Play about nuclear disarmament

Valley Players’ production of Lee Blessing’s play “A Walk in the Woods” will run at First Congregational Church in Amherst at 7 p.m. June 20-22, June 27-28, and at 2:30 p.m. on June 29.

The two-hour show, inspired by real-life conversations between two diplomats during the Cold War, is about two nuclear disarmament negotiators (one American, one Russian) who meet in the woods outside of Geneva over the course of a year.

“Blessing’s play is a witty and moving exploration of conflict and coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy, and the critical role that making connections plays on the path to peace,” a press release said.

The show stars Chip Roughton as American negotiator John Honeyman and Anthony Ferreira as Soviet negotiator Andrey Botvinnik.

Pay-what-you-can tickets start at $15, sliding scale, at valleyplayers.org. Half of the net ticket revenue will be donated to the Peace Development Fund in Amherst, which offers grants and training to local human rights and social justice organizations.

Choral/orchestral concert at UMass

A chorus of 130 members from across the country, hosted by Berkshire Choral International during a week in residence at UMass, will present a concert on Saturday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bromery Center for the Arts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The concert will include Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass,” Brahms’ “Nänie” set to poetry by Friedrich Schiller, and “Into the Light” by Jake Runestad, which features texts by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Helen Keller, among others.

In a press release, Runestad said, “Into the Light allows us to be immersed in the wisdom of some of the most important and influential reformers in history, and challenges us to consider how we can move beyond fear and onto a path of love, compassion, and kindness.”

Grammy Award-winning conductor Robert Istad, artistic director of the Pacific Chorale and professor of music and director of choral studies at California State University Fullerton, will guest-conduct the concert.

Not including box office fees, tickets are $20 general admission and $10 for UMass students, staff, and youth 18 and under via bit.ly/UMassBCI25.

Learn sumi-e painting

Artist Bonnie McLoud will teach a workshop on sumi-e painting at Sisu Wellness Center in Easthampton on Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m.

Sumi-e is a type of Japanese painting that uses black ink and water and aims to depict subject matter with as few brush strokes as possible.

Participants will paint an orchid, a bamboo plant, a chrysanthemum, and a plum blossom.

Registration is $99. To sign up, visit sisuwellnesscenter.com/workshops.

Green River Festival returns

The popular Green River Festival will return to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield from Friday, June 20, through Sunday, June 22. Gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The festival’s headliners will be Mt. Joy on Friday, Courtney Barmett on Saturday, and Waxahatchee on Sunday.

The lineup includes national and regional artists, such as Ocie Elliott, The Gaslight Tinkers, Winterpills, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Kimaya Diggs, and Little Roots, among others.

The festival will also have a vendor market, family entertainers, and a kids area with activities for children 12 and under.

Funky Dawgz Brass Band will lead the Green River Parade at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, featuring puppets from Cheli Mennella of Source Studios, starting from the Art Garden.

Advance one-day passes are $110.35. Advance three-day passes are $218.50.

To purchase passes or for more information, visit greenriverfestival.com.

‘Guys and Dolls’ in Easthampton

Easthampton Theater Company will present the musical “Guys and Dolls,” about gangsters and missionaries in 1940s Manhattan, at the Williston Theater in Easthampton on Saturday, June 21, Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, June 22, and Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m.

Some of its most famous songs include “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and “Adelaide’s Lament.”

“Guys and Dolls” will be the company’s first musical theater production.

In a press release, director Eva Husson-Stockhamer said, “Guys and Dolls is the perfect marriage of great storytelling and show stopping music. It’s a timeless tale of love, luck and camaraderie that feels fresh, funny incredibly relevant — especially with the energy our cast brings to it.”

Tickets are $23 for adults or $21 for students, seniors, and military members at easthamptontheater.com. The show runs two hours and 50 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Call for theater-related art

The Majestic Theater in West Springfield is looking for artists to display work inspired by their 2025-2026 season in their cafe gallery.

This season’s shows are “Once,” “Steel Magnolias,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” “Dear Jack Dear Louise,” and “Come From Away.” Submitted works must “explore the themes, characters, and emotions of these productions” and “resonate with the stories told on stage,” according to the artist call.

Visual artists living in and around West Springfield, northern Connecticut, and southern Vermont are eligible. (Note: the theater is not currently looking for sculptors.)

Selected works for each show will be displayed during each show’s run. The theater will host a reception for the selected artists.

Submissions are due Friday, August 1. For more information and to apply, submit examples of your work and an artist statement at majestictheater.com/call-to-artists.

Mentoring program for local artists

The organization Valley Arts Mentors is currently looking for local artists to pair together as mentors and mentees.

Prospective mentors must be established artists or arts professionals with 15+ years of experience in their field.

Prospective mentees must be 18 or older; must live in Franklin, Hampshire, or Hampden Counties; and must be working toward a career in the arts (which is not limited to art itself and can include museum curation, arts non-profit administration, etc.)

Each mentor/mentee pair connects in person or online every two weeks for a six-month period.

To apply, visit artsmentors.org/mentorship.