Frank Rich to Speak at The Colonial Theatre 10/9

Berkshire Theatre Group has announced that Frank Rich, a prolific and influential writer who's subject matter ranges from theatre to politics, will be speaking at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield on Sunday, October 9 at 2pm. This event is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. James W. Giddens and will be facilitated by WAMC's Joe Donahue.

Tickets are VIP: $100, A: $65, B: $45 and C: $15. The VIP tickets include preferred seating and a pre-show brunch with Frank Rich Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street or by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until intermission.

An intimate conversation with one of the pre-eminent commentators in the world, this afternoon with Frank Rich, facilitated by WAMC's Joe Donahue, is guaranteed to stimulate and delight. According to Kate Maguire, Artistic Director/CEO of Berkshire Theatre Group, "From his years as head drama critic and featured columnist for the New York Times to his current work with New York Magazine, Frank Rich has helped shape our view of arts, politics and world we share." Come out this Columbus Day weekend to hear a bestselling author, award-winning commentator and singular voice, all at the same time.

After having been named the chief theatre critic of The New York Times, Mr. Rich has been known as one of the most influential theatre critics. Beginning his theatrical criticism career early, Rich was known for being one of the first writers to predict the success of Follies by Stephen Sondheim during his time as an undergraduate. After such a spectacular beginning to his reviewing career, Rich spent many years reviewing theatre until eventually Hot Seat: Theater Criticism for The New York Times was published, which compiled a collection of his theatre reviews. Rich's love of criticism came from an undeniable love of theatre and the possession of an incredibly analytical mind. He once said that "The lowest form of criticism-actually worthless, in my opinion-is, ‘I give this an A or an F, or I give this four stars. What matters is making the case for why Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George is a visionary show...The easy part is having the opinion. The fun part is telling the story of how you got there."

Now an Op-Ed columnist, Rich focuses on the connection between culture and the news. In 1999 he was the first writer for the New York Times to have a regular double-length column in the Op-Ed section. Rich's strong opinions on politics and culture have been a delight for readers across the country. After years of discouraging wars and disheartening terrorist attacks, Rich, still always strives to express the truth in his writing, "I have to hope that given the price we've paid in Iraq, as a society we're going to learn something from this. With the world a more dangerous place than ever, and after the wreckage of the Bush years, America has got to get its act together and address these problems. If we can't agree on what the facts are, then we have no hope. We need to distinguish between facts and showmanship, facts and propaganda."

Before the New York Times, Mr. Rich was a critic of film and television for Time Magazine and the New York Post. In addition to working for the news world, Frank Rich has also dabbled in literature. Ghost Light, his childhood memoir, was published in 2000 and recently the film rights to the story were bought by Storyline Entertainment. In Ghost Light Rich explores his childhood in Washington DC, the influence that his parents' divorce had on him and the refuge that theatre provided. Later he wrote The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina which chronicled his views on the Bush administration and the misinformation that was given to the American Public. The master of mixing entertainment and politics, you won't want to miss this literary tycoon.

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. Having united in November of 2010 under the helm of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, these two institutions are providing the Berkshires and beyond with the finest in live theatre, music, dance and the visual arts on three stages in Stockbridge, MA and Pittsfield, MA. The Fitzpatrick Main Stage (408 seats), cataloged by the National Register of Historic Places, was originally designed and built by Stanford White as the Stockbridge Casino in 1888. The intimate Unicorn Theatre (122 seats) is a home for emerging artists and new theatrical ideas. The Colonial in Pittsfield (800 seats) re-opened in August of 2006, following a $21 million restoration, and boasts pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state-of-the-art technical systems. Together they serve over 100,000 patrons per year and reach over 10,000 students through their educational and outreach programs. For more information on BTF call (413) 298-5536 and on The Colonial call (413) 448-8084. To purchase tickets, call (413) 997-4444 or (413) 298-5576 or go online to www.berkshiretheatre.org or www.thecolonialtheatre.org.

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