Look-back: Interview with Estelle Parsons

Estelle Parsons, 2009

This interview was originally published in November, 2009. At that time Estelle Parsons was preparing for her role in “August: Osage County.”  Ms. Parsons is now age 92 and very much with us in 2020.

Massachusetts native and Academy Award winning actress Estelle Parsons starred in the Bushnell’s production of “August: Osage County,” November 17 – 22, 2009

Q: After appearing in the show for almost a year on Broadway, why were you eager to go on the road with this play?

A: I haven’t had much opportunity to tour, because I was always bringing up kids. But I’ve always loved the idea of touring: I have this old dream of being in vaudeville. And there are all kinds of different audiences out there. I learned that from doing summer stock. Audiences are always a learning opportunity.

Q: Actors say that each audience has a certain personality. Do you find to be true?

A: Absolutely, particularly with this play, where the audience is so dynamic and vocal in every way – moaning, groaning, laughing, crying. The audience is really the third essential part. They’re not just sitting on their hands listening. They’re incredible and they’re always different, and as we go from city to city.

Q: Did you audition?

A: I did. I always prefer to audition, because very often when you’re saying the words out loud, you really can tell whether you want to do a play or not. I thought, “Let me work on this for awhile, and see if this is something I really want to be up there doing.” The more I worked on it, the more I loved it. And then when I auditioned, it just came alive, like whoosh.

Q: What do you think your character?

A: I think she’s a wonderful person who went astray. I have sympathy for her. It’s hard to know what’s underneath all that. I think she is basically a colder person than I am, and it’s been very exciting to work on that. I think she was a very smart, sensitive woman who was deeply abused as a child, and bears the scars. Who knows what would happen to people if they didn’t have the background they have.

Q: How did the role come about in Bonnie and Clyde?

A: In 1966, I was doing Berkshire Theatre Festival. I had seen Arthur Penn’s movies, and I wanted to work for him. I managed to get an interview with him for The Skin of Our Teeth, and he hired me. Working with him, I suddenly knew that I was in the right profession. I was [almost] 40. But I used to think, “Maybe I should have kept on at law school, or maybe I should try something else.” Working for Arthur Penn, I realized that I was in the right place. Then he asked me to do Bonnie and Clyde. I was just about join a rep company. The day after he asked me to read, I got a call telling me that funding for the rep had fallen through. I called Arthur and I read the script, and I thought, “Why is he offering this to me?” But the more I read it; I realized it was an incredible part.

Q: Did the Academy Award affect your career? 

A: It did in that I could have had a lot of movie success, which I wasn’t really interested in. Looking back on it, I think that’s kind of too bad. I did a few movies when I was on vacation from a theatre job. I don’t think I ever chose a movie job over a theatre job. I love to entertain people.

Look-back: Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director, Shakespeare & Company

Theatre lovers bemoan the absence of productions at every venue in the Berkshires and are coming to accept the numerous electronic alternatives. But the language, the movement, and the community of actors/crew and audience is just not quite the same. In the meantime, those onstage, backstage, and seated in front of the stage, whether on their couches or at their computers, are filling in the depth and effect of live performance of theatre as best we can.

Below is a reprint of our exclusive interview with Allyn Burrow of Shakespeare & Company, Lenox from May, 2018

INTERVIEW: Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director, Shakespeare & Company

by Shera Cohen

In the Spotlight had the pleasure of interviewing Allyn Burrows, new Artistic Director of Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA.

If Allyn Burrows’ face looks familiar to theatre enthusiasts, especially to those who visit the Berkshires in the summer, it is. For many years, Burrows worked as an Artistic Associate and acted in countless Shakespeare & Company (S&Co) productions – comedies, tragedies, and history plays.

Allyn Burrows
Photo by Olivia Winslow

He is particularly remembered for his roles in King John, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Henry IV, Part 1.

Burrows served as Artistic Director of Actors’ Shakespeare Project in Boston where he directed and acted. Burrows’ talents have also been seen on many stages in New England; i.e. Huntington Theatre, Lyric Stage, Merrimack Repertory Theater.

