The B: Early Summer Issue 2025

Plus:

INSIDERS’ GUIDE TO SUMMER

Theater, music, art, and more

THE FUTURE OF DANCE at the new Doris Duke Theatre LAKE LIFE, LEVELED UP Cool vibes at the Prospect & Introducing The B’s NEXT-GEN LIST Life in the

Growing Up TAYLOR

Henry and Rufus on their Berkshire roots, what they’re up to now, and having an icon for a dad

At Belvedere Lenox, every gathering makes a statement stylish, welcoming, and unmistakably memorable.

Whether you’re celebrating a milestone, hosting an intimate dinner, or simply bringing people together, our space sets the tone for events that feel as good as they look.

As one of the Berkshires’ premier destination for extraordinary celebrations, Belvedere Lenox blends modern elegance with a relaxed, luxurious vibe.

Designed to transform with the energy of your event, our venue moves effor tlessly from intimate to grand, creating a backdrop where every detail feels considered, every moment feels personal, and every guest feels at home.

Purpose built and designed for the ar t of gathering. What's your occasion?

DESIGN THE A R T OF

from the publisher

ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

Brian Cox, Elaine May, Pamela Anderson, John Legend, Joan Rivers (her story, at least!)—along with countless dancers, musicians, and artists—are arriving in the Berkshires for a season unlike any other.

While curating this Early Summer Cultural Issue of The B, one thing became clear: the arts, one of our most vital and beloved resources, are facing serious funding challenges. And they need our help.

How? It’s simple. Check out this issue’s event calendars, buy tickets for you and a friend, get a membership, spread the word, or make a donation. Every bit of support helps keep the creative spirit alive.

The Berkshires has always been a sanctuary for artists and audiences alike. Let’s show up this season and make sure it stays that way.

See you at the show, on the lawn, and in the cabaret.

MICHELLE THORPE PETRICCA Publisher mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

Great News from The B!

We’re proud to share that The B has won six awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association—from design and photography to history and community reporting. Huge kudos to our amazing writers, photographers, and especially Editor-in-Chief Amy Conway and Design Director Julie Hammill, whose talent drives everything we do. Thank you for being part of our community!

from the editor

HELLO! We’re here to help you make the most of the glorious weeks ahead. Like summer in the Berkshires, this issue is jam-packed with good things—including our third-annual “Off Duty” story, in which we ask local leaders to share their must-dos. Their lists got me thinking, so you’ll find mine at right.

One thing that is always on everyone’s list: James Taylor & His All-Star Band at Tanglewood. If you’re lucky enough to be there on July 3 or 4, you’ll see one of our cover stars on stage with him—his son Henry. Henry and his twin brother, Rufus (who will be getting ready for his Appalachian Trail thru-hike when this issue comes out) were born and raised in the Berkshires. Now 24, they talked to us about family, music, and how they stayed grounded (hint: growing up in the Berkshires helped).

Special guests! While we were photographing Henry and Rufus at a cottage on their family’s property, we got a visit from their dad and their two pugs, Butter Bean and Bosun.

They’re not the only impressive young people in this issue. We’re thrilled to introduce “The B’s Next Gen List”—the first in a series of articles about ones to watch. Stay tuned for more. Happy summer!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE B! berkshireeagle.com/theb or scan the QR code.

1

Berkshire Yoga Festival HANCOCK

Four days of classes, community, and more, against the beautiful backdrop of Jiminy Peak. berkshireyogafestival.com

2 After Hours x The White Hart

SALISBURY, CT

Kevin Kelly’s nomadic restaurant (learn more on page 80) will be in residence at The White Hart in Salisbury, CT. I can’t wait to see what they cook up. afterhoursgb.com

3 Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens WILLIAMSTOWN

The groundbreaking artist’s portraits and cityscapes will be on view at The Clark starting July 12. clarkart.edu

4

Comedy Shows

AROUND THE BERKSHIRES

Lots of funny people will be here this summer. To name a few: John Mulaney at Tanglewood (June 29), Sarah Sherman at MASS MoCA (July 19), and Matt Friend at Mr. Finn’s Cabaret at Barrington Stage Company (August 3). barringtonstageco.org

5 Whitewater Rafting CHARLEMONT

Once upon a time, I was a whitewater rafting guide in Maine with Crabapple Whitewater—and the family-owned company also has a base in Charlemont for trips on the Deerfield. crabapplewhitewater.com

Meet Henry and Rufus Taylor— and hear what it’s like to be part of their famous family.

Passing Thru

For Appalachian Trail hikers, a rustic cabin on Upper Goose Pond is a dream spot to stay the night.

The new Doris Duke Theatre is the perfect stage for cutting-edge art.

Discover Prospect, a new lakeside retreat in Egremont.

Ten ambitious young entrepreneurs. Lots of ideas for the Berkshires.

Our insiders’ guide to summer— local leaders share their top to-dos.

VOL. 3, ISSUE 2 Early Summer 2025

FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER

Michelle Thorpe Petricca mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Julie Hammill julie@hammilldesign.com

COPY EDITOR

Amy Krzanik

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Lily Goldberg

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Amy Conway aconway@berkshireeagle.com

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

William Li

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ben Garver

Gillian Jones-Heck

Stephanie Zollshan

The B is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Fredric D. Rutberg | frutberg@berkshireeagle.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kevin Moran | kmoran@berkshireeagle.com

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Gary Lavariere | glavariere@berkshireeagle.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

John Supple | jsupple@berkshireeagle.com

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Chuck Danforth | cdanforth@berkshireeagle.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES

Cheryl Gajewski | cmcclusky@berkshireeagle.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Amy Filiault | afiliault@berkshireeagle.com

ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

Sue Raimer | sraimer@berkshireeagle.com

CONTENT MARKETING SPECIALIST

Anthony Duval | aduval@talonmediaagency.com

MULTIMEDIA ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS

Jo Duran | jduran@berkshireeagle.com

Jessica Lorono | jlorono@berkshireeagle.com

Eileen Marran | emarran@berkshireeagle.com

Tristany Saldo | tsaldo@berkshireeagle.com

SHOPPERS GUIDE & THE B SALES MANAGER

Robert Jette | rjette@shoppersguideinc.com

For subscription issues, call 800-245-0254

THURSDAY, MAY 29 OPENING NIGHT AT THE MAHAIWE A MAN WITH SOLE: THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE

Kenneth Cole and Dori Berinstein in attendance for a Q&A. Sponsored by Berkshire Bank

SATURDAY, MAY 31 TRIBUTE EVENT TO BRIAN COX AT THE MAHAIWE

Featuring an intimate conversation between multi award-winning actor Brian Cox and his wife – actress, director and producer Nicole Ansari-Cox.

SUNDAY, JUNE 1 CLOSING NIGHT AT THE MAHAIWE

7:00PM Closing night film MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE. Closing Night Party at Number Ten following the screening.

contributors: The B's Saints & Eccentrics

ANN VOLKWEIN (“The Cultural Explorer”) is a bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer based in Stockbridge. She is the author of the “Arthur Avenue Cookbook” and “Chinatown New York.” Her most recent collaborations include “Tasting History” with Max Miller, “My Mexican Mesa” with Jenny Martinez, and “Salt Hank” with Henry LaPorte.

LILY GOLDBERG (contributing editor) is a writer and music-maker from New York City. A graduate of Williams College, she’s worked at MASS MoCA, The Clark, and The Berkshire Eagle. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Times-Union, No Depression, PAPER, The Brooklyn Rail, and more.

SETH ROGOVOY (“Summer Music Preview”) has been writing about the music scene in the greater Berkshire Region since the mid-1980s. Seth is the author of “Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison” (Oxford, 2024) and “Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet” (Scribner, 2009) and the editor and publisher of “The Rogovoy Report” on Substack and on WAMC Northeast Public Radio Network.

ALEX REGEN (“Passing Through”) is an artist and entrepreneur based between Brooklyn and the Berkshires, a region he’s had a deep connection with since early childhood. As the founder of the Berkshire Pond Hockey Classic, he blends creativity, community, and a love for storytelling into everything he does.

LARA TUPPER (“WAM,” Local Life) is an award-winning author, teacher, and vocalist based in the Berkshires. A faculty member for 10 years at Kripalu Center, she now leads writing workshops via Swift Ink Stories. laratupper.com

NEIL TURITZ (“Off Duty”) moved to the Berkshires from New York City, along with his wife. They have since welcomed a son. Turitz is a screenwriter, author, filmmaker, journalist, and creator of “6 Word Reviews.” @6wordreviews

ELLEN MORRISSEY (“Calm, Cool, & Connected”) is an editor and writer specializing in a range of lifestyle topics—cooking and entertaining, interior design, gardening, health and wellness, holidays, and more. In her time at Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet, and on her own, she has collaborated on more than 60 books and dozens of magazine pieces. She lives in Queens, New York.

ERIC LIMON (“The B’s Next Gen List”) is a seasoned wedding and portrait photographer based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Since 2005, he has specialized in capturing candid, heartfelt moments with a relaxed, photojournalistic style. Eric serves clients across New England and beyond, delivering timeless images that authentically reflect each couple’s unique story.

LAURA REGENSDORF (“The Future of Dance is Here”) is a culture writer and editor with a longtime interest in dance. Most recently she was the beauty director at Vanity Fair, and her work has also appeared in Vogue, T Magazine, Neptune Papers, and Elle Decor. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog, Pina.

STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN (Photographer) Stephanie is an award-winning photojournalist whose work has been featured around the world. Stephanie is a Boston University graduate and has been with The Berkshire Eagle since 2011.

MEGAN HALEY (“Growing Up Taylor” and Calm, Cool, & Connected”) Megan is a freelance photographer living in Warwick, with her husband and two little sons. She specializes in portraits and lifestyle imagery in her editorial and commercial work, with a special affinity for food and land-related subjects. Megan also works with medium and large format film for her portrait projects and fine art landscapes.

CARLI SCOLFORO (“The B’s Next Gen List”) is a writer, festival producer, and creative marketer based in her hometown of Pittsfield. Her work has appeared in The Berkshire Eagle, Berkshires Week, and Paste Magazine. You’ll often find her strolling the sidewalks of Great Barrington, or wherever great live music fills the air.

Seed of an Idea Homegrown Heroes

Great Barrington’s Sprout Brothers

Nurture a Family Legacy

There was no one like Sproutman. The father of Great Barrington natives Ari and Noah Meyerowitz, Steve Meyerowitz brought vaudevillian talent to sprout education, captivating New York City schoolchildren for four decades. He was a superhero with a belief forged from his own journey through vegan, vegetarian, and raw food diets. After his death in 2015, said Ari, there was an “outpouring of people saying that his teachings changed their lives.”

Sprouts are simply baby vegetables packed with energy and growth potential, which makes them easy to digest and more bioavailable nutritionally than the matured plant. Quoting his dad, Ari said, “If you’re practicing a raw food diet, sprouts are essential. For everyone else, they should be.”

Taking over the Sproutman company, the brothers shifted what was largely a publishing company (Steve had written 10 health-focused books) to a product-focused online business.

With increased food insecurity, sustainability awareness, and the hyperlocal movement, their sprout business has found firm footing in online sales of sprouting kits and seeds. The next stage? Retail. “Direct online has always been our focus, but we are at a point with brand recognition where now retailers are interested in us,” Noah said. “Guido’s has always been our anchor store.” Ari added, “They give us wonderful feedback. And having that, we’ve

been able to experiment and talk through ideas.”

Small organic farms benefit, too: Becoming seed suppliers to Sproutman gives new life and revenue streams to those growing specialty crops or harvesting from their gone-to-seed cover crops. Noah said, “These farmers are really incredible at producing the product, then our role is to distribute them and create those markets.” —Ann Volkwein

sproutman.com

Celebrating Deck Out Dad

Father’s Day is just around the corner—and these gifts are sure to please even the pickiest of Pops.

For the runner

Hoka Skyflow, $152

New sneaks will put a spring in his step. Another great reason to shop local: Berkshire Running Center sells sneakers at 5% below MSRP.

Berkshire Running Center, Pittsfield berkshirerunningcenter.com

For the lounger

UCHINO Charcoal Gauze and Pile Robe, $285

Simple, stylish, and soft, this robe even has a secret weapon: there’s charcoal in the fabric so it resists and eliminates odors.

Scout House, Great Barrington scout-house.com

For the new dad

For the luckiest dad Tractor, $28,218

Who wouldn’t want a tractor of their own? This one—the 2025 KIOTI CK 20SE Series 2620SEH Cab—is H.D. Reynolds’ best-seller.

H.D. Reynolds, Cheshire reynoldslawnmower.com

Red Maple (Acer Rubrum) Tree, 7 gallon, $199 (prices vary based on size)

Commemorate a first Father’s Day with a tree that will grow with your family.

Whitney’s Garden Center, Cheshire whitneysfarm.com

For the traveler Leather Train Case, $1,350

This handsome bag (15" x 11" x 11” is locally made from leather; it’s part of the newly expanded attire department upstairs at HGS.

Hillsdale General Store, Hillsdale, NY hillsdalegeneralstore.com

“Wherever Women Gather, Change Follows”

There are many ways to be an activist—supporting this theater group is one.

“Every time an audience comes together for a theatrical event, a community is formed,” said Kristen van Ginhoven, who cofounded WAM (Where Arts and Activism Meet) with Leigh Strimbeck in 2010.

WAM is both a professional theater company and a philanthropic force. Since its founding, it has donated $105,000 to 26 international and local organizations that advocate for women and girls. Now in its 16th season and steered by artistic director Genée Coreno and managing director Molly Merrihew, WAM has expanded its programming to include more performances and community-building programs, all of which provide opportunities for meaningful dialogue. “We must champion one another—in art and in life—to ensure that

“We must champion one another—in art and in life—to ensure that women’s voices remain bold, visionary, and unstoppable.”

women’s voices remain bold, visionary, and unstoppable,” said Coreno.

The season kicked off in March (Women’s History Month), with a screening of “The (M) Factor: Shedding the Silence on Menopause” at Wander café in Pittsfield. “Your presence today is a radical feminist act,” Coreno told the audience of 70. The

energized crowd responded to the film with outrage, frustration, and relief.

Edi Pasalis, a menopause educator/ advocate and WAM Theatre board member, facilitated a discussion after the film and introduced local support for perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms, including resources for sexual wellness, pelvic rehabilitation and HRT options. One attendee later told me she sought medical care for her symptoms the next day. She credits the film—and WAM’s vision—for enabling her personal agency.

“Wherever women gather, change follows,” said Coreno. “Despite differences in class, generation, culture, and perspective, we can find connection and a deeper sense of self regard.”

To celebrate International Women’s Day, WAM hosted Creative Resistance: Women’s Impact Through Art and Activism, a two-part panel discussion held at Berkshire Community College. Moderators Eden-Reneé Hayes (CEO of Pluralism Solutions) and Sarah LaDuke (WAMC) posed these questions: How can storytelling empower women and girls? How can community leaders enable policy change? The audience heard from local activists, and students from BCC— who were invited to attend at no cost— were among the first to inquire about how to get involved in local causes.

At a time when despondency can reign, WAM Theatre continues to instill participation and advocacy in Berkshire County. “Art is the light, the rally cry, the balm for despair,” said Merrihew. “This season shimmers with moments that will surprise you, stir you, and send you into fits of laughter. We can’t wait to share it with you.”—Lara Tupper

PHOTO: JEAN PAUL GOMEZ

Louise Heller and Tamir in ‘fragments of Outside’ by Genée Coreno at The Mount

This Season with WAM

Fresh Takes Play Reading Series

Hot Plate Brewing Co., Pittsfield

“Rooted” by Deborah Zoe Laufer | June 8

“Alien Girls” by Amy Berryman | July 13

WAM’s 2025 Brunch Benefit

Shamelessly Gorgeous Summer Soiree, hosted with Berkshire Muse

July 27 | Doctor Sax House, Lenox

Summer Mainstage Production

“Where We Stand” by Donnetta Lavinia Grays

June 27-29 | Lenox Town Hall, Lenox

Fall Mainstage Production

“Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous” by Pearl Cleage

October 16-November 2 | Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company, Lenox wamtheatre.com

interior de s ign + home s taging allisoncraneinteriors .com

Art & Culture

Not Your Typical Art Fair

Move over, Art Basel—there’s a new art experience in town, and it’s just up the road.

A new biannual art fair bringing some of the country’s finest galleries to Berkshire County is taking off soon: From June 13-15, TOURISTS will host Arrival Art Fair. The event was founded by Yng-Ru Chen, Sarah Galender Meyer, and Crystalle Lacouture, friends and collaborators with deep artworld experience. (They also have Berkshire ties: Chen is a graduate of Williams College’s master’s program in art history, and Lacouture was the curator at TOURISTS).

Arrival hopes to provide a more laid-back alternative to the typical art fair, which can be an overstimulating and expensive experience

for attendees and exhibitors alike. Lacouture describes the fair as “customized, bespoke, and relaxed.” There’s no cost to attend the special weekend, which includes activations by chefs and DJs, as well as panel discussions by art publishers and the fair’s “Curatorial Ambassadors” (a hand-picked supergroup of curators and museum professionals from the Berkshire arts scene). “There’s something for everybody,” said Lacouture. “So come and grab a sandwich, listen to a talk, and meet people.” —Lily Goldberg

arrival.art

by Lawrence Goodman

Directed by Daniel Gidron

Featuring Annette Miller

JUNE 19 – JULY 20

Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare

Directed by Kevin G. Coleman & Jonathan Epstein

JULY 12 – AUGUST 10

Outdoors at the Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre

TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare

Directed by Nicole Ricciardi

AUGUST 14 – 24

Tina Packer Playhouse

Created by Allyn Burrows & Jacob Ming-Trent

Directed by Allyn Burrows

JULY 1 – 6

Tina Packer Playhouse

AUGUST WILSON’S THE PIANO LESSON

Directed by Christopher V. Edwards

JULY 25 – AUGUST 24

Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre SHAKE IT UP: A SHAKESPEARE CABARET

CIRCUS

AUGUST 14 – 24

Tina Packer Playhouse

Tina Packer 26 An Introduction to New Works

AUGUST 26 – 28

Outdoors at the Rose Footprint Theatre

AN IMMERSIVE WEEKEND OF STAGED READINGS

OCTOBER 10 – 12

Tina Packer Playhouse & Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

MOTHER PLAY A PLAY IN FIVE EVICTIONS by Paula Vogel

Directed by Ariel Bock

AUGUST 29 – OCTOBER 5

Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre A Lively, Costumed Reading

AND SENSIBILTY by Kate Hamill

Based on the novel by Jane Austen

Directed by Ariel Bock

DECEMBER 12 – 14

Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

Summer Exhibits

HEADSTART ON ART

The museums of the Berkshires are world class—and this summer, they’re bringing it with career surveys, outdoor sculpture, and exhibitions of innovative artistry will delight any gallery-goer. Here’s a few of the shows that open in early summer.

