Continuing Aug. 16-19

Weston Playhouse continues run of ‘Fiddler’

WESTON -- The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company contiunues its production of "Fiddler on the Roof," the Tony Award winning smash that has delighted audiences around the world for generations, returns to Weston Playhouse Theatre through Aug. 25.

The unforgettable tale of family and love, narrated by the inimitable Tevye the milkman, includes much-loved songs and rousing dance numbers.

David Brummel, who will play Tevye, is a veteran Broadway actor who toured "Fiddler on the Roof" as the cover for Topol (star of the London production and film) and has played the role on his own at other theaters. He has extensive Broadway, national tour and off Broadway credits and has had a recurring role on TV’s Law and Order.

The production is directed by Malcolm Ewen, one of Weston’s own producing directors). The cast includes Weston favorites and Broadway veterans Harry Katzman, Barbara Lloyd, Mike Maloney, Georga Osbourne, Emma Rosenthal, Geoffrey Wade, and Sharon Wheatley. Choreographer Jacob Brent will be recreating the famed Jerome Robbins choreography for the show.

Tickets start at $25. For information call 802-824-5288 or visit westonplayhouse.org.

Friday, Aug. 16

Dorset opens ‘Deathtrap’ to end season

DORSET -- The Dorset Theatre Festival will conclude its 2012 season with their popular Murder and Mayhem Series featuring "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin, directed by Giovanna Sardelli and opening Friday, Aug. 17, after a preview performance tonight, Thursday, Aug. 16. The play, which will run through Sept. 1,

The play, which was also made into a film, holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was recently revived to rave reviews and sold-out crowds on London’s West End.

Playing the role of Sidney is Jonathan Walker who has appeared on Broadway in "20th Century" and "After the Fall," as well as on TV in such hits as "Pan Am," "The Good Wife" and "The Big C." Sidney’s wife Myra will be played by Amelia White who recently appeared on the DTF stage in this summer’s hit production of "Boeing-Boeing." Quincy Dunn-Baker stars as the young writer Clifford Anderson.

The Dorset Playhouse is located at 104 Cheney Road in Dorset. For information and tickets call 802-867-2223 or visit dorsettheatrefestival.org.

Aug. 17-18

HHOT conservatory presents two short operas

CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. -- The Select Conservatory of Hubbard Hall Opera Theater will present a two-show, short opera evening, on Aug. 17 and 18, at 8 p.m. at Hubbard Hall’s Freight Depot Theater. Featured performances are "Cox and Box" by Sullivan & Burnand (yes, the Sullivan of Gilbert & Sullivan fame), and "Trouble in Tahiti" by Berstein.

Both shows are directed by Jason Dolmetsch, and musically directed and accompanied by Elizabeth Bonomo of the Manhattan School of Music. Tickets are pay-what-you-will.

Hubbard Hall’s Freight Depot Theater, 25 E. Main Street. Hubbard Hall is an historic opera house located at 25 E. Main St. in Cambridge, NY. For more information, visit www.hubbardhall.org.

Saturday, Aug. 18

Historical society hosts ‘Battle of Bennington’ reading

BENNINGTON -- The Bennington Museum will host a Bennington Historical Society reading and book signing by historian Michael P. Gabriel, author of "The Battle of Bennington: Soldiers and Civilians," on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 2 p.m. The program, held in the Ada Paresky Education Center, is free and open to the public.

In addtion, on Saturday, Aug. 18, Gabriel will be at the Bennington Battle Monument from 9:30 a.m. to noon to sign his book.

On Aug. 16, 1777, a motley militia won a resounding victory near Bennington, against combined German, British and Loyalist forces -- a victory that laid the foundation for the American victory at Saratoga two months later.

Gabriel, a professor of history at Kutztown University, is a member of the Pennsylvania Historical Association and the Society of Military History.

The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9). For information call 802-447-1571 or visit benningtonmuseum.org. VAE hosts opening of Traci Molloy’s images

NORTH BENNINGTON -- The Vermont Arts Exchange will host the opening of "There You Will Always Be," an exhibition of the works of Brooklyn-based artist Traci Molloy -- a native of Shaftsbury who returns to Southern Vermont for a showing of works with deep ties to the region and her experiences here --with a free reception at the Mill Gallery on Saturday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The exhibit is on view through Sept. 22.

At the heart of "There You Will Always Be" is a series of six large (30"x42" up to 40"x90"), unframed images from Molloy’s evocative "White Dandelion" series. Other recent work is also on view. The underlying photos of the "White Dandelions" images were taken during her tenure working and coaching at Mount Anthony Union High School (1992-94).

For information call 802-442-5549 or visit vtartxchange.org.

