Preview: Norman Rockwell Museum, "I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders"

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

www.nrm.org

through October 26, 2025

Shera Cohen

Marionettes-from-Hidden-Wonders

Walter Wick, an artist with a euphonious name from Hartford, CT is someone who many museumgoers should have heard of. Perhaps, those who frequent toy, books & hobby stores will recognize the name. After all, Wick has been an extremely successful artist for 50 years.

Norman Rockwell Museum’s annual summer/fall exhibit usually outdoes the prior year’s display. Cliché, but true. Wick’s name and work were new to me. I was glad that I corrected this unknown missing piece in my knowledge of art.

Filling 5 or 6 connecting rooms in the museum, visitors couldn’t help but smile…a lot. On display were gigantic photographs usually alongside equally large 3D storybook settings, creating entire villages all in miniature.  

I’m not sure who enjoyed the exhibit more – kids or adults. Actually, I must “vote” with the older visitors seeing images of 1950’s and 60’s life in small vignettes. Heard were so many saying, “I remember that.”

The exhibition is organized by themes, including Miniature Worlds; Floor Games; Craft-Built Worlds; Optical Illusions; I SPY Games; Puzzle Challenges, Wonders of Science; Connecticut Woods; and Curiosity Shop. A picture book of each category is sold in the gift shop.

The whimsical world of Walter Wick has fascinated people of all ages since 1991, when his first children’s book series I SPY found its way onto the bookshelves of millions of homes. The success of Wick’s books has established him as one of the most celebrated photographic illustrators of all time.

Wick began his career as a landscape photographer before becoming enamored with the technical aspects of studio photography. Wick found his niche in studying perception of space and time especially with the use of mirrors.

Wick’s I SPY: A Book of Picture Riddles resulted in the publication of more than 26 children’s books. His Can You See What I See series resembles an intricate, imaginative, and innovative version of Where’s Waldo; yet this is real art, not just a game.

My two favorite artworks were “Curiosity Shop” and “Pirate Doubloons”. Greeting visitors in the first hallway are hundreds of tiny toys from many generations, stuffed into what ‘ol-timers knew as the Curiosity Shop. The pirate boardwalk, while a bit more modern, was a step into a “Pirates of the Caribbean” gift shop/café – but again, every element was so small that it must have been torture and/or great fun for the artist to assemble and place each piece exactly where intended.

It was easy to spend at least a half-hour looking at each, even though dozens more story villages were around nearly every corner of the museum’s first floor. 

Yes, I had to purchase one of the colorful coffee-table books; a gift for my nearly 3-year-old nephew. But I’m not sure if I will only share it with Allen.  

Preview: Anita Kunz: Original Sisters Portraits of Tenacity and Courage

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

www.nrm.org

November 9, 2024 through May 26, 2025

by Shera Cohen

You probably see her shopping in the grocery, jogging the treadmill at the gym, or sitting beside you at the conference table. Who is she? She’s smart and savvy, eager and diligent, tenacious and courageous. She is many women. She might be you.

Anita Kunz (b. 1956)
Illustration for Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage by Anita Kunz
(New York: Pantheon)

The unassuming, yet internationally renowned and award-winning, sketch artist Anita Kunz brought a group of 12 media folk on a special tour through her current exhibit “Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage” at the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA. Leading the group and answering questions along with Kunz were two staff representatives from NRM. 

While the name Anita Kunz may not be familiar to many, it is a sure bet that her art is; seen through the years in Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Time, and many other magazines. Book covers are a big part of her talent, having illustrated over 50.  

Yet, Kunz is rather shy about her own accomplishments. Referring to the NRM exhibit, she credits the success of the “Original Sisters” drawings of 300+ accomplished women, not to herself, saying, “This is not about me, it is about them.”

Filling nearly every inch of wall-space in several of the Museum’s large connecting exhibit rooms are illustrations of faces upon faces in equal sized frames depicting portraits of women; some famous, some not, some alive, and others not. It’s safe to say that all ethnicities, races, and ages are represented throughout the centuries and the world.

Why would any one artist set her mind on such a massive project? Probably one answer was timing; during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under unknown circumstances, how can any single person fill time meaningfully?

Since no one knew how long the pandemic would last; Kunz had no deadline for her project. That said, she was positive that she would never run out of faces to draw.

Her decision to focus on women of strength, each in her own milieu and era, came from curiosity, asking, “How come I never knew about these women?” 

At her studio in Toronto, the isolation of the world-wide disease set her on a journey searching the internet for information about notable women in history.

Important to know is that Kunz’s exhibit is fun. Many faces are humorous as they look at the NRM visitor looking at them. Knowing Rockwell’s own work, it’s not surprising that guest artists’ subjects have a twinkle in their eyes or half-smile. Mr. Rockwell would be pleased.

Of course, many women’s names and faces were recognizable to Kunz and to most of us; i.e. Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Frank, and Gloria Steinem.

Then there were the subjects who were rather well-known from history books but without memorable faces; Edith Head, Nina Simone, and Dorothy Parker.

For those with no references to fall back on -- the unknown and the unnamed -- Kunz let her imagination create: Amanirenas, African warrior queen who defeated Augustus Caesar (died circa 10 BCE); St. Elizabeth of Hungary, princess who vested herself of all trappings to the needy (1207-1231); and Tomoe Gozen, legendary Japanese samurai warrior (circa 1157-1247).