–June

Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream MASS MoCA | May 24–April 5, 2026

July 24 –August

The first museum survey of painter Vincent Valdez showcases two decades of the Texas-born painter’s charcoal drawings and monumental portraits. “As a witness, Vincent isn’t afraid to peel back the veil, to pay deep attention, and to understand that history happens the moment we capture it,” says curator Denise Markonish. The exhibition kicks off with a weekend of programs including a conversation between Valdez and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib, who shares with Valdez a love of music, basketball, and telling untold stories. massmoca.org

Ground/work 2025

The Clark Art Institute | June 28-October 12, 2026

The pastoral 140-acre campus will be activated this summer with the opening of the museum’s second outdoor sculpture exhibition, a follow up to the 2020 exhibition Ground/work. “When we first considered doing our initial exhibition, we always hoped that the public’s response would inspire future iterations of the project,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. The newly commissioned, site-specific installations by six leading contemporary artists will remain on view for over one year, allowing visitors to encounter the works throughout the seasons. clarkart.edu

DayDream and Sleepwalkers

Berkshire Botanical Garden | June 6-August 11

Some of the most renowned names in contemporary and modern art, including Salvador Dalí, Annie Leibovitz, Yoko Ono, Roz Chast, and Ellsworth Kelly, come to the Berkshire Botanical Gardens in an exhibition of artist daydreams. Sleepwalkers, three new monumental stone sculptures by sculptor Mark Mennin, will be on view in conjunction with DayDream. berkshirebotanical.org

I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders

Norman Rockwell Museum | June 7-October 26

I SPY! celebrates the visionary work of illustrator and author Walter Wick. The exhibition brings visitors more than 50 years of Wick’s innovative artistry, featuring his iconic photographic illustrations, miniature worlds, optical illusions, and puzzle challenges. “Walter Wick’s work exemplifies the universal appeal and magic of creating imaginary worlds,” says Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director/CEO of the Norman Rockwell Museum. nrm.org

Various Exhibitions

Hancock Shaker Village | Through November 30

Several exhibitions of artwork inspired by the Shaker experience will be on view at Hancock Shaker Village this summer. See visual translations of Shaker hymns, weavings inspired by Shaker photographs, immersive sound experiences and couture inspired by Shakers at various locations throughout the living history museum. hancockshakervillage.org

Sculpture at The Mount

The Mount | May 24-Oct.19

The Mount’s annual, juried exhibition of contemporary sculpture extends across fifty acres of forest, gardens, and meadows. Free and open to the public all summer, the exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to explore the intersection of literature, sculpture, and nature. edithwharton.org

Experience the difference

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+ High-quality materials

Free Arts Program Is Changing Lives for Disadvantaged Youth

The Hope Center for the Arts

While working at his small chain of gas stations in Springfield, Bob Bolduc got to know the youth and families in the lowest income neighborhoods of Western Massachusetts. He could see that the kids were smart, talented and in many cases very resilient.

Bolduc also learned that many of these city youths did not have the same advantages as some of their peers in neighboring areas. In many suburban families, said Bolduc, “if a youth wants to learn music, dance or any other form of art, the parents pay for the equipment, private lessons, drive them wherever, watch them perform and help them get into the best schools.”

However, “the kids that we’re serving have none of that,” noted Bolduc. “The other day, one little girl looked me in the eye and softly said, ‘My parents never look at my report card.’”

Further, since arts were cut from the Springfield public school curriculum years ago, if one of these young people wants to explore and express themselves through the arts, they have no place to go. They have no opportunity to build confidence and self-respect, make new friends, learn their talents and most of all, dream of what they can be.

Bolduc wanted to change that. He already ran a small family foundation, Hope for Youth & Families, offering an array of free programs in reading, family support and college assistance. Knowing the value of creative expression, he purchased the long-closed StageWest / CityStage building in downtown Springfield and has converted it to a “Hope Center for the Arts.”

They’ve gutted and enlarged the facility, added state-of-the-art equipment for theatre, audio, dance, music, visual

arts, space for creative expression, labs for digital arts, soundproof rooms, full recording, a toddler’s room, a fun lounge for “kids to be kids,” and quiet, relaxing spaces for social, emotional and behavioral support. Access is free for city youth.

Bolduc’s team quickly learned that the success of their programs went up exponentially when they “looked at

report cards,” spent time listening to each student’s needs and showed them caring and love. When they added arts to that, it became magical.

The Hope Center for the Arts is truly using the arts to change lives. They encourage anyone interested in learning more or helping youth dream in any way, to contact them at www.hyff.org.

Pride Month

Fun, Friendship, and a Support System

Pride Month in the Berkshires is a busy time: from tea dances to drag pageants, there’s no shortage of opportunities to connect and celebrate with local LGBTQ+ organizations and individuals. But the local queer community still thrives when June ends—and many leaders in the Berkshires help coordinate year-round programming.

Bart Church, the executive director of Queer Men of the Berkshires (QMoB), is one such community builder. “The core of our mission is regular activities,” said Church, “so that in every part of the rural region people don’t have to drive an hour” to have something to do.

When Church and friends decided to host a potluck for queer men in the Berkshires in January 2023, they didn’t expect 40 guests from four states to show up. The outpouring of interest proved that these men, isolated in rural areas, were in desperate need of community. Since that very first potluck, QMoB has hosted hundreds of events that bring together queer men in the Berkshires, Northwest Connecticut, the Hudson Valley, and Southwest Vermont.

Hikes and self defense classes, networking meetings and book clubs, crafts and coffee chats—with more than 25 events per month, Q-MoB’s social events help build what Church calls a “good neighbor network”—a support system for individuals dealing with health concerns, housing insecurity, or other issues that affect members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“While all of this pride activity looks fun, it has a deeper purpose that’s deadly serious,” said Church. “It’s building people’s social networks so that in really rough times, they have people who have their back.”

LGBTQ+ individuals are facing a particularly hostile political climate at present, and Church is “proud and grateful” that the Berkshires have stepped up: in addition to establishing sanctuary cities for trans and genderdiverse people, the county is hosting the “busiest Pride in Berkshire history,” with organizations offering dozens of events from bike rides to DJ sets.

For Berkshire Pride events: berkshirepride.org

For QMoB events: queermenoftheberkshires.org

Discover t he h istor ic home, st ud io & g a rdens of Da n iel Chester Frenc h in Stoc k br idge, M A

Order Up!

A century later, a dining car in Chatham still shines— and so do these four other retro gems.

From 1917-1952, the O’Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, produced 2,000 roadside diners. About 20 exist today—and one is in Chatham, New York.

In 1993, Dan Rundell was perusing a Hemmings Motor Magazine and came across a listing that intrigued him: FOR SALE, 1925 Jerry O’Mahony Diner. The stone mason by trade had a passion for remodeling classic cars, and saw the vintage dining car as a worthwhile restoration endeavor. Rundell spent the next 12 years refurbishing the diner to its previous luster with materials sourced from early 20th century structures, which included tile, cabinetry, etched windows, and nickel ventilation hoods.

The Spencertown, New York, native opened his namesake diner off Route 203 in Chatham, and operated it for more than a decade before stepping away from day-to-day operations. The roadside diner car is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and today is managed by Rundell’s nephew, Austin McComb, who took over in October 2021.

Dan’s Diner | Chatham, NY dansdinerny.com Good Eats

“My main reason for wanting to take over was I worried if Dan put the ‘For Lease’ sign out, the diner would become a more ‘high end’ place instead of this current rendition,” said McComb. “Dan’s Diner serves good, old-fashioned homestyle food. There’s plenty of other places to get a fancy breakfast if that’s what you want.” —Tom and Jerry Caraccioli

Chief Martindale Diner | Craryville, NY

An easy stop for those traveling to and from the Berkshires via the Taconic State Parkway. You can’t miss the iconic, if politically incorrect, image of the Chief.

Thrive Diner | Pittsfield

The dining-car vibe feels familiar but the menu is decidedly different: Thrive’s offerings are exclusively plantbased, with many gluten-free choices.

M&J’s Taste of Home | Adams

Last summer, new owners took over the iconic (and vacant), Miss Adams dining car, and have been getting raves for their diner classics, tasty specials, and well-stocked bakery case of homemade treats.

Joe’s Diner | Lee

Open for 70 years, Joe’s Diner is known not just for its diner fare, but as the setting for Norman Rockwell’s iconic 1958 Saturday Evening Post cover “The Runaway.”

Q and A

THE ART OF LIVING

It’s an exciting moment for a sculptor who will turn 96 in July—and who got started on his art career in his 80s.

Harold Grinspoon is on his third act: After a successful career in real estate, he and his wife launched the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in 1991, which aims to help build vibrant Jewish communities. Then he became an artist—and this summer, he will have seven large-scale works exhibited at Chesterwood as part of its “Global Warming Global Warning” exhibition, three works in the Norman Rockwell Museum’s exhibition “Hidden Wonders,” and another in The Mount’s annual sculpture exhibition, “Movement.” We wanted to find out more.

What inspired you to begin an art career later in life?

I have always loved nature—I’ve hiked mountains all over the world, have done river rafting, and through all of that time always collected natural items, sometimes even commissioning artists to create pieces with them. My own art practice grew out of that appreciation and sense of wonder, but this time it was right in my backyard. A very large, odd-shaped cherry tree I had looked out at for decades fell and, for reasons I can’t really explain, I wanted to create something new with it. I decided to quarter it lengthwise, which made multiple pieces that retained the original shape, and then rearranged the pieces to emphasize and repeat the original form of the

tree. That inspired me to keep creating, at first with other trees but then other materials, too. This all happened to begin in my 80s, when I had stepped away from the day-today of my business and foundation.

How would you describe your art?

A strong theme in my art is giving new life to items that have “lost” their original intention: a tree that has died, or been twisted by storms, or polished by water; industrial equipment or antique artifacts that become bases or integrated as elements of surprise.

How has art helped you grow—and what advice do you have for others looking to bring meaning to their lives, at any age?

Art gives you another marvelous dimension to express yourself, and a chance to fulfill yourself with your thoughts and ideas. And it gives other people an opportunity to use their imagination, and discover what they see in the art, and how that feels to them.

EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER OUTSIDE

the local life: Summer Flicks

Pass the Popcorn

It’s the people, places and past that make the Berkshires beautiful.

Discover it all with a subscription to The B! berkshireeagle.com/theb 800-245-0254

Lights, Camera, Berkshires!

These

places roll out the red carpet for summer film lovers.

When it’s hot and muggy, an air-conditioned art house theater or multiplex is just the right spot. But when you’re looking to catch some cinema in unconventional ways, the Berkshires has you covered, too.

Our Local Film Fest

The Berkshire International Film Festival celebrates independent film over a long weekend with discussions, parties, and, this year, a tribute event honoring actor Brian Cox (Logan Roy of “Succession”). May 29 to June 1. biffma.org

Drive-In—And Sleep Over

Four Brothers Drive-In, in Amenia, New York, shows movies with a side of lawn games, putt-putt, and bites from its own Greek pizza chain. Seeing a late show? Stay overnight—you can book a vintage Airstream camper through Hotel Caravana, or pitch a tent with a reservation. playeatdrink.com

Swim-Up Entertainment

In addition to regular programming at their historic movie house in Williamstown, Images Cinema hosts “Images Under the Stars.” On July 14, catch “The Princess Bride” (1987) from the pool at the Sand Springs Recreational Center—bring your own towel! imagescinema.org

Pop-Up Party

Event series Boondocks Film Society screens surprising films with themed live music, food specials, and imaginative craft cocktails. boondocksfilmsociety.org

Movies With Meaning

The Berkshire Jewish Film Festival brings a slate of vibrant films to the Duffin Theater at Lenox Memorial High School. Several films feature special speakers and talkbacks with journalists, directors, and more. July 14 to August 18. berkshirejewishfilmfestival.org

Film In Concert

This summer, the Boston Pops return to Tanglewood with two epic film scores, performed live in concert: “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022) on June 20, and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” (1983) on August 1. bso.org/tanglewood

—Lily Goldberg

Voices & Views

On the Radio

Great Barrington

You never know what songs you’ll hear on Michelle Kaplan’s freewheeling show on Berkshire Community Radio, WBCR. Learn more on page 47.

A Summer of Stagecraft

Wondering what to see? Jeff Borak’s got you: Our theater critic previews this season’s exciting new shows, intriguing revivals, and unexpected venues. All you have to do is grab a seat. See you on the aisle!

By Jeffrey Borak

This year, the region’s theater scene seems to have a different kind of energy I can’t quite pin down. There’s a savory richness in the diversity of plays and theatrical styles; the blending of old and new, past and present; a freshness in the choices overall. What follows, in no particular order, are the shows I am most looking forward to covering.

Williamstown reinvents its artistic wheel

This is a summer of change, nowhere more evident, perhaps, than the historic Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival, which has a new artistic and programming model. The season, dubbed W71, will feature two performance pieces, one opera, late night music and cabaret performances, and four full-blown theatrical productions spread over three midsummer weekends—July 17-20 and 24-27, and July 31-August 3. They’ll take place at Williams

College’s ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance, and two new off-site locations in North Adams: The Annex, a flexible performance space in a former Rent-A-Center, and the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Skating Rink—yes, you read that correctly.

The world premiere of “Spirit of the People” is widely anticipated; it’s by Jeremy O. Harris, whose “Slave Play” stirred considerable controversy when it opened on Broadway in 2019. Harris also is the inaugural creative director of the newly created WTF Creative Collaborative.

As the Festival moves forward, it also is looking back at its past through playwright Tennessee Williams, whose persona and work are tightly bound in the Festival’s DNA. W71 will be offering two rarely produced Williams plays—his epic 1953 expressionist work, “Camino Real,” and his 1938 prison drama, “Not About Nightingales,” directed by Robert O’Hara, who directed “Slave Play” on

Broadway and a gritty “A Raisin in the Sun” at Williamstown in 2023. A third production, Will Davis’ site-specific “Untitled on Ice” is said to be inspired by Williams’ work. wtfestival.org

New season, new leadership at Chester

Change is also the word at Chester Theatre Company which operates at the town’s Town Hall Theatre.

Chester enters its 36th season under the new co-artistic leadership of Christopher Baker and Michelle OngHendrick, who succeed James Barry and Tara Franklin.

The season Baker and Ong-Hendrick have put together—which runs June 19-August 17—is very much in line with the tone and texture established by two previous artistic leaders, Byam Stevens and Daniel Elihu Kramer, who will be

“This is a summer of change, nowhere more evident, perhaps, than the historic Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival, which has a new artistic and programming model.”

returning to direct Samuel D. Hunter’s idiosyncratic New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award-winning “A Case for the Existence of God” about the relationship that develops between a mortgage banker and a yogurt plant worker.

Also of particular interest to me at Chester is its season opener—a brand new play by Mark St. Germain, “Magdalene,” which imagines, years after Jesus’ death, a meeting between Peter and Mary Magdalene, whom Peter banished after the crucifixion. Chester veteran Keira Naughton is directing. This is a Chester debut for St. Germain, whose work frequently has been seen at Barrington Stage Company and at Great Barrington Public Theater. chestertheatre.org

“Camelot” at Barrington Stage Company

I have always been an unabashed sucker for this dramatic and musically sumptuous, if also problematic, musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). Barrington Stage Company’s artistic director, Alan Paul, is directing this seasonopening production (June 25-July 19) in BSC’s Boyd-Quinson Mainstage in Pittsfield. It’s his second go-round with this musical, which he first directed at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., in 2018. Seems to me a grand, inviting way to open his third—and most inventive— season at BSC’s helm. I can’t wait. barringtonstageco.org

A world premiere at Shakespeare & Company

William Shakespeare and August Wilson will be mixing it up in the summer portion of Lenox-based Shakespeare & Company’s 2025 season, but the play that is drawing my attention is a brand new work, “The Victim” (June 19-July 20) by Lawrence Goodman and directed by Daniel Gidron, who piloted this stunning piece in a Plays in Process reading last summer. The play is structured as three monologues by three women: a Holocaust survivor, a health aide

“There’s a richness in the diversity of plays and theatrical styles this year, a freshness in the choices overall.”

worker who battles racism during the COVID pandemic, and a successful New York physician whose racial diversity training has unintended consequences. Even in its developmental stage last summer, you could feel the aching vulnerability and survival instincts of the three women. shakespeare.org

Something old at Berkshire Theatre Group

Eric Hill is among the more distinctive directors working in the Berkshires. This summer he is turning his attention to Bernard Pomerance’s 1979 drama, “The Elephant Man,” BTG’s season opener, May 28-June 15, in its Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. This is a beautifully written, moving play based on the life of John Merrick, a horrifyingly deformed young man in Victorian London. He is rescued by a caring and skilled young physician who manages to restore a measure of the man’s dignity. Right up Hill’s alley thematically and stylistically. berkshiretheatregroup.org

Something older at Berkshire Theatre Group

Okay. I know you’re probably going to say “Is this guy crazy or what?” but, if I had to rank my “looking forward tos,” Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” July 24-August 17 at BTG’s Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, would be high on the list. There’s good reason why, with the exception of a year-long COVIDinduced break, this vintage murder-mystery has been running continuously on London’s West End since 1952. The play defines audience appeal; it’s a perfect escape from the outside world.

