Berkshire Theatre Group to Present Free 'No Boundaries In Art' Summer Reading Series

Berkshire Theatre Group will present a free, summer reading series, No Boundaries in Art. Originally a web series featuring artists expressing various points of view and social commentary, the No Boundaries in Art series will continue on stage this summer.

Beginning with The Listening Project (7/28), at The Unicorn Theatre, three other reading will follow in August: Dutch Masters (8/4) by Greg Keller, at The Unicorn Theatre; Pravda (8/18) by David Hare and Howard Benton, directed by Dan Dwyer, at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage; and Awake and Sing! (8/25) by Clifford Odets, directed by Dan Dwyer, at The Unicorn Theatre; followed by debate and discussion.

These events are free and open to the public! To reserve your free tickets, please call BTG's Box Office at 413-997-4444, or visit www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. Limited to 4 tickets per transaction.

Kate Maguire, BTG's Artistic Director/CEO, says, "We've always conducted play readings in the summertime, but it felt like a natural extension to stay on theme with No Boundaries in Art. We are thrilled to begin the series with The Listening Project, which was brought to us by Alex Straus. Being able to listen to each other, being able to pause, and rest our minds to hear what someone else is saying is so critical."

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The Listening Project
at The Unicorn Theatre
Friday, July 28 at 2pm
Tickets: FREE! Please reserve your FREE tickets in advance. Limited to 4 tickets per transaction.

Conceived and led by Alex Straus, The Listening Project is a series of open conversations between liberals and conservatives. The participants are trained in listening tools, then have one-on-one conversations with each other where they use said tools to foster authentic and generous listening between people who are opposed politically.

Alex Straus says, "The Listening Project is a great opportunity to get deeply connected to someone who may disagree with our worldview/opinions/beliefs, and find out that we share a lot in common. The ultimate scope and aim of this project is to bridge the division taking place in our country."

Dutch Masters
by Greg Keller
at The Unicorn Theatre
Friday, August 4 at 2pm
Tickets: FREE! Please reserve your FREE tickets in advance. Limited to 4 tickets per transaction.

Dutch Masters premiered at the Unicorn in 2011. This play speaks directly to urban youth and brings the challenging issues of race and economic disparity into the foreground of conversation.

The cast will feature David Pegram and Noah Averbach-Katz. Playwright Greg Keller will join the actors on stage after the reading for a talk-back.

Pravda
by David Hare and Howard Benton
directed by Dan Dwyer
at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage
Friday, August 18 at 2pm
Tickets: FREE! Please reserve your FREE tickets in advance. Limited to 4 tickets per transaction.

A powerful and provocative play by master playwrights exploring the role of journalism in society.

The Berkshire Eagle President, Fredric D. Rutberg; local journalist, Judith Monachina; and Former Acting Dean and Associate Professor, School of Journalism,
Columbia University, Sandy Padwe, will lead a talk-back after the reading.

Awake and Sing!
by Clifford Odets
at The Unicorn Theatre
directed by Dan Dwyer
Friday, August 25 at 2pm
Tickets: FREE! Please reserve your FREE tickets in advance. Limited to 4 tickets per transaction.

We enter the world of the impoverished Berger family and through their lives we see how generational poverty impacts our humanity and society itself.

Dr. Alan Chartock and Roselle Chartock will lead a talk-back after the reading.

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The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires. In 2010, under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, the two organizations merged to form Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG). Berkshire Theatre Group's mission is to support wide ranging artistic exploration and acclaimed performances in theatre, dance, music and entertainment. Every year, BTG produces and presents performances to over 68,000 attendees and, through our Educational Program, serves over 13,000 Berkshire County schoolchildren annually. BTG's celebrated stages reflect the history of the American theatre; they represent a priceless cultural resource for the community.

Berkshire Theatre Group's No Boundaries in Art series features artists expressing various points of view and social commentary. Originally a bi-monthly web series featuring BTG's Artistic Associates and members of the community, the No Boundaries in Art series will continue on stage this summer. Kate Maguire, BTG's Artistic Director/CEO, said she originally started No Boundaries in Art "as a place for artists to have a place to speak poetically about issues of today, no matter what side you are on."

Kate continues, "I have often said that the theatre is a laboratory where we may gather to observe what mysteries lie in the human heart. By telling the story of our experiences, the fragility of humanity is revealed and we understand more significantly, our sameness. Our art form is as old as language itself. The power of theatre lies in its ability to transform our understanding of all human experience.

There cannot be boundaries in the arts. We do not discriminate. Our buildings are sanctuaries for everyone to tell their stories. We do not discriminate in which stories we will tell, which culture we may seek to know. We are enriched and indeed transformed for the better by this creative engagement."

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