Reviews

The play takes place in the Manhattan apartment of Michael (Greg Smith), who has invited several of his friends to a 32nd birthday party for his longtime friend (and sometime nemesis) Harold (Christopher Crossen-Sills).

The first act introduces us to the "boys" - Michael, a recovering alcoholic writer who struggles to reconcile his homosexuality with his Catholic faith and tries to escape his self-loathing by spending on a lifestyle well beyond his means; Michael’s conflicted boyfriend Donald (Malachi Mulrine Peters), who has moved out of town to the Hamptons but returns, like a moth to a flame, to Michael and the city on weekends; Emory (John K. McElroy), the flamboyant and outspoken interior decorator; Larry (Bryant Vasquez), the fashion photographer whose promiscuity is a source of constant tension between him and his live-in lover Hank (Ricky DeSisto), a married schoolteacher in the process of divorcing his wife; Bernard (Ibrahima Tylar Jahumpa), an unassuming bookstore clerk; and a character known only as “Cowboy” (André Meservey) – a hustler brought along by Emory as a birthday present for Harold.

Thrown into the mix is Michael’s old college roommate, Alan (Gary J. Mlinac), who phones the apartment during party preparations to say that he is in town and urgently needs to meet and speak with Michael on an unspecified topic. When Alan (whom Michael suspects of being a closeted homosexual) does arrive, he expresses horror and disgust upon discovering the nature of the partygoers, to the point of physically assaulting Emory. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, Harold arrives (late, as is his wont).

The second act revolves around a game devised by Michael in which each guest is to call the one person he truly believes he has loved and to tell them so, resulting in painful revelations, deep regrets, and relationships pushed to the edge.

Smith, as Michael, does an admirable job as the primary catalyst for the play’s drama, and Peters gives an effortlessly natural performance as Michael’s boyfriend undergoing psychoanalysis as he struggles with his nature. Crossen-Sills plays the embittered (and secretly suicidal) Harold with a laconic world-wise weariness – except for when he abruptly lashes out in vicious, acid, verbal attacks, revealing in those moments the true depths of his character’s hidden pain.

Vasquez and DeSisto, as the couple feuding over the importance of fidelity, are up to the challenge of navigating the choppy waters of portraying an enduringly affectionate relationship despite widely divergent views of what the very nature of that relationship should be. McElroy is a wonderfully fun and funny Emory. The character of Bernard comes to the fore in the second act when he is the first guest to play Michael’s cruel telephone game, and Jahumpa makes the most of the highly emotional scene that develops as a result. Meservey’s eager-to-please and amiable Cowboy provides much of the play’s more obvious humor.

The character of Alan is an enigma. Why does he need to speak with Michael so urgently? Why has he left his wife and traveled halfway across the country to do so? Is his raging at the other guests fueled by a latent homosexuality? Or are such suspicions entirely unfounded projections? It’s not easy to play an enigma, but Mlinac succeeds, at times withdrawing from what he sees happening around him and at other times reacting (once violently), providing hints at the truth while he resists surrendering to certainty.

Daniel Kozar’s direction moves the play along at a snappy pace despite its length, and the performers’ movements flow naturally around the set. Ted Talanian’s set design makes effective use of the small space, somehow managing to imply a kitchen, dining room, living room, and an upstairs bedroom and bathroom all within the confines of the intimate black box stage. The lighting design by Ken Butler was even and well regulated, with no dark spots on the stage. Bruce Webster’s sound design included an enjoyable selection of hits from the past, setting an appropriate mood.

The 2018 revival of The Boys in the Band on Broadway (and winner of the Tony award for Best Revival) played up its humorous aspects, but the play’s humor is incidental, not integral, to the plot. Written before the gay rights movement as we now know it had even begun, produced a year before Stonewall and while homosexuality still was listed by the American Psychiatric Society as a mental disorder (it would be five more years before it was removed from the list), the play is an unsparing portrait of the relentless sour agony of living under a shroud of falsehood, of never being able to comfortably and openly acknowledge one's genuine self. As the party guests wash away their inhibitions with alcohol, Harold offers Michael a withering critique: “You're a sad and pathetic man. You're a homosexual and you don't want to be, but there's nothing you can do to change it. Not all the prayers to your God, not all the analysis you can buy in all the years you've got left to live. You may one day be able to know a heterosexual life if you want it desperately enough... But you'll always be homosexual as well. Always, Michael. Always. Until the day you die.” Expressed within the context of a time when homosexuality was reviled by society at large as an illness and a perversion, the hopelessness embodied in those lines is devastating. “If we could just learn not to hate ourselves quite so very much," says Michael to Donald at evening’s end, encapsulating the sense of anger and injustice that first drove Crowley to write the play.

Much has changed in the 50 years since The Boys in the Band first opened (I attended the play after returning from a raucous, joyful, and heavily attended Boston Pride Festival in City Hall Plaza), despite the ongoing efforts of certain elements within modern society and even among our nation’s leaders to turn back the inexorable march of progress and make it acceptable to hate again; and many younger theatergoers today criticize the play as a mere historical artifact, a masochistic wallowing in guilt and self-loathing that has been made irrelevant by the passage of time. But even now, in a more enlightened world, there remain innocent souls tortured by the inner knowledge that they themselves are what they have been taught to hate; given an awareness of that sad fact, this play still resonates across the years.

Would-be attendees should know before going that the play’s language is frequently offensive regarding gays, women, and blacks, just as it surely would have been in the privacy of Michael’s 1960s NYC apartment. Much of the humor is deprecating or self-deprecating – even Emory, friend and protector of the quiet Bernard, refers to his (black) friend as “the Queen of Spades” – and whenever the mood of the play turns ugly, the bile radiates off the stage. As the saying goes, “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen” – but then you’ll miss this well-prepared meal.

The Boys in the Band runs through June 23rd. Tickets are available online at http://www.mmas.org, or by phone at 508-339-2822.

Tony-nominated actor and playwright John Cariani, Brockton-born and raised in Maine, began writing plays in the late 1990s in New York. When he realized that many of the short plays he’d written were odd little love stories set in a fictional northern Maine town, he combined and adapted them into a full-length play set in the imaginary town of Almost, Maine – so named because its residents have never quite gotten around to making an official town of it.

Each vignette explores or reveals some facet, phase, or flavor of personal relationships. In Her Heart, a woman carries her heart around in a bag because it’s broken – until she meets a man who fixes things. A dogged suitor tries to break out of the “friend zone” in Seeing the Thing. In Getting It Back, a young woman breaks up with her hesitant-to-commit boyfriend and demands that he return all the love she gave him over the years, while returning several large red sacks of his own love to him. These scenes and five others are combined with a unifying trio of related scenes: a prologue that establishes the play’s whimsical tone, an interlogue between acts that continues the story line from the prologue, and an epilogue that both resolves the story and brings the play to a memorable close.

The play is written for four actors, each playing multiple roles, but with 19 total roles available the cast can be much larger. The Footlighters’ production employs the talents of 12 different actors. Jennifer Fenlon and Michael Begg handle the Prologue/Interlogue/Epilogue beautifully, capturing the awkwardness and magic of a relationship’s beginning. Ken Carberry plays “East” in Her Heart with Cindy Belle as “Glory,” and their well-modulated performances make us care what will become of two strangers alone in the world. Maryanne Truax ably plays two quite different but equally strong women in Sad and Glad (opposite Michael Begg’s poignant portrayal of lost love) and Getting It Back, playing against Dan Baker’s even-keeled performance. Baker returns later in Story of Hope with another appropriately low-key performance alongside Elaine Sheffield-Bono’s quietly desperate and yearning “Hope.” Ed Churchill, the production’s stage manager, makes the most of his time under the lights in the tender This Hurts as a man incapable of feeling pain, encountering Jennifer Fenlon as a young woman conflicted over her life choices. Steve Small and David Perelman elicit an uproarious audience response as best buddies Randy and Chad in They Fell. Moira Collins is wonderful as the tomboyish “Rhonda” in Seeing the Thing, opposite another strong performance by Ken Carberry as her bashful but determined would-be lover. Tara Mansour has a small role in Sad and Glad, then gets her chance to really shine (and does so) opposite Michael Begg in Where It Went, the story of a young couple struggling to retain (or rediscover) the magic.

The sets are simple and effective, and the quick, smooth set changes are made to the accompaniment of pleasant acoustic instrumental music. The lighting is atmospheric, with a canopy of stars glittering in the night sky and recurring northern lights providing a delicate flickering link among the vignettes.

Cariani warns actors that his play should not be sentimentalized, and instead allowed to be what it is – “a midwinter night’s dream… a play about real people who are really, truly, honestly dealing with the toughest thing there is to deal with in life: love.” There are more than enough laughs, tears, wordplay, and surprises in Almost, Maine to fill your mid-autumn evening.

Almost, Maine runs through October 25th at Walpole Footlighters, 2 Scout Road, East Walpole. Tickets may be obtained by calling 508-668-8446 or via the Footlighters website at http://www.footlighters.com.

The play takes place in the Paris apartment of Bernard (Joe Rich), a bachelor who is “engaged” to three separate stewardesses, none of whom know about each other. He manages his juggling act through careful attention to the flight schedules of the various airlines and with the aid of his constantly vigilant cynical housekeeper Berthe (Laura Steele), who changes the menu and the photos as each fiancée comes and goes from Bernard’s apartment.