… and something brand new at Great Barrington Public Theater

Anne Undeland is an intriguing Berkshires-based playwright who has had her work nurtured at Great Barrington Public Theater. Mozart’s wife, Constanze, is the subject of Undeland’s new work, “Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa.” The play deals with the widow’s determination to survive in the aftermath of her husband’s death and to secure his musical legacy. Playwright whisperer Judy Braha, GBPT associate artistic director, is directing the world premiere of the theater’s first-ever commissioned play, July 10-27. greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

Jeffrey Borak has been writing about and reviewing theater for The Berkshire Eagle for 38 years. What he loves most about theater here is its immediacy, its intimacy, and its energy.

Update!

The Victory Theatre

Last summer The B reported on the renovations in the works at the historic 1,600-seat Victory Theatre in Holyoke, owned by Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA). Construction is about to begin— meanwhile, here’s MIFA’s 2025 lineup:

“Puerto Abierto (Open Port)”

June 6 | De La Luz Soundstage, Holyoke

Yale in Holyoke: “Cancionero de Luto”

June 14 | United Congregational Church of Holyoke, Holyoke

“Play With Time” Presented by Tanglewood Learning Institute

August 23 and 24 | Tanglewood, Linde Center, Lenox

mifafestival.org

For the Love of Trees

Berkshires’ town trees provide

shade and beauty— meet a few of the dedicated crew that keeps them growing strong.

Written and photographed by Kevin West

Having planted himself on the corner of Main and Bridge Streets in Great Barrington, near the insurance company where he works his day job, Michael Peretti shifted from foot to foot as he talked, like a paper birch swayed by spring breezes. The animating subject was his side hustle. It doesn’t pay much, only a modest stipend from the public coffers, but it does get Peretti away from his desk and into some stately, if silent, company. In his offhours, Peretti serves the people of Great Barrington as their part-time tree warden.

“It’s just passion,” Peretti said when I asked why he does it—why, since 2008, he’s been keeper of Great Barrington’s public trees, an office mostly ignored until a hazardous branch makes a resident wonder who will pay to remove it. “You don’t do it for money. I wanted to stay involved and to give back. But the main thing is, it’s passion for trees.”

Peretti is one of 351 tree wardens in the state, at least in theory, because Chapter 87 of Massachusetts General Law requires every city and town to name an official caretaker of “public shade trees.” The actual number is probably lower. Not every town can muster someone to fill an office that requires, in addition to arboricultural knowledge, a certain indifference to salary. Only the largest municipalities can afford a career staffer; in most places the post is lowly, and sometimes the work, by default, falls to the road crew. Full disclosure: Peretti and I have been colleagues since I

“I wanted to stay involved and to give back. But the main thing is, it’s passion for trees.”

voices & views: Good Works

became tree warden of the neighboring town of Monterey in 2023.

His much longer, 17-year tenure is a good start in the tree world, given that sugar maples survive two centuries and some oaks last longer still. Yet he’s a junior member of the Berkshires cohort of tree wardens compared to Robert McCarthy Jr. of Williamstown. Better known as Bob, McCarthy has been tree warden there for 35 years, matching a benchmark set by Robert McCarthy Sr., his arborist father.

“When I was really young,” the junior McCarthy recalled, “the streets were lined with American elms, big trees that canopied the streets. I never thought I would see devastation like Dutch elm disease.”

The antique word “warden” comes from a truly ancient root word meaning “to watch out for,” and the Massachusetts legislators who drafted Chapter 87 in the 1890s endorsed this view of a warden as guardian or defender. They assigned tree wardens two duties, which are contradictory— each a check and balance on the other. The first is to protect the public from the trees, and the second is to protect the trees from the public. (In reality, that order should be reversed. The statute was written as a conservation measure at a time when Massachusetts forests were at a historic nadir. Today, Massachusetts harbors more trees and more lawsuits, hence public safety edges ahead.)

By sad necessity, tree wardens are called upon to prune or remove trees weakened by disease, environmental stresses (such as road salt), and old age. On happier days, the tree warden is a municipal Lorax, the one who speaks for public shade trees as a shared resource on par with libraries, roads, and public parks. Tree wardens are empowered by law to plant trees, as well as cut them down. In Great

Since the early 1800s, shade trees have been planted in the Berkshires for their scenic value and cooling effect on roadways and town squares.

Barrington, Peretti shares that pleasant duty with a citizen-led Tree Committee. Shade trees have been planted along Berkshires roadways since the early 1800s for their scenic charm and cooling effect. In our time of climate change, public trees are increasingly valued for the additional “environmental services” they perform, such as sequestering carbon, filtering air pollution, and slowing stormwater runoff.

What marks a tree as “public” is that

it grows on land owned by the town or municipality. (All public trees are shade trees by statute, even a serviceberry too spindly to cast much shadow.) The tree warden’s reach—and budget—don’t extend beyond the public way. A dying ash tree in Aunt Betty’s backyard is her private headache. As a practical matter, town trees are mostly found in the road right of way. These strips of public land on either side of the asphalt are, in aggregate, akin to a very narrow, very long park.

Tree wardens know too well that 21stcentury trees, like 21st-century people, are stressed out. They suffer traumatic injury from pests, disease, and extreme weather, and they endure daily the insult of modern conveniences humans require, such as power lines and wide roads kept ice-free with salt. In recent years, the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect, has caused extensive damage.

“There really isn’t enough money to do the work we need to do,” said McCarthy, voicing a problem common to small towns with extensive roadways. “Most of our budgets are being eaten up by taking down the ash trees.” McCarthy looks for state and federal grants to replant.

Back in Great Barrington, Peretti didn’t linger over the sorrows of a modern tree warden, either. Instead, he pointed north toward the center of town, where the street is lined with blight-resistant elms, yellowwood, serviceberry, hornbeam, hawthorn, and other species. The biodiverse urban forest replaced a former monoculture of aging Bradford pears, a species notorious among tree wardens for splintering dangerously in wintry weather.

The proverbial best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. By that measure, Great Barrington’s Main Street trees are lessthan-best, having gone in during the 2015 downtown reconstruction. Even so, they represent the tree warden’s reward.

“There is no credit in taking a tree down,” said Peretti, who knows that a felled tree opens ground for a new sapling. “The best part is to see a replacement come in and to know the next generation—or two—will find it beautiful.” B

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is also tree warden in the town of Monterey.

Talking with André Bernard

The literary legend brings authors, thought leaders, and lively discussions to Edith Wharton’s storied estate.

By Catherine Calamé

“I’m a retired guy now. I’m ready to just step back and read for pure pleasure. Walk the dog, you know?” said publishing powerhouse and author André Bernard. “The Berkshires is where it’s calm and beautiful. It’s a good place to be.”

Big ideas meet breathtaking views again this summer as Bernard launches the third season of his vibrant lecture series, In Conversation, at The Mount, Edith’s Wharton’s idyllic estate in Lenox.

This retired guy sounds busy.

Bernard said the Berkshires has always been part of his life. “My father, Albert Bernard, was a viola player in the Boston Symphony, and we used to come here every summer for Tanglewood,” he recalled. “He was hired under [Serge] Koussevitzky and retired under [Erich] Leinsdorf. It was wonderful to grow up backstage there.”

Bernard and his wife, Jennie, continued the tradition, spending summers in Lenox while raising their family in New York. When the pandemic struck, the couple made the Berkshires their full-time home. “I have a Massachusetts license and Massachusetts plates,” said Bernard, “which means a lot to me.”

In Conversation came about serendipitously. A couple of years ago, The Mount’s former board chair, Dan Kasper, approached Bernard (who is a member of The Berkshire Eagle’s advisory board) with a simple request: Could he ask his friend,

author Simon Winchester, to give a talk at The Mount? Winchester agreed—as long as Bernard joined him. That event sparked a new tradition.

Bernard has plenty of friends, former colleagues, and interests to keep the conversations going. After a career in book publishing, he spent 18 years as vice president of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, where his work helped fund and support some of the most influential thinkers of our time. “I was constantly in touch with incredibly creative, smart, interesting people in every field,” he said. “Not just writers, but physicists and anthropologists and dancers—the Foundation gives fellowships in 55 fields. I was learning about everything.”

As such, Bernard only needed to look as far as his own contacts to arrange talks last summer with Rosanne Cash, Roz Chast, and Michael Pollan, who needed an additional 100 seats for his In Conversation.

“It’s really fun for me because I get to talk to a friend, or people I’m interested in, and bring them to The Mount, which is a place I really care about,” said Bernard. “The gardens and the mansion, sitting in a huge tent outdoors, talking to a very enthusiastic, literate audience—the whole brew is a recipe for a good event.” B

“It’s really fun for me because I get to talk to a friend, or people I’m interested in, and bring them to The Mount, which is a place I really care about.”

“In Conversation” This Summer

Adam Gopnik | June 26

“I thought it would be great to kick off the season with a staff writer from The New Yorker and someone who’s really smart and popular,” said Bernard, noting this year’s centennial celebration of the iconic magazine. Enjoy insights and anecdotes from the award-winning essayist and author of “All That Happiness Is.”

Robert A. Caro | July 10

Caro is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political biographer known for his four volumes on Lyndon Johnson—and the 2022 movie “Turn Every Page” which chronicles his professional journey.

“He has a unique kind of celebrity that combines personal charm with brilliance,” said Bernard. “And I love seeing it in action. Whenever I’m with him, literally everyone comes over to either shake his hand or get a selfie.”

Danzy Senna | July 17

As the daughter of a mixed-race couple growing up in the ’70s, Senna has deftly translated her experiences into numerous essays and books about race, gender, and American identity, including “Colored Television.”

“Danzy appeals to a younger audience,” said Bernard. “She writes a lot about race in her fiction; she’s very funny and also very serious.”

Jayne Anne Phillips | July 31

This New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist “is a serious, wonderful writer,” said Bernard. “She loved the idea of this series.” When Bernard asked her to join him, she replied, “‘Absolutely! Let’s do this thing!’”

Stephen Breyer | August 1

Breyer is a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—”Enough said!” said Bernard. “His latest book [“Reading the Constitution”] is about pragmatism, which is a subject that interests me a great deal.”

Peter Baker & Susan Glasser | August 7

When it comes to politics, this married couple has seen it all. Peter Baker is the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times. Susan Glasser is a staff writer covering politics for The New Yorker. Bernard is particularly intrigued by how they cover the same beat for different publications. “Do they collaborate?” he wondered. “On the big stories, do they try to get a scoop away from the other person? How does it work for them?”

Megan Marshall | August 14

“Megan has chosen to study and write about unsung women who made a difference in a male world,” said Bernard of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author who this year released “After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart.” “It will be great to talk about her choices and how she approaches writing biographies.”

Judy Collins | August 21

“She’s a hoot! She tells wonderful stories,” said Bernard of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins, whose 50+ albums span the genres of folk, country, show tunes, pop, rock, and standards. “She does about 150 shows a year. If you look at her schedule, you think: ‘How do you do this?’ I want to ask her about New York in the early Sixties, the whole folk scene. She’s an icon.”

The Cultural Explorer

Meet Michelle Kaplan, Curator of Novelty and Local Experiences

By Ann Volkwein

Great Barrington local Michelle Kaplan is the friend you call when you want an obscurely sourced playlist or “wholesome suggestions for a good time” in the form of a quirky and stimulating itinerary for a day trip. While we are all gifted with the wonder of exploration in childhood, some among us are naturally inclined to allow our sense of adventure to take the wheel into adulthood. For Kaplan, this is less of a choice than a necessity for living, a true expression of her zest for life. For the past decade she has generously shared her curiosity-in-

action through her freewheeling weekly Mishmash radio show and, for the past year, her subscription-based travel guides. The radio show, on Berkshire Community Radio, features deep dives into eclectic musical genres and interviews with special guests. Recent shows hosted Broadway performer (and former cover star of The B) Robert Hartwell, musician Ella Feingold, members of our local Haitian community playing live on air, and a hospitality series with the owners of No Comply, Hy’s Fried, Hilltown Hot

Pies, and Jujus. The online travel guides are a collection of off-the-beaten-path destinations in the area and beyond, featuring food, art, outdoor spaces, and interviews with passionate people. They enthusiastically bring to life the essence of discovery and a commitment to immersive, hyper-local experiences. As she describes them, “Mishmash guides will point out things you’ve passed by hundreds of times unknowingly. Special things you had no idea were here all along, right in the open.” Most of her

L A TR AV I ATA

AUGUST 23, 26 & 29

Mahaiwe Per forming Ar ts Center Great Barrington, MA

Verdi’s timeless tale of love and sacrifice has become one of the most beloved operas of all time. You won’t want to miss it!

10TH ANNIVERSARY CONCER T

AUGUST 14

Mahaiwe Per forming Ar ts Center Great Barrington, MA This spectacular concer t features world-class ar tists from previous and upcoming seasons, joined by the BOF Orchestra and Chorus.

coverage is in the wider Berkshires area, but she spent the winter in Orlando this year and documented her findings.

Kaplan moved to Great Barrington in 2012 when her partner, Ted Okun, landed an opportunity to learn sourdough with Richard Bourdon at Berkshire Mountain Bakery. Originally from south of Boston, they’d been “WWOOFing” around the country for a few years through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. She has also served as co-founder of the Berkshire Fermentation Festival, which ran for six years, and program coordinator at TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge. She’s an ardent supporter of Railroad Street Youth Project, and is an active member of the Friends of the GB Libraries.

The concept of “third places” is important to Kaplan. “The Mason Public Library in Great Barrington is a classic example of a third place, a public space to gather, share knowledge, and simply be, with no expectations. You can just exist,” explained Kaplan. “As far as I’m concerned, The Mason Library is by far the best spot in Great Barrington. There’s a wide variety of magazines and newspapers to read on comfortable chairs, people watching galore, and thoughtful themed book displays by the librarians. You can charge your phone thanks to the Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home charging station and eat some mulberries from the epic gnarly tree right outside on the side of the building. There are free monthly poetry readings (formerly hosted by Familiar Trees) and tons of all-inclusive community events.” B

Find Michelle: patreon.com/Mishmashradio Mishmash Radio Show: LIVE every Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. WBCR-LP, 97.7 FM - Berkshire Community Radio Streaming on berkshireradio.org

A Mishmash Dream Day Dozen

Among her many Berkshires recs is this rambling selection that cannot be contained. Much like the woman herself.

South County Stops

Visit the bird banding station at Jug End State Reservation, with the Berkshire Bird Observatory. Follow Executive Director Ben Nickley on Instagram (@Berkshire_Bird_Observatory) and reach out about scheduling a time to go visit the banding station. It will change your life.

Brunch at No Comply (@nocomplyfoods): wedge salad, pancakes, Japanese sweet potato…When I find a REALLY good restaurant, I won’t shut up about it.

Head to TurnPark Art Space (turnpark.com) for outdoor sculptures. Their summer fest (June 14) is a completely unique experience in the Berkshires!

Get some funky architecture appreciation going and schedule a tour of Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox. frelinghuysen.org

Picnic at Ashintully Gardens in Tyringham (thetrustees.org/ place/ashintully-gardens).

Pittsfield-Area Picks

Treat yourself to Ayelada (ayelada.com)—the frozen yogurt in Pittsfield is a must. Local yogurt, no additives. It’s the real deal and I’m surprised how many people don’t know about it!

Visit The Mastheads (themastheads.org). This is a public arts and humanities project—check out their installations.

Explore Pittsfield State Forest (mass.gov/locations/pittsfieldstate-forest). This sprawling, 11,000-acre forest includes Berry Pond and 30 miles of trails.

North Adams and Williamstown Highlights

Don’t miss Wish Tree (wishtreenorthadams.com). I’m so grateful for this vegetable-forward restaurant. Delicious 100% vegan food, with the best music, friendly staff, bird art everywhere, and a great atmosphere.

Check out Belltower Records (belltowerrex.com)—it’s the best record shop, and they collaborate with The Clark (clarkart.edu) for live music performances.

Catch an exhibit at Williams College Museum of Art (artmuseum.williams.edu), and be sure to check out their public art sculptures featuring work by Louise Bourgeois, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Jenny Holzer, and more.

Hike the trails at Field Farm Reservation (fieldfarm.org) in Williamstown. If you’re staying at the on-site B&B you can schedule a tour of “The Folly,” a midcentury modern masterpiece. What a gem!

Boston Early Music Festival

Explore the show-stopping virtuosity of this double bill of stylish slapstick and scintillating drama!

FRID AY, JUNE 27 | 8PM

S AT URD AY, JUNE 28 | 3PM

Mahaiwe Per forming Ar ts Center 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA

In the hills of the Berkshires, Rufus and Henry Taylor were raised with music and meaning. Now they’re finding their own rhythm.

Growing Up Taylor

By Amy Conway

“The smell of the dirt floor in the Shed during a show—that’s a very strong memory for me,” said Rufus Taylor. As Proustian experiences go, it’s probably rare. But then Rufus and his twin brother, Henry, know the Koussevitzky Shed— Tanglewood’s famed open-air performance space—much better than most.

Their father is James Taylor, the legendary singer-songwriter who will be performing again at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, on July 3 and July 4. Their mother, Caroline (Kim) Taylor, worked for the BSO as a senior advisor, becoming an overseer and then a trustee for the last 15 years; she is a writer and musician who often joins James in concert. Rufus and Henry, now 24, grew up just down the road, and have spent

countless hours on the campus, backstage with their parents and running around on the greens as kids. Their unique Berkshire upbringing—surrounded by nature and music, and largely insulated from the trappings of fame—has shaped these young men.

“We live on top of a hill, surrounded by forests,” said Henry. “Having the freedom to just explore in nature, go outside and have fun, that’s a big part of what the Berkshires means to me.”

This summer, Rufus plans to do a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, starting in Maine and heading down to Georgia; about 90 of the 2,000-plus miles go right through the Berkshires. Henry, a gifted guitar player, is a backing vocalist and band member for the summer tour of *

James Taylor & His All-Star Band. This is his fourth tour with the band (the first one was in 2022-23 with Jackson Browne and his father).

