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Opening Doors Project Brings “Race & Song” to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY — Music, memory, and meaning will take center stage at Next Stage Arts on Saturday, March 14, when the Opening Doors Project presents Race & Song: A Musical Conversation with Pamela Means and Alastair Moock.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45 p.m., at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are available at nextstagearts.org for $20 in advance, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream option.

A Lifeline for Difficult Times: The Taking Solace Series March: Come See Me in the Good Light film

by CenterforSolace | Media

Wednesday, March 4th at 6 pm: “Come See Me in the Good Light”. This is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a loving celebration of resilience.

This will be held on the Main Floor of Brooks Memorial Library.

Howard Prussack on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Education

HOWARD PRUSSACK works hard to produce vegetables, plants and hemp on his farm, High Meadows Farm in Westminster West – he serves our community and beyond. His bounty is available locally and at the Brattleboro Farmer’s Market which he co-founded. Howard also tells wonderful stories of his travels with an international farmer-to-farmer exchange program.

Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Implements Interim Plan to Support Oak Grove School Students During Facility Repairs

by Not Signed In | Education

[WINDHAM SOUTHEAST, BRATTLEBORO, FEBRUARY 12, 2026] — The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union has developed a comprehensive interim plan to ensure continuity of learning for Oak Grove School students while repairs to the school’s heating system are completed.

Oak Grove School was closed on February 9th and 10th as crews worked to identify and repair a heating unit and conduct required safety testing. While progress is being made, the timeline for completion is likely another week.

To minimize disruption to students’ education, Oak Grove School students and staff are temporarily attending Academy School and Green Street School. The interim placements were thoughtfully designed with students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs as the primary consideration.

Where Tradition Takes Flight: Kalos with Dan Houghton & Rachel Clemente at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

On Friday, March 6, Next Stage Arts in Putney becomes a meeting place for tradition and daring invention when Twilight Music presents Kalos plus Dan Houghton & Rachel Clemente. With pipes, fiddle, guitars, harp, and fearless twists, this is high-energy traditional folk that respects its roots while gleefully pushing past their edges.

At the heart of the evening is Kalos, a trio known for reshaping Celtic roots music with rhythmic drive, intricate arrangements, and an infectious sense of joy. Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson, and Jeremiah McLane are masters of tradition who deliberately explore its shadowed corners, creating music that feels both ancient and startlingly new. Their sound is complex yet inviting, propelled by pulse and precision, and grounded in deep artistic integrity.

Corey Harris and Sunny Lowdown Bring Acoustic Blues to Putney

by hahrenholz | Music

On a cold winter night in late February, the blues will feel warm and close at hand in Putney.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, Next Stage Arts welcomes Corey Harris with Sunny Lowdown for an evening of acoustic blues that promises depth, groove, and soul. Doors open at 6:45 PM, with the show beginning at 7:30 PM, at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney. Tickets are available at nextstagearts.org for $22 in advance, $26 at the door, or $10 for the livestream.

Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music 🎸🖤 An Intimate Cinéma Vérité Portrait — Onstage and Off

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts invites you to a rare and powerful evening with one of America’s most iconic artists.

Filmed in 1968, Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music (1h 34m), directed by Robert Elfstrom, captures Johnny Cash at a pivotal moment in his career. Shot in an unvarnished, up-close cinéma vérité style, the film follows Cash on the road and in concert with June Carter, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, and Carl Perkins.

The film is also deeply personal. Viewers are taken inside Cash’s home life with June Carter in Hendersonville, Tennessee; introduced to his parents and children in California; and brought back with him to his childhood hometown in Arkansas. One of the film’s most moving sequences was shot at the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, including footage at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Queralt Giralt Soler Trio Brings Lyrical, Genre-Blurring Sound to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts welcomes an intimate and adventurous evening of music on Friday, February 20, with a performance by the Queralt Giralt Soler Trio, a group known for its poetic fusion of cello, voice, jazz, and Catalan folk traditions. The concert begins at 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:45 PM, at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney.

