Berkshire Theatre Group

In the two hander by Terrence McNally, Frankie & Johnny in the clair de lune, directed by Karen Allen, the legendary tragic lovers have been transformed into a short order cook (Darren Pettie) and waitress (Angel Desai). It's 3 AM and following what she sees as a one night stand he refuses to leave harboring delusions of love and marriage.

In a bold move Berkshire Theatre Group has collaborated with New Neighborhood and a world premiere of its very first production. I Saw My Neighbor On the Train and I Didn’t Even Smile by the brilliant young British playwright, Suzanne Heathcote, is the must see show of the Berkshire season.

The terrific husband and wife team of Kate Baldwin and Graham Rowat star in a revival of the 1950s musical Bells are Ringing. It brings star power to the Colonial in Pittsfield to July 26.

In this staging of Ira Levin's enduring 1978 comic-mystery the men do not kiss. That cause a sensation decades ago on Broadway. The lip smacker is now banned by Levin's estate. But in a play that is chock full of clues you would have to be utterly clueless not to conclude that the washed up playwright Sidney (Gregg Edelman) isn't shagging his former student Clifford (Tom Pecinka). For a fun evening with no heavy lifting get thee to Stockbridge.

If you have read Walden and think you know Henry David Thoreau guess again. The world premiere Thoreau or Return to Walden written by and starring David Adkins, directed by Eric Hill presents the New England transcendentalist and abolitionist as an eccentric just short of lunacy.

Launching the season on a chilly Memorial Day weekend Bekshire Theatre Group is presenting a variation on Chekhov with Masha's Seagull. In a transfer from Bentonville, Arkansas, directed by Eric Hill it proves to be a family affair. The play is written by Justin Scheuer, stars his wife, Virginia, with set and lighting by their son Nathan. Given the quality of the production it deserves a longer run.

Now in his final weeks as director of the Clark Art Institute Michael Conforti hosted a media event promoting a blockbuster season for Northern Berkshire County. There were presentations by Joe Thompson for Mass MoCA, Tina Olsen for the Williams College Museum of Art, and Mandy Greenfield for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Notably absent from the media event were North Adams based arts presenters Downstreet, The Eclipse Mill Gallery, The Rudd Museum of Art and the fall annual Williamstown Film Festival.

In the third and final installment of an interview with Tony Simotes he describes the epiphany and divine intervention that resulted with leaving Shakespeare & Company and beginning what he calls act two with Berkshire Theatre Group. Having overcome personal and family adversity he views each day as a gift and the opportunity to have a positive impact in theatre and the cultural community of the Berkshires.

The contract with Milliken University was due to arrive when Kate Maguire called and asked Tony Simotes to meet for breakfast. Racing against the clock and making phone calls she offered him a job as second in commend at Berkshire Theatre Group. Then Tony and Lucy faced the tough decision of turning down tenure, benefits and security to take another challenging but risky job in theatre.

Tony Simotes was summarily ousted from Shakespeare & Company when he got on the wrong side with a micro managing now former board president Sarah Hancock. Significantly, she is a close friend of founding artistic director, Tina Packer, whose vision of the company was very different from Simotes who replaced her. Rick Dildine who was brought in with a mandate for change soon realized the chain of command and hastily departed. In a matter of months the company went from plan B to plan C. When we met with Simotes for a long lunch he was not inclined to sort out those loose ends. He is upbeat about new possibilities as second in command to Kate Maguire and the richly enhanced Berkshire Theatre Group.

The Berkshire Theatre group announces shows at the Unicorn in Stockbridge and the Colonial in Pittsfield. There are world premieres included.

In March, WAM Theatre will be a beneficiary of Jayne Atkinson’s special event, Can You Hear Me Baby? Stories of Sex, Love and OMG Birth!, which is concluding this year’s Berkshire Festival of Women Writers. Adapted from true stories that come from the hearts of mothers and fathers, this event brings together birth stories and original music to dramatize the joy, challenges, personal courage, and profundity of birth. Can You Hear Me Baby? takes the stage at the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, MA on March 27 at 7pm and March 28 at 2 and 7 pm. Proceeds will benefit the National Perinatal Association, Berkshire Festival of Women Writers, and WAM Theatre.

Berkshire Theatre Group announces 2015 Summer Season Musical, the 10th Annual Community Theatre Production, The Fitzpatrick Main Stage productions and a medley of lively acts scheduled to perform at The Colonial Theatre and The Unicorn Theatre. BTG will be announcing a second round of programming, including The Unicorn Theatre's Summer Season, in the next several weeks.

The annual Made in the Berkshires festival will be held over the October 12 weekend. It features music, theatre and dance in a variety of venues. Here is the full schedule of events.

From the first of May through the end of August we posted 86 theatre articles by a diverse staff of contributors. This overview is limited to the four major Berkshire companies: Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, Shakespeare & Company, and Williamstown Theatre Group. Our summary is based on reviewing most but not all of the 2014 Berkshire Summer Season.

While the play has relevance to today’s veterans dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and sometimes resulting addictions, the material is dated. Too much information has been spread about war, its effects on families and society, to make these characters’ shock seem real.

Honoring his many contributions The Mark St. Germain Stage was named for him by Pittsfield's Barrington Stage Company. A number of his best known works- Freud's Last Sessions, Best of Enemies, Dr. Ruth- have premiered for the company of artistic director, Julianne Boyd. This week the latest Dancing Lessons will open. In what has become an annual ritual we met at Dottie's in Pittsfield for breakfast to discuss this new work as well as the challenges of a life in theatre.

Noel Coward wrote this play to be performed with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. They met in 1921 and became friends, often discussing their dreams of success. They made a pact that all three perform in one of Coward’s plays once they had all become successful.

A play with two characters, one comatose, that takes place in a hospital room. Though the setting is constricted, the play reveals the complexity of its main character, Gabe, and his relationships. James Naughton delivers a nuanced performance.

James Naughton, two time Tony award winner, brings his formidable acting skills to this one man play. We get to know him as a son, husband, father, lawyer and, at times, a complete wreck. Naughton’s voice is a true instrument, displaying anger, humor, despair, bitterness, weakness, fear.

The triumph of the one percent and destruction of the middle class is underscored by the soaring speculation of urban real estate and resultant skyscraper residences. The 1984 play Benefactors by Michael Frayn focused on this topic which is being given a superb production at Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge

Not surprisingly the richly dark and complez A Little Night Music by the always challenging and insightful Stephen Sondheim is performed by opera companies. Berkshire Theatre Group is commended for having mounted a production with an amazing cast and superb orchestra. This otherwise fabulous musical, however, has been undermined by cutting corners on a second rate set. That hardly matters, however, with chills up the spine when Maureen O'Flynn sings the riveting and iconic "Send in the Clowns."

The actors, Bill Bowers and Tom Hewitt, appears to have having as much if not more fun than the audience in a campy, over the top, drag farce the Charles Ludlam classic Irma Vep: A Penny Dreadul. It launches the season for the Berkshire Theatre Group in Stockbridge. It's a hoot if you like that sort of thing.

Berkshire Theatre Group announces Peter Schickele, Irish Rovers, and Classic Albums Live Performs Abbey Road for the summer season line up at the Colonial Theatre.

This week representatives of the Clark Art Institute, Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Mass MoCA met with the media to promote plans for a spectacular Northern Berkshires season. The Clark reopens following extensive expansion and renovation. Mass MoCA offers the first full season of its Anselm Kiefer building. Jenny Gersten has planned a blockbuster program for WTF. WCMA plans special events like a Think and Drink series. In high season it may be hard to book a hotel or dine at the best restaurants.