“…searing production….It gets our highest recommendation.” – Berkshire On Stage and Screen

“Kudos to Barrington Stage for bringing American Son to the stage” – Westfield News

“…a timely, important work.” – Albany Times Union

“5 stars!” – Examiner

“…a powerful, powerful play.” – Off-Script with Dan Dwyer

“…a pitch perfect world premiere.” – The Berkshire Eagle

“….this is a new play with a definite future. This is a rare chance to be in on the first stage of that journey, a trip worth taking in a runaway bus of reality and emotional tremors, even with its heavy human toll.” – Berkshire Bright Focus

“The play is about achievement and pressure, parenting and policing, rebellion, and the lasting effects of racism.” – WAMC

Tamara Tunie (Kendra Ellis) Tamara starred as “Marvelous” in the critically acclaimed Off Broadway run of Tony-nominated playwright Danai Gurira’s Familiar at Playwrights Horizons. Broadway credits include: Julius Caesar, Dreamgirls,  Oh, Kay!,  Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. Tamara also starred Off-Broadway in: The Library (Public Theater), Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare in the Park) , Sheba, Loose Knit.  Film: Flight, Snake Eyes, The Devil’s Advocate, Wall Street and Caveman’s Valentine (Independent Spirit Award). Television: Dr. Melinda Warner on Law & Order: SVU, Jessica Griffin on As the World Turns, The Red Road (opp. Jason Mamoa), Elementary, Billions, 24, Alpha House, The Good Wife, Sex and the City. An accomplished singer, Ms. Tunie is a regular headliner in New York City’s cabaret venues. Tamara is also successful Broadway producer, whose credits include: Spring Awakening (Tony Award), Radio Gold  (Tony nom.), and Magic/Bird.

 

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Michael Hayden (Scott Ellis) Broadway: Carousel (Drama Desk nom., Theatre World Award Winner), Cabaret (Studio 54), Judgment at Nuremberg (Tony nom.), Enchanted April, Festen, Henry IV (Lincoln Center). Off-Broadway: Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque (Signature Theater), All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure (Shakespeare in the Park), Dessa Rose (Lincoln Center), All My Sons (Roundabout Theatre Co.), Far East (Lincoln Center). Regional: Merrily We Roll Along (Sondheim Festival at the Kennedy Center); Sweet Bird of Youth, Henry V, Richard II, Dog in the Manger (Shakespeare Theatre Company); Playboy of the Western World, The Winter’s Tale (Guthrie); A Dybbuk (Hartford Stage). Film/Television: Charming Bill (Best Actor, LA Independent Film Festival), Patient 001, Murder One, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: CI, Hack, Far East, Bella Mafia, Texas Tragedy, and As the World Turns.

 

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Andre Ware (Lt. John Stokes) Hailing from Kalamazoo, MI (yes, it really does exist), André has had a love and passion for theatre ever since portraying ‘Bernardo’ in his high school’s production of Westside Story. He’s been Blessed! as an actor to have a career working in television, film and voice-overs… but Theatre is the thing that evokes all of our thoughts, hopes and dreams.  He is honored and grateful to be a part of this American Son production and a big heartfelt “Thank You!” to Julianne, Christopher, Rhoda, and the entire Barrington Stage Company for this wonderful opportunity to “live” on stage.

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Luke Smith (Off. Paul Larkin) BSC debut! 1st Nat’l Tour: Peter and the Starcatcher (Smee). Off-Broadway: Significant Other (Evan/Gideon/Roger), Hit the Wall (Newbie/Tano/Cliff u/s), F*cking Hipsters (Buck). Regional: One Man, Two Guvnors (St. Louis Repertory Theatre), The Buddy Holly Story (Walnut Street Theatre). Film: Something Whispered starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. Co-songwriter for Group “Awning” (awning.bandcamp.com). Proud Graduate of UNC School of the Arts.

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Creative Team

Christopher Demos-Brown (Playwright) Christopher Demos-Brown is the author of the play, Fear Up Harsh, which received The American Theatre Critics Association’s Steinberg Award Citation (2014). Other plays include Captiva, When The Sun Shone Brighter, and Stripped.

