Summer theater stages will be busy with a wide variety of programming.
"Love's Labours Lost" will be performed at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox from June 22 though Sept. 1. The chills of “Dracula” at Williamstown, the classic “The Iliad” at Chester Theatre Co., the laughs of “Lend Me A Tenor” at New Century Theatre – truly there is something for everyone this summer.
Summer theater stages will be busy with a wide variety of programming. Here are some of the highlights:
Barrington Stage Company
Boyd-Quinson Mainstage at 30 Union St., Pittsfield; St. Germain Stage and Mr. Finn’s Cabaret at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden St., and Youth Theatre at Berkshire Museum, 39 South St., both in Pittsfield; (413) 236-8888 or visit www.barringtonstageco.org
Boyd-Quinson Mainstage
“On the Town,” music by Leonard Bernstein, book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on an idea by Jerome Robbins, June 12-July 13
“The Chosen,” adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from the novel by Chaim Potok, July 18-Aug. 3
“Much Ado About Nothing,” by William Shakespeare, Aug. 8-25
“Clybourne Park,” by Bruce Norris, Sept. 26-Oct. 13
St. Germain Stage
“Bashir Lazhar,” by Evelyn de la Cheneliere, May 22-June 8
“Muckrakers,” by Zayd Dohrn, June 13-July 6
“Southern Comfort,” book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis, July 19-Aug. 10
“Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah,” by Mark St. Germain, Aug. 15-Sept. 29
Youth Theatre
“Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.,” music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, book by Doug Wright, July 24-Aug. 11
Special Events
“Possibilities,” starring Linda Lavin, Boyd-Quinson Main Stage, July 8
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” Boyd-Quinson Main Stage, Aug. 12
“Enuf! Westside Community Arts Project, St. Germain Stage, Aug. 19
“Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know, But Should”….featuring Tony Award-winner William Finn, Boyd-Quinson Main Stage, Aug. 30-31
Staged reading of “Dancing Lessons,” by Mark St. Germain, Boyd-Quinson Main Stage, Sept. 1
Mr. Finn’s Cabaret
“We Made That: The Songs of Miller & Tysen,” June 1-2
Tonya Pinkins in “The Life and Times of Ethel Waters,” June 8-9
Up Close with the Cast of “On the Town,” June 28
Paul Green and the Jewish Jazz Project, June 30 and July 1
“ Mr. Finn and His All-Star Songwriters Take #1,” July 6-7
“Musical Theatre Apprentice Cabaret,” July 9
“Sibling Rivalry” with the Callaway Sisters, July 14-15
“Gutless & Grateful: A Musical Feast,” July 16
Joe Iconis & Family, July 27-28
Up Close with the Cast of “Southern Comfort,” Aug. 3
“ Mr. Finn and His All-Star Songwriters Take #2,” Aug. 9-10
“Musical Theatre Apprentices: 10-Minute Musicals,” August 17-18
“The Coolest Nerds in Town,” Aug. 25
“Love & Take Out,” Sept. 21-22
Berkshire Theatre Group
Fitzpatrick Main Stage, BTG Campus, 6 East St., Stockbridge; Unicorn Theatre, BTG Campus, 6 East St., Stockbridge; Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield; and the Neil Ellenoff Stage, BTG Campus, 6 East St., Stockbridge; for BTG Stockbridge ticket office call (413) 298-5576 and for Colonial ticket office call (413) 997-4444, or visit www.berkshiretheatregroup.org
Fitzpatrick Main Stage
“The Lion in Winter,” by James Goldman, June 29-July 13
“Same Time, Next Year,” by Bernard Slade, July 25-Aug. 10
“Anna Christie,” by Eugene O’Neill, Aug 24-31
Unicorn Theatre
“The Jewish Jester: A Fable with Music,” by Daniel Klein, presented by New Stage Performing Arts, music by Jesse Putnam, May 9- 26
“Extremities,” by William Mastrosimone, July 13-27
“The Cat and the Canary,” by John Willard, Aug. 3-24
“Mary and Edith: Musings by Women a Century Apart,” with Kate Maguire, Mary Mott and Kim Taylor in stories by Mary Mott and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Edith Wharton, Oct. 4-20
Colonial Theatre
“Oklahoma!” music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, July 6-20
“Peter Pan,” the 8th Annual BTG Children’s Theatre Production, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne, a musical based on the play by James M. Barie, Aug. 8-18
