MARK AUERBACH
On The Road to The Berkshires
You may think of The Berkshires as New England’s cultural mecca. Between the theatre offerings at Berkshire Theatre Group, Barrington Stage, and Williamstown; the music overload at Tanglewood, the galleries, museums, and restaurants and shops, it’s no wonder that the highways are packed with visiting New Yorkers, New Englanders, and tourists for days.
There are some hidden cultural gems enroute to the Berkshires, all along or close to Route 20 heading west from Westfield.
Charles Neville performs at North Hall Arts Festival in Huntington.
North Hall Arts Festival–Huntington
This season’s North Hall Arts Festival in Huntington offers a mix of theatre, music, and family fare through September. Theater events feature two David Mamet plays: a staged reading of The Water Engine on June 28, and a fully-staged production of The Duck Variations on August 28–30.
The Gonzalez Trio performs at North Hall Arts Festival in Huntington.
July brings a musical theme of fathers and sons. José González & Sons will perform Criollo Clasico Latin music (classical, folk, and contemporary) on July 12. Legendary jazz saxophonist Charles Neville will be performing with his sons on July 26..
Other programs include puppeteer Tom Knight (August 15) and The Old Country Road Band rounds out the season with old-time vintage country and bluegrass on September 13. There are also two free open-mic music jams, art exhibits, and meet-the-artist receptions.
For information: 413–667-5543 or www.http://northhallhuntington.org/
Jerry Noble and Bob Sparkman make music at Sevenars.
Chester Theatre Company–Chester
The Chester Theatre Company presents its 26th season at the Chester Town Hall in Chester. It’s also the final season for Byam Stevens, who has been the theatre company’s artistic director since 1998. Under Stevens’ direction, the Chester seasons have brought area audiences small-scale, important productions from Off-Broadway and European stages.
The season begins with the East Coast premiere of Scott Carter’s The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy. Discord. Stevens directs the comedy of ideas. (through July 5). Carter is Executive Producer of Real Time With Bill Maher. Ezra Barnes plays Thomas Jefferson. Rik Walter stars as Charles Dickens, and Michael Sean McGuinness plays Tolstoy.
Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan’s Halcyon Days, having its New England premiere in Chester (July 9-19). Jill Tanner and Anderson Matthews co-star, and the production is staged by James Warwick.
Kathleen Tolan’s Memory House explores the mother-daughter relationship over the course of one night. Directed by Sheila Siragusa directs. (July 29-August 9) The season wraps with the New England premiere of Phil Porter’s Blink, a quirky love story (August 13-23). Daniel Elihu Kramer, incoming Artistic Director of Chester Theatre, directs, and Joel Ripka stars.
For tickets: 413-354-7770 or http://chestertheatre.org/
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival–Becket
Jacob’s Pillow is the world renowned dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, is the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives as well as year-round community programs. The facility itself was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2003. Festival 2015 runs through August 30.
Jacob’s Pillow attracts classical ballet companies, contemporary companies performing modern dance, experimental works, and dance-infused theatre pieces, in two theatres. There’s an acclaimed school, and students present recitals and performances throughout the summer. The Inside/Out series, on an incredible outdoor stage, is free–a great family activity. There are also photo exhibitis on dance and other programming.
Among the “dont miss” offerings this summer:: New York Theatre Ballet’s Cinderella (through June 28); Alonzo King LINES Ballet (July 15-19); Daniel Ulbricht and Stars of American Ballet (July 29-August 2); and The Martha Graham Dance Company (August 26-30).
For information: 413-243-0745 or www.jacobspillow.org
Severnars Music Festival-Worthington
It started as a family affair, and is now an internationally acclaimed concert series held in the Academy in South Worthington. Since 1968, the Schrade and James families, have presented a series of recitals and concerts on Sunday afternoons in a small rural setting. Time Magazine calls Sevenars “one of the six best small music festivals in the USA”.
The season opens on July 12 with a tribute concert to the late Rolande Young Schrade and Robelyn Schrade-James, two of the family members who put Sevenars on the music map. Generations of family musicians pay homage in a series of classic works. A season highlight is a performance of classics and jazz (August 9) by Jerry Noble and Friends. The season concludes on August 16.
For information www.sevenars.org
Keep in Mind…
Seminar, Theresa Rebeck’s Broadway comedy about a group of students taking a writing seminar from a quirky author, opens the New Century Theatre 25th season, through June 27, in Northampton. For details: 413-585-3220 or http://www.newcenturytheatre.org/
Deven Green, the star of Betty Bowers: America’s Best Christian and the infamous Welcome to My… parody videos on YouTube, returns with her electric ukulele comedy lounge act to The Mark Twain House & Museum on June 27th. Her opening act is The Survivors Swing Band, the Connecticut-based 7-piece professional jazz band. For tickets: 860- 280-3130 or www.marktwainhouse.org.
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
