Theatre
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She Stoops to Conquer at Williamstown Theatre Festival
Pulling Out All the Stops for a Nicholas Martin Production
By: - Jul 29th, 2011For the past three seasons Nicholas Martin served as artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival. He returns this summer to direct the classic Oliver Goldsmith comedy She Stoops to Conquer. The current artistic director, Jenny Gersten, went all out in producing a sumptuous production of the 18th century play.
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The Best of Enemies at Barrington Stage Company
Mark St. Germain Play Returns in October
By: - Jul 28th, 2011The 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.
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Toying With Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
A Classic Crashes and Burns in Williamstown
By: - Jul 22nd, 2011The smaller Nikos Stage of the Williamstown Theatre Festival has long been known for presenting new plays many of which went on to runs Off Broadway. In her first season as artistic director, Jenny Gersten has added reworking classics to the Nikos program with mixed results. The season opener Streetcar Named Desire raised critical eyebrows. The second classic A Doll's House is a bomb that has arrived D.O.A. for a run that, ironically sold out on the lure of the potential of one of Ibsen's most enduring plays. Who knew?
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Mormons Mothers and Monsters
Musical Premiere at Barrington Stage Company
By: - Jul 21st, 2011Musical 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.
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Name That Tommy Tune
At the Colonial August 11
By: - Jul 18th, 2011At six feet six Tommy Tune, with nine Tony Awards, has cast a long shadow over Broadway. Reflecting on 50 years in show business through, song and dance with anecdotal commentary he will appear at the Colonial Theatre on Thursday, August 11. In an often hilarious dialogue we discussed a challenging life in theatre and dance that started deep in the heart of oh so macho Texas.
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A.R. Gurney’s Sylvia at Berkshire Theatre Festival
Going To the Dogs
By: - Jul 17th, 2011During the dog days of summer Berkshire Theatre Festival is treating audiences to the hilarious A.R. Gurney comedy Sylvia. The talking pooch is deliciously played by Rachel Bay Jones. The stray bitch which Greg (David Adkins) which he drags home is the "other woman" that threatens to break up his marriage with Kate (Jurian Hughes) who can't stand "Saliva." This is a funny bone you will love to chew on.
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Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare & Company
O Romeo, Romeo, Where You At Romeo
By: - Jul 16th, 2011In 2009 a production of Romeo and Juliet ended its regional tour to open the season of Shakespeare & Company. With so many great works in the canon that are rarely seen why bring back yet another production so soon? Particularly with a juvenile case and no marquee stars to sell the play during a tough economy, stiff competition, and a desperate, ongoing struggle for the embattled, debt ridden company to survive. S&Co. gambled on a starkly different approach by director, Daniel Varon.
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Randy Harrison Talks About Tommy
Enjoying His Sixth Season with Berkshire Theatre Festival
By: - Jul 14th, 2011Randy Harrison commented that he is "addicted" to coming to the Bekshires for a couple of months each summer. This is his sixth season performing with Berkshire Theatre Festival. This time starring in Tommy, at the Colonial Theatre, in a run that ends after Saturday night. It is a rare treat as some years ago, to explore other forms of theater, Randy took a long break from musicals.
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Tryst by Karoline Leach at Irish Repertory Theater
Andrea Maulella in a Brilliant Turn
By: - Jul 13th, 2011From time immemorial, con men have exploited vulnerable women. In Karoline Leach's Tryst, marvelously staged in New York at the Irish Repertory Theater, the age old conundrum takes on new and frightening twists. Tryst takes place in the 1910 London of cobblestone streets and flickering street lamps
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Kate Maguire Talks About Tommy
Monday Morning Quarterback
By: - Jul 11th, 2011Tommy 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.
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Randy Harrison Sizzles as Tommy
The Who Rock Opera in Short Run at the Colonial
By: - Jul 10th, 2011Act 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.
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Lewis Black at Williamstown Theatre Festival
One Slight Hitch Sold Out on Nikos Stage
By: - Jul 08th, 2011If you know someone who knows someone try your best to score tickets to the sold out comedy hit of the Berkshire season. It has taken standup comedian Lewis Black some thirty years to sit down long enough to wrap up One Slight Hitch. It may entail another rewrite to reach Off Broadway but this hilarious production with a terrific cast will keep you in stitches at Wiilliamstown Theatre Festival through July 17.
