ReEmergence Collective to present performances in Wendell
On Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, the Wendell Meetinghouse will host the ReEmergence Collective’s devised workshop performances of “We Are the People in the Room,” culminating a performer residency that began in the summer.
“We Are the People in the Room” weaves together material generated from community workshops, personal experiences and collective exploration focusing on themes of connection and isolation, grief and joy, and what it means to be human in this moment in history. The audience is invited to witness and participate in the performance as the collective challenges the binary between “audience” and “performer.” A post-show discussion and reception will happen after each show, with the opportunity to reflect.
Tickets are $25 at the door. No one will be turned away for a lack of funds. Advance tickets are $20 and available at patron.wendellmeetinghouse.org/ticketing/wmh/catalog/events.
This event is part of the Wendell Meetinghouse Community Arts & Conversations series, and is supported in part by the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse and the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts. For more information, visit wendellmeetinghouse.org/events.
Original cabaret performance coming to Wendell Meetinghouse
The Wendell Meetinghouse will host a showing of “What I Learned in Therapy … If Anything,” a one-person original cabaret performance created and performed by composer/pianist/singer Rene Pfister, on Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27.
The Saturday evening performance, which starts at 7 p.m., will include a talkback and after-show party with beer, wine and other beverages available. The Sunday performance starts at 4 p.m.
This evening of comedy and cabaret, with music ranging from musical theater to pop to country, dives into one man’s journey of relationships, healing and self-discovery. Songs such as “Going to the Therapist” and “Demons” poke fun at pesky thoughts that won’t leave you alone, while pieces like “Stonewall” and “It’s a Sign” provide a perspective on activism and self-identity.
Pfister is the artistic director of the Berklee Theater Arts Collaborative at the Berklee College of Music, a program dedicated to the creation of new musicals by students. As a solo artist and teacher, he has worked throughout the United States, India, Argentina, Africa and China.
Pfister is also the guest artist of the Wendell Meetinghouse Stonesthrow Theater’s 2026-2027 series. As Court Dorsey, artistic director of Stonesthrow Theater and president of the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse, notes, “This year’s collaboration with Rene, his friends and the Berklee College of Music will bring an incredible richness of theatrical offerings to our region this year. We are thrilled to be producing three very different offerings over the coming months with Rene. This performance is the first.”
This event is part of the Wendell Meetinghouse Community Arts & Conversations series, and is supported in part by the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse and the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
Saturday tickets cost $20 at the door, $15 in advance or $10 Card to Culture. (Card to Culture ticketholders should be prepared to show their WIC, EBT or ConnectorCare ID cards at the door.) Sunday tickets cost $15 at the door, $10 in advance or $10 Card to Culture. Advance tickets are available at patron.wendellmeetinghouse.org/ticketing/wmh/catalog/events.
Apply for $5K grants by Oct. 27
Applications are being accepted for the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Grants for Creative Individuals fiscal year 2027 grant round. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 11:59 p.m.
This funding opportunity provides unrestricted grants of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers and creative practitioners to advance creative expression. This will be the largest funding cycle for the program to date, as the Massachusetts Cultural Council expects to invest $2.45 million, supporting a minimum of 490 grants this year.
Grants are available for Massachusetts residents who are active in any artistic/creative discipline. This is the organization’s primary grant program to support individual artists, with eligible disciplines including: community-based arts, crafts, design, digital, film/video, folk/traditional arts, Native/Indigenous arts, literature, music, performance, photography, theater, visual arts and other diverse cultural practices.
Those who are interested in learning more can sign up for an information session on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 11 a.m. Visit massculturalcouncil.org/event/grants-for-creative-individuals-info-session-5 to register.
Program guidelines can be found at massculturalcouncil.org/artists-art/grants-for-creative-individuals/application-process. Questions can be submitted to creative.individuals@mass.gov.
GCC Community Chorus welcomes new members
The GCC Community Chorus welcomes new members from all voice parts for the fall semester. Rehearsals will be held Fridays starting Sept. 18, from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m.
The group is a program of GCC Community Engagement, and is open to community members as well as Greenfield Community College students, faculty, staff and alumni. Several performances are held both on and off campus each semester during noon and weekend/evening time blocks.
Music includes a variety of choral works drawn from classical and other styles. Last year, the group performed programs titled “Peace” and a variety-filled “Spring Mix.” Vocal development, sight reading, languages and background material are all part of the experience. An ability to carry a tune and a commitment to the rehearsal and performance schedules are the only requirements.
Margery Heins directs the GCC Community Chorus. She has directed choruses at GCC since 2001, and is known in the area for work with other community choral groups, church choirs and voice teaching. John Yannis is the group’s accompanist.
Registration for the GCC Community Chorus can be completed at engage.gcc.mass.edu/workshops/community-chorus. With questions, email Judy Raper at raperj@gcc.mass.edu.
