FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BSC Press Director Charlie Siedenburg, 551-655-0968
BARRINGTON STAGE PURCHASES PITTSFIELD V.F.W.
Stage 2 Becomes Permanent Home for
New Plays and Musicals and All-New Cabaret Space
(PITTSFIELD, MA) Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, has purchased the Pittsfield V.F.W. at 36 Linden Street thanks to a generous gift from long-time BSC supporters Sydelle and Lee Blatt. Built in 1972 as Local V.F.W. Post 448, the 40-year-old building, which BSC has been leasing as Stage 2 since 2008, will now serve as its permanent home for new plays and musicals and an all-new cabaret space.
“With the purchase of the V.F.W. building, which allows us a permanent cabaret space as well as an intimate 110-seat theatre space, we have completed the Barrington Stage campus in downtown Pittsfield,” said Artistic Director Julianne Boyd from her office. “Moving the Youth Theatre to Berkshire Museum as well as all rehearsal spaces to the new Pittsfield Upstreet Cultural District will add new vitality to an already burgeoning theatre scene.”
Supporters of Barrington Stage since its early years, Sydelle and Lee Blatt were also instrumental in BSC’s move from Sheffield to Pittsfield in 2005. The Blatts sponsored last season’s acclaimed world premiere production of Mark St. Germain’s The Best of Enemies and were honored at last season’s annual Gala for their continued support. Sydelle has been a member of the BSC Board of Trustees since 2002.
The building, known as Lt. John L. Truden V.F.W. Post, will be renamed the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center and dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, May 26 at 2pm.
The 12,602 square-foot air-conditioned building has two levels. The upper level houses a café and the 110-seat Stage 2 theatre, which will be named the St. Germain Stage after BSC Associate Artist and resident playwright Mark St. Germain, acclaimed author of Freud’s Last Session and The Best of Enemies. The lower level houses rehearsal space, offices and a 50-seat cabaret space with a bar, which will be named Mr. Finn’s Cabaret after Tony-winner William Finn, Artistic Producer of BSC’s Musical Theatre Lab.
Since Barrington Stage began leasing the space in 2008 it has been the home of popular Stage 2 productions such as Freud’s Last Session, My Name Is Asher Lev, the 10X10 On North Play Festival and new musicals from the acclaimed BSC Musical Theatre Lab.
Programming at the St. Germain Stage begins May 23 with the New England premiere of Duncan Macmillan’s intimate drama Lungs. Mr. Finn’s Cabaret kicks off Memorial Day weekend with the rock ‘n’ roll cabaret Joe Iconis & Family on May 25 and 26. For more information on programming at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, visit 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 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.
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