Exploring and studying vast amounts of knowledge was essential to depict the “tenacity and courage” within each subject along with writing succinct bios. 

The drawings are not sketches, later to become finished products. Kunz’s task – to unrelentingly draw a woman-a-day, without fail, complete art pieces set to frame and mount.

The commonality of her subjects are the triumphs of the women; whether it be with the hindsight of history (Sojourner Truth 1797-1883) or through current events (Greta Thurnberg b. 2003).

NRM curators have put logical thought into the placement of the pictures. Oftentimes, one portrait faces another as if in conversation. Other women are deep in thought, having fun, or purposely facing her audience.

Each woman is shown in color primarily on a flat one-color background. The subject’s actual signature appears in different forms. It is obvious that Kunz took great care in fitting the names with the pictures. Whenever possible, the signature is written in the native language (Egyptian feminist philanthropist Huda Shaarawi), others are bold in block letters (US vice president Kamala Harris), or in a font which replicates the accomplishment of the woman (television credits for soap opera pioneer Irna Phillips).

Visitors to NRM will need more than a few hours to view and read about each woman. If that is not a possible, Kunz’s coffee table book is not a substitute, but a companion on the page. 

At the start of the project, and throughout, some names were culled from those suggested to her by people she knew as well as strangers who knew about her quest to honor women. Since COVID has somewhat subsided, Anita Kunz is no longer isolated in her home questioning herself, “What should I do next?” In fact, she has lots more women on her “to do list”. She actively seeks suggestions of women of tenacity and courage.

[This exhibit] is a tribute to those upon whose shoulders I stand with gratitude, respect, and love.  Anita Kunz, November, 2021

Preview: "Bravo: Adele Addison", A Celebratory Event

November 3, 2024, 2pm-3pm

Community Music School, 

127 State Street, Springfield, MA

Adele Addison in 1955
Photographed by Carl Van Vechten

Adele Addison sang her first concert at age 12 at Old First Church, Springfield, MA. Those were the first luscious notes from Adele’s soprano voice which led her to a professional career throughout the U.S., Europe, on recordings and film.

In the Spotlight is proud to formally honor Adele Addison for the first time in her home city of Springfield. Addison is 100 years-old. 

“Bravo: Adele Addison” will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2024 from 2pm – 3pm at the Community Music School of Springfield, 127 State Street, Springfield. Ideally, Addison would be in attendance, but due to her frailty at this age, a video tape of the program will be sent to her at her home. Admission is FREE.

July 24, 1925 was a special day in the history of Springfield, MA. On this date, Adele Addison was born. Addison, an African-American lyric soprano was a figure in the classical music world during the 1950’s and 1960’s. She appeared in several operas but spent most of her career performing recitals and concerts in world-stage auditoriums. 

Her performances spanned a wide array of literature from the Baroque period to contemporary compositions. She is best remembered today as the singing voice for Bess (played by Dorothy Dandridge) in the 1959 movie, “Porgy and Bess”. Known for her polished and fluent tone, Addison made a superb Baroque vocal artist. Many of her recordings were with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.

As a teenage, Addison was selected to sing as a soloist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall (then called Springfield Auditorium). Addison began dedicated vocal studies as a teenager and, following her graduation from Classical High School in 1942. Her Classical High School yearbook states, “She sings like a bird”. 

The singer won her first scholarship to study at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Further scholarships enabled her to pursue graduate studies at Princeton and attend summer sessions at the Berkshire Music Center (now known as Tanglewood).

She continued to study voice at the Juilliard School, and in 1955 she made the prestigious stage appearance with the New York City Opera, debuting as Mimi in Puccini's “La Bohème”. The New York Post said, "…about the most appealing interpreter of the Parisian seamstress yet to appear on the City Center stage. Small, frail looking, and pretty, Miss Addison enhanced these assets by acting and singing with moving poignancy and sincerity."

The Music School’s entry on State Street will be open with a greeter at the door. The venue is wheelchair accessible. Parking is located behind the school and on-street. NOTE: 11/3 begins Daylight Savings Day.

The program is sponsored by a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, an agency of the MA Cultural Council.

Additional support for “Bravo – Adele Addison” comes from: the Community Music School, Springfield Museums, Springfield Women’s Commission, and FOCUS Television.

For information email spotlightinc@verizon.net

PREVIEW: Paradise City Arts Fair

3 County Fairgrounds, Northampton, MA

www.paradisecityarts.com

October 12, 13, 14, 2024

Nearly 30 years ago, Bravo Newspaper’s 24th edition was hitting the streets. Lauren Grossman and I were publishers. One of the cover-page, above-the-fold, articles featured the new Paradise City Arts Fair. 

What was once a racetrack, were now dusty and murky grounds and large empty barns. Husband-and-wife artist team, Linda and Geoffrey Post, then created something beautiful literally from mud. Needless to say, at first the couple questioned each other, asking how can we transform this venue to showcase quality crafts and fine art? Would people come from throughout the country to a small New England town? 

Hindsight is, of course, 20/20. Amazingly and thankfully, Paradise City has become one of the “Top 10 Art Fairs sand Festivals in America”. [AmericanStyle Magazine]

Paradise City has boasted attendance far beyond the Post's expectations. Annually, among the huge groups of enthusiasts and shoppers is me.

