Movie night in Ludlow; birding chat at Misty Valley; Senior luncheon; Aging series starts; and Weston Playhouse seeks youth actors

The Friends of Ludlow Auditorium’s next movie at the Ludlow Town Hall Auditorium will be the award winning  The Iron Lady, at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6. A donation from the Berkshire Bank will cover the popcorn costs for the evening. The Iron Lady is a 2011 biographical film based on the life of Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving prime minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century. The auditorium is located at 1 Whispering Pines in Ludlow. The movie is open to the public. Donations are appreciated to underwrite the cost of the program. For information, call 802-228-7239 or www.fola.us.

Chris Petrak will be speaking Sunday, April 7 at Misty Valley Books./Photo provided

Birding expert at Misty Valley Books

Chris Petrak, birder, blogger and author of two bird books, will be at Misty Valley Books at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 7 on the Green in Chester.  A reception will follow.
A resident of South Newfane, Petrak is also a clergyman, an accomplished photographer and author of Tails of Birding and More Tales of Birding.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information call Misty Valley Books at 875-3400 or visit www.mvbooks.com. Visit tailsofbirding.blogspot.com to learn more about Petrak.

Jane Brody kicks off Westminster Cares aging series

New York Times personal health columnist Jane Brody will give a free lecture on issues of aging 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 at Kurn Hattin’s Higbie Auditorium, 708 Kurn Hattin Road in Westminster. Brody’s lecture is the first of a four-speaker series sponsored by Westminster Cares in celebration of its 25th-year anniversary. The series Speaking of Aging explores key issues in aging such as physical and mental health, financial well-being, maintaining social connections and end-of-life issues.

Brody is the author of 10 books, including the bestsellers Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book and Jane Brody’s Good Food Book as well as many magazine articles on health and nutrition.

The event is open to the public. Donations to support Westminster Cares programming are appreciated. Light refreshments will be served.

Westminster Cares is a non-profit, community-based volunteer organization that creates opportunities for seniors and adults with disabilities to live with dignity and independence in the community. The organization frequently partners with Kurn Hattin Homes on community service endeavors.  Kurn Hattin Homes for Children provides a safe home and quality education for boys and girlswhose families are experiencing a time of personal or financial need.

For more information on the series, Westminster Cares, visit www.westminstercares.org. Information on Kurn Hattin can be found at www.kurnhattin.org.

Local youth auditions for To Kill a Mockingbird

Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is holding auditions from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27  at 12 Park St., Weston for the three youth roles in its late-summer production of To Kill a Mockingbird. No appointment is necessary.

Equity actors will fill the adult roles but the theater company hopes to provide local, aspiring actors the opportunity to fill the children’s roles. Those auditioning must be experienced pre-teen actors with a good ear for learning a Southern accent.

Rehearsals begin Aug. 13 and performances run from Aug. 29 thru Sept. 11 including morning school matinees on Sept. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11. Travel compensation will be provided.

To Kill a Mockingbird is about racial injustice in the 1930s Deep South. In it, Atticus Finch dares to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The tale is told from the perspective of Finch’s tomboy daughter, Scout.
Character descriptions and audition selections can be found at westonplayhouse.org/casting. Inquiries should be made at audition@westonplayhouse.org or by calling 802-824-8167 x101.

— Compiled by Susan Lampe-Wilson