• about/mission
• history
• letter from kate
• chronology
• board of trustees
• staff

history

Founded in 1928, Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest professional regional theatre in the United States and the longest-running cultural organization in the Berkshires. Originally the Berkshire Playhouse, the theatre has grown into a six-month festival supporting professional performances on two stages, training for college-aged theatre artists, and year-round education programs for children.

The structure of the Berkshire Playhouse, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of the National Trust, was designed by Stanford White in 1888 as the Stockbridge Casino. When the once thriving social center fell into disuse, it was purchased by wealthy Stockbridge resident Mabel Choate who, in turn, sold the building for $1 on the condition that it be relocated on new property. This acquistion, as well as the move across town by horse-drawn carriage, was undertaken by the Three Arts Society, a committee created for the sole purpose of converting the casino into a professional theatre.

On June 4, 1928, the building’s conversion into a proscenium theatre was completed with the opening of The Cradle Song starring Eva LeGallienne. Over the next decade, the Berkshire Playhouse presented new works and revivals from both American and European playwrights under the leadership of Alex Kirkland and F. Cowles Strickland — who in their second season started a theatrical school that began BTF’s commitment to developing future theatre professionals. In 1934, the theatre’s search for new direction led to Billy Miles. In addition to mounting successful productions with known stars and a talented stock company, Miles was responsible for a number of institutional improvements, including expanded advertising and the installation of an air-cooling system in the theatre.

In 1967, the Three Arts Society was resolved and the theatre was incorporated as a non-profit under the guidance of Board President William Gibson, Artistic Director George Tabori, and later Peter Cookson and Arthur Penn. Over the next few years, BTF underwent a dynamic change in programming: traditional musicals were abandoned in favor of bolder works featuring relatively unknown, but rising, young actors like Al Pacino, Frank Langella, and Anne Jackson. Despite, or perhaps due to, the theatre’s success in those years (which included developing a loyal audience base and producing several on and off-Broadway transfers) by the time Josephine Abady was named artistic director in 1979, BTF had been through 18 producers in almost as many seasons.

As director, Abady was responsible for instituting outreach programs in area schools, as well as acquiring BTF’s Lavan Campus, a property that now houses over 80 interns and acting apprentices each season and provides rehearsal space and classrooms. In terms of programming, Abady’s nine-year tenure included only works by American authors, featuring both premieres and revivals by playwrights such as Sondheim, Miller, Durang, and Albee. However, when Dick Dunlap was named Artistic Director in 1987, this exclusive fare was abandoned; the works of European playwrights were reintroduced and musicals (namely Cowgirls, which was produced under Arthur Storch and enjoyed an off-Broadway run) were again considered season staples. While BTF continued to mount high quality productions during this time, the succession of three more artistic directors from 1987-1997 led to a period of artistic turmoil

The addition of the 122-seat Unicorn Theatre in 1996 marked a turning point for the festival. The intimate second stage, intended to nurture emerging artists and theatrical ideas, provided the opportunity to return to the innovative fare of the early 70s and at the same time continue to cultivate more traditional theatre on the Main Stage. In 1997, after the Unicorn’s inaugural season, the task of excerising the flexibility and freedom of expression allowed by two separate stages fell to newly-named Executive Director Kate Maguire. Under her leadership, BTF saw the greatest period of growth in the organization’s history. The school outreach programs begun in 1980 evolved into BTF PLAYS!, the educational branch of the organization that now reaches 10,000 children every year through artist residency and touring programs; relationships were established with reputable universities like Greensboro College, Centre College, and Brandeis University to enhance the acting apprentice and intern program in place since 1929; and the festival’s season expanded beyond the summer months into the fall and winter.

Currently, Berkshire Theatre Festival sits poised to enter the next decade of its long life as a premiere cultural institution. Plans are underway for further renovations and artistic developments in order to better serve the community of patrons, students, and artists who continue to support and be supported by BTF. As Berkshire Theatre Festival embarks on these endeavors, it will remain, as always, dedicated to its history, committed to education, and focused on the future of American theatre