Cellist, vocalist, and composer Queralt Giralt Soler creates music that resists easy categorization. Drawing from her classical training and deep roots in Catalan folk music, she blends lyrical cello lines with expressive vocals, jazz improvisation, and contemporary textures to form a sound that feels both expansive and deeply personal. Her performances invite listeners into a rich emotional landscape—quietly powerful, exploratory, and full of nuance.

Ben Stockman on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Arts

BEN STOCKMAN has some great stories of his early years at NEYT, (New England Youth Theater); capturing the spirit and camaraderie that was the foundation which created his deep love of acting and directing. Now, as the Artistic Director at NEYT, Ben is continuing that tradition and creating inspired productions and new stories.

“Holding Our Own” Showing and Community Discussion

by CenterforSolace | Media

Please join Center for Solace (formerly Brattleboro Area Hospice) at the Brooks Memorial Library on Wednesday, February 4 at 6 to 8 pm to view the film “Holding Our Own”.

Vermont filmmaker Camilla Rockwell, a longtime collaborator with Ken Burns, created “Holding Our Own”, a beautiful exploration of the power of art on end of life. It highlights the work of Hallowell & Deidre Scherer, as well as interviews with our staff and Dr. Ira Byock, an internationally known author and Hospice MD.

NXT Gallery Presents Home Land: New Paintings by Finn Campman

by hahrenholz | Arts

Next Stage Arts’ NXT Gallery will open a new exhibition, Home Land: Paintings by Finn Campman, with a public reception on Sunday, February 15, from 3–5 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney. The exhibition will remain on view through May 10.

In Home Land, Finn Campman explores painting as an act of orientation—both personal and geographic. His work reflects a deep attentiveness to place, memory, and presence, using the painted surface as a way to mark time and affirm connection. “My process is about the act of reaching out to make sure I know where I am,” Campman writes. “To check my coordinates, to mark a signpost for my memories—as if to say, ‘This is where I am now.’” The resulting paintings feel grounded and contemplative, tethered to the land and to the lived experience of being part of it.

Masters of Nordic Folk: Frigg Brings “Nordgrass” to Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts will welcome an electrifying night of Nordic folk music on Thursday, February 5, when internationally acclaimed Finnish band Frigg takes the stage with opening set by fiddle duo Teho. The show begins at 7:00 pm, with doors opening at 6:15 pm, at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney.

Hailing from Finland and celebrated worldwide, Frigg is among the most exhilarating and innovative bands in contemporary folk music. The six-piece ensemble are true masters of the Finnish folk tradition, known for delivering heart-bursting, life-affirming tunes with astonishing precision and joy.

Named after the Norse goddess of love and fertility, Frigg has forged a singular sound they call “Nordgrass”—a captivating fusion of Nordic folk music and American bluegrass. Their violin-driven melodies soar over ringing strings and the deep, propulsive pulse of double bass, creating music that feels both ancient and entirely fresh. The result is hypnotic, infectious, and often impossible to sit still through.

Steve West on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Media

A musician, songwriter, talk-radio host, and computer fix-it guy, STEVE WEST is a natural storyteller and all-round excellent human. He’s also served on many local boards, and is an advocate for our local media.

Tune in for a fun conversation and Steve’s take on life in Brattleboro.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year

by ACCVT | Entertainment

The Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (ACCVT) celebrates the Lunar New Year of China, Korea and Vietnam Sunday, February 8, 1:00-3:00. You don’t have to be Asian or know anything about Asia to participate! Join us at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center to usher in the year of the Red Fire Horse ushering in  a year focused on bold moves, exploration ,and potentially transformative change.

Join us for traditional Chinese Performances with Li Fei Osborne and her Mandarin language students, Chinese morning exercises and Qigong led by Cai Xi, and traditional New Year songs and crafts. We end our celebration with a Dragon parade up from the Museum towards Main Street to bring us luck for the coming year. 