Bernard explains this arrangement in detail to his friend Robert (Joseph Tinianow), who has arrived from the US for a visit. Gloria (Catherine Haverkampf) is an American stewardess with TWA; Gabriella (Ashley Harmon) is Italian, with Alitalia; and Gretchen (Allison Porter) is German, with Lufthansa. The fact that they are all on different airlines enables Bernard to coordinate their comings and goings without risking any overlap in their schedules or any awkward encounters with one another along their routes. Although the naïve Robert is incredulous at first, Bernard’s smooth confidence and efficient organization win him over to the idea that such a life might be possible.

Despite Bernard’s clever plan, however, he is unable to control either the weather or advances in aviation, and before long his web of deceit begins to unravel, with Robert and Berthe frantically trying to help him keep his three fiancées from discovering one another. In classic French farce fashion, the many doors on the well-designed set from Ted Talanian are kept very busy as the characters enter and exit with drill-team precision to keep the tension and laughs at a fever pitch.

Rich and Tinianow make a convincing pair of opposites as the urbane Bernard and the down-home Robert, and Steele clearly relishes her role as the sarcastic Berthe. Haverkampf, Harmon, and Porter as the three fiancées throw themselves into their roles with the vigorous energy that’s needed to match their passionate characters.

Boeing, Boeing is a play that has been around a long time, but even if you’ve seen this show before, you haven’t seen it done this way. Director Michael McGarty went back to Camoletti’s original French libretto and discovered a number of humorous lines and scenes that had been changed or omitted in Cross’ English adaptation, and added many of them back in for this production. Further, in his research he discovered a Norwegian version of the play with an entirely different ending that he felt provided a stronger finish, and integrated that as well.

The strong cast and unique libretto make this show time well spent, but time is of the essence. Tickets are selling fast; if you don’t hurry, your chance to see this will be Boeing, Boeing, gone!

Boeing, Boeing runs through November 10th. Tickets are available online at http://www.mmas.org, or by phone at 508-339-2822.

Yes, the show opens with schoolteacher Lenny calling in sick, moping on his couch, eating cold pizza, and watching To Kill a Mockingbird for the hundredth time because his wife Risa has left him for the more exciting Frank. But the story quickly leaves cliché behind when Lenny's friend Mickey arrives to watch Monday Night Football ("Cowboys versus Giants," says Mickey, "How can you root for either one?").

Subway worker Mickey is provocative. He has strong opinions on what's wrong with the world, and takes great pleasure in sharing them loudly, crudely, and continuously, pausing only occasionally to shout epithets at the televised football game. Mickey's politically incorrect rantings breathe life into the proceedings, but the show really begins to take off when he reveals to Lenny how far he's willing to go to help his friend resolve the problem of his broken marriage. Add in Lenny's daughter, a philosophy major who is fascinated by moral dilemmas, mourns her broken family, and wishes her father would stand up for himself, and the show bounces rapidly along a winding road to an unexpected and oddly heartwarming conclusion.

If you didn't see Any Given Monday, you've missed your chance, but mark your calendars for March 10th, when TOP's production of Yankee Tavern, directed by Holzemer, opens.

Set in a crumbling New York City tavern, the play is a dramatic thriller by Steven Dietz, the award-winning playwright of over 30 works, including Lonely Planet, Becky's New Car, and Last of the Boys. When a mysterious stranger walks into a tavern run by a young couple, they are forced to confront secrets about themselves and their relationship – and they also find themselves caught up in the 9/11 conspiracy theories spouted by a paranoid (or is he?) long-time customer and family friend.

The Miami Herald summed up the play well by saying, "The play isn't really about what did or didn't happen; it's about the agony of uncertainty." But while the characters in Yankee Tavern may be uncertain about their relationships and the events of 9/11, you can be certain that TOP's upcoming production, in rehearsals now, will provoke many a lively conversation among theatregoers as they leave the building following the final curtain. And that's just the way Peg Holzemer likes it.

Theatre One Productions performs in the Alley Theatre, located at 133 Center Street, Middleboro, behind the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. For more information on TOP, call 774-213-5193, email theatreoneproductions@yahoo.com, or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theatreone.

In medieval times, the abbey-church in the village of Conques, France became a popular stop along the way for pilgrims, as it was said to hold the remains of “Sainte Foy,” or "Holy Faith," the name given to a 12-year-old girl who lived in the French village of Agen sometime around 300 CE. The story of how her bones came to reside there - a tale of betrayal, suffering, death, and theft - is the backdrop for Michael Hollinger’s farce (yes, farce), “Incorruptible.”

The girl, a devout Christian at a time when it was dangerous to be one, was denounced as such to the local Roman governor (by her father!), then tortured and beheaded for refusing to make a sacrifice to the goddess Diana at the governor's order. A handful of her fellow Christians spirited her remains away and hid them just outside the limits of Agen, where they rested safely for over 500 years.

Then, in the mid-800s, with Christianity no longer heresy and the Way of St. James already begun, abbeys and churches in towns along the most popular routes found themselves vying with one another for the attention of pilgrims - and one of the most successful ways to promote tourism was to have the remains of a saint available for pilgrims to visit and venerate. The abbey at Conques had none, and Agen had Sainte Foy; so the monks of Conques sent one of their own brothers, disguised as a commoner, to the monastery at Agen. He served there in Agen for ten years, gaining the monks' trust, until he saw his chance and managed to steal the remains of Sainte Foy and bring them to Conques, instantly transforming that abbey into a must-see stop along the Way of St. James. Sainte Foy's remains can still be found at the abbey in Conques today, and every year the village holds a festival to celebrate her on the Sunday closest to her feast day of October 6th.

"Incorruptible" begins with the bones of Sainte Foy located in the (fictional) abbey of Priseaux, France circa 1250 CE. Another abbey in the region claims to have acquired the remains of Sainte Foy for themselves by hiring a roguish one-eyed minstrel to steal them from Priseaux. In fact, the minstrel has simply delivered the bones of a random deceased farmer to the rival abbey - but those bones nonetheless begin performing miraculous cures for visiting pilgrims on a daily basis, while the true relics of Sainte Foy still at Priseaux haven’t performed a miracle for more than a decade, and pilgrims have stopped visiting. With their only source of income gone, and further beset by floods and fires, the monks at Priseaux can no longer afford to continue their mission of helping the needy… or even feed themselves!

When the minstrel himself shows up at Priseaux, however, he and the monks hit upon a clever scheme that could turn the fortunes of the abbey around. They consider selling the bones of deceased parishioners to other abbeys, claiming them to be the bones of departed saints; and in considering the scheme, they introduce questions regarding the power of belief and under what conditions the ends justify the means – questions that resurface throughout the play and add depth to what might otherwise be simple farce.

If this sounds like a play you might like to see, you’re in luck. “Incorruptible” is currently being produced locally by the Walpole Footlighters, ably directed by Roger Campbell, whose first experience with the Footlighters Playhouse came at the age of 11 with his performance in Walpole Childrens’s Theatre.

Steve Small, last seen on the Footlighters’ stage in their wonderful production of “Almost, Maine” last October, plays Charles, head abbot of Priseaux, with energy and angst. Paul MacPhee shows the right amount of cynicism in his portrayal of the opportunistic Brother Martin. Michael Dornisch is lumbering and likable as the dim-witted but strong-shouldered Brother Olf. Ed Churchill (also returning from “Almost, Maine”) brings an outward appearance of innocence to his Brother Felix, an effective contrast to the eventual revelations from the character’s past. Peter McElhinney is excellent as Jack, the commitment-phobic minstrel inadvertently caught up in the circumstances surrounding the abbey. Colleen Lavery gives a strong performance as Marie, Jack’s betrothed, who finds herself playing a part in the monks’ schemes that she (and the audience) never could have predicted. Marie’s mother, given a self-confident brashness by Ninette Pantano Cummings, spends her time diligently seeking out opportunities for her daughter in the field of… well, let’s say “companionship for hire.” Sibling rivalry figures into the plot as well, with Christine Grudinskas offering a wicked portrayal of Agatha, Charles’ sharp-tongued and competitive sister – the head nun of the abbey that “stole” Sainte Foy.

The production is full of physical comedy and one-liners, as a farce should be. There’s some singing and dancing, some lies told, some conversations overheard, some misunderstandings, and even a long-lost love rediscovered – not to mention an impending visit from the pope, and a corpse that isn’t really a corpse. It's two hours of good fun, and even theatregoers concerned that they might be distressed by the irreverent nature of this farce will find great comfort, and perhaps even inspiration, in the quietly redemptive ending that achieves a highly satisfying sense of closure when the play addresses the power of belief one last time.

“Incorruptible” runs through February 21st at Walpole Footlighters, 2 Scout Road, East Walpole. Tickets may be obtained by calling 508-668-8446 or via the Footlighters website at http://www.footlighters.com.

The story focuses on the relationship between mother M'Lynn and daughter Shelby as they deal first with Shelby's impending wedding and later her choice to have a baby, jeopardizing her health, but the play is rich in other characters as well. Truvy, the salon owner, and her young protégée, Annelle, form another pseudo-mother/daughter pairing; Clairee and Ouiser are two old friends that frequent the salon and love to bicker with one another.