All of the art, of every genre imaginable and some never imagined, is high-end because it is among the best of the best in the United States. I can only imagine the fun and feigned torture the judges must go through in their selection process. I would love that job.

If you attend, and I hope you do, plan for at least 3-hours viewing the crafts, talking to the creators, walking by the outdoor sculpture, and lunching in the giant food/music tent. Local musicians perform throughout the fair.

“My tried ‘n true method” of experiencing the fair, and not to exceed my self-allotted 3-hours, is to realize that I can’t see everything. Hard as it is to believe, but there can actually be too much art.

With no offense to jewelers, of which there are many, I skip all. Someone else might set jewelry as their first destination. It’s all to one’s liking. 

Crafters are located in attractive spaces in each barn or on the lawn, with a variety of each art form at every venue. Many of the artists are old-timers, yet the organizers make sure there is room for first timers as well as locals. No matter the category, each vendor must be vetted.

Paradise City’s crafters include the genres: metal, leather, wood, painting, photography, mixed media, furniture, fiber, works on paper, glass, ceramics, and jewelry.

My 3-hour clock is ticking – what to look for? My first instinct would be paintings and photography. Why? Because I have no skills at either which makes me appreciate the talent of others even more. Whimsy, unusual, new; these are a few of my favorite things; i.e. furniture that looks like humans [think “Beauty and the Beast”] or a metal 8’-foot tall whooping crane.

I surprise myself each year when I gravitate to two particular artists. The surprise is that I normally do not like sculpture or ceramics (I refer to as pottery). Yet, without fail, I purchase at least one item from each – an example of my personal goal to support living artists when possible.

The sculpture pieces are large brass tree limbs with multi-color, delicate leaves for a wall creation. The artist has designed the branches so the patron can add more branches, twist the shape, and grow larger wall art…or not. 

The second crafter specializes in small, unusual, usable ceramics with waves and splatters of color in green and blue. My first purchase was many years ago with my mother as my guest. She loved these works of art. With her birthday two weeks later, this became the ideal gift. Year after year, fair after fair, when my mother was unable to go, I would make another selection for her. Mother’s Day and Chanukah gifts just kept on coming. 

When Mom passed away, at age 99 ½ (half-years count when you are a toddler and a senior), I inherited each bit of pottery that I had gifted her. I said to myself, “I live in a condo. I have no more room for these”. Yet, discovered that when something is important, there is space for it and for the memories.

Preview: Majestic Theater, “Shear Madness”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA

www.majestictheater.com

through October 20, 2024

by Beverly Dane

No one would think of questioning your reason for watching the instant replay of a baseball homerun or seeing it again on the evening news. You already know who hit the bat. You already know who caught the ball or if a kid in the stands caught the ball or if no one caught the ball. Not only do you want to watch the replay, even though this time it’s not instant, you still want to see it; in fact, look forward to it.

Many would say, why spend money to purchase a movie ticket to see “Deadpool and Wolverine” or “Toy Story I, II, III, etc.” or “E.T.” again. You already know you will be nail-biting tense, smiley-faced, or teary eyed, respectively. The same holds true for the sixth time seeing Mr. Bookman (the library truant officer of late returns) chastise Jerry on “Seinfeld”.

Why repeat life experiences, whether they be sublime, comical, or merely watercooler chat? Do watercoolers still exist? I digress. 

Photo by Katie Rankins

The Majestic Theater’s current production, “Shear Madness,” is a very funny, silly play about a beauty salon. This play isn’t like the tragicomedy “Steel Magnolias,” also set at a salon. There is really no reason to see “Magnolias" twice, in my opinion. Albeit a pleasant ensemble piece for woman, even with the cast of Sally Fields, Julia Roberts, et al (movie version), the story is not compelling enough to spend two hours in a dark room smelling popcorn.

As for “Shear Madness,” who wouldn’t want to repeat the experience of laughter, sometimes belly-laughs, again? In the case of The Majestic, this was likely be my fourth or fifth version of the comings ‘n goings of the ridiculous characters in this setting. Not a spoiler: there’s a murder mystery as background; a who-cares who-done-it. Actually, the audience decides the outcome. Each night or matinee’s performance in a single week may designate a different culprit.

Every theatre company, director, and cadre of actors make for a different production – some clever, some going for pratfalls, some over-the-top, and/or some emphasizing R-rated laughs.

The motley mix of personalities, eat up the madness of the story’s plot, chew up the scenery, and purposely scene-steal. Take nothing seriously in this romp at the salon, especially the erstwhile murder intrigue. 

If for no other reason than to see a perfectly designed set, complete with hot and cold running water, “Shear Madness” should be seen again. 

Actors’ skills in nearly every “Shear Madness” are comedy. Go for the jugular, and then quickly to the next, while the audience is still laughing at the first joke. Timing is important, and the Majestic is always at its best in this genre.

Visiting the “Shear Madness” once is not enough. After all, people get frequent haircuts over time; don’t they. Recommended is an appointment at the Majestic’s “Shear Madness” exploits.

Preview: Indian Orchard Citizens Council, "Frances Perkins: A Woman’s Work"

 

PREVIEW: Majestic Theater, "Moonglow"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA

www.majestictheater.com

October 26 - December 3, 2023

The Majestic Theater will present an original work by Massachusetts playwright Jack Neary, Moonglow, as the second show of its 2022-2023 Season. Neary, also a director and actor, will direct his play.