Endless Butter: A Communal Feast of Poetry and Music

by hahrenholz | Music

Midwinter calls for warmth, words, and community—and Endless Butter: A Communal Feast of Poetry and Music offers all three.

On Sunday, February 1, from 1–4 pm, Next Stage Arts in Putney will host an afternoon inspired by the legend of St. Brigid, patron saint of poetry, fertility, and everyday miracles. The title nods to one of her most beloved miracles: endless butter—an emblem of abundance, generosity, and shared sustenance during the lean months of winter.

This gathering brings together an extraordinary roster of regional poets, musicians, and a storyteller for a relaxed, come-and-go celebration of art and connection. Poets include Sarah Anderson, Katie Bachler, Megan Buchanan, Michael Carter, James Crews, Dede Cummings, Alice Fogel, Lyedie Geer, Taylor Mardis Katz, Brad Peacock, Ben Pease, Erin Pesut, Nellie Prior, and Diana Whitney. Music will be woven throughout the afternoon by Elijah Berlow, Gráinne Buchanan, Jake Klar, Shawn Magee, Hannah Mohan, and Brendan Taaffe, with Michael Kohout serving as seanchaí—traditional storyteller and keeper of tales.

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music Present a Singer-Songwriter Showcase

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts, in partnership with Twilight Music, welcomes an evening of intimate storytelling and rich musical textures on Friday, January 30, with doors at 6:45 PM and the show starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at nextstagearts.org: $20 advance, $25 at the door, or $10 for the livestream.

The evening features Southern Vermont’s own Jason Scaggs, Emily Margaret, and Michael Roberts, opening with an intimate in-the-round set. Jason Scaggs blends Appalachian roots with Southern Vermont’s adventurous spirit, fusing bluegrass traditions with improvisation and groove-forward rhythms. Emily Margaret, an 18-year-old from Guilford, VT, captivates with a voice that moves effortlessly from subtle intimacy to full-bodied power, blending influences of R&B and jazz into deeply personal songs. Michael Roberts, described by Seven Days Vermont as “a Vermont treasure,” brings his wide-ranging experience—from indie folk to ambient soundscapes—creating a textured, soulful performance.

Maeve Bald on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Education

Always enlightening to hear from our local BUHS students! Maeve has thrived in our local public schools and is a strong voice and presence in many leadership roles, youth activism and sports. She talks about her experiences and influences and looks forward to following a career in Early Childhood education.

Guilford Center Stage Announces 2026 Season

by DonInGuilford | Arts

Guilford Center Stage enters its second decade with the traditional spring and fall productions at Broad Brook Community Center.

The 2026 season opens the first weekend in May with “Shorts,” a program of small plays. Stage manager is Sue Kelly. Several works by regional playwrights are already in the lineup, and the group still welcomes script submissions by a January 23 deadline. Plays of about 8-10 pages are ideal, and a maximum of 12 minutes running time is suggested. Authors may submit pdf or word documents to producer Don McLean at don.inscape@gmail. com (or use the address to arrange to deliver a hard copy.)

Open auditions for actors for “Shorts” will be held in two sessions: Thursday, February 5 , from 5 to 7 pm, and Saturday, February 7, from 11 until 1:00 pm. No appointment is needed. Auditioners may come unprepared, or have a short monologue ready, and scenes from the short plays will be available for an impromptu reading. Auditions take place in the fully accessible upstairs theater room of the Broad Brook Community Center at 3940 Guilford Center Road, about 4 miles west of the Country Store.

Beat the Winter Blues with Cereal & K-Pop at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

If winter cabin fever has your household climbing the walls, Next Stage Arts has the perfect cure. On Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10:00 AM, families are invited to a lively, low-pressure morning event in Putney: Cereal & K-Pop: Cabin Fever Cure!

Held in the Next Stage Arts Community Room (15 Kimball Hill, Putney), this family-friendly gathering is designed to get kids—and adults—out of the house and having fun together. The morning kicks off with a build-your-own cereal bar, followed by about 30 minutes of classic indoor fun: board games, card games, and even Twister to shake off those winter cobwebs.