Struggling To Find a Right Way

The first speech in Mark St. Germain’s “The Best of Enemies” is repulsive. But don’t let that scare you away because this is an emotionally rewarding and affecting play fueled by four sterling performances. In its world première at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA, the story is based on actual events during the desegregation of Durham, NC, schools in 1971. C.P. Ellis, the Grand Cyclops of the Durham Klavern of the Ku Klux Klan, and Ann Atwater, an African-American civil rights activist, confront each other and both are forced to examine the strengths and flaws of their arguments. Neither recognizes the underlying hatreds each harbors. A series of meetings is arranged by Bill Riddick, a black representative of the United States Department of Education, to work out solutions. In this way, the antagonists come to respect and admire things in each other as they find a way to integrate schools and improve them. As the meetings move ahead, the personal lives of Ellis and Atwater undergo wrenching changes. The relationship between Ellis and his wife, Mary (Susan Wands), parallels the development of the civil rights action but without the same rewarding results. And Atwater’s relationship with her two daughters and her hardscrabble existence are described, but meagerly ­— a minor flaw in this work. John Bedford Lloyd as Ellis is the definitive racist, flinging insults and degrading comments at Atwater (Aisha Hinds) and Riddick (Clifton Duncan). Blatant in his comfortable hatred, confused by the ensuing alienation of his friends and then noble in his newfound understanding of the need for integration, he becomes heroic. Lloyd’s transitions, in his words and his physical bearing, imbues Ellis with humanity and strength. Atwater’s righteousness is as ugly as Ellis’s rants, but hers, peppered with one-line zingers, come across as virtuous indignation. Gradually, she breaks through her defensive shell and directs her anger to constructive solutions. Though her character’s regeneration is not as vivid as Ellis’s, the actress holds the stage with fire and compassion. Duncan’s charismatic presence as Riddick masks his bold and controversial manipulation of Atwater and Ellis. He cajoles and shames them by appealing to their need to care for their own children. Ellis, who has a retarded, blind son reluctantly accepts the challenge while Atwater jumps right in. Wands’ Mary Ellis, in her displays of intelligence and sensitivity, make this the most nuanced character in the play. Director Julianne Boyd doesn’t miss an opportunity to touch the full range of emotions, from anger to love. There are several moments when the audience just has to tear up. The staging is efficient and economical. Along with David M. Barber’s set, black-and-white photos printed on floor-to-ceiling panels create a gritty atmosphere and revive an ugly era in our country’s history. St. Germain’s script has some weak points. There are many short scenes which lend an episodic quality to the production and the dialogue is less than subtle, leaving little room for dramatic ambiguity. It is, however, dynamic story-telling. From that first ugly speech through an unconventional curtain call, we are drawn into this compelling journey. The opening night audience had the opportunity to meet Atwater and Riddick. Ellis died in 2006. “The Best of Enemies” runs at Barrington Stage Company’s mainstage theater at 30 Union St., in Pittsfield, MA, through Aug. 6. For tickets call 413-236-8888.

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Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

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