Berkshire on Stage

You will find PS21, the Center for Contemporary Performance, in the small town of Chatham, New York, only 20 minutes from the Massachusetts state line. So, for those of us endeavoring to cover all the remarkable performances on stages in the Berkshires, PS21 is an astonishing venue not to be missed. This center not only brings in world-class performing and visual arts including theatre, dance, contemporary circus, music, opera, film and public art installations. It is also fostering incredible new work and is connecting to the community in multiple and significant ways. The aim of this article is to introduce our readers to PS21 and to also give them a sneak preview of two very exciting theatre productions coming up in July.

The setting for PS21 is a glorious 100 acres of meadows, orchards, woodlands, and walking trails in the Hudson Valley. Nestled in this lovely place are two theatre spaces. The Pavilion Theater has a soaring roof of honey-colored wood. Open on three sides, the attractive theater can seat 300 spectators in changing configurations. The stage is well appointed for all kinds of performance. Depending upon the season and technical needs, that stage can be closed up and weather-sealed so that 99 spectators can share the indoor space with the performers in what is called the Black Box theatre. Other facilities on the PS21 campus are the Dance Barn (a rehearsal and performance venue) and two artists residences that can accommodate 16 visiting artists at a time.

The name PS21 may ring a bell because there is a PS1 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. (In that case, PS was short for Public School.)  The name for PS21, however, refers to “performance space”—the original name of the Chatham operation was PS21 Performance Spaces for the 21st Century. PS21was conceived in 1999 by the visionary and founder/board president, Judy Grunberg, who aimed to bring world-class performances to Columbia County and the region. PS21 began in 2006 in a tent on the grounds. In 2018 the Pavilion and Black Box theatres opened, replacing the tent. In 2024 the name was changed to PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance.

For the last five years, the visionary for PS21 has been Elena V. Siyanko, the Artistic and Executive Director. Siyanko personally curates the extraordinary array of performances that is PS21. Siyanko brings to the table a most impressive background in arts management and development. She holds a B. A. in Asian studies from Mount Holyoke College, and M.A. in Arts Management from Columbia University, with further study in the MBA program at Columbia Business School. She is multilingual and was a Peggy Guggenheim collection fellow in Venice, Italy. Among several previous prestigious positions, Siyanko served as the Director of Advancement Initiatives for the New York Office of The Clark Art Institute. Her background and international expertise are key factors in the success of PS21.  

With more than 50 events scheduled for the 2024 season, the breadth and depth of the PS21 programming is not only difficult to summarize, but also breathtaking in its richness and diversity. It falls into these (often overlapping) categories:

• International Theatre
• Contemporary Dance and Performance
• Global /Local Musical Series 
• House Blend Musical Series
• Pathways
• Residencies

International Theatre at PS21

As a writer for BERKSHIRE ON STAGE, my focus is primarily on theatre and performance art. So, it is thrilling to see two international theatre productions coming to the PS21 stage in July. As we know, the Berkshire have an embarrassment of riches during the June to September theatre season. Nevertheless, the Theatre offerings at PS21 unlike anything else coming to this region with offerings from May to October.

CATARINA AND THE BEAUTY OF KILLING FASCISTS runs July 5-6 at the Pavilion Theater. It is a U.S. premiere of a play written and directed by Tiago Rodrigues. Rodrigues is the Director of the esteemed Avignon Festival, and this award-winning production comes fresh from the National Theater of Portugal and Avignon. World-class theatre without a doubt. As right-wing political forces are roiling Europe, America, and beyond, Rodrigues’ play poses a provocative question: “Can we defend democracy by violating its principles?” 

Set in the near future of 2028, at an annual family gathering, we soon learn this Portuguese family is scarred by tragedy and committed to revenge. The vengeance dates back to 1954 and the dictatorship of Salazar, when Catarina Eufémia, a young harvest worker holding her infant son in her arms during a protest, was murdered by the national police. Thereafter, the family have carried on the name Catarina and have met each year for their ritual in which they retaliate by kidnapping a single fascist, shooting the victim in front of the rest of the family, and burying the body on their farm.

So, what happens when a younger generation of Catrinas decide that violence is not the way to counter the fascist forces in our democracy? Should the fascist be killed or not? Is violence a legitimate means to make the world a better place? It is a significant ethical dilemma and posits important questions. The New York Times noted that “Rodrigues isn’t a showy director: He is a humanist at heart, preoccupied with empathy and the ways in which today’s world undermines it. Complexity is always the answer in Rodrigues’s work – and it is one of the best ways to the audience’s heart.”

CATARINA AND THE BEAUTY OF KILLING FASCISTS runs for only two performances: July 5 at 8 p.m. and July 6 at 7 p.m. at the PS21 Pavilion Theater. (More details at the end of this article.)

In mid-July, another fascinating theatrical event will be the New York premiere of  Shakespeare’s HAMLET*, adapted and directed by Chela De Ferrari of the Teatro La Plaza and stars Jaime Cruz. The play will be presented in Spanish with English supertitles. De Ferrari is a former Artistic Director of Teatro La Plaza in Lima, Peru. This unusual take on HAMLET retells the story through the lens of Down Syndrome and is told by a company of eight Down Syndrome actors to dramatize “the dashed hopes and disappointments of people whose lives are dismissed and ignored in a world ruled by unattainable standards of productivity and beauty. Weaving their own stories with the original text to invest in new meaning in the place central existential question, ‘To be or not to be?’…De Ferrari’s incisive adaptation balances comedy and tragedy, never losing sight of the disturbing questions about inclusion and discrimination, confronting us with questions about our own perceptions and values, in a production that is a joyous celebration of life and theater in all forms.”

