LAVA Center starting monthly Theatre of the Oppressed workshops
GREENFIELD — Starting Feb. 13, The LAVA Center is launching a monthly free drop-in Theatre of the Oppressed workshop, facilitated by Ash Goverman, which will take place every second Friday of the month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The workshop is based on the work of Augusto Boal, who developed Theatre of the Oppressed in Brazil with inspiration from Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Boal describes theater as “rehearsal for the revolution.”
His method aims to transform audience members from passive spectators into people who are empowered to explore solutions to oppressive personal, social and political problems through theater and improvisation. The workshop will offer image theater and forum theater as methods for societal examination. Boal’s methods guide participants to explore, analyze and ultimately transform their lived reality.
Goverman is a theater director, teaching artist and arts coordinator. She studied Theatre of the Oppressed with Christina Marin.
Latest ‘Theater of Ideas’ to feature film screenings
GREENFIELD — As part of The LAVA Center’s monthly “Theater of Ideas” program, the 324 Main St. venue will host screenings of “Greenfield’s Winter Carnival, 1923” and “Love’s Young Dream,” with a talkback session to follow with the Historical Society of Greenfield’s Chris Clawson and Carol Aleman, on Friday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m.
“Greenfield’s Winter Carnival, 1923” is a 9-minute film documenting the first Winter Carnival. “Love’s Young Dream” is a one-act comedy-drama that was produced at the old Victoria (later Showplace) Theater on Chapman Street in June 1924, and features local Greenfield actors.
Bridging the two films is a short documentary detailing the Historical Society’s discovery, what Clawson and Aleman learned about the films’ creation, and how they produced a modern presentation that was first shown at the Garden Cinemas in 2024. Each film has a virtual orchestra accompaniment of silent screen music produced for Vintage Days.
Feb. 23: ‘In the Shadow of Tungusuak’ book talk
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library will welcome Jennifer Morris and Brendan Buckley on Monday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. for a talk on Chris Buckley’s book, “In the Shadow of Tungusuak,” a first-person narrative of two brothers’ daring expedition through northern Labrador’s Torngat Mountains in 1980.
Chris Buckley grew up in New Hampshire and traveled to the Torngat Mountains many times from the 1980s onward, mostly with his brother Brendan. He lectured in English and creative writing at Plymouth State College from 2002 to 2013. Chris Buckley, who was married to Jennifer Morris, spent years working on the manuscript for “In the Shadow of Tungasuak,” finishing in 2020. He died of cancer shortly before his 65th birthday.
Books will be available for purchase at the event.
GCC to host screening of ‘Shuffle’
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College will host a free screening of the award-winning documentary “Shuffle,” followed by a virtual talkback with the filmmaker, on Monday, Feb. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event aims to engage the community in a timely conversation about addiction treatment, public policy and accountability.
“Shuffle,” directed by Austin-based filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty, follows three individuals whose lives depend not on entering treatment, but on surviving it. The film exposes an insurance-driven cycle of addiction treatment fraud that has spread nationwide. Using his own experience as a guide, the filmmaker weaves personal stories into a broader investigation, supported by insights from an FBI informant, an insurance analyst and a former executive director of a Philadelphia-based treatment facility.
The screening will be followed by a Zoom talkback with the filmmakers, allowing audience members to ask questions and reflect on the film’s themes and real-world implications.
Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to support the event by buying concessions. For more information about the screening and accessibility accommodations, visit gcc.mass.edu/events/shuffle.
Library to host Catalog Searching Skills workshop
GREENFIELD — Greenfield Public Library Information Services Assistant Nancy Little will lead a 45-minute Catalog Searching Skills workshop on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.
Participants will learn how to use the online library catalog to search for items (books and e-books, music, movies and more), place holds, use the advanced searching screen, and download and install the CWMARS (Central and Western Massachusetts Automatic Resource Sharing) app on their smartphone or tablet. Participants should bring their own laptop, tablet or smartphone, or use one of the library’s.
Space is limited to 15 participants and registration is required at greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/15762560.
Law professor to speak on U.S. Supreme Court
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Public Library will welcome professor Rory Little on Friday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m. for a talk on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Many people have turned to the federal courts to seek relief from unprecedented Executive Branch policies. The U.S. Supreme Court is the ultimate authority on many national questions. Little, a constitutional law expert, will provide a current snapshot of the court’s docket and where many issues stand.