He has been a busy man, performing in prestigious theatres throughout the country. If you haven’t seen Burrows on a stage, he may be familiar from roles on TV or film.

For the company, for audiences, and for me, it is wonderful that Allyn Burrows has returned home.

In the Spotlight (ITS): I had the privilege of watching you perform a few decades ago at Shakespeare & Company. What it is like for you to return many years later, now wearing the “hat” of Executive Director?

Burrows: Well, it's not a lot different from my last job as Artistic Director of Actors' Shakespeare Project in Boston. It's great to be back at Shakespeare & Company, though, and there are a lot of moving parts. Very exciting in that regard.

ITS: In addition to being the man in charge, will you be directing and/or acting? Is it fair to ask which of these three jobs you enjoy best?

Burrows: They all require different types of brainpower, so it's a tossup which I enjoy the best. I won't be acting this summer, just acting and producing.

ITS: What goals do you intend to keep from the troupe’s many years of existence? What about your personal goals?

Burrows: I intend to preserve and honor the legacy of what's been created over these past four decades, and to transform the unique qualities of this amazing company into something that resonates in the community and hearts of people who experience this place. Personally? I'm hoping to be the best father I can be. And I'll strive to be a better artist.

ITS: How is a season formed? Is there conscious effort to balance Shakespeare’s with other playwrights? New writers? New works?

Burrows: Season formation comes out of a lot of discussion, about makes good theatre, what's important for us to be saying, what's fun, what's gratifying, what will draw people here, and what has impact. Contemporary plays are an important part of what we do.

ITS: What would you say to potential audience members who “fear” Shakespeare?

Burrows: Come along for the ride, it really won't hurt, and you'll be surprised how much the material affects you.

ITS: Are there any anecdotes that you would like to tell our readers? While you think about that, I have my own anecdote about you. It was years ago when outdoor performances took place at the Mount. During a particular comedy, you ran down to the stage (which was grass) and snatched my purse, which was on the ground, en route. You proceeded to look through the bag. While laughing, I also hoped, “Please don’t take anything out of the purse to show the audience.” Who knows what was in there?! You were a gentleman, my bag returned intact, and the show went on.

Burrows: Holy smokes, the audacity! Who was that guy? I'm guessing it may have been “Midsummer Night's Dream” and I was playing Oberon (king of the mischievous fairies). Let me apologize these many years later for the intrusion. Can't really top that one. All the kooky antics make up the fabric of what we do.

www.shakespeare.org

INTERVIEW: One-on-One with Capitol Steps’ co-founder Elaina Newport

by Shera Cohen

If you’ve seen Capitol Steps, you need to see it again, and again. Just as the news constantly changes, so must the skits in this extremely popular, political lampooning of who’s who, all set to music. The performances are satire with a capital “S”. The phrase, “ripped from today’s headlines” describes Capitol Steps’ ever-changing and hilarious material.

Elaina Newport, back row, middle

Who is behind the shenanigans in creating Capitol Steps? Mark Eaton and Elaina Newport. Elaina credits her brother and his stash of “Mad Magazine” as her impetus to become co-founder of Capitol Steps. In a recent interview with Elaina, her sense of humor is both effusive and contagious.

The year was 1981, Republicans held the reigns and Reagan was president. It was a different time, but not a different place – Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Elaina and a small group of friends were asked to write a few scripts and songs for a Christmas party. The event was fun, and a one-shot gig. The audience was bipartisan, and for the most part, got along.

“We kept getting invited to parties,” said Elaina, realizing that lampooning politicians and other front-page personalities could quickly get her and her troupe into a lot of trouble. “The more we were hired, the more [our show] spread the risk around.” In other words, the group was democratic in lambasting just about everyone, yet always with wit and a smile. No one was sacred.

Sooner than she ever anticipated, Elaina gave up her day job to become a full-time writer, producer, singer, comedian, lyricist, and manager of what became titled Capitol Steps. Along with partner, Mark Eaton (whose job description mirrors Elaina’s), the seriously ridiculous Capitol Steps has spread its political humor across the U.S. for over 35 years.

