New York Times

To quote Winston Churchill during the Battle of Britain "Is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?" In the coming months artistic director Tony Simotes will be charged with getting Shakespeare & Company back on track and out from under a stagering debt of $10 million.

Although Tina Packer is in the midst of a controversial production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at Boston's Publick Theatre she attended the important press conference of Shakespeare & Company convened to discuss the current fiscal crisis. It was a chance to catch up with Packer and share her insights as founding artistic director of the company.

Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt opened their musical "The Fantasticks" in 1960. It closed in 2002 and has had more than 20,000 global productions since then. Jones dropped by after a matinee to discuss the longest running musical with Barrington's artistic director, Julianne Boyd. The Pittsfield production may be the shortest running ever of the beloved musical.

Here's an advance peek at the wild and wooly romp that takes one of the most popular Sherlock Holmes tales and ruins it—umm, we mean, turns it inside out—stuffing it with endless laughs as it barrels forward at a breakneck pace, all the while daring the audience to hold on tight with both hands.

The annual Toronto International Film Festival has become the largest and most diverse film festival in the world. It allows filmlovers to taste, savor, reject and enjoy films from around the globe including general Hollywood big budget movies, independently produced smaller films, documentaries, family entertainments and midnight madness blood and guts horror films.

Shorter days bring brighter nighttime events. With a cornucopia of choices, Fall 2009 promises to be the most entertaining in years. Check over our picks and previews which cover events from now until late November, and you're sure to find something to spice up your cider.

This summer John Douglas Thompson thrilled audiences at Shakespeare & Company as the lead in "Othello." He also worked with two other actors in a riveting production of John Patrick Shanley's "The Dreamer Examines His Pillow." This fall he moves to New York's Irish Repertory Theatre in Eugene O'Neill's rarely produced, 1920 play, "The Emperor Jones." NY Times calls production "magical."

With Jack Levine and Karl Zerbe the artist Hyman Bloom, who was born in Latvia in 1913, was a founding member of the Boston Expressionists. He recently passed away at 96. Yeshiva University a memorial exhibition, through January 24, 2010, is traveling from the Danforth Museum curated by Katherine French.

At the age of 78, Olympia Dukakis could easily retire having earned the title of legendary actress and a mantle full of Oscars, Obies, Gabbys and Golden Globes. Instead the busiest actor of her generation makes a surprising decision - to return to Shakespeare & Company and work with her old friend and favorite student, Tony Simotes.

Summer may seem to be drawing to a close, but you can't tell by the busy schedule in the next few weeks. In fact, more new shows are opening, fresh dance companies are unpacking and the jazz musicians are waiting in the wings for a festive climax to Summer in the Berkshires. To make sure you don't miss anything, here is another handy roundup of the best events for late summer through the big Labor Day weekend.

composers, cutting edge dance or perhaps an absorbing evening of great theatre? Take time to indulge your senses and treat yourself to some of the Berkshire's legendary performing arts attractions. They all have great deals for residents and visitors alike. Use our handy Picks and Previews guide to help decide.

The company Groupe Emile Dubois from Grenoble,France was founded by Jean-Claude Gallota and Mathilde Altaraz in 1979. They appeared at Jacob's Pillow with a new work "Des Gens qui dansent" during a rare American tour. It makes us rethink our notions of contemporary dance.

Looking for live performances that use biting satire, dripping irony and hot button issues to entertain? You've got a new BFF in the Berkshire Fringe Festival. Each summer a host of new writers, artists and ideas takes over the Daniels Center of Bard College at Simon's Rock for just three weeks.

Last summer John Douglas Thompson received rave reviews, including Ben Brantley in the New York Times, for his performance in "Othello" at Shakespeare & Company. He earned an Obie Award for its Off Broadway production. He returns to Lenox with "Othello" as well as "The Dreamer Examines His Pillow" through September 6. There is a strong possibility he will perform "The Emperor Jones" Off Broadway this season.

A capacity audience attended "Mujeres" with Belen Maya and Rocio Molina, which launched the 77th season of the summer long Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. There is a great tradition of Flamenco at the pillow starting with the first season in 1942 which featured the legendary La Argentina.

Despite the poor economy tickets to the 32nd annual Freihofer Jazz Festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, June 27 and 28 are selling briskly. Jazz fans are advised to act quickly to avoid disappointment.

A new season of events kicks off July 5 with the reigning "Pied Piper of Music," Dan Zane and Friends and continues with opera, dance, theatre and "something for every taste."

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 live in HD series of broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera were an enormous success this past year for the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. There will be a preview of the season which starts in the fall with a broadacast of a vintage performance of Renee Fleming starring in Eugene Onegin on July 11. The Mahaiwe is planning a stunning schedule of dance, music, film and theatre for the coming season.

The ripped from the headlines plot of the political thriller "State of Play" involves a philandering Congressman whose mistress/ aide gets thrown under a train in the midst of investigating a black ops paramilitary security firm bilking the goverment for billions. Sounds familiar? Add to that an editor presiding over a shrinking news room investigating the scandal. The film with a terrific cast proves to be predictable but thoroughly entertaining.

As newspapers make drastic cuts in response to mounting debt and decline of ad revenue there is a paradigm shift in the way that we gather and rely on the accuracy of information. In the blogosphere and Facebook/ Twitter world everyone is a media pundit. At least for the proverbial 15 minutes which has eroded to just seconds. In the internet age who "owns" the rights to text and images?

Stuart Chase, the director of the 106 year old Berkshire Mueum in Pittsfield discusses the recently completed $10 million renovation that was "on time and within budget." He also deaccessioned three paintings by the Russian, Grigoriev, that added $7 million for future acquisitions. Not bad during these hard times.

In a gutsy move, Pittsfield's Colonial Theatre has greatly expanded both the number and kind of programs it will offer in the coming year. 46 different groups will present 60 performances in a dozen categories, including comedy, musicals, family events and cabaret singers.

Antonin Dvorak's opera "Rusalka" premiered in Prague in 1901. It took 92 years before its first performance at the Metropolitan Opera. The diva, Renee Fleming performed the lead role in 1997 and 2004. Her recent performance as the water spirit who falls in love with a human was utterly enchanting.

Spiro Veloudos has been a fixture on the Boston theatre scene for more than thirty years, and is currently Producing Artistic Director of Lyric Stage. In a revealing conversation, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a Boston theatre company.