nobel Laureates, NOBELITY follows filmmaker Turk Pipkin’s personal journey to find enlightening answers about the kind of world our children and grandchildren will know. Filmed across the U.S., and in France, England, India, and Africa, Nobelity combines The insights of nine distinguished Nobelists with a first-person view of world problems and the children who are most challenged by them. For more information visit The Nobelity Project at www.nobelity.org

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.

Hubbard Hall Seeks Actress for Moliere Play

Cambridge, NY – The Theatre Company at Hubbard Hall (TCHH) is seeking an actress for the role of Mariane for its upcoming production of Moliere’s “The Miser.” The play will be performed weekends March 9 – April 1.

The part of Mariane, the young woman coveted by the miserly Harpagon and beloved by his son Cléante, calls for a 20-28-year-old coquette, vivacious, with a sense of the period style and comedy.

Those interested are requested to send a resume to the attention of “The Miser Casting,” Hubbard Hall, 25 E. Main St., Cambridge, NY 12816 by Monday, January 29. The production team, headed by TCHH artistic director Kevin McGuire, will contact those invited to audition. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, Feb. 6.

For information regarding the auditions and the production of “The Miser,” call (518) 677-2495. For general information, visit Hubbard Hall’s web site at http://www.hubbardhall.org/

Mill City Productions Seeks Additional Actor

North Adams, MA - Mill City Productions of North Adams, MA, is seeking a male actor in his 20s or
30s for the role of John in a March production of "Baby with the Bathwater" by  Christopher Durang, directed by Marissa Carlson. This actor will be replacing an  actor who was just hired for a national touring show.  We're thrilled for him,  but now we need a new leading man!

Rehearsals are in the evenings and begin immediately. Performances will be the  first two weekends in March in North Adams. No payment is involved, but we  guarantee a fun theatrical experience with great people!  To schedule an  audition time or get more information, please call 413-281-7098 ASAP.

Main Street Stage Auditions February 8 & 10

North Adams, MA - Casting Call!  The Main Street Stage is holding open auditions for its 2007
season Thursday February 8th at 7 p.m. and Saturday February 10th at 1 p.m.
All ages are welcome.  For more info call  Bruce MacDonald at (413)663-3240.

NAPL Lists Toddler & Preschool Story Times

North Adams, MA - Do you and your young children need an entertaining spot to hang out that is warm and snug?  Then consider spending some time in the Children’s Department at the North Adams Public Library.  We have a large playroom stocked with board books, stuffed animals, building blocks, puppets, trucks, puzzles and drawing supplies.

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If something structured is more to your liking, try our story times. Toddler Time is offered at 9:30 AM on Tuesdays, Preschool Story Time with Craft/Activity is held Mondays at 6:30 PM and again on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM.  There is no charge for these programs.  Just show up and enjoy some quality interactive time with your young child – a sure way to beat the winter blues.

NAPL Knitting Circle Meets January 29

North Adams, MA - Beginning and novice knitters are invited to the North Adams Public Library next Monday evening, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m., when two instructors will be available to help them get started.  There is no charge for the instruction.  Learners should bring their own knitting needles and yarn.

Between them, instructors Dana Brzezinki and Abbi Westwood have been knitting for more than a dozen years.  They have created everything from sweaters, scarves, mittens, gloves and hats to penguins, turtles and toe socks.  They have taught both left handed and right handed knitters.

Bring needles, yarn, and a pattern if you wish to actually start a project. The lesson will be followed by the regular circle beginning at 6:30.  The teachers will remain through the evening to help anyone with questions.

The Circle is open to all interested people regardless of age, gender or experience level. Library to the Rescue!

Inkberry Brings Susan Cheever to MCLA January 27

North Adams, MA - Inkberry Presents an Evening with Susan Cheever at MCLA, Murdock Hall, and reception Room 218. The event will be held on Saturday, January 27th at 6:30 pm and is free to the public.

Cheever will read from American Bloomsbury, her new biography of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau. Far from typically Victorian, this group of intellectuals, like their British Bloomsbury counterparts to whom the title refers, not only questioned established literary forms, but also resisted old moral and social strictures. Call 413-662-5120.