Elaina’s favorite roles include Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Angelina Merkle, and Hilary Clinton. In any given show, the cast of five plus pianist perform approximately 30 songs and become 60 characters, all in 90-minutes. A crew of one helps the quintet quickly change costumes for this fast-paced entertainment.  “Our wig person is the star of the show; there are at least three Trump wigs,” said Elaina. Oftentimes, costumes and headwear are ill fitting or crooked, which unintentionally adds to the fun.

When asked about the audition process, Elaina immediately reacted, laughing. “That’s one of the fun parts [of this job]. They sing a song beautifully, then we ask them to sing the same song as if he/she was Kim Jong-un.”

“Our audiences are fully prepared for this humor,” she said. They come expecting to hear parodies and see caricatures, and that’s exactly what they get. With politics at the top of every news report and above the fold on newspapers, the humor of Capitol Steps is more apropos than ever.

What role would Elaina like to play? President! Not anyone whose name we know, but the first female president. After a few decades backstage and onstage for Capitol Steps, she still loves the fun. “But, if the [current] Congress got quickly competent, then we would be out of a job, but we’ll be okay.”

Capitol Steps will be performed at Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA from June 30 – September 1, 2018, nightly except Tuesdays. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND RESERVATIONS

INTERVIEW: Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director, Shakespeare & Company

by Shera Cohen

Photo by Olivia Winslow

In the Spotlight had the pleasure of interviewing Allyn Burrows, new Artistic Director of Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA.

If Allyn Burrows’ face looks familiar to theatre enthusiasts, especially to those who visit the Berkshires in the summer, it is. For many years, Burrows worked as an Artistic Associate and acted in countless Shakespeare & Company (S&Co) productions – comedies, tragedies, and history plays.

He is particularly remembered for his roles in King John, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Henry IV, Part 1.

Burrows served as Artistic Director of Actors’ Shakespeare Project in Boston where he directed and acted. Burrows’ talents have also been seen on many stages in New England; i.e. Huntington Theatre, Lyric Stage, Merrimack Repertory Theater.

He has been a busy man, performing in prestigious theatres throughout the country. If you haven’t seen Burrows on a stage, he may be familiar from roles on TV or film.

For the company, for audiences, and for me, it is wonderful that Allyn Burrows has returned home.

In the Spotlight (ITS): I had the privilege of watching you perform a few decades ago at Shakespeare & Company. What it is like for you to return many years later, now wearing the “hat” of Executive Director?

Burrows: Well, it's not a lot different from my last job as Artistic Director of Actors' Shakespeare Project in Boston. It's great to be back at Shakespeare & Company, though, and there are a lot of moving parts. Very exciting in that regard.

ITS: In addition to being the man in charge, will you be directing and/or acting? Is it fair to ask which of these three jobs you enjoy best?

Burrows: They all require different types of brainpower, so it's a tossup which I enjoy the best. I won't be acting this summer, just acting and producing.

ITS: What goals do you intend to keep from the troupe’s many years of existence? What about your personal goals?

Burrows: I intend to preserve and honor the legacy of what's been created over these past four decades, and to transform the unique qualities of this amazing company into something that resonates in the community and hearts of people who experience this place. Personally? I'm hoping to be the best father I can be. And I'll strive to be a better artist.

ITS: How is a season formed? Is there conscious effort to balance Shakespeare’s with other playwrights? New writers? New works?

Burrows: Season formation comes out of a lot of discussion, about makes good theatre, what's important for us to be saying, what's fun, what's gratifying, what will draw people here, and what has impact. Contemporary plays are an important part of what we do.

ITS: What would you say to potential audience members who “fear” Shakespeare?

Burrows: Come along for the ride, it really won't hurt, and you'll be surprised how much the material affects you.

