Barrington Stage Company had secured school buses to take theatergoers who had just watched The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is set in a school gym, to the gym at St. Joseph Central High School a few blocks away for its annual dinner dance. But most of the guests decided to walk, turning North Street into a fashion parade. Caterer Dan Mathieu used the play and the location as his inspiration for decorations (some tables were painted with blackboard paint and had chalk for doodling), and food (dinner was served in old-fashioned, compartmentalized cafeteria trays.) And everyone danced with gusto, as if they were teenagers at their very first prom.
Whit & Annie Selke of Pine Cone Hill; Betsy Selkowitz and Leslie Warren.
Jessie Wolfson and Donna Weiss; gala coordinator Eileen Young with Norman Avnet.
Governor Deval Patrick who believes in the importance of the "creative economy" with Barrington Stage founding board member Reid White and artistic director Julianne Boyd.
BSC board president Mary Ann Quinson with Dr. Norman Boyd; Carolann Patterson, BSC director of marketing, with William Finn, the composer and lyricist of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Spelling Bee sponsors Liza & Ira Sarinsky; Tanglewood's Barbara Hanson and Nina Jung.
Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick with Dan Mathieu, who coordinated the food and decorations for the gala.
Leslie Ferrin and Coleen Quinn pose in the lobby with the namesake of St. Joseph Central High School, which Quinn attended; she now teaches at Pittsfield High and Berkshire Community College; Nancy Kalodner kicks up her heels with Whit Selke.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
