Berkshire Playwrights Lab Rocks the Mahaiwe

The Berkshire Playwrights Lab kicked of the summer theater season at its gala at the Mahaiwe on May 21 with an evening of staged readings of seven new one-act plays featuring actors such as Jay Thomas, Dan Lauria, Treat Williams, Elizabeth Franz, Lauren Ambrose and Kristen Johnston. BPL's artistic directors—Joe Cacaci, Jim Frangione, Bob Jaffe and Matthew Penn—welcomed the audience with a one-act play about four artistic directors debating how to welcome the audience to a gala. After the performance, BPL hosted a jam-packed reception at Allium for the cast, crew and supporters.

Church Street Art's Denise Ulick and actress Stephanie Hedges; Fiona & Camille Breslin flank their mother, Barbara Schulman of Wheeler & Taylor.

Lola Jaffe, president of the board of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, with MAX Ultimate Food's Dan Mathieu, who will be catering the opening night of BIFF, and Tom Potter.

Actor Treat Williams, who appeared on stage in Kelly Masterson's short play Rehab as part of the gala, with actress Karen Allen, who owns an eponymous fiber arts store on Railroad Street in Great Barrington; talent agent Don Buchwald with actress Kristen Johnston, who appeared in the short play The Woman from 43 by Dean Imperial at the gala.

Actress Lauren Ambrose, who appeared in the short play If by Anna Ziegler at the gala, with her husband, photographer Sam Handel.

Berkshire Record editor David Scribner with his wife, playwright Juliane Hiam; Roman Montano and Jen Harvey-Montano of Berkshire Property Agents.