ITS: Are there any anecdotes that you would like to tell our readers? While you think about that, I have my own anecdote about you. It was years ago when outdoor performances took place at the Mount. During a particular comedy, you ran down to the stage (which was grass) and snatched my purse, which was on the ground, en route. You proceeded to look through the bag. While laughing, I also hoped, “Please don’t take anything out of the purse to show the audience.” Who knows what was in there?! You were a gentleman, my bag returned intact, and the show went on.

Burrows: Holy smokes, the audacity! Who was that guy? I'm guessing it may have been “Midsummer Night's Dream” and I was playing Oberon (king of the mischievous fairies). Let me apologize these many years later for the intrusion. Can't really top that one. All the kooky antics make up the fabric of what we do.

Shakespeare & Company starts its summer season on May 24, 2018 and runs through October 2018. For ticket and other information check their website at www.shakespeare.org

Interview with Kate Hennig, Playwright of “The Last Wife"

WAM Theatre, Lenox

www.wamtheatre.com

by Gail Burns

Kate Hennig is a diverse, multi-award-winning theatre artist, with over 30 years of professional experience as a performer. “The Last Wife” was inspired by the life of Katherine Parr (1512-1548), the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII. Katherine was an educated woman who had had two husbands before Henry. Hennig’s play tells the story of Kate and Henry.

SPOTLIGHT: How did you come to write this play?

KATE HENNIG: This strange journey started for me in 2011, during the Arab spring. I was looking at all these dictators, these men in the Middle East who were overthrown, and I started looking for the women. Where were the women in this story? My thoughts went straight to Henry VIII, as he is an identifiable dictator of my own cultural past.

SPOTLIGHT: And what drew you to specifically to Katherine Parr?

KATE: I learned how unique her relationship with, and influence on, Henry was among his wives. She could speak to him the way none of the others could, and he would take the sharpness of her tongue. Her influence over his daughters Mary and Elizabeth was tremendous. The letters between Katherine and Henry’s son, Edward VI, are intimate and moving.

Did you know Katherine Parr was the first woman to have her writing published in the English language under her own name? Why don’t we know more about this woman who had so many accomplishments in her own right?

SPOTLIGHT: What inspired you to move the story to the present day?

KATE: I set it in the present day because that’s the root of my interest. There are women now who are silent, like the women behind those Arab Spring leaders. I look at ISIL/ISIS – where are the women? That led me to use the contemporary voice, to try to echo what women are dealing with now in what Katherine was dealing with. It is still happening. We struggle to find a place in leadership as women and we still struggle to find a voice. We have come a long way in recent decades, but the Tudors had come a long way too. Tudor women were given fantastic educations, they were writers, they were humanists, and then BOOM the Puritans came in and it was all undone. The male animal is larger and can always physically dominate, and is prone to dominate. We see that now. This story fits neatly in to present day American politics, audiences will see the correlation.

SPOTLIGHT: Is playwriting a new venture for you?

KATE: I’ve been writing plays for 14 years, which is not long in the scope of my 35-year career in theatre. Being an actor, I have an understanding from the inside of how the play structure works and how characters work. I would be happy to act any of the roles in my work. I wouldn’t want to put any character up on stage who is boring to play or who has little to do.

SPOTLIGHT: The Last Wife had its premiere last summer at the Stratford Festival. That’s an auspicious beginning!

KATE: This is the first major production I’ve had of my work. I have a long history at Stratford. It is thrilling to have an organization of this caliber take your play and do it with some of the best actors and a top-notch creative team. It was an extraordinary experience for me. Before anyone had even seen the play, six months before the opening, we were selling out, so obviously the subject matter and the actors and the Stratford setting appealed to audiences. Then once the play was running they sold out and extended the run three times. I was gob-smacked and really humbled to have a beginning like that to my playwriting career.

The Northeast Regional Premiere of “The Last Wife” takes place at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, October 13 – November 5, 2017. For ticket information check WAM’s website at www.WAMtheatre.com.

