Beginnings of the Berkshire Theatre

Berkshire Playhouse circa 1930s.

The Berkshire Playhouse Blossoms

As we head into the ninetieth year of production, it is important to remember the storied beginnings of Berkshire Theatre Festival.  Eva Le Gallienne was integral to the creation of BTF as a champion and pioneer of regional theatre. Her company, the Civic Repertory Theatre, “laid the groundwork for [the] Off-Broadway and the regional theatre movement,” according to a December 1998 article from Playbill.

Eva Le Gallienne in The Cradle Song, 1928.Alexander Kirkland, part of the Civic Repertory Theatre, became the first artistic director of the Berkshire Playhouse and on June 4, 1928 the Playhouse opened its doors with Eva Le Gallienne in The Cradle Song (pictured to the left). Myriad productions followed, many including the brightest names of stage and screen, but the Fitzpatrick Main Stage began its days as The Stockbridge Casino, designed in 1887 by McKim, Mead, and White.

The Stockbridge Casino building was completed in 1888 and remained an important cultural center in Stockbridge until the 1920s. After the building began to fall into disrepair, Mabel Choate (daughter of Joseph Choate, one of the founders of the Stockbridge Casino Company) announced her plans to buy the Casino, dismantle it, and replace it with the Mission House, which she planned to transform into a museum.

Unwilling to let an historic building fall, Daniel Chester French, Austen Fox Riggs, and Walter L. Clark purchased the Casino building for one dollar and moved it to the foot of Yale Hill Road in 1927. The following year they formed The Three Arts Society, and Alexander Kirkland and F. Cowles Strickland became co-directors of the Berkshire Playhouse.

According to various newspaper accounts, the parking lot of the Playhouse was filled with limousines for its grand opening night. Despite this glamorous beginning, Berkshire Playhouse has always been more committed to community than profits. The Playhouse operated as a non-profit theatre even during the twenties and thirties as “at the end of each season, any profits are turned over to the Fine Arts building fund of Stockbridge,” according to an August 1930 article from Heart of the Berkshires. Kirkland and Strickland not only worked to better their community, they also brought in young theatre artists to cultivate.

A Star is Born

A headline from the Berkshire Eagle on June 24, 1933 announces the arrival of new Berkshire Playhouse apprentices.

From the first summer, Berkshire Playhouse employed students from Yale University to work as their production crew. According to Walter L. Clark’s memoir, Leaves from An Artist’s Memory, Professor Baker from Yale was “pleased to have his young men practice in the summer what he was training them to do in the winter” (260). The Acting Apprentice program, also called the “Junior Company,” was established in 1929, and by 1930 such performers as Jane Wyatt and Katharine Hepburn had joined. These programs still continue almost ninety years later.

The apprentices (around a dozen for the first few years, with one of the largest groups totaling 25) spent their days learning characterization, pantomime, voice, dancing, and fencing. As of 1931, apprentices performed student productions once every two weeks. These performances were open to the Playhouse company and invited guests. The performances were in addition to them attending all Playhouse performances. Pictured to the right: A headline from the Berkshire Eagle on June 24, 1933 announces the arrival of new Berkshire Playhouse apprentices.

Apprentices were sometimes offered small roles in summer subscription shows, which afforded them the opportunity to work alongside high-caliber professional actors. They were also expected to help create the scenery and costumes for each show as part of their “general application” training in theatre. Pictured below: a poster featuring Jane Wyatt in Stage Door in 1938, a former apprentice returned as a star.

Poster of Jane Wyatt in Stage Door, 1938.

Almost ninety years later, Berkshire Theatre Group offers internships in everything from carpentry and props to marketing and finance. The acting internship program is still alive, well, and currently led by David Adkins, who was an apprentice himself back in 1985.

Berkshire Theatre Festival reflects the history of the American theatre and represents a priceless cultural resource for the community. For almost ninety years, Berkshire Theatre Festival has been committed to being a center for creative work that enriches, invigorates and transforms artists and audiences.

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From the Archive: Eva LeGallienne

By: Katie Birenboim (She/Her/Hers)   Devoted fans of BTG may gasp to discover that until doing a first round of research in the amazing BTG archives, I had never heard … Read On

Berkshire Theatre Group’s mission is to support wide-ranging artistic exploration and acclaimed performances in theatre, dance, music and entertainment. Our vision is to be a center for creative work that enriches, educates, invigorates, transforms, and strengthens our community for the better. Learn more at bit.ly/45wbDUD 🎭

(Photo: Shrek, 2019, photo by Emma K. Rothenberg Ware)
Join us and The Diego Mongue Band on-stage at the Colonial Theatre on October 12 for an intimate a trailblazing twist on the blues genre that defies conventions, captivating even the most entrenched blues enthusiasts.

