The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus performs this fall in a benefit for the Brattleboro Retreat
Actors Theatre Playhouse
Main St, West Chesterfield, NH
actors-theatre.info, 877 666-1855
Thru Sept 20: Copenhagen. In Nazi-occupied Denmark, the play’s characters meet secretly and discuss a subject that may change the world forever. Oct 2-18: Ten Minute Festival. Ten Minute Plays capture pivotal moments and are comic, tragic, and uplifting life-changing upheavals that occur in exactly ten minutes. They challenge the playwright, the director, and the actors to make it all happen now, the way it does in real life.
Bellows Falls Opera House
7 Centennial Square, Rockingham
bfoperahouse.com, 802 463-3964
Ongoing: Known as the civic and cultural heart of the Bellows Falls community, the Opera House shows movies and has live events on a regular basis. See the web site for details and a schedule.
Brattleboro Music Center
38 Walnut Street, Brattleboro
bmcvt.org, 802 257-4523
Sept 13: Special Benefit Chamber Orchestra Concert, 7:30p. BMC faculty, past and present, former New England Bach Festival musicians, and other regional musicians will perform Haydn’s Symphony 49, Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos, and Mozart’s Symphony 29. Oct 12: 4th Annual Blanche Moyse Memorial Concert, 4:30p, Persons Auditorium at Marlboro College. The Chorale reunites with past members of the New England Bach Festival Orchestra in memory of their mentor, Blanche Moyse, to perform four of Bach’s glorious Motets, as well as two brilliant orchestral works.
Dorset Theatre Playhouse
PO Box 510, Dorset
dorsettheatrefestival.org, 802 867-2223
Sept 18-20: Travels with Mark Twain, Ron Crawford’s riveting and funny one-man show re-creates Twain’s lectures from a hundred years ago, his adventures as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi, his mining days out west, the Hawaiian Islands, and his first tour of Europe along with his caustic, humorous observations (and a few tall stories).
Grafton Inn, Phelps Barn
92 Main St., Grafton
graftoninnvermont.com, 802 843-2231
All shows at 8p. Sept 26: Jason Cann, classic acoustic and current rock hits. Sept 27: First Annual Grafton Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival, 12-7p, with Ross Robinson, Chris Kleeman Blues Trio and Bob Stannard. Oct 4: Butterfly swing Band, classic swing grooves from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Oct 11: Jason Cann, classic acoustic and current rock hits.
Latchis Theatre
50 Main St, Brattleboro
latchis.com, 802 254-6300
Nov. 1: To help bring attention to the critical need in the country and New England for specialized mental health care services for the LGBT community, the Brattleboro Retreat is presenting the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Live at the Latchis, 7:30p. They are one of New England’s largest and most successful community based choruses. This event will also include the presentation of the Retreat’s Anna Marsh Award, created to recognize individuals for their advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness and addiction. Tickets range from $20 for balcony seating to $125 for a limited number of premium tickets. Premium tickets include front orchestra seating, recognition in the event program, and a private pre-show reception at the Brooks House catered by Duo Restaurant. Other ticket prices include $50 regular front orchestra and $30 rear orchestra seats. Tickets are available online at http://www.brattlebororetreat.org/chorus or by phone at 1-800-838-3006 through Brown Paper Tickets. Event organizers anticipate a sell-out show. For event questions, or to purchase handicap-accessible seating, contact Robert Szpila at the Brattleboro Retreat Office of Development at 258-4318.
New England Youth Theatre
100 Flat St, Brattleboro
neyt.org, 802 246-NEYT (6398)
Oct 30-Nov 9: Willie the Pooh, directed by Jane Baker. Nov 14: Putting on Our Finery, a fundraising fashion show with distinction for NEYT’s Theatre Adventure Program.
Next Stage Arts
15 Kimball Hill Rd, Putney
nextstagearts.org
Sept 13: Five Time Blues Music Award Winner Rory Block, 7:30p.
