Great Barrington Public Theater Inc

THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEATER PROFESSIONALS TO NURTURE, DEVELOP AND REFINE THEIR CRAFT. THE ORGANIZATION CREATES THEATRE EXPERIENCES THAT ENGAGE AUDIENCES BY ENTERTAINING AS WELL AS CHALLENGING THEM WITH DYNAMIC AND PROVOCATIVE PRODUCTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION CREATES A PLATFORM FOR NEW VOICES AND DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES THAT DRIVES ITS WORK: PRODUCTIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

SEE SCHEDULE OGREAT BARRINGTON PUBLIC THEATER OFFERED SIX FULL PRODUCTIONS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2022, INCLUDING FIVE WORLD PREMIERES. THE SEASON BEGAN WITH A SIX-WEEK SOLO FESTIVAL CONSISTING OF FOUR FULL-LENGTH, SINGLE-ACTOR PRODUCTIONS HELD FROM JUNE 3RD TO JULY 10TH IN THE BLACK BOX THEATER OF THE DANIEL ARTS CENTER AT BARD COLLEGE AT SIMON'S ROCK. THESE INCLUDED THE PREMIERE OF GRIEF, THE MUSICAL...A COMEDY BY LOCAL WRITER/ACTOR/COMEDIENNE ALISON LARKIN; ROBIN GERBER'S PREMIERE NEW PLAY, THE SHOT, ABOUT WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHER KATHARINE GRAHAM, FEATURING MULTIPLE EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS SHARON LAWRENCE (NYPD BLUE, CHICAGO) AND DIRECTED BY LOCAL RESIDENT MICHELLE JOYNER; LEAVE YOUR FEARS HERE, ANOTHER WORLD PREMIERE WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR JAMES MORRISON AND DIRECTED BY OJAI PLAYWRIGHTS CONFERENCE FOUNDER AND BERKSHIRE RESIDENT ROBERT EGAN; AND WILL LEBOW'S PREMIERE SOLO PLAY THE BARD, THE BEAT, THE BLUES, DEVELOPED WITH AND DIRECTED BY GBPT'S JIM FRANGIONE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS OF TWO NEW ENSEMBLE PLAYS IN THE MCCONNELL THEATER: THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE COMEDY PUBLIC SPEAKING 101 BY NOTED BERKSHIRE PLAYWRIGHT MARK ST. GERMAIN, DIRECTED BY JIM FRANGIONE; FOLLOWED BY THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE BY PLAYWRIGHT ANDREW BOVELL DIRECTED BY JUDY BRAHA.IN THE FALL OF 2022, WE HELD A SERIES OF PUBLIC READINGS OF NEW WORK IN DEVELOPMENT COMING OUT OF BERKSHIRE VOICES, GBPT'S PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. BERKSHIRE VOICES WAS CREATED BY AND FOR BERKSHIRE-BASED PLAYWRIGHTS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR WRITERS AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR CAREER, AND TO ENCOURAGE ARTISTIC RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS GENERATIONS AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS. EACH YEAR, 12-20 BERKSHIRE VOICES PLAYWRIGHTS MEET TO EXPLORE NEW WORK AND OFFER CONSTRUCTIVE INSIGHTS. 4 PUBLIC READINGS BY BERKSHIRE VOICES PLAYWRIGHTS WERE HELD AT THE FOUNDRY IN WEST STOCKBRIDGE AND SAINT JAMES PLACE IN GREAT BARRINGTON, INCLUDING: THE GROUP, BY MICHAEL BRADY; DOG PEOPLE, BY LEIGH STRIMBECK; ALL I HAD, BY ELLEN CLARKSON; AND NOT DARK YET, BY BILLIE MURRAY. GBPT IS LED BY JIM FRANGIONE AND TRISTAN WILSON, BOTH OF WHOM EACH HAVE OVER 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN PROFESSIONAL THEATER AND THE PERFORMING ARTS RANGING FROM BROADWAY AND OFF-BROADWAY TO TV, OPERA, DANCE AND CONCERT PRODUCTIONS. DURING THE SUMMER SEASON WE EMPLOY MANY LOCAL ACTORS, DESIGNERS, TECHNICIANS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO ASSIST IN THE PRODUCTION OF OUR PLAYS.GBPT'S MISSION IS TO PRODUCE NEW PLAYS; SUPPORT AND DEVELOP LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS AND THEATER ARTISTS; AND OFFER ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING AT A PRICE THAT IS AFFORDABLE TO EVERYONE.