at Monument Mountain, Route #7, Great Barrington text: 413.528.3000
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You may have heard about the Berkshires in regard to hiking and skiing, but we’re here to shine the spotlight on the area’s flourishing cultural scene. With dance studios, music venues, museums, historic sites, galleries, antique stores, and theaters, it’s easy to expand your cultural palate by visiting the area.
Above all, no trip to the Berkshires is complete without taking in a show at the Barrington Stage Company (BSC). A slight niche yet very popular staple, the Barrington Stage Company is a local theater that has seen a plethora of famous shows with some of the biggest names in the industry. Here’s what you need to know when planning your visit.
Barrington Stage Company started as a not-for-profit professional theater company in the Berkshires in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd with a mission to not only produce top-notch, compelling work but also to develop new plays and musicals and to engage the community with vibrant, inclusive educational outreach programs. Since then, BSC has produced 41 new works, 21 of which have moved on to New York and major regional theaters all around the country.
But this theater’s history doesn’t stop there. Today, it is the fastest-growing arts venue in Berkshire County and continues to gain national recognition for its superior productions and programming. The Barrington Stage Company shows are known to be engaging, exciting, provocative, and thought-provoking.
BSC has produced many smash hit shows, but in 2004, the theater gained national prominence as they debuted The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin, a musical that later moved onto Broadway and won two Tony Awards. Less than ten years later in 2013, Leonard Bernstein, Comden, and Green’s On the Town took Great Barrington by storm before heading to Broadway where it received four Tony nominations, including Best Musical Revival. In the summer of 2016, Christopher Demos-Brown’s American Son premiered at BSC and later went on to Broadway as well. It goes without saying that brilliant shows are born at BSC.
When looking at the Barrington Stage Company schedule, you’ll probably find that many upcoming evenings are sold out. This is absolutely a good thing because you know the performance you’re about to see is bound to be top-notch, but it also means you should plan ahead. Each show typically runs for a duration of two months with the majority of productions taking place on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Here are some need-to-knows when visiting: get your tickets early and be ready to experience a range of emotions. In addition, for those in need, throughout the house, there’s an assistive listening system for the hearing impaired. In the front orchestra, there’s also an induction system installed. In addition, assistive listening devices are available at the box office on a first-come, first-served basis. BSC venues are also wheelchair accessible which can be reserved in advance.
Whether you’re interested in art and theater, love being outdoors, or just looking for a getaway that’s off the beaten trail, our charming area has it all. Book your stay at one of the best Great Barrington, MA motels in the Berkshires: the Briarcliff Motel. With accommodations taken care of all that’s left to do is enjoy the show.