Wed. May 30 – Sun, June 10

 Martha Mason celebrates the tenth anniversary of the company she helms, Snappy Dance Theatre, with a show called “String Beings” at the Calderwood Pavilion’s Wimberly Theatre Wednesday May 30 through Sunday June 10. It is not a typical dance performance; that’s not what Snappy does. They’re collaborating with MIT computer, who’ll be using computer programs to manipulate live images of the eight dancers and project the animated video onto the stage, in effect, mixing live and virtual performance. They’ll use three cameras and multiple screens. The music is by Berlin composer Michael Roadach, and it will be performed by BSO violinist Lucia Lin and Berklee College of Music electric guitarist Michael Bierylo.
     Says Mason: “For some people who are hesitant about seeing a dance performance - thinking they’re not gonna get it - they might be interested in the multimedia aspect of this. The electric guitar and violin, sound loops, images used as digital puppets and dancers manipulating those digital images. The digital image in front projects an alternative dimension of what’s happening in the relationship.” The relationship? “It’s really about the simple and the profound,” says Mason, “the strings that connect us as humans, strings that are in our makeup, our DNA, what we have in common, the connection between humanity and technology.”
    Mason is speaking several weeks ahead of the debut. “I wouldn’t say I’m comfortable with it yet,” she says. “We don’t have facilities to (properly) rehearse and it’s extremely stressful. The music’s not finished. I have no idea how things are going to work out. Despite that, I’m pretty happy…. It’s very emotional. Part of the collaborative process is connecting on a deep level to the dancers. There has to be a close connection, a physical and emotional trust. We’re family. And we’re always on the edge. It’s good to stay that way. We put ourselves out there like a hovering Bugs Bunny cartoon, fearlessly and with faith, waiting to see what happens. But we’ve never been stronger as a company.” Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday shows are at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday are at 8 p.m. Tickets: $45-$15.

527 Tremont St., 617-87-4275  CRASHarts.org

ongoing -Wed. May 30

The A.R.T. opened Harold Pinter's (in photo) surreal, existentialist "No Man's Land" May 12. (We saw it press night on Wedensday; our take plus an interview with the Wheelers, the director, David,  and his actor-son, Louis,  will be up on the site by Friday.) Anyway, that makes the timing perfect for Harvard Film Archive's program, "Harold Pinter: Stage to Screen." For the record, we'll say "Betrayal," with Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley, was about the most devastating story we've ever seen on screen about a doomed relationship. It started at the end and ended at the beginning, and it broke your heart to see the reverse downward spiral. And, it surely had a lot of resonance. HFA started  its series of Pinter (the screenwriter) films a week ago Sunday. The lineup includes  "Prime People," "The Homecoming," "The Go-Between," "The Servant," "Accident," "The Last Tycoon," "The French Lieutenant's Woman,""The Comfort of Strangers," and, of course, "Betrayal." Pinter may not make you feel better about the human condition, but he will make you feel part of it. Side note: We were in London in 2003, before the Iraqi war, and saw Pinter speak on stage with Jesse Jackson, Damon Albarn and many other celeb-activists. He was devastating in his scathing critique of Tony Blair and George Bush. Never did it feel so good to be so part of a huge crowd. Even as a Yank. Check the HFA website for the schedule. All shows $8. It ends on Wednesday May 30.

