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October 2021
Children’s Program: Nancy Castaldo. Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. Nancy Castaldo turns her own fascination with the natural world into science-themed books that inform and engage children, sometimes calling them to action. Her topics range from saving animals from extinction to the biology of their brains, and from how farms feed us to the vital need to save seeds. In Sniffer Dogs, children learn about dogs’ exquisitely sensitive noses, and how their handlers train the animals to find bombs or drugs, save people from…
Find out more »Children’s Program: Reading and Discussion of Peter Sis’s Nicky and Vera, with Ann Gainer
Ann Gainer, storyteller and librarian at New Lebanon and Altamont Libraries, will read and discuss with children Peter Sís’s Nicky and Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued. Nicky was a young Englishman who went to Prague to help refugees from the Nazis; Vera, one of the children he saved. His effort to raise money, find foster homes in England, and transport 600 children is told with luminous, poetic images. This true story of the…
Sonia Purnell. A Woman of No Importance and Clare Mulley. The Spy Who Loved
Two historians and authors whose books focus on remarkable women and their roles in WWII will discuss their works with David Highfill, Festival co-chair. A Woman of No Importance tells of an American heiress, injured in an accident, who broke disability and gender barriers to spy for the British and help lead a core unit of French resisters. The biography The Spy Who Loved relates the ventures of a Polish-born part Jewish countess called Churchill’s favorite spy who served behind…
Michael Kupperman. All the Answers
A comic artist-author turned serious for the first time with his All the Answers, also the Festival’s first graphic book. It’s a son’s search to understand his father, a child prodigy-turned reserved professor, before dementia robbed the memories. Joel Kupperman was the most celebrated “Quiz Kid,” appearing on the radio and TV series weekly in the 40s and 50s. The moving memoir touches on the early history of radio and TV, the quiz show scandal, anti-Semitism, celebrity culture and, most…
Whimsy
In a world that seems more and more fractured and traumatized by a pandemic, the idea of a show focusing on whimsy seemed a necessity for the soul. Whimsy can be defined in many ways; capricious, fanciful, fantastical, imaginative and unpredictable are just a few words that come to mind. We all need a little escape now and then. After all, fun and fantasy are necessary ingredients in living. Six very different artists have produced works that will bring smiles…
Find out more »November 2021
CANCELED Due to Non-Covid Illness: Music Lessons: Ed Napier
CANCELED due to non-Covid illness: Music Lessons tells the story of Ed Napier’s journey from the backwoods of West Virginia to the halls of Columbia, Herbert Berghof (HB) Studio, and Juilliard in New York in pursuit of becoming a playwright and opera singer. Through scenes, stories, and songs, he recounts the process of growing up, becoming an artist, and learning, he says, “to relish the glory of just being alive.” On stage he channels a multitude of characters from his…
December 2021
SOLD OUT: The Wanda Houston Band
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT: With their dynamic blend of classic jazz, R&B, adult contemporary, and rock, the Wanda Houston Band is one of the most popular musical groups in the Berkshires. Vocal stylist Houston leads the band in fresh takes on standards, ranging from Fitzgerald to Sinatra, Aretha to Sam Cook, and the Beatles to Jackson 5. They recently celebrated their 10th anniversary with the release of their first album, “Lucky So & So,” which showcases their arrangements from…
“Found Object Mirrors” Pop-Up Holiday Shop
Remember the Spencertown Store? We sure do miss it ‘round here.... There’s good news! Our friend and neighbor, Cris Morales, is re-opening The Spencertown Store and he could use our support. The Spencertown Academy is hosting a pop-up show of Cris’ artwork – “Found Object Mirrors” in December, in The Gallery. Cris’ work has been featured in prestigious galleries around the country as well as Modern Magazine, among others. His work made it into the “Top 20 Picks of 2017”…
Find out more »January 2022
SOLD OUT: Judy White Staber: Book Release Celebration – Session 1
This 1:30 event is sold out, but there are plenty of spots available for the 3:30 session. Celebrate the publication of a biographical-memoir by our former executive director, Judy White Staber. "Rise About It, Darling: The Story of Joan White" Actor, Director, Teacher, Producer and (Sometimes) Mother (The Troy Book Makers, January 2022), is about Staber’s mother, who was a well-known actress and teacher in the 20th century theatre world. The event will feature a reading and Q&A, followed by…
Judy White Staber: Book Release Celebration – Session 2
Celebrate the publication of a biographical-memoir by our former executive director, Judy White Staber. "Rise About It, Darling: The Story of Joan White" Actor, Director, Teacher, Producer and (Sometimes) Mother (The Troy Book Makers, January 2022), is about Staber’s mother, who was a well-known actress and teacher in the 20th century theatre world. The event will feature a reading and Q&A, followed by a reception where copies of the book will be available for purchase (cash or check only please).…