The brothers have an easy way about them, joking around with clear affection. You would never guess that “we almost killed each other for the first 12 years,” said Rufus (one of those jokes). They attended Berkshire Country Day School through ninth grade, and Rufus credits the experience with launching his love of academia. “The teachers are really, really engaged and thoughtful. I’ve never studied under people who cared so much about education,” he said. Henry appreciated the emphasis on studying science through exploring the outdoors and has fond memories of Ski Fridays—the tradition of school ending early and all the kids loading up onto buses to go to Butternut or Bousquet. By the time they graduated from BCD with their class of 14 kids, they were ready to have a little space between

them. Milton Academy near Boston, their high school, was a bigger pond. “We could find our own interests. We weren’t overlapping and we didn’t have to be competitive,” said Henry. Rufus went on to attend Amherst College, studying psychology and religion, and graduated in December 2024. Henry transferred from Williams College to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he’s studying songwriting and may add in classes in music business and production. They both have apartments in Boston now.

Genuinely curious, Rufus asks his brother: How does the experience of playing with their dad differ from projects he does at Berklee, with his peers, in terms of professionalism?

“There’s a pretty laid back vibe, I think, compared to other bands and touring acts on dad’s level,” said Henry, “but it’s still very professional. With a new arrangement of a song, my dad and Jimmy Johnson, the bass player, will conduct their way through it and get all the parts tight. We’ll focus on strings, we’ll focus on percussion, and on the background vocals. It’s well considered and it flows very efficiently.”

Henry,

“It’s a great privilege to spend three months with my dad, in hotel rooms or tour buses, watching TV shows or playing cards. What I appreciate the most on the road is just having time with my dad.”

HENRY TAYLOR

Henry knows the experience is special: “It’s an amazing privilege to learn from some of the best. Everybody’s very kind and accommodating and willing to play and experiment.” But the musical training isn’t what means the most. “We’ve been at boarding school and then in college. So we’ve spent a lot of time apart. It’s a great privilege to spend three months with my dad, in hotel rooms or tour buses, watching TV shows or playing cards. What I appreciate the most on the road is just having time with my dad.” That closeness doesn’t happen by accident. “Our parents have a lot going on in their lives,” said Henry. “But they’ve always been parents first. They tried to make our childhood as normal as possible.” Being in the Berkshires was part of that. “Things could have played out really differently if we were growing up in New York or L.A.,

*

Rufus, and Kim performed in Berkshire Theatre Group’s “A Christmas Carol” for many years running—and in 2011, James joined the cast as well. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for a young actor,” said Rufus. “The quality of their productions is remarkable.”

“You look back and you go, ‘that’s the best cellist in the world.’ But Yo-Yo Ma is just a normal sweet guy that cracks jokes and is good with kids.”

RUFUS TAYLOR

or somewhere where there is so much more of the game and status,” said Rufus. “One of the lovely things about the Berkshires is that none of that really exists here. It’s just all very grounded.”

It’s only later that they realized that their experiences growing up in a very musical household might not be typical—for example, whenever people sing the birthday song, Rufus still hears the parts different people in the family would harmonize. And then there are memories like, “Dad running around with an electric toothbrush, going ‘mmm, mmm, mi mi’, looking for a piano to figure out what note it’s making.”

There were other world-class musicians in their lives as well— though they didn’t think of them that way. “You look back and you go, ‘that’s the best cellist in the world,’” said Rufus. “But Yo-Yo Ma is just a normal sweet guy that cracks jokes and is good with kids.”

Having grown up at Tanglewood and now playing music professionally, “it’s a trip to be on stage at the Shed, to look out from that perspective,” said Henry. “Acoustically, it’s amazing. And there’s something special about playing to a home crowd, to people who love Tanglewood and

Taylor Swift—who was named for James—performed at Tanglewood in 2012, joining her namesake on stage and meeting the family.

the Berkshires as much as you do. But it’s also sort of nerve wracking. I’m a little more conscious about how people are receiving the performance because you’re not just leaving the next day. You live there.”

For his part, Rufus is thinking about a master’s degree in social work or psychology, or pursuing work in regenerative agriculture. “I care a lot about food sovereignty, making sure communities have access and control over the food that they have,” he said. He notices good work happening in Western Mass, and he could see himself settling in the Berkshires: “If I can get my partner here—he’s very attached to Boston.” The two met while Rufus was at Amherst and his partner was at UMass Amherst. They both play on the Boston Ironsides, an inclusive rugby team that is part of IGR, International Gay Rugby. “It’s a really great part of my life,” he said. Before graduate school or settling down anywhere, though, Rufus has a trip to take. He is doing the hike on his own, though he has many friends (and Henry) meeting him for sections along the way. A thru-hike has been a lifelong goal. “In terms of where,” he said, “it’s always been the Appalachian Trail. Because, you know, that’s where we’re from.” B

Exploring Bartlett’s Apple Orchard, Richmond, 2006

Passing Thru

At a cabin on Lee’s Upper Goose Pond, lives intertwine for a few hours as Appalachian Trail hikers take in Berkshires’ beauty.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEX

REGEN

n a secluded, pristine mountain lake, 12 miles from Herman Melville’s Arrowhead and half a mile off the Appalachian Trail, sits Upper Goose Pond Cabin.

The early-1900s rustic cabin on the Lee/ Tyringham border has no electricity or running water, and stands alone in an otherwise undeveloped oak forest on the north shore of the pond. It was included in a 350-acre tract of land sold to the National Park Service to be part of the protected Appalachian Trail (AT) Corridor. This land was once part of the homelands of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians (now of Wisconsin), who were forcibly removed.

Now used by Appalachian Trailhikers, the cabin is a step above most AT shelters, which are typically primitive, three-sided lean-tos. For thru-hikers—those attempting to journey the entire 2,200 miles in one trip—the cabin is a welcome respite. There are 15 bunk beds with mattresses, a covered porch with rocking chairs, and a fieldstone fireplace for cool fall nights. Two composting toilets, propane lamps to light the interior, and shelves adorned with books and relics left by the thousands of hikers who have passed through complete this hiker heaven.

Then there is the pond, which many consider to be one of the finest swimming holes in the state of Massachusetts.

I discovered Upper Goose Pond and its cabin not as a hiker, but after my family moved to the adjacent, and developed, Lower Goose Pond. Researching the neighborhood, I soon learned that the shelter hosts over 1,200 hikers annually from all over the world. Some are hiking the whole thing, from the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia to the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine—these northbounders are known as “Nobos”— and some are heading from Maine to Georgia, southbounders or “Sobos.” Others are hiking only sections and they’re aptly called section hikers. *

is considered by many to be

The Appalachian Trail is considered a social trail, arguably more than any other longdistance hiking trail in the world.

It’s common among hikers, no matter which way they’re traveling, to adopt a trail name. For some, it is selfgiven, a reflection of who they want to be on the trail. For others, it is given by fellow hikers.

Indeed, the AT is considered a social trail, arguably more than any other longdistance hiking trail in the world. Nobos make up the majority, leaving Georgia in early spring and passing through the Berkshires in mid-summer. These hikers often form “tramilies” or trail families with other hikers. Sobos are often seeking a more solitary experience.

The Appalachian Trail winds for 90 miles through Massachusetts, tracing the Taconic Mountains and ascending Mount Greylock, the state’s highest peak. Along its path, the trail weaves through dense forests, serene rivers, rolling highlands, and sweeping ridgelines, passing through the picturesque Berkshire towns of Dalton, Cheshire, Lee, and Great Barrington.

Maintained, managed, and protected by The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Western Massachusetts Appalachian Trail Management Committee, Upper Goose Pond Cabin is run by volunteers. A network of around 20 to 30 caretakers is given roughly oneweek shifts during the open season, from May to October,

and their mission includes more than hospitality. It extends to preserving the natural resources that support a remote backcountry experience, discouraging illegal camping, and directing hikers to established tenting areas to minimize human impacts to the surrounding environment.

With my curiosity piqued, I signed up to become a caretaker—to learn more about the cabin, about people, and about myself. There is nobody more knowledgeable than Cosmo Catalano Jr., who has 25 years of experience volunteering in the AT community and oversees the cabin’s operations.

Catalano said the National Park Service purchased the area as part of a large land acquisition effort, beginning in 1978, to site the entire trail on publicly owned land. At Upper Goose Pond, this protected one of the last undeveloped Great Ponds in the state. Previously, almost half of the AT in Massachusetts was on roads. This Congressionally mandated program created a protected

corridor surrounding the entire Trail so that people could hike as much as possible in natural surroundings, Catalano explained.

Trail guidelines encourage selfreliance. As such, the cabin is operated as minimally as possible. There are no trash cans, indoor toilets, showers or running water. Two privies and a dishwashing station are operated by the caretaker, who also makes coffee (generously provided by Barrington Coffee Roasting Company in Lee) and tea for the hikers. There is no user fee and operating expenses are offset by voluntary donations, which average about $2.50 per hiker over the course of the season, Cosmo said.

The more I learned about the history of the cabin, the more I wanted to learn about the hikers and hear their stories. I wanted to know why people decide to take four to six months and spend an average of $7,500 to hike this trail. So, last year, for one week of hot September days by the lake and cool fireside chats at night, I interviewed and photographed hikers from all over the world during my caretaking shift. Despite spending time capturing their stories, I had plenty of moments to myself. There’s an almost meditative quality to getting up before everyone in pitch darkness. The forest is completely still. I started the fire and turned on the burner for coffee percolation at 6:30 a.m. There is the rhythm of chores: carrying buckets of water to and from the pond, chopping wood for the fire, and the bittersweet cycle of meeting someone for a few hours or a day and then they’re gone, back into the woods, back on their journeys as I’m left to contemplate my own. *

The Hiker Life

ost hikers I met followed a similar pattern: They arrived at the cabin around 4:30 or 5 p.m. after walking 10 to 20 miles. I gave them a quick lay of the land—no cookstoves on the porch, where to get drinking water, where the bunks and privies are, and how to sign out a canoe for a paddle. They went to claim a bunk (or choose a tent site at one of the adjacent camping areas), filtered their water from the pond, settled into the beautiful surroundings, went out back to the communal picnic table to eat their backpacking meals (pre-packaged fare like ramen and peanut butter sandwiches), and talked with their fellow hikers. They charted out the next day and future resupply options and, by 8 p.m, are sound asleep. Up again at 6 a.m., they packed their bags, ate breakfast (often oatmeal and dried fruit), drank coffee by the fire, and started walking. Some might be doing a “zero,” meaning they will rest for a full day, hiking zero miles and sinking into the peace and serenity of the Berkshire Hills to restore physically and mentally. There may not be a better place to zero on the entire trail than Upper Goose Pond Cabin.

GROUSE

HOLIDAY & LADY PANTS

Holiday, left, a retired 51-year-old ex-Marine, is homeless by choice— he lives in a van. For most of his career, he’d put himself in areas of conflict. Now he is searching for peace—within himself and the world around him. “Most things that people get wound up about don’t really matter,” he said. “People dedicate so much mental anguish to things. Turn off the news and go take a walk in the woods.”

“I was supposed to get married last August,” the 31-year-old from Springfield, Vermont, told me. “She went off with another guy. I got kicked out of the house, lost the dog, lost her, and I got really depressed for about a year.” Then a friend told him that he needed to go make a “you decision.” “Something I’ve always wanted to do was hike the trail,” Grouse told me. “Pretty much as soon as I made that choice, I’ve been super happy, like the weight has left my shoulders. I feel like I’m starting a new life again.”

Razmus and Jakob, two 19-year-old Germans, were hiking because they wanted to do things outside of big cities in America and found out about the AT on YouTube.

Lady Pants, right, a 28-year-old from Ohio, said he never did anything adventurous prior to his thru-hike. I asked him what his wife thought about him taking five months off to do something like this. “I think she wanted me to do this more than I did,” he said with a laugh. “She worked as a park ranger for a few years, and we were in a routine every summer where she would go out to Idaho or Colorado and I wouldn’t see her for four to five months. She’s wanted the chance to support me doing something similar.”

RIGGS

The 31-year-old from Wisconsin was doing a flip-flop thru-hike with a “Lord of the Rings” Challenge: In the movie “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” there is a scene where three characters travel 135 miles in three days. Riggs started by hiking 800 miles from Georgia to Virginia, and then jumped (i.e. “flipped”) to the top of Katahdin in Maine and started walking back to Virginia, exactly where he left off. He had hiked 41 miles the day I met him (17 hours), was doing 42 miles the next, and the entire state of Connecticut on day three (53 miles).

DEB & DEB

Two section hikers named Deb, and both youthful, kindred souls in their early 70s, have been friends for decades. They were accompanied by Toby, a golden retriever. Deb #1 was a minister and Deb #2 was an editor who used to work at NPR.

We spoke about friendship, their children, marriage and divorce, and life and death. Conversations were intermittently light and heavy. When one of our prolonged conversations centered on marriage, I asked them candidly if they were happy in theirs. “It’s taken me 35 years to get here, and I feel like we are just learning how to communicate and appreciate each other,” said Deb #2 of her husband.

FIRE MAGIC

The 26-year-old from the Netherlands got her trail name by making good fires. She was doing a Nobo and contemplating her future. “I’ve been out here for three and a half months, and I still haven’t figured it out,” she said. “You mainly think about what you want to do that day or what you’ll have for dinner. I did realize that I want to do something that intrinsically motivates me, not what everyone else expects me to do.”

SMACK DAD

From Savannah, Georgia, this 60-year-old had recently retired from an engineer’s job making GulfStream business jets. He got his trail name by being the guy in staff meetings who always said what other people thought. “When they kind of fed us a line of bullshit, I was the one who called them on it.”

I asked him what it was like to hike for five months straight. “The trail is incredibly difficult, both mentally and physically. You’re uncomfortable all the time. The highs are really high and the lows are really low. A low being when you wake up at 4 a.m., there’s water in your tent, it’s pouring, it’s cold, your clothes are wet, you have to pack up in the rain, and then you have to hike all day. The highs are when you finish for the day, the camaraderie, the storytelling, the sharing of experiences and meeting people.” B

THE FUTURE OF DANCE IS HERE

Nearly five years after a devastating fire claimed the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow, the Berkshires dance institution unveils its forward-looking replacement, at once technologically cutting-edge and rooted into the earth.

BY LAURA REGENSDORF

There is a character that comes about in a space that has been doing the same thing for a long period of time,”

said Norton Owen, the director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, the historic dance center in Becket that dates to 1933.

“You feel it when you go into an old church or synagogue or place of worship. You find it when you go to a farm that has been worked for generations.”

In the Pillow’s case, its longtime venues— the Ted Shawn Theatre (1942), named after the pioneering founder; the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage (1981), with its mountaintop views; and the barn-like Doris Duke Theatre (1990)—have seen generations of dance legends pass through. “The spirits here are very strong, let us just say,” said Owen, who first came as a student in 1976 and marveled to discover Jess Meeker, the former composer for Shawn’s all-male troupe, at the piano for ballet class.

When an early morning fire tore through the Duke on November 17, 2020, the feeling

of loss was therefore collective, as the news ricocheted throughout the community.

“There was this sense of just unfathomable silent scream in me when that happened,” recalled the choreographer Faye Driscoll, part of the theater’s lineage of performers.

Pamela Tatge, the Pillow’s executive and artistic director, got word while at home in Connecticut and rushed to the scene, where firefighters from six towns battled the flames.

“The miracle of that day was that there was no wind, because we are all wood structures at Jacob’s Pillow,” said Tatge. “It would have been so easy for that fire to spread.”

Without the Duke, the Pillow was down a venue for its more experimental, intimately scaled works, not to mention a process space for rehearsals. But rebuilding from scratch opened up fresh possibilities. Practically speaking, the original theater had issues with accessibility and too few bathrooms; it lacked an adequate warm-up area, so dancers would trek from a nearby

A rendering of the new Doris Duke Theatre, with a flexible design for immersive experiences.

studio, hardly ideal during summer rain. More important was the opportunity to reimagine performance capabilities for an increasingly digital age. The pandemic underscored the need for livestreamed shows and virtual collaboration. The latest in sound design and real-time projection was evolving every day. “We understood that artists are using myriad technologies,” said Tatge, “so one of the key things was to really build the bandwidth—the capability to do anything in the space.”

This July, the unveiling of the new Doris Duke Theatre marks the culmination of a cross-disciplinary effort, led by the architect Francine Houben of the Netherlands-based firm Mecanoo; the team also included the New York architecture and design firm Marvel, with theater and acoustic consulting by Charcoalblue. The painter and sculptor Jeffrey Gibson also advised on the plans, offering an Indigenous perspective as someone of Cherokee and

Choctaw descent. The new curvilinear building, with its landscaped roof and doors that open onto the surrounding gardens, nestles into the environment. Inside, it’s a “magic box,” as Houben puts it—a blank canvas to suit an array of audience configurations and technological interventions.

That is where Tatge’s team proved visionary, tapping a group of dancemakers for early rounds of input. “I’ve never heard of an institution doing this,” said the multidisciplinary artist Andrew Schneider, who got a surprise call from the Pillow director in late 2022. He was asked to supply two tech riders as part of this research phase: one for an existing show, and one for a dream project. That dream project is now part of the Duke’s opening lineup, along with works from five other artists chosen specifically for the ways they engage with technology. Schneider’s “HERE,”

created in collaboration with the Berlinbased choreographers Margaux MarielleTréhoüart and Joel Suárez Gómez, borrows its name from Richard McGuire’s 2014 graphic novel, which traces one corner of a home over centuries. “That was an inspiration for us to think about bodies in space over time,” said Schneider. The soundscape of “HERE” employs a technology known as wave field synthesis, with 382 tiny speakers creating an effect he likens to “audio holograms.”

