Barrington Stage ANNOUNCES #bsc35 DATES
for Young Audiences FOR 2012 SEASON
Free Membership-Based Program Offers Discounted Tickets to Patrons Ages 18-35

PITTSFIELD (May 15, 2012) – Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, announces the #bsc35 dates for the 2012 Season.

Launched in 2011, #bsc35 is a free membership program for patrons ages 18-35 and allows members to purchase $15 tickets (regularly $25-$62) to more than 30 performances at Barrington Stage this season

#bsc35 tickets are available to members for the following performances at the Mainstage (30 Union Street, Pittsfield) and St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2, located at 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield):

Fiddler on the Roof (Mainstage): Saturday, June 16 at 8pm, Tuesday, June 19 at 7pm, Friday, June 22 at 8pm, Tuesday, June 26 at 7pm, Friday, June 29 at 8pm, Tuesday, July 3 at 7pm, Friday, July 6 at 8pm, Tuesday, July 10 at 7pm and Friday, July 13 at 8pm

All My Sons (Mainstage): Saturday, July 21 at 8pm, Tuesday, July 24 at 7pm, Friday, July 27 at 8pm, Tuesday, July 31 at 7pm, Friday, August 3 at 8pm

See How They Run (Mainstage): Saturday, August 11 at 8pm, Tuesday, August 14 at 7pm, Friday, August 17 at 8pm, Tuesday, August 21 at 7pm and Friday, August 25 at 8pm

Lord of the Flies (Mainstage): Saturday, October 6 at 8pm, Wednesday, October 10 at 7pm, Friday, October 12 at 8pm, Wednesday, October 17 at 7pm and Friday, October 19 at 8pm

Lungs (St. Germain Stage): Friday, May 25 at 7:30pm, Saturday, May 26 at 4pm and Tuesday, May 29 at 7:30pm

Dr. Ruth, All the Way (St. Germain Stage): Thursday, June 21 at 7:30pm

The North Pool (St. Germain Stage): Saturday, July 28 at 4pm, Tuesday, July 31 at 7:30pm and Wednesday, August 1 at 7:30pm

The Black Suits (St. Germain Stage): Saturday, August 18 at 4pm, Sunday, August 19 at 3pm and Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30pm

#bsc35 members may also purchase $10 tickets to the all-new cabaret series at the new Mr. Finn’s Cabaret, which kicks off on May 25 with Joe Iconis & Family:

Joe Iconis & Family: Friday, May 25 at 9:30pm and Saturday, May 26 at 9:30pm

The Niko Songbook: Friday, July 6 at 9:30pm and Saturday, July 7 at 9:30pm

Patrons may enroll in #bsc35 by calling the Box Office at 413-236-8888 or in person at the BSC Box Office, located at 30 Union Street in downtown Pittsfield. Once enrolled, #bsc35 members may reserve tickets in advance in the seats of their choice.

The #bsc35 membership program is part of Barrington Stage 2.0, a set of technology-based initiatives aimed at developing young audiences including the creation of an iCritic™ booth in BSC’s Mainstage Theatre lobby – an online forum connecting theatre patrons to our audience on the Web; greater incorporation of video into overall audience engagement and cultivation efforts; and further development of the BSC website to incorporate blogging, video and social media tools. Major funding for Barrington Stage 2.0 was secured through a New Generations Program for Future Audiences grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (the national organization for the American theatre), awarded to BSC in 2010.

For more information on #bsc35 and Barrington Stage Company, visit www.barringtonstageco.org.

About Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company, a professional award-winning Equity regional theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield, MA, was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. Barrington Stage’s mission is three-fold: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways to bringing new audiences into the theatre—especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it workshopped, and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which later transferred to Broadway’s Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where it won two Tony Awards and played more than 1,000 performances. In 2009/2010 Barrington Stage produced the world premiere of Mark St. Germain’s Freud’s Last Session, which later moved Off-Broadway to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater and then to New World Stages and has played more than 700 performances. Barrington Stage was voted “Best Live Theatre” by The Berkshire Eagle readers in 2011 and was named “Best Theatre Company” in Metroland’s Best of the Capital Region 2009-2011.

 #          #          #

Barrington Stage Company presents the New England Premiere
“LUNGS”
By Duncan Macmillan
Starring Brooke Bloom and Ryan King
Directed by Aaron Posner
At BSC’s St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2)
May 23 through June 10

 (PITTSFIELD, MA) Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, is proud to present the New England premiere of British playwright’s Duncan Macmillan’s acclaimed new drama Lungs. Lungs opens the newly named St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2) from May 23 through June 10, and the press opening is Sunday, May 27 at 3pm.  St. Germain Stage is located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

Directed by Aaron Posner (BSC’s My Name Is Asher Lev), Lungs stars Brooke Bloom and Ryan King in their Barrington Stage debuts.

“We are thrilled to introduce Duncan Macmillian to our Berkshire audiences,” said Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. “He is one of the most original voices in theatre today, and we are excited to have his new work, Lungs, directed by Aaron Posner, a superb talent who directed last season’s Asher Lev.”