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Karen Allen Directs Moonchildren
Michael Weller Play at Berkshire Theatre Festival
By: - Jul 03rd, 2011Karen Allen who runs Karen Allen Fiber Arts in Great Barrington has been busy in the Berkshires. Recently the film "White Irish Drinkers" which she directed and stars in was screened during The Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF). She has directed the Michael Weller play "Moonchildren" which remains at Berkshire Theatre Festival through July 16. It's a win win for Allen and Berkshire audiences.
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Three Hotels at Williamstown Theatre Festival
Room Service
By: - Jul 01st, 2011Three Hotels by Robin Baitz, which opens the Main Stage season for Williamstown Theatre Festival is a small thing in a really big package. A superb production with magnificent sets has pumped up a slight evening of three monologues by two actors in three acts without intermission. While taking on the mega issues of corporate greed and the genocide of African babies one emerges with ambivalence toward a couple who sold their souls and suffered the consequences.
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Jessica Hecht Discusses Blanche DuBois
Streetcar Named Desire at Williamstown Theatre Festival
By: - Jun 30th, 2011In her eighth season with Williamstown Theatre Festival Jessica Hecht has taken on one of the most challenging roles of her career. We discussed a life in theatre as well as an interpretation of Streetcar Named Desire that is based entirely on a careful reading of the script. It is quite different from the audience's perceptions based on the classic film with Marlon Brando and Vivian Leigh.
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Jessica Hecht’s Poignant Blanche DuBois
A Streetcar Named Desire at Williamstown Theatre Festival
By: - Jun 24th, 2011In 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.
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Guys and Dolls Sizzles at Barrington Stage
Red Hot Launch for Main Stage Pittsfield Season
By: - Jun 20th, 2011In 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.
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It's Official Colonial and Berkshire Theatre Festival Merge
Randy Harrison Opens at the Colonial in Tommy
By: - Jun 15th, 2011Nearly seven months after two of Berkshire County’s preeminent producing and performing theaters said that they intended to join forces, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer Kate Maguire announced that both have merged into one organization: Colonial Theatre/Berkshire Theatre Festival Merger Corporation.
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Wiilliamstown Theatre Festival Opens June 22
Streetcar Named Desire Stars Jessica Hecht
By: - Jun 11th, 2011Williamstown Theatre Festival has released the full cast and creative team for Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, which will open the Nikos Stage productions for the 2011 Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) and will run June 22, 2011 through July 3, 2011, opening June 23, 2011 at 7:30pm.
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Tina Packer and Nigel Gore in Women of Will
At Shakespeare & Company Will is the Way
By: - Jun 03rd, 2011Having passed the reins as artistic director of Shakespeare & Company to Tony Simotes, founder Tina Packer is free to focus on her craft. Last season there was a workshop of her life work Women of Will: The Complete Journey. Now the cycle of five acts has been refined and tightened as a cycle of performances in marathon this weekend and then spread out individually over the season. It is an epic achievement that has attracted national and global critical attention.
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Williamstown Theatre Festival's Unanticipated Challenge
When the Walls Came Tumbling Down
By: - May 31st, 2011This week the Williamstown Theatre Festival will start to build the first of seven sets. There is the opening of Streetcar Named Desire on the Nikos Stage opening on June 22. That's just three weeks from now. With tech rehearsals on June 21 and 22 which means the set has to be installed on the 18th and 19th. That's the norm for WTF. But right now a crew of 15 is frantically building the set shops to build the sets. On February 11 the roof collapsed at the Delftree Mill which housed the former props and set workshops.
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The Importance of Being Earnest at New York's Roundabout
Brian Bedford Directs and Stars Live in HD
By: - May 30th, 2011As fluffy and frolicky as The Importance of Being Earnest is, and for all the laughs and pleasure it delivers, this straight up version of the Wilde play leaves you also wondering what was being contained.
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Front Page at the Timeline In Chicago
Rahm Emanuel Understands the Play Perfectly
By: - May 28th, 2011Tennessee Williams wrote that Front Page took the corset off American theater. The wit and humor of the play is still fresh today in the city of its setting. And elsewhere. A Chicago pol runs our country now. See on stage what President Obama learned at the machine's knee.
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American Repertory Theater
Wins Five 2011 Elliot Norton Awards
By: - May 24th, 2011A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus received Outstanding Director for her productions of Johnny Baseball, Prometheus Bound, and HAIR, which also received the award for Best Visiting Production. Thomas Derrah received the Outstanding Actor award for his performance in the one-man show R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe, that ran January 15 through February 5 at the Loeb Drama Center.
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Zero Hour with Jim Brochu Extended to June 10
Boffo Bonanza for Barrington Stage Season Opener
By: - May 22nd, 2011Barrington 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.
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