Dave Read

• review: Les Grand Ballet Canadiens – July 29, 2009
• review: Ballet Maribor in Radio and Juliet – July 1, 2009
• archives: Merce Cunningham at MASS MoCA – Oct. 28, 2000
• archives: Merce Cunningham’s gift (reminiscence)
• JacobsPillow.org
• Free exhibits and archives at Jacob’s Pillow

Here are details of the Aug. 12 – 23, 2009 schedule for the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, plus general information and ongoing activities.

Doug Varone and Dancers – Ted Shawn Theatre – Aug. 12 – 16

• Doug Varone and Dancers perform a program that includes Lux, set to Philip Glass’ The Light.
• Wednesday, August 12 through Saturday, August 15, 8pm.
• Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2pm.
• Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered at Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
• Thursday, August 13, performers or artistic personnel from Doug Varone and Dancers will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk, on stage immediately following the performance.
• Tickets are $58 each, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under.
• Box Office hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 6pm.
• To purchase by phone, call the Box Office at 413.243.0745.
• Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x24.

Free Events at the Pillow August 12 – 16

Free PillowTalks in Blake’s Barn: What’s Fair is Fair, Wednesday, August 12 at 5pm. The Dance Heritage Coalition has been working for more than a year to determine what constitutes Fair Use of dance imagery. Washington College of Law Professor Peter Jaszi, a leader of this effort, shares what he has learned. On Saturday, August 15 at 4pm, choreographer Doug Varone reflects on what it means to make art in today’s complicated world. In Doug Varone: The Artist as Citizen, he shares his experiences using movement to tackle important societal issues.

Free Inside/Out performances at Jacob’s Pillow

Free Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday, August 12, Kyle Abraham uses provocative movement and music to create an emotionally raw dance experience. His company, Abraham.In.Motion, performs Brick, an examination of spiritual foundations and black identity. Thursday, August 13, Solas an Lae (“Light of Day”) presents the precision of traditional Irish dance with athletic movement and lyrical choreography. According to The Irish Echo, this company “will change the way we think of Irish dance.” Friday, August 14, New York City-based VIA Dance Collaborative present Lullaby in Surrealism by Adrienne Westwood. Westwood, an alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, created the piece with inspiration by the dream-like paintings of Renee Magritte. Saturday, August 15, The School at Jacob’s Pillow—Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, presents works by Chet Walker and guest performer/choreographer Dana Moore, a veteran Fosse dancer who most recently appeared on Broadway in Chicago. This performance marks the end of the students’ second week of study under Walker’s direction.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

• Wednesday, August 19 through Saturday, August 22, 8pm.
• Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2pm.
• Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered at Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
• Thursday, August 20, artistic personnel from Pacific Northwest Ballet will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk, on stage immediately following the performance.
• Tickets are $58 each, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under. $10 Youth Matinée tickets for the Saturday matinee (must be accompanied by an adult).

Free Events at Jacob’s Pillow August 19-23

Free PillowTalks in Blake’s Barn: The Return of Ulysses, Wednesday, August 19 at 5pm, Peter Boal joins author and scholar Thomas DeFrantz to discuss the legacy of late choreographer Ulysses Dove. On Saturday, August 22 at 4pm, filmmaker Anne Bass tells the extraordinary story of a Cambodian dancer who travels to America to train at the School of American Ballet and ultimately perform with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Dancing Across Borders.

Free Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday, August 19 Dr. Janaki Rangarajan performs traditional Bharatanatyam. Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre performs Thursday, August 20, examining the relationship between east and west through the choreography of Samar Haddad King. With dancers described as “artistic voices playing with the limitless possibilities of movement,” Thodos Dance Chicago travels to the Pillow on Friday, August 21. On Saturday, August 22 the students of the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow will culminate three weeks of professional study under the direction of Fosse co-conceiver Chet Walker.

Free Exhibits at Jacob’s Pillow

Ongoing Free Exhibits include: In Blake’s Barn, A Dance to Jules Feiffer, an exclusive exhibition created for and debuting at Jacob’s Pillow that focuses on the dance imagery of renowned cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jules Feiffer, and Alvin Ailey: Anniversary Salute which celebrates the 50th anniversary season of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with rare photographs by John Lindquist and John Van Lund. In the Ted Shawn Theatre lobby, The Art of Merce Cunningham, a tribute to Cunningham that documents his collaborations with distinctive visual artists with costumes, sketches, posters, and other artifacts from the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Archives. Outsiders, a selection of open-air images of dance at the Pillow including classics by John Lindquist and John Van Lund, in Bakalar Studio, and Tap!, a photography exhibit featuring acclaimed artists such as Jimmy Slyde, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, and others, in the Doris Duke Theatre Lobby.

