
Ethan Vincent Photo courtesy of Berkshire Opera Festival
The Berkshire Opera Festival invites you the travel to a 19th century Christmas Eve in the Latin Quarter of Paris as a band of painters, poets and philosophers fight the winter chill with bottles of wine and fall in love at Café Momus. Giacomo Puccini's Italian opera "La Bohème" will be performed at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass., starting Saturday, Aug, 26. I spoke with baritone Ethan Vincent will be playing the role of Schaunard.
Alexander Wilburn: Hey Ethan, thanks for taking the time in the middle of rehearsal. What's it like at this stage of the rehearsal process?
Ethan Vincent: We're running through the show, fine-tuning it if you will. We start at the beginning and take notes in between the acts, and discuss what we need to fix.
AW: Puccini's "La Bohème" is unquestionably a classic, as a performer, what do you think brings audiences back to this particular opera time and again?
EV: Musically it's a beautiful piece that people connect with tonally, and on a more theatrical level, it is something that people relate to. It's a coming-of-age story of these guys, and it's a love story as well. It's a little different compared to pieces we sometimes do in opera that can feel a little archaic and in need of an update. "Bohème" always rings true musically and in a narrative way as well.
AW: I feel like there's something about it where it's truly timeless, and each decade it's performed you might find something different. Right now, you know, we're seeing a big spike in COVID in the area. So you might think of working artists in struggling conditions.
EV: I think those themes of sickness and health are definitely factors when revisiting this piece, especially now, for sure.
AW: This isn't your first time performing "La Bohème." You were Schaunard in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, but you also played Marcello at the Columbus Symphony and the National Performing Arts Centre. Between the two roles, do you have a favorite?
EV: Marcello for sure has more singing to do. So as a singer, you're able to find more moments of beauty. But at the same time, the role has its own difficulty because there are areas that are difficult to navigate as a singer. That being said, Schaunard is always a really fun role for me to play. He is sort of the glue that holds the friends together. He's the provider, he's the comic relief. But he's also the one who initiates them to go out and have fun. It's a really fun role to play in contrast to Marcello, who's the brooding, overly sensitive character.
AW: Schaunard's entrance to the show is one of the liveliest, funniest aria's the opera. I've seen it performed with a lot of varying physicality, what's your approach to the scene?
EV: You want Schaunard to feel very seamless and very effortless like he's a really cool guy and he can just take over the space. He's in his own world, and he tells this story, a very elaborate tale, but none of his friends are listening to him. He's brought all of the provisions for everyone but no one is listening to what he's saying. But I hold onto this idea that Schaunard has nothing to worry about, he's got it all under control.
AW: You travel a ton for your work, how has your summer in The Berkshires been?
EV: It's my first time in The Berkshires and it's just so beautiful. It's my second time in this part of the country. Last summer I did some work at The Bard Festival.
AW: As part of the Bard SummerScape?
EV: Yes, we did a bunch of Rachmaninoff there. We did a semi-production of his opera "The Miserly Knight," and then we did "The Bells" which was like a symphonic piece. Being back here reminds me of being a kid and getting to go to summer camp. We saw a double rainbow across the sky, just very casually. My girlfriend is here, and she spotted a bear yesterday.
AW: Oh you will see those.
EV: I'm just surrounded by nature.
AW: What do you have coming up for the 2023-24 season?
EV: In the fall I'll be headed to The Met Opera to cover Riolobo in the brand new production of "Florencia en el Amazonas." After that, I'm going to the San Diego Opera to play Leporello in "Don Giovanni." Then I'm heading to the Washington National Opera to sing Ping in "Turandot."
AW: I'll let you get back to rehearsal — do they say "break a leg" in opera?
EV: We say "toi toi toi" or we say "in bocca al lupo" which means "in the mouth of the wolf" in Italian. It comes from peering out into the vastness of the opera house, the mouth of the wolf.
Participating students and teachers gathered for the traditional photo at the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium on Thursday, May 1.
Students and educators from throughout the region converged at Troutbeck in Amenia for a three-day conference to present historical research projects undertaken collaboratively by students with a common focus on original research into their chosen topics. Area independent schools and public schools participated in the conference that extended from Wednesday, April 30 to Friday, May 2.
The symposium continues the Troutbeck legacy as a decades-old gathering place for pioneers in social justice and reform. Today it is a destination luxury country inn, but Troutbeck remains conscious of its significant place in history.
A showing of student artworks within the theme of linking the past with the present opened the symposium on Wednesday evening. Each work of art had to draw on historical research to foster an informed dialogue between the artist and the contemporary audience.
The second day was devoted to student research presentations, showcasing teams from the region’s leading public and private schools with strong programs aimed at cultivating engaged young historians. Primary source materials and live interviews with descendants were included in the process.
Topics were divided into blocks with guest commentators providing reactive response as each block of student presentations concluded. Serving as commentators were Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ohio State University, and Dr. Christine Proenza-Coles, University of Virginia.
Resistance in the face of oppression and stories of resilience that spanned generations formed an important theme as students presented the stories of area settlers and residents who suffered but endured.
As a sampling, The Taconic School teamed up with The Salisbury School to unearth untold stories of Boston Corners. The Hotchkiss School looked into the activities of the Ku Klux Klan in Connecticut. The Cornwall Consolidated School students stepped up with their untold stories of early Cornwall women.
Other presentations explored criminal justice — witchcraft trials — dealing with society’s “undesirable” elements, individuals in history who took action, people and movements that formed resistance, and various forms of discrimination.
Praising the work of the students, Dr. Jeffries identified a theme of resistance and survival.
