Community Calendar

The 4th Witch is a fantastic new tale, inspired by elements of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which a girl escapes war and seeks protection from three witches. They agree to take her on as an apprentice with only one condition: she must never use her powers for revenge. Consumed by grief and rage, the girl comes to realize that it was Macbeth who killed her parents. Now she must choose between reconciliation or vengeance.

Told through inventive practical effects executed in plain sight, the troupe brilliantly employs shadow puppetry, live music and actors in silhouette, to create an entire new world in The 4th Witch. Manual Cinema has built a devoted fanbase in Boston over the course of their thrilling past productions at ArtsEmerson including Ada/Ava and Frankenstein. Do not miss their triumphant return this fall!

The Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present a rare series of early twentieth century lighting advertisements by Norman Rockwell and fellow Golden Age illustrators Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Stanley Arthurs, Worth Brehm, and Charles Chambers created for Edison Mazda Lamps, a division of the General Electric Company. These luminous, richly painted works were widely circulated in published advertisements through the 1920s and are on loan to the Museum for the first time through the generosity of GE Aerospace.

The 4th Witch is a fantastic new tale, inspired by elements of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which a girl escapes war and seeks protection from three witches. They agree to take her on as an apprentice with only one condition: she must never use her powers for revenge. Consumed by grief and rage, the girl comes to realize that it was Macbeth who killed her parents. Now she must choose between reconciliation or vengeance.

Told through inventive practical effects executed in plain sight, the troupe brilliantly employs shadow puppetry, live music and actors in silhouette, to create an entire new world in The 4th Witch. Manual Cinema has built a devoted fanbase in Boston over the course of their thrilling past productions at ArtsEmerson including Ada/Ava and Frankenstein. Do not miss their triumphant return this fall!

“Fredella Mae's Daughter Is A Storyteller” explores three powerful, emotionally charged tales woven together with poetry interludes and short personal narratives. Come journey through riveting tales that move people’s souls and make you reflect on your humanness through adaptations of centuries old West African story, Gullah Geechee folklore of South Carolina, and a “John Redding Goes To Sea"— a short story by Zora Neale Hurston.

For ages: 16+ | Photo credit: Paul Bloomfield

Muriel “MONIK” Johnson is a prolific educator, performer, and visual artist. As a child, Muriel would sit in awe as her mother recited nursery rhymes, sang songs, and told stories. This awakening of a storyteller hidden in the mind of a young child ultimately inspired Muriel. She has been storytelling professionally for over 25 years, captivating audiences around the world. Muriel has performed at preschools, elementary schools, museums, colleges, churches, theaters, festivals, and countless other venues across the U.S. She has toured Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, as well as Cape Town, South Africa, and Ghana, West Africa, where she has had the privilege of sharing stories, gathering stories, and making deep human connections along the way. Additionally, Muriel is a published children’s book author, veteran teacher, and creator of stunning artwork depicting ancestors made with butterfly wings. Storytelling Website: forherstories.com Art: artofnaturebymonik.com.

The Pay it Forward program is generously funded by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Greenfield Savings Bank, Tandem Bagels, Applied Mortgage, Boston Rare Maps, Greenfield Cooperative Bank and Northampton Cooperative Bank, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Individual Donors.

We’re thrilled to celebrate the picture book release of A CENTURY FOR CAROLINE on Saturday, November 8! Readers are invited to bring their special elders to this multigenerational storytime, featuring a reading and book signing by the author, Kaija Langley.

ABOUT ‘A CENTURY FOR CAROLINE’
Baby girl Jasmine heads south with her dad to join the family in celebrating Great Grandma Caroline’s 100th birthday. Jasmine knows one hundred years is a very long time. It’s longer than a goldfish lives, or a hamster—or even a dog! When she gets to Great Grandma Caroline’s house, she asks: how did she get to be so old?

According to Caroline, living such a long, hearty life takes a heap of patience, a dollop of determination, and a whole lot of faith—just like learning to skip stones on the lake. And the most important thing is surrounding yourself with family and those who love you.

