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About
Artistic Director Clover Bell-Devaney founded Berkshire Actors Theatre in 2011, opening with a production of John Patrick Shanley's Four Dogs and a Bone. The production played to rave reviews and garnered much praise for its stellar performances. Central to this success is the theatre's commitment to working with local Berkshire-area actors, designers, and directors. With its new summer season home at Berkshire Museum, BAT is now making its mark as part of Pittsfield's "Upstreet Cultural District," helping to fuel the city's continued cultural renaissance. As a quality professional theatre, BAT plans to remain an indelible part of the Berkshire Arts scene for many years to come, providing audiences with the highest standards of quality performance and production values — dynamic theatre at its best.
Mission
Berkshire Actors Theatre is dedicated to producing intimate character-driven plays using Berkshire-based professional talent to provide our audiences with a fresh and dynamic take on the best modern works of our time.
Step up to BAT
Actors, designers, stage managers and anyone else interested in working with the Berkshires' small professional theatre should email Producing Artistic Director Clover Bell-Devaney at clover@berkshireactorstheatre.org.
Contact
Get in touch with Berkshire Actors Theatre by sending us an email, or call us at 413-347-9849.
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People
CLOVER BELL-DEVANEY* (Founding Artistic Director/Brenda, Four Dogs and a Bone; Sister James, Doubt) holds an acting degree from Carnegie-Mellon University, and has worked extensively in NY and regional theatre. Credits include Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, The Pioneer Theatre, George St. Playhouse, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, to name a few. She has appeared locally with Berkshire Theatre Festival, Mixed Company, The Colonial Theatre, and the Aglet Theatre. Among her favorite roles are; the title role in Miss Julie, Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men, and Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest. TV credits include One Life To Live, All My Children, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Law & Order, as well as several national commercials. Clover is also the owner of Impeccable Events, a Berkshire-based event and wedding planning business.
DANIEL POPOWICH* (Founding Member/Bradley in Four Dogs and a Bone) Daniel hails from Shelburne Falls, MA, just on the other side of the Berkshires in the Pioneer Valley. He has lived in the Pioneer Valley since 1993 and has performed up and down the Valley for many theatre companies. He appeared as Bradley in BAT's inaugural production of Four Dogs and a Bone in 2011. Other favorite roles include Noakes in New Century Theatre's 2009 production of Arcadia; Roy in The Odd Couple for The Majestic Theater; Stephano in The Tempest, King Henry in Henry VI, Part I, and Fool in King Lear for Hampshire Shakespeare Co; Estragon in Waiting for Godot, Philoctetes in Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy, and Magog in a touring production of The Captivation of Eunice Williams for Old Deerfield Productions. Later this summer Daniel will be appearing in the lead role of Passport Theatre's production of The Overcoat, an adaptation of Gogol's short story, at the Shea theatre in Turners Falls, MA.
JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY (Playwright) is a celebrated American playwright, screenwriter, and director, known for his dark humor, taut dialogue, and keen powers of observation. He has written nearly 25 plays over his career, including Doubt: A Parable, which garnered a Tony Award for Best Play in 2005 and earned Shanley the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Shanley also penned the Academy Award-winning film Moonstruck, for which he received the honor of Best Screenplay. He is a graduate of New York University.
BRIAN MASTROIANNI (Assistant to the Artistic Director/Press Agent) is a multimedia journalist and freelance writer who graduated with honors from Brown University in 2011 with a degree in English and Literary Arts. As a journalist, his work has been published on Yahoo! News, CBSNews.com, read on-air by anchors at New England Cable News, and published in the pages of The Berkshire Eagle, Brown Medicine Magazine, and The Brown Daily Herald. Beyond journalism, Brian enjoys creative writing, film, and theatre, and wrote a full-length play for his college honors thesis. Born in Chile, but raised in the Berkshires, Brian is very excited to be a part of the area's most dynamic new theatre company.