Cynthia Small as Truvy is a steady presence, and the interplay between Sandi McDonald as Ouiser and Alice Springer as Clairee is enjoyable, with McDonald making a good curmudgeon. Clairee is a role I think is under-written and does not sufficiently build up to the important part she plays in the show's climactic moment, but Springer handles the role nicely. Ashley Harmon is suitably spunky as the pink-obsessed Shelby trying to find her own way in the world, and it's a pleasure to watch the growth in Maggie Canniff's Annelle from timid girl to confident woman. Dori Bryan Ployer's portrayal of M'Lynn is natural and unaffected, and her heart-wrenching monologue is a highlight of the production.

The production team manages numerous sound effects such as gunshots, barking dogs and a radio the beauty parlor denizens turn on and off by pounding on it. The lighting design is simple but effective. The set is an impressive representation of the carport-turned-beauty-parlor of the story.

When M'Lynn wonders of Shelby's child, "Will he ever know what she went through for him?" she is articulating Harling's original purpose in telling this story. And although the motto of the beauty parlor where these characters meet is "There's no such thing as natural beauty," this play and this production of it both serve to illustrate how our lives are filled with exactly that.

"Steel Magnolias" runs through September 27th in the MMAS Black Box, 377 North Main St., Mansfield. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: 508-339-2822, mmas.org.

All five characters in this play have self-destructive tendencies, past or present, bubbling just below the surface: Suzanna struggled with anorexia; Max’s cold and cynical behavior has prevented him from connecting with anyone beside Suzanna; Andrew can’t resist any opportunity to become a saviour of lost souls, whatever the cost; Susan has entered into a relationship soon after her husband’s passing, with a man that her children worry will take advantage of her; and the title character makes us wonder if she might not be on the verge of self-destruction in a literal sense.

Becca Shor and Bob Williams display real chemistry as Suzanna and Max, adoptive siblings with secrets. Shor succeeds nicely in bringing the emotionally bruised and deeply conflicted Suzanna’s inner dialogue to the surface, and Williams manages to find the critical balance between amusing and infuriating that enables the audience to share in the other characters’ changing attitudes toward Max. Brian Moyer fully inhabits the difficult role of Andrew, taking a character that in lesser hands could be overshadowed by the play’s more combustible characters, and more than holding his own. Barbara Douglas as Susan is wonderful in a role that takes on increasing significance and strength as her motives and outlook are made clear. Brooke Casanova gives a powerfully nuanced performance as Becky, a young woman with her own problems and past whose introduction into their lives upsets the delicate balance being maintained by Suzanna, Max, and Andrew, bringing the fault lines in their relationships into sharp relief.

The set design makes impressive use of the small space, presenting not only three separate playing areas but also a clever and effortless transformation of the main area back and forth between bedroom and living room.

This is a conversation-centric play, with only limited physical action required for story purposes, and this production tackles that time-honored challenge by employing the equally time-honored “let’s pour/carry/sip a drink” stage business despite the fact that the continuous drinking is not directly relevant to the story progression – but this is a very minor quibble with a fine show filled with fine performances. There are few realistic alternatives, to be honest, and it is not a distraction.

The subject of intensity is referred to in the play a number of times; and while the play’s plot may appear aimless or even trivial at first, the intensity builds from a slow simmer to a full boil as character traits transition from simple distinguishing characteristics into crucial plot points driving a compelling blend of suspenseful drama and acerbic humor.

The Abbott Memorial Theater has been undergoing a round of capital improvements the past few years, and anyone who hasn’t visited in that time will be pleased by the comfortable new seats with plenty of legroom – but there are only 52 of them in this friendly little venue, so don’t wait to make a reservation or you’ll miss your chance to enjoy this excellent production.

Becky Shaw runs through March 26th in the Abbott Memorial Theater, 9 Spring Street at Joel Way, in Waltham. The drive from Raynham was surprisingly short, and the show is well worth the trip. Show times are 8:00 PM on March 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26, with a 2:00 PM matinee on March 20. More information is available at the Hovey Players website: http://www.hoveyplayers.com.

The festival, held at Oakes Ames Memorial Hall in Easton, was a rousing success – not only was it enthusiastically received by packed crowds, but co-producers Kirichok and Greiner were immediately inundated with pleas from audience members, cast, and crew to make the festival an ongoing affair. Carolyn Cole, Chair of the Easton Cultural District, called the event “a breakthrough in live theatre for Easton.” Invigorated by the success of the first festival and undeterred by the memory of the daunting challenges they faced the first time around, Kirichok and Greiner have undertaken to produce the Second Annual Shovel Town Ten-Minute Play Festival.

This September’s festival features eight short plays performed by a multi-generational group of over 30 local actors. One feature that makes this festival unique is that live music is performed between the pieces, both setting the mood for each play and allowing stage hands enough time to break down one play and set up for the next. As music teacher Greiner puts it, “Live music is just one more component in what is already an uncommon, exciting, and affordable evening of entertainment.”

The eight plays offer theatregoers a variety of experiences. “What’s in the Box?” explores just how far one will go to satisfy curiosity and pursue truth. In “Art Imitates Life,” a college student who has been working on a play about his parents returns home to discover his parents living out that unfinished play. “Grace” brings together a young runaway and an old woman who find a way to help each other and forge a new friendship. Two young singles who narrate their own lives have a chance encounter in the park in “A Brief Pause,” and in “Socks,” two people waiting for a bus find they have different outlooks on life. A young actor playing the ghost in a high school production of Hamlet catches a bad case of stage fright in “Hopeless Hamlet,” which is being directed by a student director under Kirichok’s mentorship. “Don’t Play Games with Me” introduces the quirky members of a group therapy session for board game fanatics, and “A Brief Argument of Time” sends the past, present, and future on a collision course.

A short play festival is like the weather in New England – if you don’t like what’s happening, just wait ten minutes. If last year’s festival is any indication, however, the only waiting that will be taking place at this year’s festival will be the people eagerly waiting in line for tickets because they didn’t purchase them ahead of time online.

Performances are only a few weeks away, on Friday September 23rd and Saturday September 24th at 7:30. The Oakes Ames Memorial Hall is located at 3 Barrows Street in North Easton. General Admission tickets are available online for only $15 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2582651. Tickets will also be available at the door for $20 ($18 for students and seniors).

After an introduction to the Keller family and their personal challenges, we meet Anne (“Annie”), her background and her personal demons revealed in pseudo-flashback form. These introductions are handled briskly and efficiently by the cast and crew, dividing the intimate space at MMAS into a variety of locations. The dramatic conflict ramps up when the Kellers and Annie meet – the genteel southern Captain Keller has difficulty accepting the outspoken and opinionated Yankee girl, Helen has difficulty accepting any attempts to control her animal-like behavior, and Annie has difficulty accepting the restrictions placed on her efforts to reach Helen.

The outcome is familiar by now, but the story is timeless. Annie’s struggle to reach the young girl trapped in a dark and silent world and help her to interact through language has the benefit of being a true story, but it also resonates as a metaphor for the ever-present struggle of all humanity, the struggle for each of us to find some way to make meaningful connections with one another. The ultimate scene, in which Helen suddenly realizes what Annie’s hand-spelling represents, and an understanding of the concept of language floods her mind with light, remains as moving and exhilarating a scene as can be found anywhere in theatre.

The core of the play is the relationship between Annie and Helen. Chelsea Cavagnaro’s Annie is a dynamo, showing the fierce determination that led her from Tewksbury to world renown, and Catherine Oliviere is wonderful in the difficult role of Helen. The pressures of dealing with Helen and the strained relationships in the Keller family are nicely portrayed by Bruce Church as Captain Keller, Atia DeRosa as Kate, and Samantha Eaton-Roberts as daughter Jamie (a casting variation, replacing the original role of son James). Wayne Nettnay, Sara Norton, Cindy McCarron, Nicola Lynch-Collier, and Katherine Ault all acquit themselves nicely in supporting roles.

Director Meg Quin Dussault makes a bold choice in adding the character of Sophia Hopkins (played by Julie Bellini), inserting her into a number of scenes to interpret the words and/or actions of various characters. Like many bold choices, this one had its strengths and its weaknesses. At first, I found her presence distracting and confusing; as the play progressed, her appearances became fewer and farther between, and less distracting. I’m not sure the choice worked, but I applaud the boldness and creativity; and none of this diminishes Bellini’s deft handling of a role that required her to be present and active on stage, but in an unusually discreet manner.

The company makes good use of the small space, portraying multiple settings and transitions without a hitch. The costumes by Brian W. Kenerson are solidly on the mark. Bruce Webster handled the sound design, including numerous sound effects and the use of recorded voice-overs to populate the flashback scenes.

The Miracle Worker is an intense and inspiring work, and a well-made production of it is taking place just up the road in Mansfield. The show runs only one more weekend, so go and see it while you still can; as a bonus, arrive early and enjoy the juried art show now hanging in the Morini Gallery in the theatre lobby. Tickets for The Miracle Worker are available online at http://www.mmas.org,  or by phone at 508-339-2822 on weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM.

