NightWood Lights Up The Mount (And Your Spirits)

You feel it before you can hear or see it…a deep, earth-rumbling heartbeat that draws you down the drive lined with oil lamps. Farther along, the vibration morphs into an eerie, ambient soundscape as you arrive at the edge of the woods. Now you see it: a luminous wedge of forest, the better to let you peer deep into the abyss beyond.

Welcome to NightWood, the dreamy sound and light installation at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s estate in Lenox, Mass. A series of illuminated, sound-designed vignettes immerse visitors in worlds of mystery and whimsy throughout the grounds. NightWood will run Thursdays through Sundays from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 20 through Jan. 3. Admissions will be limited and timed, making it a safe activity while experiencing the drama of The Mount at night.

Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount, has always wanted to a site-specific sound and light show on the grounds, and this year, it was not only an artistic but practical venture.

“We wanted a way to bring the community together for a shared experience on the property, and [designer] Chris Bocchiaro has been instrumental in showing us how can do this in a safe and engaging way,” Wissler said.

It’s called promenade theater, in which the audience members walk or move through the venue, Bocchiaro explained. Along with providing an outdoor, evening program that allows for distancing, it provides visitors with a new way to explore The Mount. Bocchiaro, a Boston-based lighting designer, worked with Greg Hanson, sound designer and composer, and Megan Kinneen, scenic designer, to reflect — with lights, sound and sculpture — the various gardens and landscapes that Wharton so meticulously conceived.

The slightly foreboding forest setting gives way to the courtyard of Wharton’s Main House, where a table illuminated by tubes of red lights evokes the communal spirit of home. Inspiration for the setting, Bocchiaro said, came from a Wharton poem: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Other vignettes include wintry blue architectural sculptures evoking the geometry of both Wharton’s garden design and snowflakes; the illuminated lane of trees; a glade dotted with twinkly pods that you could swear were inhabited by woodland creatures. Hanson, the composer, created electronic soundscapes to pair with the mood in each of the settings.

The route is approximately three-quarters of a mile through the woods and gardens. It includes both paved and unpaved pathways, inclines and stairs. At a sneak preview, the roads were dry and the skies clear, but one imagines how enchanting it will be with a light snow falling.

“This is more a winter landscape than a holiday show,” Bocchiaro said. In a dark moment in our time, and when night falls, it is a welcome walk through the natural beauty of The Mount, kindled with light and sound. We think the author, if she still reigned over The Mount, would approve.

Behind the Stable, limited food and beverages will be for sale, and there are tables and chairs and a few firepits. Masks are required, and tickets are available only in advance.

NightWood at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home
2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA
Thursdays – Sundays, Nov. 19 – Jan. 3
5-8 p.m.
$20 adult; $10 kids 6-18; free for children 5 and under
Opening Night is sold out.
Closed Nov. 26, Dec. 24-25