Events of the Season

By Hannah Van Sickle

promise a particularly welcome return to longer days, warmer weather, and all that comes with it—namely, the burgeoning freedom to explore and increasing opportunities to connect, no matter the venue. What better way to banish the burden of social distancing than by getting up close and personal with the veritable feast of culture on display across the region?

Spanning Berkshire County from north to south, and spreading west into Columbia County, the options abound—hanging in galleries, being performed on stage, and even unfolding en plein air. May the phrase, “live performance resumes” fall like music upon your ears after a pair of pandemic years spent in silent isolation. Meanwhile, let opera and jazz, Shakespeare and Sondheim, and all that falls between (including elaborate picnics on lush, verdant lawns!) be the perfect prelude to your summer feast. Bring it on.

Clockwise from top left: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band perform June 17 at Tanglewood; Auguste Rodin, Cupid and Psyche, marble with original base at The Clark Art Institute; Mythili Prakash will perform in the engagement America(na) to me at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Clockwise from top: Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra; Aston Magna Music Festival features Soprano Kristen Watson: Close Encounters With Music presents Liang Wang, Reeds and Strings. Close Encounters With Music finishes its 2021-22 season with a “Luncheon Musicale” at newly renovated Wyndhurst on May 15 to raise funds for the commissioning of new works, and two concerts at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington: Reeds and Strings on May 29, and Musica Latina on June 12.

Close Encounters then invites music lovers to enjoy “music with altitude” at their 13th annual Berkshire High Peaks Festival, in-person again this year on the Berkshire School campus in Sheffield, July 20-31. An international group of strings, pianists and vocalists will converge for intensive study that culminates in public performances. With a focus this year on the artistic frenzy of Berlin, Paris and New York during “The Roaring Twenties,” the festival will also present new works inspired by the solitude, technology and resourcefulness exhibited during COVID.

Aston Magna Music Festival brings its celebrated brand of early music and more back to live in-person performances this summer with five concert weekends from June 23 through July 23. Thursday performances

Graham Nash

Bonnie Raitt

are at Brandeis University, Fridays at Hudson Hall in Hudson, N.Y., and Saturdays in Great Barrington at the Mahaiwe (June 25 only) and Saint James Place. This 49th season offers music by Scarlatti, Stravinsky, Handel, Bach, Schumman and others, played on period instruments.

On June 5, Clarion Concerts will present a quartet of players from the New York Philharmonic—Sheryl Staples, Yulia Ziskel, Cong Wu, and Eric Bartlett—at a private location in Egremont; check their web site for more information. From May 14 through June 25, Crescendo will offer a total of six choral concerts, half at Trinity Church in Lakeville, Conn., and half at Saint James Place in Great Barrington. These concerts further their mission to provide classical music experiences that are emotionally alive and personally meaningful for audience and performers alike. For the first time since 2019, Tanglewood will offer a full season of concerts and events across their Lenox campus. The Popular Artists Series kicks off with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band on June 17, followed by Bonnie Raitt with special guest Lucinda Williams on June 18; The Mavericks and Nick Lowe and Los Straightjackets on June 26; The Black Crowes present “Shake Your Money Maker” on June 29. Join Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops for “The Empire Strikes Back” as they present this classic film with live orchestral accompaniment, on July 19; a pair of performances by James Taylor, on July 3 and 4, are sold out.

Andris Nelsons will lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s opening week of performances, July 8-10, beginning with an Opening Night program of Bernstein’s “Symphony No. 2” with piano soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”; the Saturday-evening performance will feature Nicole Cabell singing Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer 1915” and Aaron Diehl playing Ellington’s “New World A-Coming” for piano and orchestra on a program with music by Carlos Vox Sambou

Simon and Gershwin; and the Sunday afternoon program will feature Håkan Hardenberger in the American premiere of Helen Grime’s “Trumpet Concerto” on a program that includes music of Rachmaninoff. Weekly BSO performances continue through August.