DEBORAH GRAUSMAN (Associate Producer) Producing credits include: Broadway in the Berkshires, the critically-acclaimed benefit at Shakespeare & Company, Sense & Sensibility, The Musical (Berkshire Musical Theater Workshop--which she founded), Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS benefits in LA and DC with the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof. As a fundraiser, she was the Development Associate for the national nonprofit, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). As an actor/singer, select credits include: National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof (Chava) opposite legendary actors, Topol, Harvey Fierstein and Theodore Bikel. Off-Broadway: A Stoop on Orchard Street (Seama--original cast recording), Regional: Peter Pan (Wendy--Philadelphia Theater Critic Award Nomination for Best Leading Actress). Deborah's voice can also be heard in national commercials (TV, radio and internet) for McDonald's, Clearasil, Nintendo DS and Verizon Wireless. She is a graduate of Duke University and has spent many glorious summers in the Berkshires at Tanglewood (BUTI), Berkshire Theater Festival, and Belvoir Terrace. For more information please visit: www.deborahgrausman.com
RUSSELL ARDEN KOPLIN* (Artistic Associate/Understudy) has appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables (Eponine) and in James Joyce's The Dead. Some Off-Broadway & Regional credits include: Manuscript (directed by Bob Balaban), Jerry Herman's Showtunes, the title role in Junie B. Jones (Lucille Lortel Theater), and The Ruby Sunrise directed by Oskar Eustis (Humana Festival & Trinity Repertory). TV appearances include: Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Third Watch, The Guiding Light & One Life to Live. Russell's voice can also be heard on numerous TV and radio commercials. As an associate producer she just finished working on her first independent feature film, Mutual Friends. And when she's not busy with her film and acting/voice-over work, she devotes her time to the nonprofit organization Achilles International coordinating the disabled portion of the New York City Marathon, acting as the live auctioneer at their annual gala, and is director and founder of the organization's Junior Board. Russell is a graduate of Northwestern University.
ARIANNE STUERZEL (Production Coordinator) has worked extensively as a production coordinator on numerous events and functions, and holds a degree in Corporate Communications from Framingham State University. She is thrilled to be working with Berkshire Actors Theatre in a creative and professional environment in which she can combine her love of theatre with her organizational and communication skills.ENRICO SPADA (Graphic Designer) is a Berkshires-based graphic designer, web designer, actor, teacher and director. Visit him online at enricospada.com.
2012 Season
BRAD BERRIDGE (Director, Doubt) Professional Directorial Debut. Primarily serving as a Sound Artist, Brad has designed sound and composed music for theatrical productions across the United States. Locally, Brad has designed over a dozen productions for Barrington Stage Company (The Best of Enemies, The Crucible, Pool Boy, The Whipping Man); other local companies: WAM Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Williams College Theatre, and Berkshire Actors Theatre's debut production of Four Dogs and a Bone. Brad is the Creative Director for the sound art collective, Push The Button. Their work has been exhibited across the United States and they were featured artist and presenters at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial design exhibition in the Czech Republic. PTB will be a featured artist at the World Stage Design in Cardiff, UK in the fall of 2013.
SARAH BERTOLOZZI (Costume Designer for Doubt): Shear Madness - First National Tour (Troika Entertainment); Off B'way: Carrie (Assistant Designer - MCC Theater); The Atmosphere of Memory (Assistant Designer - Labyrinth Theater Company). NYC: Erotica, Estreilles Verdes, Mergers and Acquisitions, Operation Istanbul, The Foreplay Play, The Push to Mate, Rank Jumping, Sausage Fest (FullStop Collective); Big Green Theatre (Bushwick Starr/Superhero Clubhouse); A Daughter of Israel (Looking Glass/Boo-Arts); Snow White Zombie, Crossing Borders, The Open Door, Wrong Planet, All Mapped Out, Little Goldie and the Shines, Fallen Leaves, Pieces, Finding the Way, Pussycat (Manhattan Theatre Source). Other: Hairspray (Running to Places); Neat (Kitchen Theatre Company); All Shook Up (Barrington Stage Company); Carousel and Twelfth Night at Messiah College (as Adjunct Professor of Costume Design). Upcoming: Perfect Wedding (Florida Studio Theatre); New Girl in Town (Assistant Designer - Irish Repertory Theatre). Sarah is a graduate of the Ithaca College B.F.A Theatrical Design program.
