by Shera Cohen
Certainly, the number of performing art venues are plentiful
in the Berkshires. Having spent two weeks there in July, I was fortunate to see
theatre, music, and dance presentations nearly round-the-clock. However,
filling many afternoons (and a few evenings) was time well spent participating
in numerous talks on subjects known and unknown to me.
Ventfort Hall Lectures, Lenox, MA
Ventfort Hall Tea & Talks brings authors, educators, and
lectures to speak on a wide range of subjects. The parlor room is always packed
with patrons. The subjects are fascinating or fun or both. Hour-long talks are
followed by Q&A. Last week’s guest was Paul Freedman discussing “10
Restaurants that Changed America”. The “tea” portion of the series’ name is an
elegant English-style tea settling located in the Ventfort dining room. Tiers
of scones, cucumber sandwiches, cookies, and (of course) special teas are the
array. The event offers a lovely elegance in the Berkshires. www.gildedage.org
Tanglewood Rehearsals, Lenox, MA
Every Saturday morning, professional staff of Tanglewood
inform the audience about aspects of the pieces to be rehearsed that day.
Usually, talks focus on the composer, background of the music to be heard, and
intricacies of composition; i.e. specific sections of the orchestra. These
talks are a free bonus for concert goers seated in the tent or on the lawn.
www.bso.org/tanglewood
Jacob’s Pillow Pre-performance Lectures, Becket, MA
A large barn is situated equidistant between the two main
Pillow theatres. Each summer marks the premiere of a new art exhibit focusing
on dance – past or present. Videos often accompany the display. Before each
performance, a large group of audience members gather in the barn to hear the
half-hour “course” on the dance troupe and its history, choreographers, and
nuances of the upcoming performance. www.jacobspillow.org
Theatre Talk-backs, numerous locations
Oftentimes following a play or musical, the director and
most members of the cast will take chairs onstage. The director leads the
discussion, taking questions from those audience members who choose to stay in
the theatre. The talk-backs last approximately 15-minutes, or if the audience
is responsive. This was the case at the end of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” at
Barrington Stage Company. The Q & A are quite profound. Suggest checking
the websites for all of the theatres in the Berkshires or starting HERE
The Mount Lectures, Lenox, MA
How apropos for the Mount (the home of Edith Wharton) to be
the center of author lectures in the Berkshires. On any given week, two or
three talks take place in the large Stables. The main series presents writers
of fiction or non-fiction giving the always full-house a perspective on his/her
book. Talks have taken place each Monday at 4pm. Due to the series’ popularity,
the talk is repeated on Tuesday at 11am. One writer was Jacqueline Jones
discussing the riveting story of “Goddess of Anarchy, Lucy Parsons”.
In addition to the series, the Mount hosts educators,
writers, scientists, architects, and others, each lecturing about his/her
subject matter. Martin Puchner, a Harvard professor with a wonderful sense of
humor, spoke about his book, “The Written World: The Power or Stories to Shape
People, History, Civilization”.
The Mount talks are, by no means, geared to the learned
scholar. Each is educational but not didactic, personal, and fun.
www.edithwharton.org
Museum Tours, numerous locations
Even though you may have visited the Norman Rockwell Museum
(Keepers of the Flame: Parrish, Wyeth, Rockwell and the Narrative Tradition),
Chesterwood (Contemporary Sculpture Exhibit), Clark Art Institute (Women
artists in Paris 1850-1900) or other docent tours, if there is time to go
again, do so. No two visits are ever alike. First, exhibits change (usually
biannually) or others are added. Needless to say, there are new subjects to
learn about. Second and even if the exhibit is the same, the docent speaking
can make the world of difference. All docents are extensively trained, yet each
may choose to focus on one aspect over another. Note, that most of these
wonderful people are volunteers. Suggest visiting information on the many
museums located in the Berkshires by going to their individual websites or www.berkshires.org