While the show’s production is technically brilliant, and the special effects and the mechanics of the set changes are spectacular, the show itself leaves much to be desired. The music is unmemorable, predictable, and uninteresting, except for the quite pretty Ave Maria section of “The Story of Erik.”

The lyrics by Mr. Yeston, who won a Tony with Kopit for their collaboration on “Nine,” are filled with unfortunate rhymes and non-sequiturs. Some examples: “I’ve lived within my dreams/Now it seems I’ve awakened/And they’re real/Pinch and feel”; “You will know she is near/By a warmth in your ear/And your soul catching fire/Out in the world somewhere”; “Yes, I know I’m your son/And I more than surmise/I have known for some years/That my eyes are your eyes.”

The program notes tell us that the show was written, though not produced, before the Andrew Lloyd Webber version. Following Webber’s success on Broadway, the Yeston/Kopit version was resurrected by a Houston producer concerned that Webber’s show would be playing on Broadway and unavailable to all but a few selected cities for years to come. One has to wonder if this show ever would have seen the light of day if Webber had not been successful with his, and whether the show was put into production before the creative team was able to polish it to their award-winning standards.

The performers themselves are all of high quality, although for the sake of the dinner theatre crowd they have removed all traces of subtlety from their performances. The most successful expunger of subtlety is Charles Pistone as the Phantom - the delicate scent of my Chicken Chasseur dinner was easily overwhelmed by the redolence of Mr. Pistone’s large serving of ham. Marguerite Shannon, as Christine, does a solid job of showing the transition from a naive farm girl on her first day in Paris to a woman experiencing “the pain of a lover’s goodbye.” Meg Bussert’s Carlotta is big and brash and broadly drawn. All the singers demonstrate vocal abilities appropriate to their roles, although one might expect Mr. Pistone’s voice and presence to be a bit more commanding given his character’s supposed virtuosity. The chorus is practiced and proficient enough to pull off the production numbers with precision despite the fact that the (excellent) orchestra and conductor are behind and above them, well out of sight.

The spectacle of exploding chandeliers, arcing electrical wires, appearing and disappearing set pieces, lavish costumes, and gunfire-filled chases all combine to provide the play with a considerable amount of visual interest. The utter lack of subtlety, shameless sentimentality, and broadly drawn characters serve to provide the audience with an enjoyable, if not challenging, evening’s entertainment. Despite the tragic ending, the audience can leave the theatre feeling satisfied, both with the dinner and the theatre.

The play takes place in the days before an election in which incumbent President Charles Smith faces the prospect of a likely loss to his (unnamed) challenger. Smith’s approval ratings are “lower than Gandhi’s cholesterol,” his campaign is out of money, and his entire support system has given up hope – Smith’s wife calls asking if they can take the White House furniture with them when they leave, and his chief of staff Archer Brown counsels him, “Everybody hates you and you're out of money. Go home.” It seems as though all that’s left for Smith is to find some way to ensure a comfortable retirement before he leaves office. To that end, he devises a plan that involves shaking down the National Representative of Turkey Manufacturers, demanding an exorbitant fee for pardoning this year’s Thanksgiving turkey, until a visit from his speechwriter leads Smith to set his sights higher.

David Mamet made his name as a playwright in the 70s, writing plays brimming with criticism of materialistic tendencies in American culture and commentary on the corruption of all aspects of American life brought on by unethical business practices. Mamet's dark tone and the demands he made of his audiences made him and his early work an acquired taste.

New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley referred to Mamet's November, which debuted on Broadway in January of 2008, as "a David Mamet play for people who don't like David Mamet." Such a statement raised warning flags at the time. Each playwright has their own unique voice that makes them who they are and is a primary driver of their success, and playwrights who abandon their voice also risk the loss of the very characteristics that brought them success. In fact, November met with mixed reviews and moderate success.

Much has changed, even in the short eight years since November premiered during the final year of the George W. Bush administration. The current political climate makes some of Smith’s foibles seem quaint (although his cavalier threats to send anyone he doesn’t like off to secret prison and torture remain chilling), and the critical subplot involving his lesbian speechwriter who wants to marry her partner but can’t because it’s illegal has become an anachronism. Fortunately for today’s audiences, the humor in November is, as noted above, less challenging than Mamet’s early work, and much of it is generic enough that it remains relevant. Ironically, given Mamet’s history, the play’s lighthearted view of political corruption provides a brief respite from today’s dark reality.

Norfolk’s Bill Roberts plays Smith with aplomb and bluster, highlighting the play’s sit-com style as a marriage of Mamet with Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy. Dan Powers (Dorchester) is a steady presence as Smith’s chief of staff Brown, a brake on the runaway train that is his boss – at least until a shot at $200 million complicates the situation. Kerry Dailey of Canton is memorable as speechwriter Clarice Bernstein, a lesbian with a bad cold who wants to marry her partner – and who provides unexpected inspiration for a despondent Smith. Norwood resident Ted Zayka plays the National Representative of Turkey Manufacturers, frustrated and perplexed by the antics he encounters in the Oval Office and fiercely protective of his avian charges. Ethan Butler, of Newton, gives a solid performance in a small role as a tribal chief engaged in (violent) negotiations with Smith over the rights to Nantucket.

Lighting the Black Box Theater, with its low ceiling, must be quite a challenge, but was well managed in this case. Sound was also well done, with politically themed tunes filling in breaks. The set, a classy representation of the Oval Office, was quite nice, with many architectural and decorative details, including a lovely authentic circa-1790 grandfather clock. Brian William Kenerson certainly faced less of a challenge in costuming this show than he did in the recent MMAS production of The Miracle Worker, but he succeeded in the particular case that I won’t mention here so as to keep this review spoiler-free.

Despite Mamet’s uncharacteristic approach to the play’s subject matter, his penchant for curse words is on full display, so anyone sensitive to such things should consider themselves forewarned.

November runs through November 6th, closing just two days before a new episode of real-life political theatre opens nationwide. Before you head out to the polls on Tuesday, make a trip to Mansfield this weekend and enjoy a couple hours of therapeutic laughter. Tickets for November are available online at http://www.mmas.org,  or by phone at 508-339-2822 on weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Goldman’s Eleanor of Aquitaine is a true product of her environment. Growing up as a free and independent woman, she feels trapped and powerless within the walls of Chinon. She truly loves her husband (and King) Henry, and is tormented by the presence of his young mistress Alais. Angry and frustrated, driven by fear and bitterness, she asserts herself the only way left to her - she schemes for power for her favorite prince, Richard, and schemes against Henry both in his relationship with Alais and his preference for Prince John.

Henry II is the lion of the title. The play takes place six years before his death - he is in the winter of his life. His motives are markedly different from Eleanor’s. His maneuvers do not arise out of bitterness or frustration, although he is constrained by his two driving forces: the desire to preserve the kingdom he has labored to build; and his love for Alais. With three surviving sons, he realizes that this will not be an easy task - for all three are ambitious.

The strength of the characters in this play is crucial to its success. The characters are built through the actors’ delivery of the dialogue, and when that delivery is compromised by physical or vocal limitations, it creates a vacuum difficult to fill. This play is an ambitious undertaking, and unfortunately, not all of the cast is up to the challenge.

John Gordon, as Henry, has the physical presence necessary to the role. Tall and gray-bearded, he carries himself with kingly bearing, an icon of an aging but still powerful warrior draped in the flowing robes of his office. When he speaks, his voice can be commanding; but in the more intimate scenes, he is also able to invest his voice with the weary tenderness of a man who has seen and known too much.

Jean Dotterweich’s Eleanor is a match for Henry, both in physical appearance and in matters of intrigue. A tall, proud woman, moving purposefully about the stage, she easily evokes the image of the spirited young woman who once rode bare-breasted into battle during the Second Crusade.

Jim Ormond’s Richard bears a physical resemblance to the historical person, being tall, blonde, and blue-eyed. Unfortunately, his restrained performance does not effectively establish the character’s strength and fearlessness. His primary mode of expression is a spasmodic clenching and unclenching of his fists, and he appears to have difficulty raising his eyes when he is not speaking.

Alais is a small role with small demands. Melissa McLaughlin’s flowing golden locks help her look the part, but her performance does not match her appearance. The scene in which Henry gives (or pretends to give) her to Richard for an immediate wedding is particularly excruciating, watching her struggling loudly against Mr. Ormond’s wooden statue of Richard.

Prince Geoffrey is a small role also, and Giulio Defilippis fills it adequately. Unfortunately, the scene in which Geoffrey makes his play for the throne is Mr. Defilippis’ only opportunity in the play for him to explore the forgotten Geoffrey’s suffering and longing in any detail, and he did not make the most of his opportunity.

Erik Strongbow makes his Prince John a boisterous, blustery child, with a pronounced Cockney accent. The characterization at first seemed over the top, but surrounded by a stronger ensemble, his performance might have shone instead of glared.

As Prince Philip, Jay Savage portrays a cool, calculating character by means of a constant knowing smirk in yet another highly restrained performance. While lacking the swagger necessary to his character, Savage treads a fine line between projecting cool calculation and simple amiability, often successfully.