MICHAEL J. FOSTER (Actor) is an actor, writer and editor living in Northern Berkshire County and is extremely pleased to be working with Berkshire Actors Theatre once again. He has appeared in many productions in the past decade in locations as near as Main Street Stage in North Adams and as far away as southern France. His favorite roles include Pato in Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Randle Patrick McMurphy in Dale Wasserman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Dr. Benjamin James in Lisa DuPre's Lineage.TRAVIS GAWRON (Production Stage Manager) Receiving his education from Westfield State University, Travis is internationally recognized as both a performer and an administrator. Past credits include The Ugly Duckling (Little Red Wagon), Anything Goes, (Allenberry Playhouse), M. Butterfly (Zuloo Productions, UK). Regional and national tours include The Complete Works of William Shakespeare...Abridged (Shakesperience Productions) and The Laramie Project (Shanghai Rep, PRC). He also had the privilege of working on the US premiere of the live stage version of Disney's High School Musical 2 at North Shore Music Theatre and the world premiere of China's first long-running musical Hollywood to Broadway (CD Entertainment Inc.). Currently, Travis is working on releasing the first portion of his autobiography, Down Stage Center, On My Mark, which he hopes to have released by late 2013
DEANN SIMMONS HALPER (Collette in Four Dogs and a Bone) works as an actor, director, and producer. She has numerous Off-Broadway and regional credits including Eva Ruby in Camelot's Ruby at Bank Street Theatre; Sandy in Paper Tigers at the Arc Light Theatre; Gwen Landis in Fifth of July and Viazaphuhrika in Strider, both opposite Tony Award winner Joe Mantello at the Roger L. Stevens Centre; Mom/Margaret in Love and Happiness and multiple characters in The Laramie Project at Barrington Stage Company; Karen/Muriel/Norma in Plaza Suite, Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst and Vera in Mame all at TriArts' Sharon Playhouse; and numerous productions with the Aglet Theatre Company. Deann has produced several New York and Regional productions including the OBIE nominated Incommunicado and The Vagina Monologues. She has served on the Boards of Directors for Circle Rep, New York Stage and Film, TriArts' Sharon Playhouse and Barrington Stage Company and is currently on the Board of Visitors at North Carolina School of the Arts where she received her theatre training. Presently, she is the Executive Director of Aglet Theatre Company.
ALIKA HOPE* (Mrs. Muller in Doubt) Although Alika was noted for her "sassiness and sensuality" by Opera News, she hopes her time in the Berkshires will re-connect her to her gentle beginnings in the mountains of Oregon. New York City: Philomel, Pajama Game, Master Class, H.M.S Pinafore, Once on This Island, Midsummer Night's Dream. Regional: Trojan Women, Treemonisha, Showboat, Big River, Porgy and Bess. Other appearances include Opera Company of Philadelphia and Cincinnati Opera. In Western Mass., Alika portrayed Mayme in Intimate Apparel at New Century Theatre and Junie in The Island Lily at The Majestic Theater. Alika is currently the lifestyle reporter for CT Perspective TV, which airs on ABC in Connecticut. B.A., University of Notre Dame. M.A., Columbia University.
BETH LAKE (Sound Designer for Doubt) is a New York based designer, and recent graduate of UC-Irvine with a Graduate Degree in Sound Design. Regional production work can be heard at South Coast Repertory, The Geffen Playhouse, Barrington Stage Company, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the St. Louis Repertory Theater, and the Opera Theater of St. Louis. Recent work on new plays include: Anna Karenina, Abraham & Isaac in Jerusalem, and Jane Eyre which will return to Los Angeles this fall, before a transfer to St. Louis.BRIAN PRATHER (Set Designer) NYC: Freud's Last Session, WTC View, The Burnt Part Boys, Fugitive Songs, Fair Game, Badge, Castronauts. South Korea: Minyeo-neun Goerowo. Barrington Stage Co.: Going to St. Ives; Mormons, Mothers and Monsters; The Memory Show; Poolboy; Freud's Last Session; A Streetcar Named Desire; Underneath the Lintel; The Mysteries of Harris Burdick; My Scary Girl; See Rock City; I Am My Own Wife; A Picasso. Regional: The 39 Steps, Shakespeare's R&J, The Year of Magical Thinking, No Child..., Old Times. Opera: L'Enfant et les Sortileges, La Finta Giardiniera.
ANDREW VOLKOFF (Director, Four Dogs and a Bone) is a freelance director who served as former Associate Artistic Director of Barrington Stage Company (BSC) in Massachusetts for five years and of Genesius Theatre Group in New York City for three years. He was recently chosen as the first director to participate in the US/Bulgaria Directors Exchange project, staging the Bulgarian language premiere of John Kolvenbach's Lovesong at the Mladezhki Teatar in Sofia. For BAT, he directed their inaugural production, Four Dogs and a Bone, last summer. At BSC, Andrew has staged The Fantasticks, Underneath the Lintel, This Wonderful Life, I Am My Own Wife, Fully Committed, Santaland Diaries, Thief River, The Shape of Things, The Laramie Project, Love and Happiness, and My Scary Girl. He has directed regionally as well as at several venues in New York, including Joe's Pub, LaMama and NYMF. Recently, he directed Vigil by Morris Panych for Amphibian Productions in Ft. Worth, TX. Andrew is a Drama League Directing Fellow, a recent finalist for the prestigious TCG Leadership University grant, and a proud SDC member. Thanks to Brian, Jeff, Brad, and Deann.
