Berkshire Theatre Group

QWAN (Quality Without a Name) presents SWAN!!! and NOTES!!! at Berkshire Theatre Group’s The Colonial Theatre on August 20 at 7:30pm featuring Christian Coulson, Jack Ferver, Jenn Harris, Randy Harrison, Phillip Taratula and Matthew Wilkas

The Puppetmaster of Lodz by Gilles Ségal, translated by Sara O'Connor and directed by Brian Roff will begin Berkshire Theatre Group's Theatre Festival season at The Unicorn Theatre, 6 East St. in Stockbridge on June 21 with an official press opening on June 23.

Berkshire Theatre Group seeks child and adult actors, musicians, backstage crew, technical support, usher staff and parent volunteers to participate in its upcoming community production of the musical Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, based on Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. The production will be directed by Travis G. Daly.

This past January, Edith Wharton turned 150 and The Mount has been celebrating this important milestone all year long. That is why we are excited to announce our 2012 season, Edith Wharton: 21st Century Muse. We hope you will join us as we pay tribute to The Mount's remarkable creator with programming highlighting Wharton's life, work, and achievements. The Mount's opening day is May 5th.

Berkshire Playwrights Lab will present the Berkshire Playwrights Lab 5th Season Gala Celebration on June 9 and staged readings of new plays on July 11, July 23, August 8, and August 22 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Mass.). In addition to a new short piece by David Mamet and performances by actors Jay Thomas, Treat Williams, and other plays and actors TBA, the Gala will include the premiere of Food for Thought, a short film.

Berkshire Theatre Group announces programming for Summer 2012. BTG’s Summer of 2012 boasts a full assortment of theatrical productions, concerts, comedy, Friday Series play readings, Musical Mondays, Made in the Berkshires and more.

With the Wilco Solid Sound Festival taking a hiatus and the Clark Art Institute in the midst of construction and renovation it may prove to be a challenging summer for Mass MoCA. We discussed with Thompson how best to continue to grow cultural tourism through synergy among the arts organizations of the Berkshires. In the past two years the 6,000 visitors for the Wilco weekends brought much needed revenue to the region. We need more such initiatives. This is the final chapter of the dialogue with Thompson.

What I do consistently look for, and I think I said this earlier, is what each member of the company brings to the stage, and that goes for designers, actors, directors, musicians, choreographers and anyone else credited with anything for the production. I want to see the best in them and from them always. When I don't, I say so.

Founded in 1975, BeauSoleil released its first album in 1977 and became one of the most well-known bands performing traditional and original music rooted in the folk tunes of the creole and Cajun people of Louisiana. BeauSoleil tours extensively in the U.S. and internationally.

Berkshire theatre critic reviews for the weekly paper The Advocate. He also posts overnight for his on line site Berkshire Bright Focus. His reviews are also syndicated nationally. He started covering Broadway at the age of fourteen and now in his 60s had been doing it ever since.

It is that time of year when we look back at the highlights and insights of the past season. Take a deep breath and anticipate what lays ahead for 2012. There is much to remember as well as look forward to.

For the second season this summer there will be head to head musicals in Pittsfield. Berkshire Theatre Group has announced that A Chorus Line will be presented at the Colonial Theatre. While a few blocks away Barrington Stage will feature Fiddler on the Roof. Both theatre companies have yet to announce their complete summer season of plays and performances.

The announcement of the closing of Storefront Artist Project after a decade in Pittsfield is just the tip of the iceberg. It is widely feared that a new mayor, Daniel Bianchi, will reverse the positive impact of the transition from abandoned manufacturing to an arts and tourism based economy. Theaters, galleries, artists, the Berkshire Museum and the restaurants that spin off of them are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

James Taylor and members of his family will appear on stage at the Colonial Theatre is a celebrity update of the annual holiday event. A Christmas Carol will have a limited run of eleven performances from December 17–30 at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. An annual production that previously was performed at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, it is a community production that sees friends and neighbors come together – this year for the first time on the Colonial stage.

Elayne Polly Bernstein Schwartz, was known to the arts community as Elayne P. Bernstein. Her name is attached to the theatre at Shakespeare & Company, in Lenoz, which she generously helped to create. She was involved with many Berkshire cultural organizations including Jacob’s Pillow, Barrington Stage, Berkshire Theatre Group, Tanglewood, and Norman Rockwell Museum among others. Her overriding passion revolved around Shakespeare & Company.

There is no question that the first season of artistic director Jenny Gersten has done well at the box office. In a release WTF announces that its sales for August are double what they were in August last year. Overall they are stating attendance at some 44,000. According to the wildly uneven reviews, however, Williamstown Theatre Company has slipped from its once dominant position among the four major Berkshire theatre companies.

On the Fitzpatrick Main Stage of Berkshire Theatre Group In the Mood, a sophisticated, urbane comedy by Kathleen Clark, is enjoying a slick and elegantly produced world premiere. It runs in Stockbridge through August 13.

Kate Maguire is now half way through her first summer season as the Artistic Director and CEO of Berkshire Theatre Group. Since last November she presided over the merger of her Berkshire Theatre Festival with the Colonial Theatre. There was risk taking when Maguire mounted a brief run of Tommy starring Randy Harrison at the Colonial. We asked what she learned from the experience and how that impacts future planning for making the two theatres and three stages function as a combined entity. Her answers may surprise you.

When Rocco Landesman, the head of the NEA, suggested that there are too many arts organizations with supply outweighing demand there was a response of outrage in the arts community. Here in the Berkshires it begs the question of sufficient audience and patrons to support four major theatre companies. It also begs the question of the role of critics? Are we just providers of consumer information for ticket buyers?

Tommy sold out at the Colonial for the VIP opening on Saturday night. The reviews are staggering in, partly because some critics opted for an offer of better seats on Monday night. That doesn't give much time to promote an expensive show with a short run that ends on Saturday. We asked artistic director, Kate Maguire, about that during the opening night party.

Act fast if you plan to see the smash rock opera Tommy, starring Randy Harrison, at the Colonial Theatre. The hit show, which opened last night in Pittsfield will close after next weekend. In this first co production of the Colonial and Berkshire Theatre Festival, as the now combined as Berkshire Theatre Group, even in short run of an expensive production, in an 800 seat house that's a lot to tickets to sell. So call now if you want in on the top ranked theatrical event the Berkshire season. Shoot yourself if you miss this one.