Michele Weathers Joins Barrington Stage Company as Managing Director

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director JuliAnne Boyd, announced today that Michele Weathers will assume the role of Managing Director of Barrington Stage Company beginning March 13, 2017.

Current Managing Director TriStan Wilson departs the company in May after the completion of the renovation of the theatre's new home at the Wolfson Center, 122 North Street.

Weathers comes to Barrington Stage Company from PlayMakers Repertory Company, having recently served as the theatre's Interim Managing Director under the leadership of Joseph Haj and Vivienne Benesch.

In New York, she was the Assistant General Manager for the Off-Broadway production of In The Heights and also served on the management teams at Barrow Street Theatre for its production of Austin Pendleton's Orson's Shadow and at Stuart Thompson Productions on Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter. For 13 years, Michele served as the Associate Producer for North Carolina Theatre working closely with its founder, DeAnn S. Jones. Michele has held leadership positions at Theatre Raleigh (Artistic Director, Lauren Kennedy) and Carolina Ballet (Artistic Director, Robert Weiss).

"I am honored and thrilled to join the Barrington Stage family and humbled to work alongside JuliAnne Boyd, the staff and Board of Directors for the continued success and growth of the theatre," said Weathers. "Barrington Stage Company's rich history of artistic excellence, new work development, arts education and community engagement is inspirational. I look forward to contributing meaningfully as Barrington Stage enters into the next phase of its journey."

"I am looking forward to partnering with Michele as we continue our growth in serving the community and doing top-notch plays and musicals. I also want to thank Tristan for an amazing 9 years of dedication to our theatre and to the community," said JuliAnne Boyd, Artistic Director.

The recently announced 2017 season at BSC will include Kunstler, by Jefferson Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Jeffrey Sweet (Flyovers), directed by Meagen Fay (Second City in Chicago), and starring Jeff McCarthy (Broadway's Chicago, BSC's Broadway BounTy Hunter); a production of The Birds by Conor McPherson, directed by BSC Artistic Director JuliAnne Boyd (BSC's Broadway BounTy Hunter, American Son); a new production of Ragtime, directed by Helen Hayes Award winner Joe Calarco (The Burnt Part Boys, Shakespeare's R&J), with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty; and the laugh-out-loud but rarely staged comedy, Taking Steps, by Olivier and Tony Award winner Alan Ayckbourn (The Norman Conquests) in a new production from Tony Award nominated director Sam Buntrock (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George).

The 2017 season will continue with This, by Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson ("House of Cards") and directed by Christopher Innvar (BSC's The Other Place); Company, with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, choreographed by Jeffrey Page (BSC's Broadway BounTy Hunter) and directed by JuliAnne Boyd, and Gaslight (Angel Street) by PatRick Hamilton.

One additional production for the St. Germain Stage will be announced shortly, along with casting, creative team and full performance schedules. Single tickets for the 2017 season go on sale in March.

Barrington Stage Company is a professional award-winning Equity regional theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield, MA. It was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director JuliAnne Boyd and has a three-fold mission: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways of bringing new audiences into the theatre-especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin's musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which later transferred to Broadway, where it won two Tony Awards. In 2009, Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session ran more than ten weeks on Stage 2 and later moved Off-Broadway and played for two years. St. Germain's Becoming Dr. Ruth (which premiered at BSC as Dr. Ruth, All the Way in 2012) played Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in fall 2013. BSC's all-time record-breaking musical, On the Town was originally produced at BSC in 2013. In 2014, it opened on Broadway with BSC as a co-producer, where it was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. In 2016, Barrington Stage swept the? first Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards by winning 20 out of the 25 awards. In 2016, BSC produced three World Premieres; Presto Change-O, Broadway BounTy Hunter, and American Son, which won the Laurents/Hatcher Award for Best New Play. For more information, visit www.barringtonstageco.org.