From "Summerscape" to the Gardens of Learning
by Cynthia Owen Philip
Who would have thought that the theater and concerts that celebrated the spring opening of Bard's Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts could be rivaled? But Bard's first Summerscape festival did just that. The offerings were Czech, a prelude to the Music Festival in August that focused on the life, times and career of Leos Janácek. I was able to attend only four performances. but once more they blew my mind. The first was a fascinating but bewildering movie based on Milan Kundera's novel The Joke, a bold satire on the times made in 1968 during the Prague Spring, when Czechoslovakia was attempting to loosen the constrictions of Communist rule. The second was the U. S. premiere of Janácek's opera Osud, which again proved the elasticity and the acoustic perfection of the 900-seat Sosnoff Theater. The next treat was a haunting late night solo performance by the incomparable Czech vocalist and violinist, the gypsy Iva Bittová. She played under the swirling roofs of the Sosnoff entrance, providing a fine demonstration of just how versatile the complex is. The fourth, and regretfully last performance for me, was the world premiere of Don Juan in Prague by Mozart, revisited by David Chambers, in the 225-seat Theater Two. What surprised and utterly delighted me about the Don Juan was that such a big piece, with such a magnificent set, could be accommodated in so intimate a space. That the central role, Donna Elvira, was played by Bittová in a more classical, but actually more impassioned vein, only added to its excitement.
Although I had only a taste of the wonders of this summer season, they were enough to set me thinking about how much Bard College offers the wider community throughout the year. At one end of the spectrum, for instance, are the community gardens. Since their beginnings seven years ago, they've become a haven for students and area residents who like to grow things and don't have their own place to do so. Located in a sunny field on the south side of Blithewood Road, anyone can plant, anyone can reap, anyone can enjoy the peace of the Gardens' circle of benches, or a stroll along its fragrant paths. And anyone is welcome at the Wednesday potluck dinners. When I last visited, a MFA student in music composition was snipping chives, dill, basil and mint into an old-time tin pot to take as a gift to a friend. Shortly afterwards, a tiny girl named Daisy came to play with her rag doll. Threading her way through the zinnias, gladioli, sunflowers, and daisies, she was herself a bouquet, and the gardens were obviously one of her favorite excursions.
At the other end of the spectrum of Bard's offerings to the community is the Lifetime Learning Institute. Part of the Elderhostel Institute Network, it is aimed at retired persons of all ages. The annual cost for joining is $125 and some volunteer time—but what you get is stupendous. First are two semesters of courses, seven weeks each fall and spring. You get your choice of two each semester, from a roster that ranges from "Interacting with Theater" to "Great Decisions in Foreign Policy." One of the courses coming up this autumn offers seven lectures on a wide array of Hudson Valley-related topics. (I'm giving two of them—one on the life, times, art and invention of Robert Fulton and another on the Hucklebush Railroad that ran from Rhinecliff to Hartford, Connecticut between 1874 and 1938. Couldn't resist giving myself a plug!) You also get a bonus course. This fall it's "Talking Movies," and takes place on four Thursdays. And there are two off-site courses for which you have to pay something additional for transportation: "Life on the Great Estates" on Tuesdays, and "Landscapes and Gardens" on Wednesdays.
The extra benefits are manifold. You become a qualified student with a card that's valid for reduced prices at theaters and museums world wide. At Bard you get free library and cafeteria privileges. At the LLI sessions, which go on all day, there are complimentary beverages and donated snacks in its hospitality room. On top of it all, there's the camaraderie of mingling with people interested in the same subjects you are. That, in my book, is splendid value for $125.
Another group that anyone can join is the Bard Community Choir. Started some time ago by Bard's President Leon Botstein, it has had a long, distinguished history. The men and women choristers perform such monuments as the Lord Nelson Mass with aplomb. Many are first rate singers. Those that can't read music simply stand beside someone who can, or get a tape and practice at home. The young but experienced director, James Bagwell, is already on his way to doubling the size of the group to around eighty. Call Bard for details about joining. The choir meets every Tuesday evening, in preparation for its December concert. I'll be there: I wouldn't miss it for the world.
And I have only scratched the surface of Bard's offerings to the community. There are, for one thing, Bard's wonderful student performing arts productions. You'll have to check on the dates, but I can testify that the student work I've seen though the years is high class. The new spaces for dance, music and theater can only enhance it. For another, Botstein will bring the American Symphony Orchestra, of which he is the director, to the Sosnoff for a series of concerts, beginning this October: the flyer with the programs is already out. Exhibitions of art works can be seen at the Black Curatorial Center. There's a full parade of films as well. Sometimes these performances slip by, because they are not extensively advertised. Check at the college by telephone or by website to get dates and times.
The word for Bard's neighbors is: "The more you look, the more you see."
