BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI ARTS A review of 4,000 Miles by Amy Herzog, now running through June 1 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival’s Unicorn Theater, Stockbridge. Cast: Evan Silverstein (Leo), Gabriela Torres (Bec), Alison Ye (Amanda), and Maria Tucci (Vera). Directed by Lizzie Gottlieb. 1 hour, 50 minutes, no intermission. Box office 413-997-4444. BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. PLANET […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 17-9, 2024) — Our ideological, guilt-before-innocence times have the Devil’s Advocate working overtime. In short supply: reason and common sense. In surplus, irrationality and prejudice. No, the sky isn’t falling; THE PLANET assures you despite the assertions of Chicken Little. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Final of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 15, 2024) — Don’t you just love the Bike Mafia. THE PLANET does. Not only do they want to despoil Springside Park, but it wants Pittsfield taxpayers to pick up the tab. This audacity comes after Alison McGee, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 13, 2024) — Recently, someone asked us about the continuing delay in building the mountain bike complex at Springside Park on upper North Street in Bitchfield. THE PLANET found it a pertinent query, since the ambitious–and ambitiously expensive– […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY A U.S. Constitutional Cornerstone: A person is innocent until proven guilty. For a citizen not formally charged with a crime, premature guilty verdict is personally and socially devastating. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 10-2, 2024) — If you peruse any high school yearbook or media coverage […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MAY 8, 2024) — Today THE PLANET shares the details of the most horrific development now taking place on planet earth. As you know, there’s a ton of mayhem from which to choose. It’s not the phony kangaroo trial of President Trump. It […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MAY 6, 2024) — Crisis averted. As so many of you reminded us, THE PLANET went dark for about 24 hours Thursday evening into Friday. We heard from a bunch of you, including two former mayors, a bunch of ex-councilors, and a truckload […]