Dance Opportunities at Jacob’s Pillow

Morning Jumpstart Classes offered in Pilates, Ballet, Modern, and more, Mondays through Fridays at 8am. All experience levels, 16 and older, $8 per class, Ruth St. Denis Studio. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x17.

Weekly Master Classes are led by Festival artists Sundays at 10:30am to noon for intermediate and advanced dancers, $15 per class. Pre-registration is required; quiet observation is welcome at no charge. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x17.

The School at Jacob’s Pillow is open to public observation Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am–5pm, featuring world renowned faculty at no charge. Interested groups of four or more should confirm space availability by calling 413.243.9919 x17.

Dining at Jacob’s Pillow

The Pillow Café offers fine dining with wine service under the tent on The Great Lawn. Wednesdays through Saturdays, dinner is served 5–7pm. Reservations are required, call 413.243.2455. The Pillow Pub offers casual family fare, takeout for picnics, and full bar service. Wednesdays through Fridays 5pm–midnight, Saturdays noon–midnight, and Sundays noon–5pm. The Coffee Bar and Ice Cream Bar are open pre-performance and during intermissions. Pillow Patrons are also invited to bring picnics and relax at one of many choice picnic spots on the Pillow grounds.

[mappress]

Tony Simotes, Professor and Director of University Theater at the University of Wisconsin, has been named to replace Tina Packer as Artistic Director of Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA, which he co-founded with Packer and others in 1978. Simotes’ job will begin June 1; in giving up administrative responsibilities, Packer will concentrate on the long-term vision of the Company.

Packer will devote her focus to the Company’s ongoing growth into an international center of learning and intellectual renewal. This mission includes codification of the Company’s distinctive training and performance techniques through writings and multimedia projects, as well as the long-term goal of building a historically accurate reproduction of the Elizabethan-era Rose Theatre.

“I couldn’t be happier with the choice, or more excited about what we can do now that Tony is on board.” Packer says. “Tony is a founding member. He knows our aesthetic and training discipline, and that is extremely important to our vitality and mission. We have an outstanding artist management structure in place, and his energy, forward looking vision and experience will only add to that. I believe our best years are yet to come.”

Packer says she can now look squarely at the “big picture” as S&Co. looks to fulfill its mission in new and exciting ways. “I am not going away or turning my badge in. I am committed to seeing Shakespeare & Company evolve into an internationally recognized center of education, training, performance and intellectual renewal. But I simply cannot lead this effort while sitting in the Artistic Director’s chair. I am eager to turn those duties over to Tony, knowing that his distinctive talents will inject great spirit into the Company and bring about some of our finest work.”

Originally from Joliet, Illinois, Simotes co-founded the Company with Packer and other dedicated artists in 1978. A graduate of the University of Illinois, he earned his Masters of Fine Arts from New York University, and is currently a tenured Professor and Director of University Theater at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. He has been a guest lecturer at a host of Universities across the country, including Yale, NYU and the University of California. Simotes has played major roles in both film and television, and brings a long list of stage directing credits to Shakespeare & Company. Over the last decade he has also directed a number of successful shows at the Company, including the critically acclaimed productions of The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2006 and Othello in 2008. Simotes is also a nationally recognized and professionally accredited fight director and choreographer. His wife Lucy, a realtor, is originally from Fitchburg, Mass. They met at Shakespeare & Company’s 25th Anniversary Gala in Founders’ Theatre in 2002.

Shakespeare and Company is expanding its programming and in the midst of a $10 million Capital Campaign. The new Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre had a “soft” opening this summer as part of a comprehensive Production and Performing Arts Center. The new facilities have already allowed S&Co. to expand its world-renowned education and training programming, as well as launch its first-ever winter season with Theresa Rebeck’s Bad Dates, playing at the Bernstein Theatre until March 8.

“I will be bringing my own perspective and artistic sense into the role of Artistic Director and am confident I can now give back to the Company some of what it has given me.” Simotes says. “I look forward to carrying the Company’s mission onward, and will very actively pursue artistic opportunities to help fulfill our potential. There will be challenges. But every great company has them. In fact, the better and more successful the company, the more the challenges. I know from my experience with Shakespeare & Company that we will meet these challenges with innovative answers, and create our own future with inventive and effective personal and artistic achievements. That’s what we have always done and will continue to do.”

Shakespeare and Company
70 Kemble St.
Lenox, MA 01240
413-637-1199
shakespeare.org

Barrington Stage Company presents Living With It and Kiss This! A Valentine’s Cabaret during February 2009 at BSC’s Stage 2, in the V.F.W. building on 36 Linden Street in Pittsfield, MA.