Memorial Hall hosts Village Light Opera Group

WILLMINGTON -- MHCA, "formerly" Memorial Hall Center for the Arts, will host the famed Village Light Opera Group, one of New York City’s most renowned and respected musical theatre companies, in performance at Memorial Hall, on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 7:30 p.m.

The proceeds of this concert will benefit MHCA and the Village Light Opera Group, both of which are 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit charitable arts organizations.

Formed in 1935 by a group of talented residents of New York’s legendary Greenwich Village, the Village Light Opera Group presents a show typically including more than 30 song selections from Broadway musicals, Gilbert & Sullivan, operas and more.

General admission seating for the floor is $25 for adults, $17 for students through high school, and for the balcony is $20 for adults, $14 for students through high school.

Sunday, Aug. 19

Gardenworks opens mother, daughter ‘Points of View’ exhibit

SALEM, N.Y. -- Gardenworks hosts an opening reception for "Points of View, an exhibit of new works by mother-daughter artists Virginia and Annie McNeice and their friend, Helen Young, on Sunday, Aug. 19 from 2 to 4 p.m.,

The reception and the gallery is free and open to the public.

Virginia McNeice’s work in oil and pastel is inspired by nature. Born in New York City, McNeice attended Pratt Institute of Art and has studied at the Art Student’s League, SUNY Albany, Skidmore College and the Vermont Studio Center. She lives and works on an old farm in Cambridge. Annie McNeice studied art at the College of St. Rose in Albany. She creates pastels and oil paintings of landscapes. She is a teacher of high school art at Mount Anthony in Bennington, she has shown her work at the Valley Artisans Market and Bean Heads in Cambridge. A Ukranian born in Siberia, Young emigrated with her parents to the United States in 1950. She grew up in upstate New York and received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University in Syracuse. She paints landscapes and still lifes.

Gardenworks is a located on Route 30 (also West Broadway). For information call 518-854-3250 or visit gardenworksfarm.com.

Through Aug. 20

BAG gallery hosts exhibit of new works

BENNINGTON -- The Bennington Arts Guild presents a joint exhibit of photography by Samantha Ambrose and sculpture by Jami Gras, through August 20.

Ambrose studied photography at Bennington College, teaches art at Twin Valley Middle School in Whitingham, and lives in Bennington. Gras is originally from Troy, N.Y., and now lives in Poestenkill. The BAG gallery is a non-profit cooperative run by artists to provide a viable market for locally produced fine art and craft. Membership is open to artists in the surrounding area.

The BAG gallery is located at 103 South St., just off Four Corners. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For information call 802-442-7838 or visit benningtonartsguild.org.

Tuesday, Aug. 21

Hildene, DTF hosts special reading of ‘The Rivalry’

DORSET -- A joint project of Dorset Theatre Festival and Hildene, The Dorest Playhouse will host a reading of Norman Corwin’s play, "The Rivalry," a drama based on the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, with readings by former Gov. Madeleine Kunin and other Vermont civic leaders, on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested.

In this version of "The Rivalry," just as in the original presentation, the debates are seen through the eyes of Stephen Douglas’s young and insightful wife, Adele, read by former Gov. Madeleine Kunin. The dialogue between Abraham Lincoln, aspiring to become a senator and read by Rabbi Michael Cohen, and incumbent Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, read by Stuart Comstock-Gay, involves discourse on the most controversial issues of their day including states’ rights, slavery and the original intent of the Constitution.

During the second part of the evening, Jane Lindholm, VPR host of "Vermont Edition" will moderate the panel and involve the audience in an interactive discussion.

For reservations and information call 802-867-2223 or visit dorsettheatrefestival.org.

Clark music series features Shanghai String Quartet

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute’s chamber music series continues with Shanghai String Quartet on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m., in the Clark’s auditorium.

The Shanghai String Quartet will perform Mozart’s "Hunt" Quartet in B-Flat Major and Smetana’s "From My Life" Quartet as the featured Western works in the concert. In celebration of the Clark’s "Unearthed exhibition," they will perform selections from "ChinaSong," the quartet’s most popular CD, issued in 2003, a collection of Chinese folk songs arranged for string quartet by Yi-Wen Jiang, second violinist of the quartet. The Shanghai String Quartet is renowned for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovations.

Tickets are $25. For ticket and information call 413-458-0524 or visit clarkart.edu.

Saturday, Aug. 25

Oldcastle Theatre Company plans cabaret fundraiser

BENNINGTON -- The Oldcastle Theatre Company’s summer cabaret fundraiser, as originally planned, on Aug. 25, beginning at 6 p.m., at their new downtown location at 331 Main St.

