Stockbridge Mass
admin on Oct 19 2008 | Filed under: Activities, History, New England, Stockbridge
James Levine at Tanglewood
admin on Oct 19 2008 | Filed under: Activities, Opera, Summer, Tangelwood
Jacob’s Pillow - From Farm to Festival
admin on Nov 11 2007 | Filed under: Activities, Culture, Dance
1790-1933: From Farm to Festival Jacob’s Pillow began in 1790 as a hard-scrabble mountaintop farm at the crest of a twisting, climbing stagecoach road between Boston and Albany. Local folk viewing the zig-zagging road from the bottom of the hill thought it resembled the rungs of a ladder, so these biblically minded New Englanders dubbed it “Jacob’s Ladder.” Boulders dotted the farm pastures, among them a curiously-shaped one located behind the farmhouse. Given the rock “pillow” and the farm’s proximity to “Jacob’s Ladder,” the Carter Family, who settled the property, furthered local allusions to the Book of Genesis (which tells of Jacob laying his head upon a rock and dreaming of a ladder to heaven) by giving their farm the name “Jacob’s Pillow.”
In 1930, modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn bought the farm as a retreat. At that time, Shawn and his wife, Ruth St. Denis, were America’s leading couple of the dance. Their Denishawn Company had popularized a revolutionary dance form rooted in theatrical and ethnic traditions rather than those of European ballet. Their trailblazing work and cross-country tours paved the way for the next generation of legendary modern dance pioneers: Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, and Doris Humphrey were all Denishawn members. But Shawn and St. Denis had recently separated, personally and professionally, and in the fall of 1931, Shawn conducted the last rehearsals of the Denishawn era at Jacob’s Pillow. Shawn had long harbored a dream of legitimizing the dance in America as a honorable career for men. In 1933, he recruited eight men, including Denishawn dancer Barton Mumaw and several physical education students from Springfield College (then a men’s school) for his new company.
The tall and burly Shawn and his athletic dancers were intent on challenging the “sissy” image of men in the dance; they forged a new, boldly muscular style in dances celebrating Pawnee braves, toiling Black sharecroppers, and Union machinists. In their “off-time,” they built structures still used today at Jacob’s Pillow. 1933-1942: Festival Roots In July 1933, Shawn and his Men Dancers started giving public “Tea Lecture Demonstrations” to promote their work–and to pay the grocer! The first audience of 45 curiosity-seekers expanded weekly so that by summer’s end, people were turned away: roots for what was to evolve into the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival were established. From 1933 to 1940, a period Shawn termed “seven magic years,” Shawn and his Men Dancers toured throughout the United States and to Canada, Cuba, and England, performing more than 1,250 times in 750 cities, and continued the summer “Tea Lecture Demonstrations” at the Pillow.
With the Selective Service Act of 1939, Shawn felt his personal and professional crusade had been a success–public, press, and educators were accepting the dance as an honorable profession for men. In May 1940, The Men Dancers disbanded and joined the armed forces. Deep in debt, Shawn proposed selling Jacob’s Pillow to Mary Washington Ball, a dance teacher, who leased the property with the option to buy and produced the Berkshire Hills Dance Festival on site in 1940. Shawn credited Miss Ball for beginning the diverse programming that was forever after the Pillow’s hallmark, but the summer was a financial disaster. Shawn leased the Pillow again in 1941, this time to British ballet stars Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin. Their International Dance Festival was so successful that local supporters formed the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Committee, raised $50,000 to buy the property and to build a theatre (performances had been held in the barn studio), and made Shawn director in 1942. Despite wartime hardships, such as gasoline and tire rationing, audiences climbed the hill on foot and horseback to attend a wide array of programs: ballet, modern dance, mime, ballroom dance, and folk and classical dance of many cultures.
1942-1997: America’s First Dance Theatre On July 9, 1942, the Ted Shawn Theatre, the first theatre in the United States designed specifically for dance, opened its doors. Architect Joseph Franz, who also built The Music Shed at Tanglewood, had agreed with Shawn that the theatre exterior must harmonize with the existing farmhouse and barns. Franz also handcut the weathervane atop the theatre, which depicts Barton Mumaw, Shawn’s leading dancer. Within the theatre and flanking the proscenium are life-size paintings of Shawn in his Hopi Indian Eagle Dance and St. Denis as Kwannon–the Japanese Goddess of Mercy. Both were painted during the Denishawn era by Albert Herter (whose son won greater fame as Governor of Massachusetts and later as Secretary of State under Eisenhower). Other than a year sabbatical for an Australian tour in 1947, Shawn remained at the helm of the Pillow until his death at the age of 81 in 1972.