Moonglow is set in Lowell, MA and tells the story of Ray Healy, a middle-aged music teacher and Catholic school band director whose personal life is “a big question mark.” When his secretary finally admits her romantic aspirations for their relationship, secrets about Ray’s past are revealed. Moonglow combines fresh dialogue, interesting characters, and a bit of good old Catholic guilt. 

Photo by Katie Rankins

“Jack Neary’s plays have been favorites at this theater over the years," stated Danny Eaton,
producing director for the Majestic. “We’ve presented Jerry Finnegan’s Sister, First Night and The Porch to enthusiastic audiences and we’re happy to bring another of his romantic comedies to our stage. Jack’s plays often portray elements of life in New England while presenting endearingly realistic characters facing relatable circumstances.” 

Eaton continues, "This clever and warm story has some surprises, wit, and heart."

The cast includes Brian Argotsinger (Ray), Stephanie Carlson (Arlene), Rand Foerster (Father Hackett), Nora Streeter (Dorothy), Stephanie Craven (Clancy) and Margaret Reilly Streeter (Linda).  Sue Dziura is associate producing director. Production stage manager is Stephen Petit, and Aurora Ferraro is associate production manager. Dan Rist takes on the job of lighting and scenic designer. Costume designer is Dawn McKay, and scenic artist is Braith Dicker. 

The wearing of face masks in the theater is optional for each of the Majestic's plays this season.

Doors to the theater will open one hour before the start of a show, which is also when the café opens.  For more information, visit www.majestictheater.com or call the box office at 413-747-7797.

Preview: MOSSO, Chamber Players Concert

Trinity Church, Springfield, MA

www.SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com

Saturday, November 18, 2023, 7:30pm

Springfield Chamber Players’ (formerly MOSSO) second concert of the fall will highlight the music of strings. Comprised of violinists Miho Matsuno and Robert Lawrence, violist Martha McAdams, and cellist Patricia Edens, the performance will include Mozart’s String Quartet No. 4, K. 157; Rachmaninoff’s String Quartet No. 1; the slow movement of Elgar’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 83; and Britten’s Simple Symphony Op. 4.

 

Miho Matsuno, a violinist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra since 1992, has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has performed at major concert venues in and around New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and Broadway theaters. Matsuno was a violin instructor and chamber music coach for 20 years at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. She  received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. She also attended Mount Holyoke College with a focus on English Literature. Matsuno is a native of Yokohama, Japan.

 

Robert Lawrence, violinist, has had a varied performing career, ranging from Karl Munchinger’s Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra to the acclaimed Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, starring Nathan Lane. He studied at Yale University and the Accademia Chigiana in Italy. Lawrence is currently director of programming as well as violinist for the All Seasons Chamber Players (NJ), concertmaster of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and a longtime member of the first violin section of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

 

Martha “Peggy”  McAdams received a Bachelor of Music from Hartt College of Music and a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music. Additional violin studies were with Itzhak Perlman and viola with William Lincer. McAdams has performed throughout the East Coast, Europe, and South America in numerous ensembles. McAdams is a longtime member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

Patricia Edens, cellist, toured throughout the U.S. as principal cellist with the New York City Opera National Company. She has performed with such Broadway shows as Annie Get Your Gun, Annie, and West Side Story, as well as on tour with Andrea Bocelli. She was a featured cellist in performances with the Israeli folk singer Debbie Friedman at Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

Preview: Mason Square Branch Library, "Frances Perkins: A Woman's Work"

Mason Square Branch Library, Springfield, MA

www.springfieldlibrary.org

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Photo Credit: ssi.gov

She was dubbed “The Mother of Social Security” -- quite a title! This was Frances Perkins.

A relatively famous photo taken in the late 1930’s was that of President FDR at his desk waving a pen above his head as he signed the Social Security Act into law. A woman in the background, wearing a drab dress, black hat, pearls, and no smile was Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in the U.S. as Secretary of Labor for 12 years, the creator of Social Security, and MA resident in her early adulthood.

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 12:30pm actress Jarice Hanson will present the play “Frances Perkins: A Woman’s Work” at the Mason Square Branch Library, 765 State Street, Springfield, MA. 

Through a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, an agency of the MA Cultural Council, this play was commissioned to be written and performed only in Springfield to recognize the important work of Perkins and what she created in the early 40’s that affects the US today. 

This is the second of three performances in different sections of the City. The initial location was the Springfield Armory NHS to standing room only audience. This show in Mason Square is the second, with the final production at Indian Orchard Citizens Council on Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00pm.

Perkins tackled social reform on many important topics, i.e. African-American workers, child labor laws, the 40-hour work week, women’s working conditions, and labor unions. This is not a lecture, but a one-act original play. The public is invited to be the audience, free of charge.

In the Spotlight, an arts organization in Springfield, is the producer of the play which will be immediately followed by Q&A to the actress remaining in character as Frances Perkins.

The site is wheelchair accessible, free parking at the rear of the library and on street, no tickets or reserved seating. 

For information: contact Mason Square Library at 413-263-6853 or check the Central Library website at www.springfieldlibrary.org.

