Barrington Stage Company

July is a great time to be in the Berkshires with dozens of must-see events taking place as we approach the height of the season. Making the right choices is challenging. Winnow them down using our capsule descriptions and handy links. There's no easier way to compare, check and choose than this handy guide. Lots of pictures, too.

In recent years the Berkshires has emerged as a major theatre community. With four professional companies and eight stages it's becoming a force in American theatre. And behind the scenes there is another show going on as well. Read all about it.

When Mass MoCA opened a decade ago artists migrated to North Adams attracted by large, cheap loft spaces. For the second season that growing arts community is trying to revitalize the business district through a city wide project known as DownStreet. Artists hope that their commitment and sweat equity will start to pay off.

Nevertheless, BFA talks to Shirley Jones about posing nude for Playboy, why Frank Sinatra wasn't in Carousel, and what had been planned for the July 6 Pittsfield concert that never happened. A funny, heartwarming interview with one of the greats of stage, screen and tv.

The Main Stage season for Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield always starts with a musical. Artistic director, Julianne Boyd, has produced a winner in the old chestnut and certain hit the 1945 "Carousel" by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Be still dear heart.

Summer Begins with an amazing array of performing arts events to choose from. Both Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow kick off their busy schedules while the main stages of the Berkshire's four resident professional theatre companies all kick into high gear. Our capsule descriptions and handy links will guide you through the dense array of superb cultural resources. In season world renowned artists perform in the Berkshires.

In a classic meeting of the minds, two titans of the Twentieth Century, Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis debate timeless issues that still resonate today.

June is bustin' out all over, and our resident performing arts organizations are pulling out all the stops as the season approaches. Once again we provide our handy guide to upcoming Berkshire events.

North Adams, and Mass MoCA now celebrating its 10th anniversary, have come a long way from rock bottom when Sprague Electric left town, during the 13 terms of Mayor John Barrett, Jr. For the first time in 26 years Barrett has a tough opponent in Dick Albombright. Some 800 plus turned out for a spaghetti dinner fundraiser last week. It's shaping up to be a tight race.

During a mixer that Nancy Jane Fitzpartick held in the Lion's Den of the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge there was the chance to put a face in the place. The event was about Facebook networking in all of its complexity.

When General Electric moved out in the late 1980s, with 10,000 lost jobs, Pittsfield fell on hard times. The recovery started in 2003 when the new Mayor, James M. Ruberto, mandated that arts and culture would be a focus for economic development. Megan Whilden disussed how she joined the team in 2005 and the remarkable progress since then that has reshaped the city as a cultural destination.

Here's your weekly guide to the top events happening in and around the Berkshires with more than a dozen exciting and fascinating offerings for you to choose from.

The annual season of exhibitions for the artist run Eclipse Mill Gallery in North Adams, Mass. has gotten a jump start with "Young at Art" a survey of work produced by Drury, Mt. Greylock, and BArT students. This leadoff project co presented with North Adams Open Studios will be followed by the second annual Berkshire Salon on the Memorial Day weekend.

Despite a drastic 20% budget cut Kate Maguire, the artistic director and CEO of Berkshire Theatre Festival is excitied about the coming season and the return of Randy Harrison in Ibsen's "Ghosts." During an upbeat interview she stated that "I'm not a director. I love directors. I'm married to one (Eric Hill). I love directing directors and I wanted to build a director's theatre."

This past weekend provided a perfect Spring Break from the monotony of the Berkshire mud season. With offerings of comedy and drama, high art and low, these were the first tender shoots of the Berkshire's bountiful season that is preparing to burst into bloom.

Happily, midwinter in the Berkshires is anything but quiet. In fact, that's when many of our resident cultural institutions do their best work. A survey of what's coming up between now and Spring.

Barrington's Main Stage will feature audience favorites Carousel, Streetcar Named Desire and Sleuth, while on Stage 2 Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session will receive its world premiere, followed by Glen Berger's off-Broadway hit, Underneath the Lintel. Bill Finn's Musical Theatre Lab will be back with two workshops, as will the Barrington Stage Company's Youth Theatre presenting Disney's High School Musical 2.

With $4 a gallon gas and a sinking economy 2008 was a challenge for arts and tourism in the Berkshires. But our contibutors covered not only the Berkshires but arts and culture in New York, Boston, London, New Orleans and Shanghai. We reflect on some of the highlights.

With remarkable affection and daunting energy Tom Beckett, in a smash hit, one man show, compresses the 1946 Frank Carpa 130 minute film "It's a Wonderful Life" to just an hour and twenty minutes while portraying some 30 characters. During these hard times our spirits soar as Clarence the Angel earns his wings.

The beginning of winter is marked by theatre, music and dance throughout the world, but perhaps nowhere is it more heartfelt than here in the Berkshires. This Thanksgiving let us give thanks to our arts community and then get out and enjoy their offerings. Your guide awaits.

Harper Lee's 1960 novel of coming to age in a racist town in the Deep South in the mid 1930s "To Kill a Mockingbird" won the Pulitzer Prize for literature. It has become a standard in class rooms. And an inspiration to the many students attending and writing reports on this stunning Barrington Stage Company production.

Three dozen productions emerged from our four resident theatre companies this Summer making it the busiest Berkshire season in memory. Quality was surprisingly high given the hectic pace of productions. As Fall approaches, we offer you one person's opinion as to the best and the worst for 2008.

Memories of many wonderful nights in the Shed and under the stars on the lawn at Tanglewood. As well as superb Berkshire theatre.

Despite the challenges of rainy weather,gas at $4 a gallon, and a bad economy it was a superb season of theatre in the Berkshires. Nicholas Martin was the MVP for putting the venerable Williamstown Theatre Festival back on its feet.

The Berkshire Hills are very much alive this fall. Choose from the ridiculous or the sublime, from the Ballet Trockaderos with men in tutus and on pointe to the arrival of Irina Brook at Shakespeare & Company to wrest a play from Oscar Wilde's book, The Canterville Ghost. For a complete change of pace, the Cirque du Soleil is coming to Amherst and Boston.