Pittsfield, MA – Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) and Kate Maguire (Artistic Director, CEO) are thrilled to announce a portion of BTG’s 2023 Summer Season. A full season announcement, as well as a full cast announcement, will be released at a later date.
The Early Summer 2023 Season will include contact, a four-time Tony Award-winning dance musical; What The Constitution Means To Me, a boundary-breaking play co-produced with WAM Theatre that breathes new life into The Constitution; Photograph 51, an intriguing portrait of the race to discover the mysteries of the DNA double helix; and The Smile of Her, a world premiere play written and performed by Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards winner Christine Lahti.
Of the summer offerings, Maguire says, “The season we are planning is a celebration of female playwrights! We invite audiences to enjoy the romance and flights of fancy in the Tony Award-winning musical contact, to engage in a conversation about how The Constitution frames the life of American women in What the Constitution Means to Me, to meet scientist Rosalind Franklin determined to find discovery amidst a competitive race for greatness in Photograph 51 and the award-winning and hugely talented Christine Lahti weaves her life story through a fierce, personal, loving and deeply felt performance about family in The Smile of Her.”
Coming Soon
Stay tuned for more details about further programming, including the rest of the summer season and Concerts at the Colonial for the winter and spring.
Season Discounts & Ticket Information
BTGY (Young Adult)
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 can purchase one ticket to any BTG produced show for $30 (fees included). This offer is available by phone or in person only. Additionally, one BTG presented show ticket may be purchased for 10% off the single ticket price (rental events not included). This discount does not apply to performances of What the Constitution Means to Me.
EBT Card to Culture Program
EBT Card to Culture is a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance. This is available to anyone with EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare Insurance. This offer includes two tickets to any BTG produced show at the rate of $5 each. All additional fees are also waived. These tickets are subject to availability as seating is limited. This offer is available by phone or in person only.
Berkshire Resident
Full-time Berkshire Residents receive a 25% discount on show tickets to any BTG produced show. Limit two tickets per patron per performance. Exclusions include previews, openings, special events and Saturday evening performances. Tickets must be purchased by phone or in person at our Box Office. A valid Berkshire County driver’s license is required when picking up tickets. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount. This discount does not apply to performances of What the Constitution Means to Me.
Tickets for these exciting summer season productions will be on sale Friday, December 2 at 12pm. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change. To purchase tickets, visit www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or contact the Colonial Box Office by calling 413-997-4444.
The Box Office is open Tuesday through Sunday 12pm-5pm or on any performance day from 12pm until curtain. BTG’s Pittsfield Campus is located at 111 South Street, (The Colonial Theatre) Pittsfield, MA.
2023 SUMMER SEASON
At The Colonial Theatre
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conceived by Susan Stroman and John Weidman
book by John Weidman
original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman
direction and choreography by Tomé Cousin
associate choreographer Leeanna Smith Gendron
at The Colonial Theatre
Previews: Thursday, June 29 at 7pm and Friday, June 30 at 7pm
Opening/Press Performance: Saturday, July 1 at 7pm
Closing: Saturday, July 15 at 7pm
Tickets: Preview: $60
Tickets: $75; Teen (12-17) $38; Premium Seats $95
ABOUT:
This four-time Tony Award-winning dance musical devised by Susan Stroman and John Weidman portrays three thematically linked short stories told mostly through dance. In each story, the central character expresses a longing to connect, and dance is both the medium and the message.
The first piece has as its source “The Swing,” an 18th-century painting by French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard set in a bucolic forest clearing, where a beautiful young woman soars on a swing while two men compete for her affection.The Rodgers and Hart song “My Heart Stood Still,” as recorded by jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, provides the aural bed for this sexy romp in the French countryside.
The second story is set in 1954 Queens, New York at an Italian restaurant where the heroine, trapped in a loveless marriage, tries to escape her verbally abusive husband through a series of romantic and comic fantasies. Imagining herself a prima ballerina, she dances with the headwaiter, the busboys and the restaurant’s other customers to the grand melodies of Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Bizet.
