Easthampton, MA (date): For the past four years, Easthampton resident and documentary filmmaker Meagan Murphy and her team have worked to create The Breast Archives, a groundbreaking documentary about women and their breasts. The film features nine women, most of whom were filmed with their breasts exposed. In a series of interviews, they explore, critique and celebrate the complex role of the breasts and their role in body image, health and social identity.

The screening will take place at The Academy of Music in Northampton, MA at 274 Main St, Northampton, MA 01060 on Sunday September 17th. Tickets are available at https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1521137. The film will begin at 5pm.

Please view the trailer here:

View on Vimeo.

Private screenings of the film have been met with inspired and thoughtful dialogue. When the lights come up, audiences are moved to share how the internalization of media images, religion and cultural contexts have influenced their relationships with their bodies and one another. The enthusiastic testimony isn’t limited to breast-havers: men often rave that The Breast Archives has connected them more deeply with the experiences and feelings of their partners.

Murphy is hopeful that the local community will support the film and its aim of engaging all people in a liberating, compassionate and expanded relationship with breasts. The honesty and generosity of the nine women in the film empowers all women to resist and rise above the media’s demands that our womanhood be conformist and that our breasts be perfectly formed, exclusively sexual or solely nurturing.

As the project plans for its first public showing, Murphy is launching an ambitious IndieGoGo fundraising campaign on September 14th in order to raise funds to market the film internationally.
 

Changes In Latitudes, the nation’s premier Jimmy Buffett tribute show, will be playing a special Thanksgiving weekend show at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls on Saturday, November 26 at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the show are $15. There will also be a pre-concert Parrothead Tailgate Party that begins at 6:00 PM.

Changes In Latitudes is an eight-piece band which authentically recreates all of the sights and sounds of a real Jimmy Buffett concert, bringing a taste of Margaritaville to audiences wherever they go.. They have been touring up and down the coast from Maine to Florida (and even the Caribbean!!!) for the past decade, living on island time as they perform everybody’s favorite Jimmy Buffett songs about beaches, boats, burgers and bars.

To find out more about Changes In Latitudes visit their website at http://www.ChangesInLatitudes.com, where you can meet the band’s members, check out their photo album, listen to audio clips, watch video of the band in action, view their complete performance schedule, and purchase CDs of their own original “Trop-Rock” music.

Changes In Latitudes at the Shea Theater $15
Saturday, November 26 8:00 PM

Pre-concert Parrothead Tailgate Party 6:00 PM

The Shea Theater
71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA
http://www.TheShea.org 413-863-2281

Changes In Latitudes
http://www.ChangesInLatitudes.com
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Jane Stephenson
Greenfield Center School
413-773-1700
admissions@centerschool.net
http://centerschool.net

Arts and Crafts Rumpus in Greenfield-- for ages 1-100-- December 5th from 10-4

Greenfield, Massachusetts Greenfield Center School is hosting its annual Rumpus-a colossal arts and crafting event for all ages. Rumpus features a craft fair of 25 selected artisans from the region, a silent auction, open house, and art workshops for children ages 3-12. In addition food, music and crafting demonstrations will be offered all day.

All are welcome to attend Rumpus. Shoppers will find a lovely array of fresh, beautiful hand-made wares to choose from. The silent auction will offer artwork along with goods and services from the Pioneer Valley and beyond. Children can find many engaging art activities to dive into all day. Crafting demonstrations from weaving to blacksmithing to felting to jewelry making will be in continual progress. Parents of school-age children will have the opportunity to learn more about the Center School, meet current teachers, parents and students. Warm, sweet and savory food, live music and friendly people await you at the Greenfield Center School on December 5th.

"Last year's event drew over 1200 people" says Jane Stephenson of the Greenfield Center School. "This craft fair is quite dynamic and unique. It is loaded with very beautiful, fresh and exciting hand-created wares. It's a fantastic place to buy locally hand-made gifts."

More information about Greenfield Center School and the December 5th Arts and Crafts Rumpus can be found at www.centerschool.net

Greenfield Center School, 71 Montague City Road, Greenfield, MA 01301, 413-773-1700

All are welcome at Greenfield Center School Rumpus.

Greenfield Center School, a K-8th grade progressive school for the Pioneer Valley since 1981.
 

Immediate Release:

Writers in Progress is pleased to announce a Celebration and Reading on Saturday, October 24, 4:30-6:30 pm, at our studio in Florence, MA, #359 at the historic Arts & Industry Building. The reading will feature prose by the members of the 2008/2009 Manuscript Intensive Series, Janine Roberts, Sharron Vaillette, Dusty Miller, Julia Mines, Kyra Anderson, and Elizabeth French.