He is also a recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Award (2016), two Carbonell Awards (South Florida) and three Silver Palm Awards (South Florida) for playwriting. Chris is a graduate of Dartmouth College and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He and his wife, Stephanie, are co-founders of Zoetic Stage, an award-winning theatre in residence at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida.

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Julianne Boyd (Director) Julianne Boyd co-founded the Barrington Stage Company (BSC) in January 1995. She has directed many productions at BSC, including the world premieres of Mark St. Germain’s Dancing Lessons, Dr. Ruth, All the Way and Best of Enemies. She also directed the critically acclaimed productions of An Enemy of the People, Much Ado About Nothing, The Crucible, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, A Streetcar Named Desire, West Side Story, Follies, The Game, Mack and Mabel, Cyrano de Bergerac and The Importance of Being Earnest. In 1997 she directed BSC’s smash hit production of Cabaret, which won six Boston Theatre Critics Awards and transferred to the Hasty Pudding Theatre in Cambridge for an extended run.

Ms. Boyd conceived and directed the Broadway musical Eubie!, a show based on the music of Eubie Blake which starred Gregory Hines and garnered three Tony nominations.  Ms. Boyd also conceived and directed (along with Joan Micklin Silver) the award-winning (Outer Critics Award, Best Musical) Off Broadway musical revue A…My Name Is Alice and its sequel A…My Name Is Still Alice.  She has worked extensively in New York and in regional theatres, including the Old Globe Theatre, the McCarter Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, the Coconut Grove Playhouse and Syracuse Stage.

From 1992 to 1998 Ms. Boyd served as President of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, the national union representing professional directors and choreographers in the U.S.

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Brian Prather (Scenic Designer) BSC Associate Artist and designer of BSC productions: Breaking the Code, Shining City, Butler, Dr. Ruth: All the Way, The Memory Show, Freud’s Last Session, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Burnt Part Boys, and many others. Recent Off-Broadway: Widowers’ Houses, A Christmas Carol, Becoming Dr. Ruth, The Memory Show, Freud’s Last Session, Nymph Errant, The Burnt Part Boys. International: Chung-mu Hall (South Korea). Regional and other: Alley Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Virginia Rep., Broad Stage, Mercury Theatre, Delaware Theatre Co., Shakespeare on the Sound, TheaterWorks Hartford, Capitol Rep. Regional Emmy nominee and Jeff Award winner. www.brianprather.com

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Sara Jean Tosetti (Costume Designer) At BSC: His Girl Friday, Dancing Lessons, Much Ado About Nothing, An Enemy of the People, See How They Run, Romance in Hard Times. Opera: Cato In Utica (Glimmerglass Festival), As One (BAM Premiere), Radamisto (Julliard), Carmen (CCO). Off-Broadway: ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, The Exonerated, Himself & Nora, Manuscript. Regional: Antony & Cleopatra, The Tempest, Richard III, Twelfth Night (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), Winter’s Tale (Idaho Shakespeare Festival). Others: Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Jacob’s Pillow, Second Stage, Pasadena Playhouse,  Roundabout, Acting Company, Lincoln Center Theatre, Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas. MFA NYU TSOA, Outstanding Achievement Award & Princess Grace Award. www.sarajeantosetti.com

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Scott Pinkney (Lighting Designer) Scott, BSC Associate Artist, returns for his thirteenth season. Past designs include His Girl Friday, Scott & Hem, Best of Enemies, The Crucible, Whipping Man, Carousel, Streetcar Named Desire and Follies. Broadway; Harvey Fierstein’s Tony Award-winning Torch Song Trilogy. Off-Broadway; Vincent, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Majestic Kid, Divine Fire and The World is Made of Glass. Regional; Ulysses On Bottles for Israeli Stage (IRNE Nomination), Don Juan for Denver Center (Denver Critic’s Circle Award), Comedy of Errors for Commonwealth Shakespeare (Elliot Norton Award), Balkan Women for BRT (Barrymore Nomination) and My Fair Lady for TheatreVirginia (Phoebe Award). Internationally; Singapore Rep and Club Mohamed-Ali in Cairo. Scott is an Associate Professor at Emerson College. www.slpinkney.com

