Bess Hochstein reports from Pittsfield.Artists and aficionados were treated to a smorgasbord of performance and visual art during the second annual Made in the Berkshires Festival, which kicked off on Friday, October 5, at The Colonial Theatre. Opening Night festivities included an eclectic array of performances — dance, music, film, theater, a short story reading, and an autobiographical comedy/song-and-dance routine — curated by the dynamic duo of Hilary Somers Deely and Barbara Sims (left), a high-drama actress and low-key director who were given free rein to pull together this locavore arts festival by Berkshire Theatre Group artistic director Kate Maguire. After the show, the audience streamed into The Colonial's lobby, where another smorgasbord — of the literal variety — awaited; locally grown and produced edible delights including luscious chocolate truffles from H.R. Zeppelin; cheese from Cricket Creek Farm and Berkshire Blue; dips and local figs and honey from Berkshire Organics; snack packs from Bola Granola; and local libations from Wandering Star Craft Brewery, Furnace Brook Winery, and Berkshire Mountain Distillers. The festival continued throughout the weekend, a moveable feast of performing arts that had the audience shuttling between daytime shows at BTG's Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge and evening events at The Colonial.
Berkshire Bank on-line marketing specialist Mark Pedrotti with Jennibeth Gomez of Berkshire Museum, whose film Drawing with Chris screened on opening night; Pittsfield cultural czar Megan Whilden with Cathy Deely, board chair of Berkshire Creative.
Mystery novelist Dick Lipez (aka Richard Stevenson) and artist Dai Ban; CATA's Lianna Toscanini and festival performer Anni Crofut, who filled in at the last minute for another dancer who had injured herself.
Kit Clukas, Celia Kittredge, and festival artist Helga Orthofer; Katie Whalan, Bola Granola gal Michele Miller, who sampled her wares, and horticulturalist Barbara Bockbrader, co-founder of Campo De' Fiori.
Made in the Berkshires co-founder Hilary Somers Deely, innkeeper Suky Werman, who curated the festival's visual arts component, and RI co-founder Dan Shaw.
Excelsior printing company's David Crane gets into the act with opening night performer Alison Larkin, the English American; art advisor Kalika Farmer and investment analyst Philip "Pip" Deely.
Berkshire Theatre Group artistic director Kate Maguire with playwright Jodi Rothe, author of Martha Mitchell Calling, and Heather Flemming, theater assistant at the Berkshire School; festival supporter John Whalan of Black Ice Entertainment with Tyler Weld.
Creative catalysts Pooja Rue, Barbara Sims, and Heather Fisch.
Made in the Berkshires supporter Hans Morris with Sarah Eustis, director of business development at the Red Lion Inn; Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown and co-founder of Share the Bounty, with artist Cynthia Wick.
Helena Brüggeman and her mother, chocolatier Doria Polinger; writer Jeremy D. Goodwin and yoga instructor Jane Ciepiela.
Composer and musician Evan Lurie with Conor Lovett of the Gare St Lazare Players of Ireland, in town for his one-man performance of Moby Dick, part of the Call Me Melville Festival; festival artist Joe Wheaton, whose Berkshire Rave opened the evening's performances, with The Bookstore's Matthew Tannenbaum and Carol Robbins.
The eclectic array of opening night performances culminated with Gaea Star Goddesses.
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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