Lungs tells the story of a young couple contemplating having a child in a world of global anxiety and political unrest. If they overthink it, they’ll never do it. But if they rush, it could be a disaster. What will be the first to destruct – the planet or the relationship?

Lungs received a world premiere at Washington, D.C.’s Studio Theatre in September 2011, where it inaugurated their Studio Lab series. Under the direction of Aaron Posner, The Washington Post called it “smart and stimulating.” The Helen Hayes Awards recently nominated Lungs for a Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play or Musical.

Lungs is sponsored by Spice Dragon.

Duncan Macmillan (Playwright) is a multi-award winning writer and director. His plays include Platform (Old Vic Tunnels); Monster (Manchester Royal Exchange/Manchester International Festival); The Most Humane Way to Kill A Lobster (Theatre 503); Sleeve Notes (various); This One’s for you, Hula Girl (Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays); I Wish To Apologise For My Part In The Apocalypse; So Say All of Us; and Family Tree (all BBC Radio 4). He has served as the Writer-in-Residence at Paines Plough and the Royal Exchange, and has completed attachments at the National Theatre and the Royal Court/BBC. Macmillan is a member of the Old Vic New Voices Company and a fellow of the TS Eliot UK/US Exchange, as part of which his play Skyscraper was performed at the Public Theater in New York.

Brooke Bloom (W) BSC debut. Recent theatre credits include Lungs (world premiere, Studio Theatre), Completeness (South Coast Rep) and Becky Shaw (The Wilma Theatre), for which she won a Barrymore Award. Other recent theatre credits: Hamlet (South Coast Rep) and A Feminine Ending (Portland Center Stage). Recent film credits: He’s Just Not That Into You, Gabi on the Roof in July, Ceremony, The Normals and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Ms. Bloom has appeared in several television pilots for NBC and Fox, had recent guest appearances on “Law and Order,” “In Plain Sight” and “The Good Wife,” and a recurring role on “CSI: Miami.” She is a member of The Antaeus Company in Los Angeles, CA.

Ryan King (M) BSC debut. New York: Goodbye New York, Goodbye Heart (HERE), Rescue Me: A Postmodern Classic with Snacks (Ohio Theater), Deathbed (McGinn-Cazale), Eurydice (Second Stage), The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow (Atlantic Theater Co.), Mountains in the Bering (EST), God’s Waiting Room (P.S. 122), Defiance (Manhattan Theater Club), Blood Potato (BE Company), End of Lines (59 East 59th), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Lark Theater). International: Three Children (Hong Kong). Regional: Lungs (world premiere, Studio Theatre), Dying City (Hartford Stage), Master Class (Papermill Playhouse), 33 Variations (La Jolla Playhouse), Yale Repertory Theater, New York Stage and Film, and six summers at the O’Neill Theater Conference. Film and TV: “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “Guiding Light,” “Black Sea.” Education: MFA Yale School of Drama.

Aaron Posner (Director) At BSC: My Name Is Asher Lev. Aaron is a Helen Hayes and Barrymore Award-winning director and playwright. His adaptations include Chaim Potok’s The Chosen and My Name Is Asher Lev, Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion, Mark Twain’s A Murder, A Mystery & A Marriage and more. He was the founding Artistic Director of Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre and has directed at major regional theatres including the Folger Theatre, Seattle Rep, Milwaukee Rep, The Alliance, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Cal Shakes and many others. He was raised in Eugene, Oregon, attended Northwestern University, is an Eisenhower Fellow, and now lives in Maryland with his wife and daughter.

Performances of Lungs will take place at Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2) located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, from May 23 through June 10. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm.  There is an additional performance on Thursday, June 7 at 3pm.  Please note the Saturday evening performance on May 26 is at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $15-$39; with preview prices of $15 on May 23 & 24. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Barrington Stage Box Office at 413-236-8888 or visit www.barringtonstageco.org. The Box Office is located at 30 Union Street.

Join us for CONVERSATIONS WITH…The Actor at the Center with BSC Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and the cast of Lungs. Friday, May 25 at 4:30pm at the St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2), 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield. Join Brooke Bloom and Ryan King to discuss the process of bringing to life their characters in this actor-centric production. Free (reservations recommended).

About Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company, a professional award-winning Equity regional theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield, MA, was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. Barrington Stage’s mission is three-fold: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways to bringing new audiences into the theatre—especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it workshopped, and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which later transferred to Broadway’s Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where it won two Tony Awards and played more than 1,000 performances. In 2009/2010 Barrington Stage produced the world premiere of Mark St. Germain’s Freud’s Last Session, which later moved Off-Broadway to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater and then to New World Stages and has played more than 600 performances. Barrington Stage was voted “Best Live Theatre” by The Berkshire Eagle readers in 2011 and was named “Best Theatre Company” in Metroland’s Best of the Capital Region 2009-2011.

 #     #     #