The costumes were quite impressive, especially for a company that describes itself in the program as “not rolling in money.” The set changes were handled by cast and crew alike, and involved a number of clever foldaway set pieces along with a collection of small tables, chairs, candle stands, and other homey castle accouterments. The first few set changes took uncomfortably long, but later changes were noticeably quicker.

The original Broadway production premiered at New York’s Biltmore Theatre in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley as Paul and Corie Bratter, young newlyweds beginning life together in a cramped fifth-floor walkup apartment. It was Simon’s second Broadway production (the first being Come Blow Your Horn in 1961), and his first big hit; and Simon, at 35, was beginning to find his unique voice in this play – witness the humorously bickering and ultimately inseparable couples, the endearingly oddball supporting characters, the witty and often caustic dialogue.

In February 1963, the rise of feminism and the sexual and cultural revolution were still years away, and Corie Bratter is “just a housewife.” Divorce was still extremely rare, and barely spoken of except in hushed tones. It would be nine months before President John F. Kennedy would be shot and killed in Dallas, and three months more before the Beatles would perform on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Most Americans had not yet heard of the small Asian nation called Vietnam.

Not surprisingly, there are moments in the play that are very much of its time, most of which are charming reminders of days past. Corie’s beloved Princess phone (“The little one? That lights up? In beige?”), was introduced in 1959 and was all the rage by 1963; today, they are collector’s items. A young couple could rent an apartment in Manhattan for one hundred twenty five dollars a month, and still think it cost too much. A very few lines in the play reflect attitudes that might be considered inappropriate today, but were unremarkable in 1963.

For technical reasons, Barefoot can be difficult to produce in a black box theatre, especially one with a low ceiling. The production crew successfully adapted the show to the realities of the space without a hint of awkwardness. The city rooftops backdrop is just wonderful, and a highlight of Ted Talanian’s set design. Kerin Shaughnessy’s lighting design avoids the dark spots that occasionally have been a problem for the venue in the past. Sound (Bruce Webster) is handled nicely, with appropriate choices of songs during breaks, and Jillian Holland is flawless in her handling of multiple mission-critical responsibilities - stage managing, set changes, and handling props. The costumes by Hannah A. Paul are perfectly suited (no pun intended with regard to the male cast members) to the time.

Despite the light-hearted nature of the play, the roles of Corie and Paul can be challenging. Corie needs to be naïve, open-minded, and adventurous without seeming childish. Paul needs to be a stuffy, straight-laced attorney while still coming across as someone Corie might have had good reason to fall in love with. Together, both actors have to create a credible relationship that has the audience rooting for their success. In all honesty, Simon does not expend much effort in the way of accomplishing this for the actors with his text. Fortunately, Ashley Harmon as Corie and Kevin Hayes as Paul are up to the task of carrying that weight with their performances and chemistry together.

Craig O’Connor makes an appealing Victor Velasco, the hedonistic neighbor who lives on the roof, and Barbara Schapiro gives a sensitive portrayal as Corie’s mother Ethel, struggling with the twin challenges of letting her daughter go and re-discovering herself as an individual. Lana Orlova is enjoyable as the wry telephone installer, and it was a treat to see the breathless and exhausted delivery man portrayed by the play’s director, Ken Levy on the night I attended (the rotating role is also played by David Harmon and Joseph Dougherty).

The world has changed since February 1963, but thankfully some things remain the same. It was a time when couples in love could start out with little more than dreams and ambitions, grow and work through their differences, and build a happy life together – just like today. Come live the dream with this fun cast!

The final performances will be this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (June 22-24) at 8PM, with a matinee on Sunday (June 25) at 2PM. Tickets are available online at http://www.mmas.org or by calling 508-339-2822.

Nowhere is the line between art and craft more blurred than in places like the Fuller Craft Museum on Oak Street in Brockton, and that blurring is made evident in their current exhibit, “Little Dreams in Glass and Metal: Enameling in America, 1920 to the Present.” The exhibition, the first of its kind in 50 years, is being toured nationally under the auspices of the Enamel Arts Foundation, and will be installed at Fuller (its first stop, and its only East Coast venue) through November 29th.

Enameling is perhaps most familiar in jewelry, but the exhibition proves that the field goes far beyond that. With over 120 works from 90 artists, the exhibition’s pieces come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and intentions. Yes, there is jewelry, but even within that category the visitor will find wildly different works: William Harper’s abstract-art brooch Labyrinth is an amalgam of gold, copper, silver, stones, and snail shell, the copper enameled with a cloisonné coat of arms; and Kenneth Bates’ Brooch is a miniature wearable still life of a vase and flowers, made from enamel over copper and surrounded by a sterling silver frame.

There are also many other pieces, large and small, that will challenge anyone hoping to make a distinction between art and craft. Enameling icon Frederick Uhl Ball’s Untitled Plaque, made from brilliant fragments of enameled copper, measures four feet by six feet and provides a shimmering focal point for the exhibition. James Melanda’s Stations of the Cross IX: Jesus falls for the third time juts from the wall and would be right at home in a sculpture exhibition. Jessica Calderwood’s Smoking Boy is a portrait that just happens to be executed in enameled metal (enamel and gold foil on copper), and the image in Jackson Woolley’s Plaque (Reclining Figure) owes far more to Picasso than it does to the process of heating glass until it fuses with metal. This exhibition makes clear that the craft known as enameling can be just another means to an artist’s end – no different, in that sense, from mixing oil paints on a canvas or carving blocks of marble.

“Little Dreams in Glass and Metal: Enameling in America, 1920 to the Present” runs through November 29th. The Fuller Craft Museum is located at 455 Oak Street in Brockton, just minutes off Route 24. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-5pm (Thursdays until 9pm). For more information, call the museum at 508-588-6000 or visit their website at http://www.fullercraft.org.

The single-room Morini Gallery is comfortable and well-lit. The works themselves range from prints on rice paper to three-dimensional sculptures. There’s something for almost everyone to like in this varied exhibit. "Specimen" is a collection of found objects set in separate compartments against painted backdrops. "Catfish" is a fanciful line drawing of a catfish, drawn with the artist’s non-dominant (i.e. left) hand and displayed still in the original spiral sketchbook. "Web" is an intriguing blend of collage and oils festooned with strings. "Woman in the Woods" positions a delicate painting of a woman on the wall behind a cluster of branches on a table. My personal favorite, "Borderland," combines the image of a fish painted on glass with a frame of natural objects.

Sanborn, believing art to be simply the tangible by-product of human responses to internal imaginative forces and external life experiences, invites visitors to both observe and touch the works. A table in the gallery is covered with materials for inspired visitors to use in creating their own art to exhibit alongside hers.

The Morini Gallery at the Mansfield Music & Arts Society, 377 N. Main Street, Mansfield, will host “The art of yes” by Karin Sanborn through Oct. 16. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday, 10-4p.m., or by appointment. The gallery is also open one hour before all scheduled theater performances.

Events known as quilting “bees” became extremely popular in America in the late 1800s among settlers on the Great Plains. A quilting bee was not only a gathering to share the work of making a quilt, but also an opportunity for often-isolated settlers to socialize. Throughout the long Great Plains winters, women would create squares to be used in creating a quilt; then in the spring and summer, families would come from many miles away to the gatherings, which included a feast and usually ended with music and dancing.

As the American Bicentennial approached in the 1970s, a wave of nostalgia sparked a revival in quilt making. Rather than dying out like many other fads of the time (the Pet Rock craze, for example, lasted little more than 6 months in 1975), the quilting craze actually grew stronger in subsequent decades, progressing from nostalgic quilting bees to large-scale quilt shows.

Today, the practice of quilting continues to grow in popularity, with organizations such as Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) stepping in to help guide and provide a community for quilters – in a sense, the modern-day equivalent of the 1800s bee, but on a much grander scale – and to sponsor shows of its members’ work such as the one currently at Fuller Craft Museum titled “Art as Quilt: Transitions in Contemporary Textile Media.” This juried exhibition, a collection of 36 pieces curated from 107 submissions by 55 SAQA members, opened October 3^rd and will run through January 17^th.

Visitors familiar only with traditional quilt designs will find some surprises. Exhibition juror Jamie Fingal of Orange, California, is an award-winning artist and author who refers to herself as a “rebel quilter” and aspires to a style that’s eclectic, edgy, and whimsical. Her own Joyful Noise resembles a traditional quilt at first glance, but the bold colors and abstract shapes provoke a closer examination.

Sharon McCartney’s bucolic abstract (yes, that combination is possible!) The Myth of Meditation combines pebbles with images of a bird and birches on a muted palette. The BU-trained artist, now living in western Massachusetts, says, “My attention has long been held by brief sightings of wildlife or the discovery of a growing jewel... Collecting natural forms and incorporating them into my work reaffirms truths that begin with the self, but are at once universal.”

Janice M. Jones lives and creates in the northeastern part of Massachusetts, but her lovely Vessel of Life evokes the American Southwest. Says Jones, “I've always felt motivated to create… a story that conveys a sense of tactile warmth and character. I want to draw the viewer in and invite them to touch and feel the energy of the piece.”

West Hartford’s Carol Vinick says, “Over the years I have tried to balance raising my family, work, and advocating for justice and peace in the world… My artwork needs to be a true expression of my thoughts, feelings, and political convictions.” Appropriately, her contribution to the exhibition is United We Stand, an image of workers attending a crowded union meeting.