Preview: Springfield Armory, "Voices of the Armory"

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Springfield, MA

www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm

Saturday, September 9, 2023

1 to 4p.m

Voices of the Armory will celebrate the communities of Armory workers, past and present, who shaped modern day Springfield. Join us for special programming, temporary exhibits and refreshments as we honor the workers who made the Springfield Armory a success.

Did you, a family member, or friend work at the Springfield Armory before 1968?

Friends of Springfield Armory would like to hear the stories of people who worked at the Armory before its closing in 1968 as part of a larger project to highlight the workers history of the Armory. If you, a family member, or a friend have memories of that time and would be willing to share your experience with the Friends of the Armory, contact the Springfield Armory, info@friendsofthearmory.org

Preview: Springfield Armory, "Frances Perkins: A Woman's Work"

Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Springfield, MA

www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm

Sunday, September 10, 2023, 2 p.m.

Frances Perkins: A Woman's Work

A performance by Jarice Hanson

Frances Perkins

A first-person portrayal of Frances Perkins the first U. S. Secretary of Labor. She served all 12
years of the FDR administration helping to craft New Deal social policies including workplace safety, Social Security, 40-hour work week and the "Rosie the Riveter" campaign.

Free and open to the public. Ample free parking. Handicap accessible.

Sponsored by In the Spotlight, Springfield, MA

Funded by grants from the MA Cultural Council and the Springfield Cultural Council

Preview: Great Barrington Public Theater, "Representation and How to Get It"

The Mount, Lenox, MA

www.greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

www.edithwharton.org

August 25, 26, 27, 2023

Special Event: 3 Performances Only

A play inspired by Julia Ward Howe 

Great Barrington Public Theater (GBPT) and The Mount collaborate on a new play that takes a personal look at Julia Ward Howe, the famous poet who wrote "Battle Hymn of the Republic".

Howe's legacy, however, was far more important than penning one poem. She was noted as charismatic and passionate in expressing her views one of the earliest civil rights activists.

This one-person play was written by Joyce Van Dyke, actor Elaine Vaan Hogue, and GBPT Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha.

The plot begins at early dawn and the setting is Boston, MA. The audience finds Howe rehearsing a lecture she’s about to give to the Boston Radical Club on political representation for women. She delivers a passionate, moving call-to-arms for that time. 

Howe's, however, was far more important than penning one poem. She was noted as charismatic and passionate in expressing her views one of the earliest civil rights activists.

Julia Ward, born in 1819 in New York City, seemed to have begun her role as advocate from a young age because of her own atypical upbringing. In spite of becoming the wife of the prominent Samuel Howe of Boston and giving birth to six children, it is stated that Julia felt bored and ineffective as a woman whose life was solely that of a homemaker.

Through her plays and poems, one can read that Julia and her husband vehemently disagreed about the role of women in politics. However, Samuel sought his wife to edit his antislavery paper, Commonwealth, which lead to her involvement in abolitionism. When she met soldiers in army camps in Washington, DC, she was inspired to write the poem "Battle-Hymn," printed in the Atlantic Monthly in 1852. The poem, then song, touched the feelings of the nation, becoming a proverbial "best seller". Unexpectedly, Julia was famous.

Yet, that was just the beginning of her career as writer, lecturer, editor, and powerful suffrage advocate for the next several decades until her death at age 90. Julia was not shy, spoke her mind, and in spite of her diminutive physical stature, preaching for the rights of women was foremost in her teaching wherever she traveled in the United States.

The creators of "Representation and How to Get It" say, “We want her words and this play to charge the audience with agency, hope, and a collective sense of the need to take action now."

Joyce Van Dyke’s new solo play, "Representation and How to Get It," was developed in collaboration with performer Elaine Vaan Hogue and director Judy Braha and produced in 2022 in New York and numerous historic New England venues. Van Dyke's other plays have been produced Off-Broadway at the Pan Asian Reper tory Theatre, and the Central Square Theater. Van Dyke is a past winner of the prestigious Gassner Award and Boston Globe’s “Top Ten” plays of 2001. 

Actor Elaine Vaan Hogue is also a director, teacher, and producer. She is a member of The Magdalena Project, an international cross-cultural and cross-generational network of women in contemporary theatre. She co-founded the Gypsy Mamas Artist Group, a laboratory sustaining adventurous creative exploration and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration of new work. Vaan Hogue has performed and/or directed throughout New England and is a Professor Emeritas at Boston University.    

In addition to being the director of this play, Judy Braha has been an actor, teacher, and artist for social justice for over four decades. Head of the MFA Directing Program at Boston University’s School of Theater, her credits include theaters and universities throughout New England. One of her goals is to raise consciousness around the power of the arts as activism. As a director, Braha's work often has concern for human rights at its center. 

Preview: The Mount, "Sculpture Now"

The Mount, Lenox, MA

www.edithwharton.org

June 1, 2023 - October 21, 2023

by Shera Cohen

"The Magician" photo by Ann Jon

I can't believe that I missed this whimsical sculpture piece of magician levitating his subject on
my recent trip to SculptureNow at The Mount. I can only guess that the art piece literally landed on the lawn near the end of the trail where a wedding was in prep. Only on that particular day, tourists were not permitted to walk further down the trail. Frankly, I cannot think of a more natural and lovely setting to begin a marriage. But I digress.