“The war ended but the resistance did not,” Jeffries said. “We don’t take indigenous people seriously,” he added. “White supremacy happened in our own back yards.”
“We saw the evolution of research,” said a Cornwall Consolidated School representative. That project moved into civic engagement by the students that moved beyond the classroom.
“This is not the past; this is part of the present,” said Dr. Proenza-Coles.
A panel discussion among educators whose students had participated in the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium was held on Friday, May 2, to offer reflections on the symposium, its value and future development. Panelists from left to right were Jessica Jenkins, Litchfield Historical Society;Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University; Morgan Bengal, Old New-Gate Prison; Frank Mitchell, Connecticut Humanities; and student representatives Dominik Valcin of Salisbury School, and Shanaya Duprey of Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Leila Hawken
The third day invited area history educators to assemble and share ideas for redesigning elements of history education, a day of reflection.
The panel included Jessica Jenkins, Litchfield Historical Society; Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University; Morgan Bengal, Old New-Gate Prison; Frank Mitchell, Connecticut Humanities; and student representatives Dominik Valcin of Salisbury School, and Shanaya Duprey of Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Valcin reflected on his work as a shared project within The Salisbury School, one where the inquiry would seek to find “the deeper story behind a base story.”
Duprey also spoke of process and the educational value of engaging with historical inquiry.
Each representing a profession that brings them into contact with historical inquiry, the panelists recounted tedious history classes of past decades. Jenkins described her own career as “public history.”Lamb-Canon’s experience began with choosing history electives in college. Bengal spoke of community engagement and the power of involvement with history.
“History is not the opposite of scientific inquiry,” said Bengal.
Significant discussion centered on the possibility of offering the Troutbeck Symposium model to a wider audience of school systems throughout the U.S.
“A community approach to education,” was a characterization offered by Troutbeck owner Charlie Champalimaud, commenting during a brief interview at the end of the symposium on Friday, May 2. She encouraged a push toward increasing even more the number of participating schools, their educational communities and symposium sponsors.
Terence S. Miller, owner of Roaring Oaks Florist in the new self-serve area of the shop.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Roaring Oaks Florist in Lakeville has launched a new self-serve flower station next to its Main Street shop, offering high-quality, grab-and-go bouquets from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week — including Sundays when the main store is closed.
Owner Terence S. Miller, who bought the shop 24 years ago at just 20 years old, calls the new feature “a modern twist on an old-school honor system,” with some high-tech updates.
“We’re still using our same high-end flowers, just with less markup and no labor,” said Miller. “That way people can access our quality anytime, even if we’re closed.”
Tucked beside the shop’s main entrance at 349A Main Street next to The Boathouse, the self-serve area is partitioned and monitored by security cameras. A simple touchscreen checkout system lets customers pay with a credit card — no cash accepted — and includes photo prompts to make selection easy. Vases, ribbons, flower food, and care instructions are all stocked and labeled.
“We’ve tried to think of everything people might need,” said Miller. “It’s all about making great flowers more accessible without losing what makes Roaring Oaks special.”
Miller said the idea came from years of watching customers try to squeeze in a visit before or after hours. “We’re open 8 hours a day, but we’re here for almost 10, and it still isn’t enough. People are always showing up after we close,” he said. “This way we can be ‘open’ more hours without adding staff.”
Though he considered making the space available 24/7, Miller ultimately decided against it. “We didn’t want to encourage late-night tampering,” he said, noting the shop’s proximity to local bars and restaurants.
Miller’s journey into flowers was unexpected. As soon as he could get his farming papers at 12 years old, he started working at Silamar Farm in Millerton. Alongside its produce, Silamar’s was one of the first farm stands in the area to sell fresh cut flowers.Miller began growing and bundling cut flowers for city-bound customers. “By 16 I needed a year-round job, so I applied to every florist around. I just had a knack for it,” he said. After a stint in Rhinebeck, he returned and bought Roaring Oaks from its previous owner.
In the decades since, he’s built a reputation for quality and creativity. The shop’s flowers are sourced from around the world, particularly Canada and South America, though Miller is committed to supporting local growers wherever possible, especially for summer offerings and weddings.
“We’re hoping to feature some smaller farms in the self-serve section this summer,” said Miller. “DIY weddings have taken off, and people don’t always realize the benefits of buying local. Cold chain is everything. The flowers we source come straight from the airport to the wholesaler and right up here. That’s how we keep them fresh.”
Roaring Oaks also offers consultations and bulk flower discounts for events and weddings, a service Miller hopes more customers will discover through the new self-serve setup.
After 50 years in business, and nearly a decade at its current Lakeville location, Roaring Oaks continues to evolve. “This September marks my 25th year,” said Miller. “I’m always looking for ways to make people happy. Flowers should be simple, joyful, and accessible. That’s what this is all about.”
For more information or to plan your Mother’s Day bouquet, visit Roaring Oaks Florist at 349A Main Street, Lakeville.
A string quartet opened the Bard Conservatory of Music program for Region One third grade students at Music Mountain.
Region One third grade students attended a chamber music concert by Bard Conservatory of Music students at Music Mountain Tuesday, April 29.
After expending spare energy racing around the Music Mountain lawn, the children trooped into the concert hall and took their seats.
After a brief introduction from Bard’s Mira Wang, the first item on the program was a string quartet, playing a piece by Haydn.
The students also heard a solo rendition of medieval songs played on the alto trombone, an unusual instrument.
The annual third grade concert is a tradition that stretches back decades at Music Mountain. It’s a treat for the children, and for the music students, who get to experience the incredible acoustics of the Music Mountain concert hall.
Two flutists performed later in the show.Patrick L. Sullivan