Singer-songwriters ‘break the fourth wall’ at Down County Social Club

Left-to-right, musicians Gail Ann Dorsey, Séamus Maynard and Natalia Zukerman in-the-round at Race Brook Lodge.
Alec Linden
Left-to-right, musicians Gail Ann Dorsey, Séamus Maynard and Natalia Zukerman in-the-round at Race Brook Lodge.
Singer-songwriters Natalia Zukerman, Gail Ann Dorsey, and Séamus Maynard conjured “the conversational nature of reality” at a free-flowing performance for the Race Brook Lodge’s Down County Social Club on the evening of Thursday, May 8. The trio traded tunes for about an hour and a half, allowing the music to develop in dialogue with each other, the audience, and even an exploding amplifier.
Alex Harvey, who curates the speakeasy-style shows of the DCSC, offered the above words while introducing the three musicians. The ethos of the DCSC is to “break down the barrier” between the artists and audience; to make it “hard to hold up a fourth wall even if they wanted to.”
A mid-show equipment meltdown ensured this, requiring the musicians to go unplugged for the remainder of the night. Amplified or acoustic, though, the artists needed no assistance in cultivating a deeply conversational atmosphere that complemented the warm, rustic interior of the Lodge’s Pine Grove Porch.
Harvey said he was thrilled when Zukerman pitched the idea. “The caliber Natalia was talking about is mind-blowing,” he said during his introduction.
Zukerman was joined by Dorsey, a world-renowned bassist who was a core member of David Bowie’s band from 1995-2004 and has recorded and toured with other giants such as Tears for Fears, Lenny Kravitz and the National, and Maynard, a singer and virtuosic guitarist who Zukerman said “blew [her] mind” after finding him through Craryville, New York community market and performance venue, Random Harvest.
Zukerman, who is also the cartoonist and Compass editor for this newspaper, a role she took after full-time touring for over 15 years, said in an interview a few days after the show that she loves the “in the round” style format that structured the performance. Each musician played a song, back to back to back, sometimes improvising accompaniment over each other’s music.
“I just think singer-songwriters lend themselves to that,” she said. “You get to really broaden beyond yourself.”
The chemistry between the three artists was palpable, though they had never shared a stage prior to Thursday evening. Early in the set, a theme of struggle and mental health developed, with Zukerman reminding the room that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Zukerman sang a song called Widow’s Walk about committing a friend to an mental healthcare center (“I’m just waiting for you on this widow’s walk,” went the refrain), which Maynard followed with a minor key, Bert Jansch-informed fingerpicked guitar pattern with a turbulent chorus (“Once more into the fray go I/ no flame of hell ever held a candle to the light”).
Dorsey answered with a “lullaby” to loved ones she had lost to suicide, with her clear, soaring voice carrying a spectral guitar melody, assuring them of “an army of compassion on your side.”
After the show went acoustic, the tone changed and collaboration ensued, at one point involving all three with Zukerman contributing wilting slide guitar accompaniment and Dorsey adding some rhythmic plucking over Maynard’s lively fingerpicking.
The remainder of the session was characterized by a dynamic cadence between Zukerman’s complex guitar and layered storytelling (often accentuated with a dry wit), Maynard’s explosive yet deeply controlled playing and dense songwriting, and Dorsey’s powerful voice and gentle folk melodies.
Zukerman said she’s hopeful that the format will become a series in the future, but may have to take the show elsewhere as the Race Brook Lodge will be closing at the end of the year. Owner Casey Rothstein-Fitzpatrick assured that the Lodge’s cultural programming will remain robust through November, but will wrap up after that.
And how does Zukerman manage to organize shows and play music while working as a full-time editor and creator at the Lakeville Journal (not to mention the many additional roles she holds in other cultural institutions)? It’s all about loving what you do, she said.
“At the end of the day, I spend my time playing music, writing, teaching, drawing, talking to brilliant people,” she said. “I feel incredibly privileged to get to do what I do.”
While playing outside in the early post-pandemic days, Berkshire Busk! founder Eugene Carr had an epiphany: why not expand the idea of performing on the street (aka busking)into a full-fledged festival in Great Barrington?
As an entrepreneur and cellist, Carr envisioned a well-organized jamboree featuring regional talent, including musicians, acrobats, storytellers, fire-eaters, and more. He formed a team, connected with local businesses and the town of Great Barrington, and launched Berkshire Busk! in 2021. Since then, Berkshire Busk! has grown into a summer staple for Great Barrington.
In the summer of 2024, over 25,000 people experienced Berkshire Busk!. The festival is free to the public, provides a big boost to local businesses, and spectators can tip performers.
Busking takes place all over the world, either organized by individual performers or via busking festivals. Artists like The Roots, Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Bridgers, and Old Crow Medicine Show have all cut their teeth performing on the street.
General Manager Carli Scolforo is a Berkshire native with a love of music and writing. She can often be seen roaming the streets of Great Barrington, making sure everything’s in order, and serves as the festival’s face on social media.
“This year is the fifth anniversary of Berkshire Busk!, and it’s been an amazing summer,” said Scolforo. “We were able to welcome back a lot of our favorite performers, and bring in some new experiences as well. After getting rained out last year, we were able to host our first outdoor movie night in partnership with The Triplex Cinema and the Boondocks Film Society.”
Scolforo added, “This summer, we also introduced our first Open Mic Night, hosted by local recording artist and music producer Jackson Whalan. We were really pleased with the turnout of talent. The sheer amount of talent that’s hidden within an hour or so drive of Great Barrington always astounds us.”
