As usual there is almost too much to do here in the Berkshires once Memorial Day has come and gone: the greatest variety of top-notch theater, dance, music, art exhibitions and countless opportunities to go into the stunning countryside of our beautiful Berkshires Hills.

The nearby Williamstown Theater Festival always attracts actors from Hollywood to Broadway. You’re sure to see some of your favorites from the big screen to TV. This season, the WTF is offering some tried and true theatrical gems on the Main Stage. “The Front Page” runs from July 04 – 15; “Blithe Spirit” July 18 – 29; “The Corn is Green” from August 01 – 12; and “The Autumn Garden” from August 15 – 26.

Allison Janney

Allison Janney will play Constance Tuckerman in “The Autumn Garden” by Lillian Hellman, the last production on the Main Stage, directed by David Jones. Ms. Janney was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Drama Desk Award for her performance on Broadway in ” A View From The Bridge.” She won four Emmy Awards for her terrific work as Press Secretary C. J. Cregg on “The West Wing.”

Barrington Stage, now relocated to the renovated theater at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield, features a summer season of “West Side Story” from June 13 to July 14; Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy” from July 19 – August 4, and Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” from August 9 – August 26.

Shakespeare & Company of Lenox, Massachusetts is featuring “Rough Crossing” by Tom Stoppard in the Founders’ Theatre from May 25 – September 2. Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” will play in the Founders’ Theatre from June 8 – September 1. “Blue/Orange” runs in the Founders’ Theatre, July 5 – September 2. And on July 27 – September 2 S&Co offers “Antony and Cleopatra”by William Shakespeare. The Fall season features “The Secret of Sherlock Holmes” by Jeremy Paul from September 28 – October 28.

Tom Stoppard’s “Rough Crossing” at Shakespeare & Company

The Berkshire Theater Festival (BTF) in Stockbridge has two theaters: its Main Stage and its more experimental Unicorn Theater. This summer’s Main Stage productions include: Terrence McNally’s “Love! Valour! Compassion!” from June 19 – July 7; “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” from July 10 – July 28; “Morning’s At Seven” from July 31 to August 11; and George Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” from August 14 to September 1.

The Unicorn is offering Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” from May 24 to June 30; “My Pal George” from July 3 – July 21; “Two-headed” from July 25 – August 18; and “Educating Rita” from August 21 through October 20.

For families, the BTF will be presenting “Cinderella” at The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield from June 27 through July 28.

Cinderella

The Clark Art Museum in Williamstown is offering two exciting exhibition this summer. The Clark is only one of several Berkshire arts organizations participating in a special “Season of Dutch Arts in the Berkshires.” The Clark’s “Dutch Dialogues” runs from June 3, 2007 – September 3, 2007. It’s a collaboration that showcases the arts and culture of the Netherlands.

The first dialogue will compare works by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh to works in the Clark’s collection. Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait (Vincent Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam) will be juxtaposed with Self-Portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Top: Self-portrait, c.1875, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Bottom: Self-portrait, 1887, by Vincent van Gogh

The second show is “The Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings” which runs from June 24, 2007 – September 16, 2007. According to the Clark, this show counters the long-held belief that Claude Monet didn’t employ drawing as a critical element of his artistic process. The exhibitions presents newly discovered documents and a body of graphic work largely unknown to the public and scholars alike.

Étretat, the Needle Rock and Porte d’Aval, c. 1885, by Claude Monet

The tribute to Dutch arts continues at nearby MASS MoCA. Dutch artist and designer Dré Wapenaar’s multi-colored pavilion – an outdoor social sculpture in Courtyard C will be part of MASS MoCA for years to come.

Dré Wapenaar: Pavilion

The second Dutch artist to be featured at MASS MoCA is Fransje Killaars, whose long-term installation opens June 15, 2007. An Amsterdam-based textile artist, Killaars’ work has been showcased throughout Holland and Europe. The artist – inspired by many visits to India, creates vivid, colorful and textured environments in fabric.

Fransje Killars

The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield is highlighting “East Meets West” through October 7, 2007 with a variety of paintings, prints, and ceramics from its collection that explore the influence of Asian art and design on Dutch decorative arts dating back to the 17th century. Dutch artists Adriaen Isenbrandt (active 1510-1551) and Pieter de Hooch (1629-1677), are included as well as Japanese woodblock prints of the 19th and 20th centuries, and vases and other Chinese ceramics from the Ming, Song, and Ch’ing Dynasties.

While there, it is always wonderful to check out the Museum’s toys by Alexander Calder. As the Museum puts it, this is your chance to “make the seal bounce a ball on its nose; see the duck waddle across the room; and watch as mesmerizing spirals go round and round.”

Alexander Calder

The 2007 Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts offers a varied program: from a live performance of Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” on June 30 to the opening night’s Mendelssohn/Tchaikovsky performance on July 6 to the Jazz Festival from August 31 – September 2. The always popular all-Beethoven program is on July 20.

Other highlights include performance by some of the classical music’s greatest artists, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma (August 4); pianist Emanuel Ax (August 12); violinist Joshua Bell (July 27) and Itzhak Perlman (August 11), and conductors like Maestro Levine, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (August 12 and 19), André Previn (July 8, and 13), and Kurt Masur (July 29).

Yo Yo Ma

Mr. Lockhart leads the Boston Pops in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved classic “Carousel” (July 10), marking the first musical to be performed in concert at Tanglewood, as well as the season-closing all-Gershwin concert with French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Broadway superstars Marin Mazzie and Brian Stokes Mitchell (August 26).

Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams returns to the Tanglewood podium for the always-popular Film Night at Tanglewood (August 25) featuring Mr. Williams’ music to the Harry Potter films.

Tanglewood celebrates July 4th with “The New Cars” – comprising original members of the successful and influential new wave band “The Cars” at 7 p.m. And Berkshire native James Taylor returns to Tanglewood on August 24 in the Koussevitzky Music Shed.

James Taylor

This is the 75th anniversary of America’s oldest continuing dance festival. Jacob’s Pillow’s season opens with its Gala – Saturday, June 16, featuring Judith Jamison and dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, principals of the State Ballet of Georgia, and a world premiere by famed choreographer Yuri Possokhov.

Highlights of the season include the Pillow’s contribution to Dutch Arts in the Berkshires: the Nederlands Dans Theater II performs three contemporary stunners: Jirí Kylián’s Sleepless, Hans van Manen’s Simple Things, and Johann Inger’s Dream Play. Wednesday July 4 – Sunday July 8.

From Wednesday July 11 – Sunday July 15, the Pillow presents the exclusive appearance of Dancers of the Royal Danish Ballet, including a world premiere by Louise Midjord. Legendary Bournonville masterpieces to be performed include excerpts from Napoli and Flower Festival in Genzano.

The Pillow also offers performances by two great American choreographers. The Paul Taylor Company performs July 18 – July 22. Works to be performed include classics such as Esplanade, Piazzolla Caldera, and Aureole.

Lisa Viola and dancers in Esplanade, choreographed by Paul Taylor.
Photo by Lois Greenfield.

Mark Morris returns to the Pillow with live music by the Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center. This summer’s program includes Candleflowerdance, Love Song Waltzes, Italian Concerto, and a new work set to music by Kyle Gann.

Well this is, of course, just a small sample of what awaits you when you join us at Jericho Valley Inn this exciting summer of 2007.

Check back soon, and we’ll tell you about all the exciting summer activities for your children.

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