*Sadly, the artists from HAMLET were not granted their visas for the USA, so this performance has been cancelled.

Oh, and So Much More at PS21

Dance and contemporary circus

My recent introduction to PS21 was one of four contemporary dance performances on deck for this season. NOLI TIMERE (Do Not Be Afraid) was a perfect example of the burgeoning creativity here. PS21 hosted a company of artists for five weeks to develop a highly original and stunning performance of music, dance, and sculpture. Canadian Rebecca Lazier choreographed the work to achingly ethereal music (composed and performed by Jolene) within a sculpture of huge nets suspended across the space (conceived by sculptor Janet Echelman and beautifully lit by lighting designer Rasmus Sylvest). Eight talented young dancers performed on the floor and suspended in two enormous nets above the stage. It was an exquisite performance, which bodes well for things to come in this 2024 season.

Dance had opened the season in May when PS21 presented BEYOND BALLET / BEYOND HIP-HOP by Toshiki Okada and Moto Takahashi of Japan. Still to come are LE SACRE DE LILA by Ismaël Mouaraki of Morocco and Canada and GANDINI JUGGLING: SMASHED2, a contemporary circus event from the UK. Also the Paul Taylor Dance Company will present three of the choreographer’s masterworks.

Music

The Global/Local Music Series is a marvelous and innovative concept. PS21 brings together music from around the world and from the local community. For example, in June the series paired Seo Jungmin, a gayageum (12-string zither) virtuoso from South Korea, with Alexander Turnquist, a 12-string guitarist and composer from Kingston, N.Y. Still to come this season are the Kiki Valera ensemble performing son cubano (July 7), Lady Moon and the Eclipse and Kendra McKinley on a double bill of neo-soul music (August 29), and Chatham singer/songwriter Half Waif (Nandi Rose) and Ghent-based experimental composer Elori Saxl on a double bill of original works (October 5). In short, the Global/Local series offers an incomparably rich and unique range of musical experiences.

In the other music series, PS21 House Blend, concerts are created specifically for the acoustic space and aimed at fostering new collaborations. Within four days, from August 18 to 21, audiences will be able to enjoy a vast array of artists, including pianist Conor Hanick in a program of Brahms and Ustvolskaya, the sax music of the Konos Quartet and Gelsey Bell and Erin Rogers premiering Skylighght, more contemporary works by Hanick and violinist Miranda Cuckson, and Bonnie Whiting performing Wang Lu’s Stages with a stage design by artist Polly Apfelbaum. 

Pathways and Residencies

The PS21/PATHWAYS programming is idiosyncratic, imaginative, and admirable in that it works in partnership with local organizations and has a goal of fostering collaboration with community groups. As described on the PS 21 website: Multidisciplinary and participatory, PATHWAYS is our series of free and low-cost workshops, classes, installations, and immersive performances offered beyond the PS 21 main stage – across our campus, in nature, and in the community. PATHWAYS resides at the intersection of nature in the arts, presenting site specific performances and encounters embedded in and responsive to the PS 21 landscape, Theatre, and beyond.

Already this season the PATHWAYS offerings have included NEXTFest: a Music Festival of Young Artists, ECSTATIC DANCE (free-form expressive dance), and Richmond’s LEGENDARY INGRAMETTES Gospel choir (for the Juneteenth celebration). In August. the Gamelan Yowana Sari ensemble will perform both traditional and contemporary Balinese music in an indoor-outdoor site-responsive performance. Also, Cirque Kikasse will be presented in Crellin Park in Chatham with food and drink as part of the Hudson Valley Cirquefest. September brings the U.S. premiere of NEVER TWENTY-ONE inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement hashtag; this dance piece, choreographed by French-Malian choreographer Smaïl Kanouté. There is much more nestled within this extraordinary program than can be even mentioned here. See the website: https://ps21chatham.org/pathways/

In addition to the NOLI TIMERE residency, the 2024/2025 residencies include visual artist Deville Cohen, development of a concert by the musicians of Next Fest, and Kyle Marshall Choreography to complete a work titled “Feminine.”

The PS 21 season runs from May through October. In addition to the events noted above, the facility also offers open trails, self-guided ecology walks, and site-specific art installations. The Movement Without Borders offers yoga, Pilates, ballet, and wellness classes with local and visiting artists.

PS21 is clearly an undeniable creative force in the region, offering many unforgettable experiences. The only drawback is that these events come and go so quickly, like lightning in a bottle. Most run for one or two evenings. Theatre is by nature ephemeral, so you will want to further explore the PS21 website at https://ps21chatham.org/ and take the scenic drive out to the campus to see the amazing things going on. Note that the ticket prices are very reasonable with discounts for students and season subscribers. 

PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance

2980 Route 66, Chatham, NY

Info and tickets: https://ps21chatham.org/events/

518-392-6121