Dozens of Berkshires residents travelled to Manhattan on Monday night for the sold-out Williamstown Theatre Festival "Sing" Benefit in NYC. It was the first official party for new artistic director Jenny Gersten (left), who was WTF's associate producer from 1996 - 2004. Wearing a dress with sparkling sleeves, she was surrounded by family, friends and WTF alumni, so the evening felt like a glamorous summer-camp reunion. After a Berkshire-grown dinner prepared by Mezze Catering of Williamstown, guests were treated to songs from recent shows at WTF: Western Country (last summer's Fellowship Musical); The Last Goodbye (last summer's rocking version of Romeo & Juliet); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (which is now on Broadway); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Jessica Stone's innovative all-male version); Where's Charley? (with Christopher Fitzgerald leading a sing-a-long of "Once in Love with Amy" to honor outgoing artistic director Nicholas Martin who staged the show with Fitzgerald in 2002.) And just like any proper camp reunion, the party made the guests nostalgic and longing for next summer.
Kelly Levy and Justin Waldman, who directed What is the Cause of Thunder? at WTF in 2009; agent Brian Davidson and WTF stalwart and Tony-winning actress Katie Finneran, who is pregnant with her first child.
Actresses Ariel Woodiwiss, who appeared in last summer's production of Six Degrees of Separation, and Celina Carvajal, who was in The Last Goodbye.
Williamstown real estate agent Carolyn Umlauf, Brooklyn College professor Barbara Winslow, and WTF trustee Joan Hunter, who is also the chairman of Jacob's Pillow; Molly Kerns of Tsubo Massage in Williamstown with Mezze Catering's Nancy Thomas and Julia Bowen, executive director of the Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School.
Legendary dancer and WTF trustee emeritus Marge Champion and Fran Lapidus; Leslie Milton of the Tenement Museum and David Rosenthal, who are the parents of Emma Rosenthal who was in last summer's production of Our Town.
Actor and director Dylan Baker, who's spent 13 seasons at Williamstown, with WTF general manager Joe Finnegan and actress Becky Ann Baker, who's spent 11 summers at Williamstown.
Public Theatre executive director Andrew Hamingson with Lola Jaffe, chairman of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center; Tom Carroll and Margo Bowden.
The kvelling parents of WTF's new artistic director: Bernard Gersten, the executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater, and Cora Cahan, president of New 42nd Street.
Written by
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
