MCLA students to present 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'

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Play - From left are Rebecca Fleckner, Ellen Rosati and Sarah Lomas
NORTH ADAMS, MASS – The Fine and Performing Arts Department at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will present “Picnic at Hanging Rock” by Laura A. Shamas as its major theatre production this fall.Performances will take place Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 22-25, in Venable Theatre on MCLA campus, at 8 p.m.

The public is invited to attend this annual student play, which takes place during MCLA’s Fall Family Weekend. Tickets are $2, and may be reserved by calling (413) 662-5123.

“This play created an eerie and ominous atmosphere charged with suppressed longings and erotic possibilities, and features a multi-leveled set and period costumes,” said MCLA Fine and Performing Arts Professor Bonnie Bishoff, the play’s director.

“Picnic at Hanging Rock” is about a trip by a party of girls from an exclusive private school, who travel to Hanging Rock in Victoria’s Mount Macedon area for a picnic on St. Valentine’s Day, in 1900. The excursion ends in tragedy when three girls and a teacher mysteriously vanish after climbing the rock. Only one girl is ever seen again; no reason for the disappearance of the students and their teacher is given, and the one girl who returned had no memory of what had happened to the others. <L2>

The play examines the bizarre disappearances and the ensuing investigation of the other students, the faculty and the community. The cast includes local students, Trista LaBonte ’10 of North Adams, Jessica Carty ’10 of Lee, Christopher Dellea ’10 of West Stockbridge, Kelsey Metts-Murphy ’10 of Pittsfield and Gordon Polglase ’11 of Lanesboro. The production’s designer and technical director is Andrew Hoar. Costumes were designed by Dawn Shamburger. <R3>

For more information, go to www.mcla.edu.
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Companion Corner Grey Boy at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.

Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.

The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.

"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."

It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.

"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.

Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.

"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."

Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.

"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."

He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.

"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.

Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.

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