Music
• J Mascis comes to Brattleboro: In the quarter century since he founded Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis has created some of the era's signature songs, albums and styles. Now touring to support first solo studio record, Several Shades of Why, he will be appearing at Headroom (formerly The Tinderbox), 17 Elliot St., for an all-ages show on March 22, starting at 8 p.m.
Kurt Vile, who played with J Mascis on his new album, will join him in Brattleboro. For more information, call 802-380-6675 or visit www.headroomstages.com.
• Grafton Cornet Band holds open rehearsals: The Grafton Cornet Band welcomes band players near and far to their pre-season rehearsals. This traditional community band keeps its historic, 144-year-old name, although all instruments are welcome, not just cornets.
Players include a mix of long-time musicians and those who have recently uncovered their old high school instruments and want to play again in an informal atmosphere. There is no minimum time requirement or dues, just a desire to make music and continue the grand tradition of music in Grafton.
Bruce Corwin and Sue Lemei return as the directors. Rehearsals are on alternate Sundays, 2-4 p.m., with a refreshment break. The rehearsal hall is upstairs in the Old Fire Station on Main Street in Grafton, above the Grafton Seasons store. The dates are March 6 and 20, April 3 and 17, and May 1 and 15.
Visit www.graftonband.org, for more information, including weather cancellations, or call Dan Axtell at 802-387-4145 or Dick Desrochers at 802-843-2301.
Film
• Justice Center to show film about female inmates: As part of the “Art and Restorative Justice” Film Series, the Brattleboro Community Justice Center will show the film What I Want My Words to Do to You on Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. in the Brooks Memorial Library Meeting Room.
In this 78 minute documentary, Eve Ensler leads a writing workshop for the inmates of Bedford Hills (N.Y.) Women's Correctional Facility that elicits the difficult realizations of those who commit murder as they accept responsibility for their actions. Inmates include two former Weather Underground members, and the film features performances of the inmates' work by Glenn Close, Marisa Tomei, Mary Alice and Rosie Perez.
According to Judith Katz, the film's producer, “the women discover how writing allows them to understand, cope with and to take responsibilities for their actions.”
The “Art and Restorative Justice” film series shows how all forms of art – from the written and visual to the theatrical and musical – facilitate the act of self-expression and creativity, which are crucial elements to meaningful human experiences. In restorative justice, the transformations from pain and suffering to healing and renewal are optimized when people can truthfully and beautifully express themselves. The films show how the themes of art, self-expression, and creativity are closely intertwined with restorative justice.
Community members are invited to attend the showing at no charge and stay for a discussion afterward. Contact Erin Ruitenberg at 802-251-8140 or erin@brattleborocjc.org for more information.
Visual arts
• 'Show Up for Diane' benefit at Vermont Artisan Designs: Local artists are contributing works for a special show and sale at Vermont Artisan Designs to benefit artist Diane Rath.
Rath is acknowledged as one of the finest upcoming painters and visionary teachers present today. For more than 2o years, she has been perfecting her painting and teaching skills as a working artist and an instructor of oil painting at the prestigious Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago. She also presents workshops in still life, portraiture and landscape in many of the United States and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
She was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, and her doctors say the cancer is spreading rapidly through her body. Rath's friends around the country have been holding fundraisers to help her pay for her considerable medical costs. More information is available at www.peoniesfordianerath.com.
The show begins March 4 during Gallery Walk in Brattleboro and will continue through the month. For more information, contact Greg Worden at vtart@sover.net or call 802-257-7044.
• Winter landscape painting: Saxtons River Art Guild will host a workshop with Robert O'Brien on Saturday, March 5, from 9:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. at the United Church in Bellows Falls.
Painting the beautiful New England winter landscape in watercolor will be explored in this one day workshop. Values, composition and basic watercolor techniques will be emphasized. Students will work from photo reference and learn to create a finished painting from a favorite winter subject. The instructor will demonstrate his approach and will provide hands on guidance to each student.
All levels are welcome. Call Kathy at 802-463-9456 or Donna at 603-835-2387 to register for the workshop.
• New Orleans photo exhibit in Putney: The photographs of local writer and photographer Mimi Yahn will be on display at the Putney Library, 55 Main St., throughout March and April.
