The O-town Scene

Contributed Continued from Page 16 Children’s classes will include acting, costume design, Reggae Vision performs at the Smithy Pioneer Gallery on June 25. The gallery will present several musical performances throughout the summer. “Maybe it’s my theater background, but I am very prop mastery and set design, puppet making and draw- ing and painting. The Mom-and-Me Mosaics class will allow parents and children to explore the art of creating mosaics together. The full roster of classes is at www.smithypioneer.org. FILM FESTIVAL Perhaps the most highly anticipated – and ambitious – event of the summer is the inaugural Cooperstown Film Festival Aug. 19 and 20. The Smithy is partnering with Brewery Ommegang to organize the festival. The subject is particularly dear to Newell, who studied film at New York University before accepting the director position at The Smithy. Although details of the festival are still under develop- ment, but the festival will combine new releases with classic films, Newell said. Partnering with Ommegang and other sponsors has allowed the organizers to think big, she said. Among the films that are booked for the festival is the classic Buster Keaton silent comedy “The General,” which will be screened complete with live piano accompaniment. Fans of British comedian Steve Coogan will be able to view “The Trip,” the 2010 series of six improvisation- heavy episodes that Coogan and fellow comic actor Rob Brydon created. “My goal is to make the Cooperstown Film Festival one of ‘the’ festivals that filmmakers and cinephiles alike put on their calendars,” Newell said. Collaboration is the key ingredient to building success- ful programs, Newell said. aware of how many parts go into making a whole. Not only that, but I love people and I love ideas,” she said. “More than that, I love making things happen. And won- derful things happen when you bring creative people together with varied resources.” WRITERS’ CIRCLE Among those wonderful things has been the writers’ circle, which meets at The Smithy every Sunday afternoon. Kristin Walker, a writer who participates in the weekly writers’ circle, commends Newell and others at The Smithy for their efforts at building a haven for Cooper- stown’s creative community. “Writing can feel like such a lonely endeavor some- times. To have an outlet where other writers can offer criticism on a work in progress or support when a proj- ect has gone off the rails is invaluable,” Walker said. THEATER Midsummer Madness will bring Shakespeare to Pio- neer Street in a weekend of performances and work- shops Aug. 12-14. The weekend will include workshops with actor, director and acting coach Melinda Hall, who will make the trip from Manhattan to Cooperstown for the event. Hall notably directed the documentary film “How Shakespeare Changed My Life.” The Smithy will host two performances of the 2010 Fringe Festival award-winning one-woman storytell- ing show “Beauty Shop Stories,” created and performed by Faye Lane. Backstage magazine called “Beauty Shop Stories” a “Southern-fried cabaret show that’s sweeter than banana Moon Pies and RC Cola.” The show features the platinum blonde Lane recount- ing her childhood experiences in her mother’s Texas beauty salon, interspersed with musical numbers. “Beauty Shop Stories” takes the stage at The Smithy at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 and 27. STORYTELLING More stories are in store with a series of three story- telling events that each will feature four professional storytellers from around New York state. On July 16, the theme will be “Heroes: Great Feats and Defeats.” The series will continue with “Travelers’ Tales” on Aug. 6 and “Mischief Makers” on Sept. 10. All three events begin at 7 p.m., and admission is free. “This series is completely free to the public and is part of our on-going effort to make art accessible to the community and break down the barriers that exist for those who cannot afford to take arts classes or buy tickets to events,” Newell said. She compares the storytelling series to the Commu- nity Art Night series that the organization hosted last winter. On those nights, local artists and artisans facili- tated an open house where participants of all ages could enjoy refreshments and learn new creative skills. Between the gallery openings, classes and other events, it can be a dizzying schedule at The Smithy, but it all helps further the goal of making The Smithy a true creative hub for the area. “The Smithy is the oldest building in Cooperstown and it represents community and tradition. But old needn’t be stale,” Newell said. “I want The Smithy to be at the forefront of activity in the village, acting as a steward to the arts that forges a path of cultural innovation.” July 7, 2011 O-Town Scene 17

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