The final story, set in present day New York, introduces a 40-ish, wildly successful advertising guy who is lonely and suicidal. Wandering by chance into an after-hours club in Manhattan’s meat-packing district, he tries to engage a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress who appears and then disappears into the crowd of sinuous couples swing dancing to “Swing, Swing, Swing” by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, “Do You Wanna Dance” by The Beach Boys, “Simply Irresistible” by Robert Palmer, “Runaround Sue” by Dion DiMucci and “Put a Lid on It” by The Squirrel Nut Zippers among others.
At The Unicorn Theatre What the Constitution Means to Me A Co-Production with WAM Theatre
written by Heidi Schreck
directed by Kristen van Ginhoven
on The Larry Vaber Stage
at The Unicorn Theatre
Previews: Thursday, May 18 at 7pm, Friday, May 19 at 7pm and Saturday, May 20 at 7pm
Opening/Press Night: Sunday, May 21 at 2pm
Closing: Saturday, June 3 at 7pm
Tickets: Friend $26; Standard $56; Supporter $96
ABOUT:
Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human play, Heidi resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Addressing themes such as domestic abuse, reproductive rights and immigration, WAM Theatre and Berkshire Theatre Group join forces to bring this timely and galvanizing play to Berkshire audiences. It became a sensation off-Broadway before transferring to Broadway where it received two Tony Award nominations and was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama among countless other accolades.
What The Constitution Means to Me is a boundary-breaking play that breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans.
Sliding Scale Ticket Pricing
This production has a sliding scale ticket price and commits to equitable seating for all. Patrons are encouraged to select the ticket price that best fits their needs. Tickets range from $26 to $96. Audience members choose from one of the suggested price levels. For those who are able to comfortably afford the Standard ticket price of $56, we ask that they recognize the true cost of producing the work. For those that this price is a barrier to entry, we are offering prices that make these performances more accessible. We believe that no one should be barred from the joy of theater because of their income level.
A portion of the proceeds from this production will benefit a local non-profit organization.
Photograph 51
written by Anna Ziegler
directed by David Auburn
at The Unicorn Theatre
on the Larry Vaber Stage
Previews: Thursday, June 15 at 7pm and Friday, June 16 at 7pm
Opening/Press Night: Saturday, June 17 at 7pm
Closing: Saturday, July 1 at 7pm Tickets: Preview: $45
Tickets: $56
ABOUT:
An intriguing portrait of British scientist Rosalind Franklin and her often overlooked role in the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure. Set in the 1950s, the age of scientific discovery, researchers are scrambling to be the first to unlock the mysteries of DNA. Among these scientists is Franklin, an under appreciated genius working as the sole woman in her field of study. When one of her photographs shows the structural outline of DNA for the first time, her competitors James Watson and Francis Crick are rapt with attention. Watson and Crick’s ambition to become the first to create a working model of DNA, coupled with Franklin’s stubbornness, leads the two men to gain notoriety as the first to complete and discover the DNA model and leave Franklin out of the history books.
A balance of the historical, romantic and scientific, Photograph 51 is a touching play about ambition, isolation and the race for greatness.
The Smile of Her A World Premiere Event
written and performed by Christine Lahti
direction and dramaturgy by Robert H. Egan
on The Larry Vaber Stage
at The Unicorn Theatre
Previews: Wednesday, July 12 at 7pm and Thursday, July 13 at 7pm
Opening/Press Night: Friday, July 14 at 7pm
Closing: Saturday, July 29 at 7pm
Tickets: Preview: $45
Tickets: $56
ABOUT:
It’s America in the 1950s. The patriarchy is on steroids. Christine’s “perfect” suburban family is its quintessential microcosm. The Smile of Her takes the audience on a sometimes funny, always deeply personal, journey of denial, neglect, abuse, understanding and by the end–- maybe possibility, hope.