24 Quincy St., Cambridge, 617-495-400 harvard.edu/hfa

 May 29

We were tipped off to the work of photographer Jonathan Stark, by a pal at the local gym. These things happen. It's not all press agents and club owners. Sometimes ...  Stark brings a distinct visual and emotional perspective to his work. And, ah, Paris! Home of romance. Home of reason. (See: Iraq.)  Stark e-mails us: "The show is based on my travels through Paris and France from 2001 - 2005. I have been travelling to France for the past 12 years but my most intense body of work was during those years.  The show consists of my traditional B&W work, shooting film in the tradition of Cartier Bresson. I print in my darkroom  and there are 9 B&W pieces in the show. But in a serendipitous moment I found myself on the Bateaux Mouche riverboat travelling down the Seine with a digital camera. As I started to shoot what I thought would be stock images of Paris at night, something magical happened and the images of the bridges are the result. I had to learn how to produce high quality archival digital prints before I felt comfortable showing and selling the work. They are called 'Reves de la Seine 1 though 9.' All pieces are 16 x20 inches printed and 19 x26 inches framed." 
Stark's exhibition closes tonight, May 29,  the French Library and Cultural Center called "Reves et Realities." It's free and open 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

53 Marlborough St., 617-912-0400 frenchlib.org

May 26.

 Luckily, on Saturday May 26, WBOS presented the 14th Annual EarthFest at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade with Guster, KT Tunstall and Mat Kerney on top of the bill. Why do we say luckily? We never presume anything, including Earth’s continued survival or its position at the center of the universe. You know, rogue nukes and rogue nations, biological terrorism, random asteroids and just what we ourselves do to our planet. When might it all implode or explode? Well, we survived the cold war – which was a big shock here – and we’re still spinning, so, maybe there’s reason for optimism. Environmentalism has become a mainstream issue, and a lot of musicians are doing what they can to push the message. (No, music can’t change the world, but it can effect change.) From the enviro-friendly Vans Warped tour to this event to small tours done on bicycles, there’s change in the wind...

Now, as you're reading this, EarthFest is over, done, complete. We went, both to the event on the Esplanade and the post-party gig at the Hard Rock Cafe. Quite a day of saving the earth! We're not archiving the item right away because we ran into a fair amount of people at the gigs who said "Oh, you have a Guster interview up on the site about the Earth Fest? I haven't seen it yet." Aargh. People, you gotta know where to go. But for them, and a few of you others, I'll leave this up an extra day, because there's some great stuff from Guster below.

Guster has been in the forefront of the new environmental movement in rock. In 2006, the band founded the eco-friendly Campus Consciousness Tour, with buses powered by biodiesel and performances powered by wind power.  The band’s fifth studio release Ganging Up on the Sun, features the singles Satellite and One Man Wrecking Machine. We did an e-mail interview with Guster’s Joe Pisapia and excerpts follow. (More details about EarthFest at the end.)
JSINIK: I know you guys have been environmentally pro-active for a long time. What got you going that way?
Joe: I would have to say that Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan and their organization Reverb have been the impetus for our involvement in environmental initiatives. They spearheaded Reverb a few years back and have been growing ever since. It is something that we are all passionate about, but Adam and Lauren have really taken the bull by the horns, having figured out ways to put our ideals to reality.

Sun. May 27

The Dresden Dolls never sleep even when they're not being Dresden Dolls. There was that "Onion Cellar" collaboration at the A.R.T.; there's drummer Brian Viglione's drum clinics and work  with HUMANWINE and an upcoming tour with the Gill Aharon Trio; and there's singer Amanda Palmer recording a solo album in Nashville with Ben Folds. Palmer is also playing a solo (sort of) gig at the Middle East Downstairs Sunday May 27. (So, you might expect the unveiling of some new material.) Now, it's not just going to be AP at the piano. Too simple. They're calling it a combination concert, video installation and dance party. The event, which starts at 8, is produced by BriAnna - who also produced some Dolls videos - and proceeds go to an experimental media project, which includes a trip to Iran and a documentary about the underground music and art scene there. That will be part of a collaborative event called "Unconditional Love is Global Security." Check out BriAnna's site loverevolution.org. The Sunday bill will also feature the Iranian band Hypernova. Tickets are $10. (Oh, and don't forget the Dresden Dolls are back on the scene June 16 at Bank of America Pavilion, playing the Human Rights Campaign tour with Erasure, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry and the Gossip.)

472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-864-3278 mideastclub.com