Great Barrington Public Theater’s mission is the development and production of new plays with a focus on playwrights and theater artists living in and nearby the Berkshires of Western MA. Tickets are affordable to all.

HISTORY

Great Barrington Public Theater was established in 2019 to create opportunities for theater artists and theater lovers in the Berkshires. We spotlight the many top playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and technicians in our towns and neighboring areas. We present compelling, provocative new plays that leap off the stage, throughout the summer—in the 300-seat McConnell Theater and intimate Liebowitz Black Box, in the state-of-the-art Daniel Arts Center, on the campus of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and throughout the year at Saint James Place, both located in Great Barrington, MA . Tickets prices are always affordable!

You can see our Production History here

The Beginning

In 2018, Deann Simmons Halper and Jim Frangione took the initiative to launch a new theater company in the Southern Berkshires. For more than ten years Frangione had served as a co-artistic director with the Berkshire Playwrights Lab, where he and his colleagues developed and shepherded readings of new plays at the Mahaiwe Center for the Performing Arts in Great Barrington. Halper had been a member of the board of the Lab. Together, they decided to launch a new theater, located in Great Barrington, and with the mission to develop and produce new plays while also drawing on the wealth of local talent in the greater Berkshire region.

2019

In June of 2019, the newly formed Great Barrington Public Theater ushered in its first season of presenting both plays and readings. GB Public Theater established a summer home for itself at the Daniel Arts Center, a the state-of-the-art, two-theater complex on the campus of Bard College at Simon’ Rock. And, at Saint James Place in downtown Great Barrington, GB Public Theater found space for its company office and additional performances and events. That first season saw a modest but optimistic beginning, with one full production on the Daniel Arts Center mainstage, Breakwater, written by Jim Frangione and directed by the Berkshire’s own Kelly Galvin, featuring a cast of local acting stalwarts including Ryan Winkles, Anne Undeland, David Joseph, Leigh Strimbeck and starring regional newcomer Raya Malcolm.

Breakwater was followed with a reading series of new plays by local playwrights—also at Simon’s Rock: Dark Meat on a Funny Mind by author and Simon’s Rock faculty member Wesley Brown, There Are No Words by Andrew R. Reynolds, Bollywood 9/10 by Lonnie Carter, I’m Dying Up Here, by Danny Klein.

It was an auspicious beginning for a young theater, at a beautiful and comfortable performance venue that Berkshire audiences were not yet familiar with but have since come to enjoy.

2020

The following year, 2020, of course brought with it the Pandemic and the shuttering of theaters across the country. But GB Public Theater didn’t hibernate. Instead, it helped facilitate the creation of highly successful scrips by local writers—self-filmed stories and monologues, combined into a single digital production: Bear Tales: Six Feet Apart featured many local writers filming themselves remotely and performing their own material, including: Carl Sprague, Jessica Provenz, Anne Undeland, Andrew Reynolds, Alexandra Angeloch, Michael Brady, Cindy L. Parrish and Will LeBow.

In addition, GB Public Theater produced the remotely-filmed world premiere production of a new play written by David Mamet: 4 American Women consisting of four solo performances, featuring actresses Rebecca Pidgeon (playing two roles), Heidi Sulzman and Yolonda Ross. 

Also that year, in collaboration with Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative, GB Public Theater produced: Berkshire Outdoor Shorts—three short films all shot locally with local area writers, casts and crews and co-directed and co-produced by BFMC’s Diane Pearlman and GBPT’s Jim Frangione. These solo films included: The Reject, written by Mark St. Germain and featured a cast that included both St. Germain and his son Daniel St. Germain, in the satirical UFO film with special effects by Sheffield’s own Ben Hillman; Almost You, Leigh Strimbeck’s solo film starring Anne Undeland, about an ominous meeting in the woods; King Corona, Steve Otfinoski’s solo pandemic-themed film starring Christopher Brophy. Both Bear Tales: Six Feet Apart and Berkshire Outdoor Shorts are streamed free of charge to the public.

2021

In 2021, GB Public Theater’s support grew, as we added two board members, Adam La Faci and Susan Weekes Roeder. This Board ushered in the theater’s first period of financial growth (Ms. Weekes Roeder is currently GB Public Theater’s board president). GB Public Theater also had the good fortune to bring on Managing Director Tristan Wilson, whom Frangione and Halper had worked with prior. Wilson has adeptly worn many hats as Managing Director—Production Manager, Company Manager, General Manager—to name but a few!  

