Berkshire Theatre Group to Host Fall Benefit THE MASQUERADED UN-BALL, 11/1

Berkshire Theatre Group has announced its annual benefit event, "The Masqueraded Un-Ball" on November 1, 2014 at The Colonial Theatre for a fun night of food, drinks, dancing, and entertainment to benefit BTG PLAYS! including the 10th Annual Community Production. This year's benefit event is sponsored by Sheehan Health Group, Home Care Services of Massachusetts, and Berkshire Mazda and Signature Series.

$75 Crasher Ticket includes admission to the Celebration, including dinner, open bar and dance party. $750 Group of Revelers includes admission for 10 guests to the Celebration and a Commemorative BTG wine glass. To purchase tickets, call the BTG Ticket Office at 413-997-4444 or go to www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.

The Benefit Event Celebration will commence at 7pm in The Colonial Theatre's historic lobby with a mingle and munch spread provided by Mazzeo's Ristorante with entertainment from Life Line DJ's from New York City and the cast of POE. This year's silent auction items include costumes from past BTG productions among other items.

Education and training programs are a fundamental component of Berkshire Theatre Group's mission to serve our community. Study after study concludes that children who are introduced to the arts and given a chance to participate are more successful throughout their lives. BTG is proud to provide a multitude of arts opportunities to students. BTG Plays! encompasses in-school residency programs, vacation camps, after school classes, and the annual community production, through which local students have explored the art of theatre and shared their individual voices and creativity.

This summer marked the 9th Annual Berkshire Theatre Group's Children's Theatre production. Over 100 children grades 3 and up from school districts across Berkshire County performed in packed performances of Seussical at the Colonial Theatre.

"I was surrounded by an extremely talented cast and crew, constantly learning from them during the whole process of our production," said Caroline Mack who played Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical, "Berkshire Theatre Group values a strong, close-knit, community, whether it's our cast's community or our town's community. I had always been passionate about musical theater, but this summer had deepened my passion entirely. I learned that musical theater is so much more than art. It's family, it's love, it's creativity it's passion, it's singing, it's dancing, it's acting, it's laughing, it's crying-it's life."

Berkshire Theatre Group's Performing Arts for Schools provide affordable field trips to BTG's theatres, allowing students to experience diverse, educational and entertaining programs that reinforce classroom curriculum while fostering an understanding of and appreciation for the arts.

BTG has a strong commitment to investing in the next generation of theatre artists. Our highly regarded Summer Performance Training Apprentice Program, founded in 1929, offers students annually from all over the country, a multifaceted approach to actor training that combines a strong emphasis on movement and vocal technique. Apprentices are vital members of the BTG community, performing on at least one of our many stages, taking classes each day and assisting in a variety of departments. In addition, BTG provides internships and assistantships in all technical and administrative theatre fields.

BTG's goal is to better the quality of life in the Berkshires with diverse programming and a strong educational curriculum. While we primarily seek to enrich the cultural life of the community, the members of our staff and company, as well as audience members and donors, cannot help but contribute economically to the Berkshires.Now merged as Berkshire Theatre Group, the organization itself invests an estimated 3.8 million locally and total annual staffing is approximately 800 people. BTG now has a total economic impact of more than 6 million dollars. We now serve 17,000 students and meet 100,000 patrons on our stages annually.

Nurturing a symbiotic relationship between the theatre and our community is essential to a strong future for BTG, the Berkshires and our region. When you give to BTG, you have a positive impact both on our ability to produce works of cultural value and on your community. Our contributions to the local economy and educational programming help make possible an enriched present and future for Berkshire County.

To post a comment, you must register and login.