At the resolutely human end of things, Faye Driscoll returns to the Pillow with “Weathering, ” developed partly on-site in 2022. A work for 10 tender, tenacious dancers and the attendant crew (Driscoll included), it centers around a spinning platform, like a raft at the end of the world. The sensory immersion in “Weathering” includes amplified breathing and spritzed scent, but she leans on bodily instincts over new technology, which at times can feel *

like “more of a leash,” she said. “I want to prioritize and privilege knowing our way around our world with the tools that we have.”

There’s a palpable charge in Shamel Pitts’ “Touch of RED,” a duet structured in boxinginspired “rounds” that set the choreographer opposite the performance artist Tushrik Fredericks. The Duke run is a full-circle moment for his Brooklyn-based collective, TRIBE—which, as fate would have it, was in residence at the Pillow during the 2020 fire. However much “it felt like waking up into a nightmare,” he said of that catastrophic morning, the rehearsal period remained joyously fruitful—especially rewarding during a stretch of the pandemic that kept most dance spaces shuttered. Displaced from the burned-down Duke, TRIBE spent its remaining days in the nearby Perles Family Studio, the light-filled home to The School at Jacob’s Pillow.

“What snuck into ‘Touch of RED,’” said Pitts, “was this sense of embers—that when Tushrik and I are very close to each other, there’s a sort of friction, and then this heat between us can turn into something that’s aflame.” The title of that round, “Embers/ Embraces,” highlights the dualities at play in Pitts’ work—between dance and technology and between violence and softness. “Nature has a lot of destruction and decay,” he said. “That energy then translates into a rebirth.” B

Looking Ahead

A guide to this summer’s inaugural lineup at the new Doris Duke Theatre.

July 9:

Opening Program

The mixed-bill evening includes an Annie-B Parson “movement score” featuring a dozen performers associated with the original Duke, plus a selection of excerpts that highlight how technology and dance entwine.

July 16–20:

Andrew Schneider

For the world premiere of “HERE,” the Brooklyn interactive-electronics artist, in collaboration with two Berlin-based choreographers, challenges perceptions of shared time and space with help from a complex, immersive soundscape.

July 23–27:

Elle Sofe Company

In “Vástádus Eana—the answer is land,” the company’s U.S. premiere, megaphones are put to defiant use in a work that blends movement and yoik—the traditional singing of the Samí people, a group indigenous to Norway.

July 30–August 3: Eun-Me Ahn

Returning to the Pillow for the first time since 2000, the Korean choreographer presents the U.S. premiere of “Dragons,” a visually arresting composition that features holographic dancers and live performers, most of them born in the titular Zodiac year.

August 6–10: Shamel Pitts, TRIBE

With a charged production design that alludes to a boxing ring, “Touch of RED” is a work for two male performers. By turns combative and vulnerable, the work draws its influences from Lindy Hop, nightlife culture, and the Gaga movement language.

August 13–17: Faye Driscoll

“Weathering,” the latest Pillow premiere by the choreographer based between New York and LA, piles dancers onto a spinning platform, exploring the contours of interdependency with sublime urgency and glacial restraint.

August 20–24: Huang Yi

The Taiwanese choreographer brings “Ink” to the stage for his Pillow debut, translating brushstrokes by a renowned calligrapher into large-scale holographic projections as dancers engage with industrial robots.

2025 Summer Season

Chamber Music Societ y of Lincoln Center

June 15- August 17

Saratoga Jazz Festival presented by GE Vernova

June 28 & 29

New York Cit y Ballet

July 9-12

The Philadelphia Orchestra

August 6-23

CALM, COOL, & CONNECTED

Prospect, the new “landscape hotel” in Egremont, brings serene style and ecological purpose to the Berkshires, with community gathering spaces and views worth lingering over.

TEXT BY ELLEN MORRISSEY • PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEGAN HALEY

Ian Rasch’s goal for Prospect sounds modest:

“We’re trying to provide a pause to the intensity of life that we all experience, even for a moment,” he said. “If you can sit in one of those cabins and look out at the lake and take a breath, I feel like we’ve accomplished something.”

Getting to such a beautifully simple result has taken loads of work.

Prospect Lake in Egremont has been the backdrop for countless community events and family gatherings for more than a century. The property is experiencing a rebirth of sorts with the opening of Prospect. As a “landscape hotel,” it’s designed to blend seamlessly into its setting, maximizing the experience of nature while minimizing its ecological impact.

It’s a tall order, but one that the Prospect team is uniquely positioned to meet. Rasch and Roman Montano of the Alander Group in Great Barrington, and Rasch’s wife, JadeSnow Carroll, all have deep roots in the Berkshires. Rasch and Montano grew up along the New York-Massachusetts border, and Carroll was raised in Egremont.

Together with the team they’ve assembled, including general manager Max Scherff, they’re hoping to attract new visitors to the area while also re-engaging the community with a local gathering space. Carroll recalled that there used to be more places to meet up and socialize in town, and on a recent visit to Kingston, New York, she was “floored” by how many young people she saw in coffee shops and beyond. She wondered how to bring some of that energy back to her hometown.

Though all three live within a half mile of Prospect, Rasch said they sort of stumbled upon the project. The property had been a summer campsite and picnic spot for years. In the midst of the COVID pandemic, when the opportunity arose to purchase the property, they took the long view (along with, it must be said, criticism from some longtime renters of seasonal campsites).

Jade-Snow Carroll and husband Ian Rasch on the porch of one of the property’s cabins, designed to take advantage of the lake views.

“There was a need to create something new,” said Rasch. Not only do they hope to be a hub for the community, “we will be employing upwards of 40 people. And we built it with I-don’t-know-how-many-hundreds of hands that have been building and restoring Berkshires cottages for 30 or 40 years. We’re trying to create unique spaces and support a tremendous amount of tradespeople that need to continue their craft.”

Their approach was an alchemical one of dissolving and refining, thoughtfully stripping away what was there before building it back up. Early meetings focused on improving the health of the lake and the landscape, which called for removing existing infrastructure like septic hookups and old RVs, and relocating wires and water lines. “There was wire through the entire forest and in the trees,” Montano explained. Putting all of the utilities below grade not only allowed the resort to operate year round, but, Montano added, “it made a huge difference visually.”

From there, landscape architects Andropgon and ecological planners Biohabitats built native wetland green gardens and swales, and addressed soil fertility. Local

plant expert Raina Weber upgraded the plantings with all native species.

One of the bigger obstacles was the lake’s failing 100-year-old dam. The Prospect team partnered with the town of Egremont to tackle sorely needed and costly repairs. “They were incredibly helpful, responsive, and supportive. I think if we had come from out of town and didn’t have a relationship with them, this project never would have happened.”

With planting and new infrastructure in place, building began in earnest. The 49 cabins are hand-built of cedar, marble, and stone, designed to withstand the weather and the elements year over year, much like summer cottages Rasch first saw on travels in Scandinavia. “I went with my family a number of times, where we stayed in very simple structures originally built for sheep herders and farmers.” Rasch said there are now about a half million of these summer cottages dotted all over the countryside there. “The whole idea is to connect with nature.”

To create the most immersive experience, Prospect’s cabins are situated to take advantage of the scenery, with lake-facing windows and plenty of light. There are *

Bluetooth speakers but no TVs. As yet, there are no plans to collect cell phones upon arrival, “White Lotus”-style, but there’s always the option to leave the Wi-Fi off.

With a similar spirit, Carroll designed the interiors to be calming. The pared back aesthetic is intended to be “an antidote to all of the noise we have coming at us at all times.”

The rooms are outfitted with organic cotton bed linens and robes from Carroll’s company, Sister Moons, which she co-founded with her sister and mother, as well as cozy wool blankets. A desk with art supplies and writing journals inspires guests to indulge in tech-free pursuits.

“Traveling is always an opportunity to do the things I never get to do at home,” said Carroll. “It’s a luxury to have time to do something creative. You lose track of time and your sense of time passes and you don’t even notice it passing. That’s the best feeling when you’re in that flow.”

There are, of course, other amenities that put the active in activity—pickleball and tennis courts, a heated saltwater pool, kayaks, sailboats, paddleboards, bicycles, and hiking trails. And whether you’ve exerted yourself or not, there are Finnish-style saunas along the lakefront. Communal fire pits throughout the property encourage IRL connection and communication.

Anchoring Prospect’s grounds is the Cliff House, a 5,000-square-foot structure built in 1876, with a *

Carroll designed the interiors to be calming. The pared back aesthetic is intended to be “an antidote to all of the noise we have coming at us at all times.”

porch that feels as if it’s floating over the lake. The structure houses an eponymous full-service restaurant and bar, with a comprehensive menu by Nancy Thomas of longtime Berkshires hospitality group Mezze, which includes produce from local growers. The restaurant will be open to the public year round, a decision that the team made unequivocally. “We didn’t want Prospect to feel like an island, said Rasch, “an insular little place that is not engaged with the people who live just beyond its footprint.”

In that vein, programming plans are in full swing. On the wish list are sauna nights, wildflower workshops, ice fishing, cold plunges, cross country skiing—and partnerships with local cultural groups. He envisions performances on site, for example, and curated outdoor dinners.

Asked how he imagines Prospect several years from now, Rasch doesn’t think long before he answers: He cites Berkshire historian Gary Leveille’s book, “Eye of Shawenon,” about the history of the Prospect Lake area. “In some of the pictures, from the 1920s, the ’50s and ’60s, you can see the property with tons of people enjoying it, whether it was movie nights or classic car shows, there were locals and guests among the people enjoying the lake. It was very active, with families that came year after year. That’s what I’d like to see.” B

THE B’s LIST NEXT GEN

Welcome to our new series celebrating people making a mark in the Berkshires. In this first installment, we talk to a new generation of residents fusing tradition with transformation, and breathing new life into our region.

BY CARLI SCOLFORO • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC LIMON

As the young movers and shakers arrive on a blustery spring day and greet each other at Cantina, a cozy-chic restaurant off the beaten path in New Marlborough, the same question is asked over and over: “How have we not met before today?” Each participant comes from a different background, but their stories have an important similarity: They’ve left metropolitan areas for an idyllic Berkshires lifestyle—and they’ve brought their city-sized ambitions with them. They couldn’t have come soon enough; while our cultural institutions, such as performing arts venues, museums, and Gilded Age mansions, are timeless, our population is aging. Recent census data reports the county’s median age as 48.4, and that number has been steadily climbing for over a decade. But if you’ve felt a fresh wave of energy lately, you may have this group of entrepreneurial millennials and Gen Zers to thank. We gathered 10 of these upand-comers to talk about why these talented people—who could live anywhere—chose the Berkshires, what they love about the area, and the challenges they face.

ABIGAIL FENTON

Abigail Fenton Photography

Abigail has a passion for capturing memories that has taken her around the world—from Savannah, Georgia, to Hong Kong, France, and a sailboat in the South Pacific—all leading back to the place she grew up. Her work preserves celebratory moments like weddings, launches, album releases, and many more. “I view myself as a visual storyteller,” she said. “I love that I have access to places like Manhattan and Boston while always coming back to this peaceful area.” abigailfenton.com

ANNE THERESE GENNARI

Speaker & Author, “The Climate Optimist Handbook”

Anne Therese, originally from Sweden, moved to the Berkshires from New York with her husband and brought her fresh take on climate communication. “My mission is to help people shift the narrative of climate change and get excited about the future,” she said. “I feel like there is a big climate community here, and people feel very connected to nature in different ways.” Her work includes TEDx Talks, courses, and a book praised by Jane Goodall. theclimateoptimist.com

KEVIN KELLY Founder/CEO,

After Hours Hospitality

After cutting his teeth in restaurants around Boston, Kevin returned home to the Berkshires to pioneer a new idea: a restaurant without a home. “I started with trying to open a restaurant,” said Kevin, “and decided that I wanted something nomadic.” After Hours has quickly gained a large following of foodies who excitedly await Kevin’s next pop-up at a partnering local business, where he takes over the space after the store or cafe has closed. afterhoursgb.com

SADIE MCCLELLAND

Sales, Marketing & Design, TW McClelland & Daughters

Public relations, social media, product design—for Sadie, working in the family fine-jewelry business means doing a bit of everything. Returning home for this next chapter in her career, she feels aligned with local values. “We do slow, creative metal work that ends in really beautiful handmade jewelry that is all very nature-inspired. There’s no better place to be doing it than here.” twmcclelland.com

ALAN PAUL

Artistic Director, Barrington Stage Company

Now in his third year at Barrington Stage, Alan has brought both major talent and fresh works, drawing from his experience in NYC and D.C. “Outside of New York or Chicago, you won’t find anywhere else with four big theaters, and Tanglewood, and all the museums,” he said of his Berkshire experience. “People come here to fill their entire summer with culture.” His season features plays on politics, history— and LeBron James and Joan Rivers. barringtonstageco.org

A.J. ENCHILL

Executive Director, Berkshire Black Economic Council

“I love the Berkshires because it’s a place where I get to be creative. It’s a special community with really, really deep bonds,” said A.J. After returning home, he rallied local allies to support Black businesses, artists, and artisans. “We celebrate the richness of this community, and it creates this feeling of safety.” The BBEC now provides everything from hands-on technical assistance, to advocacy for public policy changes, and more. berkshirebec.org

PETER CHAPIN

Owner, Mill River General Store & Cantina

When Cantina 226 in New Marlborough went up for sale, Peter saw the perfect chance to build on his background in agriculture and food service. “I love being in the Berkshires because I think it’s a great place to have food businesses, to start a business, and to have an audience for what you’re trying to accomplish,” he said. His love of the land and desire to support local farms and businesses have shaped his vision for Cantina’s reopening. cantina229.com

MADELINE AUSTIN

Mill River General Store & Cantina

Prior to her current venture with her partner, Peter Chapin, Madeline feels she got the best of both worlds: growing up in the city and spending much of her professional life in rural areas. “I love this community. I really thrive around, and am inspired by, the creative energy in this area,” she said. Her passion for sustainable agriculture informs every aspect of her running the General Store, including the value of a hardworking team. themillrivergeneralstore.com

JAMAL STOCKTON

President & CEO, 213 Ventures Corporation

Jamal returned to the Berkshires to raise a family, and brought his business acumen with him via his investment group: “We buy and build businesses, and one of the first was Tunnel City Coffee,” he said. Beyond great coffee, the purchase is just one part of 213 Ventures’ mission: using corporate experience to help local ventures grow. With a finance and engineering background, Jamal is passionate about helping underrepresented groups achieve financial freedom. tunnelcitycoffee.com

SÖREN SMEDVIG

Musician, Music Producer/ Engineer

A talented trumpet player, DJ, producer, and audio engineer, Sören is in high demand in the Berkshire music scene. Since completing his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he’s helped produce three albums. This summer, he is set to DJ at prominent local galas and will soon open his own studio, Windswept Sound. “I’ve found such incredible, interesting people hidden around the whole county,” he said. “I’ve been discovering that ever since I’ve moved back.” sorensmedvig.univer.se

“That’s something that happens here in the Berkshires. You can get seen and your career can take a new trajectory just because of a new relationship. ”

A.J. ENCHILL

What is the hard work really like of being entrepreneurial in our community?

Kevin: A lot of getting started was just never taking “no” for an answer. Keep trying, and celebrate your failures. It’s pretty hard to do that in the moment, but you get a lot of perspective when you can accept failures and mistakes. It has helped so much with my personal development and fine-tuning of the business.

Whether you are a farmer or a chef or a musician, when you work for yourself, the work really never ends. So instead of trying to go against the current, going with it is very meaningful.

Madeline: We’ve also had a lot of failures and we’ve learned from each and every one of them. To find solace when I’m wrapping my head around whatever failure is at hand, I look to the uninterrupted skyline and find a lot of peace in that. Sense of place is something I think about a lot.

A.J.: To start our business directory, I would get in my car, drive down to Great Barrington and literally knock on an entrepreneur’s glass to see if they were there. I’d get their contact information by going to Facebook or their website— borderline stalkerish. But now we have about 168 different entrepreneurs and businesses that are able to connect with each other.

Peter: You need to be a little bit delusionally positive and optimistic to start a business. When we started the farm, we had a business with zero customers, so I needed to literally go in the back door of all these restaurants and try and make some deals. That’s not easy to do and it doesn’t always work, but you have to be maniacal about what you want to do.

Abigail: As a young person, when you’re starting out, you have to do that “Berkshire shuffle.” I was working in event planning and working as an assistant, and that’s how I met people and got into venues. In our community, you really have to get out there.

Jamal: When you’re starting businesses, you’re going to get gobbled up with costs. We’re thinking broadly about the systemic problems that the community faces, that our merchants face, and how to fix those things.

Does the sense of community here help you as an entrepreneur?

A.J.: If there’s one thing that we do well, it’s working with one another, because we don’t get the same funding as our counterparts in the eastern part of the state. We rely on one another, and that’s what makes this small business-based economy really special. It’s also a green economy that celebrates the outdoors. And we do believe artists don’t have to be starving artists! They can actually have a real quality of life and have a business.

Abigail: When I moved back to the Berkshires and slowed down my pace of life, I noticed that things just flowed. I met people that wanted to hire and work with me. I’m even able to work with people who I knew as a kid and who now experience me as an adult.

Anne Therese: You can walk into a tiny coffee shop with five people, and suddenly you meet the one person who you were supposed to meet all these years. I would go to events in New York City with hundreds of people and never meet that person. I think it’s forced me to slow down and listen to where my soul is calling me, and just exist more in the everyday moment.

A.J.: That’s something that happens here in the Berkshires. You can get seen and your career can take a new trajectory just because of a new relationship. And that doesn’t happen everywhere.

Sören: There’s an incredible recording studio in Housatonic that a longtime friend owns. When I moved back here, I asked if he needed help. In New York, it’s so saturated and competitive to get into the music industry. Here, I can get past that barrier of entry and work with the high-profile artists who choose to live here to get away from the craziness of the city.

Kevin: We partner with local businesses and operate out of existing spaces during the hours that they’re closed, whether it’s a restaurant, cafe, or museum. We collaborate over competing.