Jim Frangione, Deann Simons Halpner and Tristan Wilson

GB Public Theater ramped up its offerings that year to present three full premiere productions: Mr. Fullerton, the Edith Wharton-themed world premiere, written by local playwright Anne Undeland, was the first production of the season and was hugely successful. Mr. Fullerton starred area actors Marcus Kearns, Myka Plunkett, Glenn Barrett, Dana M. Harrison, and was directed by Judy Braha. (Braha is now GB Public Theater’s Associate Artistic Director); Dad, Mark St. Germain’s autobiographical play premiered with actors Mark H. Dold, Peggy Pharr Wilson, Jim Frangione and David Smilow; The Christopher Boy’s Communion, by David Mamet, capped the season. GB Public Theater was honored to showcase the east coast premiere of this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright—again starring Berkshire actors David Adkins, Will LeBow, Kevin O’Rourke, Diane Prusha, Monk Schane-Lydon and starring Keira Naughton. Communion was directed by Jim Frangione. 

The 2021 season also saw a continuation of our reading series, featuring: The Queen of Fenway Court, Leigh Strimbeck’s bio-play about Isabella Stuart Gardner; GRANT: An Evening with the General by actor and playwright Treat Williams; Queen of the Sea, a new play by Michael Brady. 

By this point, actor/producer and area resident David Valcin had joined the GBPT board of directors, adding additional theatrical experience to our leadership team.

2022

Following up on the company’s first multiple-production season, 2022 saw further expansion of the GB Public Theater’s offerings and audience expansion. The theater presented six productions, including our first Solo Festival, featuring four world premieres, showcasing Berkshire regional talent: The Shot, starring Emmy Award-nominated Sharon Lawrence as Katharine Graham, written by Robin Gerber, and directed by the Michelle Joyner. The Shot was subsequently produced at the NYC Solo Festival and several other regional theaters. Grief, the Comedy, Alison Larkin’s comedic, autobiographical play, directed by James Warwick. Grief was subsequently produced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is currently touring the UK. Leave Your Fears Here, actor/playwright James Morrison’s heartfelt play, directed by Robert Egan. This play has received several west coast productions since premiering at GB Public Theater. The Bard The Beat The Blues, Will Lebow’s touching memoir play with original music, directed by Frangione.

The Solo Festival was followed by two mainstage ensemble productions: Public Speaking 101, the world premiere of Mark St. Germain’s new comedy, starring Peggy Pharr Wilson, David Smilow, Nathan Hinton, Rachel Burttram and Brendan Powers, directed by Frangione. Things I Know to Be True, Andrew Bovell’s compelling family drama, directed by Judy Braha, starring Jo Michael Rezes, Raya Malcolm, David Keohane, Liz Hayes, John Wojda and Corinna May. This play was subsequently produced internationally and was filmed for production starring Nicole Kidman for Australian TV.

During the 2022 season, GB Public Theater was fortunate to have Judy Braha, whose talent and creative vision had been glaringly evident over the past two seasons, join the team as Associate Artistic Director of GB Public Theater, filling out the company’s leadership team.

That same year, 2022, GB Public Theater deepened and expanded our relationship the local playwright’s support group, Berkshire Voices. Begun in 2017 by Michael Brady & Frangione. Berkshire Voices is now GB Public Theater’s Signature Program, providing resources and mentoring to dozens of area playwrights. GB Public Theater is committed to sharing the work of the group with the Berkshire community by offering four free public new play readings per year (Dog People, one of the productions offered in 2024, was a product of this partnership with Berkshire Voices). 

At this stage, the board of the theater had grown to include supporting members Carolyn Kay Brancato, Marilyn (Mike) Faust, Jamie Shenkman and Dede Rothenberg, deepening its community roots and further strengthening its fiscal standing.

2023

The 2023 season began with GB Public Theater’s first annual benefit fundraiser, held in early June at Saint James Place. Offering a “Sneak Peek” into the 2024 summer season, it featured several scenes from plays to be produced later that summer.  The benefit celebrated the work of the theater’s longtime, dear friend Treat Williams (who died tragically not long afterwards) who gave a beautiful rendition of a scene from his play, GRANT: An Evening With the General, which had been slated for production. The benefit was a financial success for the theater as well as opportunity to bring our board and staff together with patrons, supporters, and our audience to help celebrate the success of the theater company and look ahead with great anticipation.

During the 2023 Summer Season, GBPT presented three premiere plays, including, The Stones, Kit Brookman’s new play (this was its U.S. premiere), starring Berkshire favorite Ryan Winkles and directed by Michelle Joyner. Off Peak, Cape Cod playwright Brenda Withers’ new, two-character comedy, starring Berkshire standouts Peggy Pharr Wilson and Kevin O’Rourke as one-time lovers who meet again years later, on a Metro North commuter rail. Directed by James Warwick, Off Peak was an audience and critic’s favorite, garnering great reviews and selling extremely well. It was subsequently produced at Shadowlands Theater in Ellenville, NY and elsewhere. Just Another Day, actor/playwright Dan Lauria’s world premiere play, starring Lauria and actress Jodi Long, closed out the season. This was a co-production with Shadowland Stages in Ellenville and subsequently received a production in New York City.

