August 18 - August 29
Once upon a time, the resplendent lawns, gardens, chambers, and stables of Edith Wharton's guilded-age estate, The Mount, were alive with sprites, faeries, kings, queens, and courtesans created by The Bard, as well as characters drawn from the imagination of the property's mistress herself, thanks to Shakespeare & Company's residency at the estate, before Tina Packer found a permanent home for her merry band a mile or so down the road. Last year a veteran of that estimable troupe, Catherine Taylor-Williams, brought theatrical adaptations of Wharton's work back to her home with Xingu, the first production of The Wharton Salon, which enjoyed a sold-out run. The Wharton Salon returns to The Mount with Summer, a 1917 novella which the author herself called her "hot Ethan," adapted for the stage by Dennis Krausnick. This racy-for-its-time tale of love and class, directed by Taylor-Williams, is set in the Berkshires during a sultry season like the one we are experiencing right now. The popularity of Wharton's work and the story's ties to this magical place will make Summer one hot ticket, and with only eight performances you should consider reserving your seat as soon as you can. The MountLenox, MA
