People during a Works & Process Launch- PAD residency at Potash Hill in February with showings at MASS MoCA and at Works & Process at Guggenheim New York. Not About Nightingales( July 17 – August 3) by Tennessee Williams, directed by Robert O’ Hara, and featuring Chris Messina, is on the Nikos Stage. This is a front row seat to America’ s prison industrial complex, a searing testament to what happens when we leave people in prison to rot while the outside world is run by rich, entitled gangsters. Untitled on Ice( July 18 to August 2) is inspired by the work of Tennessee Williams and directed by Will Davis. The performance will take place on the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Skating Rink.
Closing out the season is Heartbeat Opera’ s production of Samuel Barber ' s Vanessa( July 17 – August 3), co-produced and curated by Harris. Performed at The Annex, Vanessa is a reimagined version of the chamber opera that won Barber, one of the most celebrated American composers of the 20th century, the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1958.
The Adams Theater 27 Park St., Adams adamstheater. org 888-401-5022
Built in 1937, the theater has been under the care and guidance of Yina Moore since 2021, when she began restoring the building where collaboration, the community, and talent from around the world can be found under one roof. This season brings together performers and audiences with authentic stories, singalongs, jokes, jazz, opera, burlesque, and performing arts residencies. The season opens with the return of two performances that feature members of the community— students from Berkshire Arts & Tech Charter School( BART) performing Chicago( May 16 – 18), and members of the LGBTQ + community vying for this year’ s crown in The Majestic Berkshire Pride Pageant( May 30). New this year are monthly comedy shows: Shafi Hossain( May 24), Usama Siddiquee( June 21), and others. Life Jacket Theater Co. presents The Big Gay Speakeasy( June 13 – 14), a time-traveling, show-stopping 1920s / 30s extravaganza for, by, and about the LGBTQ + community. On July 12, students and faculty of Classic Lyric Arts will present scenes from Mozart operas while they are in residency, and The Coleman Mongue Project brings a uniquely American roots / blues jam experience( July 19). August kicks off with RUCKUS Early Music Ensemble and their fresh approach to Baroque( August 1), and Life Jacket returns to usher local luminaries to the stage for The Storytelling Project( August 16). The season winds down with an adaptation of The Belly of Paris( September 6) from David Lane Puppetry Theater.
Berkshire Opera Festival( BOF)
Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington berkshireoperafestival. org 413-213-6622
Co-Founder and Artistic Director Brian
3-5 Center Street West Stockbridge, MA 01266 413 232 5025 acquaal2berkshires. com reservations @ acquaal2berkshires. com
Wednesday- Sunday from 11:30am to 11:00pm A little bit of Firenze in the Berkshires
56 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Holiday May / June 2023 2025