What is he doing?   Promoting another Berkshire lodging option?   I guess that could be the end result of this entry, because I do really like everyone I know at the Red Lion Inn, including Nancy Fitzpatrick and Brian Butterworth.   But I am really just trying to promote their nightly music, and if I lose a few potential guests along the way, so be it. More on Music in the Berkshires: The Red Lion Inn

In 1937, when the Depression and taxation caused the gild to come off the Gilded Age, the great mansions and estates of Lenox were largely abandoned.   Many became institutional:   schools, asylums or monasteries, and some spent more than half a century empty.   But luckily, one was donated to the Boston Symphony…and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the decades, as the audiences who attended concerts at Tanglewood grew, more and more of these great estates and historic "cottages" were able to be put back into service:   Cranwell, Wheatleigh, Blantyre…and even Hampton Terrace, one of the original "Berkshire Cottages."   In fact, most of the Lenox inns are the former second homes of the turn-of-the-century's rich and famous.   Tanglewood itself, one mile down the hill from Lenox town center, consists of multiple performance venues inhabiting a most embracing rural setting.   Lenonard Bernstein, a alum of the affiliated Tanglewood Institute always proclaimed that the Tanglewood property, and the Berkshires in general, had captured his soul. More on Music in the Berkshires: Tanglewood

I believe I mentioned that theatre in the Berkshires is not limited to Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Company, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the stages of the Colonial and Mahaiwe Theaters.  When a guest at Hampton Terrace asks "what is there to do once I get there?" I  find myself almost speechless.   Where do I start?    Or, more often, a guest will start by announcing that they plan to go to Tanglewood on Saturday night and they were wondering if there is something to do on the other two nights of their stay.   This is why everyone who stays at our Lenox inn gets several attachments on their confirmation:   a list of dining options and a list of other activities to consider, including spas, museums, hikes, theater, music, night life, etc.   We also provide links to the Berkshire Visitors Bureau website, the Berkshire Eagle website, the Lenox Chamber of Commerce and other resources to help our guests plan their stay. More on Theatre in the Berkshires: Berkshire Fringe, Capital Steps, Chester Theatre Company, Mac-Hayden Theatre, Mass Moca, The Theater Barn, Ventfort Hall

Is this theater?   You betcha.   One thing you have to understand about the Berkshires:   museums present theater, restaurants present theater, historic house museums present theater (tomorrow's blog) and Tanglewood presents theater. 

Nine years ago, Garrison Keillor hosted his first "Prairie Home Companion" at Tanglewood  - a show stuffed with local references and talent.   I guess it went over well because Keillor has now made Tanglewood the traditional closing show of each radio season.   No lack of local color to fill the annual bill.   Last year featured Lenoxite (or is it Lenoxonian) James Taylor.   This is a great opportunity to load up the picnic basket, pick out your favorite wine, and relax in a lawn chair with your eyes closed.   Of course, you could do that in your living room with the radio on…but there is something special about participating in a group "listen."   And though there will be 10,000 people at the show, you will be able to hear a pin drop as Keillor unwinds his tales.

Tanglewood is less than a one minute drive from Hampton Terrace, a top rated bed and breakfast in Lenox.   We happen to have a couple rooms still left for the June 28th weekend:  one for just Saturday night the 28th and another for two nights.   Unlike most Berkshire lodging, we feature an outdoor heated pool and a full breakfast buffet.   So if you plan to attend "A Prairie Home Companion" at Tanglewood, and need a Berkshire bed and breakfast, call 800-203-0656.

 For purposes of this column, I am lumping Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the "theatre" category, although it differs greatly from Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Company and Williamstown Theatre Festival.   The latter groups all stage their own productions wheras Jacob's Pillow serves as a "host" to dozens of the most influential dance companies in the world.   On any given week between June 14th and August 24th, at least two companies will perform daily on several stages, sprinkling in lectures, demonstrations, master classes and community interaction.   For Jacob's Pillow is as concerned with dance education as it is with performance, and it stands alone as the oldest and most prestigious dance festival in the world.

Daresay any major dance organization who is not approached by Jacob's Pillow had better question its world standing.    Begun in 1933 by Ted Shawn as a retreat to train male dancers, his intent was to show that dancing could be an honorable male occupation as he strove to end stereotypes by emphasizing strong masculine roles for his dancers.   Over the years, the original buildings from this 1800s farm were converted into performance and rehearsal spaces…and that is the feel that is carried up to this day.   A visit to Jacob's Pillow is a vicseral experience that begins with the fact that it is 20 minutes from any visible civilization.   It is really you, the dancers and nature.  Even the largest venue, the Ted Shawn Theater has the option of opening doors behind the stage to reveal distant mountain views.    For a complete list of performances see www.jacobspillow.org.