The Reading is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Writers in Progress is a valley Literary Arts Center, offering creative writing workshops, seminars & retreats, coaching, editorial services and a live reading series. Our workshops have been ongoing since 1992.


When: Sat, Oct 24, 2009, 4:30-6:30 pm
Where: Writers in Progress, Studio #359, Arts & Industry Building, 221 Pine Street, Florence, MA 01062
What: Reading and Celebration

Contact: Dori Ostermiller (413) 582-0101
dorio@writersinprogress.com
www.writersinprogress.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Kaplan Bucciarelli, Program Coordinator.
PHONE: (413) 439-1984
EMAIL: rekindle@jewishwesternmass.org

Rekindle Shabbat: The Pause That Renews

PIONEER VALLEY – Haven’t you ever just wished that life came with a “Pause” button?

According to Jewish tradition, it does. And now, groups of families throughout the Pioneer Valley are reconnecting with that tradition. No hefty tomes of obscure theology, no hours in a house of worship, no expectations: just joining other families over that particularly Jewish sacrament: a hearty meal and a celebration of the Sabbath “pause”.

Over the past six years, and in over 400 households throughout Western Massachusetts, the Rekindle Shabbat program has connected Jewish and interfaith families with the celebration of the Jewish Sabbath. Jews traditionally cease from their weekday work for the Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew), and celebrate with a special meal Friday night.

“We really see the program as a way to take a breath, stop, get together with friends and connect. Shabbat is a gift we can give to our families and ourselves every week,” said Janet Kaplan Bucciarelli, the program’s coordinator.

Despite the challenges of assimilation and the general drift away from traditional practice, many Jewish and interfaith families have expressed a renewed interest in that lost knowledge and hands-on experience.

“When I joined the Rekindle Shabbat program three years ago, I thought it would be a program for the children. When I look back, I have learned as much as my kids,” said an Amherst mother of two.

“Before Rekindle Shabbat, I had no idea how to do Shabbat. Now, it is a part of our lives,” she said.

Each participating family in Rekindle Shabbat is matched with a host or guest family. Together they share the home-based Friday night Shabbat celebration on three pre-determined dates.

This year’s dates are Dec 11, Jan. 29, and April 30. The first two dates fall on the holidays of Hannukah (Festival of Lights) and Tu B’Shevat (Festival of the Trees, a newer holiday honoring trees and our connection to the environment), so the catered dinners provided by the program will include information about how to celebrate these holidays, and hosts will guide some informal learning as well.

Rekindle Shabbat is open to Jewish and interfaith families with children, high school age and younger. Households returning for a 3rd or more year are requested to join with a household new to the program. Couples and singles are also welcome as space allows. The three catered meals and supplementary materials, valued at over $200 per family, are free to first year participants, and $36 for returning households. First year participants also receive a tool kit of items needed to practice the simple Shabbat rituals of lighting the candles, and blessing the wine and bread.

Participants can choose to either be a guest or to host another family in their own home. Interested households need to sign up by October 15th at the program’s website, www.RekindleShabbat.org. Rekindle Shabbat is a program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts with support from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and William and Lynn Foggle.

# # #
 

A R E N A C I V I C T H E A T R E
PRESENTS THE MUSICAL
THE KING AND I

Arena Civic Theatre will present Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical The King and I, at the Shea Theatre in Turners Falls on Oct 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 8:00 PM, with matinees at 2:00 PM on October 18 and 25. Tickets are $13 general admission, $11 senior citizens, and $8 for children under 12. They can be purchased at World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield, The Jones Library in Amherst, or at the door. Reservations can be made by calling the Shea at (413) 863-2281, ext. 3.

The King and I is based on the book Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. The story was derived from
the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. Leonowens’ book, The English Governess of the Siamese Court, was autobiographical, although its historical accuracy is questionable. The musical boasts familiar songs such as Whistle a
Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, Something Wonderful and Shall We Dance? It also contains the ballet, Small House of Uncle Thomas, based upon Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The musical originally opened on Broadway in 1951, and ran for 1,246 performances, winning the Tony Awards for
Best Musical, Best Actor (Yul Brenner), and Best Actress (Gertrude Lawrence) along with other awards. The musical was made into a popular film in 1956, for which Yul Brenner won an Oscar
for Best Actor. The ACT production features Jerry Marcanio of Royalston as The King, and Emily Nagoski of Northampton as Mrs. Anna. Also appearing are
Dawn Mayo (Leyden) as Lady Thiang, Matt West (Shutesbury) as Kralahome, Rob Campbell
(Shelburne Falls) as Phra Alack, Cam Cote (Williamsburg) as Prince
Chulalongkorn, Atticus Moeckel-Cole (Deerfield) as
Louis, and Lindsey Anderson (Greenfield) as Eliza. John Darrow
(Huntington) plays Captain Orton and Alan Dallman
(Amherst) plays Lt. Edward Ramsey. Featured as the secret Burmese
lovers, Martha King-Devine (Sunderland) portrays
Tuptim, with Abraham Oyola (Charlemont), The Shea Theater’s original
Valley Idol winner, as Lun Tha. The cast also
boasts of 24 Royal Children, several Royal Wives, Royal Dancers and
Royal Guards from Amherst, Greenfield, South
Hadley, Williamsburg and all around the Pioneer Valley. The cast
totals 50 performers.

