Pittsfield, MA—Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) and Artistic Director, CEO Kate Maguire are pleased to announce the cast and creative team for the Regional Premiere of The American Five, the Helen Hayes Award-winning play by acclaimed playwright Chess Jakobs, running June 18 through July 11 at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge.
Winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play, The American Five brings together five extraordinary figures whose influence helped shape the Civil Rights Movement and the course of American history: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Coretta Scott King, activist and advocate; Bayard Rustin, organizer of the March on Washington; Stanley Levison, King’s trusted advisor; and Clarence B. Jones, the speechwriter behind key portions of the “I Have a Dream” address. Through intimate conversations and moments of debate, the play reveals the friendships, challenges and shared vision that helped change a nation.
The cast features Rashun Carter as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sydney Elisabeth as Coretta Scott King, Destan Owens as Bayard Rustin, Harry Smith as Stanley Levison and Brett Diggs as Clarence Jones. Rashun Carter is a Chicago-based actor, writer and “ARTivist” whose credits include Chicago P.D. and 61st Street. Sydney Elisabeth makes her BTG debut and recently appeared in the HBO Max series Duster and the TBS comedy The Last O.G. Destan Owens has appeared on Broadway in Rent, Chicago and Smokey Joe’s Café, while Harry Smith returns to BTG following appearances in The Elephant Man, The Weir and Copenhagen, with additional Broadway credits including Art, Hangmen and King Charles III. Brett Diggs also makes his BTG debut following appearances in The Diplomat, The Equalizer and Godfather of Harlem.
The production is directed by Gerry McIntyre, whose recent Berkshire Theatre Group credits include The Mousetrap, Young Frankenstein and Nina Simone: Four Women. Most recently, McIntyre choreographed the 2025 Drama Desk Award-winning Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song and has directed and choreographed productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at leading regional theatres across the country.
The creative team includes scenic designer Baron E. Pugh, costume designer Danielle Preston, lighting designer Sam Rushen, sound designer Amoirie Perteet, projection designer Alexander Hill, intimacy coordinator Vik Abbott-Main and stage manager Jason Hindelang. Casting is by Kelly Gillespie, CSA and Caparelliotis Casting.
Playwright Chess Jakobs is a North American writer and environmental social scientist whose debut play, The American Five, won the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play and received eight additional Helen Hayes Award nominations following its production at Ford’s Theatre. Their work has been developed and produced by organizations including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Olney Theatre Center and Alliance Theatre. Across their body of work, Jakobs explores hidden histories, environmental issues and the complexities of human nature.
For more information, visit berkshiretheatregroup.org.
Tickets for
The American Five
are available by calling the BTG Box Office at (413) 997-4444 or visiting BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.
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. Each year, BTG produces and presents performances to over 68,000 attendees and, through its Education Program, serves over 10,000 Berkshire County school children annually. BTG is proud to offer the only approved curriculum-based theatre educational programming of its kind in the region, integrating the arts directly into classroom learning and enriching students’ academic and creative development.
In July 2020, Berkshire Theatre Group 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.
In 2028, Berkshire Theatre Group will celebrate 100 years of theatre.