Interview with First-Timer at Paradise City

By Jenn Curran

 

Meet Katherine “Kat” McClelland, mixed media artist from Western Massachusetts. Paradise City Arts in Northampton is featuring McClelland’s work this October for the first time. The artist works with acrylics, sculpture and fiber. Her focus recently has been on her work in fiber arts. Her incredibly detailed portraits, needle felted on wet felted backgrounds, deliver imagery rich with texture and depth adding to the overall impact of the individual piece.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born in Maine and grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I attended Maryland Institute College of Art where I met my husband, Ryan. I am a mom to two lovely girls. I spent 14 years teaching Special Education and Literacy. I earned my Masters of Education at UMASS, and presently I teach art for the Department of Youth Services (DYS).

Why do you do what you do?

I can’t imagine not creating. Even when I had small kids, worked a full-time job, and was earning my master’s degree, I was creating art. The simplest answer is because I have to.

How do you work?

My work often begins with a visual that catches my eye. One piece will lead to another. I’ll wonder what if I changed or added this or that. Recently all my focus has been on felting. I work from photographs. For my more complicated pieces, I’ll do sketches and paintings before beginning the felt piece.

What’s integral to the work of an artist?

Inspiration, support, and time. I am in short supply of the latter! My husband is my support; I respect his honest feedback and opinion. My daughters are my inspiration. My older daughter often helps photograph my subjects; her images inspire my work, and my younger is often the subject of my pieces.

If you could snap your fingers and make any piece of art legally and freely appear inside your house, what piece would it be?

That’s a tough one. If I had to choose it would probably be Klimt, maybe “The Kiss.” Perhaps a John Singer Sargent or Frida Kahlo piece. Can I have a whole gallery? It would be eclectic but awesome with some art quilts, ceramic pieces, and paintings!

https://festivals.paradisecityarts.com/shows/northampton-october-show

Capitol Steps 2017

One-on-one interview with Mark Eaton, co-writer

Cranwell, Lenox, MA

by Shera Cohen

Tell us a little about your background.  I started with the Steps back in 1993. I was still working on the Hill [D.C.] and joined the group as a part-time performer. I may have been the last staffer the Steps could find who could sing and dance. Then I lost my mind in 1999 and decided to do this full-time.

Which comes first, the lyrics or the music?  You just never know which will come first. You might have a couple ideas for a song, and have to hit the rhyming dictionary which might then spark a cover tune for the idea and lyrics. Other times you might be driving and hear a song come on the radio, and your brain instantly changes The Byrds “Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man” into “Hey, Mr. Tangerine Man.”

How do you know when you come to that thin line between humor and blasphemy? Fortunately for us the audience is the ultimate arbiter of what is or isn’t funny, and what ultimately stays in the show. We have written plenty of things we think are outlandishly funny only to perform them before stunned audiences.

But we aren’t trying to be outrageous or blaspheme anybody. We are trying to be equal opportunity offenders who go after both sides of the aisle in an attempt to make people laugh. Because if we don’t laugh at some of this stuff, we will certainly cry about it.  

When do you feel it’s time to retire one sketch and replace it? The show changes as the headlines change. There are sometimes songs/skits that are gangbusters, but only for a brief time. The story is gone too quickly. And others we are forced to retire simply because we’ve done them so long the audience may have seen it a couple times. But fortunately for us there is never a lack of material. The American voters have been very kind to us in that regard.

I would imagine that working as a writing team is difficult. What is the process? The hardest thing is keeping up with the craziness of D.C. But unlike the way most folks imagine it, we don’t sit around a table and spitball ideas. Elaina Newport (one of the founders) or I am typically to blame for the material. We might write an entire song, send it to the other person and ask “what do you think?” We might tinker with a different joke or leave as is. Other times we might not have more than an idea for a chorus or half a song that doesn’t have a solid ending. The other person might punch it into the end zone.

Do you have particular characters in mind when the actors/singers are cast? When we have auditions we do require performers to be able to do some “voices” and, more importantly, be able to sing in that voice. If you can talk like Donald Trump, but can only sing like Pavarotti, it would be confusing! So somebody might be singing “My Way” for their audition, and we might yell “now sing it as an angry terrorist.”

