Entertainment

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A Feast for the Senses: “Eat Drink Man Woman” and Dim Sum Delight at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY, VT – On Sunday, June 22 at 5:00 PM, join Next Stage Arts for an unforgettable evening of cinematic storytelling and exquisite cuisine as part of the NXT Feast & Film Series. This unique community event features a screening of Ang Lee’s classic 1994 film Eat Drink Man Woman, paired with a prix fixe dinner by the acclaimed Cai’s Dim Sum Catering.

Curated by James Beard Award-winning food writer Deborah Krasner, the Feast & Film Series pairs meaningful films with meals inspired by their themes. In Eat Drink Man Woman, food is both a familial bond and a silent battleground. The story follows Master Chef Chu and his three daughters as they navigate life, love, and generational change in Taipei—with Sunday dinners anchoring their emotional journeys.

Laughs Take Center Stage at Next Stage Arts with the Return of Vermont Comedy All Stars – June 20

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

PUTNEY, VT — Get ready to laugh until it hurts! On Friday, June 20 at 7:30 pm, Next Stage Arts will be shaking with laughter as Gordon Clark and his Vermont Comedy All Stars return for another unforgettable evening of stand-up comedy. This all-star lineup of local and regional talent is guaranteed to bring the house down in one of southern Vermont’s most cherished performance spaces.

“Bills Lumber” Documentary Screens at Next Stage Arts in Putney

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts invites the public to a special screening of Bills Lumber, a deeply moving 45-minute documentary that captures the final chapter of an iconic Vermont family business. The screening takes place at 4:00 PM on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Bills Lumber tells the story of the Bills family’s 86-year-old sawmill in Wardsboro, Vermont, through the eyes of octogenarian brothers Alan and Everett Bills and their niece, Debbie Bills Bauer. Following the sale of the mill and its 433 acres of forest, the documentary chronicles the dismantling of the mill their father, Melbourne Bills, founded in 1936.

Riding Home: Sneak Peek Screening of a Documentary Set in Putney, VT

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Join Next Stage Arts on Thursday, April 17th at 7:00pm for an exclusive sneak peek of Riding Home, a documentary in progress that follows longtime Putney resident Caryl Richardson as she navigates the final chapter of her life, surrounded by the horses, land and people she loves.

More than just a portrait of one woman’s journey, Riding Home seeks to crack open the conversation around death, dying, and end-of-life choices. In a culture that often avoids these discussions, this film invites us to bear witness, reflect, and engage with the complexities of mortality with honesty and grace.

BETTY plus DJ ezGirl at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts presents indie rock band BETTY, plus DJ ezGirl at Next Stage on Friday, April 25 at 7:30 pm. 

The award-winning Indie Rock trio BETTY, Alyson Palmer (vocals, bass, guitar), Elizabeth Ziff (vocals, guitar, electronic programming) and her sister, Amy Ziff (vocals and cello), uses beguiling melodies, compelling lyrics and signature harmonies to create energetic live shows that mix music, performance art, politics and comedy.

BETTY sings of joy, love, longing, lust, food, heartbreak, and the universal hilarity of human existence. More than a band, BETTY uses music to channel their passion for representation, fairness and equality. From the beginning, they’ve blended their voices for causes they fight for, their talents in collaboration with other artists of every medium, and their time in support of women and girls, worldwide.

“Back Roads Stories” Returns To Guilford, Vermont

by LGreen | Entertainment

March 2025, Guilford, VT… Stories, music and great desserts return to Guilford once again as the popular program, Back Roads Stories, welcomes in spring. Please join friends and neighbors from around our region at the Broad Brook Community Center, 3940 Guilford Center Road, on Sunday, March 30, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm for a show that has always delighted audiences.

“We are thrilled to host the return of Back Roads Stories at the Broad Brook Community Center,” said Ada Brown, Manager and Program Coordinator. “This program is not only a celebration of the art of storytelling but also an opportunity to connect with our neighbors in a deep and meaningful way.”

Sorry for Your Loss: A Comedy Show About Grief A Fundraiser for Brattleboro Area Hospice

by CenterforSolace | Entertainment
sorry for your loss

Michael Cruz Kayne is a comedian and writer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. However, his life isn’t always funny. The loss of his young son profoundly changed his world and his family. In this hilarious, difficult, and touching show about grief, Cruz finds moments of humor, compassion, and ultimately some assemblance of acceptance. If everyone dies, why does nobody talk about it?

A Q&A will follow the performance.

Kate Trzaskos on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

Notice how Downtown Events just keep getting better & better? And now Plaid Friday and then Market on Main for 3 weekends in December. We have KATE TRZASKOS and her mighty team at Downtown Brattleboro Alliance to thank ! Check out this show for Kate’s creative ideas, and hear stories of how she got here, how she does it all, and her very cool side hustle – curating vintage clothes just for you!

Tara Cheney on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

TARA CHENEY has created HEART ROSE CLUB, a dynamic community space located in the majestic old Shriner’s Building. Tara has won many awards as a leader in our community – Check out this show and hear about the creative ways she’s strengthening our town, including dinner/dance events, yoga retreats and live music……..And in her other business, Vermont Roadworks!

