Article by Dave Read
Barrington Stage Company 2014 schedule begins with the 10×10 New Play Festival running Feb. 13 through March 2, 2014. Plays on BSC’s Mainstage during the 2014 season are Kiss Me, Kate June 11 – July 12, Breaking the Code – July 17 – Aug 2, Dancing Lessons Aug. 7 – Aug 24, and An Enemy of the People – Oct. 2 – Oct 19.
Equity auditions for BSC’s 2014 season
Barring Stage will hold local Equity Principal Auditions for the musicals Kiss Me, Kate; The Golem of Havana, and Romance in Hard Times on February 20 from 1-6pm and for the plays The Other Place, Breaking the Code, Dancing Lessons, and An Enemy of the People on February 21 from 1-6pm. Non-Equity performers will also be seen. For audition information or to make an appointment call Greg Vyska at 413-499-5446.
10×10 New Play Festival Feb 13, 2014 – Mar 2, 2014
Titles, playwrights, and synopses for the New play festival at BSC. Performances are Thurs. Fri. and Sat. at 7:30pm, plus matinees on Sat. and Sun. at 3pm Tickets: $25 Thursday evenings, Sat/Sun matinees; $30 Friday/Saturday evenings; Low-Priced Preview performances on 2/13 and 2/14 are $15 for all tickets. All seating is reserved.
Man the Torpedoes by Suzanne Bradbeer.
Astronomer Henry Wallner would rather disappear into a black hole than do what he has to do today: have a tough talk with his new assistant Anita.
The Possethsion by Ron Burch
When Ted and Becky’s 12-year old daughter, Megan, becomes possessed by the demon Sethamungus, it’s up to them to try and free her from him.
Uh-Oh by John Cariani
Mary realizes that she is bored with the life she and her husband, Bill, have made together: it’s not at all what she hoped and dreamed. So she takes some…surprising action and nothing will ever be the same.
Debridement by Megan Dieterle
A doctor and a young woman recount one day in which their lives merge, only to find they have more in common than they thought.
New Year’s Eve by David MacGregor
It’s New Year’s Eve at the Parkview Retirement Home and the residents have gathered to bring in the New Year…at noon. While most of the retirees are happy with the festivities, one of their members is less than pleased.
Homeless Romantic by Scott McCarrey
Two vagrants meet on a city street at night, compare tales from itinerant lives, and share a dance.
Sweetheart Roland by James McLindon
A witch’s stepdaughter defeats her and marries her true sweetheart … well, after she figures out which of her sweethearts he is.
Lost and Found by Gwendolyn Rice
A middle-aged woman loses her car keys one morning and realizes that some things that are lost can never really be recovered.
I Love You by Lynn Rosen
A father and son long to say three little words to each other. But it’s hard when sober coaches, vegan muffins, and a lifetime of recrimination get in the way.
The Prompter by Jodi Rothe
A Picasso painting has a strong effect on a young make-up artist who tries to get on with her life after a harrowing encounter.
BSC Boyd-Quinson Mainstage calendar
Kiss Me, Kate – June 11 – July 12, 2014
The schedule for the Barrington Stage Company production of Kiss Me, Kate; Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Bella and Samuel Spewack:
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- Press opening is Sunday, June 15 at 5pm
- Tues/Wed at 7pm;
- Thurs-Sat at 8pm,
- Sun at 5pm,
- Wed/Fri matinees at 2pm (excluding June 13 & 18).
- Additional matinees Sat. 7/5 and 7/12 at 2pm.
- NB: 2pm performance (no 8pm) on Fri., July 4th.
Kiss Me, Kate tickets start at $20; Low Priced Previews June 11-13 are $15 & $20.
Kiss Me, Kate is about two couples who fool around and act out during a touring production of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. The play includes 18 Cole Porter songs (Porter lived in Williamstown, MA) Another Op’nin’, Another Show, So in Love, Always True to You in My Fashion, Too Darn Hot, and Brush Up Your Shakespeare.
Breaking the Code – July 17 – Aug 2, 2014
Breaking the Code is the life story of the famed mathematician and computer science pioneer Alan Turing, the primary designer of the Turing Machine, an early computer used to solve the German Enigma code during World War II, a solution many believe was instrumental in the Allied victory. The title refers to both the solution of the Enigma code and Turing’s open admission to his homosexuality, which at the time violated not only the codes of polite society but British law.
Breaking the Code starred Derek Jacobi on stage and screen in the role of Alan Turing. Following a London run in 1986, the play had its NY premiere November 15, 1987 at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre.
On December 23, 2013, Turing was given a posthumous royal pardon by Queen Elizabeth II.