Is there a conscious effort to balance White House stories with global issues? Absolutely. As mentioned before, we try to go after everybody.   There is way too much going on – besides at the White House – that deserves to be mocked.

Are there any anecdotes to tell us? One of our favorite stories was performing for George Bush, Sr. at the White House. Well, the staff told us to not do any material about him. We had plenty of material to do such as VP Dan Quayle. After the show, the President walked to the stage and announced, “Now I want to see the stuff about me,” and returned to his seat. Well, we scrambled about and did all the material about him, and he loved it. He got it! Being made fun of goes with the territory when you enter politics.

Performances: June 30 – September at 8pm, except Tuesdays

For further information check www.capitolsteps.com

Bravo to “Bravo”

In March, 1991 Bravo Newspaper was founded, serving the local arts community as a free monthly publication. Twenty-five years later, Bravo has become In the Spotlight, a website primarily promoting the arts in Greater Springfield. Many from the former Bravo staff and current In the Spotlight staff will get together on December 14, 2016 at 235 State Street, Springfield at 7:30pm to celebrate this anniversary.

Equally important is formal acknowledgement to the Springfield Cultural Council for its initial grant which launched Bravo. That successful application for $6450 provided financial support, along with at least 50 grants from throughout Pioneer Valley, for the next 25 years.

Shera Cohen, of Springfield, and Lauren Grossman, of Longmeadow (now Arizona) ended their work for the Chicopee Centennial in December, 1990. “What to do now?” Both women had theatre backgrounds. “Let’s start a theatre newspaper,” Grossman said. Cohen followed with, “I don’t even know how to use a computer.” They both learned the mechanics; the subject matter grew from theatre to all the performing and visual arts; and office space moved from Grossman’s pool table, to Cohen’s living room floor, to a tiny office with stained glass windows, to one larger office on State Street, finally to three different spaces on Main Street, with each location larger than the one before.

The Springfield Cultural Council grant paid for production and printing of 1,000 papers monthly with distribution only in Springfield. Cohen and Grossman were the entire “staff” of Bravo which included writing articles, selling ads, design and paste up (computers didn’t perform as they do now), and delivery. Year #2 of Bravo increased distribution city-wide and to five cities/towns – each due to receiving more grants from as many cities. A few writers and a salesperson were added to the team. At its 12-year mark, Bravo delivered boasted 50,000 readers in 48 cities with a staff of approximately 50 at its high point. 

Radio media came next, when Cohen and Grossman approached WMAS for a weekly arts program, hosted by themselves. Did either have radio experience? No. But staff at WMAS offered free air-time on its AM station on Sundays – first for 15 minutes at 6:15am, then at 6:30am when more listeners might be awake, eventually to a half-hour at 9am. Thirteen years later, the show ended with a huge thank you to the five additional hosts subbing for Cohen and Grossman and the many, many listeners who said, “I heard you on the radio.”

Looking toward the 21st century here, Bravo printed its last publication in 2003, at the same time morphing Bravo to In the Spotlight electronic media. Many writers from the newspaper continued with Spotlight, even those who joined in 1992. 

In the Spotlight continues as a local source of reviews, previews, interviews, and “on the road” features on community and professional performing arts in the region.

Interview: Kate Maguire, Berkshire Theatre Group

Kate Maguire, Artistic Director/CEO, Berkshire Theatre Group discusses a Decade at the Colonial 

by Shera Cohen 

Located in Stockbridge and Pittsfield, BTG is the home of four theatre venues. This interview with Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire focuses on the 10th anniversary of the re-opening of the renovated Colonial Theatre. Built in 1903, the $21million restoration has recreated this exquisite building with its pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state of the art technical systems to host theatre, family entertainment, comedy, and live music year round. 

Spotlight: Who were performers/plays presented in Colonial’s heyday? 

