SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Shakespeare Company has launched “Ghost Light,” their online programming series. Their first offering, “Sonnet Man” is now available to view, free of charge, with new episodes available bi-weekly.

The “Sonnet Man,” rap artist Devon Glover, sets Shakespeare’s love sonnets to Hip Hop, to both entertain and educate.

The mission of The Saratoga Shakespeare Company is to enrich the cultural life for the residents and visitors of New York’s Capital Region through the presentation of free, accessible, professional Shakespeare productions. The Saratoga Shakespeare Company, founded in 2000, is Saratoga County’s only professional theatre company. 

To view, go to: www.saratogashakespeare.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Tuesday Feb. 16, The Rochmon Record Club will virtually converge via Zoom to listen and learn about Linda Ronstadt’s 8th album “Simple Dreams.” 

Linda Ronstadt scored hit record after hit record with her wonderfully recorded albums and beautiful, effortless voice. A staple on the radio in the 70’s “Simple Dreams” features Buddy Holly’s “It So Easy,” Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou,” the Rolling Stones “Tumbling Dice,” two Warren Zevon songs and five more. 

Recorded and released in 1977 “Simple Dreams” is an audio snapshot of an artist at the top of her game. The Zoom feed will begin at 6:30 with an audio stream and chat, the show begins at 7 p.m. with a live audio & video presentation by Chuck Vosganian aka “Rochmon.”

A Rochmon Record Club Listening Party is meant to inform and deepen our understanding of the history of the individual performers, songs and the stories that went into the making of this classic album. By listening together, we get to hear the music again for the first time.

The Rochmon Record Club will be streaming live on Zoom from the stage at Caffe’ Lena. Go to caffelena.org to register for tickets. Attendees will be sent information to access the show after you register. Rochmon Record Club takes place on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Tang Museum remains closed to the public through the spring semester to ensure the health and safety and the Skidmore community, however, all current exhibitions are accessible online. Two exhibitions specifically – Pandemic and Protest, and We’ve Only Just Begun – are available online only. 

All exhibitions can also be accessed through Tang website at tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions. They are: 

 • Energy in All Directions: An exhibition that brings rarely seen works and new acquisitions from the Tang Teaching Museum collection in dialogue with objects from the Shaker Museum’s extensive holdings to celebrate the life and legacy of artist and gallerist Hudson (1950—2014). The exhibition is an invitation to explore what a community is — and can be — in this time of COVID-19, social distancing, and health and safety precautions. Through June 13. tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/276-energy-in-all-directions 

• Hyde Cabinet #10: Framing a Feeling: This student-curated exhibition explores the painted glass frames by Checkna Touré used by the acclaimed Malian photographer Malick Sidibé. Through February 28. tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/289-hyde-cabinet-10-framing-a-feeling 

• Never Done: 100 Years of Women in Politics and Beyond: The exhibition takes the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment as the occasion for reflection and exploration of the issues and challenges women in the United States have faced, and continue to face, in politics and society. Never Done aims to go beyond politics to create conversations about art, gender, race, and intersectional identities. To do so, this exhibition presents artwork by a diverse group of women: Black, brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and differently-abled women and non-binary artists; artists working in photography, painting, printmaking, collage, textile, and sculpture; artists from across the United States and from different generations. Moreover, statements from each artist reflect on their work in relation to women’s rights, feminisms, justice and representation, and the legacy of the suffrage movement. Taken together, this project reveals the myriad of different experiences women have and the multiplicity of views and modes of expression that women employ to communicate what is important to them. Through June 6. tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/272-never-done-100-years-of-women-in-politics-and-beyond 

• Nicole Cherubini: Shaking the Trees: Artist Nicole Cherubini’s long-term installation serves as a platform where Cherubini invites other artists to engage with her work, including Susan Jennings, who with Silver the Void performs her sound sculptures, and Sarah Braman, and more. Through September 11. tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/271-nicole-cherubini-shaking-the-trees 

• Pandemic and Protest: The online exhibition features three artist projects made during the spring and summer of 2020—an unprecedented time that witnessed an expanding worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and protests across the country calling for racial justice sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The projects are by artists Isaac Scott, Danielle St. Laurent, and Nicole Cherubini and MASKS4PEOPLE. The work has been recently acquired by the Museum. The exhibition includes oral histories with the artists and new writing by Skidmore faculty, staff, and students. Through June 6.  tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/322-pandemic-and-protest 

• We’ve Only Just Begun: 100 Years of Skidmore Women in Politics: In the 100 years since America’s women earned the right to vote, Skidmore women have been engaged in political movements from suffrage through the social transformations of today. This exhibition explores that history through work from Skidmore’s Special Collections. Through June 6. tang.skidmore.edu/exhibitions/284-we-ve-only-just-begun-100-years-of-skidmore-women-in-politics 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Book Festival, Saratoga Springs Public Library, and Skidmore College present a SaratogaREADS! event featuring Dr. Andre M. Perry, in conversation with Dr. Amon Emeka, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the First Year Experience at Skidmore College. 

