Fire Destroys Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow

BECKET — A fire on Tuesday on the Jacob’s Pillow campus in Becket destroyed the Doris Duke Theatre. Firefighters arrived around 7 a.m. and remained on campus until midday, and the fire did not spread to any of the other buildings on the Jacob’s Pillow grounds. No one was injured in the incident, and a cause has not yet been determined.

“While we have lost some precious, irreplaceable items, those experiences and memories will last forever. We are heartbroken, and we are relieved that no one was hurt,” said Pamela Tatge, Jacob’s Pillow executive & artistic director. “On behalf of everyone at the Pillow, we are grateful for the firefighters and officials who have responded so quickly to this devastating emergency on our grounds. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world we have already received. We will rebuild.”’

The campus has been comparatively quiet since March, when it announced the annual summer dance festival would be cancelled due COVID-19. Studio and housing spaces recently opened up to a small number of artists this fall for COVID-compliant Pillow Lab residencies.

The Doris Duke Theatre opened in 1990, the second of the Pillow’s two indoor theatres on its 220-acre campus.