Kate:  In the early Colonial days, the company presented shows as often as possible. Early shows included Ibsen’s controversial play Ghosts, a cast of 300 in Fifi in the Toy Shop, and Irving Berlin’s premiere of Watch Your Step. The Colonial was a stop in Sarah Bernhardt’s farewell tour. Dancers Martha Graham, Ted Shawn, and the Denishawn Dance Company have also graced The Colonial stage. 

Spotlight: What was the impetus to combining Colonial with BTF? 

Kate:  I had been thinking for some time that it would be healthy to consider collaborations with other organizations in the area. However, I realized that so many of us were duplicating our efforts in terms of administrations, box office, and marketing efforts. I thought, “Perhaps we could work with other organizations to find some efficiencies.”

After 2008, and the economic downturn, I became much more active in looking for partnerships and collaborations. I happened to walk into The Colonial and met with two wonderful trustees. At that point, their board was looking for a new executive director.

We began a conversation about what it might look like for the organizations to truly be partners. After conversations with BTF’s board, the community and civic leaders, we determined that this would be the way to bring two historical theatre organizations together, and create art for a theatre community year-round. 

Spotlight: To what degree was Berkshire Theatre Festival (BTF) involved in renovation of the Colonial? 

Kate:  Berkshire Theatre Festival supported the renovation. I was on the original Board of Trustees for The Colonial. We were in the very early stages of thinking about what that theatre would mean to a community.  

Spotlight: What is the mission of Colonial? The same as BTF? 

Kate:  The mission of the Colonial has always been very similar to the Berkshire Theatre Festival; our goal is to present great work, and to make sure that while we’re presenting that work on our stages, we are being mindful of what it means for a not-for-profit to support the creative vitality of a community. The heart of our mission is to educate, enrich, and entertain through the art of theatre. 

Spotlight: How are the various venues a good match? 

Kate:  Each theatre is unique. The Fitzpatrick Main Stage (approximately 300 seats), in a historic building, that oozes the feeling of summer theatre. The Unicorn (just over 120 seats), which was more recently built, is an intimate space. The Garage, inside of the Colonial, is a black box; we can move that area around. The Colonial Theatre itself is over 700 seats, and a beautifully restored theatre—an architectural jewel. 

Spotlight: How do you choose which performances will be mounted at Colonial or the Stockbridge theatres? 

Kate:  The Fitzpatrick Main Stage has always been home for the classics, new plays and plays with large themes. The Unicorn Theatre, is a space for a young generation of theatre makers, as well as more experimental work.

The Colonial was built by a community, so people would have a creative home to go to year-round. There are no barriers at the Colonial—I hope there are no barriers to any of our theatres. It’s no less intense in terms of the quality of the work, but more familiar to audiences; Little Shop of Horrors, and musicians and comedians that perform all year-long. 

Spotlight: What are you most proud of that has occurred at the Colonial? 

Kate:  I would say that we are most proud of the development of our Annual Community Theatre Production. Every member of the community is truly making the Colonial stage their own; embracing it, and entertaining. What happens in that room is one giant hug. Young people walk into that theatre as if it’s their own. This year, our Annual Community Theatre Production is the Beauty and the Beast, where 120 talented young performers will take the stage. 

Spotlight: What are future plans? 

Kate:  Future plans for the Colonial always involve making sure that we keep the building in the best shape, and that requires constant fundraising. [Important is] maintaining the structure so that it continues to be as glorious as it looks right now, and is sturdy for the future generations. 

We will continue to expand our education programs. We serve 13,000 school children with a variety of program. We are instituting pre-K programming as well. Our programs are based on language, and helping people to communicate more powerfully. The essence of great theatre is to try to understand each other in stronger ways, and to be able to better listen.

While there’s a goal to always entertain and put on great plays, we take our not-for-profit role very seriously. We know how much effort was put in to all of our theatres, and that as leaders in the community, we have a responsibility to educate. 

Spotlight: Any anecdotes about the Colonial that you’d like to share?

Kate:  The work that we’re doing with youth is transformational. We have young people that we have been working with for a dozen years—they have become the teachers for the new students.