One of the great things about Jacob's Pillow is that their performances occur all week, meaning you can combine a mid-week discount, a romantic getaway and Jacob's Pillow by staying at Hampton Terrace, one of the top rated Berkshire inns.   A Lenox inn since 1937, Hampton Terrace is located about 20 minutes from Jacob's Pillow, but as stated before, there are not many Berkshire bed and breakfasts within a 20 minute drive anyway.   But since you will probably combine your dance evening with several other evenings of theater and dining, you will be hard pressed to find a Berkshires lodging option more centrally located, within walking distance of Lenox's heralded restaurants and shops.

Recently having earned a Tony Award for the best regional theater in the country, Williamstown Theater Festival in 2008 is again presenting an impressive array of classic and new plays on its Main, Nikos and Center Stages, Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabaret, and readings, workshops, and other special events.  

WTF has historically wowed Berkshire audiences, and guests of Hampton Terrace, with notable names, most recently Emmy Rossum (pictured), Elizabeth Banks, Dianne Weist, Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Burton, James Naughton, Jean Smart, Olympia Dukakis and Bebe Neuwirth.  This year's performances include "Beyond Therapy," "The Athiest," "She Loves Me," "Broke-ology," "Three Sisters," "The Understudy," "A Flea in Her Ear," " Not Waiving," and "Home."  

Combine a romantic getaway to one of the highest rated bed and breakfasts in Lenox by visiting Hampton Terrace and seeing a show at Williamstown Theater Festival.   Hampton Terrace is uniquely positioned compared to much Berkshire lodging, by being centrally located in Lenox.   We are just 5 minutes north of the Mass Pike…but 20 minutes from Great Barrington, 10 minutes from Stockbridge, 15 minutes from Pittsfield and about 30 minutes from Williamstown.   All Lenox shops and restaurants are less than a 2 block walk from us, and Tanglewood is one mile.  When considering a romantic b&b and a New England getaway, click here:   www.hamptonterrace.com.

Many people remember the Barrington Stage Company bravely mounting their seasons at a local high school in South County.   Julianne Boyd had a pedigree, and all knew it was just a matter of time before this theatre company earned its break….

And the break came from an unlikely place…an improvisational theater lab that quickly moved from Barrington Stage to Broadway and now to leading cities of the world, while picking up two Tony Awards along the way.  The success of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" led to Barrington Stage's purchase and renovation of a 1912 playhouse in downtown Pittsfield.  Julie Boyd's vision of having a stage capable of handling the large productions she loved was fulfilled.   This year marks a return of "Spelling Bee" to its creator, and other offerings include "The Violet Hour", "Private Lives" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."   And that is just the Main Stage.   There are a dozen other options through the summer, including the very workshops that might spawn the next Tony Award- winning play or musical.  

Barrington Stage Company joins Shakespeare & Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival and other important theater companies within minutes of Hampton Terrace, a well-reviewed bed and breakfast in Lenox.  Top rated among Berkshire lodging, Hampton Terrace features 14 rooms with private baths and is located within steps of Lenox's heralded shops and restaurants.  When considering a Lenox inn while visiting theater in the Berkshires, check out www.hamptonterrace.com.

80 Years!   If that is not sustainability, what is?   The Berkshire Theatre Festival is the lone presenting organization that matches Tanglewood's tenure, and its stage has featured some of the most important actors of the century.   The 2008 schedule includes "Candida," opening next week and showcasing Jayne Atkinson, most recently famous for playing CTU Director Karen Hayes on 24. 

Other important offerings on the Main Stage include "The Book Club Play," "A Man for All Seasons," "Noel Coward in Two Keys," "Oliver!,"  and six plays in the Unicorn Theater.   BTF will feature "A Christmas Carol" in December….what a great opportunity for a Romantic Getaway at a Berkshire inn, such as Hampton Terrace, which is located just a ten minute drive from Stockbridge and the Berkshire Theatre Festival.   TripAdvisor.com ranks Hampton Terrace among the top two Lenox inns based on unsolicited guest reviews.

Unquestionably Tanglewood is the most internationally known attraction in the Berkshires, but our theater offerings are an embarrassment of riches:   Shakespeare & Company, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Jacob's Pillow and many others.   This column will feature a different theatre company each day, and while attending shows and considering Berkshires lodging, check out Hampton Terrace, located just steps from Lenox's heralded restaurants and shops.  

Tanglewood fills the Berkshires every weekend during the summer.   If you want to avoid the large crowds and enjoy a wide range of theater offerings while staying in a romantic b&b, consider a mid-week visit and save 30% compared to our normal room rates.