- Press opening on Sunday, July 20 at 5pm
- Tues/Wed at 7pm;
- Thurs-Sat at 8pm;
- Sun at 5pm;
- Wed/Fri matinees at 2pm (excluding July 18);
- Add’l 2pm on Sat, Aug. 2
Dancing Lessons Aug. 7 – Aug 24, 2014
Barrington Stage presents Mark St. Germain’s world premiere comedy, Dancing Lessons, directed by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, starring John Cariani, with performances from August 7-24, 2014.
Dancing Lessons centers on a young man with Asperger’s syndrome, or high-functioning autism, as he tries to navigate a relationship with a Broadway dancer who has been idled by injuries.
- Press opening on Wednesday, August 13 at 7pm
- Tues/Wed at 7pm;
- Thurs-Sat at 8pm;
- Sun at 5pm;
- Wed/Fri matinees at 2pm (excluding Aug. 8 & 13)
An Enemy of the People – Oct. 2 – Oct 19, 2014
Barrington Stage presents An Enemy of the People, adapted in 1950 by Arthur Miller in response to McCarthyism, from Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play.
- Press opening on Sunday, October 5 at 3pm;
- Wed/Thurs at 7pm;
- Fri/Sat at 8pm,
- Sat/Sun at 3pm (excluding Oct. 4).
BSC St. Germain Stage calendar
The Other Place – May 21 – June 14, 2014
Barrington Stage opens the 2014 St. Germain Stage season with the Berkshire premiere of Sharr White’s The Other Place, directed by Christopher Innvar. The Other Place will be presented from May 21 – June 14 at the St. Germain Stage, with a press opening on Sunday, May 25 at 3pm.
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- Press opening on Sunday, May 25 at 3pm
- Tues-Sun 7:30pm;
- Sat 4pm (excluding May 24);
- Sun 3pm;
- Add’l matinee on Thurs, June 12 at 4pm
Working on A Special Day – June 18 – July 6, 2014
Based on Ettore Scola’s Academy Award nominated 1977 Italian film A Special Day, Working on A Special Day recreates the love story between a mysterious man and an overworked housewife in the heyday of Italian fascism. It is a production of The Play Company and Mexico City-based Por Piedad Teatro, and features Ana Graham and Antonio Vega, who also direct.
- Press opening Sunday, June 22 at 3pm
- Tues-Sun 7:30pm;
- Thurs 4pm (excluding 6/19);
- Sat 4pm;
- Sun 3pm.
- NB – 3pm performance (no 7:30pm) on Friday, July 4th
The Golem of Havana – July 17 – Aug. 9, 2014
From the Musical Theatre Lab…10th World Premiere Musical and William Finn to revisit musical
Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab presents its 10th world premiere musical, The Golem of Havana, with music by Salomon Lerner, lyrics by Len Schiff, with book and direction by Michel Hausmann. The play tells the story of a Hungarian-Jewish family living in Batista’s Havana on the brink of the Cuban Revolution.
- Tues-Sun 7:30pm;
- Thurs 4pm (excluding 7/17);
- Sat 4pm;
- Sun 3pm.
Romance in Hard Times – Aug 14 – Aug 31, 2014
Romance in Hard Times is set in a soup kitchen in the Depression. A pregnant woman refuses to give birth until she sees more hope in the world. Former socialites, unemployed actors, capitalists down on their luck, and Eleanor Roosevelt try to get through the Depression with some dignity intact. William Finn revisits his celebrated score, and along with his Spelling Bee collaborator, Rachel Sheinkin, reimagines the book for new hard times.
- Tues-Sun 7:30pm;
- Sat/Sun 3pm;
- Add’l matinee Thurs., Aug. 28 at 3pm
BSC’s Youth Theatre presents Hairspray JR. July 23 – August 10, 2014 at Berkshire Museum
Hairspray JR., based on the John Waters film and Tony Award-winning stage musical of the same name, features the popular songs You Can’t Stop the Beat and Good Morning Baltimore.
- Wed-Fri at 7pm;
- Wed/Thurs at 2pm;
- Sat at 12:30pm and 3:30pm;
- Sun at 2pm.
- Add’l matinee on Mon, July 28 at 1pm.
20 Seasons Anniversary Celebration – July 7, 2014
20 Seasons Anniversary Celebration includes a once-in-a-lifetime concert featuring songs from some of BSC’s most successful musical theatre productions and dinner & dancing under the tent outside the theatre.
Barrington Stage Company contact info.
- Mainstage: 30 Union Street
- BSC Stage 2: 36 Linden Street (Pittsfield VFW)
- Box Office: 413-236-8888