A full lineup of live programming returns to The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. The rollout consists of “An Evening with Josh Ritter,” named one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine, on June 17; “Glories of the Baroque: The Great Concertos” will feature Handel and Haydn Society musicians, plus period instruments, led by concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky on June 29; The High Kings will bring their Irish folk music (and 13 instruments played

between them) to the stage on July 21; beloved British-American music icon and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee makes a local appearance at “An Evening with Graham Nash” on July 23; Chris Isaak, brings his wicked game, gleaned over a 30-year career, to town on July 27.

Global music arrives to PS21 in Chatham, N.Y. when Vox Sambou, a Montreal-based hip-hip collective that focuses on the traditional rhythms of Haiti mixed with elements of Afrobeat, jazz, reggae, and hip-hop, takes the stage on June 17; Xenia Franca, a 2018 Latin Grammy nominee from Bahia Brazil, follows suit on July 3.

PS21 House Blend, new music at its most invigorating, marries virtuosity with contemporary ingenuity. House Blend I: Bach, Wuorinen, Lansky, Schoenberg on June 24; House Blend II: Kagel, Helps, Alvarez, Schubert, Kondo, Gerhard on June 26; and House Blend III: Druckman, Kancheli, Aucoin, Bernstein on July 10. PS21 and Berkshire Opera Festival will co-present “Three Decembrists”, an intimate, compelling chamber work in one act, for its New York premiere, July 21 and 23. Bang on a Can will perform Michael Gordon’s “Field of Vision”, a large-scale, site-specific work for 48 percussionists on July 25.

The Main Stage at Williamstown Theatre Festival bursts back to life in a musical concert event featuring twelve musicians and seven female-identifying and non-binary performers as they discover anew the magnificent and lush score for “The Most Happy Fella” by Frank Loesser (retold with dazzling new orchestrations); July 13-August 7.

Back Porch Concerts promise music-filled Friday nights under the stars at Hancock Shaker Village where guests are invited to bring a blanket or chair and claim a spot on the lawn. Catch Boston singer-songwriter Ali McGuirk, described by The Boston Globe as “a soul singer who evokes comparisons to Amy Winehouse but rocks even harder,” on July 1. Enjoy Grammy nominated Carolina Chocolate Drops-member Hubby Jenkins and his Americana music sound on July 22.

Dewey Hall in Sheffield will have a lively schedule (still in formation) of music and community events. “Pub Sing with Mike Pagnani” starts the season on May 12. Dewey Hall’s Berkshire Strings Jam Sessions will feature fiddle tune and contra dance get-togethers, and TapRoot Sessions, which feature traditional music, will highlight “Women in Roots” this season. Please note that kid-friendly Young at Heart, which explores music and other arts (dance, visual arts, storytelling, and circus arts) will continue on Saturday morning. Roger the Jester, storyteller Ed Hotaling and Flying Cloud Institute are among the presenters. Sign up for the Dewey Hall email list for dates and schedule.

The Foundry, a multidisciplinary arts center in the heart of West Stockbridge, has a full slate of diverse programming on tap throughout the summer. From a funk septet straight out of New York’s Hudson Valley to space-age disco, and genre-bending music for violin and cello to dark comedy cabaret—there’s clearly something for everyone. Ali McGuirk

Head to the Egremont Barn for live music, every weekend throughout the summer, at an off-the-beaten path venue that’s a huge hit with locals and tourists alike. Take in the strains of Suitcase Junket and Honeysuckle, as well as singer-songwriters James Maddock, Hollis Brown, and Sarah Borges. Plus specialty cocktails and food, served outdoors.

