Judy Braha Joins Jim Frangione as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater

GREAT BARRINGTON — Great Barrington Public Theater (GB Public) announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will join Jim Frangione at the helm as artistic director.

“We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself,” said Frangione, founder and artistic director. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region’s premiere developmental theater.

“Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater’s signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions,” he went on. “I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner.”

Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as associate artistic director after two years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened GB Public’s creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher, and artist for social justice for more than four decades, with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She is well known for having led the master of fine arts directing program at Boston University’s School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

Her work frequently takes on issues of human rights, with titles including To Kill a Mockingbird; Emilie, La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight; Othello; I Am Lear, a devised piece on aging; and Golda’s Balcony. She also is a longtime member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers and a founding board member of Stage Source, a New England theater resource that was committed to connecting theaters, artists, and their communities.

“Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership, and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand in glove with our founding mission and core beliefs,” founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons said. “Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic, and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth.”

Managing Director Serena Johnson added, “Judy’s distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years. We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season.”