PATRICK WHITE (Father Flynn in Doubt) is happy and grateful to be making his Berkshire debut with Berkshire Actors Theatre in his mother Carolyn Coughlin White's hometown of Pittsfield. He has worked extensively in New York's Capital Region recently as Luther Flynn in Superior Donuts at Capital Repertory Theatre, Frank Hardy in Faith Healer at Albany Civic Theatre, Bert in A Wonderful Life with C-R Productions at Cohoes Music Hall, Sommerset in Great Expectations at UAlbany and Henry in The Real Thing with Schenectady Civic Players. He has also performed with Bristol Valley Theatre, Confetti Stage, Curtain Call Theatre, Hubbard Hall, NYSTI, Theater Voices and The Theater Barn in Good, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Andersonville Trial, Our Town, Blithe Spirit, A Man For All Seasons, King Lear, Rebecca, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Seagull, Witness For The Prosecution, The Underpants, The Miracle Worker, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge, among others.NATHANIEL WIESSNER (Lighting Designer) is happy to be designing the lighting for both Doubt and Four Dogs and a Bone. He is Technical Director for Presenting and Dance at Williams College and works in other theaters throughout Berkshire County. He also works with Apogee Arts, helping this new company develop all aspects of technical production. Before coming to Williams, Nathaniel toured with Pilobolus and Momix dance companies and spent summers on staff at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. He and his wife live in North Adams.
PEGGY PHARR WILSON* (Sister Aloysius in Doubt) Barrington Stage: The Crucible, To Kill A Mockingbird, Guys & Dolls, Carousel, Laramie Project: Epilogue, 10 x 10 new play festival. New York: Six Women with Brain Death (co-author, and performed it also in Chicago, Dallas & Kansas City). Regional: 10 seasons with Creede Repertory Theatre in Colorado performing over 50 roles, including Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (best actress Ovation Award Denver Post), Shirley Valentine, Josie in Moon For The Misbegotten and Mac in 3 Viewings. Mrs. Jennings in staged reading of Sense & Sensibility for Berkshire Musical Theatre Workshop. Many other regional including: Dallas Theatre Center, Theatre 3, Kansas City Rep, Unicorn, KC Lyric Opera, White River in Vermont and Rose Theatre in Chicago. Married to BSC Managing Director Tristan Wilson. www.peggypharrwilson.com.* appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
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SPECIAL EVENT
Quick Change
with Clover Bell-Devaney and Andrew Joffe
February 17 at 7:30pm
Suggested donation: $5Ferrin Gallery • 437 North Street
Two actors. Ten scenes. Twenty characters. Berkshire Actors Theatre presents Quick Change, a collection of 10 different scenes by 10 different playwrights. Renowned local actors, BAT Founding Artistic Director Clover Bell-Devaney and Andrew Joffe perform scenes by playwrights as varied as Mamet, Shaw, Simon, Silverstein, Pinter, Coward, and Chekov among others. Join us for an evening of dynamic scenes written by some of the greatest playwrights.
Follow BAT on Twitter @BerkActTheatre
Learn more about the 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival or visit on Facebook.
Stay tuned for news on our 2013 Season!
PRAISE FOR BAT
"A vibrant new theatre company"John Patrick Shanley
"Berkshire Actors Theatre has launched itself like a rocket"Lakeville Journal
"they have done such a good job that, seriously, we have a new contender in the local theatrical sweepstakes." Larry Murray
"Berkshire Actors Theatre is off to a grand start"The Berkshire Eagle
PRAISE FOR
FOUR DOGS AND A BONE
"Four first-rate actors are giving four first-rate performances in the hands of one first-rate director" The Berkshire Eagle
"very, very funny...a talented cast with perfect comedic timing, it's a grand evening of superb acting and acidic fun." The Lakeville Journal
"quite a jolt"Metroland
"it is just good fun...If you enjoy manipulative bitchery and lots of laughs, this is a play that is worth your time..."Berkshire On Stage
"this company means business!I had the kind of fun that comes from watching good actors perform good material in a well-mounted production."Gail Sez
"nifty little comedy"CurtainUp
"makes a solid impact on the summer scene"Berkshire Bright Focus