PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Shakespeare & Company, a five-theater performance venue based in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, has earned 13 nominations for outstanding work during the region’s 2023 season from the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA).
The Berkshire Theatre Critic Awards — also known as The Berkies — recognize plays staged from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 in Berkshire County, the Pioneer Valley, Southern Vermont, Northern Connecticut, and Eastern New York State, including the Capital District and the Catskills.
Amy Handelsman, managing director for Shakespeare & Company, said the acknowledgement from BTCA speaks to the level of quality productions presented in 2023.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition,” she said. “The breadth of the nominations speaks the strength of our artistic season, and bolsters our excitement as we plan for 2024.”
The awards ceremony will take place at 7 p.m., on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Zion Lutheran Church Community Room, 74 First Steet (Route 7) in Pittsfield.
Shakespeare & Company’s 2023 Berkie nominations are:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Bella Merlin, The Contention (Henry VI, Part II)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Brian D. Coats, Fences
Jacob Ming-Trent, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play or Musical
Jon Savage, Fences
Outstanding Solo Performance
Annette Miller, Golda’s Balcony
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Ariel Bock, Dear Jack, Dear Louise
Christopher V. Edwards, Fences
James Warwick, Lunar Eclipse
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, Lunar Eclipse
“ranney”, Fences
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Ella Joyce, Fences
Outstanding Production of a Play
Dear Jack, Dear Louise, by Ken Ludwig. Directed by Ariel Bock
Fences, by August Wilson. Directed by Christopher V. Edwards
For more information, visit berkshirecritics.org or shakespeare.org.
About the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association
The purpose of the BTCA and the Berkshire Theatre Awards is to promote and celebrate the quality and diversity of theater in the region. The BTCA was founded in August 2016 by theater critic Larry Murray of berkshireonstage.com.The organization was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization on April 24, 2017.
About Shakespeare & Company
Shakespeare & Company was founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Company offers performance, education, and actor-training opportunities year-round, and attracts more than 40,000 patrons annually with a core of more than 150 artists.
Photo caption: Shakespeare & Company has received 13 Berkshire Theatre Award nominations from the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association, including Outstanding Production of a Play. The 2023 “Berkies” will be held Monday, Nov. 13 in Pittsfield.
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