This course is offered online via the easy-to-use Zoom program.
In 2020, two Berkshire theatre companies were the first in the nation to safely offer live theatre in the pandemic: Berkshire Theatre Group (scene from their outdoor production of Godspell above) and Barrington Stage Company. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Berkshire County’s performing arts companies to continue to think creatively about how they will present performances this year. Join us for a series of conversations with noted performing arts directors and a final panel of critics. We’ll discuss how they're adapting to producing theatre and more inthe age of social distancing, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what's to come in the Berkshires this summer.
April 2, 1:30 pm:Barrington Stage Company Artistic Director Julianne Boyd
April 2, 2:15 pm:Berkshire Theatre Group Artistic Director & CEO Kate Maguire
April 9, 1:30 pm:Williamstown Theatre Festival Associate Artistic Director Laura Savia
April 9, 2:15 pm:Shakespeare & Company Artistic Director Allyn Burrows
April 16, 1:30 pm:Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge
April 16, 2:15 pm:Chester Theatre Company Producing Artistic Director Daniel Elihu Kramer
April 23, 1:30 pm:Bridge Street Theatre Artistic and Managing Director John Sowle
April 23, 2:15 pm:Berkshire Opera Festival Executive Director Abigail Rollins and Glory Denied Conductor Geoffrey Larson
April 30, 1:30 pm: Berkshire Critics Panel with Peter Bergman, Jeff Borak, Dan Dwyer, Macey Levin, Gloria Miller and Barbara Waldinger
Moderator Naomi Spatz is the co-founder of New York’s Golden Squirrel Theatre. She created “Teachers Night on Broadway “and “Kids Day on Broadway.” The arts run in the family as she is married to playwright and OLLI instructor Steven Somkin.
Moderator Barbara Waldinger holds aPh.D. in Theatre from City University of New York Graduate
Center; taught at Queens College, Hofstra University and Marymount
Manhattan; and has served as theArtistic Director of HRC Showcase Theatre in
Hudson, NY for 20 years. She is also a theatre critic and member of the Berkshire Theatre Critics'
Association, co-founder of OLLI's Performing
Arts Initiative and co-leader of OLLI's Playreading SIG.
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OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College Partners in education with Williams College, Bard College at Simon's Rock and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 1350 West Street | Pittsfield, MA 01201 | 413.236.2190 | olli@berkshirecc.edu