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org and brace yourself for an unforgettable experience!
Wishing the cast and creative team of Copenhagen a happy opening night! 💥 

(Photo by David Dashiell)
Only one more day left to nominate BTG for Rural Intelligence's 2023 Readers' Choice Awards for Arts Organization, Live Music Venue, Live Theater Venue, and Performance Space, so scan the QR code or go to the link in our bio to cast your ballot now! ✨
Today on September 28, BTG is celebrating The Colonial Theatre's 120th anniversary 🎭🎼

Built in 1903, the Colonial opened its doors with a production of the operetta Robin Hood by the Bostonians, a famed touring group. Today, the Colonial still stands, having served hundreds of thousands of patrons, and counting.

We hope you join us at the Colonial soon as we continue to support wide-ranging artistic exploration and acclaimed performances in theatre, dance, music and entertainment!
BTG and The Trustees are thrilled to announce that patrons who purchase tickets for Copenhagen at BTG's Unicorn Theatre will be offered an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets for the same day to the 5pm entry of The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show 2023. Whether you're captivated by the drama of Copenhagen or looking to bask in the splendor of the The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, this partnership offers a day in Stockbridge filled with unparalleled entertainment and autumnal fun.

Get your tickets to see Copenhagen today at berkshiretheatre.org and you'll receive an email with your ticket access to The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show!
Did you enjoy our 2023 Season? If so, there are only 3 more days left to nominate BTG for Rural Intelligence's 2023 Readers' Choice Awards for Arts Organization, Live Music Venue, Live Theater Venue, and Performance Space, so scan the QR code or go to the link in our bio to cast your ballot now! ✨
This Friday, September 29 at 7:30pm, Harvest & Rust: A Neil Young Experience, comprised of beloved local Western Massachusetts musicians, hit the Colonial stage with Neil Young's greatest hits! 

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org 🎸
2024 Season Passes are on sale now! From now until November 1, receive 3 Standard tickets for any 2024 Produced Show to be used in any configuration (3 tickets to one show, 1 ticket each to 3 shows, etc.) for only $135 🎫🎫🎫

Don't wait! This offer is only available for a limited time, so visit berkshiretheatregroup.org/passes to get your 2024 Season pass today
On this day in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show made its American premiere at the Westwood Theater in Los Angeles. After initially being deemed a failure, the film vastly exceeded expectations and now has the longest theatrical run for a film.

Visit berkshiretheatre.org or do the time warp towards our box office to get your tickets today to experience the queen of all cult films, including a thrilling after party and drag queen Nancy Nogood, at the Colonial on October 28!
It is almost here! Copenhagen, the Tony Award-winning play that explores the ethical dilemma of when science and politics collide, begins previews at the Unicorn Theatre this Thursday, September 28!

Get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org today 💥🧪
Western Massachusetts-based band Harvest & Rust is hitting the Colonial stage on September 29! Representing the wide-array of Neil Young’s influential material in one show, Harvest & Rust captivates audiences with chart-topping hits including “Old Man,” and “Heart of Gold,” to the more electric explorations of Rust Never Sleeps like “Hey Hey, My My.” 

Visit berkshiretheatre.org to purchase tickets today 🎵
REMINDER! ✨ Voting ends soon, so make sure to vote Berkshire Theatre Group as Berkshire Eagle's Best of the Berkshires 2023 in "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" at the link in our bio! Thank you all for your support ❤️
Calling all Pink Ladies and T-Birds! 🦩🦅

Coming to the Colonial on October 15, The Olivia Show Tribute is an exciting musical journey filled with all of the late Olivia Newton-John’s award-winning hits and an exciting Grease sing-along where everyone can join in on the excitement!

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
The Tony award-winning Copenhagen, running September 28-October 29 at the Unicorn, is a must-see for anyone interested in history, science or politics. Exploring how one secret meeting broke the friendship between two physicists involved in the race to create the first atomic bomb in WWII, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, Copenhagen forces us to confront the difficult questions that arise when science and politics collide. 

Don't miss this stunning production by getting your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
Did you tap your toes to Million Dollar Quartet? Laugh along with On Cedar Street? Ponder long after What the Constitution Means to Me, Photograph 51, and The Smile of Her? If so, let us know by voting Berkshire Theatre Group #1 again in Berkshire Eagle's 2023 Best of the Berkshires Poll for "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" in the Entertainment category!

To vote, visit the link in our bio. Voting ends on September 24 at 5pm.
On Thursday, October 5, at 5:30 p.m., Berkshire Magazine (@berkshiremagazine) will celebrate this year’s Berkshire 25 by inviting all past honorees to mark this milestone—and everyone is invited to join the celebration! 

To purchase tickets, visit berkshiretheatre.org. Ticket sales will go towards our education programs at BTG ✨
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