Berkshire Theatre Group Taps Tony Simotes as Managing Director

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG) and Kate Maguire, its CEO and artistic director, announced the addition of Tony Simotes as managing director and artistic associate.

“I have known Tony Simotes for over 25 years,” Maguire said. “He is a respected theatre artist, administrator, and educator. Tony is regarded in the Berkshires as one of our caretakers, an individual who has helped transform the cultural landscape. For as long as I have known him, he has brought integrity, joy, and curiosity to whatever position he has held — whether it be as fund-raiser, director, stage combat teacher, actor, or artistic leader.”

She added, “I am looking forward to partnering with Tony to continue strengthening our beloved theatre through our endeavors to bring the highest quality of work and entertainment to our stages, and to enrich local students’ lives through transformative arts in education programs. Tony Simotes and I have long shared the belief that the arts open doorways of growth, and I am proud to begin this new and exciting chapter in the story of these renowned theatres now merged as Berkshire Theatre Group.”

Ruth Blodgett, BTG board president, noted that, “when Kate approached the board about hiring Tony to add to our BTG team, we were thrilled. He has already made many contributions to the Berkshires, and we are excited to have him support Kate as she leads BTG to put on great shows that we can all enjoy and also contribute to our critical education and community-development mission. Tony has an impressive track record, and we are so pleased to have him stay in the Berkshires and become an integral part of our work.”


Simotes is the former artistic director and president of Shakespeare & Co., a professional company he helped found in 1978. Tony was also an actor, director, and master teacher of fight and movement for the company. He was instrumental in helping manage the company through its recent financial stress to greater stability. Simotes also spent six years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was a full professor and director of University Theatre.

“It is such an honor to be a part of Berkshire Theater Group,” he said. “When Kate called me, I immediately said yes. I’ve known her from my earliest days working here in the Berkshires, and over the years we’ve had the opportunity to share our passion for the theatre as colleagues and, most importantly, as friends. To be able to continue the work I started here in the Berkshires, and to be able to assist one of America’s most celebrated theaters, is a true blessing. I share Kate’s vision of what BTG has meant and will continue to mean to the American theatre. Her trust and confidence in what we can achieve together is the very stuff of what makes this adventure of a life in the theatre worthwhile.”