Performance Spaces for the 21st Century (PS21) is a stateof-the-art theater located on 100 acres of orchards, meadows, and woodlands in Chatham, N.Y. From Lagos, Nigeria, comes Re:INCARNATION, by QDance, an ode to the richness of Nigerian culture, celebrating the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth and Africa’s powers of reinvention in a show that draws on Afrobeats, Afro dances, and Black aesthetics; June 3 and 4. Composerpercussionist Nathan Davis, actor-playwright Sylvia Milo, and choreographer Joanna Kotze, will develop “I am the utterance of my name,” in residence; World Premiere July 10. From Israel comes “One & One” by Vertigo Dance Company, an entrancing piece about our yearning for wholeness and spiritual connection to the natural world and the tension between the competing desires for independence and connection; July 28 and 29.

Start your summer celebrating the magic that is Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival while supporting America’s national dance treasure. This year’s 90th Anniversary Gala honors the nonprofit’s founding by Ted Shawn and the reopening of the eponymous (and newly renovated) theater; June 18. The 10-week season offers a full slate of onsite performances, virtual events, community programs, and more including: AMERICA(NA) TO ME, a nostalgic nod to the inaugural concert in 1942 (a showcase of American Folk Dances curated by Shawn) that invites dance artists to reflect on what American identity means to them; June 22-26. Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, a sweeping and poetic work that examines concepts of balance and equity in history and today as they affect young people, women, and people of color; June 29 – July 3. This year’s festival will also feature 20 One-NightOnly Shows on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage.

Re:INCARNATION by QDance

From top: Auguste Rodin, Fallen Caryatid, marble; Lapsed Quaker Ware, ceramics by James Turrell. There’s a reason to visit The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown all season long. The inaugural exhibit, Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern, will be on display June 18–September 18. The major survey of Rodin’s sculpture presents important works (among them 50 sculptures and 25 drawings) from museum collections across the United States in one of the most comprehensive looks at the artist’s early reception in America and the influential arts leaders who championed his work.

Another pair of exhibits will open at The Clark in July. José Guadalupe Posada: Symbols, Skeletons, and Satire will be on view July 16–October 10. Already recognized in 1888 as “the foremost caricaturist, the foremost graphic artist” of his native Mexico, Posada (1852–1913) built his career in an era of political repression and lived to see the profound social changes brought by the Mexican Revolution of 1910. A tireless producer of caricatures and satirical imagery for the penny press, his pictorial contributions to broadsides, or ephemeral news sheets, provided a daily diet of information and entertainment to a public for whom images needed to tell the story since literacy was not widely prevalent at that time. This exhibition, drawn from the extensive collection of Posada’s works at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, showcases the vibrant visual culture of Mexico in the years before its Revolution.

Across parallel galleries in the Clark’s Sunder Center at Stone Hill, the exhibit Tauba Auerbach and Yuji Agematsu: Meander will be on display July 16–October 16. Under the rubric of the meander motif and method, as both noun and verb, these artists study the rules that govern flows of matter and energy in the universe—between chaos and order, intuition and analysis, the minute and the massive—albeit in plainly different ways.

Also on view this summer is Tomm El-Saieh: Imaginary City, presented in public spaces around the Clark. The large-format, abstract paintings teem with dense and dynamic marks that evoke ornament, language, and architecture. By variously layering and erasing his linework and using vibrant color to push or pull his pictures optically, El-Saieh creates rhythmic, all-over compositions from which larger forms appear to emerge— testing both the limits of perception and expectations about abstraction. This yearlong exhibition, on view through December 31, is free and open to the public.

If simple gifts are more your style, head to Hancock Shaker Village in Hancock for a campus-wide exhibition (the nonprofit’s first on contemporary Asian art) where A Spirit of Gift, A Place of Sharing will be on display May 30–November 14. The exhibition features three artists—Yusuke Asai of Japan, Kimsooja of Korea, and Pinaree Sanpitak of Thailand—and invites each to explore links between 19th century Shaker art and contemporary Asian

art (which, while worlds apart in origin and distance, represent communities dedicated to a place of sharing). All works will be site-specific or site-responsive, with at least one new commission from each artist.

A second exhibition in this historical setting, Lapsed Quaker Ware represents a body of black basalt-ware ceramics—created by artist James Turrell in collaboration with Irish potter Nicholas Mosse of Kilkenny, Ireland—that manifests a new perspective on light through its absence; May 31–November 27.