SculptureNow was founded in 1998 by a group of people involved in the arts in the Berkshires who became aware of a need to promote the experience and knowledge of sculpture through exhibitions and educational outreach, and to offer artists venues for showing their work in our community.

Ann Jon, director of SculptureNow, began her journey to promote works of sculpture of artists throughout the country. Jon's own talent is in the sculpting medium. What more picturesque site than The Mount, the former home of famous author Edith Wharton, in Lenox, MA? The exhibition has received tremendous reviews and has been seen by 60,000 visitors.

SculptureNow was founded in 1998 by a group of people involved in the arts in the Berkshires who became aware of a need to promote the experience and knowledge of sculpture through exhibitions and educational outreach, and to offer artists venues for showing their work in our community.

I recall meeting Ms. Jon during the first summer of SculptureNow. At the time, Jon initiated her plan with hope for a successful first summer. However, she was quite redescent about what the future would hold. She was extremely grateful to The Mount for seeing the value of her program. But evaluation of SculptureNow would be deemed one year at a time.

Last summer, I interviewed Jon as well as Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount, on Sculpture Now's tenth anniversary. It was a treat to be invited on a private tour.

From June 1 through October 21, Sculpture Now's artists number 27; each presentrf large-scale art works using material such as: ceramic, steel, concrete, aluminum, wood, wire, fabric, glass, stoneware, and mesh. I won't pretend to know what tapioca rootwood flowers were, but they adorned the piece titled "Unbridled" by Deborah H. Carter; a large mannequin-like bride's body, yet minus a head.

Walking a circuitous loop around the landscape were works valued at $6,500 and up. Yes, all sculptures were for sale, but in the meantime, SculptureNow is an exquisite show of modern art. My own take on the art was sometimes quizzical, as if to ask, "What is that?" Other times, the art images had titles which helped me out: Everest (glass medium) by Harold Grinspoon, Celebration (steel) by Douglass Rice, and my favorite One Leaning on Another (bronze) by Joy Brown. I saw balls of black metal as an image of a mama bear with a much smaller identical series of balls on her back, holding on as if a baby. It seems odd to compare big, heavy brass to a soft mom and babe, but that was my take. Who's to say if I was right or wrong. In visual art, I believe that there are no absolutes.

Opera: One of the finest art forms you might not have experienced…yet

Preview: Berkshire Opera Festival, “La Boheme”

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, MA

www.berkshireoperafestival.org 

August 26, 29, Sept. 1, 2023 

by Shera Cohen

At the age of four or five, I was introduced to my first opera, “La Boheme”. In retrospect, I now realize and believe that I actually heard this music from the womb. Thanks, Mom.

The word “opera” and my mother were synonymous in our home, as it was in the home of her own youth. Each Saturday in the fall and winter, beginning at approximately 1:00pm, Live at the Metropolitan Opera was broadcast. Mom’s parents owned a radio in a large piece of furniture in the living room where she and her two sisters turned the world out to listen intensely to nearly every opera; particularly Puccini, then perhaps Verdi, and even the very long Wagner operas.

Growing up in the 1950’s, more or less by osmosis I heard and felt the music on a weekly basis whether I wanted to or not. At first, I thought it was boring, then it seemed somewhat okay but long, then I singled out some individual arias while ignoring the recitative chatter between the characters.

I actually do remember a major life episode when I was kindergarten age or less. The scene was our small beach in CT. Forever the theatre-person, Mom reminded me of the death scene in “Madama Butterfly” which I presented solo, singing my gibberish, with a pretend sword, ultimately falling onto the sand. The audience? Anyone within hearing distance. 

One of the joys of my life, hopefully for Mom, was a birthday gift of a limo trip for Mom, my aunt, a favorite cousin, and me to the Met in New York City to see “La Boheme”. Mom’s hearing was diminishing by age 90, so I wondered if she actually heard the vocalists. Our seats were quite good, but she often closed her eyes. I later asked if she could see alright. Mom smiled and said that the story, sounds, and setting were so overwhelming that she sometimes closed her eyes to feel the experience.

I recently told some friends that I was excited to attend Berkshire Opera Festival’s production of “La Boheme” in August 2023. The responses were friendly, yet with the connotation as if to ask, “Why?” 

For me, “why” is never a word to be used in the same sentence with opera, Puccini, and/or “La Boheme”. I assume that “why” meant: why sit for three hours in a theatre, why listen when the words are in a foreign language, why spend the money, why go to a theatre that might not have the best acoustics, why listen to singers who aren’t on the stage at the Met?

The stories and plots were rather similar. I can safely say without spoilers that: boy meets girls, mostly everyone is working class or poor, a few big-wigs look pompous, a character or two provide comic relief, one person is somewhat of a soothsayer, something is amiss between boy and girl, girl gets sick (cough! cough!) and dies.

Verdi, Mozart, and others tend to follow this theme. Admittedly, Puccini’s “Girl of the Golden West” is atypical, set in the United States Wild West. It is one of my least favorite of any opera. 

Why opera has been at the center of my core, especially this year and especially Puccini’s best? While “Madama Butterfly,” of course by Puccini, is my personal favorite, the music sung by the lovers Mimi and Rudolfo in “La Boehme” is exquisite. In an excellent production, the audience can feel the love between these two strangers.