Tutti Frutti Neighborhood is a striking jumble of whimsical cartoon homes. Says its creator, Sue Bleiweiss of Pepperell, “I really enjoy that full circle feeling of starting with plain white cloth and using it to create something that vibrates with color and makes you smile when you look at it… My goal is to create vibrant colorful and whimsical fiber art collages that delight the eye of the viewer.”

The contrast between two pieces by different artists treating similar local subjects illustrates the varying styles on display. Streets of Boston, by Judy Ross, is a brightly colored artist’s rendition of a road map of the city. Reading-based Sue Colozzi’s One if by Land, and Two if by Sea… And One in the Air embodies her statement, “I strive to portray the scene as realistically as possible, finding the perfect fabric and thread to accurately convey what I see, but still express a sense of whimsy.” Each of these two pieces achieves its desired effect, although those effects (and the approaches taken to achieve them) are markedly different from one another.

At the end of one hallway lurks Crazy Eights, a fiery three-dimensional dragon by Nancy Turbitt of Smithfield, Rhode Island. Of her work, Turbitt says, “My love of storytelling and whimsy play a large part… I am a lover of intense, bold colors, and use my strong sense of color theory to impart a unique style to my work.”

Over two dozen artists are represented in the exhibit, and many of the quilts on display are available for purchase.

“Art as Quilt: Transitions in Contemporary Textile Media” runs through January 17^th. The Fuller Craft Museum is located at 455 Oak Street in Brockton, just minutes off Route 24. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-5pm (Thursdays until 9pm). For more information, call the museum at 508-588-6000 or visit their website at http://www.fullercraft.org.

All the models are painstakingly crafted to an exact 1:164 (sometimes 1:64) scale, and Stan spends many hours researching the architectural details of each structure. The smallest, simplest ones take just a day to build, but some of his more elaborate works can take several months; the collection on display at the Fuller has examples of each.

Local sports fans will take great delight in Stan's gorgeous representation of Fenway Park. The city of Boston is further represented by models of Trinity Church and the John Hancock Tower, but the exhibit includes buildings from around the world. The Eiffel Tower stands watch over the center of the exhibit. The front room includes, alongside Fenway and Trinity Church, the instantly recognizable St. Basil's Cathedral from Moscow's Red Square, the White House, and the Taj Mahal, among others. The room to the rear includes the monolithic Hancock Tower, the Empire State Building, two models of Stonehenge (then and now), and a stunning model of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

Visitors will also enjoy the 10,000-toothpick model of the Titanic - a ship in a bottle to end all ships in bottles. The International Space Station spins overhead as other wonders of the world below await inspection. There's the Arc de Triomphe, the Blue Mosque from Istanbul, a medieval stave church found in the village of Borgund, Norway, and still more.

If you know anyone who might think that making sculptures from toothpicks is little more than a frivolous and childish pastime, there's a good chance this exhibit will change their mind. Bring them (and your kids!) with you to see some of what Stan Munro has achieved in pursuing his passion with nothing more than ordinary toothpicks, Elmer's glue, and hard work.

“Toothpick World: From Sliver to Skyline” runs through March 27th. The Fuller Craft Museum is located at 455 Oak St. in Brockton, just minutes off Route 24. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Thursdays until 9 p.m.). For more information, call the museum at 508-588-6000 or visit its website at  http://www.fullercraft.org.

Fat and juicy caterpillars are a favorite meal for birds, which is one reason why the Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon in Canton is hosting Life on the Leaf Edge: Photographs of Native Caterpillars, an exhibition of photographs by Samuel Jaffe.

A New England based naturalist, photographer, and educator, Jaffe grew up in eastern Massachusetts and spent his youth, as he puts it, “chasing birds, mucking through ponds, and turning over leaves.” In 2013, Jaffe founded The Caterpillar Lab, a non-profit program in Keene, New Hampshire, and he now travels across the country working with museums, nature centers, schools, and individual teachers helping native insects find a place in our everyday lives.

The exhibit illustrates many facets of caterpillar life. Different caterpillars employ different strategies in evading predators. Jaffe’s “Pleather” shows a Dasylophia anguina in full defensive posture, its brilliant colors warning birds that it might be toxic. “Five Dead Leaves” is an excellent example of caterpillar camouflage, with two elm sphinx caterpillars hanging from a branch of dead elm leaves and blending right in with them. “Camouflaged Looper” shows how a Synchlora aerate caterpillar can go unnoticed on a blue vervain host plant by mimicking the plant’s appearance.

The luminous “Chrysalis” reveals a Venessa cardui (also known as “painted lady”) butterfly during the next stage of its life cycle, as it develops and reorganizes itself. “Joined” shows a brightly-patterned pair of mating adult cecropia moths - North America's largest native moth, with a wingspan of up to six inches – and “Gravity” shows the same creature in its caterpillar state, hanging upside down from (and feasting on) a buttonbush branch.

By necessity, the exhibit can present only a small subset of the many varieties of New England caterpillar, but offers an impressively diverse sampling. The stick-like Lytrosis unitaria in “Early Kingdom” is virtually indistinguishable from the branch it inhabits. “Orange Red Green” shows three Eumorpha achemon caterpillars on a grapevine, identical except for their colors. The caterpillars in “Three Swallowtails” could not be more different in appearance from one another despite sharing a body shape. The smooth Phosphila turbulenta massed in “Turbulent Abstract” are striped a shiny black and white the full length of their bodies, making a sharp contrast with the spiky orange Simyra insularis in “Waste Places” and the fuzzy yellow Apatelodes torrifacta in “Red Boots.”

Life on the Leaf Edge: Photographs of Native Caterpillars by Samuel Jaffe is open to the public through April 24, Tuesday–Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. MABA is located on a 121-acre wildlife sanctuary at 963 Washington Street in Canton. Admission is free to members of Mass Audubon; non-member admission is $4 for adults, $3 for children (2-12) and seniors (65+). For more information, visit http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/museum-of-american-bird-art or call 781-821-8853.

For more information on Samuel Jaffe and The Caterpillar Lab, visit http://www.samueljaffe.com or http://www.thecaterpillarlab.org.

Visitors to the exhibition will find a variety of media represented. There are photographs, oil paintings, acrylics, cut paper, pastels, cast glass and metal sculptures, mixed media, watercolors, photo transfers,.. and even a quilt.

The artists themselves are no less diverse than their works. Some are graduates of art schools, and work in art-related fields, to be sure. Ingrid Johnson, who painted her Monarch Chrysalis during the last fall that any were seen in our area, is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She characterizes another of her pieces in the exhibition, an abstract photo transfer on silk entitled Tortoise, Tree, Bird, as “an expression of gratitude for the natural world that we can’t assume will always be there.” Andrea Connor, born in Boston and now living in Cold Spring, New York, earned her fine arts degree from Pratt Institute. Her contribution to the exhibition is a selection of cut-paper three-dimensional shadow boxes/dioramas from a series she calls “Predators, Prey, and Scavengers.”

Other artists are employed in the environmental sciences. Janet DeLonga is a conservation agent who contributes the richly detailed Vernal Pool with Cranberries, and Mansfield’s Jim Borrebach, who has spent his career assessing and cleaning up the effects of humans on their environment, offers the photograph Egrets Nesting.

Of course, concern for the environment is not limited to those whose work is related to environmental issues; artists from all walks of life are inspired by the subject. Helen Lozoraitis of Wareham, who creates mixed media works such as Habitat and Night Sentinel by weaving images from the real world into collages with fictional landscapes, is a technology professional as well as a talented artist. Lawrence Scott Brink is a corporate executive vice-president when not producing stunning photographs of wetlands like Wetland Meadow and Stream from his West Newton studio. The photograph Epic is just a sample from a series of images of forests in transition created by Diana Barker Price, who is also a successful author and screenwriter.

Mixed media makes another appearance in the multi-layered organic abstract Clearest Echoes of the Hills from Hanover artist Mary Wilkas, and Diane Chester-Demicco of Brookline contributes a collection of cast sculptures like Heart Stone Cornucopia and The Nest, expressing her passion for the natural world by blending earthy reality with sparkling fantasy.

Through their works collected in this exhibition, the artists of “What Have We Got to Lose?” (including a dozen others not mentioned here purely for reasons of space) share their own unique personal visions of the natural beauty and resources that we risk losing to climate change, providing gallery visitors an opportunity to consider the effects from a number of different perspectives.

“What Have We Got to Lose?” runs through June 20th. The Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 293 Moose Hill Parkway in Sharon. Visitor hours are 9AM-5PM on weekdays and 10AM-4PM on weekends.  For more information, call the Sanctuary at 781-784-5691 or visit http://www.massaudubon.org/moosehill.

The exhibit consists of color and monochrome photographs including landscapes, seascapes, and images of natural features from the area. The exhibit's name refers to the fact that Barber is often up before first light, placing himself in the right place at the right time in order to capture those fleeting moments when light and subject combine in just the right way to reveal the extraordinary beauty all around us.