For a time the future of Jacob’s Pillow seemed uncertain. Shawn’s designated successor, John Christian, was unable to serve more than one year (1972) due to illness. Next was dance critic Walter Terry (1973), but a huge deficit sent the Pillow’s board of directors searching again, and in the interim Charles Reinhart took on the Pillow in addition to the American Dance Festival (1974). A measure of stability came with the appointment of Norman Walker (1975-79), who revamped and upgraded the Pillow’s educational and presentational standards. Liz Thompson (1980-89) initiated an artistic resurgence by welcoming new artists and audiences. Her innovations, such as the popular “Inside/Out” presentations and open access to the grounds and studios, are today an integral part of the Pillow’s personality, and Thompson was also the catalyst for the construction of the Studio/Theatre.
Samuel A. Miller, who had worked in partnership with Thompson since 1986, followed in her footsteps (1990-94) with the sorely needed renovation and enlargement of the Ted Shawn Theatre and the installation of Blake’s Barn. From 1995 through 1997, Sali Ann Kriegsman led the Pillow through a difficult period, eliminating a potentially disastrous $4.8 million debt and then orchestrating a range of new projects to celebrate the 65th anniversary season. After Kriegsman’s tenure ended successfully in 1997, the Board launched an extensive nationwide search and selected Ella Baff to guide Jacob’s Pillow into the 21st century.
1998-present: A Dance Continuum Ella Baff’s record-breaking seasons have confirmed that her adventurous ideas and wide-ranging knowledge of the field are perfectly at home here. She is now leading the Pillow in new directions while honoring the traditions that have made the Pillow a unique institution for almost seven decades: to present and preserve a wide-ranging variety of dance forms, a diversity unparalleled among American dance festivals. The Pillow’s national status was underlined in 2000 with two noteworthy distinctions: it was included on the Dance Heritage Coalition’s list of America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2003, the federal government named Jacob’s Pillow a National Historic Landmark for its importance in America’s culture and history, thus distinguishing the Pillow as the country’s first and only Landmark dance institution. The friendly, down-home traditions at Jacob’s Pillow, such as the ringing bell announcing that the Ted Shawn Theatre is open for seating and pre-curtain speeches, are carried over from Shawn’s day. Likewise, through careful and considered expansions and renovations of Jacob’s Pillow programs and campus, this historic site in American dance retains the rustic ambiance of “the farm,” as Shawn called it. By honoring the past, reveling in the present, and planning for the future, Jacob’s Pillow remains true to its founder’s vision: to present and preserve an unparalleled variety of dance forms, a diversity unique among American dance festivals. An illustrated history, A Certain Place: The Jacob’s Pillow Story, authored by Norton Owen, the Pillow’s Director of Preservation, is available at The Store at Jacob’s Pillow.
The Shakers and Hancock Shaker Village
admin on Nov 11 2007 | Filed under: History, New England, Shakers
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The Clark Museum
admin on Nov 11 2007 | Filed under: Art
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Daniel Chester French-Chesterwood Museum
admin on Nov 11 2007 | Filed under: Art
Think of it as a treasure hunt of America’s foremost classical sculptor: Daniel Chester French, the artist who created such powerful American symbols as the seated Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial and The Minute Man statue.
From the doors of the Boston Public Library to St. Paul’s Church and the Chesterwood Museum in Stockbridge, take a tour of French’s treasures that are tucked away in cities and towns scattered throughout the state of Massachusetts. The educational experience of such a tour - exploring the tradition of American sculpture - is enhanced by the travel experience - the best of Massachusetts in terms of attractions, cultural arts, recreation, scenic beauty, lodging, dining and shopping.
To plan your itinerary, simply click on the treasure X’s shown on the map. You will be provided with descriptions, photos, directions and links to the events and attractions of each location.
And for more information on Daniel Chester French, please feel free to explore the website of French’s Stockbridge estate and museum: www.chesterwood.org.
Berkshire Theatre Festival
admin on Nov 11 2007 | Filed under: Berkshires
At 78 years old, the Berkshire Theatre Festival has the unique distinction of being the longest-running professional performing arts organization in Berkshire County andone of the first established regional theatres in the United States. Guided by Executive Director Kate Maguire, the theatre’s access to its past translates into a vivid sense of what it means to be a participant in today’s diverse and complex world. The vast artistic spectrum of artists who have written, performed, directed and designed here through the decades has given the BTF a unique perspective from which to view the future. Consistently high quality productions on both the Main Stage and in the Unicorn Theatre, attest to the profound impact history has on our expansive contemporary culture. At the BTF, 78 years of theatrical life, much of it triumphant, provides the experience essential to making transcendent theatre.
With 65 non-profit cultural institutions including Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, MASS MoCA, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Francine & Sterling Clarke Art Institute and Shakespeare & Company, the Berkshires have earned the privilege of calling themselves America’s Premiere Cultural Resort. Most of the major cultural and performing arts venues extend complimentary admission and tickets to each other’s apprentices and interns, insuring a highly accessible and richly rewarding arts environment throughout the summer season.