Berkshire Buzz
Before the deluge
by Bess Hochstein
If you’re lucky enough to live in the Berkshires -- hard as it is to believe -- you may leave the Berkshires at some point for vacation. The problem is choosing when to go. For me, it’s nearly impossible to leave in summer because of all the appealing cultural events as well as the great weather for the outdoors activities I love, such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. But now that so many organizations have extended their seasons beyond summer, it’s getting harder to find a few days when K & I won’t miss something spectacular.
Take this month, for example. As I write this, I’m on a train crossing the Canadian Rockies. But I’m thinking about the upcoming Berkshire International Film Festival, and the Berkshire Museum’s biannual wine auction, with gala dinners at Spice and Blantyre to raise money for the museum’s educational programs. Both of these fabulous events take place over the weekend of May 18, and we won’t be back to enjoy either of them. And with Rosanne Cash playing the Mahaiwe that night… well, maybe it’s best that don’t have to make a decision which to attend. And while we’ll miss the May 16th opening of “A Picasso” by Barrington Stage at the Berkshire Atheneum, we’ll be able to catch this play before its run ends on June 3. And speaking of artists, we’ll also miss IS 183 Art School of the Berkshires presenting Phillip Knoll, who will talk about his whimsical, cutting edge drawings on May 9.
We’re also missing prime gardening time – a shame, as I intended to pick up a few plants and pointers at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens’ annual plant sale May 11-12. That Friday, The Colonial presents the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, then moves into a different genre on Saturday with Texan country/folk singer/songwriter Guy Clark. For those who prefer to stay in the classical vein, MusicWorks holds its gala concert and auction on May 12, featuring the Hawthorne String Quartet. And on Sunday morning May 13, Berkshire Living Magazine’s “Rest of the Story” forum at the Triplex Cinema features this month’s cover subject, Hollywood director and Stockbridge part-time resident Arthur Penn who will be honored for lifetime achievement at the film festival the following weekend.
So while I’m enjoying the snowy scenery of the Continental Divide, I’m thinking of the scenery – and plays – that I’ll be seeing on Berkshire stages in just a few weeks, such as Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie” at Berkshire Theatre Festival, and Tom Stoppard’s “Rough Crossing” at Shakespeare & Company, when both these organizations kick off their seasons. And then comes June, when the floodgates of the cultural season open, and the summer goes rushing by. I’m already feeling under pressure since I haven’t ordered all my tickets yet… and isn’t pressure what you go on vacation to escape?