Against a backdrop of black and white, perpetrator and victim, playwright Kate Cortesi offers a provocative and stimulating world premiere play, Love, which humanizes the parties involved and explores the complexities of relationships that many depictions often simplify to the point of distortion.

Recently, on Turner Classic Movies, I saw Ingmar Bergman’s iconic 1957 film Seventh Seal. That was before the death of the actor Max Von Sydow or the widening global pandemic. Yet again there is the contrast of art and artifice. Art is a means of navigating the collape of the American Empire in real time and vivid color. When this passes what will be left of our arts, culture and way of life? How will we pick up the pieces of a new order? Will the elections of 2020 be yet another cancellation? Is this Apocalypse Now?

A Chorus Line's focus on the unheralded is particularly timely when many must make sacrifices. The Wick Theatre's wonderful production is postponed but hopes company officials hope to resume the production soon. Triple threat performers shine in this production.

The Gambler, country music star Kenny Rogers, has passed at 81. In September, 2012 he made a rare Berkshire appearance at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. This is how we covered him at the time.

Artists without faces. Or what do you hang your hat on? Jean Gabin, Cecily Brown, Dana Schutz and John Currin.

The theater is pitch black. A mysterious figure wrapped in a robe writes on a screen in black ink which drips on the illuminated board. “I which have bled for so long are beginning to heal. Black tears no longer course down his cheeks, inspiring the horrific feeling in others that these are their own bloodied tears." These are Oedipus' words as interpreted by Henry Bauchau, author of "Oedipus on the Road," which inspired "Anywhere." This is an unusual portrait of Oedipus' harrowing final journey.

Many organizations are offering wonderful streaming. Reports suggest that music with videos is doing better than sound only. Atlanta Opera, led by Tomer Zvulun, may be providing the most useful help.

In a time of pandemic the early bird scores the toilet paper. When the quality of life is measured in sheets.

The Tony Awards show will go on, albeit at a later date, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The CBS broadcast was slated for June 7 this year. Officials have not announced a replacement date.

Stravinsky composed La History del Soldado, a multi media piece, in 1914. Using speech, mime and dance accompanied by a seven piece band, we hear ragtime, tango, and other modern musical idioms combined in a series of highly infectious instrumental movements. Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra performed the piece, with an updated libretto they commissioned. It is delightful to hear, even long distance.

This week Jacob's Pillow cancelled its coming season. Can Tanglewood be far behind? Today Williamstown Theatre Festival pulled back from selling tickets with a note for further review of seasonal plans. Berkshire Theatre Group announces the launch of its season on August 1. We have yet to hear updates from Shakespeare & Company, Barrngton Stage Company or other regional theatres. As non essential business Berkshire museums are closed with no time line for resumed programming.

The richness of music programming at the Mannes School, now a division of The New School for Social Research, is clear day to day. Women Between Arts (WBA) is New York’s leading interdisciplinary women and non-binary artists series, created and curated by multi- and interdisciplinary artist Luisa Muhr. Programming revolves around the question: "How do we make new art?"

The latest La Jolla Playhouse production “Fly” is a new, visually stunning musical reimagining of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter and Wendy”, the popular and enduring children’s fantasy story about adventures in a dream filled place called ‘Neverland’ where children never grow up into adulthood where each has the ability to fly (with caveats, however, that must be observed).

Responding to the pandemic the MFA has issued this letter to its patrons.

The 35th annual issue of Provincetown Arts Magazine is ready to go to press. The pandemic, however, has created uncertainty about the coming season. There may not be enough crucial advertising revenue to publish the issue. This is an appeal for support.

“This virus might get to tell us what we cannot do but it does not get to dictate what we can do,” Mandy Greenfield said. “The voices of these artists will be heard. Through this alliance with Audible, we keep artists and the generative artistic process centered and steady through this unspeakably difficult moment when public gathering simply isn’t possible"

The pleasures of streaming music are revealed in this delightful meeting with Jeremy Denk in his country home. He focuses on the C sharp Prelude and Fugue and dips into two others. What a joy!

Shortly after the exhibition Words & Images Allan Rohan Crite 1910 – 2007 opened the private St. Botolph Club was closed because of the pandemic. There is however a link to a video that provides a virtual tour of the exhibition. Crite is regarded as a leading Boston artist of his generation. He was a graduate of the Museum School. The Museum of Fine Arts is remiss in not planning a major exhibition of this remarkable and widely influential artist.

The gifted Mozart-specialist Orli Shaham is offering excerpts from her soon to be released album of Mozart Sonatas. She and her husband, conductor David Robertson, perform Clapping for the Health Workers. The New York Phil chimes in with Bolera and Heartbeat Opera off Bernstein's "Let Your Garden Grow." What a gift basket.

Shakespeare & Company is postponing its 2020 Summer Season to next summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic (coronavirus).

From 1987 to 1993 Alan Shestack was director of the Museum of Fine Arts. He followed Jan Fontein who was director from 1975 to 1987.

Today the two time, Tony winning, character actor Brian Dennehy died of natural causes. He was 81. During what was then the annual Williamstown Film Festival he joined Steve Larson for a talk back at Images. In 2012 we saw him in Chicago's Goodman Theatre production of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh." With an all star cast his performance was indelibible in an evening of theatre from which you never recover.

Jennifer Trainer Thompson, the director of Hancock Shaker Village, has a letter for friends and neighbors. It's spring and the lambs have been born. Soon it is time to plant the traditional gardens. Trying times call for creative solutions.

Stage shows are going on – maybe not live, but via live streaming and through other means. Since the world is in the midst of a pandemic, theater lovers are not able to experience the vitality and immediacy that comes with truly live theater. However, that doesn’t mean theater can’t be a part of your life under quarantine.

Robert Ward's Pulitzer-Prize winning opera, The Crucible, is streaming live from Opera Santa Barbara. It is a terrific production with a cast of first-rate singing actors conducted by Kostis Protopapas.