Great Barrington Public Theater wrapped its 2025 season this past weekend with the final performance of The Best Medicine. Summer 2025 saw three world premiere plays –all written by women – which received accolades from critics and audiences alike.
Artistic Director Jim Frangione says “I’m so proud of all that Great Barrington Public Theater’s community has accomplished in our first seven years. Starting a new theater committed to producing new work, supporting local talent, and keeping ticket prices affordable is a risk, and we’ve been fortunate to be the recipient of so much generosity, support, creativity and encouragement from so many. This year’s plays and readings have differed in many ways, but all have reflected the very highest quality talent and production values. My hope is that every patron found at least one, two, or even three performances that they could connect with or that made them think about something in a new way.”
With Season 2025 in the rearview mirror, GB Public’s Leadership team is looking ahead to Season 2026. While the future at the Daniel Arts Center at Bard College at Simon’s Rock is uncertain with the pending sale of the campus, Great Barrington Public Theater remains committed to its mission to support new works here in Berkshire County.
Managing Director Serena Johnson states “We’re not going anywhere—we’re here to stay! In 2026, audiences can look forward to another full season of exceptional new work right here in South County. We’re in exciting conversations with local institutions and can’t wait to share where we’ll land next season”
Artistic Director Jim Frangione adds, “Deann and I founded this company seven years ago to bring professional theater to Great Barrington. We’re committed to the area and to our community. As Serena stated, we’re in conversations with many local institutions in South County and are excited to see what the future holds. This upcoming season will reinforce our dedication to the Great Barrington community and our ongoing mission to be Great Barrington’s Public Theater.”
As Jim is fond of saying “This Bear Doesn’t Hibernate!” GB Public will continue to host several off season new play readings this fall through its play development program Berkshire Voices. Chat GBPT will resume in Winter 2026 where we invite theater-makers, activists, and artists across the Berkshires and beyond to join us onstage for discussions about theater-making, the challenges of making work in the current political climate and more including presentations and Q&A’s with the audience.
Chat GBPT is meant to foster conversations in the community, not only about art and its impact, but also how the community impacts the art and how artists can start and support conversations around what we hope to see grow or take root in our community.
Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha says of Chat GBPT that “We are acutely aware of the need for audiences to not only SEE new works for the theater, but to have the opportunity to process them, to understand more about how and why they were produced. In-person conversations in a world fully dominated by on-line contact is precious, energizing, provocative (in the best sense), and part of our educational mission in the community. Chat GBPT—There’s nothing Artificial about it!”
Great Barrington Public Theater is the premiere destination for new plays in the Berkshires and is committed to its mission of prioritizing local artists in the area and keeping theater and the arts accessible to the community. Updates on Great Barrington Public Theater’s Off Season Programming can be found at the GB Public Theater website and by signing up for our newsletter.
Great Barrington Public Theater was founded by Jim Frangione and Deann Simmons Halper to create opportunities for theater artists in the Berkshires and neighboring regions. Great Barrington Public Theater recognizes the many excellent playwrights, actors, directors, designers, administrators and technicians living in the Berkshires and surrounding areas. Our objective is to bring a mix of new and contemporary plays to the stage in a variety of formats; to generate and foster creative and rigorous opportunity for local theater artists, while engaging our theatergoing public with readings, workshops, and fully-staged productions, involving local talent as often as possible and keeping ticket prices affordable.