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Brad Berridge (Sound Designer) Over a dozen shows at BSC. Highlights: The Best of Enemies, The Crucible, A Streetcar Names Desire, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Whipping Man, Pool Boy. Off-Broadway: 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti (world premiere), Loot, Cactus Flower. Locally, many shows at Capital Repertory Theatre; highlights: Gypsy, The God Game (world premiere), A Christmas Carol, Other Desert Cites, The Secret Garden. Brad is an Associate Artist with WAM Theatre and has designed and composed music for nearly all of their local productions. Brad lives in the Berkshires with his wife, Ashley Berridge and their two children. www.bradberridge.com

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Fran Rubenstein (Production Stage Manager) Recent NY credits: God of Carnage, Se Llama Cristina, 17 Orchard Point, The Preacher & The Shrink, Branched, Scrambled Eggs,Lawnpeople, 7th Monarch, The Fartiste, Reading Under the Influence.  Four seasons at The New Group including: Hurlyburly, Abigail’s Party and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Regional: Shakespeare & Company 2013-16: Sotto Voce, The Taanksming, An Iliad,Henry V, Julius Caesar, Heroes.  Dorset Theatre Festival 2010-11: Dial M for Murder, Mauritius, Fallen Angels, The Novelist.  Member AEA.  Much love to Mom & Ziggy.

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Natasha Sinha (Dramaturg) Currently Associate Director of LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater, producing War by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Before LCT3, she was the Associate Producer at Barrington Stage Company. Natasha is a co-founder of the new collective Beehive Dramaturgy, and she is on the Advisory Boards of SPACE on Ryder Farm and Musical Theatre Factory. Past freelance projects include Post-Op by Shakina, FEM (an evening of works-in-progress at JACK), and Sam Salmond’s Stand Alone: Songs About and Written By Losers. Natasha has served as a judge on various committees, taught classes (New School, Primary Stages ESPA, Marymount), and worked at Lark Play Development Center and Daryl Roth Theatre. Barnard College (Music, English).

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Pat McCorkle (Casting) (C.S.A.) McCorkle Casting LTD is pleased to be named “Associate Artist” and has been casting actors for Barrington Stage for 14 years. Broadway: Over 50 productions including On the Town; Amazing Grace; End of the Rainbow; The Lieutenant of Inishmore; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; Amadeus; She Loves Me; A Few Good Men. Off-Broadway: highlights—Clever Little Lies; Sheer Madness; Tribes; Our Town (Barrow Street); Freud’s Last Session; Toxic Avenger; Almost Maine; Driving Miss Daisy. Feature film: Premium Rush; Ghost Town; The Thomas Crown Affair; Die Hard with a Vengeance; School Ties; etc. Television: Twisted; St. George; Sesame Street; Hack; Californication; Max Bickford; Chappelle’s Show; Strangers with Candy; Barbershop; etc.www.mccorklecasting.com

Christopher Demos-Brown Receives the Laurents/Hatcher Award for American Son (article) 

PREVIOUS SPECIAL EVENTS:

SEPTEMBER SYMPOSIUM

“Community-Based Strategies to Help Young People of Color Create a Roadmap for Success”

MODERATOR
Honorable Linda M. Tyer, Mayor of Pittsfield, MA

PANELISTS
Shirley Edgerton, Cultural Proficiency Advisor, Pittsfield Public Schools
Sheila Sholes-Ross, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Pittsfield
Warren C. Dews, Vice President of Audience Development, New England Newspapers, Inc.
Lawrence Carrier, Dean of Students, Morningside Community School, Pittsfield, MA

September 18 at 2:00 PM  |  Boyd-Quinson Mainstage  |  FREE

Please call the Box Office for reservations.

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CONVERSATIONS WITH… American Son

Conversation with Playwright Christopher Demos-Brown:
The Power of Drama in Discussing Social Issues

June 21 at 4:00 PM  |  St. Germain Stage  |  FREE

The playwright will discuss how race and bias affected his writing of American Son
and how he hopes the ideas in the play will encourage an open and meaningful dialogue in the community.

Must call the Box Office for reservations.

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FREE SYMPOSIUM  Race, Bias and Culture in Present-day America