PERFORMANCE DATES OVERVIEW (In Calendar Order)
What the Constitution Means to Me
A Co-Production with WAM Theatre
written by Heidi Schreck
directed by Kristen van Ginhoven
at The Unicorn Theatre
on the Larry Vaber Stage
BTG’s Stockbridge Campus, 6 East Street
Performance Dates: Thursday, May 18 at 7pm (Preview)
Friday, May 19 at 7pm (Preview)
Saturday, May 20 at 7pm (Preview)
Sunday, May 21 at 2pm (Opening/Press Night)
Thursday, May 25 at 7pm
Friday, May 26 at 7pm
Saturday, May 27 at 2pm
Saturday, May 27 at 7pm
Sunday, May 28 at 2pm
Thursday, June 1 at 7pm
Friday, June 2 at 7pm
Saturday, June 3 at 2pm
Saturday, June 3 at 7pm (Closing)
Photograph 51
written by Anna Ziegler
directed by David Auburn
at The Unicorn Theatre
on the Larry Vaber Stage
BTG’s Stockbridge Campus, 6 East Street
Performance Dates:
Thursday, June 15 at 7pm (Preview)
Friday, June 16 at 7pm (Preview)
Saturday, June 17 at 7pm (Opening/Press Night)
Sunday, June 18 at 2pm
Tuesday, June 20 at 7pm
Wednesday, June 21 at 2pm
Wednesday, June 21 at 7pm
Thursday, June 22 at 7pm
Friday, June 23 at 7pm
Saturday, June 24 at 2pm
Saturday, June 24 at 7pm
Sunday, June 25 at 2pm
Tuesday, June 27 at 7pm
Wednesday, June 28 at 2pm
Wednesday, June 28 at 7pm
Thursday, June 29 at 7pm
Friday, June 30 at 7pm
Saturday, July 1 at 2pm
Saturday, July 1 at 7pm (Closing)
contact
conceived by Susan Stroman and John Weidman
book by John Weidman
original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman
direction and choreography by Tomé Cousin
associate choreographer Leeanna Smith Gendron
at The Colonial Theatre
BTG’s Pittsfield Campus, 111 South Street
Performance Dates:
Thursday, June 29 at 7pm (Preview)
Friday, June 30 at 7pm (Preview)
Saturday, July 1 at 7pm (Opening/Press Night)
Sunday, July 2 at 2pm
Wednesday, July 5 at 2pm
Wednesday, July 5 at 7pm
Thursday, July 6 at 7pm
Friday, July 7 at 7pm
Saturday, July 8 at 2pm
Saturday, July 8 at 7pm
Sunday, July 9 at 2pm
Tuesday, July 11 at 7pm
Wednesday, July 12 at 2pm
Wednesday, July 12 at 7pm
Thursday, July 13 at 7pm
Friday, July 14 at 7pm
Saturday, July 15 at 2pm
Saturday, July 15 at 7pm (Closing)
The Smile of Her
written and performed by Christine Lahti
direction and dramaturgy by Robert H. Egan
at The Unicorn Theatre
on the Larry Vaber Stage
BTG’s Stockbridge Campus, 6 East Street
Performance Dates:
Wednesday, July 12 at 7pm (Preview)
Thursday, July 13 at 7pm (Preview)
Friday, July 14 at 7pm (Opening/Press Night)
Saturday, July 15 at 2pm
Saturday, July 15 at 7pm
Sunday, July 16 at 2pm
Tuesday, July 18 at 7pm
Wednesday, July 19 at 2pm
Wednesday, July 19 at 7pm
Thursday, July 20 at 7pm
Friday, July 21 at 7pm
Saturday, July 22 at 2pm
Saturday, July 22 at 7pm
Sunday, July 23 at 2pm
Tuesday, July 25 at 7pm
Wednesday, July 26 at 2pm
Wednesday, July 26 at 7pm
Thursday, July 27 at 7pm
Friday, July 28 at 7pm
Saturday, July 29 at 2pm
Saturday, July 29 at 7pm (Closing)
Safety Protocols
For safety protocols, please visit BTG’s COVID-19 information page:
www.berkshiretheatregroup.org/covid-19-information/
About Berkshire Theatre Group The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires. In 2010, under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, the two organizations merged to form Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG). Berkshire Theatre Group’s mission is to support wide ranging artistic exploration and acclaimed performances in theatre, dance, music and entertainment. Every year, BTG produces and presents performances to over 68,000 attendees and, through our Educational Program, serves over 11,000 Berkshire County school children annually. In July
2020, Berkshire Theatre was the first company in the United States to earn approval from
Actors’ Equity Association to produce a musical (Godspell) in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.