Berkshire Theatre Group Presents: The Made in the Berkshires Festival

Made in the Berkshires celebrates the creativity that is replete in the beautiful Berkshires. Showcasing the best of new plays, new literature and new music, Made in the Berkshires is not to be missed! Sponsors of this event are Morris House Antiques & Interiors, LLC, Wandering Star Handcraft Brewery, Kate Baldwin Food and Berkshire Mountain Distillers.

October 14-October 16 and October 21-October 23.
Tickets for the event are $15 for individual sessions, $50 for the Opening Night performance and party on October 14, $100 for an All Access Pass and $150 for a VIP All Access Pass. Tickets may be purchased at the Colonial Ticket Office. Contact the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org. The Ticket Offices are open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.

Made in the Berkshires, a brand new original works festival, will take place this October at both the Colonial as well as the Unicorn Theatre at BTF. It will feature cutting-edge theatrical works, live music, film, short stories and dance in a festival atmosphere like no other. New and innovative pieces will be created and presented by local Berkshire County playwrights, actors, directors and performers. Broken up into two hour blocks, Made in the Berkshires will allow audiences to enjoy the breadth and depth of the artistic talent that has landed in Berkshire County while celebrating the best in the visual and performing arts. The festival will be curated by Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims, two local artists who have helped create the rich cultural tapestry that permeates the Berkshires.

The opening night of October 14 will bring a large celebration of Berkshire Talent to the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield. In the lobby patrons will encounter the stunning visual art of Bart Arnold, Susan Dibble, Kinney Frelinghuysen, Pat Hogan, Cynthia Wick, Michael Boroniec, Nick Mongiardo, Chris Hogan and an inspiring independent film by Autumn Doyle. Beginning at 7:30pm with an introduction by Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire, the night will feature Concerto for Highland Bagpipe and Virtual Orchestra composed by Peter Taussig and performed by Nancy Tunnicliffe, a short film entitled Jay at Hatchery Hill by Sanjiban Sellew, the short film A Brief Visual Berkshire Rave by Joe Wheaton and Anne G. Fredericks, a dance entitled RAIN choreographed by Anni Crofut, followed by readings from Indium Blues and Notes from the Seventh Decade by poet Elizabeth Elliot, a short scene entitled Again With the Rhapsody Oscar by Daniel Klein, music by Robert and Katherine Oakes, the short plays A Headlong Act of Love by Richard Berlin and Feathertop by Nicki Wilson and Andrew Joffe, music from the original play Viva La Diva by Bobby Houston and Randy Courts and finally a performance by aerial performer Abigail Elwood accompanied by beat boxer Simeon Bittman. All of this excitement will be followed by an opening night party at The Colonial featuring hand crafted beers, local spirits and Berkshire tastes.

On October 15 at the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge, a variety of new and innovative written works will be shown throughout the day. At 1pm The Last Tree on Easter Island by Sean McHugh will be presented. This new play presents a wonderfully satirical look at the politics of big business versus the environment and is guaranteed to make you laugh and simultaneously reflect. Between 4pm and 5:15pm the short story Coming Home by Mary Mott, the short play Invasive Species by David Scribner, the short story King Toot by David Anderegg, the short play Alice's Profile by Maria Nation and the short stories, Jacob's Vessel, The Nut Game by Larry Robbins and Memory in Bones by Sanjiban Sellew will all be read aloud. Finally at 7pm Birthday Boy by Chris Newbound will be presented. Birthday Boy is a World Premiere that BTG is excited to bring back to the Unicorn stage. As Matt nears his fortieth birthday, he finds himself at a crossroads in his life. His wife Arianne wants to take a mud season vacation to Vermont. His job is safe, though far from stimulating. When he begins a flirtation with a comely colleague he finds himself discovering just how absurd everyday life can be. This world premiere work provides a comic look at marriage, life and growing older.

On October 16 at the Colonial Theatre from 1pm to 2:30pm a variety of poetry and dance will grace the stage. This compilation of words and movement will enchant and intrigue audiences. The poetry to be featured will be Moving the Brook and Rabbits by Dennis Pollock, My Mother was Superstitious, Love Poem 137, How to Resuscitate a Bird and Ghazal by Michelle Gillett and Sad Cave Resplendent, I just Want to Say Hi and We Will Find a Way by Poncho Pelligrosso. The featured dances are Lift Ev'ry Voice, Wired, Django by Olga Dunn, The Queen Years choreographed by Anni Crofut and Melting Pot, an excerpt from One Potato, Two Potato choreographed by Dawn Lane. Later between 4pm and 5:30pm Made in the Berkshires will feature the best of young talent with music by Chris Considine the film Bonding by Nannina Gilder, the short play The Life Logic of Mr Lampilla by Tadd Gero, the film Live out Loud by Jennifer Gomez, the film Sound of Snow by Autumn Doyle and a rap performance by Antonio Maclellan. Finally from 7pm to 9pm at the Colonial Paul Green's The Jewish Jazz Project, Divinitress with Erin Laundry and Tristrya Hamilton, Billy G and the Bluenotes and Dave Bacon will take the stage and finish the day off in musical style.

On October 21 at the Unicorn Theatre from 1pm to 3pm the play The Cuckoo's Egg by Emily Fulop will be performed. The female cuckoo places her eggs in the nests of other, unknowing birds, leaving her young to be raised by the "foster parents" - but will it work for humans as well? In the evening between 7pm and 9pm come see these new cutting edge works, The Life Logic of Mr. Lampilla by Tadd Gero, habitat (de) fragmentation by Stefanie Weber and the Creatures of Habitat Physical Poetry Performance Project, The Memory of Bones by Sanjiban Sellew, Dark Meat on a Funny Mind by Wesley Brown and Lucia by Frances Benn Hall. You won't want to miss the best of innovative art in the Berkshires.

On October 22 at the Colonial Theatre at 2pm the premiere of the full length play Make Sure It's Me by Kate Wenner will be performed. In this compelling new play, award winning producer Kate Wenner explores what happens to those soldiers who are not killed outright or outwardly injured in the Iraq war, but who are exposed to intense IED blasts over and over again. This powerful event will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jim Frangione. At 8pm at the Unicorn Theatre the full length play Viva La Diva by Bobby Houston and Randy Courts will be shown. This exuberant, rollicking musical from Oscar winner Bobby Houston follows the lives of Lolita and her family of drag queens and cabaret stars as they live and love "underground" in Castro's Cuba! These two plays by Berkshires locals are shining examples of the talents of Western MA and should not be missed.

Finally, on October 23 in the Unicorn Theatre Viva La Diva will take the stage again at 2pm, followed by a closing night party with Joe Wheaton and Anne G. Fredericks' images and music entitled, A Brief Visual Berkshire Rave.

An exciting, jam-packed festival of the Berkshires' best creative talent, Made in the Berkshires is a unique event that celebrates the artists that we know and love. This festival proves that you don't have to go to a museum to see great art or travel to New York City to see great theatre, often times it is your own neighbors who have the greatest hidden talents. Come support all that is Made in the Berkshires!