The Fall of 2023 also saw the beginning of a pilot program the theater will continue, called Conversations With. Playing to packed houses, these engaging conversations brought theater luminaries to Saint James Place for discussions with GB Public Theater’s artistic leadership. These included: Neil Pepe, Artistic Director of NY’s Atlantic Theater Company—on the process of moving shows to Broadway, what’s in development at the Atlantic, and how Atlantic picks their season. Jeff Zinn, host of the podcast, Gurus: The Story of Acting from Stanislavsky to Succession. Zinn gave discussed the history of the craft of acting, featuring the work of the great acting teachers, including Stanislavsky, Michael Chekhov, and many others. Forum with Local Berkshire Theater Artists brought many Berkshire artists together for a discussion moderated by Judy Braha about what makes a theatrically creative life in the Berkshires possible and how working with colleagues here creates joy in their lives. The panel of local artists featured director James Warwick, scenic designer Juliana Haubrich, actress Peggy Pharr Wilson, lighting designer Matthew Adelson, and playwrights Jessica Provenz, Anne Undeland, and Mark St. Germain. 

These conversations and post-show toasts raised the visibility of GB Public Theater during the off-season and made many new friends for the theater. 

Speaking of Ms. Undeland, her play-in-progress about Mozart’s wife, Constanze Mozart, currently titled, Madame Mozart, is being developed with director Judy Braha and is GBPT’s first commissioned project. Expect more news about this fascinating project. 

On the heels of our 2023 season, GBPT had the great good fortune to bring Serena Johnson onto the team as our new Director of Development. Johnson comes to our theater after having worked in the Los Angeles theater community. We are thrilled to have Serena now dedicated to GBPT’s fiscal growth. She’s already making her presence felt. 

Claire Rosenberg, Janet Lee, Catherine O’Dwyer and Karen Climo had all joined the GBPT board of directors by this point, further solidifying its community-oriented team of leaders to help grow the organization.

2024

Our 2024 Season started out with our biggest and best party yet! Our 2nd Annual Benefit at Simon’s Rock on June 7th was our most successful fundraiser by far! Featuring fabulous food, drinks, and music under a tent adjacent to the Daniel Arts Center, where the audience moved seamlessly onto the McConnell Mainstage for an amazing musical performance (and Speakeasy preview) by Janelle Farias Sando. The GB Public Theater’s new Black Bear Awards were handed out to Fred & Sally Harris—founders of Saint James Place, for their generosity, their devotion to the Theater, and to the arts in the Southern Berkshires, and for the spirit of community and generosity they bring to everything they do—and to our great friend, playwright and colleague Michael Brady—for his longtime dedication to Berkshire Voices. Auctioneer extraordinaire John Terrio brought his special talents to close out the event by getting many paddles raised in the air to secure much-needed funds for our first Berkshire Voices production. The evening was a huge success!

2024 was GB Public Theater’s most successful summer season to date, presenting three premiere productions at our home at Simon’s Rock, followed by a co-production with Shakespeare & Company at their campus in Lenox, MA.  Dog People, Leigh Strimbeck’s brilliant new comedy, was our first production. It received rave reviews with sold-out houses. Dog People starred local actors Chris Tucci and Sheila Bandyopadhyay, who played not only the humans but also their canine counterparts. It was directed by GBPT Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha. This was the first production developed and fully produced out of Berkshire Voices, the Theater’s signature new play development program. We are extremely proud of this production and its creators. Survival of the Unfit, by Oren Safdie, was presented on the mainstage at the Daniel Arts Center. It’s a brilliant new comedy and was expertly directed by Matthew Penn with a stellar cast, including Carolyn Hennesy, Daniel Gerroll, Vinny Randazzo and Williamstown’s Sarah Keyes. This edgy, mercilessly zany play about a meet-the-parents dinner party was our most successful production to date, receiving critical raves across the board and breaking our Theater’s box office records. Night at the Speakeasy, an original cabaret starring Janelle Farias Sando was directed by Wendy Welch. It featured back alley roaring twenties music where audiences, seated at cabaret tables on the stage of the McConnell, heard classics, new songs, and rarely heard jazz gems, all while sipping their favorite beverages.  Flight of the Monarch, our first co-production with our Lenox neighbors, Shakespeare & Company, closed out the season. Flight, written by Jim Frangione and directed by Judy Braha, delighted audiences in this two-character Cape Cod comedy, receiving rave reviews and playing to sold-out houses at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theater, in Lenox. Renowned Berkshire actors Allyn Burrows and Corinna May consistently received standing ovations for their moving portrayals as two siblings’ whose lifelong connections unravel when one loses their way.