The production’s Director is Catherine King (Leverett). Musical
Director is Rebecca Phelps (Hatfield), with Choreographers
Kathy Dunn (Greenfield) and Melanie Reneris (Turners Falls). Lynn
Omasta (Hatfield) is Stage Manager, with
Sondra Radosh (Amherst) as Producer. Barbara Kasper (Easthampton) is
Costume Designer and Rachel Roy (Greenfield)
is Lighting Designer. King also serves as Set Designer, with Steve
Woodard (Leverett) as Master Carpenter


Sondra M. Radosh
413-549-1511
 

Hammer of the Gods will be performing their award-winning Led Zeppelin
Experience show in the historic City Stage Theater, Springfield Symphony Hall
34 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103 on September 19, 2009
to the delight of countless of Massachusetts' Zeppelin fans.

Featuring a state of the art light show, powerful sound system, high
quality equipment and a thrilling stage presence, Hammer of the Gods
presents an authentic and exciting performance suitable for audiences
of all ages.

Rock fans young and old have praised the brilliance of this premier
Led Zeppelin Experience spectacle, continuing to crowd venues and fill
seats at every show. Striving to recreate Led Zeppelin's powerful and
mystical music legacy onstage, Hammer of the Gods delivers a
powerful performance second to none.

To purchase tickets please visit http://www.symphonyhall.com

For more information, please visit http://www.hammerofthegods.com or
contact info@hammerofthegods.com
 

For Immediate Release:

Writers in Progress is pleased to announce our Late Summer Open House and Open Mic, with featured reader, Dori Ostermiller, on Saturday, September 26, 4:30 - 6:30 pm.

Readers Welcome! Please bring a few pages of poetry or prose to share!

This event is free and open to the public, and will take place at our lovely studio-#359 in the Arts & Industry Building in Florence, MA. Wine, cheese and other refreshments will be served.

Writers in Progress is the valley’s literary arts center, offering workshops & retreats, editing, consulting, coaching and a live reading series. Our workshops have been ongoing since 1992.

About the featured reader:

Dori Ostermiller, MFA, Director of Writers in Progress, is the recipient of a MA Cultural Council Artist’s Grant and a Tobias Wolff fiction award. Her work has appeared in many journals, including The Bellingham Review, Calliope, Alligator Juniper, Roanoke Review and The Chautauqua Literary Journal. Dori has taught writing and literature at several area colleges. Her first novel, Fire Weather, is forthcoming from Mira in Sept 2010.

When: Saturday, Sept 26, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Where: Writers in Progress, #359, Arts & Industry Building, 221 Pine Street, Florence, MA 01062
For more information call: (413) 582-0101
www.writersinprogress.com
 

A THREE PART WORKSHOP for women in relationships with other women. Led by Shana Hiranandani, Personal Life Coach. By completion, each couple will discover new approaches to attaining a strong and passionate relationship. Join Shana at Valley Hands Creative Space in Northampton, MA on Oct. 7th, 14th and 21rst from 6 -8 PM. Cost $150 per couple (includes all 3 meetings). Please call 413-341-3158 or visit www.uniquepeople.net to register.
 

North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival
Where Orange is the New Green

Event Name: Eleventh Annual North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival
Event Date: Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 2009
Event Time: 10 a.m. to 5 PM both days. Shine or Rain
Location: Forster’s Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Rd. Orange, MA 01364
Directions and Info: www.garlicandarts.org
Media Inquiries Contact: deb@seedsofsolidarity.org (978) 544-9023
Admission: Adults $5 per day, $8 for weekend pass. Kids 12 and under free.

Bring the whole family to the phenomenal North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival. The ‘Festival that Stinks’ is a fabulous, affordable, inspiring celebration of the harvest season. Enjoy the bounty of over 100 vendors: amazing artists, farmers and community organizations; strengthen communities by purchasing locally grown and crafted. Gain skills for interdependence: learn to grow garlic, press cider, mill lumber, make paper, do tai chi, go solar. Nourish yourself through chef demos, fantastic food and demos at the wondrous wood fired bread oven. Transform trash into compost (last year only three bags of garbage for 12,000 people)! Celebrate with friends old and new: incredible performers, wonderful workshops and garlic games galore. Will last years raw garlic eating contest record of 52 cloves be broken? Kids [of all ages] are free-range at the festival! In between garlic and egg tosses and tug of garlic, they’ll make garlic paper, coil clay, craft with wood, and visit our new tent featuring the work of young artists. One youth artist is the youngest of three generations of women artists, all exhibiting at the festival.