Yahn's photos include scenes of Mardi Gras, post-Katrina reminders and the extraordinary cultural life of her former home. For more information, call Mimi Yahn at 802-536-5034. Library hours are Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m.to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; closed Sundays.
Lectures
• TED lectures in Rockingham: Starting this month, the Rockingham Free Public Library will be showing TED lectures on video, giving patrons a chance to see the world's smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries and most-inspiring teachers talk about their ideas, discoveries and passions.
The TED lectures began in 1996 with a core belief that there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea. Its goal is to bring together the greatest movers and doers in the fields of technology, entertainment and design (hence the TED acronym), and make them available to the public so that millions of people can gain a better understanding of the global issues facing us today and spread the ideas of ways to help create a better future.
TED's annual conferences create a platform to showcase these individuals whose challenge is to stand before an audience and give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). Speakers and subjects vary widely from the famous to the obscure. Each lecture generates much discussion, though, and lively conversation.
A pilot series will run during the month of March, each Monday at 5 p.m. If it proves popular, the library will continue to show the program on a regular basis. Call the library at 802-463-4270 to sign up, or stop by. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Performing arts
• Comedy at Marlboro College: presents a free, public performance of Double Negatives by comedian Evan O'Television on Thursday, March 3, at 7:30pm, in Marlboro College's Whittemore Theater.
Using recordings made of himself in advance, Evan O'Television (a.k.a. Evan O'Sullivan) performs, what he calls, a “conceptual comedy” dialogue that puts a modern technological and psychological spin on the vaudevillian comedic traditions of Abbott & Costello and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy.
A graduate of Amherst College, O'Sullivan has been a mainstay of the Boston theater and improv scene for close to 20 years, during that time he co-founded the underground performing arts space, PAN9, and co-served as its artistic director for 10 years. In case of inclement weather, call the Marlboro College Events line at 802-451-7151.
• NECCA circus show at the Latchis: The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) presents Circus Spectacular: A Hot Show on a Cold Night on Saturday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m, at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro.
This event, a benefit for NECCA's outreach and scholarship funds, features high flying trapeze, aerial silks, partner balancing, juggling, comedy and more, Professional performers from NECCA will be joined by special guests from Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros.,European cabarets and more.
VIP tickets are $50, which includes a pre-show event with hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and unique performances at the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center, plus reserved Orchestra seats for the show. Mezzanine tickets are $25, Balcony seats are $15 , and those under 16 pay $10.
For tickets, online visit www.necenterforcircusarts.org or call 802-254-9780.
• Main Street Arts presents High Button Shoes: Bathing beauties, fraternity brothers, Keystone Kops chasing madcap robbers, and even a dancing gorilla will appear on the Main Street Arts stage when the musical High Button Shoes opens Friday, March 4, for a two-week run.
Performances of the musical comedy set in the Atlantic City of 1914 will also be Friday, March 11, Saturdays, March 5 and 12, and Thursday, March 10, all at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Sundays, March 6 and 13, at 3 p.m.
Tickets at $15 in advance and $17 at the door for adults and $10 and $12 for students are on sale at MSA, Village Square Booksellers, Misty Valley Books, Brattleboro Books or online at MainStreetArts.org. No reservations are accepted.
In a departure from their usual Gilbert & Sullivan winter offering, MSA's thespians are staging this raucous story of the comic entanglements of the Longstreet family of New Brunswick, N.J., with two con men, including the fast-talking Harrison Floy, who returns to his old hometown in hopes of striking it rich by peddling his snake-oil schemes, including selling fake watches and diamond mines. After he cheats the Longstreets in a phony land deal and runs off with Aunt Fran, the chase … and the fun … is on.
The lively and lovable musical will leave audience members laughing with its toe-tapping classics such as “Papa, Won't You Dance With Me,” “On a Sunday by the Sea,” “I Still Get Jealous,” “There's Nothing Like a Model T,” and “You're My Girl.”
Larry Bramble is directing this production, with Ken Olsson providing the musical direction. Annesa Hartman is choreographer, and Mary Hepburn is the producer.
High Button Shoes, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet, was based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel The Sisters Liked Them Handsome by Longstreet. It opened on Broadway in 1947 (running for 727 performances), on the West End in 1948, and has had several regional revivals as well as being televised in 1956. To MSA's knowledge, it has never been staged in southern Vermont.