Living With It, an autobiographical account of life as a teenager with a parent suffering from bipolar disorder, will play three performances Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7 at 8pm and Sunday, February 8 at 3pm. Written and performed by Frank La Frazia (BSC’s Playwright Mentoring Program Director), it portrays a young man who is coming of age, seeking independence and having to deal with the responsibility of caring for a sick parent.

After Saturday’s performance, there will be a panel discussion on bi-polar disorder with the author, his sister and members of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Tickets are $15 for all performances.

Kiss This! A Valentine’s Cabaret will take place on Friday, February 13 at 8pm and Saturday, February 14 at 9pm. Join some of the hottest Musical Theatre Lab writers as they share their version of the perfect Valentine’s Day song: funny, serious, loving, not-so-loving and outrageous! Writers include Sara Cooper, Hannah Coles, Rob Broadhurst, Janet Allard, Carmel Dean, Nikos Tsakalakos, Bill Nelson, Creighton Irons, Eric Day, Will Aronson, Kyoung-ae Kang, Sean Mahoney, Angelique Mouyis, Jess Degiacinto, Zach Redler and Katya Stanislavskaya.

Performing these wonderful songs will be Alysha Umphress (BSC’s Funked Up Fairy Tales), Demond Green (BSC’s Funked Up Fairy Tales and Spelling Bee), Nikos Tsakalakos (Late Nite with Niko, Poolside at the Hotel Bel Air) and others. Kiss This! A Valentine’s Cabaret is conceived by Nikos Tsakalakos, and directed by Julianne Boyd, performs Friday, February 13 at 8pm (Tickets: $20) and Saturday, February 14 at 9pm (Tickets: $25).

Barrington Stage Company
30 Union St.,
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Box Office:
413-236-8888
barringtonstageco.org

Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director of Barrington Stage Company, announced the schedule for its 15th season of theatre in the Berkshires at the company’s Stage 2 facility on Linden St. in Pittsfield, MA on January 16th, 2009.

2009 Barrington Stage Co. reviews:

• Carosel – June 21, 2009
• Underneath the Lintel – July12, 2009

Hosting about a dozen local media and marketing personnel for a casual luncheon buffet, along with Richard M. Parison, Jr., Producing Director, and Mary Ann Quinson, President of the Board of Directors, Ms. Boyd emphasized the need for prudence in pointing out cost-cutting measures and the scheduling of two classics for Main Stage productions this summer.

“2009 will be a new adventure for all of us in the non-profits. Due to the uncertain financial times, we’re consolidating our season and making sure we’re being as prudent as possible while offering the most exciting, compelling plays as possible,” said Ms. Boyd.

Stating that “our job is to sell tickets,” Ms. Boyd defended the scheduling of the classics, remarking that they are nonetheless very demanding productions. Her ebullience in looking forward the BSC’s 15th Anniversary season was matched by Ms. Quinson’s, who said she was “excited” at the prospect of retiring the $1.4 million remaining from the company’s $7.5 million Capital Campaign.

Barrington Stage Company – 2009 performance schedule

I Got Sick Then I Got Better

• May 15 – 17
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Fri and Sat. at 8pm
• Sun. at 3pm
• Tickets: $15-$20

I Got Sick Then I Got Better by Jenny Allen, directed by James Lapine and Darren Katz. A hilarious and wrenching riff on one woman’s adventures after falling down the medical rabbit hole.

Poolside at the Hotel Bel Air

• May 23-24
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Sat. and Sun. at 7:30pm
• Suggested donation $15 at the door

Poolside at the Hotel Bel Air by Janet Allard and Nikos Tsakalakos. A staged reading of a new musical.

The Bacon Brothers

• May 30.
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Sat. at 8pm
• Tickets: $45, $65
• $100 for Priority Seating

The Bacon Brothers – $100 for Priority Seating and post-show reception with the Bacon Brothers.

Freud’s Last Session

• June 10 – June 28
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Opening Night: Sun. June 14 at 7:30pm
• Tues-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm
• Sat. at 4pm and 8pm
• Tickets: $15-$30
• Pay What You Can – 35 + younger: Fri. June 12 at 7:30pm.

Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain, directed by Tyler Marchant. Dr. Sigmund Freud invites C.S. Lewis to his home in London where they clash on the existence of God, love, sex and the meaning of life. Casting for Sleuth and Freud’s Last Session.