Perry is Senior Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, and author of “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities.” 

Perry’s research focuses on race and structural inequality, education, and economic inclusion. Since 2013, Perry’s column on educational equity has appeared in the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit news organization focused on producing in-depth education journalism. Perry also contributes to TheRoot.com and the Washington Post. Perry’s views, opinions and educational leadership have been featured on CNN, PBS, National Public Radio, The New Republic and NBC.

In “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities,” he takes readers on a tour of six black-majority cities whose assets and strengths are undervalued and provides an intimate look at the assets that should be of greater value to residents—and that can be if they demand it.

This online program takes place 5:30–7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and uses the Zoom livestreaming platform. It will require access to a computer, mobile device with the Zoom app installed, and/or a phone for audio-only access. Registration with an email is required in order to receive information on how to connect. The email will be sent three hours prior to the scheduled start time of the program.  Register at: sspl.org. 

BALLSTON SPA  — After writing features and reporting news in and around Saratoga Springs for decades, writer Cari Scribner of Ballston Spa has turned to fiction.

Scribner’s debut novel, “A Girl Like You,” is released Tuesday, Feb. 9. The novel is a rom-com about a 50-something divorced woman venturing into online dating. The novel will be available at Northshire Bookstore in downtown Saratoga Springs and on Amazon.

Circuit Breaker Book accepted “A Girl Like You” as their first publication.

“I had a goal of sharing the funny, odd, frustrating scenario of a middle-aged woman dating,” said Scribner, a divorced mom of three grown children. “This is a novel in which the main characters aren’t 20-year-olds. I think novels like this are too few and far between.”

Scribner was accepted into several NYS Writers Institute workshops during the last two decades, where she studied up on the art of fiction. Scribner is currently at work on a sequel, “A Place Like This.” 

CAPITAL REGION — The Arts Center of the Capital Region announces four calls for artists’ works. 

First, in the realm of public art, is The Uniting Line. A partnership between The City of Troy, Collar Works, The Arts Center, and TAP, Inc., this project brings an opportunity to submit a proposal to create public art on the pilings underneath the Hoosick Street Bridge. The submission deadline has been extended to Feb. 15. For more information, please go to artscenteronline.org/publicart/uniting-line.

Second, the 120˚ Intercollegiate Arts Regional calls for student artwork. This project is a revolving juried exhibit between The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC), and Saratoga Arts. Students currently registered in a for-credit higher education college or university within a 120-mile radius of Troy and Glens Falls are invited to apply. Anthony Cafritz, Founder and Executive Director of Salem Art Works will be this year’s juror. The submission deadline has been extended to Feb. 15. For more information and to apply, go to artscenteronline.org/submissions

The third is More Than A Sketchbook: The Diary of an Artist. The Arts Center is looking for 25 artists to sketch a portion of a sketchbook and submit one completed work during the winter of 2021. Sketchbooks will be on display with accompanying artwork for Arts Center visitors to look through. This project gives artists a chance to share their processes, thoughts, likes, dislikes, and personal creative journeys with the viewer. This is an opportunity for artists to present their work with the potential for discussion, education, and understanding. Our community members, viewers, and patrons can appreciate the skill, time, and development needed to implement an idea into a finished piece by engaging themselves with the process. The submission deadline has been extended to Feb. 15. For more information and to apply, go to artscenteronline.org/submissions.

Lastly is the 2021 open call for art, Artist Applications: All Mediums. Submissions will be considered for opportunities including solo exhibitions, small and large group exhibitions, performance, installation possibilities, and more. Artists in all media – clay arts, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, video, photography, performance, and mixed media presentations are invited to submit artwork for consideration. Artists must live within a 100-mile radius of Troy, NY to be considered. For more information and to apply, go to artscenteronline.org/submissions.

 SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the month of February, Saratoga Performing Arts Center adds three new programs to its virtual Learning Library that further its mission to promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in the arts. 