In her show Swept: This Work I Will Do, artist and broom maker Cate Richards presents contemporary versions of brooms—as commentary on issues such as sustainability, anachronism, and historical romanticism—juxtaposed with historic examples of Shaker brooms; June 17–November 27.

A robust trio of illustration exhibitions at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge begins with Bascove: The Time We Spend with Words which runs through June 5th. Master printmaker, illustrator, painter, and collagist Anne Bascove— known by the mononym Bascove—is reputed for her striking woodcut book jacket and magazine illustrations as well as for her series of paintings and drawings of the bridges of New York City. Inspired by the written word throughout her life, she has been a preeminent designer of book jackets that have engaged readers with the writings of many noted authors. This exhibition will feature original illustrations from the Museum’s permanent collection of Bascove’s art for some of the most significant literary works of our time. Left: Set in Stone, Istvan Banyai, The Lincoln Memorial Illustrated.

Created in collaboration with Chesterwood to honor the Lincoln Memorial’s centennial in May 2022, The Lincoln Memorial Illustrated will highlight the work of illustrators and artists who have incorporated the instantly recognizable icon into their art as a symbolic element upon which to build meaning. The exhibit, featuring historic and contemporary artworks by noted illustrators and cartoonists (plus archival photographs, sculptural elements, artifacts, and ephemera) will be on display May 7–September 5.

A featured exhibition, Imprinted: Illustrating Race, examines the role of published images in shaping attitudes toward race and culture; it will be on display June 11-October 30. More than 100 works of art and artifacts will be on view, produced from the late 18th century to today, which have an impact on public perception about race in the United States—namely stereotypical racial representations that, through the mass publication of images, have been imprinted upon viewers. The creative accomplishments of contemporary artists and publishers who have shifted the cultural narrative through the creation of positive, inclusive imagery emphasizing full agency and equity for all will also be on display. A related installation of original paintings by award-winning illustrator and author Kadir Nelson, whose works (conceptualized and created during the COVID-19 pandemic) capture the artist’s reflections on today’s most pressing national and world events, will be highlighted.

The Trustees of Reservations present ViewEscapes, a curated exhibition featuring the life and work of sculptor George Warren Rickey (1907-2002) at Naumkeag, an historic Gilded Age Berkshires homestead located in Stockbridge. The exhibition, one of the largest of Rickey’s work in the Northeast in four decades, will feature a dozen large-scale outdoor sculptures installed throughout Naumkeag’s public gardens, as well as six sculptures and three works of art inside the historic house museum; advance reservations will be required for admission and limited tickets will be available for day-of tours on a first-come, first-served basis, through November 1).

The Mount has once again collaborated with SculptureNow to present new works by prominent artists on the lovely grounds from June 1–October 23. Self-guided and artist-guided tours will be available; check sculpturenow.org for updates.

Mitchell Winter, Claire Saunders, Rebecca Brooksher, and Shawn Fagan in BTG’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” 2021.

“The Legend of the Waitress and the Robber,” the groundbreaking creative collaboration between Concrete Temple Theatre, Seoul, Korea-based Playfactory Mabangzen, and Yellowbomb, in partnership with Korean Cultural Center NY, will have its World Premiere at PS21 on May 21 and 22. Composer-percussionist Nathan Davis, actor-playwright Sylvia Milo, and choreographer Joanna Kotze, collaborate on the World Premiere of “I am the utterance of my name,” July 10.

