Plan Your Next Summer Getaway Around a Show
Here are highlights at lauded out-of-town theatres in Hudson Valley, the Berkshires and beyond
—
While there are still plenty of productions to see in New York over the summer, this is the season when regional theatre really heats up. The Northeast proves to be a mecca for talented artists to revive old chestnuts and debut new works. So peg your next sojourn to one of these worthy shows.
Barrington Stage Company – Pittsfield, MA
Approximately three hours away from Midtown Manhattan by car, this multi-stage venue is known for presenting top-notch productions of contemporary plays and revivals of beloved musicals.
West Side Story
Runs August 3-September 1
Composer Leonard Bernstein and director-choreographer Jerome Robbins would have both turned 100 this year. Barrington pays tribute to these legends with a mounting of their greatest collaboration: West Side Story. While Robert La Fosse is recreating Robbins’ iconic dances on numbers such as “America,” “Cool,” “Gee, Officer Krupke” and “Tonight,” this revival of the Romeo and Juliet-inspired tuner features ethnically correct casting, with the Puerto Rican characters all played by Latinx performers. That’s very 21st century.
Well Intentioned White People
Runs August 16-September 9
Presented on Barrington’s recently renovated St. Germain Stage, Rachel Lynett’s racially charged world premiere focuses on a teacher of color who is goaded into planning a “diversity day” at her overwhelmingly white university. An insightful satire of how liberal activism can go awry.
See Barrington Stage Company’s full summer lineup.
—
Bay Street Theater – Sag Harbor, NY
Enhance your Hamptons trip by seeing a show at this venerable theatre, which is approximately two hours away from Midtown Manhattan by car or the Hampton Jitney.
{Image3}
See Bay Street Theater’s full summer lineup.
—
Berkshire Theatre Group – Berkshires, MA
About a three-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan, the Berkshire Theatre Group was founded in 2010 when the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Colonial Theatre merged. The company presents classics and contemporary works on four stages in two nearby towns: Stockbridge and Pittsfield.
Hair
Through August 11
Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot’s groundbreaking celebration of ’60s counterculture may be turning 50, but the rock musical feels totally timely as we watch a brand-new generation of activists come of age. Hair‘s songs champion sexual liberation, racial equality and world peace, all things we’re still fighting for, so the tuner’s revolutionary message is as urgent as ever.
The Petrified Forest
Runs August 2-25
Robert E. Sherwood’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Depression-era play hasn’t been seen on a professional New York stage since the ’40s. But what makes this mounting even more of an event is that it’s directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn (Proof). Set at an Arizona diner in the middle of nowhere, this explosive drama brings a disparate group of down-on-their-luck folks together as they’re held hostage by a fugitive.
See the Berkshire Theatre Group’s full summer lineup.
—
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival – Cold Spring, NY
Approximately 75 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by car and easily accessible via Metro-North, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival mounts classics and twists on old favorites. All shows are performed in an open-air theatre tent.
{Image1}
The Heart of Robin Hood
Through August 25
Playwright David Farr brings a feminist slant to the familiar tale. Maid Marian must teach both the villainous Prince John and the titular thief about right and wrong in this romp, sure to be a rollicking good time for audiences of all ages.
{Image2}
See the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s full summer lineup.
—
Powerhouse Theater – Poughkeepsie, NY
Since 1985, Vassar College and New York Stage and Film have collaborated on this annual summer festival, which incubates new works at various stages of development. Roughly two hours from Midtown Manhattan by car, Powerhouse is also accessible via Metro-North.
The Connector
Runs July 13-15
A new musical that grapples with the insidiousness of fake news and the dangerous overlap between entertainment and journalism sounds totally of this moment. And yet this tuner is set in the glossy world of print media in 1995! Check out a workshop of this in-progress show by Tony-winning songwriter Jason Robert Brown (The Bridges of Madison County) and playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman (Evolution, Knickerbocker). Longtime Brown collaborator, Daisy Prince (yup, Hal’s daughter), directs.
See the Powerhouse Theater’s full summer lineup.
—
Shakespeare & Company – Lenox, MA
This venerable company brings the Bard’s work to life through top-notch productions and education programs. In fact, this is where Shakespeare in the Park regular Hamish Linklater got his start (thanks to his mom, a founding member).
Love’s Labor’s Lost
Runs July 10-August 18
One of Shakespeare’s less frequently done romantic comedies is performed alfresco at the lovely Dell-Outdoors at the Mount. This witty coming-of-age tale is particularly fitting for the season, as it focuses on the joys and frustrations of summer love.
As You Like It
Runs August 9-September 2
Shakespeare’s comedy is staged in the Roman Garden Theatre space, which opened just last year. This intimate outdoor venue easily becomes the magical Forest of Arden, where a motley cast of kooky characters fall in love.
See Shakespeare & Company’s full summer lineup.
—
See the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s full summer lineup.
—
Follow Doug Strassler at @dougdawg13. Follow TDF at @TDFNYC.
Top image: Kayla Foster with company of Berkshire Theatre Group’s Hair. Photo by Emma Rothenberg-Ware.
TDF Members: Go here to browse our latest discounts for theatre, dances and concerts.
DOUG STRASSLER