There are a great handful of people that come back to teach, and actors who have been with us for so many years, who regard BTG as their artistic home. There’s a collective sigh that you can hear in the first rehearsal from returning actors that says, “I’m back in the Berkshires, I can breathe. I can create great work because of the environment.”

For more information on the Berkshire Theatre Group visit: www.berkshiretheatregroup.org

Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director, Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival:  Home of 4 World Premieres
An interview with Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield
by Shera Cohen

Mandy Greenfield

The following is a paraphrased interview with Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director, Williamstown Theatre Festival (WT). This article focuses on the theatre’s 2016 summer season which includes four world premieres. Neither Greenfield nor WT shirk from what could be a scary task. In fact, the opposite is true, as Greenfield actively seeks out new plays and writers.

Greenfield comes across as a no-nonsense professional who loves theatre, playwrights, and audiences; particularly WT audiences. 

Spotlight: How would you describe your job at WT?

Greenfield: I am a writers’ producer. Productions and plays come together with the actors. I love words. The words are so important. It’s the chicken and the egg situation coming together. 

Spotlight:  What is your process of choosing plays? Do you read scripts, receive suggestions from others, know of successful playwrights whose work you think you would like to produce? 

Greenfield:  I read 250 new pieces each year. That’s my job. As the Artistic Director, I curate the work, like in a museum. There’s no theme, no formula, or detailed process to help me choose. Sometimes works come by agents or artists directly. I see plays all the time.

This job is a combination of joy and risk. We are doing it from scratch, putting ourselves out there to create and make it come about like a high wire act. It’s trust and collaboration. But, it’s not all done until the play meets the audience; it’s humbling. 

Spotlight:  What has been WT’s audience response to new plays?

Greenfield: Audiences at WT are incredible, thoughtful, and engaged. In my first year here, I got to know the audience, learn about them, and from them. The plays chosen reflect a piece of the human experience. I’m grateful that our audiences embrace new works. I decide on plays that I think give the audience a broad spectrum -- stories that feel like a theatrical representation of the totality of the American Experience. If I had to credit a single source for WT’s success, it’s definitely the audiences. 

Spotlight:  Your theatre has mounted several world premieres in the past. Have any of these succeeded to go on from WT? 

Greenfield:  You mean, have further life? Absolutely. “Living on Love” went to Broadway. “The Bridges of Madison County,” a musical, went on.

[WT has mounted many world premieres in the past 2 years alone; i.e. “Legacy,” “Unknown Soldier, and “Paradise Blue.”] 

Spotlight: Isn’t it a box office risk to mount new plays, not to mention difficult for the marketing department? 

Greenfield: Last year was our strongest with record breaking sales. It’s really the opposite. The people who come to WT have a robust appetite for new works.  They are thrilled to be the first to see a piece. In a way, they feel as if they have had a hand in giving birth to it. If anything, these new works built up the regulars [subscribers]. We find that more people come from New York State, so they often stay over a few nights. Then, they might come to another play the next day.

Mandy Greenfield briefly described the upcoming four world premieres at WT and the reasons why she chose these particular plays.

“Romance Novels for Dummies,” by Boo Killebrew, is a big-hearted comedy. These are some powerful females starting over in their lives. I think the audience will be able to laugh through the characters.

“Cost of Living,” by Martyna Majok, is what I call a “chamber piece” – meaning 4 actors. It’s about disabilities and abilities with numerous meanings. I’m especially glad that we were able to cast two actors who have visible disabilities.

“The Chinese Room,” by Michael West, might be considered a bit unusual for WT. It’s a sci-fi comedy thriller farce about a man rushing to wed his legacy with his own technological inventions.

“Poster Boy,” by Craig Carnelia, is our one musical premiere, inspired by a true story. While it is dark and provocative, it is inspirational and moving with the theme that humans can always help each other. 

For information on these plays and the entire season, call the Box Office at 413-597-3400, visit their website http://wtfestival.org or email wtfinfo@wtfestival.org