But all is not doom and gloom, Rudolfo’s friends living together in a ramshackle garret in France, are boys at heart. Puccini’s music and repartee among the lads is light and fun. The secondary couple, Musetta and Marcello can oftentimes upstage the primary lovers. Musetta and beau are well-rounded characters who face the reality of their poor existence solemnly with an aside that there is hope for their own lives and that of their friends.

Puccini

To many, “La Boheme” is the greatest opera ever written. Puccini’s masterpiece is, likely the first opera that novices hear; a wonderful “starter opera” with a poignant and understandable story, memorable music, intricate set, large cast including a lovely children’s chorus.

Of equal importance for the uninitiated is the Italian language; the Romance lauguages are among the most flowing and beautiful in the world. “But I don’t understand Italian.” Not an excuse for experiencing the glory of this opera. Trust me, you will “get” the story without knowing the meaning of every word. The artistic director, music conductor, and vocalists impart Puccini’s text in every note.

My somewhat educated take on opera as a genre spanning several centuries is that “La Boehme” is the template for all Puccini operas, not to mention those used by other opera composers of Puccini’s ilk.

Opera is a story set to the most beautiful music of centuries of genius composers. Yes, it is similar to musicals with near-perfect settings and sound, but opera is more…beautiful, orchestral, touching, with music that reaches every pore of your being. My mother, who passed away at age 99, just a few years ago, would agree. In fact, we played “Nessum Dorma” (another Puccini, from “Turandot”) at her funeral.

I urge you to give opera a try. What better way than to attend “La Boehme” by the Berkshire Opera Festival and Chorus?

Preview: Shakespeare & Company, "Golda's Balcony"

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

through August 23, 2023

The World Premiere of Golda’s Balcony, written by William Gibson and featuring the Elliot Norton Award-winning Annette Miller, was produced at Shakespeare & Company in May 2002 and went on to become the longest-running one-woman play in Broadway history. The inspiring story of Golda Meir – Russian immigrant, American school teacher, and fourth Prime Minister of Israel – returns to the Berkshires this year in a searingly topical production, staged at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre for a limited run of 12 performances. 

Photo courtesy of Shakespeare & Co.

In the title role long-standing Shakespeare & Company actor Annette Miller has performed on
Broadway, Off-Broadway, in Boston, regional theatres, and in film and television. She was acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as best actor of the 2020 season in regional theatre for her performance as Gladys Green in The Waverly Gallery. She has received numerous theatre awards in MA and throughout the country.

Miller originated the role of Golda Meir before it went to Broadway for which she received both Boston’s Elliot Norton Best Actor Award and the Independent Reviewers of New England Best Actor Award.

The actor's credits also include television and film. She is currently an Affiliate Scholar at Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center where she wrote and continues to perform for organizations and colleges.

Preview: BSO, "2023 Festival of Contemporary Music"

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA

July 29, 30, 31

www.bso.org

Photo by Hilary Scott

The Festival of Contemporary Music (FCM) is one of the world's premier showcases for works
from the current musical landscape and landmark pieces from the new music vanguard of the 21st century. FCM affords Tanglewood Music Center Fellows the opportunity to explore unfamiliar repertoire and experience the value of direct collaboration with living composers. The Festival takes place annually. 

Competitions and workshops take place in the Linde Center for Music & Learning. Musical genres are broad. In addition to concerts at Linde, both the Koussevitzky Shed and Ozawa Hall will host the music of composers who are young, and on their way up the proverbial scale in the field of classical music. FCM is jam-packed with music. Concert times are in the morning, afternoon and evening with Tanglewood Music Center's musicians and chamber orchestra performing. 

PREVIEW: Shakespeare & Company, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

August 1, 2023 - September 10, 2023

The Cast of "Midsummer"

Casting has been announced for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare & Company, directed by Artistic Director Allyn Burrows and to be staged outdoors at the New Spruce Theatre.

Athenians mix it up with the forest fairies in this raucous romp that features magical meddling, romantic tangles, and a play within a play for good measure. One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" has been described by scholars as carnivalesque: pushing the plot forward through humor and chaos.

S&Co's Artistic Director Allyn Burrows also takes on the role of "Midsummer's" director. Burrows has been associated in significant management, acting, and backstage work for decades. Burrows has acted throughout the US, won gthe IRNE Award, acted Off-Broadway, on television and in movies.

Associate Director Nicole Ricciardi rounds out the directing team, and the cast of 12 includes actors making their Shakespeare & Company debut, as well as long-held veterans of the Company.

Elizabeth Aspenlieder is a familiar name at Shakespeare & Company, having appeared in more than 40 productions -- Shakespearean and dramatic and comedic straight plays. In addition to her award-winning acting skills, she also directs, and excels at voiceover work. 

Sheila Bandyopadhyay is a multi-hyphenate theater artist who, after 18 years in NY, is delighted to be marking her first year as Shakespeare & Company’s Director of the Center of Actor Training. Besides her talents onstage, she is also a director.

Nigel Gore is one of S&Co's "regulars", having appeared in countless plays; both Shakespearean and otherwise. He has received the Elliot Norton Award, Outstanding Actor at Public Theatre Boston, has performed Off-Broadway, and on the USA and World Tour of "Women of Will". 