An ardent admirer of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, Barber emulates Adams' masterful work in the darkroom as much as his skilled eye. Each print is painstakingly crafted to precisely express the desired light and texture. For his monochrome prints, Barber hand-mixes as many as seven dilutions of carbon pigment ink, and his color prints use pigments carefully calibrated to enhance the presentation of each individual image. All his prints are built to last, printed on 100% cotton rag paper with archival-quality inks.

Of course, physical durability is hardly the first quality of art usually considered; fortunately, Barber’s photographs achieve a high degree of aesthetic quality as well, and visitors lucky enough to catch the exhibition before it ends will find much to enjoy.

Barber demonstrates a variety of virtuosic monochrome techniques. Cascade, an in-studio still life of orchids, is a textbook study in simplicity of composition and the balance of light and shadow. Welcome Light, from the Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, RI, is reminiscent of Norman Rockwell’s painting Shuffleton’s Barbershop in its use of visual depth. Beacon, taken at Ned’s Light in Mattapoisett, is a perfect example of finding the right place at the right time, as the sun in the background appears to be shining from a lighthouse in the foreground, illuminating sea, sky, and strand. Several images were made on the shores of Little Quittacas Pond in Rochester: Winter Grasses is a delicate white-on-white image of snow-laden grasses; Island in the Mist pairs a small, treed island with its reflection in the mirror-smooth surface of the pond; and in the haunting Winter Light, a bitter north wind howls, blowing snow horizontally through a softly shadowed cluster of trees.

As fine as the monochromes are, Barber’s color works add yet another dimension for viewers to enjoy. Late Afternoon, taken at Betty’s Neck in Lakeville, with its deep blue sky and bright orange leaves, is an iconic vision of the brilliant light and sharp-edged shadows found in autumn forests. Day’s End, from Town Beach in Isleboro, ME, is a lovely image in pastels that has to be seen in person, printed on the cotton rag paper, for its textures to be fully appreciated. Other highlights include (but are hardly limited to) the panoramic Sentinel, taken at Pocksha Pond in Lakeville, the pastoral First Light from Bay Farm in Duxbury, the stunning Passage, showing daybreak at the Sandwich Boardwalk, and Sunrise in Sampson’s Cove (Lakeville), crafted to resemble a deep-hued watercolor.

Over two dozen other excellent pieces round out the collection; and while the lighting in the Great Ponds Gallery was not ideal the day I visited, the room is large and spacious, allowing ample breathing room for the many works. All the works are for sale as well, either as prints or already framed and matted.

Time is quickly running out to see this (free) exhibition by a talented local artist – it runs only through May 30^th. The Lakeville Public Library is open 12-8 on Monday, 10-8 on Tuesday and Thursday, 10-6 on Wednesday, and 10-2 on Saturday (closed Sunday and Friday). For additional information, please contact the library director at 508-947-9028 or visit http://www.lakevillelibrary.org.

Since his first public exhibit in 1981, Weinstein's work has been shown in galleries in Toronto, Cape Cod, Boston, western Massachusetts, Nashville, and his native New York's SOHO district. He has been commissioned by customers in the U.S. and Canada, and his works can be found in private collections across North America and Europe.

Weinstein discovered his passion for painting while he was working as an award-winning producer and director in television and motion pictures. He made the transition through studies at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and with artists in New York’s Hudson Valley. Given his roots, it is perhaps no surprise that he says of his work, "To me everything is in motion, everything is alive, everything has a heartbeat. I was surrounded by movement and noise on the streets of the city and it was all very natural. That finds its way into my paintings."

“From Light to Life” is his latest series, a collection of (mostly) landscapes. The 20 pieces reflect Weinstein’s influences in the Post-Impressionists of late 19th century Europe – vivid and sometimes unnatural colors, thick application of paint, an emphasis on form distorted for expressive effect, and a tendency toward the abstract – as well as the Canadian artists known as the Group of Seven, leaders in the art world a few decades later.

One of my favorites, “The Sentinel,” uses bold, broad strokes of deep colors to portray the moment between fiery sunset and the dark of night. Two pieces, “Black & White” and “Garden Sun,” show similar scenes in completely different lights – the first mostly in black and white with only highlights of bright color, and the second essentially reversing the palette. “Beach Walk” is a wash of greys, greens, and blues capturing early morning light, while “Morning Bay” is virtually a blaze of red, orange and yellow (in some ways a mirror image of “The Sentinel”), and “Last Light” shows deeper colors both in the sky and reflected on water below. “Morning in Red” is a change of pace in muted reds and softer brush strokes. Another favorite, “City Light,” provides a contrast to the rural landscapes found in most of the other paintings, and reminds me of early work by abstract pioneer Wassili Kandinsky.

The collection presents a varied and creative look at real life subjects as they are revealed (or perhaps reveal themselves) across a wide range of lighting conditions and emotional perspectives, both complementing and contrasting with one another. A fellow art aficionado called Weinstein’s works “beacons in a dark universe” – and who among us couldn’t use a little more light in our lives?

“From Light to Life” continues through the end of November at the Flora T. Little Gallery in the Bridgewater Public Library, located at 15 South Street in Bridgewater. The gallery is open during regular library hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9AM to 8PM; Thursday from 10AM to 5PM; and Friday and Saturday from 10AM to 2PM.

Silas Kopf, widely considered one of the leading marquetry (wood inlay) artists in the country, has been active in his chosen community of Easthampton for four decades. The former student of architecture even purchased and renovated an historic 1885 firehouse in the center of town – as he puts it, “saving it from a near-certain fate as yet another coffee shop or restaurant.” Kopf’s six-foot-tall three-panel “Laurel Satinwood Screen” dominates the entrance to the exhibit, and his whimsical “Cuckoo Clock,” made from cherry and cherry burl, hangs on the wall alongside it. My personal favorite of his exhibited works, however, was “Aquarium,” a blending of wood, stone, brass, and mother-of-pearl. The piece recalls at once both an aquarium and a treasure chest – a chest whose lid handle consists of the tentacle of an octopus on the verge of escaping from its aquarium.

JoAnn Kelly Catsos, who describes herself as a farmer’s daughter, weaves baskets in Ashely Falls. She works in clean simple lines ornamented by patterns and clever details. The splints in “Zena” are woven in a pleasing spiral. “Babylon,” “Tea Rose,” and especially “Starry Starry Night” remind one as much of the southwestern United States as the southwestern corner of Massachusetts. One of her larger pieces on display, “Snowflake Sewing Basket,” shows an advanced sense of form and proportion. Catsos herself produces fewer than half a dozen baskets a year nowadays – not because she works slowly, but because she spends so much time traveling the world and teaching her craft to others that her opportunities to spend time on her own works are limited!

Mark Shapiro has been making wood-fired ceramic pottery in his Worthington studio for 25 years. His focus is on functionality, but he takes great care to ensure a balance between purpose and beauty.  Says Shapiro, “Pots… have to look good and work well in so many settings: on your table, in the dish-drain or the cupboard, on the mantel, or on a pedestal in a gallery.” This attitude leads to some diversity in Shapiro’s work. His “Tall Bottle Group” resembles a sparse stand of bamboo, while “White Stoneware Bottle Group” could pass for a family of statues from pre-Columbian South America; and “Cup Group” is a grouping of 15 vastly different pieces that clearly illustrates how function can be embodied in many forms.

Glassmaker Josh Simpson helped found the Craft Emergency Relief Fund to support fellow artists in need of assistance, as well as Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program, an educational institution. In his studio in Shelburne Falls, Simpson crafts entire worlds. An artist whose natural surroundings have a powerful thematic influence on his work, he is best known for his solid glass “planets,” inspired by the expansive night sky he sees overhead during late night walks from his home to his studio to check on his furnace.  “Verdant Megaworld” provides a sampling of Simpson’s planetary efforts, layers of glass formed into globes with embedded gold, glass strips, and other decorations. His hand-blown “Inhabited Vase” infuses turquoise glass with a veil of melted silver.

Mara Superior is originally from New York City, but for the past 30 years she has lived in rural Williamsburg, where her initial misgivings about the move were replaced by an eagerness to learn everything about gardening and animals. Superior merges painting with ceramics to create works that reflect themes meaningful to her, creating tray-like ceramic bodies and decorating them with collections of small designs.  “English Delftware” is British-themed; “Americana” is a collection of representations of pottery items from various American cities; and “A Collection of Celadons” is, well,… a collection of images of celadons (ceramic items glazed in a particular jade green color) from museums around the world.

(413): Pioneering Western Massachusetts runs through November 27th. The Fuller Craft Museum is located at 455 Oak Street in Brockton, just minutes off Route 24. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Thursdays until 9 PM). For more information, call the museum at 508-588-6000 or visit their website at http://www.fullercraft.org.

John Williams was the guest conductor for the first half, which included Barber’s Violin Concerto, with Gil Shaham as soloist. The concerto’s first movement opens with the statement of a relatively disjunct but tuneful theme by the soloist. The orchestra repeats the theme, and then a second theme is introduced, a quiet march reminiscent of Respighi. This theme may have been inspired by World War II, which was raging all around Barber (he was in Switzerland) at the time he was composing the first two movements in 1939. The soloist once again comes to the fore, and a false cadence leads to a development section over the march beat kept up by the strings. Eventually, descending lines in the wind instruments, like a cascade of falling leaves or rain, wash away the martial beat and the full orchestra triumphantly restates the original theme. The second theme returns again, this time darker in color, and the movement fades out over the martial beat as pieces of the original theme appear briefly in the solo violin and the winds.