While many of you have started your own ventures, others are following in family footsteps or bringing a fresh perspective to legacy institutions. What has that been like?

Alan: I feel responsible to have a successful business that operates locally. That means having good shows that fill the theater, popular concerts. But I also think that we serve a broader purpose: it’s our responsibility to put on new plays and new musicals, and to take a chance on writers you haven’t heard of. It’s so easy to do revivals of plays that are comfortable

for other people, but the thing that really makes a difference are works that talk about difficult subjects, that get a conversation going, that go into something political, that challenge the form itself. It’s scary to do that because you’re taking a risk on a show that might be powerful but might not make money. I find myself sticking my neck out more than I thought. But I also find it’s fun to have the courage to do it.

Sadie: I got a degree in fine arts—I wanted and needed to make a living, and have work that is meaningful and artistic. My father has been a jeweler for 50 years, and had a business that I was very interested in joining. It’s been really fantastic to be in an artistic job, and wear so many hats under the umbrella of a family business. Having a really small business, and having a low overhead, results in endless creative possibilities.

What is something about the Berkshires environment that resonates with you?

Anne Therese: We are in a good place here and I think it’s going to become even more thriving in years to come. Climate optimism is rooted in grounded awareness, understanding, and resiliency. Instead of just trying to minimize our negative footprint, how can we step in and maximize our positive footprint? *

I’m not saying the Berkshires is perfect, but there are stores with bulk sections, there are restaurant options where the menu is local and intentional.

Madeline: I’m incredibly passionate about sustainable agriculture, particularly animal husbandry, as well as increasing accessibility. I truly believe that access to good and real food should be a core, basic civil right. That’s what led me here.

Peter: Typically, when people start a farm, it’s in the Midwest, or California, or Arizona. There are a lot of unique challenges to the Berkshires, like the cold weather. But that gives us an opportunity to focus on trying to extend the growing season in either direction as long as possible. It’s a unique but interesting challenge as a farmer, and it’s a chance to prove that, anywhere, you can grow your own food.

Sören: In the city you’re supposed to have this thriving social life. But, during COVID, I was locked in an apartment with one window—that was not doable for me. The main reason I moved back was to reconnect with nature, and have space and fresh air to breathe. I think people are starting to become more in touch with that side of themselves. Forgetting a little bit of the hustle and just breathing, you know, just being free. That’s what I identify with.

Sadie: To be doing something artistic in a place like this, it’s an endless well of

inspiration. And it’s also an area that has been so historically significant for visual artists. You’re walking in the footsteps of so many people who have been making artistic work around here.

Alan: People are up for a challenge. They’re deep thinking. They are not stuck in their ways. They’re ready to be a part of something.

What’s shifting in how younger generations think about work, life, and fulfillment?

Jamal: The boomer model of working your entire life just to get to a point where you have enough money to retire as the health problems kick in—the younger generations are saying, “that doesn’t work for us.” They’re going up the corporate ladder and looking around; they’re not happy. That is a big awakening. They crave something else, crave freedom, and think, “how do I get out of this environment so that I can do what I need to be doing for myself?”

Abigail: I realized that people are spending their lives working in New York City, Boston or LA so they can afford a house to retire in and live here, and own that little business they always dreamed of. So I thought, “Let’s skip the middle step. Let’s jump right in, start living that life and making those connections now and then, in 30 years, we’ll already be here. We’ll just relax, and enjoy.”

How can a new wave of young changemakers improve life in the Berkshires?

Alan: I think the key to future happiness will be when people around our age are deciding to move up here, and craving the things that we crave: a bespoke experience at a restaurant, great jewelry, a wonderful night at the theater. And could we get a couple people to want to work for Uber? It’s such a wonderful place and it’s a secret to a lot of people. It’s not a secret to artists, though. They love getting out of the city, being in the mountains, going to Guido’s, doing the things that are really special to being here. This location is as key to their experience in the fun of the summer as the work itself.

A.J.: There’s so much opportunity that exists within the realm of economic development, but it’s figuring out how to connect what someone’s been working on day in and day out to the community of entrepreneurs. We do that in a number of different ways. The possibilities are really endless.

Peter: I’m thankful for this opportunity to meet everyone here. I didn’t actually know most of the people here before today, which is weird, right? I think that there should be more of this here. I think that would help a lot.

What about the social scene?

Abigail: I grew up here and, initially, I thought I would rely on people I grew up with. To be honest, a lot of them don’t live here anymore. I really needed a new community. I got out there saying, my goal is connecting with people. And Kevin reached out to me one time and was like, ‘I want to talk about business.’ That was a really great way to connect. That intentionality is so inspiring. Plus, there’s Saturday night dancing at Hy’s.

Sören: At Doctor Sax House, a new place in Lenox, they really want to foster a

younger crowd. It’s kind of a speakeasy, with a cool vibe. It’s a place to hang out.

Sadie: There’s a slowly but steadily growing opportunity to go out and socialize. Where I live, in Great Barrington, when I go to places like Prairie Whale or Mooncloud or No Comply, I end up running into people that I’ve met once or twice and connect with them.

Peter: When I moved here, Great Barrington was a totally different place than it is now. There was a little bit of a night scene and you would meet people. One thing is that all these businesses need support—Kevin’s business needs support to survive and my business needs support to survive, and I think all of ours do. And so we do have a responsibility to support each other.

A.J.: A lot of us here have a significant other. I think, for young professionals, that’s why some people will say things like, “there’s nothing to do.” What does that really mean? “I can’t find other young professionals who I would date or go out with.” That is an integral part of what will make someone stay in the Berkshires or leave. We need to figure out how to connect awesome young professionals who are in this community and are looking for someone. Because if you have that person, your forever person, you’re like, I’m good. *

“When I moved back to the Berkshires and slowed down my pace of life, I noticed that things just flowed. ”

ABIGIAL FENTON

“Being in a room with entrepreneurs and people facing the same challenges, that is a unique and a really powerful experience. We should do more of that.”

PETER CHAPIN

What is something you would like to see improve here?

A.J.: Transportation is a piece. Child care and its ever-increasing cost is a piece for sure. The housing shortage is really a supply issue in a lot of ways. As a community, we can keep our prices down and maintain the quality of life there if we’re not greedy. We understand the economies of scale and how our dollar goes much further out here.

If the nonprofits are the blood of our Berkshire economy, we may as well pay them and compensate them like we do the private sector. Maybe we’ll see more people wanting to stay because they know that they can feed their families by doing something that they love every day.

Peter: Part of the trouble here is sometimes the apartments can be more expensive than in Boston or New York City—and there’s obviously a lot more to do for a young person there, and a lot more economic opportunity in some ways. There’s tons of opportunity here, but it

may not always seem that way. I think that kids are leaving as a result of that perception of: “If I want to be rich, I have to go to the city.”

Kevin: Growing up through the school systems here, the narrative is really, “how do we get out?” The people who are just getting into elementary and middle school, they’re the next generation. It has to start with the people who are born here actually wanting to stay. It’s a challenge that I want to take on. I don’t know how, but I want to give those kids the perspective that there’s so much opportunity here.

Jamal: One of the things my group focused on is, how do you create more jobs that are not related to specifically the arts and music

scene? We first focused on sustainability: we launched a program with the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and Williams College focused on reusable goods. We’re thinking about how we take the raw materials from the land, like corn husk, and turn those things into cups because we think that will create jobs.

Alan: I want to see the audience get younger and younger as I get older and older. I just try to program things that I would want to see because, when you’re building a brand or your own business, you can’t fake your own taste. You have to do what you think is right and trust that if you think it’s of quality, then other people will too. B

Off Duty

The busiest Berkshirites need a break!

We asked local leaders what they’re excited to do during their downtime—and their lists are packed with music, art, hikes, and good eats. Here’s how they plan to soak up the season. Consider it your guide to summer fun.

BY NEIL TURITZ | PORTRAITS BY STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN

Mindi Morin

Managing Director, Canyon Ranch

When you think of Canyon Ranch, spa days and pampering probably come to mind. But there’s a lot more to the place than that. The famed wellness resort also offers performance science, in-house doctors, nutritionists, Chinese medicine, and more— approaches both ancient and cutting edge. “It’s not overstating it to say that we save peoples’ lives here,” Mindi Morin said. They take an integrative approach to everything that they do, and “we meet our guests where they are, performance-wise,” said Morin, “whether they want to run a marathon, get ready for a knee replacement surgery, or just be able to lift up their grandson.”

1 Community Access To the Arts Gala LENOX

The best event of the year. This is the first gala I ever attended, and I cried with joy the entire time. Watching these artists from all over our community come to life on stage, and all of the volunteers who bring together the arts, is pretty phenomenal. From that moment I was hooked. Like, how do I become more involved? cataarts.org

2 MoonCloud GREAT BARRINGTON

Bartender Billy Jack Paul’s cocktails are like nothing you would ever imagine. Everything from the garnish to the glassware to the presentation just blows you away. When you walk into MoonCloud, you could be in any big city. mooncloudgb.com

3 Jacob’s Pillow BECKET

Anything I’ve ever seen there is unique. The setting, the drive there, the stage that opens up and makes you feel like you’re in the woods—it’s all amazing. jacobspillow.com

4

North Plain Farm

GREAT BARRINGTON

This is our meat CSA and you can drop into their shop any time of year for their products and others from local partners. Don’t miss the bratwurst. northplainfarm.com

5

Alta Restaurant and Wine Bar LENOX

It’s like walking into Cheers, where everybody knows your name. You know you’re going to get an amazing meal. altawinebar.com

Don’t miss: Summer Supper Series

Visiting chefs provide world-class meals that celebrate seasonal fare in our magical setting. canyonranch.com

Kelley Vickery

Artistic Director and Founder, Berkshire International Film Festival

1

Tanglewood LENOX

If it’s Sunday afternoon, you can find me under a tree on the lawn at Tanglewood with friends and a delicious picnic foraged from Guido’s and Dare Bottleshop! I’m especially looking forward to pianist Yuja Wang on July 20 and the incomparable Yo-Yo Ma on August 3 and 10. bso.org/tanglewood

3

2 High Lawn Farm LEE

My adult kids (now 31, 29, and 27!) are obsessed with this. On many Friday afternoons in the summer, my daughter will take the train up for the weekend from NYC and it’s the first stop—she came up for a girls’ weekend and they went there for ice cream and to pet the cows. There’s no visit without it. highlawnfarm.com

WIT Literary Festival LENOX

My favorite way to end the summer season is to attend the annual WIT Literary Festival held by the Author’s Guild here each September. There are wonderful, inspiring, and moving talks from authors galore, and it sells out the minute it opens up! Dan Brown was the inaugural speaker. They had Rachel Maddow last year! September 26 to 28. authorsguild.org/event/wit-festival/

Kelley Vickery launched BIFF in 2006 on just two screens at Great Barrington’s Triplex Cinema with the goal of bringing world-class film—and filmmakers—to the beautiful area she called home. How it’s grown: BIFF is now a year-round enterprise that inspires and engages, and draws big names. “I’m very excited to be honoring the incredible actor, Brian Cox, this year,” said Vickery. The main event is a four-day festival of film, talks, and parties that kicks off the summer season. But showcasing film is only part of Vickery’s mission. “We have nurtured so much young talent here in the Berkshires,” she said with pride, “and given them a platform.” May 29 to June 1.

4

Hiking and Lunching LENOX

When friends and family come to visit, I take them for a hike in Kennedy Park, followed by lunch at my mainstay eatery, Bistro Zinc, then shopping at the many fabulous Lenox stores. lenox.org bistrozinc.com

5 “DayDream” at Berkshire Botanical Garden

STOCKBRIDGE

The BBG’s summer exhibits are really great. This one has works from Salvador Dalí and Annie Leibovitz, alongside contemporary artists like Roz Chast. Opens June 6. berkshirebotanical.org

Don’t miss: The Taste of BIFF On opening night, we’re featuring 14 area restaurants under one tent to kick off the festival!

Peter Lindbergh, “Helena and Martian,” for Vogue Italia, 1990

Mike Beck

Executive Director, Berkshire Botanical Garden

Mike Beck was a lawyer in New York City, but, in 2010, he was ready for a change. He and his husband had already bought a house in Richmond, and it was time for a permanent move. Beck got involved with the Berkshire Botanical Garden, and within two years was the executive director, a position he’s held ever since. In that time, the organization has increased in size from 15 acres to 24, and soon there will be a larger greenhouse to encourage year-round visits. “Even the tiny 150-square-foot space we had is such a nice escape,” he said. “We figured, if we build a larger space, people will come.”

1

Casa Susanna LEEDS, NY

I haven’t explored the Catskills much, but we recently discovered this delicious Mexican restaurant at the Camptown hotel. The ambience is cozy, but with some groovy design. The food is unexpected and modern as well, featuring really fresh and colorful ingredients sometimes veering into the experimental. camptowncatskills.com

2 Dog Walks at Wild Acres Park

PITTSFIELD

This is a walking path for people who are commitment phobic for hiking. Our dog loves it. It’s sort of Disney World for dogs because you have different environments—meadows, woodlands, and water. cityofpittsfield.org

3 Finch HUDSON NY

Finch is a twostory marketplace of home goods, clothing, books, and beauty products. I stop in whenever I’m in town, and especially like their curated second-hand mid-century furniture on display. It’s a great home design resource. finchhudson.com

4 Bread from Mel the Bakery HUDSON, NY

We think this is, hands down, the best bread and pastries in a 30- or 40-mile radius. We buy four or five loaves and put them in the freezer. melthebakery.com

5 Brunch at the Apple Tree Inn LENOX

They have a terrific brunch in the big round room. The restaurant is called Báladi, and a lovely Israeli couple runs it. They make the most amazing pan-Middle Eastern food. appletreeinnlenox.com

Don’t miss: The BBG Garden Design Symposium

This is a new event we’re doing—because sometimes you just want to hear about really beautiful gardens. August 16, Canaan, NY berkshirebotanical.org

Max Morningstar + Maria Zordan

Owners, MX Morningstar Farm | Claverack, NY

2

1 Hudson Ferry Company

HUDSON, NY

They do a Sunset tour and a Lighthouse tour, but we love the Shacks, Shipwrecks, and Sandbars tour. We did it for Maria’s birthday a couple years ago and it was fun and relaxing, a perfect combination for a hot summer evening. hudsonferry.co

Whistle Down Farm HUDSON

We pick our own blueberries here. Nicholas and Eileen grow the best tasting blueberries we’ve ever had. They are focused on flavor above all and it really shows. Last year, we bought a case, thinking we would make jam or freeze some of them, but we ate them all. whistledownfarm.com

3

Quinnie’s HUDSON, NY

Friday night is Burgers & Martinis night (Max is a martini guy, with gin, of course). They usually have live music, and it’s very kid-friendly. It’s low key, and their large outdoor space is highly enjoyable. quinniesnewyork.com

Ask Max Morningstar and Maria Zordan, the married owners of MX Morningstar Farm near Hudson, New York, what sets their farm apart from others, and they’ll answer in a single word: consistency. “That’s one thing our customers will tell you,” Zordan said. “Consistent quality and customer service. High standards. It’s not precious—it’s nice things, well packaged.” Consistency is right: the farm store is open seven days a week, year round, which is unusual in these parts. The farm operates on more than 50 acres, has a robust CSA membership, and the farm store is a community mainstay. “Our growing practices are centered around what we do well,” Morningstar explained. “Otherwise, we’re not going to do it.”

4

Dinner and a Drive In

LEEDS AND COXSACKIE, NY

We got this idea from the lovely Steph and Will (managers on the farm and a married couple) and we’re excited to try it: Grab takeout from Gracie’s Luncheonette, then head over to the Hi-Way Drive-In for a very vintage and lowkey evening.

5

The Klocke Estate

CLAVERACK, NY

We come here for sunset cocktails, and the unforgettable view both inside and out. The drive up to the restaurant is truly majestic and the level of detail makes for a wonderful evening. klocke-estate.com

Don’t miss:

Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Jimmy Nardello pepper season is in August and September—these peppers are truly exceptional, sweet with lots of complexity. It’s a fleeting season that deserves to be cherished. mxmorningstarfarm.com

Esther Bell

Deputy Director, The Clark Art Institute

Esther Bell has her dream job. After earning a master’s degree from the Williams College/Clark Graduate Program, she spent over a decade at museums in New York City, Cincinnati, and San Francisco, until The Clark came calling seven and a half years ago. “The Clark was always a beacon of best practice,” she said, “and a museum that I greatly respected.” In her stretch, The Clark has increased its programming, and this summer’s outdoor exhibition, “Ground/work 2025,” takes advantage of the 140-acre campus and will be open for more than a year so visitors can experience it in all four seasons. There’s also a recent major gift of important works from the foundation named for the late Aso O. Tavitian, local collector and philanthropist. “A lot of great stuff is happening here,” said Bell. “It’s really ambitious.”

1

Dinner at Bluebird & Co.

HANCOCK

Bluebird is a family-friendly restaurant with farm-to-table plates and cocktails and a gorgeous outdoor setting at the base of Jiminy Peak. We like to take friends visiting from out of town there. It’s fun to show off the setting and cuisine. eatatbluebird.com

2

Swimming at Sand Springs

WILLIAMSTOWN

This natural-spring swimming pool is great for small people—my kids are four and eight—but you don’t need kids to love it there. On a hot summer day, it’s so refreshing. sandspringspool.org

3

Williamstown 4th of July Parade

WILLIAMSTOWN

This is the most heartwarming public event. All the town comes out, and every kind of community organization is marching. It’s just such an incredible, pure example of community and, afterwards, there’s a big lunch.