Carousel

• June 17 – July 11
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Tues and Wed. at 7pm
• Thurs – Sat. at 8pm
• Wed and Fri. Mats. at 2pm,
• Sun. at 5pm
• Opening Night: Sun. June 21 at 5pm
• Pay What You Can – 35 + younger- Fri. June 19 at 8pm

Carousel, Music by Richard Rodgers, Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Based on the play Liliom by Ferenc Molnar as adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer.
Pay What You Can Perf. for 35 year olds and younger: Fri. June 19 at 8pm. Casting for Carosel and A Streetcar Named Desire.

Amanda McBroom Cabaret

• July 2 & 3
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Thurs and Fri. at 8pm
• Tickets: $35; $45

Amanda McBroom Cabaret. A critically acclaimed cabaret with the composer of the number one hit, THE ROSE. Tickets include post-show reception with Amanda McBroom.

Shirley Jones in Concert

• July 6
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Mon. at 7pm
• Tickets: $45
• $75 for Priority Seating and post-show reception

Shirley Jones in Concert – The Academy Award-winning actress and star of stage, screen and televison takes the stage at BSC for one night only! Tickets: $45; $75 for Priority Seating and post-show reception with Shirley Jones.

Underneath the Lintel

• July 8 – July 26
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Tues-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm
• Sat. at 8pm
• Opening Night: Sun. July 12 at 7:30pm
• Pay What You Can Perf for 35 year olds and younger: Fri. July 10 at 7:30pm
• Tickets: $15-$30

Underneath the Lintel by Glen Berger, directed by Andrew Volkoff. A book initially checked out 113 years ago is anonymously returned, launching a librarian’s quest to find the borrower. .

Disney’s High School Musical 2

• July 15 – August 16
• First Congregational Church
• 27 East St., Pittsfield
• Tues-Sun. at 7pm
• Mats. Thurs, Sat and Sun. at 2pm
• Tickets: $8-$15

Disney’s High School Musical 2, book by David Simpatico, Songs by various composers, directed and choreographed by Christine O’Grady.

Sleuth

• July 16 – Aug 1
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Tues and Wed. at 7pm
• Thurs-Sat. at 8pm
• Wed and Fri. Mats. at 2pm
• Sun. at 5pm
• Opening Night: Sun. July 19 at 5pm
• Tickets: $15-$56
• Pay What You Can Perf. Fri. July 24 at 8pm

Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer, directed by Jesse Berger. Pay What You Can Perf. Fri. July 24 at 8pm. Casting for Sleuth and Freud’s Last Session.

Bill Nelson’s All Male Revue

• July 31 & August 1
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Fri and Sat. at 8pm
• Tickets: $15

Bill Nelson’s All Male Revue. An evening of fresh, innovative theatre songs. Perfs. Fri and Sat. at 8pm. Tickets: $15.

A Streetcar Named Desire

• August 6 – 29
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Tues and Wed. at 7pm
• Thurs-Sat. at 8pm
• Wed and Fri. Mats. at 2pm
• Sun. at 5pm
• Tickets: $15-$56
• Opening Night: Sun. August 9 at 5pm
• Pay What You Can Perf. Fri.August 14 at 8pm

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Casting for Carosel and A Streetcar Named Desire

The Longing and The Short of It: The Songs of Daniel Matè

• August 7 & 8
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Fri and Sat. at 8pm
• Tickets: $15

The Longing and The Short of It: The Songs of Daniel Matè. An evening of dazzingly audacious theatre songs.

I’ll Be Damned

• August 13 – Aug. 29
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Wed-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm
• Sat. at 4 and 8pm
• Opening Night: Thurs. August 20 at 7:30pm
• Pay What You Can Perf for 35 year olds and younger: Fri. August 21 at 7:30pm
• Tickets: $15-$20

I’ll Be Damned by Rob Broadhurst and Brent Black. A new musical comedy that follows the adventures of a comic book-loving homeschooler as he deals with his overbearing mother, a sly but friendly Satan and a not-so-happy God.

Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists…

• Sept. 4 & 5.
• Mainstage
• 30 Union St., Pittsfield
• Fri and Sat. 8pm
• Tickets: $35

Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know But Should, narrated by William Finn.

Reading of a New Musical – TBA

• Sept 5 & 6
• Stage 2
• 36 Linden St., Pittsfield
• Sat. at 4pm
• Sun. at 7pm
• Suggest donation $15 at door

Reading of a New Musical – TBA – Call the box office after May 15 for more information.

Barrington Stage Company
30 Union St.,
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Box Office:
413-236-8888
barringtonstageco.org

(If the video doesn’t play, you’re probably using Internet Explorer; do yourself a favor and download Firefox or Opera.)