Barrington Stage Company celebrates 23 years with the Playwright Mentoring Project in the 2023 Spring Tour, with three free public performances: PMP North Adams Play Festival on March 28 at 7 p.m. at ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance, and the PMP Pittsfield Play Festival on March 30 at 7 p.m. and the All PMP Fest on April 1 at 2 p.m. at BSC’s St. Germain Stage.
Tickets to the PMP North Adams and Pittsfield Play Festivals on March 28 and 30 are first come first serve. For tickets to the All PMP Fest on Saturday, April 1, call the Barrington Stage Box Office at 413-236-8888 or visit www.barringtonstageco.org/Tickets.
The Playwright Mentoring Project Spring Tour features Berkshire County students from the following schools: Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School (BART), Drury High, Herberg Middle, Hoosac Valley High, Lee High, McCann Technical, Mt. Greylock Regional, Pittsfield High, Reid Middle, Taconic High and Wahconah Regional.
By presenting this meaningful work we hope to foster a dialogue with the audience. Themes covered in this year’s plays include: disability advocacy, racism, Islamophobia, cancel culture, mental wellness, gender identity, psychological safety, harassment and navigating an uncertain future.
“This year’s PMP plays represent students from all over Berkshire County. There are 43 participants performing in the play festival with 5 different plays being presented,” said BSC Director of Education and Community Engagement Jane O’Leary. “Many of the plays explore difficult social and emotional issues. These participants have navigated these sensitive topics and developed them into scenes with the assistance of trauma-informed mentors.
“We continue to be inspired by participants’ willingness to critically reflect on their circumstances and the world around them. The rigor and process that it takes to bring one PMP scene to life develops the necessary skills to thrive in any future endeavor. We are thankful to all the mentors and supporters that make this program possible.”
The students have access to 20 members of the Playwright Mentoring Project from Director of Education and Community Engagement Jane O’Leary, Community Engagement/EDI (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) Coordinator Sharron Frazier-McClain, Associate Director of Education Jess Diaz Griffin; Artistic Mentors Marcella Ferry, Carli McGurn; Peer Mentors Xinef Afraim, Kiara Bressett, Nollan Gageant, Evan Gardzina, Joseph Gunn, Shannon Gwozdz, Nick Howe, Jessyca Muniz; Playwrights Michael Dowling and Kelli Newby (Berkshires), Seth McNeill (Hudson); Sam LaFrage (New York City) and Dana Hall (Chicago); Therapists Deb Cole-Duffy and Lisa Tessier.
Playwright Mentoring Project
Lasting six months, PMP is an intensive, out-of-school activity that uses theatre as a catalyst to help young people learn valuable life skills. PMP is offered at no cost to the students, and no audition is required. Meeting weekly, PMP offers teenagers a brave space to talk about difficult issues in their daily lives. Participants learn the fundamentals of devising, playwriting and improvisation from experienced mentors.
Theatre is used as a means of self-exploration and self-expression. Over the course of the program, teens collaborate to create an original performance piece based on their own stories. Over the six months, students develop conflict resolution skills, learn to express themselves and create a supportive community together.
This year PMP ran 5 school groups, three in Pittsfield and two in North Adams. This year, for the 2nd year, PMP is partnering with Eagle Academy Middle School to develop a PMP play with their students. Eagle Academy students have been meeting twice a week since January 2023 and will have an invited performance in April for friends and family.
PMP is the winner of the nationally renowned “Coming Up Taller Award” and the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award for Creative Youth Development, for its Education Programs, most notably the Playwright Mentoring Project for underserved youth.
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More than 200 artists and craft makers travel to show original works in ceramics, painting, fiber, art glass, wood, metal, photography, sculpture and more in Northampton.
Berkshire Pride Week kicks off at Hot Plate Brewing Co. with Karaoke by Temescal Wellness in a 21+night of music to open Berkshire Pride's "Every Day is Pride" celebration.
The West Stockbridge Farmers Market offers fresh produce — fruits and vegetables in season, eggs, meats and cheeses, breads and baked goods, fudge and jams and more.
Berkshire International Film Festival opens with a film about America’s policy of producing cheap food at all costs, with trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl present for a Q&A.
Playwright Heidi Schreck’s boundary-breaking play breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans.
BIFF returns with four days of independent feature, documentary, short and family films, with discussions and events focusing on filmmakers and artists from both sides of the camera.
The Sheffield Farmers Market returns outdoors with some 20 vendors — from pickles, seasonings and garlic, to Naji’s Mediterranean Cuisine, baked fresh wheat-free breads, local meats, honey and maple syrup and more.
Pittsfield's First Fridays Artswalk Returns for Berkshire Pride with an Art Market, live music with Sample the Cat, performances by Opal Raven and more.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies, fresh flowers, jams and pickles and cheeses ... the North Adams Farmers Market returns weekly with more than a dozen farmers and makers.
BIFF returns with four days of independent feature, documentary, short and family films, with discussions and events focusing on filmmakers and artists.