Created to bring free original arts educational content to students, families and educators at a time when in-school classes are often not feasible due to the pandemic, the SPAC Learning Library has collaborated with more than 25 professional regional musicians and dancers including Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company and Caroga Arts Collective, as well as summer resident companies New York City Ballet, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. 

SPAC’s Learning Library will offer new programming including lessons in Stepping and South African Gumboot Dancing, wheelchair-accessible dance lessons and a new series of music lessons that guide children through the beginning stages of learning an instrument. 

In 2019, SPAC’s free education programs reached more than 49,000 young individuals, offered more than 400 classes, presentations, performances, and events, and partnered with more than 120 schools and non-profit organizations across the greater Capital Region. 

To learn more about the programs, go to: www.spaclearninglibrary.org

GLENS FALLS — The founding producing artistic director at Adirondack Theatre Festival, Martha Banta, is returning to her former role on an interim basis while the organization conducts a national search for a permanent replacement. 

The theatre’s board announced that Chad Rabinovitz resigned after six years as ATF’s producing artistic director. Nancy Fuller, board president, in making the announcement about Banta, said “Martha will not only serve the organization artistically, she is helping guide us through the transition and search process.” 

Lake George native Banta – now NYC-based – has had a storied career in American theatre. She was the original resident director for the New York Theatre Workshop, Broadway, national tour and London productions of four-time Tony winner musical “Rent.” She was associate director of “Mamma Mia!” on Broadway and for one of the national tours. She also developed and directed “Playhouse Disney Live” for Walt Disney World, later called “Disney Jr. Live.” More recently, she directed a new tour production of “Rock of Ages.” 

The pandemic is a challenge for the entire theatrical field, but Banta said the timing is actually a good opportunity for a transition at ATF. “We are not under duress to put on the upcoming season,” she said, signaling that the pandemic will impact ATF’s summer schedule. “We have the time to focus on finding the right person.” 

Fuller said the board is committed to having the organization be active this summer with a scaled-back schedule. “There are a lot of artists who have been halted from doing what they do best, and I think they are willing to do projects to help out and we’ll definitely rope them in.” 

A full-scale show, perhaps outdoors, is possible. There have been only three artistic directors in ATF’s 26-year history: Banta (1995-2007), Mark Fleischer (2007-2014) and Rabinovitz (2014-2020). 

Each summer ATF produces a nine-week season– typically four mainstage productions and four special events –  for more than 9,000 audience members at Wood Theater in Glens Falls. The organization operates under a Small Professional Theatre Agreement with Actors’ Equity Association (the union of professional actors), casting Broadway-level talent. The actors seen on the ATF stage, as well as the designers and directors, have worked regularly on and off-Broadway, on television and in movies.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Arts announced its next First Thursdays staging will take place 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, when 18 Strings of Trouble will perform at the big picture window at 320 Broadway. Dress warmly, practice social distancing and wear a mask. Dancing is encouraged.

Additionally, as Saratoga Arts is unable to hold the High School All Stars exhibition in the gallery space this year, it will feature artwork created by high school artists in a virtual format on its website. The exhibition features artwork by students from Saratoga, Fulton and Montgomery counties, and will run Jan. 28–Feb. 28. For more information, go to: saratoga-arts.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, along with Temple Sinai and a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, presents a Zoom panel discussion of I Am Not Your Negro, directed by Raoul Peck and based on the writings of James Baldwin.

The discussion takes place 7 p.m. on Feb. 7. 

I Am Not your Negro, a powerful but imperfect documentary by director Raoul Peck, is derived from James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember this House. 

This documentary received critical acclaim and a Best Documentary Oscar nomination before it opened nationwide.  Remember this House was intended to be a personal recollection of Baldwin’s friends – Civil Rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. – all of whom were assassinated within five years of each other. Peck’s film relies almost exclusively on Baldwin’s writings that are narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. 

Above all else, I Am Not Your Negro is a searing indictment of America’s failure to rectify its shameful history of racial inequality. Please join us for this thought-provoking panel discussion of this exceptional documentary and the powerful voice of James Baldwin.

This Saratoga Jewish Community Arts presentation of the panel discussion of I Am Not Your Negro is to be viewed ahead of time and can be found on outlets such as Amazon prime, Netflix, or others.  Register to receive the Zoom link for the discussion at: sjca-sjcf@gmail.com and follow SJCA at saratogajewishculturalfestival.org and saratogasinai.org.