Charlie Light on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

“FAR OUT: Life On and After the Commune” is winning awards and acclaim – CHARLIE LIGHT’s new documentary is a celebration and a tribute to the power of late-60’s activism and creativity. And the film is a blast to watch! Tune in for some great back stories of those exciting years.

“Family Matters: A Tour of Vermont Short Films” Will Screen at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts screens “Family Matters: A Tour of Vermont Short Films” on Saturday, October 19 at 6:00 pm at Next Stage.

Presented by The Vermont Production Collective, a group of four award-winning filmmakers explore what it means to be a family in Vermont. The program features four short fiction films that offer a uniquely Vermont perspective on the pains and joys of being a family. The film screening will be followed by a filmmakers mixer in the Next Stage community room. All are welcome to join and build the Southern Vermont creative community.“Bloodroot” is a tender relationship portrait of two brothers, told over the course of their lives. In

“Bad Mother,” a mother copes with her husband’s confession of infidelity on the eve of a funeral. “I Guess It Might Be Selfish” is a poetic reflection on the clash between individual and family needs. “The Thaw” is a beautifully rendered 19th century Vermont horror story.

Lyndsey Alyn on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

Lyndsey’s lively positive energy radiates all around her. She talks about living from that and bringing it to others – as an entrepreneur, a parent, a queer person, a wellness coach and as part of the ever-welcoming team at Vegan A.F. restaurant.

The Bondville UFO

by cgrotke | Entertainment

It looks like a UFO has landed at the Bondville Fair. As the flying disc stops spinning and comes to a full stop, the doorway opens up as if the aliens were about to come out to make contact. Instead, it was some slightly dizzy kids.  Looks like fun.

We approach the Starship 3000 with eager anticipation. The rotating metal contraption was built, one might guess, when Close Encounter of the Third Kind was released in theaters or shortly thereafter. 

We are told, somewhat suspiciously, to take all of our belongings out of our pockets and leave them outside the spaceship. Wallets, keys, purses, phones, and more all go into a communal pile on a white folding table.

Eileen Christelow on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

“Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”! A very fun show with Eileen Christelow, author & illustrator of that perennial fave and many more – Tune in for a look into her long career of delighting kids and adults alike with her stories of mischief and mayhem.

Soles of Duende on the Bandwagon Summer Stage

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents dance trio Soles of Duende, on Saturday, August 24 at 6:00 pm.

A Brooklyn-born Puerto-Rican from New Haven, a Mexican Puerto-Rican Jew from the Lower East Side, and a Bengali Indian from Jersey walked on to the wooden floor & the rest? History. Bonded by their deep love of music, their crafts, and true connection, Soles of Duende is on a lifelong mission to elevate the joy and music of true collaboration across disciplines and the celebration of the forms they practice. Based in the sounds of Tap (Amanda Castro), Flamenco (Arielle Rosales) and Kathak (Brinda Guha) , Soles of Duende’s fire is the spirit that lives within each of these women to celebrate their connection given their beautiful differences and to uplift the forms that made them.

“Live music meets dance from three different ethnic traditions sounds like a perfect way of exploring culture while seeing virtuosic talent,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “This group has been getting a lot of attention in New York, and while they’re on the rise, we wanted to bring them to southern Vermont. There is so much about Soles of Duende that deserves attention – talent, merging of dance and live music, and the fact that these women are exploring connections of culture through dance is worth noting.”

“Brattleboro Goes Fourth” Seek Independence Day Parade Entries

by BrattGoesFourth | Entertainment

“By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” is seeking parade participants as it prepares to celebrate the town’s 51st Independence Day event on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The all-volunteer citizens committee will begin the day at 10 a.m. with a parade from Flat Street to Main Street and the Common. The shorter route comes after requests from older marchers and challenges finding enough volunteers and public safety patrols to monitor a longer distance.

Peter Amidon on “Here We Are”

by Wendy O'Connell | Entertainment

Brattleboro’s Traditional Music maestro, Peter’s been singing, dancing, teaching, producing and performing music that reverberates through our town and beyond for over 40 years.   Listen in for some great stories: early days with Mary Alice, Bread & Puppet Theater, Pete Seeger, Hallowell singers, and his mega-musical family.

Sara Juli’s “Naughty Bits” at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts presents Sara Juli’s Naughty Bits, a dance-play set inside Juli’s memories that examines trauma while finding levity within the tragic. Through movement, text, song, projections and humor, Naughty Bits finds the forgotten bits, funny bits (and wobbly bits) of putting one’s mind and body back together. Performances are at Next Stage on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 pm.

“What fascinates me most of all about Sara Juli’s work is that she frames these immersive, theater-inspired one woman shows as choreographed pieces. She pulls from so many various places to produce these personal narratives that seem to hit directly into the audience’s personal experiences,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Her professional career in New York gave her the chops and vision to craft world-class theater, and now New England benefits from her relocation.This will be a presentation for community members seeking something new in their theater experiences.”