The Neil Ellenoff Stage
“Just So Stories,” by Rudyard Kipling, July 18-Aug. 10
Chester Theatre Company
Chester Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Rd., Chester; (413) 354-7771 or visit www.chestertheatre.org
“Arms On Fire,” world premiere, by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, June 26-July 7
“Tryst,” by Karoline Leach, July 11-21
“Body Awareness,” by Annie Baker, July 31-Aug. 11
“An Iliad,” regional premiere, by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s “The Iliad,” Aug. 15-25
Hampshire Shakespeare Company
Outdoors at the Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies, 650 East Pleasant St., Amherst; www.hampshireshakespeare.org
“Much Ado About Nothing,” July 31-Aug. 11
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (abridged), by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, Aug. 14-25
Hampshire Shakespeare Young Company’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” July 19-21
Ko Festival of Performance
Unless otherwise indicated, are in Amherst College’s Holden Theatre off South Pleasant Street, Amherst; (413) 542-3750 starting July 1 or before that at (413) 427-6147 or visit www.kofest.com
“Just Kids,” featuring Sean Christopher Lewis, July 5-7
“Spaceman,” by Leegrid Stevens, performed by Erin Treadway, July 12-14
“Taliesin,” presented by Mettawee River Theatre Company, July 14
“The Burnin’” performed by Progress Theater, July 19-21
“Conversations with My Molester: A Journey of Faith,”presented by Michael Mack, July 26-28
KoFest Story Slam and Party, July 28
“Meditations from A Garden Seat,” presented by the Judy Dworin Performance Project,” Aug 2-4
New Century Theatre
All performances held in Theatre 14, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Smith College, Green Street, Northampton; (413) 585-3220 or visit www.newcenturytheatre.org
“Lend Me A Tenor” by Ken Ludwig, directed by Jack Neary, June 13-22
“The Sunset Limited,” by Cormac McCarthy, directed by Sheila Siragusa, June 27-July 6
“Good People” by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Sam Rush, July 11-20
“God of Carnage,” by Yasmina Reza, directed by Ed Golden, July 25-Aug 3
Paintbox Theater
“Little Red Riding Hood,” July 3-6
“Once Upon A Cool Motorcycle Dude,” July 17-20
“King Kong, Jr.,” July 31-Aug. 3
Shakespeare & Company
70 Kemble Street, Lenox; (413) 637-3353 or visit www.shakespeare.org
Founders’ Theatre
“Love’s Labour’s Lost,” by William Shakespeare, June 22-Sept. 1
“Richard II,” by William Shakespeare, July 5-21
“Mother Courage and Her Children,” by Bertolt Brecht,” featuring Olympia Dukakis, Apollo Dukakis, and John Douglas Thompson, July 26-Aug. 25
Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
“Master Class,” by Terrence McNally, May 24-Aug. 18
“Heroes,” by Gerald Sibleyras, June 13-Sept 1
“None but the Lonely Heart: The Strange Story of Tchaikovsky and Madame von Meck,” by Eve Wolf, a production of Ensemble for the Romantic Century, July 18-Aug. 3
“The Beauty Queen of Leeane, by Martin McDonagh, Aug. 8-Sept. 15
Outdoor tented Rose Footprint
“Les Faux Pas: or The Counter Plots,” by Moliere, adapted by Jenna Ware, June 26-Aug. 24
Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williams College, 1000 Main St. on Route 2, Williamstown; (413) 597-3400 or visit www.wtfestival.org
Main Stage
“Animal Crackers,” by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, music and lyrics by Bert Kalmar, June 26-July14
“Pygmalion,” by George Bernard Shaw, July 17-27
“The Bridges of Madison County,” book by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, Aug. 1-18
Nikos Stage
“American Hero,” by Bess Wohl, June 26-July 7
“Hapgood,” by Tom Stoppard, July 10-21
“Johnny Baseball,” book by Richard Dresser, music by Robert Reale and lyrics by Willie Reale, July 24-Aug. 3
“Blood Play,” by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen, Aug. 7-18
Additional Festival Activities
“Dracula or, The Un-Dead,” adapted by Steve Lawson from the novel by Bram Stoker, outdoors at Poker Flats Field, July 10-13 and 16-19
“My Fair Lewis,” an evening of stand-up with Lewis Black, Main Stage, July 22
“Scott and Zelda,” a staged reading by Kay Cattarulla, Main Stage, July 1