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February 25, 2003
  Articles on this page: • Four historic Berkshire theaters are returning to life
Four historic Berkshire theaters are returning to life In the early twentieth century, bustling theaters featuring movies, vaudeville and plays lined the main streets of towns across America. But as television gradually absorbed the bulk of America's leisure time, they were torn down, closed up, turned into retail stores or coffee shops, or limped along as best they could. In recent years, however, a number of them are being brought back to life, thanks to concerned citizens and a mixture of public and (mostly) private money. Here in the Berkshires, no less than four theaters are undergoing varying degrees of transformation that their backers hope will put them center stage once again. In Pittsfield, the Berkshire Music Hall (formerly the Berkshire Public Theatre, Paris Cinema, and Union Square Theatre in previous incarnations) and the Colonial Theatre, the Mahaiwe Theatre in Great Barrington and the Mohawk Theatre in North Adams are all in varying stages of rejuvenation. But the process does not come cheap. Raising the funds required to bring these theaters back to life is a continuing challenge. Everyone involved in the four theater projects said they believe that the theaters will not be competitive with each other, but instead will create a complimentary mix of year-round music, dance, theater and film performances, serving local residents, providing performing spaces for summer-oriented venues, and encouraging more visitors in the off-seasons, including the so-called shoulder seasons of spring and fall.
Berkshire Music Hall Pittsfield The Berkshire Music Hall is the only one of the four theaters that is being operated as a for-profit enterprise. It is owned and operated by Ray Shilke, who bought the theater and the accompanying Octagon House last October. He is in the process of spending $500,000 to bring the theater back to life, an amount he says is his cap: "I don't see spending much more than that because then you might as well build a new one." He plans to open in June and will host benefit performances of a production of "They're Playing Our Song" in August for the Colonial Theatre. Unlike the others, he is not aiming to restore the theater to its former historical splendor. He plans to leave the walls as bare brick, aiming for a contemporary feel. It will give an atmosphere, he says, that "is going to lend itself to a different kind of programming" than the other theaters. He and his crew are working on bringing the dressing rooms up to Equity standards, upgrading the bathrooms and lobby, repairing the tin ceiling, and "tuning the room" to ensure the sound quality is as rich as possible. A sound engineer with a degree in theatrical lighting and art history, he has years of experience working on Broadway and off-Broadway shows (he designed the sound for the original production of Blue Man Group, a long-running hit in New York), and national concert tours for everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to the Charlie Daniels Band. Each September his company, Ins and Outs, donates their time to Paul Newman's star-studded annual benefit for the Hole in the Wall Gang summer camps for children with serious illnesses.
Mahaiwe Theatre Great Barrington Of the four theaters, the Mahaiwe is the only one that has been in continuous operation since it was built in 1905, giving it a strong community connection and an ongoing audience. After a Beethoven recital in early February, it has closed up again for the third phase of its "complete and total restoration," says general manager Al Schwartz, who has tended the theater since 1974. It will include installing a long-awaited air-conditioning and heating system, estimated at approximately $1 million, as well as a state-of-the-art sound and picture presentation system for films that, Schwartz says, will be "the finest in the tri-state area." A grand reopening is planned for August 29th of this year that will feature a family performance of "The Monkey King," Matthew Guerrieri's new work for kids based on the ancient Chinese folk tale and produced by Close Encounters with Music, which plans to make its home at the Mahaiwe. Like the other four theaters, the Mahaiwe has seen some ups and downs. Purchased by the Berkshire Opera Company in 1999, the organization soon realized it had gotten in over its head and was unable to spend the time and money necessary to restore the theater. Responsibility for the building was transferred to a newly-formed not-for-profit group, The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, headed up by board chairwoman Lola Jaffe. While the theater will be open during the summer, Jaffe says her real interest is in a real variety of programming during "the other nine months of the year." Mohawk Theatre North Adams The Mohawk Theatre, which opened in 1938 with original seating for 2,000 and a spectacular art deco interior, is owned by the city of North Adams, which purchased it for $75,000 in 1993. In the 1980s it hosted Johnny Cash, Tiny Tim and Kitty Wells, and wrestling matches, among other attractions. Seeing the theater restored is a priority for North Adams Mayor John Barrett. Barrett sees the Mohawk Theatre as a companion to Mass MoCA and envisions Mass MoCA eventually taking over the theater's programming. The timeline for the Mohawk's reopening is dependent on fundraising efforts. A feasibility study is finished, and the next step is putting together a volunteer committee to raise the $3.5 million needed to transform the theater, including expanding the back stage to accommodate dressing rooms and a staging area so the theater may host live theatrical performances. "I wish some of the money we are sending over to Iraq could come back here to help us save these treasures of Americana," said Barrett, referring to the historic theaters found in almost every American town. "Arts are an economic engine that helps drive the economy here," he continued, noting that it impacts many more businesses than one might initially think, like gas stations, building supply stores, restaurant owners, cleaners.
Colonial Theatre Pittsfield The Colonial Theatre is the restoration that currently comes with the biggest price tag: an estimated $16 million for just the first of three planned phases of its restoration. Completion of the first phase would allow it to open with 389 seats in late 2005 at the earliest. According to Susan Sperber, the executive director of the Colonial Theatre Association, approximately $8 million has been raised so far. But, she says, "it simply must happen." The Colonial is also the theater that has been mothballed the longest: It has been over 50 years since a performance graced its stage. Because there are few community members left who remember attending performances at the Colonial, the Association has been focusing on constituency building, as well as fund raising, by holding a series of events and concerts. Last year's performances of "Damn Yankees" at Wahconah Park drew 3,000 audience members and national press coverage, thanks in part to the inclusion of former Red Sox manager Dan Duquette in a lead role. Sperber says that she and Ray Shilke of the Berkshire Music Hall are in close contact and in agreement about where their theaters will intersect and not intersect. "The fact there are two will help us," Sperber said. "It's about critical mass: All tourist related and entertainment industries depend on critical mass. And the same thing is true for the arts." She continued, "If the Colonial Theatre was doing this all by itself, I'd be concerned. I think having four theaters running year-round in the Berkshire community will be great." And given enough funding, they will reopen, one by one -- the Mahaiwe, the Mohawk, the Colonial and the Music Hall -- and once again delight and entertain Berkshire residents, as well as visitors, all year round.  RETURN TO TOP |
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