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Caretaker Farm WILLIAMSTOWN

This is our summer CSA. In the July-August window, it’s overflowing with the most beautiful produce. But it’s not only about that, it’s about community. (Sensing a theme here?) You see your friends, co-workers, and neighbors. And the tomatoes are the best I’ve ever had in my life. caretakerfarm.org

5 Hiking at Field Farm

WILLIAMSTOWN

One thing I love about living here is all of the nature we have at our fingertips. It’s just kind of magic. The property at Field Farm is incredibly beautiful. There’s birdwatching, flowers, a cave walk, and forest hikes. fieldfarm.org

Don’t miss:

Community Day at The Clark

Every summer we have this huge festival, with music, performances, food trucks, and art-making activities. It’s free and open to all. July 13. clarkart.edu

Allyn Burrows

Artistic Director, Shakespeare & Company

If you think the Bard isn’t your thing, think again. In addition to productions of “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Romeo and Juliet,” Allyn Burrows has a cabaret called “Shake It Up.” “I try to serve up Shakespeare in different ways,” he said. “I’m not a purist. I like to do crazy things with it.” Burrows has been running Lenox’s Shakespeare & Company for nine seasons, but first worked with the company back in 1988 (and has himself appeared on their stages many times). He keeps things fresh in many ways—for example, while adjusting to a post-COVID lag in theater attendance, Burrows oversaw the creation of the 500-plus-seat Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre in 2021, and had Christopher Lloyd break it in with his King Lear.

1 Live Music IN THE BERKSHIRES

I especially like The Dream Away Lodge in Becket and The Lion’s Den in Stockbridge. I get to see guys like Johnny Irion and Benny “Fingers” Kohn. I’m a big fan of both, and they’re in “Shake It Up”—I have the distinct advantage of being able to put local musicians I think are awesome into my show. thedreamawaylodge.com redlioninn.com

2 Big Elm Taproom

SHEFFIELD & GREAT BARRINGTON

They brew their own beer, and it’s stupendous. The vibe is casual with a friendly atmosphere. It’s a great place for a summer beer. bigelmbeer.com

3 Motorcycle Rides ON LOCAL ROADS

I have three motorcycles: a Honda Hawk, a Kawasaki KLR650, and a Kawasaki ZR-7. They’re not fancy, but they’re dependable. Routes 183, 57, and 53 are great rides. Taking Route 8 up to Vermont is a delight. It’s about getting on the road and experiencing the Berkshires, though I don’t go as fast as I used to.

4 Tennis at Bousquet Sport

PITTSFIELD

There’s a terrific tennis culture up here. You can really get your ya-yas out on the tennis court. There’s nothing like smashing a ball to help with focus! bousquetsport.com

5 Patisserie Lenox LENOX

Don’t miss: “The Victim” by Lawrence Goodman

We have a world premiere right out of the gate. June 19-July 20. shakespeare.org

Terrific atmosphere and incredible pastries would be enough, but there’s also the French music they play over the sound system. They serve ice cream in the summer, and the outdoor seating, looking out over Church Street, is gorgeous. patisserielenox.com

Laurie Norton Moffatt

Director/CEO, Norman Rockwell Museum

You might say Laurie Norton Moffatt is a lifer. The director of Stockbridge’s renowned Norman Rockwell Museum began working there in college, and now she’s a year shy of having run the place for four full decades, overseeing its expansion and bringing acclaim to the art of illustration. When she started, there was no real catalogue of Rockwell’s work, but early in her run, she recalled, “we published a two-volume set of the 4,000 works he had created,” and under her leadership, the Museum became the first to receive the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest humanities honor. Her primary goal was “to place Rockwell in the context of American illustration.” Mission accomplished.

1

Berkshire South Regional

Community Center GREAT BARRINGTON

My granddaughter is seven months old and spending time with her is a new life pleasure. I swim at Simon’s Rock but the splash pool at Berkshire South will be an easier introduction for her. berkshiresouth.org

2

Open Swimming in Stockbridge Bowl

STOCKBRIDGE

I swim out to the middle of the lake and back every other day. If you get there early, you can watch the sunrise over the lake, and see the blue heron and eagles fly overhead. It’s just beautiful. thesba.org

3 The Bookstore LENOX

I have been going here for most of my adult life. I love just noodling around, poking through the books and finding titles. Owner Matt Tannenbaum is a wonderful human being and curator of people’s interests. bookstoreinlenox.com

4 Once Upon a Table

STOCKBRIDGE

This restaurant in a little alleyway off Main Street is very intimate and the menu changes regularly. Everybody there is really wonderful and feels like family. Post-theater dinner after seeing a show at the Unicorn is an added treat. onceuponatablestockbridge.com

5

Bascom Lodge ADAMS

The WPA-period lodge on top of Mount Greylock is timber and stone, and just a beautifully hand-crafted building. It’s open only in the summer and fall, and you can have dinner. You can see Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and Connecticut from there. It’s incredible on a full-moon night. bascomlodge.net

Don’t miss: “Hidden Worlds and Wonders”

Our juried outdoor sculpture installation features the art of contemporary creators (opens July 12). It’s presented in conjunction with our, “I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders” exhibit (opens June 7). nrm.org

Elizabeth Sobol

President & CEO, Saratoga Performing Arts Center

In 2016, after more than three decades in the music industry, Elizabeth Sobol was ready to retire, leaving her adopted home of New York City for a beachfront condo in Miami. She had no interest in moving to Saratoga, even after SPAC called and asked her to consider coming on as the new boss. Then she went up to visit, and it was love at first sight. Walking around town, finding an outpost of her favorite bookstore (Northshire, see right), “it became a cosmic sign to me that I was meant to move here,” she said. Over the last decade, she has transformed SPAC with more than $10 million in upgrades to the campus, returning it to its glory as a premier performance space.

Don’t miss:

Powerful Female Performers

1

Local Bookstores

I am a voracious reader, and Saratoga is a city for booklovers: there is a fabulous indie bookstore called Northshire Books downtown. Only a few blocks away is the phenomenal antiquarian spot, Lyrical Ballad Bookstore. Triangulating both of those is the superb Saratoga Springs Public Library. northshire.com @lyricalballadbookstore

2 ...then Reading over Lunch or Tea

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

After buying a few books, I can’t wait to get home to crack them open. I might go to this terrific café by day/restaurant by night, Walt & Whitman. Or to Saratoga Tea & Honey—I am a tea fanatic and having a first rate oolong, matcha, or pu’erh tea flawlessly prepared, along with a new book, is one of my great joys. waltandwhitmanbrewing.com saratogateaandhoney.com

3

Pitney Meadows Community Farm

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

I will often stop by just to look at all the beauty and abundance in the individual planting beds in the community garden, walk on some of the trails, or scoop up some vegetables, flowers, or maple syrup at the Pitney Farm Stand. pitneymeadowscommunityfarm.org

4

Saratoga Spa State Park

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY

There are exquisite hikes right here, the home of SPAC! I can leave my office and disappear down a trail to some of the curative mineral springs and be back at my desk in 30 minutes, completely refreshed. saratoga.com/hotspots/ saratoga-spa-state-park

5 Sushi by Bou

ALBANY, NY

I occasionally venture out of town for food experiences; one of my favorites is this Japanese omakase sushi restaurant. It’s unlike anything else in the region. sushibybou.com

I’m looking forward to all our concerts, but will call out three amazing female singers: Laufey (August 9), Renée Fleming (August 15), and Cynthia Erivo (August 22), each with their own night with the Philadelphia Orchestra. spac.org

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Nas Tanglewood

The hip-hop artist performs at Tanglewood with the Boston Pops on June 27. Read more on page 104.

Happenings

Music Previews, Gala Guide, and More Goings-on This Summer

SUMMER MUSIC PREVIEW

BY SETH ROGOVOY

What with an abundance of classical music venues and presenters, it can seemingly be difficult not to trip over a string quartet in the Berkshires in the summer. Popular music in the Berkshires, on the other hand, has historically experienced an ebb and flow, with some periods of relative dormancy balanced by summers such as this one, which offers a phenomenal range of world-class artists playing folk, rock, jazz, blues, country, pop, world-music, and other styles. What follows is just a small, highly curated sample of the best that is on offer on area stages, from my vantage point as a decades-long professional observer of the Berkshire music scene. Happy concert-going!

Chris Smither

Guthrie Center, Great Barrington Saturday, May 31

Eighty-year-old New Orleans native Chris Smither has been a master of folk-blues and country blues since the mid-1960s, when he was part of the thriving scene based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since then, Smither has been a road warrior, releasing his blend of original and traditional compositions and albums and seeing some of his songs—such as “Love You Like a Man” and “Slow Surprise”—become hits for Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris, respectively. Smither is equally known for his bluesy, gravelly vocals, his fleet acoustic guitar picking, and his compelling stage presence.

Vampire

Weekend

SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY Wednesday, June 4

For nearly 20 years Vampire Weekend has been producing an arch and catchy style of indie-rock, incorporating world music influences that have often drawn comparisons to Paul Simon, to whom lead singer Ezra Koenig bears a sometimesremarkable resemblance. Ever since Koenig rhymed “horchata” with “aranciata,” he’s also been known for his creative, surprising lyrics.

Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche

Guthrie Center, Great Barrington Saturday, June 7

Mother and daughter join forces for an evening of intimate original folk-pop and harmonies, showcasing Suzzy Roche’s quirky, whimsical indie-pop—originally cultivated in her trio with her singing sisters Maggie and Terre Roche—and daughter Lucy Wainwright Roche’s dreamy contemporary folk, equally influenced by her mother’s music as well as that of her father, Loudon Wainwright III.

happenings: Music

Namoli Brennet

The Foundry, West Stockbridge Saturday, June 7

Folk-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Namoli Brennet’s live performances incorporate loops, delays, keyboards, foot percussion, and vocal effects to create a dreamy, one-woman soundscape. A dizzying talent on vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, mandolin, banjo, bass, and drums, Brennet is a four-time Outmusic award nominee who was featured in the inaugural Trans 100 list.

Tony Trischka

Down County Jump Festival

Race Brook Lodge, Sheffield, Friday-Saturday, June 13-14

Banjoist and progressive bluegrass innovator Tony Trischka headlines the third annual Down County Jump Festival, featuring roots music of all flavors. In the 1970s, Trischka was one of a group of like-minded musicians who thought to incorporate elements of jazz, rock, classical, and other styles, forever changing the sound of this everevolving genre. Trischka will be joined by musical partners Bruce Molsky and Michael Daves.

Los Lobos

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington Friday, June 20

I’ve long felt that if the members of Los Lobos were Canadian-American instead of Mexican-American they would be The Band. They share the latter’s appreciation for early R&B and rock ‘n’ roll while adding their own flavors—including Mexican folk, Tex-Mex, and jazz—while boasting multiple voices and startling virtuosity.

Courtney Barnett

Green River Festival, Greenfield Friday-Sunday, June 20-22

Australian folk-rock singersongwriter Courtney Barnett, who boasts a Best New Artist nomination from the Grammy Awards, headlines the Saturday night lineup at the venerable Green River Festival. Barnett’s organic vocals, virtuosic guitar lines, and melodic hooks power her performance, which variously recalls Kim Gordon, Patti Smith, Nirvana, and Lou Reed.

Shawn Colvin and Rodney Crowell

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington Saturday, June 21

Since Shawn Colvin burst on the scene in 1989 with her Grammy Award-winning debut album, “Steady On,” Colvin has been widely regarded as one of the premier folk-pop singersongwriters of our time. Colvin’s musical influence on her peers runs deep, with many adopting Colvin’s intimate, confessional approach and her perfect blend of folk, pop, and country music accents. Country singersongwriter Rodney Crowell shares the bill; the two will appear together onstage.

Martha Redbone

MASS MoCA, North Adams Saturday, June 21

Reflective of her ancestry, Martha Redbone combines deep soul and R&B with Native American influences in her funky style that also draws upon blues, folk, and gospel. Redbone has done everything from singing mountain hollers to putting William Blake’s poetry to music.

Nas

Tanglewood, Lenox Friday, June 27

Hip-hop legend Nas will perform with the Boston Pops. The son of jazz-blues musician Olu Dara and widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, Nas is a master storyteller noted for his pointed lyrics and seemingly effortless flow.

Cassandra Wilson

Saratoga Jazz Festival SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY Saturday-Sunday, June 28-29

Jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson’s unique style incorporating folk, blues, and country influences prefigured that of Norah Jones. Her deep, dusky contralto is an alluring instrument, and she is as likely to cover Joni Mitchell or the Monkees as she is to render jazz standards. Wilson performs on Sunday in a festival that also includes Gary Clark Jr. and Trombone Shorty.

Jazzmeia Horn

MASS MoCA, North Adams Saturday, June 28

Jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn is a living bridge connecting precursors including Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson to

today’s smooth soul-influenced sound. Her bright, open vocals illuminate jazz standards, original compositions, and tunes by Jon Hendricks, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder. And, in case you were wondering, the answer is yes—Jazzmeia Horn is her real name from birth.

Michael Winograd

Yidstock Festival, Yiddish Book Center, Amherst

Thursday-Sunday, July 10-13

Headlining the Saturday night program at the four-day Yidstock festival is clarinetistbandleader-musical visionary Michael Winograd, who with his all-star group of klezmer talent will re-create the modern-jazz sounds of the landmark 1956 album, “Tanz!,” a collaboration with Sam Musiker and his legendary father-in-law, Dave Tarras. Yidstock also features the Klezmatics, Eleanor Reissa, Joanne Borts, and Frank London.

Marc Broussard

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington Friday, July 11

Louisiana singer-songwriter

Marc Broussard’s blend of blues, rock, R&B, all with a Southern accent, has been called “bayou soul.” Broussard—the son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of The Boogie Kings—boasts dynamic vocals and a gift for pop hooks.

Richard Thompson

Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, NY, FridaySaturday, July 11-12

Iconic British folk-rock legend Richard Thompson, one of the world’s most critically acclaimed singer-songwriters and admired guitarists as well as one of the greatest entertainers in modern popular music, should be on every music lover’s bucket list of artists you must see live to appreciate fully.

Antje Duvekot

Guthrie Center, Great Barrington

Saturday, July 12

Not for nothing has singersongwriter Antje Duvekot garnered three top songwriting awards, including the Kerrville New Folk Competition’s Best New Folk Award, the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act, and Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Duvekot’s vocals are from the Emmylou Harris/Patty Griffin school of country twang, perfectly suited to her intricate, closely observed portraits. Seth Glier shares the bill with Antje.

The Nields

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield

Saturday, July 12:

The Nields, led by sister vocalists Nerissa and Katryna Nields, have been making intelligent folk-rock since the early 1990s. Based in the Pioneer Valley, the duo boasts organic, ethereal harmonies, poignant lyrics, and pop craftsmanship.

Rosanne Cash

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington

Wednesday, July 23

Country-music royalty Rosanne Cash long ago established her unique voice and style as a singer, songwriter, and musician. The multiple Grammy Award winner and best-selling author knows how to craft and deliver a highly relatable story in a hookfilled pop song, undoubtedly contributing to her enduring popularity.

SP IR ITE D

happenings: Music

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Goshen, CT

Friday-Sunday, July 25-27

Fans of the Beatles, David Bowie, The Band, and early Pink Floyd will appreciate the Slambovian Circus of Dreams and their unique blend of psychedelic Americana. Other festival artists include Nerissa and Katryna Nields, The Storycrafters, The Gaslight Tinkers, and Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam.

Anat Cohen

Litchfield Jazz Festival, Litchfield, CT

Friday-Sunday, July 25-27

Brilliant clarinetist/saxophonist Anat Cohen and her newest ensemble, Anat Cohen Quartetinho, top the Saturday night bill at the 30th annual Litchfield Jazz Festival. Cohen’s tone is luscious, playful, and comforting. This international group of multi-instrumentalist virtuosos will perform original compositions along with works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, and others.

Emmylou Harris & Graham Nash

Tanglewood, Lenox Tuesday, July 29

These two legends of popular music will each perform full sets in this powerhouse evening of rock and rock-adjacent music. Besides her mold-breaking vocals, Harris was a key force behind the détente between country and rock music in the

1970s. Nash’s brilliant career includes stints with English pop group The Hollies, Crosby Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young), and as a solo artist.

Sō Percussion

Bang on a Can LOUD Weekend, MASS MoCA, North Adams Thursday, July 31Saturday, August 2

Avant-garde ensemble Sō Percussion performs a rendition of “Drumming,” Steve Reich’s seminal work of minimalism. Also on tap: the Bang on a Can All-Stars pay tribute to Japanese film composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and a staging of Bang founders Michael Gordon/ David Lang/Julia Wolfe’s collaboratively composed “Shelter,” with libretto by Deborah Artman.

Howard Fishman

Dream Away Lodge, Becket Saturday, August 2

Singer-songwriter Howard Fishman draws from a deep well of musical influences—including New Orleans jazz, Brooklyn soul, country, blues, gospel, and pop standards—resulting in a unique style of Americana and literate folk-rock. Fishman’s songs are hypnotic, groove-heavy, wellcrafted musical portraits of characters who may or may not resemble the singer.

The Outlaw Music Festival

featuring Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and others SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY

Saturday, August 2

This day-into-evening festival boasts an embarrassment of riches, starting with longtime tour-mates Willie Nelson and Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan, and including such acolytes as

Wilco and Lucinda Williams. You could call it roots-rock, but that glosses over the distinctive personalities of each of these artists.

Bonnie Raitt

Tanglewood, Lenox

Sunday, August 31

Since 1971, Bonnie Raitt has been delivering her singular blend of blues, rock, country, and folk. She even enjoyed major pop success with her 1989 Grammy Awardwinning album Nick of Time. Raitt is equally known for her powerhouse vocals, her stinging slide-guitar licks, and her deft songwriting. Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-A-Whirl Band will warm up the crowd for the headliner.

And don’t forget these HOMEGROWN

TALENTS:

Glori Wilder

Dream Away Lodge, Becket | Friday, May 30

Fans of Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, and Fiona Apple won’t want to miss soulful singer-songwriter Glori Wilder, who can belt out a piano ballad like Adele before kicking up a head of steam on the dance floor.

Whiskey City

The Stationery Factory, Dalton | Saturday, June 21

Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Randy Cormier, local country-rock group Whiskey City is celebrating its 15th anniversary this summer. Beth Maturevich shares lead vocals with Cormier, lending a note of musical versatility to the band’s mix of old-time country, blues, Southern rock, and early rock ‘n’ roll.