Michael F. Toomey is a neurodivergent performer and theater creator. He is the Artistic Director of The Humanist Project based in Brooklyn and founding member of Split Knuckle Theatre, which devises new works that have toured from Bangkok to Buenos Aires. His S& Co. roles are nearly countless.

Preview: Prima Music Foundation, "Ukrainian Rhapsody"

Ventfort Hall, Lenox, MA

https://gildedage.org

August 3, 2023 at 4PM

Prima Music Foundation presents tenor Alexander Dedik and the piano duo Anna and Dmitri Shelest in a program titled "Ukrainian Rhapsody" to include works by composers from the Gilded Age including works by Gerswhin, Barber, Spross, Respigi, Friml, Lysenko, and Skoryk.

 

Praised for their “stirring performances of rare repertory,” Shelest Piano Duo is a husband-and-wife team who take their roots to the music school in Ukraine. Their inventive programs have brought them to a broad array of venues from concert stages to state functions, and, in words of Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, “realized diplomacy through music.”

 

Born in Ukraine, Anna Shelest graduated from The Juilliard School with a master’s degree. Dmitri Shelest enrolled into the Kharkiv Special Music School, succeeding at his first contest when he was 11 years old. He received a full scholarship to Northern Kentucky University as a bachelor’s degree candidate in piano performance. 

 

After becoming a prize-winner at both Tchaikovsky’s and Glinka’s International Competitions, Alexander Dedik was invited to be a leading dramatic tenor at the internationally famous opera house Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He has performed concerts in over 20 countries throughout Europe, Israel, China, Peru and Scandinavia. 

 

Reservations are strongly recommended as seating is limited. Walk-ins are accommodated as space allows. 

Preview: Shakespeare & Company, "Fences"

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

from July 22 - August 27

A moving study of emotional depth and the human condition, August Wilson’s Fences follows the story of Troy Maxson – a working-class Black man struggling to provide for his family. His past includes the low of a prison sentence and the high of a promising career with the Negro Baseball League, but it’s Troy’s unrealized dream to play for Major League Baseball that fills his days with resentment and regret.

August Wilson’s Fences, winner of both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play in 1987, is set in the 1950's and is part of the playwright’s acclaimed American Century Cycle.

The production will take place in the Tina Packer Playhouse on the Shakespeare & Company
campus; indoor venue and air conditioned. 

Christopher V. Edwards, Artistic Director of Actors' Shakespeare Project (ASP) in Boston, directs the play. Recent credits to Edwards' name include plays at the Cincinatti Shakespeare Company and the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in NY. Edwards has performed in London’s West End, Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and internationally.

August Wilson has written over a dozen well-known and award-winning plays which explore the heritage and experience of African-Americans, decade by decade, over the course of the 20th century. Wilson, who died in 2005, was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts. Broadway has  renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street – The August Wilson Theatre.

PREVIEW: Berkshire Opera Festival, "Breaking the Mold"

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington, MA

www.berkshireoperafestival.org

July 22, 2023 at 2:00pm

It's true that not everyone loves opera. It's true that not everyone even likes opera. I don't
possess the inclination or the power to change people's minds, but maybe I can nudge those who already appreciate classical music and/or theatre to give opera an honest try. 

One of my missions in the arts over the course of several decades, has been to encourage listening and watching opera on PBS, videos, and live on stages.

The best way to begin "the study of opera" is through local opera companies. Attending the Met in NYC is the epitome of opera presentation in this country. However, the Met offers a jump into the deep end. Start off small, listening to exemplary skills of local talent. In the case of the Pioneer Valley, this means Berkshire Opera Festival.

In the Spotlight (ITS) recently had the opportunity to interview Tyson Traynor (TT), Marketing and Communications Manager of Berkshire Opera Festival (BOF) about this season of music.

ITS: The first program in the 2023 season will showcase arias from numerous operas rather than a full-length opera. Is this one of the best ways to indoctrinate newcomers to opera?

TT: Absolutely. This concert is actually perfect for new listeners. We have titled the concert "Breaking the Mold: Baroque, Bel Canto, and Beyond". BOF will feature a smattering of arias and ensemble music by well-renowned composers like Puccini and Verdi, as well as Handel and Mozart and more.

ITS: Will the music be accessible to those who aren't familiar with opera? 

TT: It is BOF's mission to explore the entire operatic repertoire, and this concert epitomizes that. There are centuries separating the oldest and most recent arias which will be heard. 

Berkshire Opera Festival welcomes Megan Moore back following her resounding success in last season's role as Donna Elvira in Berkshire Opera Festival's production of "Don Giovanni" last season. 

 

ITS: Tell the readers about BOF's highlight of the summer, "La Boheme".

TT: We are excited that "La Boheme," probably the most well-known opera of all time, will be fully staged performances.

ITS: Who are the members of the orchestra? Are the singers from the Berkshires?

TT: We try to make sure that our orchestra and chorus are filled with as many local/regional artists as possible. For our fully staged production of "La Bohème" this season Benoit/Alcindoro will be played by bass-baritone James Demler who is local. 

However, other principal cast members come from all over the country, and that's because BOF gets the best artists as well as the best audiences.

ITS: What would you say the future holds for BOF?

TT: The mission of Berkshire Opera Festival is to explore the entire operatic repertoire. BOF is proud to continue to present a world-class slate of artists to perform this powerful music.