Greenfield Notebook: June 2, 2023

Tom Swetland art exhibit on display at LAVA Center

GREENFIELD — The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will display a new art exhibit called “The Sky is Falling” by local artist Tom Swetland, throughout June.

The exhibit can be viewed Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. A reception will be held Saturday, June 3, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Swetland is the former owner of Federal Street Books, where his artwork was displayed throughout the store. His work includes collage, assemblage, mixed media and junk sculpture of assembled found objects, and is influenced by surrealist artists of the 1930s, tribal art and 1960s psychedelic posters.

GREENFIELD — “On the Boards,” a festival of new play readings by local playwrights, starts with “Interview with Archie” by Heath resident John McDonnell Tierney on Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3, at 7 p.m.

For the past few months, The LAVA Center has hosted a theater incubation series, in which six local playwrights workshopped and developed new plays. Now they’re ready for an audience. “Interview with Archie” explores the experience of two men of the cloth, one old, one young, with faith and dementia. Archie, a 90-year-old retired Catholic bishop with Alzheimer’s disease who doesn’t believe heaven exists, meets Elijah, a 20-year-old evangelical seminarian whose whole purpose in life is to get to heaven.

“Interview with Archie” will be performed by Tracy Trimm, Seth Rosenbaum, Louise Krieger and David Fersh.

“On the Boards” continues through June with:

■“Time in Tatters” by Silvia Martinez-Howard and “Inheritance” by Nina Gross on Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10, at 7 p.m.

■“750%” by Christine Benvenuto and Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” adapted by P.H. Crosby on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17, at 7 p.m.

■“As We Were: Nine Days in October” by Jan Maher on Friday, June 23, and Saturday, June 24, from 7 p.m.

For more information and tickets, visit thelavacenter.org/on-the-boards. Tickets are $5 to $15, sliding scale.

GREENFIELD — Thanks to a new partnership with The Hairloft, basic men’s and women’s haircuts, beard trims, blow drying and curling appointments will be offered at the Greenfield Senior Center, 35 Pleasant St., on Monday, June 5, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Appointments are available for Greenfield residents ages 65 and up. Sign up at the Senior Center’s front desk or by calling 413-772-1517, ext. 0.

Guests are advised to arrive with clean, dry hair. Donations of any amount to help cover the stylists’ time and expenses will be accepted. A selection of Aveda sample sizes will also be available to buy.