Dewey Hall Announces Dewey Drop-In Wednesday Night

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SHEFFIELD, Mass. — A new series of Wednesday evening events will premiere at Dewey Memorial Hall starting in January 2023. 
 
The Dewey Drop-In (DDI) series will feature readings, jazz jams, music and art soireés, and game nights on a rotating schedule. 
 
The first Wednesday of each month, Dewey Hall will offer "Use Your Words," which encompasses writing, readings, and storytelling. An array of local writers will take turns hosting the evenings, including Hannah van Sickle with Beth Robbins and Simon Winchester, Laura Didyk, Suzi Baum, Evelyn Battaglia, Maria Black, Melanie Greenberg,  Barbara Newman, Sheela Clary, and Peter Murkett with Bonner McCalister. The themes range from memoirs to grief, adventure, and "lives lived wildly off script." 
 
Second Wednesday Jazz Jams, will be hosted by Dewey Hall board member Brian Kantor owner of Soundry Studio and coiner of the Dewey Drop-In name. The house band, led by Luke Franco, will invite local jazz musicians to join them. Kantor said; "Informal jam sessions were the incubator for innovations in jazz music as well as offering young players like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie the priceless opportunity to play with jazz icons such as Ben Webster & Lester Young. We hope to unite members of the region's vibrant musical community, inspiring new connections across a diverse range of skill levels."
 
On third Wednesdays, DDI will be the new home for host/organizer Michael Lesko's popular Show & Tell series, where open mic meets variety show, and will include an open creative soirée with visual artists and a headlining act. According to Lesko, "This multidisciplinary event creates a rich experience for the artists, performers, and audience, providing a fertile ground for collaboration and new friendships." Show & Tell evenings will be alcohol-free to create a nightlife culture that is family friendly and welcoming for people in recovery. The first Show & Tell featured band will be the Haughties. 
 
Game nights will happen on fourth Wednesdays, with Dewey Hall's own Michael Siktberg and Maggie McRae hosting. Attendees are encouraged to "bring a game or join a game". January's game night will feature Pictionary and any other surprises that might walk through the door.
 
Dewey Drop-In will feature a new collaboration with Roberto's Pizza. Attendees will be able to order at the Hall from a special menu designed just for DDI. 
 
During Game Nights, Use Your Words, and at Show & Tell non-alcoholic beverages will be served. On the Jazz Jams evenings beer and wine will be available as well. 
 
The year-long schedule for Dewey Drop-In includes time off during high summer and winter holidays for some of the programs. The complete schedule will be on the Dewey Hall website and copies are available at Dewey Hall.

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Triplex Special Screening of 'A Complete Unknown'

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—The Triplex Cinema announces a special screening on Sunday, Jan. 5 of the critically-acclaimed film "A Complete Unknown," directed by James Mangold and starring Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbara, Edward Norton and Elle Fanning.

Based on the Elijah Wald book "Dylan Goes Electric," the film portrays Bob Dylan through his earliest folk music success until the momentous controversy over his use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Film Festival. The title of the film comes from the chorus of Dylan’s 1965 hit single "Like a Rolling Stone." 

Released on Dec. 25, "A Complete Unknown" has been widely praised by critics and nominated for many critical awards, and early box office returns suggest a major financial success. Tickets are available at www.thetriplex.org.

Seth Rogovoy is a longtime music critic and cultural journalist working in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. His 2009 book "Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet" is a full-length analysis of the life and work of Bob Dylan, focusing on the different strands of Judaism that appear throughout Dylan’s songs, revealing the ways in which Dylan walks in the footsteps of the Jewish Prophets. Rogovoy explains the profound depth of Jewish content - drawn from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Kabbalah - at the heart of Dylan’s music, and demonstrates how his music can best be appreciated in light of Dylan’s relationship to Judaism and the Jewish themes that inform them.

In 2024 Oxford University Press published "Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison," a highly personal exploration of George Harrison’s essential contributions to the Beatles and his solo work, as well as his significant role as a Western proponent of Indian music and beliefs. Harrison had a close relationship with Bob Dylan; Dylan joined Harrison as a performer at the 1971 "Concert for Bangladesh" and they were both members of the 1980’s supergroup "The Traveling Wilburys," along with Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

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