The Oldcastle event, "Oldcastle Celebrates Downtown!", will be a celebration of Oldcastle’s new home as well as a fundraiser for Oldcastle’s theatrical season and educational programs. The evening will begin cocktails with pub fare, a live auction with wine, and a silent auction with items donated by many local businesses.

The cabaret will include performances by Oldcastle regulars and friends, including Richard Howe, Kim Turner, Peter Langstaff, Evita Cobo, Meredith McCaslind, and Liz Stott, among others.

Tickets are $50.00 each or two tickets can be purchased for $90 if bought before the event by calling Oldcastle at 802-447-0564, or by purchasing them at the Bennington Bookshop.

Sunday, Aug. 26

Museum changes date of Farm to Table event

BENNINGTON -- The Bennington Museum has rescheduled its annual Farm to Table Benefit Dinner, a benefit for the Museum and the Bennington County Meals on Wheels Program, and it will now take place on Sunday, Aug. 26, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

To avoid what was originally having both the Oldcastle Theatre Company’s summer cabaret fundraiser and Bennington Museum’s Farm to Table dinner event occur on the same evening, the Museum moved its event to the next day.

The gastronomical adventure, according to the Museum, is a Tuscan-inspired, elegantly casual, seven-course tasting dinner that showcases dishes prepared from the bounty of farm fresh foods from our region and available from the many local farmers represented at the Walloomsac Farmers’ Market, Bennington. The dinner will be accompanied with fine wines. Introductory remarks will be given by Ellen Ecker Ogden, author of "The Complete Kitchen Garden" from which many of the evening’s recipes are taken. Tickets for the Farm to Table Dinner are $75, and reservations are requested by Aug. 20, by calling 802-447-1571.

The Museum also announced that if patrons purchase tickets to both the Oldcastle fundraiser and the Museum’s benefit, the price for the Museum dinner on Sunday will be $50, instead of $75. The difference will be covered by the anonymous donation allowing the museum still to benefit the full $75 ticket price, according to the Museum.

For information visit benningtonmuseum.org.

Through Aug. 30

Canfield Gallery hosts opening of Johnston’s paintings

ARLINGTON -- The Canfield Gallery at the Martha Canfield Library hosts an solo exhibition of oil paintints by local artist Lydia Johnston, titled "Seduced By Color," through Aug. 30.

For this exhibit, Johnston will be showing paintings from a number of her recent series. There will be some of her "Sky Sonata" paintings, flower paintings from the "Garden of Desire" series, and a number of her newest more abstract landscapes. The common theme running through all of these paintings is her use of color.

The Martha Canfield Library is located at 528 E. Arlington Road. For information call 802-375-6153 or visit marthacanfieldlibrary.org.

Through Sept. 15

Dorset Green hosts Vermont art, artists ‘Then and Now’

DORSET -- The Dorset Green Gallery is currently hosting "Vermont Artists Then & Dorset Artists Now," a show of artists who once and still worked in Vermont, through Sept. 15.

"Vermont Artists Then" features the work of artists no longer alive who were active in Vermont mainly through the end of the 20th Century. A special tribute is being paid to Virginia Webb, a longtime Manchester resident and contributing artist to both the Southern Vermont Arts Center and the community at large. The show also presents a broad selection of illustration, including work by Saturday Evening Post artists Meade Scheaffer, John Clymer and Norman Rockwell, as well as Churchill Ettinger.

"Dorset Artists Now" features the work of artists who currently live and work in Dorset.

For information call 802-366-0590.

Through Oct. 30

Bennington Museum hosts Rockwell Kent’s ‘Egypt’

BENNINGTON -- The Bennington Museum’s featured summer exhibit, "Rockwell Kent’s ‘Egypt’: Shadow and Light in Vermont" -- first exhibit to focus on Kent’s life and work in Vermont, 1919-1925 -- continues on view through Oct. 30.

Kent purchased a hill farm called "Egypt" on the slopes of Red Mountain in Arlington, 20 miles north of Bennington, in the spring of 1919. There, he made use of the landscape, the mountains and valleys of the Green Mountains, to create a series of powerful paintings including "Autumn" and "Nirvana." These, along with over 50 works of this artist, including many rarely seen paintings created in Vermont, prints and drawings are on view in this exhibit.

A focused examination of the artist’s time in Vermont, according to a museum press release, "uncovers a complex, psychologically probing body of work that indicates an artist who found much inspiration in both the awe-inspiring physical landscape that surrounded him at "Egypt" and in his own internal musings on life, death, and man’s place in the world.

The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9). It is open Thursday through Tuesday, and every day July through October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students over 18; younger students are free, as is a visit the museum shop. For information call 802-447-1571 or visit benningtonmuseum.org.

To have brief items included in E-Week entertainment calendar send them to knorris@benningtonbanner.com.