Rees Shad

Berkshire Busk, Great Barrington | Saturday, July 5

Since his 1994 debut, “Anderson, Ohio,” Rees Shad has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries of musical storytelling, including a fearlessness that mines the darker sides of our existence. On his most recent album, “Porcelain Angel,” the roots-music singer-songwriter delivers story-songs in timeless country, folk, soul, and blues settings, with hints of Randy Newman. He’ll be appearing at the Berkshire Busk with his band, the Conversations.

Natalia Bernal Quartet

The Mount, Lenox | Sunday, August 10

Natalia Bernal is a Latin alternative and jazz singersongwriter and composer from Iquique, Chile. Natalia sings in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, but her mixture of traditional Latin American songs, original compositions, pop influences, and jazz standards speak a universal language.

happenings: Family Fun

Family Fun

Theater, music, art, and more—these shows and events will entertain toddlers to teens (and parents, too!).

SUMMER @AMP

American Mural Project, Winsted, CT Now-July

With the American Mural Project (AMP), artist Ellen Griesedieck has created the largest indoor collaborative artwork in the world, a 3-D mural 120 feet long and five stories high. Throughout the summer, kids and teens can enjoy workshops in art, carpentry and woodworking, music, STEAM, and more. americanmuralproject.org

CONCERTS IN THE COURTYARD

Summer Fridays

Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT

The Museum stays open late, with live music outdoors, along with free children’s activities, and food and beverages for sale. benningtonmuseum.org

DROP-IN ART CLUB & MORE

Wednesdays, June 4-August 20

Clark Art, Williamstown

Young people ages 8-19 are invited to stop by for free art-making and snacks on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Additional family-friendly events include a Juneteenth Education and Celebration, a Community Day on July 13, and Isamu Noguchi-inspired sculpture making workshops. clarkart.edu

“I SPY! WALTER WICK’S HIDDEN WONDERS”

June 7-October 26

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge

Explore the captivating world of the acclaimed photographer and creator of the “I Spy” books in the exhibit “I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders,” which kicks off with a family-friendly party on June 7. nrm.org

FREE YOUTH & FAMILY SUNDAYS

The Mount, Lenox

Sundays, June 8-August 24

The Mount presents summertime fun for all ages, including sculpture walks and movement classes. Younger children will especially enjoy live music and take-andmake crafts, while older kids can practice writing poetry, letters, and graphic novels. On August 10, Community Day will feature live music, readings, performances, a resource fair, book exchanges, and food trucks! edithwharton.org

TURNPARK SUMMER FESTIVAL: ROOTS AND WINGS

TurnPark Art Space, West Stockbridge Saturday, June 14

This day-long event filled with music, dance, performance art, immersive installations, wearable sculpture, and meditative rituals, is set alongside a former marble quarry turned outdoor museum. turnpark.com

BERKSHIRE MOUNTAINS

FAERIE FESTIVAL

Bowe Field, Adams Saturday, June 14

The annual festival celebrates winged beings, playfulness, and natural wonders—including a village made of moss, natural elements, and whimsy. @berkshiremtnsfaeriefestival

“It feels like I’m back in so many ways.”

Pirate School, Stissing Center

PIRATE SCHOOL

Stissing Center, Pine Plains, NY Saturday, June 14

David Engel’s “Pirate School” will teach kids the art of fun mischief through games, magic, puppetry, and slapstick. thestissingcenter.org

LIGHTNING BUG LIGHT SHOW

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield Thursday, June 19

Visit the Village after dark for a magical summer light show. An expert from Mass Audubon will lead an evening walk to explore the fascinating lives of fireflies. hancockshakervillage.org

FAMILY FRIDAYS

Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge June 20-August 15

This series includes eight weeks of programs; presenters will encourage an innate curiosity in our natural world while promoting a deeper connection to the creative Berkshire landscape. Events include live music, comedy, theater, animals, storytelling, and more. berkshirebotanical.org

FAMILY STORYTIME

MASS MoCA, North Adams June 21, July 19, and August 16

Families with children up to 6 years old are invited for storytime and related exploration in the galleries. massmoca.org

POCKET MOXIE: A HAPPENSTANCE VAUDEVILLE

The Foundry, West Stockbridge Sunday, June 22

Happenstance Theater presents an homage to the spirit of vaudeville teeming with hijinks, harmonies, nostalgic beauty, and physical comedy. thefoundryws.com

happenings: Family Fun

BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS

PS21, Chatham, NY

Sunday, June 22

The Chorus will perform “PORT(AL),” a new choral theater experience about the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, that was partially developed at PS21 in residency this winter. ps21chatham.org

LIGHTNING BUG LIGHT SHOW

The Mount, Lenox

Wednesday, June 25

Experience a magical summer light show and learn how best to view or gently catch and release fireflies with an expert from Mass Audubon. edithwharton.org

Community Day at Jacob’s Pillow

THE OUTDOOR STAGE AT JACOB’S PILLOW

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket

Wednesdays–Sundays

June 25–August 23

Nationally and internationally known artists perform in a friendly and casual space. On Sundays, beginning June 29, the Pillow will host hour-long family music and dance classes beginning at 11 a.m. jacobspillow.org

MIND THE GAP: INTERGENERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington

Friday, June 27

New York Theatre Workshop will bring together youth and seniors from June 2327 to hear each other’s stories, with a free performance for the community on June 27 in the Mahaiwe’s new Indigo Room. mahaiwe.org

LIGHTNING BUG LIGHT SHOW

Greylock Glen, Adams

Saturday, June 28

Experience a magical summer light show and learn how best to view or gently catch and release fireflies with an expert from Mass Audubon. greylockglenresort.com

48TH ANNUAL FREIHOFER’S SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Saratoga Springs, NY

Saturday–Sunday, June 28–29

Over two days and on two stages, 22 artists will perform everything from jazz, funk, and blues to indie and pop. This event also includes food vendors, a fine arts fair, and family fun. Later in the summer, Kidz Bop Live comes to the space on August 1. spac.org

“SHAKE IT UP: A SHAKESPEARE CABARET”

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox

Tuesday-Sunday, July 1-6

Co-created by Allyn Burrows and Jacob Ming-Trent and directed by Burrows, “Shake It Up” is a mash-up of modern music and Shakespeare verse. shakespeare.org

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE: YOUNG AT HEART

Pittsfield

Thursday, July 4

North Street will be filled with the music of marching bands, the antics of performers, and the smiles of friendly faces as the city celebrates its youth! A road race along the parade route will be held at 8:30 a.m., before the parade kicks off at 10 a.m. pittsfieldparade.com

I SPY AN ADVENTURE

Tanglewood, Lenox

Sunday, July 6

The Tanglewood Learning Institute and the Norman Rockwell Museum team up to present an interactive musical and visual storytelling journey with hip hop and theater artist Baba Israel and illustrator Louis Henry Mitchell. The Family Concert returns on July 20 with conductor Thomas Wilkins, the BU

Tanglewood Institute presents “Peter and the Wolf” on July 27, award-winning family podcast Circle Round returns on August 3, Tanglewood on Parade (and fireworks) on August 5, and John Williams’ Film Night on August 9. bso.org

“FINDING NEMO JR.”

Sharon Playhouse, Sharon, CT Friday-Saturday, July 11-12

Embark on an ocean adventure based on Disney/Pixar’s beloved movie. Join Marlin on an unforgettable journey to find his son, with the help of the optimistic Dory, laid-back Crush, and quirky Tank Gang. sharonplayhouse.org

SPONSORED

GLASGOW LANDS

SCOTTISH FESTIVAL

Look Park, Northampton

July 19, 2025, 9 am–5 pm, music until 9 pm

On Stage: Albannach, The Devil’s Brigade, Waking Finnegan

Celtic Pub: Beer, Wine, Mead, Whisky Tasting Tickets: $32; in advance online $29. Children 6-12, $5; under 6, free Family Fun, Merchant and Food Vendors, Pipe Band, and Athletic Competitions

Clans, Celtic Dance, Sheep Herding, Pioneer Valley Harper’s Guild, Weavers Guild of Springfield, Children’s Games, Water Spray Park, Bonnie Knees Contest, Fencing Demonstrations. glasgowlands.org

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S “THE MOUSETRAP”

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield

July 24–August 17

Berkshire Theatre Group presents the timeless murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When a group of strangers becomes snowbound in a remote countryside guesthouse, a chilling murder sets off a race against time to unmask the culprit. Recommended for ages 7 and up. berkshiretheatregroup.org

“ANNIE”

Mac-Haydn Theatre, Chatham, NY August 7-17

The irrepressible comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world’s best-loved musicals. machaydntheatre.org

2025 Gala Guide

Dancing, Dining, and Doing Good: Plan Your Parties for the Season

Shakespeare & Company Gala, Lenox, 2024

Berkshire Opera Festival: Gala Libiamo!

Sunday, June 1

Lenox

Taken from La Traviata’s beloved opening chorus, “libiamo” means “Let’s make a toast!”

On this special evening, guests will enjoy a festive cocktail hour followed by a meal, silent and live auctions, and a performance from guest artist, soprano Christine Lyons and Maestro Brian Garman. This evening of music and merriment will honor longtime BOF supporter William E. Briggs. berkshireoperafestival.org

Norman Rockwell Museum: I Spy! A Party

Saturday, June 7

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge

The museum celebrates the opening of its family-friendly exhibition “I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders!” with an all-ages event featuring hands-on activities, live music and entertainment, local fare, and yummy treats from Nothing Bundt Cakes. nrm.org

Berkshire Immigrant Center: Beacon of Hope 2025

Sunday, June 8

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox

A live benefit honoring cultural diversity and supporting BIC’s crucial work serving local immigrants, with a fun mix of great music, food, and drinks. berkshireic.org

Volunteers in Medicine Live: Beyond the Headlines: Constitutional Rights, Public Health, and the Power of Narrative Tuesday, June 10

The Indigo Room at the Mahaiwe, Great Barrington

In lieu of a gala, VIM is hosting events to engage the community while developing meaningful ways to support our healthcare centers in Great Barrington and Pittsfield. vimberkshires.org

The Mount Gala: The Muse’s Table Thursday, June 12

The Mount, Lenox

An ode to Edith Wharton as a source of continuous inspiration, this gala includes cocktails and jazz in the garden followed by a dinner in the forecourt. Each table will feature a guest—a writer, artist, actor, community activist, or creative—who cites The Mount as an influence on their life and work. edithwharton.org

Great Barrington Public Theater Benefit Saturday, June 14

Saint James Place, Great Barrington

GBPT invites you to roam from room to room, each featuring a handpicked selection of local fare, in an evening designed to delight all the senses while supporting a cause that brings the arts to life. greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

Native Habitat Restoration

Blue Rider Stables Summer Benefit

Saturday, June 14

Blue Rider Stables, South Egremont

An evening of food, fun and dancing —and you can meet the horses, donkeys, board, and staff, and see what makes Blue Rider so special. bluerider.org

Vineyard Vibes for Little Lives

Wednesday, June 18

Balderdash Cellars, Richmond

Support the children of South and Central Berkshire County at this Pediatric Development Center fundraiser. Enjoy a relaxed evening of food, live music, and good wine in a beautiful setting. pediatricdevelopmentcenter.org

Jacob’s Pillow Season Opening Gala

Saturday, June 21

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket

BSO Summer Celebration at Tanglewood Friday, July 11

Tanglewood, Lenox

Celebrate the Boston Symphony Orchestra in their summer home with cocktails, dinner, and dessert, followed by a live performance of “Romeo and Juliet: A Theatrical Concert” led by Andris Nelsons, and an after-party with the conductor and guest artists. give.bso.org/summercelebration25

Samuel Harrison Society’s 20th Anniversary Gala

Saturday, July 12

Berkshire Hills Country Club, Pittsfield

The Society will celebrate 20 years since its founding and its first gala, which featured the premiere of the documentary “The Trumpet at the Walls of Jericho, the Untold Story of Samuel Harrison.” At this year’s gala, the Society will recognize its founding members and benefactors, and re-introduce the documentary. samuelharrison.org

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Gala

Sunday, July 13

Mahaiwe, Great Barrington

Celebrate the Pillow’s season opening with a cocktail reception, art exhibition, one-nightonly performances including a world premiere by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Taylor Stanley performing “Mourner’s Bench” by Talley Beatty, and more, plus the presentation of the 2025 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award to the Pillow’s own Director of Preservation Norton Owen. The performances will be followed by dinner and, of course, dancing. jacobspillow.org

18 Degrees’ Kids 4 Harmony Gala

Tuesday, June 24

Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, Lenox

Honoring longtime Kids 4 Harmony supporter Ed Bride, and featuring guest performer cellist Francesca McNeeley, this annual event celebrates the growth and achievements of young musicians while creating access to opportunity. 18degreesma.org

Shakespeare & Company Gala

Saturday, June 28

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox

This year’s gala celebrates award-winning actors Annette Miller and John Douglas Thompson with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres under the Tina Packer Playhouse tents, followed by a performance inside the theater. A seated dinner from Peter Platt of The Old Inn on the Green and dancing to the sounds of DJ Justin Allen will round out the evening. shakespeare.org

Actor, singer, Broadway star, and Grammy winner Andrew Rannells will headline the Mahaiwe’s annual gala. Rannells’ performance will be preceded by a gala reception and dinner under a grand canopy tent at 52 Castle Street, the former freight yard steps away from the theater. mahaiwe.org

Fairview Hospital Garden Gala Wednesday, July 16

Gedney Farm, New Marlborough

This year’s event, Celebrating Our Enduring Commitment to Care, will honor Steven and Helice Picheny during an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, and games. berkshirehealthsystems.org

BBG’s Fête des Fleurs: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Saturday, July 19

Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge Berkshire Botanical garden invites you to an enchanting evening where you will be transported into Shakespeare’s play with theatrical performances, interactive activities, and an atmosphere that immerses you in the magic of the season. berkshirebotanical.org/fete

BSC’s Gala 2025: Night on the Red Carpet

Monday, July 21

The Stationery Factory, Dalton Barrington Stage Company will roll out the red carpet (literally) for its party of the year, which will include Broadway entertainment and a four-course, farm-to-table meal in a dramatic setting. As an homage to the late, great Joan Rivers (the subject of BSC’s new comedy, “Joan,” playing in August), guests are invited to dress like it’s Oscar season. barringtonstageco.org

Bidwell House Gala

Friday, July 25

Bidwell House Museum, Monterey

With an “Antiques Roadshow” theme, this year’s gala will feature local experts on hand to evaluate attendees’ “treasures” while they enjoy music and hors d’oeuvres. bidwellhousemuseum.org

The Trustees’ Garden Party

Saturday, July 26

Naumkeag, Stockbridge

Experience the magic of Naumkeag’s extraordinary gardens and rare home while enjoying seasonal cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live entertainment. This annual garden party raises support for the continued stewardship and programming at Naumkeag and all Berkshire region Trustees properties. thetrustees.org

WAM Theatre: Shamelessly

Gorgeous Summer Soiree

Sunday, July 27

Doctor Sax House, Lenox

Enjoy an elevated brunch with bottomless mimosas, fresh summer bites, and decadent treats as WAM honors two female changemakers—an artist and an activist—who have dedicated decades of work to creating opportunity for women and girls. Guests will also be treated to pop melodies from the new musical “Silhouettes” by Jordan Ealey with music by Ali Afsar. wamtheatre.com

Summer Gala

Saturday, Aug. 2

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield

Stroll through the Village and enjoy a stunning sunset, cocktails, and music in the garden before dinner under the stars. hancockshakervillage.org

Fine yarns

Metalwork

Woodwork

Woven Goods

Jewelry

Fine art

Hand knits

Unique gifts

• Dermal Fillers

• Sculptra

• Hydrafacial

• Sciton BBL

• Dermaplaning

• Kybella

• Microneedling

• Lip Fillers

• Laser hair removal

• Sciton MOXI

• Sciton H A LO

• Sciton BareHR

• Custom Facials

• Chemical Peels

• ClearV-spider Veins

PS21 Gala

Saturday, Aug. 2

PS21, Chatham, NY

The annual gala returns with a twist: this year, dinner will take place in the pavilion theater, during an evening of surprises and performances from special guests. Meet new Artistic & Executive Director Vallejo Gantner and hear his vision for the future of PS21, plus much more. ps21chatham.org

Greenagers Summer Gala

Friday, Aug. 15

April Hill Conservation & Education Center, South Egremont

This celebratory evening will feature food grown by youth farm crews served amid the meadows, gardens, and views of April Hill—all to support the work Greenagers participants do for and in the community. greenagers.org

Mark Your Calendars!

Keep an eye on these organizations’ websites for more information on these late summer and fall events.

South Community Food Pantry: Rock the Pantry

Saturday, Sept. 20

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield southcommunityfoodpantry.org

Berkshire Theatre Group Gala Saturday, Oct. 11 berkshiretheatregroup.org

Berkshire South: Toasting and Tasting Sunday, Oct. 12

Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Great Barrington berkshiresouth.org

Generation to Generation: Making it in America

Saturday, Oct. 18

Bousquet, Pittsfield litnetsb.org

Don’t see your gala here?

Let us know the details for our next Guide— and send us photos after your event! theb@berkshireeagle.com

Whitneys Farm

April 24 | Haven, Lenox

“Camino Real” Rises Again

Recognize that actor? In 1999, 29-year-old Ethan Hawke commanded the Williamstown Theatre Festival stage as Kilroy, the disillusioned soldier at the center of Tennessee Williams’ play “Camino Real.” Williams’ timeless work returns to the WTF mainstage this summer for three consecutive weekends (July 17–August 3). This time around, the production is directed by Obie Award winner Dustin Wills and features Pamela Anderson as Marguerite, one of the residents of the dreamlike, Spanish-speaking town in the title. “Camino Real” is one of several Tennessee Williams plays that WTF is staging as it boldly reimagines the beloved summer festival—other highlights include a world premiere play by Jeremy O. Harris and a work staged on an ice rink. wtfestival.org