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Victoria Bond was born to be a musician. Her grandfather was a composer and conductor. Her father was an operatic bass, and her mother, a concert pianist. She found the piano herself. When her kindergarten teacher scolded her mother for pushing Bond too hard, her mother explained that she was trying to hold her back, but could not.

The Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association 2020 New Play Award award announced. The honor recognizes playwrights for the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City. E.M. Lewis' How The Light Gets In receives top award. The runners-up are Chandler Hubbard's Animal Control and Lee Edward Colston II's The First Deep Breath. The M. Elizabeth Osborn Award went to Dan McCabe, for his play, The Purists.

The Al Hirschfeld Foundation is proud to announce the first in a series of online exhibitions exploring the work of one of the most iconic artists of the last century. On May 11, the Foundation will open a special exhibition for these times: "SOCIALLY DISTANT THEATER: The Solo Show As Seen By Hirschfeld", a collection of 25 drawings, paintings, collages, and prints documenting a half century of one person shows. This special digital exhibit will be online for six weeks through June 20.

'How about Hungarian Goulash?' - he asked: 'Yes, that's a very good idea!' Hungarian Goulash is a German National dish and, of course, in Eastern European countries* as well. I grew up eating 'Ungarisches Gulasch' with boiled potatoes and green beans, perhaps, or another vegetable and a side salad. (Was it really first prepared in Hungary and when? Just as the Hamburger was coined by Americans. 'I am a Hamburger,' my cousin told an American. 'You are eating burgers!')

YoungArts brings us artist’s self-designed concerts from home. In the interior soundscape of his home, Conrad Tao presents his own compositions and Arnold Schoenberg’s among others. His electronic composition, sometimes mixed with the piano and at others alone, provides an extension into other sound universes. The outside world is omni-present through a window which extends the room into trees and skies.

When life gets bitter-sweet Pip opts for the sweet. It's rhubarb time in Norwood Heights. She tried this for this last night and reports that it was a hit.

While Pippy Giuliano is a vegetarian she superbly prepares meat for her husband Yuri. This is a breakfast or dinner that they both enjoy.

One might say that the New York critic best known as Fast Eddy is a tad eccentric. When he came to visit in the Berkshires he sent a long list of ingredients. He came with a friend and invited two more from Connecticut. We were relegated to cleanup. For dessert he baked rum cake. The recipe is found here. It was indeed divine and we became friends with his friends. Typical of Fast the formatting here is as topsy turvy as it was sent.

Erica is an artist/ photographer who lives on Cape Cod. We keep up with her on Facebook.

This preparation of boneless leg of lamb entails overnight marination. The Greeks prefer to serve it fully cooked.

We Shall Not be Moved was a hit at the 2017 Opera Philadelphia Festival, a must-attend event held in Philadelphia in the fall. It is available on Facebook, Sunday, May 10 at 7pm.

It was summer of 1954 when I scoured downtown Gloucster to cop a copy of "Rock Around the Clock." A couple of years later Little Richard busted out with "Tutti Frutti." There has never been anyone like him before or since. He died this week at 87.

MASS MoCA is in pain as are all of us. Joe Thompson appeals for our help. For now in North Adams its MASK MoCA.

Rembering when George Segal first exhibited at Dick Bellamy's Green Street Gallery on May 8, 1962

I look to a painting on my wall by the 17th century Dutch painter, Pieter de Hooch. It is a domestic scene of a mother calmly peeling turnips in a corner while a child enters the threshold carrying a flask and a plate, smiling down at a little dog looking up in anticipation. I am relieved.

The status of the Italian poet, essayist and gallerist, Mario Diacono, is legendary. To be with his wife Claudette, a native of Lynn, Mass, he moved to Boston and opened a gallery in 1985. He was renowned for showing a single work for which he wrote scholarly essays. Then relatively affordable he made few Boston sales of the now renowned artists he exhibited. The Museum of Fine Arts bought a Ross Bleckner painting and appropriation by Sherrie Levine. Most of the work was acquired by the Italian collector Achille Maramotti. Today Diacono is a curator for Collezione Maramotti.

Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon invites the public to participate in a community engagement project, “Call for Art: In Union, Remotely,” with artwork which may be submitted in a variety of mediums.

Sydney who lives Down Maine is cursed by shellfish allergy, She still craves lobster in summer with friends. All that it's cracked up to be but for now no longer possible.

Artist Susan Nichter shares another way to cook cod.

Since we have to do without live theater for the foreseeable future, however, theater on my sofa can be an excellent replacement.

Our Eclipse neighbors Michael Bedford and Sarah Sutro spent many years living and working in Asia. Here he concocts a handy snack that will freeze well.

Chicago critic and fellow ATCA member is taking a forced leave from covering theatre. She walks us through her Eggplant Parm.

Phil and Maria spent several months in Spain before the pandemic hit. They share what was a typical Spanish breakfast. Served cold it is also a familar tapas item in bars,

An artist neighbor, Linda Obrien, of the Eclipse Mill in North Adams is an amazing home chef. Food for her is a passion. We have been fortunate to share meals with her and Opie.

Anthony Davis wrote for dance first, so he sees his music as driving action. To the traditional forms of European opera, he brings the music of his people, African Americans. Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington are honored in his work. He likes to provide for improvisation, so that each performance is unique. The Central Park Five premiered in Long Beach Opera last year.