Local businesses sponsor various busking spots, like the Berkshire Money Management Stage in the parking lot between the Triplex Cinema and Mama Lo’s BBQ. Typically, buskers bring their own amplification, while there are few spots — such as Berkshire Mountain Distillery in Sheffield — provide power.
Berkshire Busk! will end its season with a fireworks display on its last night on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Berkshire Busk! is endorsed by the Select Board of the Town of Great Barrington and is entirely supported by sponsorship fees from companies and organizations, as well as philanthropic donations from granting organizations, individuals and the Town of Great Barrington.
It operates under a fiscal sponsorship agreement with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires and participates in Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture program — in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health’s WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations — by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
For more information, visit: berkshirebusk.com
What if the dog onstage was played by a person? That’s the delightful twist in A.R. Gurney’s “Sylvia,” opening at the Sharon Playhouse on Aug. 29. In this clever and heartfelt comedy, the title character — a stray pup who disrupts the lives of a married couple — is portrayed not in costume but by an actor who brings insight, charm, and chaos to the role.
Stepping into Sylvia’s paws is Jen Cody, who is returning to the Sharon Playhouse in a starring role for her third year in a row, ready to bring this spirited dog to life. She’s joined by Jonathan Walker as Greg, the middle-aged man smitten with his new four-legged friend, and Jennifer Van Dyck as Kate, his wife, whose patience and identity are tested by Sylvia’s sudden presence in their home.
Directed by Colin Hanlon, this production balances elements of comedy and emotional depth. Gurney’s script may be filled with laughs but at its core, “Sylvia” explores loyalty, companionship, and how love sometimes arrives in unexpected forms. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1995 and has since become an audience favorite for its wit, warmth, and originality.
Rounding out the cast is Sienna Brann, taking on a trio of roles that highlight the play’s comic versatility. The design team includes Christopher and Justin Swader (scenic), Kathleen DeAngelis (costumes), Bobbie Zlotnik (wigs), Wheeler Moon (lighting), and Graham Stone (sound), ensuring the story is grounded in a fully realized world, albeit one occasionally seen from a dog’s point of view.
Performances run through Sept. 7 at the Sharon Playhouse. For tickets and more information, visit sharonplayhouse.org.
Paul Chaleff’s exhibit at Mad Rose Gallery in Millerton.
The unofficial end of summer is here, and while some of us may mourn the shortening days and cooler nights, the culturally-inclined denizens of the Litchfield Hills, Berkshires and Taconics have plenty to look forward to.
During Labor Day weekend, visit one of the offerings below, and maybe even take home a watercolor, rug, or locally-crafted wooden bowl to ready your home for the indoor season ahead.
Kick off the weekend with libations and bites from legendary New York City importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant at Mad Rose Gallery (5916 North Elm Ave., Millerton). The evening will mark the end of Paul Chaleff’s ceramics exhibition, which closes at the end of the weekend. Ashley Gilbertson and Franco Pagetti’s photography exhibition “Fragments in Time,” which has been extended through Sept. 21, will also be on display.RSVP by emailing info@madrosegallery.com.
Head to the Cornwall Library (30 Pine St., Cornwall) for its seventh annual weekend-long Art Sale, and peruse an endless supply of prints, posters, watercolors, photos, paintings and more, with price tags ranging from a very reasonable $20 to much greater sums.
The Library has announced that this year’s selection will “run the gamut from the antique to the contemporary, from the jazzy and colorful to the classic black and white, from realistic to abstract.” Thanks to generous donors, the sale will feature works from notable artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Enrique Chagoya, Marc Simont, Leonard Baskin, Ruth Gannett, Robert Andrew Parker, Nicole Eisenman, R. H. Quaytman, and others, as well as a special exhibition of vintage photos, paintings and posters from late artist Duncan Hannah.
For more information and hours, visit cornwalllibrary.org/labor-day-art-sale/.
Visit the Barn at the Pine Plains location of beloved antiques and décor purveyor Hammertown (3201 NY-199, Pine Plains) and find the coffee table of your vintage dreams this weekend. Up to 75% off home goods and furniture of all kinds will be available.
This year’s iteration of the biannual tent sale features a “Makers Market” with local artisans, craftspeople and food vendors.
Visit https://shop.hammertown.com/blogs/journal/hammertown-labor-day-tent-sale for additional details and hours.
The Berkshire Woodworkers Guild, a coalition of local woodworkers that supports the local industry and its craftspeople, is hosting its 25th Fine Woodwork Show at the Berkshire Botanical Garden (5 West Stockbridge Rd., Stockbridge) this weekend. Attendees will have the chance to watch 32 masters from around the Tri-Corner region demonstrate their trades, from woodturning and Chinese joinery to boat building and French polishing.
The event will also announce the allocation of $32,000 from its scholarship fund to support 9 aspiring woodworkers, and host a silent auction of guild member-crafted pieces to support next year’s fund. Works from the artisans will also be available for viewing and sale.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts’ Hot Plate Brewing will provide frothy, local ales for swilling, while SoCo Creamery of Great Barrington will be pedaling its handcrafted ice cream for sweeter options for the whole family. Great Cape Baking Co., from Dover Plains will offer a full breakfast and lunch menu, including donuts, while Pleasant & Main from Housatonic will be providing the caffeine and crepes.Further details can be found at berkshirewoodworkers.org.
Artists across Cornwall will fling open their studio and gallery doors to welcome Labor Day culture ramblers on Saturday afternoon. An eclectic lineup of ten participating artists will show their work, ranging from pottery to sculpture paths, allowing participants a chance to enjoy the fresh late-summer weather as they meander through Cornwall’s green valleys from studio to studio.For a list of the artists, a map, and directions to each studio, visit ornwallct.org/event/cornwall-open-studio-2025/.