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Stockbridge
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least once in my life or my career is not complete.’”
By the 1980s, the Unicorn Theatre became a home for new and experi- mental work, and in 1992, it hosted cabaret acts from New York City and a workshop-style production. In 1996, the Unicorn was reopened after a lengthy renovation and became Berk- shire Theatre Festival’s official second stage. The now-U-shaped performance center, located in the barn, boasts 122 seats.
Today, the Unicorn Theatre and the Playhouse hold performances of both classics and new works for locals and
“They were so hungry for theater and to be together again. Everybody was spaced, everyone was masked. But we kept going, and I think, because we have been able to keep
our audiences safe, people have trusted us through the pandemic.”
tourists. BTG even made it possible for those to still gather during the height of the pandemic in 2020. BTG hosted outdoor productions of Godspell dur- ing the summer and Truman Capote’s Holiday Memories in December; the former was the only Actors’ Equity Assoc. live production being staged in the U.S. at the time.
As for the latter, “in 13- to 20-degree weather, the audiences came,” Maguire said. “They were so hungry for theater and to be together again. Everybody was spaced, everyone was masked. But we kept going, and I think, because we have been able to keep our audiences safe, people have trusted us through the pandemic.”
Things to Do and Places to See
When thinking of a small town that relies on tourism to support its econ- omy, one might assume it turns into a ghost town during the winter months. But this is not the case for Stockbridge. In fact, this close-knit town provides plenty of museums, historic sites, and other activities for those who live there and visitors alike, and most don’t close down during the offseason. While sum- mer and spring typically see the most tourism, Stockbridge still has plenty to offer year-round.
Along Main Street alone, one can find the Stockbridge Library, the Red
Lion Inn, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Austen Riggs Center, the Mission House Museum, and many more.
Among the most popular is the Nor- man Rockwell Museum, which holds the world’s largest and most significant collection of Rockwell art and pro- vides educational opportunities for those who are interested in learning more about the universal messages of humanity and kindness portrayed in his work. The museum houses more than 100,000 original items from Rock- well’s life, including working photo- graphs, letters, personal calendars, fan mail, and business documents.
Of the 20 studios that he worked in,
The Children’s Chime Tower has been in use since 1785.
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BusinessWest
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
OCTOBER 31, 2022
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