FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stockbridge, MA – January 22, 2025 – The Norman Rockwell Museum is partnering with The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home to present Readings at Rockwell, a new literary series that highlights the power of the written word through dramatic readings of stories by three iconic American authors: Shirley Jackson, Toni Morrison, and Edith Wharton.

These intimate performances, held on the first Wednesday of each month from March through May 2025, will take place in the Museum’s galleries. The series, curated by The Mount’s Director of Public Programming Sarah Margolis-Pineo, aligns with Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage, an exhibition by renowned illustrator Anita Kunz that reveals and honors the legacy of 285 trailblazing women, both past and present.

Kicking off during Women’s History Month, the readings will bring to life selections from the works of Edith Wharton, Shirley Jackson, and Toni Morrison, authors whose stories explore complex themes of social class, identity, and the human experience. Each event will begin with a short talk introducing the featured author and their work, followed by a dramatic reading by a local actor.

“Illustration, or narrative art, has the power to connect us across time and space, and Readings at Rockwell offers an opportunity to celebrate the images, stories, and voices of women who have contributed to our perspectives on society and culture,” said Kathryn Potts, chief learning and engagement officer at the Norman Rockwell Museum. “We are delighted to collaborate with The Mount to bring this exciting program to life.”

Sarah Margolis-Pineo, director of programs at The Mount, added, “This program series celebrates the enduring legacy of women writers and the relevance of their stories today. Edith Wharton believed in the transformative power of literature, and we are thrilled to join the Norman Rockwell Museum in honoring these literary icons and their profound contributions.”

Doors will open at 5:00 pm, allowing guests to enjoy Anita Kunz’s inspiring exhibition before the readings begin at 6:00 pm. A cash bar will be available.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit HERE.

About the Actors

Anne Undeland has performed throughout the Northeast. In addition to acting, she has developed living history programs, narrated audiobooks, and played roles in productions for BBC radio and WBUR/Boston. She is also a playwright; her most recent play, Wharton Between the Sheets, was produced by Great Barrington Public Theater, Boston’s Gloucester Stage, and is slated for production by the Middlebury Acting Company in May 2025.

Tod Randolph has participated for years in the Wharton on Wednesday summer series at The Mount, reading on the terrace from Edith’s magnificent collection of short stories. Also at The Mount, she played Osric Dane in a stage adaptation of Xingu for the inaugural production of The Wharton Salon in 2007, and Mrs. Wharton in The Inner House, a one-woman biographical play by Dennis Krausnick, in 2012. Randolph is a longtime member of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, where she has played numerous lead roles in both Shakespearean and contemporary plays, directed several readings and one full-length production, and taught and directed in the actor training programs.

Sandra Seoane-Serí is an award-winning actress based in New York, Providence, and Boston. She received her BA in Theater and Film at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is a proud alum of Shakespeare & Company’s Summer Shakespeare Intensive. Her recent roles as Maria Celeste in Jessica Dickey’s “Galileo’s Daughter” and as Tybalt in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” have earned high praise from The Boston Globe and Theater Mirror.

About The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center dedicated to the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of Edith Wharton (1862-1937).  The Mount presents Wharton’s life and achievements through tours of her house and gardens, and programming. The Mount is the literary hub of the Berkshires and hosts talks and panels by national authors and scholars both on-site and online. Seasonal cultural offerings on property include an annual outdoor sculpture show, music, readings, performances, and children’s programming. For more information, visit www.EdithWharton.org.

About Norman Rockwell Museum

Norman Rockwell Museum illuminates the power of American illustration art to reflect and shape society, and advances the enduring values of kindness, respect, and social equity portrayed by Norman Rockwell. A comprehensive resource relating to Norman Rockwell and the art of illustration, American visual culture, and the role of published imagery in society, the Museum holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of art and archival materials relating to Rockwell’s life and work, while also preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting a growing collection of art by other American illustrators throughout history. The Museum engages diverse audiences through onsite and traveling exhibitions, as well as publications, arts, and humanities programs, including the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies, and comprehensive online resources.

NRM is open year-round, six days a week; closed Wednesdays. Admission is charged, Free for Kids & Teens. For details, visit the Museum online at www.NRM.org.

PRESS CONTACTS:

Margit Hotchkiss, Chief Marketing Officer
presscontact@nrm.org; 413.931.2240

Nichole Dupont, PR Counsel
nicholechaneldupont@gmail.com

Images and interviews available upon request