Barrington Stage Company

In this segment of an extended dialogue with the playwright he describes a unique relationship with Julianne Boyd, the artistic director of Barrington Stage Company. They have worked together on a number of plays including the hits Freud’s Last Session, which continues its run Off Broadway through October and The Best of Enemies which will return to Barrington Stage from October 5 to 16. It opened to rave reviews and sold out houses in August. From New York Freud travels to Chicago for an open ended engagement

There was a near capacity turn out of 18,000 delighted patrons for the annual Film Night conducted by John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra. His special guests included narrator, Morgan Freeman, and violinist, Gil Shamam. Tanglewood was popping.

The August run of Mark St. Germain’s new play The Best of Enemies set attendance records for a drama on the Main Stage of Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Mass. The play returns from October 5 to 16. We met with him to discuss the play, his relationship with Barrington Stage and the craft of a playwright.

Barrington Stage Company completes its Main Stage season with yet another musical and smash hit. The Game was first produced by Julianne Boyd in 2003. That was before the company found its current home in Pittsfield. The musical written by Amy Powers and David Topchik, with music by Megan Cavallari conveys the mandate of the company to present compelling new works.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Managing Director Tristan Wilson, announces it will present the musical Fiddler on the Roof as its 2012 season opener, with production dates from June 13 through July 14, 2012.

The production of Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session set the Barrington Stage record for most performances. It went on to Off Broadway where it has now passed 300 performances and is poised for a national and international tour. Now a new play by St. Germain has set a record for most tickets on the Main Stage for a drama. From July 21 through August 6 there were some 7,000 tickets sold.

Musical Theatre Lab Artistic Producer, William Finn of Barrington Stage Company is committed to developing musicals by emerging writers and composers. They are given modest productions in workshop settings before live audiences. Right now Mormons Mothers and Monsters shows promise but has a long way to go to be ready for an Off Broadway production.

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.

In the Williamstown Theatre Festival's production of Tennessee Williams's 1947 American classic, Jessica Hecht as Blanche, and Sam Rockwell, as Stanley, offer fresh and very different interpretations than the paradigms for the roles set by Elia Kazan's great 1951 film version starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando. This reinterpretation of an American standard gives an unique twist to the experimental Nikos Stage under new artistic director Jenny Gersten.

In 1950, as a little shaver, Mom took me to the original Broadway production of the then five time Tony winning musical Guys and Dolls. Now, decades later, be still dear heart, the production at Barrington Stage evokes a thrilling rush of childhood memories. I was enchanted then and just as ecstatic now. This is the smash hit and sure sell out that launches a fabulous new Berkshire season.

Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield has jump started the Berkshire season with a smash hit. Bravo. On every level Jim Brochu is just immense in the one man show he has written and stars in Zero Hour. For ninety riveting minutes he channels the immense and complex comic genius and notorious SOB the fabulous Zero Mostel. This show is selling out fast on Barrington's intimate Stage Two.

Barrington Stage Company presents Zero Hour Jim Brochu’s acclaimed play about the life of theatre legend Zero Mostel. Zero Hour kicks off the season from May 18 through June 5, 2011 at BSC Stage 2, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA. | .

In the current political turmoil in the Middle East we have seen how Facebook, e mail, and social networking have resulted in resistance and regime changes. Developments in information technologies have eroded the dominance of traditional media systems. Today with access to the internet and web sites anyone can be a critic or journalist. Murray and Giuliano explore the implications and their role in covering the arts.

Jessica Stone met her husband, actor Christopher Fitzgerald, some years ago, at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Last summer she made her debut as a director with the smash hit of Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Last night she was back in Williamstown for a reading of Neil Simon's Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Yesterday we caught up with her in the lobby of the Williams Inn.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC) and Knesset Israel (KI) continue the “Live from NY’s 92nd Street Y” Simulcasts at Barrington Stage with seven programs for winter/spring 2011. The popular satellite broadcast series brings lectures, interviews and readings from nationally and internationally recognized political figures, entertainers, newsmakers and authors to communities across the U.S. and Canada.

A long term acting associate of Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Christopher Innvar, received rave reviews last year for directing The Whipping Man. He will direct again during the fall season with a production of William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies.

The Barrington Stage season will be launched on June 21 in Pittsfield with Guys and Dolls. There will be another Main Stage musical the period piece The Game. Barrington is the first Berkshire theatre company to announce its plans for the coming season.

There is a domino impact for the arts in the Berkshires with the merger, over the next year, of the Colonial Theatre and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. A more dynamic Colonial increases the critical mass and leadership of Pittsfield as the matrix and hub of the arts and cultural economy. It is equidistant from the boundaries of the region that represent more than an hour to drive from one end to the other. Strengthening the thriving arts community in Pittsfield changes the paradigm for the region. It increases the potential for synergy or competition.

With a $21.6 million renovation the 107-year-old Colonial Theater reopened in Pittsfield in 2006. Running with an average of just under half a house, with too many dark nights, the Colonial has yet to live up to its potential. In a bold move it may partner with the venerable Berkshire Theatre Festival, as early as June, 2011 to produce what are likely to be popular musicals with bankable stars.

To kick off the “Live from NY’s 92nd Street Y” series, Barrington Stage Company is excited to host “Steve Martin with Deborah Solomon” on Monday, November 29 at 8pm.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, will present the musicals Guys and Dolls and a new production of The Game as part of its summer 2011 Mainstage Season.

In the best sense of community theatre Barrington Stage has created a dialogue for the Pittsfield Schools by staging Arthur Miller's The Crucible. The iconic American masterpiece is currently being taught. BSC has created unique access for students and special programming to fully explore the play. The production combines a superb production and magnificent acting with an insightful educational mandate.

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Producing Director Richard M. Parison, Jr., concludes the 2010 Mainstage season with Arthur Miller’s American classic The Crucible, with performances beginning October 6 and running through October 24.

With three days of programming the arts and the creative community were underplayed in the recent Berkshire Forum. Although the arts are a major employer and drive the economy of the Berkshires just one session was devoted to this essential agenda. The too few seats at the table excluded any representatives from the four major theatre companies, or even Jacob's Pillow. Mass MoCA director Joe Thompson was included in another panel where he commented on the important Wilco Festival this summer.