Moonchildren, a play by Michael Weller set over the course of the 1965-66 school year in an unnamed college town, has been called "a masterwork by one of our great writers." Actress (Raiders of the Lost Ark, White Irish Drinkers) and director Karen Allen, who mounted a well-received student production of Weller's play at Bard College at Simon’s Rock two years ago, is doing it again with professionals at the Berkshire Theatre Festival (details below). Dan Shaw recently posed the RI 20 to Allen, who also owns an eponymous Great Barrington clothing boutique that specializes in handknit cashmeres of her own design. 1. How did you end up moving to the Berkshires? I was living in New York City and came to Stockbridge for the first time in 1981 to work at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, then I worked at Williamstown for several summers in the mid-80’s and fell in love with the countryside here. I wanted a place to escape from New York, especially after a long run of a play or when coming back to the east coast after finishing a film on location. I needed more space around me: the quiet and the fresh air and the trees. 2. What's your favorite way to spend a Friday night? For me Friday nights are for friends. I love to have people over to my house and make a meal together, play music, talk, drink wine, play pool, make a bond fire down by my pond and such. 3. What's your favorite way to spend a Sunday morning? Sunday mornings are sacred sleep-in mornings for me. Reading in bed without having to look at the clock is heaven; whatever book I’m in the middle of, The Sunday Times, good magazine articles, a proper breakfast, which I seem to never have time for the rest of the week. 4. Where's you favorite spot for bargain hunting?
Sadly, most of the true bargain hunting spots I used to know in the Berkshires don’t exist anymore. It’s even hard to find a bargain at Brimfield these days. I used to love the auctions at Bradford’s. 5. Where do you go for a self-indulgent splurge? I love all the beautiful things Renee and Paul bring back from Thailand at Home on Rt 23 in Egremont. I also love Lili and Loo in Hudson. 6. What's your favorite one-hour drive from your house? I have two. I love to spend the day in Hudson just roaming around, looking in the antique shops and having lunch at one of the wonderful restaurants that keep popping up, Swoon, or Baba Louie’s or Mexican Radio and staying into the evening to see who’s playing at Helsinki, above, (which i miss so much since they left Great Barrington). And a day in Williamstown is always fun.... going to the Clark or MASS MoCA. 7. What's your favorite historic site?The Mount is pretty irresistible. I used to perform there with Shakespeare & Co. on the outdoor stage. The house and the gardens are beautiful and mysterious. I am transported to the world that Edith Wharton lived in when I’m there. 8. What three things do you always do with house guests?
In summer I take them to Tanglewood for a picnic, right, and a concert. On a beautiful morning, we might go for long walks off the beaten path in Monterey or New Marlboro and end the day with dinner at the Old Inn on the Green or the Southfield Store. In the Winter I take friends to ski at Butternut, afterwards climb into a hot tub in the snow behind my barn and build big roaring fire later with glass of wine or cocoa in hand. 9. What's your favorite bookstore or bookstores?
I love Matt Tannenbaum’s Bookstore in Lenox and the Bookloft in Great Barrington. They are always great about getting books for you quickly if they don’t have them. 10. What's your favorite hardware store and/or garden center? I can spend hours and hours looking at trees, seeds, bulbs, flowers, berries, vegetables, gardening tools, bird feeders, etc., and do every Spring, Summer and Fall at both Windy Hill in Stockbridge and at Ward’s in Great Barrington. I have an on-going romance with gardens. My favorite hardware store is [Harland B.]Foster’s in Great Barrington. It has that great old-timey hardware store feel. 11. Where do you shop for clothes? Do you have a favorite salesperson?
Well, I hate to toot my own horn, but I love my clothing store in Great Barrington, Karen Allen Fiber Arts and I love the women who work for me..Susan, Susan, Barbara and Rachel. They are wonderful. I have a blast shopping for the clothing we carry in my store at the designer’s shows in NYC and looking for unique and beautiful things. I also carry my own line of cashmere knitwear and quite a few of our local jewelry, handbag and knitwear designers as well. 12. Who do you trust to recommend wines? I have some friends who are always turning me on to good wines. Other than that, I just dive in and experiment when I’m wine shopping on my own. I’ve always found Lock, Stock and Barrell in Great Barrington to be really helpful with wine choices, but it’s off my beaten path, and I don’t get there often enough. 13. Who are your local heroes?
There are so many. A lot of teachers who I’ve met at the Rudolf Steiner School where my son went and Simon’s Rock College as well. Some wonderful therapists and social workers I know who really are making a difference in people’s lives. Lola Jaffe for bringing the Mahaiwe back to life and Kelley Vickery for starting the Berkshire International Film Festival and keeping it going with such intelligence and enthusiasm, Kate Maguire, left, for holding the Berkshire Theatre Festival, in Stockbridge, to a high standard and taking on the Colonial in Pittsfield as well. Everyone who is championing and maintaining our arts organizations here in the Berkshires. The Railroad Street Youth Project, and the mentoring projects they set up. And I could go on and on. We are rich with sung and unsung heroes here. 14. What newspapers or blogs do you read every day? Almost none. I’m not much of a blog reader unless someone sends me a link about something specific. I just don’t enjoy spending any more time on the computer than i absolutely have to. I don’t really read a daily newspaper these days either.The Sunday New York Times. New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Departures is the extent of my news in paper form. I tend to listen to WAMC or the BBC news in my car or will turn on a bit of television news at night if I have time. My days get so busy I often rely on my more well-informed friends to catch me up. 15. What does it mean to own a local business in Great Barrington? I’ve had three different businesses here and each one has brought me into the community in a different way. My first was Berkshire Mountain Yoga from 1995 to 2000, then Monterey fiber Arts, my knitwear studio, and finally I opened my shop, Karen Allen Fiber Arts in 2005. I have an ongoing opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people who I might not have met otherwise and to be of service in whatever way I can. 16. Where's your favorite place for live performance? I like small clubs, so it used to be Helsinki before it moved. I still love Helsinki in Hudson, but it’s a bit of a drive. I love Tanglewood in the summer and I love the concerts at the Mahaiwe year round. 17. Where's your favorite place for breakfast?
I’m not a big breakfast eater and rarely eat breakfast out. My house is my favorite breakfast spot. My porch when the weather is nice. I do love Rubi’s in Great Barrington though for a great cafe au lait or coffee and a killer egg sandwich. The Southfield Store is where I take friends when they are visiting. The atmosphere and breakfast there is delicious and relaxing. 18. What's your favorite Berkshires tradition? Packing up a wonderful picnic and going early for dinner on the lawn at Tanglewood. Lying on the grass under the stars and listening to a great cellist, or pianist or orchestra or James Taylor on the 4th of July.. Sublime!! 19. What's the best thing about not living in NY or LA? Waking up in the morning and hearing the wind in the trees and so many different birds calling out across the woods and ponds. Seeing a flock of turkeys bob their way across the lawn, the occasional bear lumber by, the painted turtles laying their eggs, the porcupines trying to eat the willow buds, the peepers and bullfrogs breaking into an almost deafening symphony every night in the Spring, the smell of fresh cut grass and on and on and on. Playing music loud in my house and not having anyone complain about the noise. 20. What are you looking forward to? I’m recently back from taking my son to Copenhagen to help him find an apartment and get settled as an intern in the kitchen at the restaurant NOMA and now I'm rehearsing Moonchildren, so I'm looking forward to the opening. The Berkshire Theatre FestivalUnicorn Theatre Previews, June 28 - July 1 Opens July 2 - July 16
