THEATERS GO BEHIND THE CURTAIN TO EXPLORE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LEFT THEIR MARK ON SOCIETY
SCOTT SUCHMAN
Alan Paul served as associate artistic director of Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D. C., where he worked from 2007 to 2022. While there, he directed Lerner & Loewe’ s Camelot in 2018, pictured here. Now artistic director of Barrington Stage Company, Paul will direct the musical on the Boyd-Quinson Stage, June 25 to July 19.
Why and What If?
THEATERS GO BEHIND THE CURTAIN TO EXPLORE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LEFT THEIR MARK ON SOCIETY
B y L a u r a M a r s
All eyes are on the Berkshires this summer when it comes to live theater. With vibrant productions on multiple stages, it’ s no surprise that the region is viewed as a“ mini-Broadway." Hold onto your seats, because it’ s going to be another spectacular exploration as several theaters take a fresh look at well-known figures. Through the lens of playwrights and directors, we get intimate with individuals who have left their mark on society, for better or for worse. We consider the“ what ifs” and“ whys” of these notable characters. Why might Peter the Apostle seek out Mary Magdalene years after the death of Christ? What would Jeff Bezos do if it was illegal to be a billionaire? What was it like to be Mozart’ s widow? How might Eisenhower reminisce about his life? What would Nancy and AOC fight about? What don’ t we know about Joan Rivers? Why is LeBron James called King James? That’ s a tall order of“ what ifs,” and the Berkshires is THE place to ask the questions.
Playwright Mark St. Germain’ s Magdalene premieres at the intimate Chester Theatre on June 19. A familiar name on Barrington Stage’ s playbills, he is no stranger to delving into the characters that are the focus of his writing, such as
Freud’ s Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth, among many others.
How does a playwright determine how to tell a person’ s story, and what perspective to take?“ The first question you ask yourself is whether the person has a story that will resonate with people,” says St. Germain.“ The reason to tell it shapes the play. I ' ve done a number of one-person plays with subjects like Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Ruth, and The Happiest Man On Earth, Eddie Jaku. You ' re looking at the world through their eyes, not yours. When there ' s more than one character, you have to ping-pong
48 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE May / June 2025