The 45th “Sapphire” Season at Shakespeare & Company unfurls indoors at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre with “The Approach”, featuring a trio of women in conversation about their shared childhoods and burgeoning middle-age, with much left unspoken; May 6–29. “An Iliad”, featuring the transformation of Homer’s text—from Robert Fagles’ translation—into a riveting monologue that explores the human compulsion toward violence, follows in the Tina Packer Playhouse; June 3–July 3. Outdoors, at The New Spruce Theatre, “Much Ado About Nothing” tells the story of two romantic pairings—steeped in comedy, trickery, and intrigue—and features some of Shakespeare’s most satisfying language; July 2–August 14. Take “A Walk in the Woods,” at the Roman Garden Theater, with two superpower arms negotiators, a Russian and an American, who meet informally in the pleasant woods on the outskirts of Geneva where a friendship—that belies the antagonisms of the world order—develops; July 16-September 4. And “Hymn,” a soulful new play, filled with music, that asks what it takes to be a good father, brother, or son, in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre; July 22–August 28.

A new lecture series, under the Tina Packer Playhouse Tent, will take place throughout the season. Free Friday Talks will examine various themes surrounding many of the 2022 season’s titles, hosted by Ann Berman. “An Iliad,” with Jeffrey Mousseau, director; May 20. “Much Ado About Nothing” with Kelly Galvin, director; Sarah Shin, Assistant Director; Patrick Brennan, and

Christopher Lloyd and Allyn Burrows in Shakespeare & Company’s “King Lear,” 2021.

Kiki Smith, designer team members; June 17. “Measure for Measure” with Alice Reagan, director, and other guests; July 22.

Arrowhead in Pittsfield presents “Rewritten,” a multi-media performance reflecting on the often-overlooked intimate relationship between Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne as a way to explore queerness, history, intimacy, writing and selfexpression; July 22-24 and 29-31.

Chester Theatre Company returns to the Town Hall Theatre for a full complement of four plays. “Pride@Prejudice” is a reimagining of the beloved Jane Austen classic filled with bloggers, chat rooms, Austen enthusiasts, and even Jane herself. This is a hilarious and moving homage to Austen’s most beloved novel, with 30 characters portrayed by five versatile actors; June 23–July 3. “Birds of North America”—featuring binoculars, birds and a backyard in Baltimore—tracks father and daughter over the course of a decade as they navigate changes in the climate and their relationship; July 7–17. “Pass Over” follows Moses and Kitch, who want out of their Chicago neighborhood, as they dream of what awaits them in the Promised Land; July 28– August 7.

Great Barrington Public Theater, performing on the campus of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, brings a fourshow series of one-actor new plays to the Daniel Arts Center’s Liebowitz Black Box Theatre with the GB Public Solo Fest. “Grief, the Musical . . . a Comedy,” written and performed by Berkshire resident Alison Larkin, takes the audience on a soul-healing journey through heartbreaking loss by blending stand-up comedy, songs and theater; June 3–12. “The Shot”, written by Robin Gerber, is based on the life of Katherine Graham, Pulitzer Prize-winning publisher of The Washington Post,as she uncovers her own shadowed past to overcome adversity; June 16–19. “Leave Your Fears Here” is a profound and insightful memoir written and performed by James Morrison who recounts the intense and personal story of his 10-year-old son Seamus’s journey from brain cancer diagnosis though his treatment and ultimate recovery; June 30–July 10. “The Bard The Beat The Blues”, a punchy compilation of Shakespeare monologues, Beat poetry and live music composed and performed by Will LeBow, will run in rotation throughout the Solo Fest; June 8–July 8.

Then, Great Barrington Public Theater moves over to the McConnell Theater, also on the Simon’s Rock campus, “Public Speaking 101”, a brand-new comedy by beloved Berkshire playwright Mark St. Germain, in which a neurotic amateur actress leads her community theater class of terrified adults to compete in their county’s “First Annual Public Speaking Competition;” July 14–24.

The Mac-Haydn returns to the tradition of a full main-stage schedule in Chatham this season. “A Chorus Line” explores the realities of life as a professional theater dancer in an entirely new way, redefining the parameters of musical theater forever; June 23-July 3. “Urinetown” is an incredible satire that leaves no one safe from scrutiny as it surveys societies’ established norms and foundational institutions; July 7–17. “Kiss Me, Kate” is the sophisticated, romantic and delightfully hilarious Broadway classic that earned the very first Tony award for Best Musical; July 21–31.

Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Stage in Stockbridge plays host to “B.R.O.K.E.N code B.I.R.D switching”, a play about the choices we make and the unspoken lies we tell ourselves to make peace with those choices; June 23–July 9.

“Songs For a New World,” the first musical from Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown, brings us face to face with those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then goes sideways— and, more importantly, how to survive those moments; July 21–August 20.

Barrington Stage Company, awardwinning theater in downtown Pittsfield, is bursting at the seams this season. “Ain’t Misbehavin,” the Fats Waller Musical Show (June 16–July 9) and “Anna in the Tropics” by Nilo Cruz (July 16–30) both unfold on the Boyd-Quinson Stage. Meanwhile, “Andy Warhol in Iran,” (June 2–25), world-premiere play “ABCD” (July 1–23) and world-premiere musical, “The Supadupa Kid,” based on the novel by Ty Allan Jackson (July 29–August 13) will be at home on the St. Germaine Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center.

WAM Theatre puts women at center stage for their 13th season, beginning with a staged reading of “The New Galileos” by Amy Berry, an edgy new play featuring a trio of female scientists and exploring the interaction of science and capitalism; at the Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, May 1. “Bright Half Life” by Tanya Barfield, a kaleidoscopic play about love, heartbreak, skydiving, and the infinite moments that make a relationship, is the next Fresh Takes play reading; at MASS MoCA in North Adams, June 5. In a one-night-only benefit performance of Broadway music hosted by the acclaimed Jayne Atkinson, “MisCast Cabaret” features WAM artists, accompanied by live musicians, performing favorite songs from musical theater roles in which they would not traditionally be cast (check website for more informantion); July 7.

presents “Man of God,” a funny feminist thriller by newcomer Anna Ouyang Moench, in association with Geffen Playhouse on the Nikos Stage. Chaos ensues when four teenage girls on a mission trip to Bangkok discover a camera hidden by their pastor in their hotel bathroom. Do they leave it to God or take matters into their own hands?: July 5–16.

The Pittsfield CityJazz Festival kicks off at the Colonial Theatre, featuring DIVA Jazz Orchestra—one of the most exciting big bands in jazz. The allfemale ensemble brings progressive sound to the stage which it will share with special guests, the Berkshires Jazz Student Ensemble: May 1.

Spanning three days and four stages, Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival returns to MASS MoCA in North Adams with music from Sylvan Esso, Japanese Breakfast, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and more (plus comedy, local food, craft beer and camping); May 27–29.

Downtown Lee’s Church Park will be the site of Art in the Park, a juried exhibit featuring the best work of some 50 artists of jewelry, ceramics and mixed media to sculpture, painting, leather, wood, fashion, metal and fiber. Free admission; May 28–30.

The 16th annual Berkshire International Film Festival will be a hybrid event this year, with in-person screenings as well as a virtual option for a curated selection of films; June 2–5. The all-inclusive pass grants you admission to all events, including panel discussions, Tea Talks, and the Opening Night Party and Tribute Night Party, or you can purchase tickets to individual films (among other options). You can view the full schedule and purchase passes via the website (biffma22.eventive.org). Join the annual summer celebration at the 21st annual Berkshire Arts Festival on the grounds of SkiButternut in Great Barrington. Explore 150 star-spangled exhibitors (selling jewelry, ceramics, mixed media, photography, sculpture, art glass, furniture, painting, leather, fashion, wood, metal and fiber), hear live music, watch craft demos and enjoy interactive workshops. Plus entertainment for the kids and food, too; July 1–3. Head to Downtown Pittsfield for First Friday’s Artswalk, a seasonlong celebration of artistic expression designed to engage the community with diverse, original art, and provide connection with professional artists about their process. Enjoy artwork by dozens of artists, the First Friday of every month (from 5 – 8 p.m.) and all month long! Download the Downtown Pittsfield mobile app to take a self-guided tour on any GPSenabled mobile device.

Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival