There are a few things you can expect when going to see a show at Shakespeare & Company: outdoor theatre, the occasional rabbit running across the stage, stunning sunsets, craft beer, and deck chairs overlooking the organization鈥檚 30-acre property in the heart of the Berkshires. But most importantly, expect to see great plays.
With four theatres and an expanding slate of programming that including classic and contemporary works throughout much of the year, Shakespeare & Company is fast becoming a destination for good theatre with a view (and then some). For artistic director Allyn Burrows, who is now entering his second season at the helm, the goal is to continue growing to be on par with the likes of Ontario鈥檚 Stratford Festival鈥攁 destination for theatregoers from all over the world.
Within his first year, Burrows built a new outdoor theatre and changed the configurations of the company鈥檚 three existing theatres. 鈥淚 tried to do as many things as possible before anyone really realized I was there. I moved quickly,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 knew there would be a honeymoon period鈥� [I wanted to] shake things up and see where it landed.鈥�
Another goal was to 鈥減ush the envelope鈥� when it came to programming. With the 2018 season, Burrows was drawn to 鈥渆dgier and more socially probing鈥� work like Taylor Mac鈥檚 Hir, which will play in The Berkshires in September. 鈥淚鈥檓 not about just simple entertainment,鈥� says the artistic director. 鈥淚 feel like we have to know what we鈥檙e saying in the world if we鈥檙e doing theatre.鈥�
For Burrows, who cut his teeth working in New York City鈥檚 Downtown theatre scene before going on to work in theatres around the country, taking on the leadership at Shakespeare & Company has been a homecoming of sorts. The actor and director returns to the Berkshires after having been an associate artist there for more than a decade, and it's this sense of familiarity that has allowed him to trust both his instincts and his audience鈥檚 capability to 鈥渟how up鈥� as the organization continues to evolve under his leadership.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned to trust the connections between human beings [that happen in the theatre]鈥攖he relationships onstage, and between the actor and audience,鈥� explains Burrows. 鈥淲e鈥檙e absolutely awash in all this stimuli at the moment: electronics, social media, our current political climate鈥�. People want something that is direct and honest, insightful, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and really, just humanistic at its root level.鈥�
It鈥檚 the theatre鈥檚 ability to connect people that led Burrows to become an artistic director. 鈥淚t was born of a sense of wanting to create more community with people,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he collective effort to do one thing鈥攁nd that is create a few moments of searing honesty. What excites me is that there鈥檚 an energy which arises out of people working together.鈥�
Since its founding in 1978, Shakespeare & Company has fostered a vibrant community of artists and audiences; the organization attracts more than 60,000 patrons annually and boasts a core of over 150 artists. As well as year-round productions, Shakespeare & Company also offers robust training and education programs, with the mission of sharing technique, knowledge and experience to not only better develop artists, but to build an audience and expand the company鈥檚 influence. A number of the artists who have come through the training programs have gone on to work professionally with the organization.
The spirit of Shakespeare & Company is steeped in a love of Shakespeare and his core values, which to Burrows, is interpreted as broadly as 鈥渨hat鈥檚 important in the world.鈥� That means nurturing the next generation of theatremakers and providing audiences with honest, intimate, and visceral work. 鈥淸The goal is to have] people can feel like their vibrating when they鈥檙e leaving the theatre,鈥� says Burrows.
He鈥檚 the first to admit that his job is made easier by the company鈥檚 beautiful natural surroundings. 鈥淲hen you drive into the Berkshires you鈥檙e immediately bathed in this new environment. You鈥檙e not ducking in off the street to see a piece of theatre that then needs to transport you. You鈥檙e already partially transported to another place by coming on to our property,鈥� says the artistic director. 鈥淚 want to honor that by doing something that鈥檚 deeply genuine.鈥�
Shakespeare & Company鈥檚 season will kick off May 24 with Carey Crim鈥檚 play Morning After Grace. The season will continue with William Shakespeare鈥檚 Macbeth (July 3鈥揂ugust 5); Shakespeare鈥檚 Love鈥檚 Labor鈥檚 Lost (July 10鈥揂ugust 18); August Strindberg鈥檚 Creditors (July 19鈥揂ugust 12); an outdoor staging of Shakespeare鈥檚 As You Like It (August 9鈥揝eptember 2); Simon Stephens鈥� Heisenberg (August 11鈥揝eptember 2); Terrence McNally鈥檚 Mothers and Sons (August 16鈥揝eptember 9); Taylor Mac鈥檚 Hir (September 13鈥揙ctober 7); and Jon Jory鈥檚 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (December 15鈥�16). For more information visit .