Old Castle Theatre Company
331 Main St, Bennington
Oldcastletheatre.org, 802 447-0564
Sept 26-Oct 12: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a brilliant playwright at his very best this play features some of Williams’ most memorable characters. Oct 24-26: Bennington Goes to War, Southern Vermont’s Greatest Generation helped save the world for democracy during World War II. Based on interviews done by the Bennington Historical Society this is their story.
Sandglass Theater
17 Kimball Hill, Putney
sandglasstheater.org, 802 387-4051
Sept 9-21: Cry You One. This outdoor performance by New Orleans’ artists, Mondo Bizarro and Art Spot Productions, journeys into the heart of our disappearing wetlands. Part song, part story, part procession for our lost land, Cry You One celebrates the people and cultures of South Louisiana while turning clear eyes on the crisis of our vanishing coast. Oct 10: Crankie Event, an evening of crankies, 7:30p. Oct 24-25: New Visions: Egg Noir, 7:30p. Nov 7: New Visions: Gross Bliss, 7:30p.
Sheep Dog Trial and Farm Festival
Merck Forest & Farmland Center, Rupert
merckforest.org/sheepdog_trails.php
Sept 7-8: The trials are the third leg of the Vermont Triple Crown of the North East Border Collie Association (NEBCA). Merck Forest & Farmland Center has been hosting the sheep dog trials since 2004. Some of the region’s best-trained sheep dogs will be seen in action, while attendees will learn more about sheep farming, an integral part of Vermont’s history. The weekend farm festival features demonstrations, including blacksmithing and sheep shearing, horse-drawn wagon rides, a variety of hands-on farm crafts and activities for children, fiber artists who showcase their work, a silent auction, and a farm-to-table local food vendor.
Southern Vermont Arts Center
Arkell Pavilion at West Rd, Manchester
svac.org, 802 362-1405
Ongoing: The Southern Vermont Arts Center brings music acts to the Arkell Pavilion on a regular basis. Check the web site for details and schedule.
Stone Church Arts
20 Church Street, Bellows Falls
stonechurcharts.org, 802 463-3100
Sept 27: Possum Haw, Vermont homegrown bluegrass & country-folk quintet, 7:30p. Oct 31: Halloween or Samhain Celebration with Castlebay, Celtic music duo, 7:30p. Nov 15: Scott Sanchez, concert guitarist, praised for his virtuosic and musically passionate performances, 7:30p. Dec 13: Hungrytown, traditional folk duo, 7:30p. Dec 20: Mili Bermejo, vocals, Dan Greenspan, bass, and Jiri Nedoma, piano, 7:30p.
Vermont Jazz Center
72 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro
vtjazz.org, 802-254-9088
Ongoing: The Vermont Jazz Center is the premiere place to see live jazz music in southern Vermont. Regular concerts take place around the Brattleboro area. See the web site for details and a schedule.
Vermont Performance Lab
561 Fitch Rd, Guilford
vermontperformancelab.com
Ongoing: Like the familiar book club, and drawing inspiration from Claudia La Rocco’s NYC-based P-Club, VPL’s new Performance Club will bring people together to discover contemporary dance performances in our region and create a forum for discussion over good food and drink.
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
At various locations in Vermont
vso.org, 800 876-9293
Sept 26: Made in Vermont Music Festival at the Bellows Falls Opera House. Autumn in Vermont signals the return of glorious foliage and glorious music, as the VSO’s “Made in Vermont Music Festival” tours the state. The program includes a concerto by Dittersdorf for an under sung pair of solo instruments–viola and double bass—and Holst’s popular St. Paul’s Suite. Beth Wiemann, a Burlington native, will join us to introduce the world premiere she has written for the VSO, “Before the Snow.” The concert concludes with Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, nicknamed “La Reine” because its grace and power found favor with Queen Marie Antoinette.