Two solar stages entertain all weekend: The music stage line-up is fantastic: Ray Hendricks, Planet Zydeco, Unit 7, Leah Randazzo Quartet, Naiakete Band, Mawwal, Tony Vacca and Friends, and Viva Quetzal. The fabulous family stage features the Inside Out Dance Co, Peter Siegel and Jay Mankita, Airborne Joel, Tim Van Egmond, puppet shows, musical miming, and dance performances galore.

Travel the garlic globe with celebrated local chefs including Chez Albert’s Paul Hathaway, Baku’s Pat Ononibaku, El Greco Café’s Kosta Pitaridis, plus fresh and local food artists Andy Sussman, The Kitchen Garden, and Stockbridge Herbs. Energize your life through a weekend of workshops such as solar electricity for home and business, heating with wood, and permaculture gardening, plus great vendors in our new Local Living area. Heal and relax with a Tai Chi or yoga workshop. There’s something for everyone you love, so bring your friends and the entire family.

On October 3 and 4, follow your nose to beautiful, historic Forster’s Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Road, Orange, MA. Visit www.garlicandarts.org for directions, pet policy, and lists of vendors, and full schedule of entertainment and activities, demos and workshops. Inflation buster admission at $5.00 per day for adults, weekend pass $8.00, kids 12 and under free. Bike, hike, carpool for a raffle entry. Save time and fuel: ride the free shuttle from nearby parking lots off Route 2, exit 14. Wheelchair accessible parking and restroom facility provided. Multiply the fun: enjoy CISA’s Eat the View, Conway’s Festival of the Hills, and the Eagle Eye Institute Hikeathon at Tully Lake on this same glorious October weekend.

The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival is organized by a volunteer committee of neighbors and Seeds of Solidarity Education Center, a non-profit organization. Supporters include the Forster/Stewart Family, local businesses, and 200 community volunteers! The success of this non-profit, all volunteer event now enables the festival to support other community-based art and agriculture projects.
 

Smith College Theatre announces audition dates for its first two main-stage productions of the 2009-2010 season.

What: Auditions for Fall Theatre Productions at Smith College: Mrs. California By Doris Baizley, Directed by Sam Rush and Las Meninas By Lynn Nottage, Directed by Ellen W. Kaplan

When: September 8 and 9 from 7-10 p.m. (Tues and Wed.) and callbacks on Sept. 13 from 7-10 p.m. (Sunday).

Where: Theatre 14 (Mrs. California), Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre (Las Meninas), Mendenhall Center, Smith College, Green St., Northampton, Mass.

For more information email or call directors. Sam Rush: 413.585.3249, srush@smith.edu; Ellen Kaplan: 413.585.3207, ekaplan@smith.edu Scripts available to peruse in the Josten Library in the Mendenhall Center at Smith College

Publicity Manager: Joan P. Maxson, Tel. 413.585.3222, jmaxson@email.smith.edu

Ticket Information: Tel. 413.585.ARTS (2787), boxoffice@smith.edu, or visit www.smith.edu/smitharts
 

SH’MA
SACRED LISTENING & THE PRACTICE OF
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION


CONTACT:
Daniel Berlin, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist & Certified Spiritual Director
29 C Cottage Street
Amherst, MA
413.549.2773
batkolwhisper@gmail.com
www.batkolwhisper.com

Dr. Daniel Berlin will be offering a 10-week Spiritual Direction program beginning September 30th at 7pm in his Amherst office.

Spiritual Direction helps us to cultivate a greater awareness of the Sacred in all aspects of our lives. The focus is on how we recognize the Divine component within our experiences. This approach is useful to those who see their lives as a spiritual journey.

Typical concerns of individuals engaged in Spiritual Direction include:
? Seeking guidance and healing.
? Yearning for connection with the Divine Presence.
? Wanting to listen with greater reverence and compassion to oneself and others.

For pre-registration, call 549.2773. To learn more about Daniel and Spiritual Direction, visit his web site at www.batkolwhisper.com.
 

Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo lessons

Feed Your Soul!
High Quality Music Lessons
Supportive, Friendly and Fun!
Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Uke
Theory, Composition
Michael Nix
413-772-0328
www.NixWorks.com

Free parking in downtown Greenfield. I teach Monday through Thursday afternoons and evenings. I have some openings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday eves and am accepting new students. I also can do Webcam lessons (Skype/PayPal, or prepay) See http://www.nixworks.com/lessons.html for more info.