Kaira M. Cabañas and Raphael Koenig hold a conversation about art and mental health, looking at the work in Portals: The Visionary Architecture of Paul Goesch.
Naumeag hosts the Berkshire Pride Tea Dance, an 18-and-over pride party with DJ RuBot (Occupy the Disco), fresh from his Paradisco residency at Le Bain at the Standard Highline in NYC.
The West Stockbridge Farmers Market offers fresh produce — fruits and vegetables in season, eggs, meats and cheeses, breads and baked goods, fudge and jams and more.
North Adams was once home to the second-largest Chinese population east of the Mississippi — in 1870, as The Celestials, 75 young Chinese men, came as unknowing strikebreakers.
The Sheffield Farmers Market returns outdoors with some 20 vendors — from pickles, seasonings and garlic, to Naji’s Mediterranean Cuisine, baked fresh wheat-free breads, local meats, honey and maple syrup and more.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies, fresh flowers, jams and pickles and cheeses ... the North Adams Farmers Market returns weekly with more than a dozen farmers and makers.
The Met: Live in HD presents Mozart's whimsical fairy tale in its first new Met staging in 19 years — a vision by renowned English director Simon McBurney.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club — where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
The West Stockbridge Farmers Market offers fresh produce — fruits and vegetables in season, eggs, meats and cheeses, breads and baked goods, fudge and jams and more.
Justin Adkins and Arianna Alexsandra Collins of HooRWA will lead a walk along the Hoosic River, identifying wild edible and medicinal plants and fungi.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
The Sheffield Farmers Market returns outdoors with some 20 vendors — from pickles, seasonings and garlic, to Naji’s Mediterranean Cuisine, baked fresh wheat-free breads, local meats, honey and maple syrup and more.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies, fresh flowers, jams and pickles and cheeses ... the North Adams Farmers Market returns weekly with more than a dozen farmers and makers.
A Clark educator will give a tour of the permanent collection of European and American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings photographs from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.
Rosalyn Lincoln and Austin Thompson of Mountain Warrior Conservation will lead Hoosic River Cleanups, starting at 10 a.m. today on Massachusetts Avenue just east of the Blackington Center.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. Mandy Patinkin in Concert presents the acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Dewey Hall and Michael Lesko are partnering to revive a monthly open-mic-meets-variety show with an open creative soirée and a talented headlining act.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club — where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
The West Stockbridge Farmers Market offers fresh produce — fruits and vegetables in season, eggs, meats and cheeses, breads and baked goods, fudge and jams and more.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
NPR’s oddly informative news quiz program returns to Tanglewood — now in its 25th season, the Peabody Award-winning series offers a fast-paced, irreverent look at the week’s news.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
The Sheffield Farmers Market returns outdoors with some 20 vendors — from pickles, seasonings and garlic, to Naji’s Mediterranean Cuisine, baked fresh wheat-free breads, local meats, honey and maple syrup and more.
Chocolate peanut butter cookies, fresh flowers, jams and pickles and cheeses ... the North Adams Farmers Market returns weekly with more than a dozen farmers and makers.
Daniel never planned on being a father, at least not in the near future, until he finds himself in the NICU gazing at his daughter born at just 26 weeks.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
Berkshire Theatre Group brings back the three-time Tony Award–nominated musical — set in the recording studio with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
Daniel never planned on being a father, at least not in the near future, until he finds himself in the NICU gazing at his daughter born at just 26 weeks.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. Mandy Patinkin in Concert presents the acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Kyle Marshall Choreography performs on the outdoor stage, seeing the dancing body as a container of history, an igniter of social reform and a site of celebration.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club — where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Berkshire Theatre Group brings back the three-time Tony Award–nominated musical — set in the recording studio with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
The West Stockbridge Farmers Market offers fresh produce — fruits and vegetables in season, eggs, meats and cheeses, breads and baked goods, fudge and jams and more.
The museum serves local brews in artist Dean Baldwin’s-sculpture-turned-river-side-beer-garden, one night each week, with live local music outdoors under the stars.
Te Ao Mana expands the presence of Indigenous Polynesian culture worldwide through creative projects, dance classes, workshops, and community gathering and sharing.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents a portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure.
Berkshire Theatre Group brings back the three-time Tony Award–nominated musical — set in the recording studio with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
Mark Morris Dance Group will open Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival's 2023 summer with the evening-length work The Look of Love, an homage to the music of Burt Bacharach.
Out of the fertile London jazz-soul-fusion scene, guitarist and singer-songwriter Oscar Jerome crosses the Atlantic, bringing fast riffs and warm vocals to North Adams.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Daniel never planned on being a father, at least not in the near future, until he finds himself in the NICU gazing at his daughter born at just 26 weeks.
Vilkomen, bien venue, welcome to the Kit Kat Club, where a Bohemian crowd of writers and musicians experiences Berlin in the 1930s — and the rise of fascism.
Considered to be the inspiration for Game of Thrones, Henry VI, Part II tells the story of the contention and power struggles between the two ancient families of Lancaster and York.
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