The Norman Rockwell Museum is honored to present a rare series of early twentieth century lighting advertisements by Norman Rockwell and fellow Golden Age illustrators Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Stanley Arthurs, Worth Brehm, and Charles Chambers created for Edison Mazda Lamps, a division of the General Electric Company. These luminous, richly painted works were widely circulated in published advertisements through the 1920s and are on loan to the Museum for the first time through the generosity of GE Aerospace.

Please join us in celebration of the new middle-grade novel by bestselling local author Alex Gino, CHRIS MAKES A FRIEND. You’re invited to scour High Five Books on a scavenger hunt for titles mentioned in the new novel, meet Alex, and have books signed.

Alex will read at 5pm; scavenger hunt is 5:30-6:30pm. Books will be for sale. Readers are also welcome to bring their own beloved copies of Alex’s earlier books for signing.

ABOUT ‘CHRIS MAKES A FRIEND’
From the award-winning author of MELISSA comes a sweet and tart story about unexpected friendship and family reconciliation.

This is not the summer Chris had planned …

Chris does not want to be spending the summer with her grandparents and her little sister. Her grandparents aren't bad -- they just don't let Chris do what she wants to do, which is sit around and read all day. And her sister, Becca, is the opposite, never sitting still and never being quiet.

The good part is that Chris's grandparents are always telling her to go outside and "get some air" -- so she can escape into the woods with a book and get some alone time. Or at least it's alone time until Mia comes along. Mia is also in town for the summer, and she understands Chris in a way that Chris's family just can't.

Soon Chris is sneaking off to spend as much time with her friend as possible. But is there more to Mia than Mia is saying?

Please join us in celebration of the new middle-grade novel by bestselling local author Alex Gino, CHRIS MAKES A FRIEND. You’re invited to scour High Five Books on a scavenger hunt for titles mentioned in the new novel, meet Alex, and have books signed.

Alex will read at 5pm; scavenger hunt is 5:30-6:30pm. Books will be for sale. Readers are also welcome to bring their own beloved copies of Alex’s earlier books for signing.

ABOUT ‘CHRIS MAKES A FRIEND’
From the award-winning author of MELISSA comes a sweet and tart story about unexpected friendship and family reconciliation.

This is not the summer Chris had planned …

Chris does not want to be spending the summer with her grandparents and her little sister. Her grandparents aren't bad -- they just don't let Chris do what she wants to do, which is sit around and read all day. And her sister, Becca, is the opposite, never sitting still and never being quiet.

The good part is that Chris's grandparents are always telling her to go outside and "get some air" -- so she can escape into the woods with a book and get some alone time. Or at least it's alone time until Mia comes along. Mia is also in town for the summer, and she understands Chris in a way that Chris's family just can't.

Soon Chris is sneaking off to spend as much time with her friend as possible. But is there more to Mia than Mia is saying?

“An atmospheric, thrilling turn for kids and adults alike!” – CKUT, Montreal
A living comic book for the whole family! A young artist named Mary discovers the journal of Dr. Victor Frankenstein in the Arctic. As she’s drawn into his uncanny tale of secret experiments, Mary discovers that we all need to face the monsters of our own making…before they face us! This electrifying show blends immersive comic book design and playful theatrical techniques to reanimate the sci-fi classic for a new generation with a family-friendly spin. Recommended for ages 7+.

An immersion into your own frequency

An evening in 3 parts:

1- Guided meditation: bass drum slow beats, including chakra cleansing and personal power guides retrieval.

2- Singing bowls: higher frequencies achieved with a combination of crystal and metal singing bowls, and multiple percussion instruments: attunement or re-attunement to your own vibrational field.

3- Chants with drums and rattles: a facilitation to release unnecessary attachments.

Things to bring:

-Bring your journal, feel free to write down your experiences when prompted, share it at the end if your feel inspired.

-Bring anything that will make this 90 minute event comfortable for you: a yoga mat or chair, a blanket, a pillow, a sleep mask, water or tea. No talking preferred, phones on off mode.

We'd love your feedback and reviews can be left at vibesofchange@protonmail.com