Berkshire Theatre Group
We get very excited as we research the region and consider the wealth of natural beauty and cultural treasures that belong to us, Berkshire residents and Berkshire visitors alike. Our challenge is to be able to edit all this information into something manageable, something do-able - to package it for our readers.
So when we decided to feature a Berkshire Theater Group production, we faced a conundrum: how do we choose? BTG boasts acclaimed, highly-anticipated productions running all summer long on multiple stages. Both the Stockbridge campus main stage and the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield are registered National Historic Landmarks, both steeped in thespian tradition and the summer home of Broadway veteran actors in performances that could bring the house down, as they say.
And then there are the three other venues, The Garage, the Neil Elenoff Stage and The Unicorn, offering audiences a more intimate, uniquely Berkshire theater going experience. These are veritable proving grounds for newcomers to the stage. It’s too exciting! We have to just pick one. How about New York Times Critics’ Pick, The Mystery of Irma Vep? A campy, comedy send-up of the Victorian melodrama, voted one of the best plays of the 20th century by the New York Times and Time Magazine and sure to be a sidesplitting romp. Sounds fun!
Or what about something a little more sophisticated? We’re thinking something romantic and nostalgic might be just the ticket now. A Little Night Music would be perfect, one of Stephen Sondheim’s most enjoyable musicals performed by a powerhouse cast and featuring acclaimed soprano and Berkshire native, Maureen O’Flynn.
But it’s so grown up. What about something for the children, like Seussical the Musical, a colorful, jubilant production featuring nearly 100 children on stage with performers rigged and flying through the house? Summer fun for the whole family!
And that’s only three productions of the Berkshire Theatre Group. There are so many more to consider. Ah, decisions, decisions.
As Eva LaGalliene, famed Berkshire actress of yore, once said, “The theatre is a great force capable of spreading beauty and understanding.” Live theater is just one of the joys of summer in the Berkshires, so go ahead, close your eyes and pick one. You can’t go wrong. Or better yet, get a season subscription.
Kristen Panzer is the author of the cozy mystery Thea Gallas Always Gets Her Man available at <a href=" http://www.oblongbooks.com"/target="_new">Oblong Books and <a href=" http://www.amazon.com/Kristen-Panzer/e/B00APSTUKS/ref=sr_tc_2_0
qid=1402169908&sr=1-2-ent"/target="_new">Amazon.com.