Patton Oswalt brings comic relief to The Mahaiwe Theater Saturday, March 22

Patton Oswalt
Photo by Sam Jones
Patton Oswalt
Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt is well known for his standup routine as well as his roles in film and television. Oswalt made his acting debut in the Seinfeld episode, “The Couch” and has appeared in “Parks and Rec,” “Reno 911,” “Modern Family,” and “A.P. Bio.” He has done voice-over work for movies including “Ratatouille,” and had his own Netflix special. “Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping.”
Oswalt will present his unique brand of humor in a show titled “Effervescent” at the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on Saturday, March 22. With sardonic style, he makes keen observations about American culture and gives biting critiques of the current administration.
In a recent interview with the Lakeville Journal, Oswalt said,
“Things are so dark. It feels like they’re depending on craziness to bulldoze their stuff in. So, I’m using absurdity and almost surrealism to battle it. I also realize that when you’re coming into a show like this, you want some escape. It’s certainly not the whole set.”
“Politics used to be about getting stuff off of your plate so that you can live. Now it wants to dominate the news cycle and everyone’s emotions. So, in a weird way, comedy is an act of defiance,” he added.
Comedians like Richard Pryor and, more recently, Dave Chappelle pushed boundaries of taste and limits. George Carlin was quoted as saying, “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.” So, how far is too far and who decides?
“When you became a comedian, you signed up for having the ground continually cut from underneath you. That’s the deal you made. Comedy is an ephemeral art that doesn’t age very well, and you have to embrace that,” Oswalt said.
In recent years, political correctness has restrained the growth of comedy and free speech. Today, the pendulum seems to have swung in the opposite direction to the far right.
So, are there funny right-wing comedians?
“There have been comedians who are more conservative in their outlook, but they don’t make it their identity. I know some comedians who are right wing but are still good at doing comedy. It’s not that right wing comedians aren’t funny, it’s that there’s a lot of right wing people who think that they deserve to be funny. The failed comedian to right wing grifter pipeline is pretty short,” Oswalt said.
And how about politicians who think they’re funny and use their pulpit to bully?
“You have to know how to be funny. Fast forward to people who just want to break boundaries and are just cruel. They don’t understand what comedy is. The nightmare that Elon is putting us through is all because he wants to be cool, and he’s not. So, he’s gonna blow up the world. That’s an oversimplification, but it’s also accurate. He’s like the kid whose dad owns the rec-center and thinks that all the kids should like him, but he’s obnoxious and mean so no one wants to hang out with him,” Oswalt said.
Like many comedians, Oswalt tests out new material in small clubs and open mics. When asked if he receives any pushback on his politically pointed jokes, Oswalt said, “When you go out in the world, people are just kind of the same. I’m never saying anything that’s unreasonable, even when I’m making fun of stuff like religion, conservatism and especially, fascism. It’s not in a way that people can say, ‘No, wait a minute, fascism’s good!’ unless they’re just trolling.”
At this point in his career, Oswalt has developed his own fans who come to see him. He wins crowds over by staying welcoming of everyone.
“I’m a big believer that if you treat audiences with respect, they’ll come and meet you. I’m always excited to be in front of people,” he added.
With surprise as a key element to any new show, Oswalt won’t divulge the nature of his new act, but he guarantees it will feature new material.
“Look at how accelerated the news has gotten. Who knows what I’ll be talking about by the time I get to Great Barrington!” he said.
For tickets to Patton Oswalt’s show, go to: mahaiwe.org
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik shows off the new gear. Brand new police cruisers arrived last week.
MILLERTON — The Millerton Police Department has received two new patrol cars to replace vehicles destroyed in the February 2025 fire at the Village Water and Highway Department.
The new Ford Interceptors are custom-built for law enforcement. “They’re more rugged than a Ford Explorer,” said Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik, noting the all-wheel drive, heavy-duty suspension and larger tires and engine. “They call it the ‘Police Package.’”
Olenik worked with The Cruiser’s Division in Mamaroneck, New York, to design the vehicles.
“We really want to thank the Pine Plains Police Department for their tremendous support,” Olenik said. After the fire, “they were the first ones to come forward and offer help.”
The new police cruisers are outfitted with lights with automatically adjusting brightness to best perform in ambient conditions.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Since February, Millerton officers have been borrowing a patrol car from Pine Plains. With the new vehicles now in service, Olenik said he plans to thank Pine Plains officers by treating them to dinner at Four Brothers in Amenia and having their car detailed
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.
Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry. As an interior designer by trade, Rollins designed this booth to evoke a high-end department store to align with the designer brands she carries.
MILLERTON — The Townscape 50/50 raffle drawing has collected a pot of more than $7,000.
That raffle drawing will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. The moment is not just about picking a winner, but also about reflecting on how far Townscape has come since its humble beginnings in 1998, when founder Catherine Fenn — alongside Renee Vollen and Jan Gilmor — first set out to beautify her beloved village.
Fenn’s connection to Millerton runs deep. “I moved here from the Bronx when I was eight years old and fell in love with the place, even as a child,” she recalled, remembering camping trips at Rudd Pond and enjoying the quiet pace of life.
At 15, her family relocated to southern Connecticut. “My dad didn’t think there was much here for us, so we moved. I left kicking and screaming, literally, and I said, ‘Someday I’m coming back.’”
Years later, after marrying, divorcing, and raising children, Fenn kept that promise. She returned to Millerton and married a childhood friend who was very involved in the fire department. After his passing, Fenn threw herself into her own way of giving back.
“I care about this village deeply. Townscape is my way of helping Millerton be the best it can be,” she said.
What began as an informal effort to gather volunteers and plant flowers eventually blossomed into something larger. “We started with flowers up and down Main Street — barrels of them everywhere. Then it grew into benches, tables, trees and even events. It was such a fun world, a really wonderful organization with so many people involved.”
Fenn’s service to the community extends beyond beautification. She spent roughly two decades on the Planning Board, served as Town Supervisor and worked with the county housing authority. Still, her passion for flowers, trees and landscapes has left the most visible mark on Millerton — shaping not only how the village looks, but how it feels.
In 2006, Townscape became a nonprofit organization. But beautification, Fenn admits, isn’t always the easiest cause to fund. “We’re just putting flowers out — and I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because to me it’s really important. The trees, the benches, all of it matters. But it’s not high on most people’s list when they think about charitable donations. Still, people have been wonderfully generous over the years.”
This Saturday’s raffle drawing is one way neighbors can show their support. The winner does not have to be present to claim the prize, but those who stop by can enjoy cookies, lemonade and artwork by local creators on display in the park.