Tag: Berkshires

Uma Thurman, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more this Summer!

Posted on | by Michelle Murphy | Leave a Comment on Uma Thurman, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more this Summer!

The Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) season announcement has been released and we are so excited for our Berkshires Summer guests to experience the line-up!

2019 marks the 65th season for the Tony Award-winning theatre company who is touting big talent per usual, including Uma Thurman, Francois Battiste, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Mark Feuerstein, Jane Kaczmarek, S. Epatha Merkerson, Omar Metwally, Leigh Silverman, Mary Steenburgen and more.

The total line-up for the summer includes five world premieres, two WTF-commissioned plays, and more on two glorious stages: the Main Stage and Nikos Stage. Blank Canvas guests on each Ultimate Berkshires Summer Vacation will experience performances on both the intimate Nikos Stage as well as the Main Stage.

“In the course of just eight weeks, we will create world premiere work with some of the most thrilling theater makers in this country and breathe new life into the all-too-resonant words of cherished playwrights of the western theatrical canon,” WTF artistic director Mandy Greenfield said in a news release. “The vital urgency of the questions at the heart of these plays hopefully equals a meaningful, relevant, and powerful Festival experience for us all.”

Plan your Blank Canvas trip to the Berkshries around some of your favorite actors. Join us the week of August 4th to see Uma Thurman, or the week of July 21st to see Jesse Tyler Fergus of Modern Family fame. So many good options that you can’t go wrong.

Looking forward to dynamic 2019 Season here #intheberkshires!

The Williamstown Theatre Festival Season at a Glance:

MAIN STAGE

  • June 25-July 13: “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. Directed by Robert O’Hara. With Francois Battiste and S. Epatha Merkerson
  • July 17-28: World premiere – “Grand Horizons” by Bess Wohl. Directed by Leigh Silverman. With Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Mary Steenburgen
  • July 31- Aug. 18: “Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen. New translation from the Norwegian by Paul Walsh. Directed by Carey Perloff. With Uma Thurman.

NIKOS STAGE

  • June 26-July 7: World premiere – “A Human Being, of a Sort” by Jonathan Payne. Directed by Whitney White
  • July 10-21: World premiere – “Selling Kabul” by Sylvia Khoury. Directed by Tyne Rafaeli. With Omar Metwally, Marjan Neshat, and Babak Tafti.
  • July 24- Aug. 3: World premiere – “Tell Me I’m Not Crazy” by Sharyn Rothstein. Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. With Mark Feuerstein, Jane Kaczmarek, and Nadine Malouf
  • Aug. 7-18: World premiere -“Before the Meeting” by Adam Bock. Directed by Trip Cullman. With Jason Butler Harner

A Look Back at a Memorable Berkshires Summer

Posted on | by Gil Haylon | Leave a Comment on A Look Back at a Memorable Berkshires Summer

We want to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to all of the travelers who joined us this past summer. From taking in Matthew Broderick at the Williamstown Theatre Festival to John Williams conducting at Tanglewood, it was truly a summer to remember!

We welcomed guests from all over the country, including Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Washington DC and more. These guests celebrated milestones with us (birthdays and anniversaries) and enjoyed some great summer weather in the Berkshires. We were lucky enough to only had one quick rain shower!

So what were some of the highlights?

John Williams conducting at the annual end of summer celebration — Tanglewood on Parade.

Tanglewood on Parade: As the rain held off just in time, our group took in this annual end of summer celebration at Tanglewood. John Williams conducted some of his classics from Star Wars, and the fireworks over the Stockbridge Bowl at the end of the show were particularly memorable.

The cast of Artney Jackson at Williamstown Theatre Festival in July.

Artney Jackson: While everyone was geared up for Matthew Broderick’s performance in The Closet, this Nikos Stage production stole the show. This world premiere from James Anthony Tyler left us laughing, crying and everything in between.

The cast of Macbeth chats with the Blank Canvas Tours group and enjoys a beer after the performance.

Macbeth: Even the non-Shakespeare lovers in our group were blown away by this powerful performance of the infamous Scottish play. Our group’s talkback with the actors following the performance provided some great insight into the hours of practice and rehearsal that go into these productions.

A bustling night at Mezze Bistro in Williamstown.

Mezze: One of the favorite meals of the trip, our group dined at this Williamstown gem and couldn’t get enough of the farm-to-table classics.

We’ll certainly remember this summer for some of these highlights and the many great people we met and connected with. We’re looking forward to 2019 and even more great experiences in the Berkshires and beyond. Keep a close eye on our website in the coming weeks as we get set to announce our 2019 schedule!