Little, a part-time Greenfield resident, is a Sullivan Professor and the Emeritus Joseph W. Cotchett chair holder at UC Law San Francisco. He joined the faculty in 1994 after a 12-year career as a practicing litigator, prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and appellate lawyer.
Greenfield Democrats to elect delegates to convention
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Democratic Town Committee will convene a caucus on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. at the Elm Terrace Community Room, 1 Elm Terrace, to elect 11 delegates and four alternates to participate in the State Democratic Convention.
Delegates elected at the Greenfield caucus will attend the convention on Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, at the DCU Center in Worcester. Registered democrats, and pre-registered democrats who turn 16 years old by Feb. 19, may vote and be elected as delegates or alternates. People can register that day, prior to the start of the caucus.
Additionally, any interested youth and young adults ages 16 to 35, people with disabilities, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community who are not elected as delegates or alternates can apply to be “add-on delegates” at the caucus or at massdems.org/caucus.
The location is fully accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Anyone who is interested in getting involved with the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee should come to the caucus or email Patrick Falvey at plfalvey@gmail.com.
City invites input on brand identity
GREENFIELD — The city is launching a public engagement process to refresh its brand identity. The goal of the initiative is to produce a unified, consistent look and feel across city departments, resulting in updates to the city’s color palette, fonts and logos used on new media, facilities and equipment.
While the update aims to modernize the city’s visual standards, officials emphasize that the seal and the iconic Poet’s Seat Tower imagery will continue to be used. The city also intends to retain its traditional dark green primary color.
“The way we present ourselves speaks to who we are and where we’re going,” Mayor Ginny Desorgher said in a statement. “The city’s brand is the most visible identity for the Greenfield community, and so it carries potential to spur economic development, deepen our communal sense of self and increase trust in government. This branding update will honor our heritage while updating our look and feel.”
Residents can vote on design elements via an online survey at tinyurl.com/GreenfieldBranding. A hybrid meeting will also take place on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at City Hall and remotely via Zoom.
“I’m excited to guide Greenfield through this branding update. We’re looking for community input on the basics, including colors and fonts,” Jonathon Weber, the city’s communications director, said in a statement. “We’ll take this feedback and use it to draft branding elements like department logos, business cards, letterhead, social media templates and more. Ultimately, we will produce a style guide that will help staff use our branding consistently in all media.”
The city anticipates welcoming a second round of public input in late spring or early summer. At that time, the community will review the selected colors and fonts in various applications and provide feedback on draft department logos.
According to the Mayor’s Office, work on the project is being performed by city staff at no additional cost to taxpayers beyond standard staff salaries.
MassWildlife sponsoring ‘Intro to Fly Tying’ course
GREENFIELD — Community members over the age of 15 are invited to join MassWildlife’s Jim Lagacy on Tuesday, March 3, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Greenfield Public Library Conference Room for “Intro to Fly Tying.”
Attendees can learn the basic skills of tying their own flies during this free course sponsored by MassWildlife. It is a single-session sampler for beginners. Lagacy will discuss the basic equipment and how to use it, while also sharing some simple but effective patterns. All tools and tying materials will be provided.
This program is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Register at greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/16122772.
Letters of interest sought to fill Precinct 3 council vacancy
GREENFIELD — Following the resignation of Precinct 3 City Councilor Michael Mastrototaro in January, City Council President Lora Wondolowski, with the advice of Committee Chairs, is looking to fill the seat by appointing a resident of Precinct 3, subject to a two-thirds vote of the councilors present. The appointment will fulfill Mastrototaro’s unexpired term until the biennial election in November 2027.
City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. at the John Zon Community Center every third Wednesday of the month. The newly appointed councilor would serve on two subcommittees: Economic Development and Community Relations, which meet on the second Tuesday and the third Monday of each month, respectively.
Those who submit a letter of interest are asked to attend the Committee Chairs meeting on Tuesday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at City Hall’s second-floor meeting room or on Zoom, to provide a statement and answer questions from councilors.
Any registered voter residing in Precinct 3 who wishes to be considered for this position should email a letter of interest to citycouncil@greenfield-ma.gov, by Friday, March 27, at 4 p.m. Resumes are also appreciated.
Wondolowski anticipates the council will consider a recommendation in April so a new councilor can be appointed at the April 15 meeting.