The second movement starts quietly with an oboe solo, taken up by the violin and orchestra, and then an open cadence in the strings and horns leads to a statement of a second theme by the solo violin. This theme is quite disjunct, and the music proceeds through a series of open and false cadences, a cadenza-like sequence between the violin and the orchestra, and a blare of martial trumpets. Finally the violin and orchestra come together for a sequence of the original theme. Just when the music seems poised for a lyrical, triumphant conclusion, it turns dark, the violin plays a mini-cadenza again, and the movement fades out to a rumble in the drums and low strings.

The rumble returns in the third movement, in the drums, more violent than before. The third movement is more dissonant and not as tuneful as the first two, markking Barber’s period of transition from a melodic-romantic style to a leaner, more austere style with more complex meters and dissonance. Barber labels this movement “in moto perpetuo” (in perpetual motion), and the solo violin takes off on a wild ride, while the orchestra struggles to keep up. The accompaniment here is mostly chordal, with each section of the orchestra taking turns as if in a relay race. Eventually, the violin makes a long descent while the strings ascend, and they meet. As the other sections join in, the whole orchestra has “caught up” and now the orchestra and the violin trade repetitions of the phrases. Finally, the music reaches a crescendo capped off by big chords and a last dash by the violin.

One historical account has Barber sending the first two movements to the sponsor (Samuel Fels) who had commissioned the piece for his adopted violinist son, only to be told that it was not showy enough. He responded with the third movement, which was quickly declared by the sponsor’s son (Iso Briselli) as unplayable. Barber found a music student to play the piece on two hours’ notice, bought (or was given) back the rights, and premiered the piece two years later. In more recent accounts, Briselli himself has claimed that he never had anything but praise for the piece, and that his opinion of the third movement was simply that it was “too lightweight” compared to the other two movements. The movement might also be taken to represent Barber’s hurried flight home to Philadelphia where he completed the movement after beginning it in war-torn France.

Gil Shaham, a graduate of the Horace Mann School in New York City and 1990 recipient of the Avery Fisher Grant, has appeared annually at Tanglewood since 1993. He has recently been much in the public eye, plugging a new recording on frequent talk-show visits. He and the BSO performed this piece beautifully.

Following the intermission, Seiji Ozawa resumed his normal place at the head of the BSO and led the orchestra through Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. This piece, also written in 1939, glorifies the common man who was fighting and dying for the cause of freedom in Europe and the Pacific at the time it was composed.

This was followed by Copland’s Canticle of Freedom, for which the orchestra was joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, under the direction of John Oliver. This piece, with its dramatic and patriotic text, was presented with a great deal of pomp and circumstance.

Copland’s Lincoln Portrait was next, with James Earl Jones taking the role of narrator to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial. The piece begins with a rhythmic motive borrowed from the military “Taps.” The opening orchestral section is meant to represent Lincoln’s character. It weaves together high strings and brass, representing the glory of the commander-in-chief, with somber lower strings befitting the memorial of a murdered statesman. It suddenly explodes into a folk dance-like section which recalls actual folk melodies from Lincoln’s era. The raucous dance is stalled by dissonance from the returning low strings, and the text begins. The text consists of a series of quotes from Lincoln, each of which is introduced by a simple melody in various sections of the orchestra that fades to long chords as the text is read, punctuated occasionally to emphasize or illustrate the emotion behind the words. Following each text selection, the music crescendos almost to a fanfare, then suddenly transitions to simple melody to introduce the next piece of text. After the final excerpt from the Gettysburg Address, the music climaxes in a glorious rush of sound, yet still informed by the deep notes of the low strings and drums. This piece was presented most movingly, despite the muddied amplification of Mr. Jones’ voice, and there was scarcely a dry eye under the canopy by the end. Copland said his aim was to create the piece as something for “a large audience and special occasions” and he hit the bullseye on this day.

The program concluded with “The Promise of Living” from Copland’s The Tender Land, Copland’s only opera, inspired in part by photos of down-and-out but courageous farmers in the 1930s. The piece was originally a quintet but here is arranged for chorus, and the orchestra was once again joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. The piece follows a verse/refrain structure, as one would expect, and feels like a cross between folk song and hymn. The piece ended the concert on the right note, so to speak, reaffirming the strength and nobility of the common man by setting words about sharing, laboring, and loving to noble, joyful, high-spirited music.

At the concert’s conclusion, the audience was invited to join in singing America the Beautiful with the orchestra and chorus. Once again, nary a dry eye was to be found amongst the Independence Day Weekend revelers.

The Penderecki String Quartet was founded in Poland in 1991 and is now based at Canada’s Wilfred Laurier University. Music Mountain is the oldest continuous chamber music festival in the United States, founded in 1930. Gordon Hall (according to Music Mountain literature, the only cultural institution ever built by Sears Roebuck) is designed to be an analog of the violin, with ceiling beams as the sound post and bass bar, air spaces in the walls, and French doors as F holes. It is not violin-shaped, however - it is low, rectangular, and open. The acoustics are excellent; there is not a bad seat in the house. Music Mountain is operated entirely by volunteer management and workers.

In introducing the work by Mendelssohn, the master of ceremonies made it a point to mention that the piece was written when the precocious composer was only 18 years old. The piece bristles with youthful energy, and this knowledge provides some insight into the nature of the piece.

Mendelssohn is viewed primarily as a Classicist who borrowed elements of Romanticism. His conservative nature and upbringing led him to be initially distrustful of the Romantic style, and his striving to achieve his ends with the simplest means possible is typical of the Classicists. As an interesting aside, we may note that this yearning for simplicity also places him in alignment with the Renaissance composers of the middle to late 1500s and modernists such as Copland - as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. At any rate, despite Mendelssohn’s Classical tendencies, he was clearly taken with the work of Beethoven and the composers who were defining Romanticism around the time this piece was written. The young Mendelssohn was pleased to have had this atypical piece mistaken for Beethoven’s work, and he introduced Beethoven (and, to be balanced, the archetypal Classicist Mozart) to the repertory when he was appointed head of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig in 1835.

Mendelssohn wrote his Quartet in A Major in the year of Beethoven’s death, and in it he may be showing the influence of Beethoven’s work. For example, just as Beethoven weaves the same (now-famous) rhythmic motive throughout his 5th Symphony, there is a rhythmic motive which appears throughout all four movements of the Mendelssohn quartet. Interestingly, this rhythmic motive is the same as we find in Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, used here to vastly different effect. Whereas in the Copland the motive recalls “Taps,” here it is derived from a love song written earlier in the year by Mendelssohn himself and sounds (or is made to sound) for all the world like a dance rhythm, sometimes courtly and sometimes sprightly.

The first movement introduces the three-note motive (“Ist es wahr?” - “Is it true?”), it is revisited several times in the fugue-like second movement, it weaves in and out of the third while the music shifts from homophonic to polyphonic and back again, and a false cadence in the fourth movement leads to a final restatement. Here Mendelssohn hews more closely to the Classical style, as the motive is extended somewhat in this final restatement but not fundamentally changed from its first appearance.

Following an intermission, the quartet was joined by Francine Kay (a Tanglewood Fellow with a Bachelors and Masters Degree from Juilliard who has also studied at the Banff Centre and the Royal Conservatory of Music) on piano for the Dvorak Piano Quintet in A Major. Dvorak was a ripe old 34 years of age when he wrote this piece, and it well illustrates his penchant for combining the Classical and Romantic styles as well as Czech/Bohemian nationalism. While he respected Classical forms, he was not unaffected by the “natural, self-expressive, emotional, exotic” Romantic style. He liked to work Bohemian folk melodies into his works; or rather, melodies that sounded like Bohemian folk tunes, as most of his “folk” themes were actually originals written in the style of folk tunes. Interestingly, given the presence of Mendelssohn’s “mistaken-for-Beethoven” piece on the program, this work by Dvorak has been called “Beethovenian” by, among others, Dvorak’s teacher Smetana.

The first movement is in Classical sonata-allegro form, but the second theme in the movement sounds very folk-like. The second movement is a rondo which alternates a stately melody with a faster, lighter, more energetic folk melody. This movement has several piano passages which sound reminiscent of Chopin in their lightness and quickness. The movement ends in an almost funereal passage. The third movement is modeled on the furiant, a Bohemian dance, turning this movement into a folk version of the Classical minuet and trio form. Dvorak cleverly transforms the folk dance into a waltz, yet another nod to the Classical style despite the liberties he takes with it. He takes liberties with the rondo form as well in the final movement, where parts are repeated in rondo style, but with forays into polyphony. Just as the quartet seems to be fading out, the theme reasserts itself in all five instruments and the piece ends with great joyful energy.

The Penderecki Quartet performed extremely well, and the immediacy of the sound in the small hall (it seats about 300) was quite an experience. The subtleties in the dynamics, the sound of bow on strings, the quartet’s close proximity, and the free flow of sound unimpeded by intermediate recording and playback equipment made for an experience that was as much physical as aural. Ms. Kay’s piano playing was on a par with the quartet, and I would have enjoyed having another opportunity to hear her on the program.