“Dark: An End of the World Play” opens the festival, and is a world premiere featuring actors Sara Katzoff, Emma Dweck and Michael Brahce with original music by Peter Wise.
The 8th Annual Berkshire Fringe Festival goes international as it programs three weeks of mind blowing original performances by emerging theater artists from the United Kingdom, Korea and the United States. The expanded format includes an expanded series of performances, an international artist in residency program and the world premiere of a new play by Fringe Co-Founding Artistic Directors Timothy Ryan Olson, Sara Katzoff and Peter Wise.
Sara Katzoff notes that “We are finally producing our own creative work. Ryan’s writing, I am acting, Pete’s composing original songs and music, and the whole thing is being developed by a team of outstanding Berkshire based artists and designers.”
Taking place July 23 – August 13 in the Daniel Arts Center at Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington, MA the festival will host five artists and ensembles from the United Kingdom, Korea and the United States.
In addition to presenting 5 full-length original plays, a selected group of artists have also been invited to the Fringe campus to engage in an intensive three-week residency program where they will be given time, space and resources to develop their newest works.
The action-packed three week festival includes 30 Live!, a totally free music series, family programs and the launch of Fringe Incubation featuring dozens of special events, post-show artist discussions, open rehearsals and free community workshops all designed to allow audiences to experience the inner workings of the creative process.
An Impressive History for a “Fringe” Operation
Since 2005, Bazaar Productions/The Berkshire Fringe has hosted over 500 emerging artists from across the United States and presented over 80 full-length productions. Hailed as ‘sassy and experimental’ by the New York Times, the festival will present a diverse cross-section of original, high-quality, inter-disciplinary theater, multi-media performances and music exclusively by emerging artists.
Tickets are always affordable at the Fringe and this season marks the return of the popular ‘pi¢k your own pri¢e’ opening nights making a visit to the festival the most affordable evening out in all of Berkshire County.
The 2012 Season Lineup
REMIX 2012: Berkshire Fringe’s 8th Annual GALA CELEBRATION
Monday, July 23
Celebrating eight years of innovative, outrageous and entirely original programming, The Berkshire Fringe’s 8th annual gala presents five world premiere short works of theater, dance and film all inspired by a mash-up of concepts, props, text and characters drawn directly from the shows at The 2012 Berkshire Fringe! Come experience the myriad of ways that artists re-interpret and remix these inspirations into brand new performances. REMIX features an open bar provided by Domaney’s, delectable hors d’oeuvres, dancing/dj, and a massive not-so-silent auction. All proceeds benefit The 2012 Berkshire Fringe – and provide vital funding to the only organization in the region dedicated to supporting the next generation of theater artists and audiences! Doors open at 6:00pm. Tickets to performances and party: Sliding scale ranging from Pay-Your-Age to $50/$100.
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“Dark” with Sara Katzoff, Emma Dweck and Michael Brahce.
DARK: AN END OF THE WORLD PLAY WITH MUSIC AND AN EXERCISE BIKE
JULY 25-AUGUST 3
Written & Directed by Timothy Ryan Olson
Developed by Bazaar Productions
Original Music and sound design by Peter Wise
Lighting Design by Tim Cryan
Costumes by George Veale
Set Design by Lisa Myers
Production Manager: Sandy Cleary
Featuring Sara Katzoff, Emma Dweck and Michael Brahce.
In the aftermath of a cataclysmic event, DARK chronicles one family’s attempt to survive in a one-room cabin atop a lonely mountain. With only out-dated gossip magazines, tasteless canned food and a small battery operated radio as their link to a ravaged outside world, Kessie, Ida and Emmet cling to the hope of something beyond the walls that confine them. Stylized physical action, dark comedy and hauntingly beautiful songs tell this tale of desperation, deception and hope— where a single ration of beans can mean the difference between life and death.
Dark is the second full-length production by Bazaar Productions, the artistic team behind The Berkshire Fringe. This world premiere features actors Sara Katzoff, Emma Dweck and Michael Brahce with original music by Peter Wise.
Wed, July 25 at 8pm
Thurs, July 26 at 9pm
Fri, July at 7:30pm
Sat, Jul 28 at 7:30pm
Sun, July 29 at 6pm
Wed, Aug 1 at 9pm
Thurs, Aug 2 at 7pm
Fri, Aug 3 at 9pm
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“Riot” is a darkly comic look at consumer culture.
RIOT: An Epic Tale of Greed, Lust and Cheap Sofas
Created and Choreographed by The Wardrobe Ensemble
JULY 27 – AUGUST 3
Greed, lust and cheap sofas! The Berkshire Fringe presents the U.S premiere of RIOT a new physical theater play by the internationally acclaimed Wardrobe Ensemble from Bristol, United Kingdom. Integrating virtuosic physicality, live music and eye witness accounts of an actual riot that broke out during the opening of an Ikea in the north of London in February 2005, RIOT is a darkly comic window into the frenzied nature of consumer culture. Nominated for THE STAGE Acting Excellence Award for Best Ensemble at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe.
SHOW RAVES
“An anarchic comedy… deserves to be applauded for their darkly convincing portrayals of mass hysteria.”
★★★★ The Scotsman
“A peerless performance”
★★★★★ What’s On Stage
“Funny, stylish, poignant… a magnificently executed morality tale”
★★★★★ Fringe Guru
Fri, July 27 at 6pm
Sat, July 28 at 9pm
Sun, July 29 at 4pm
Sat, Aug 4 at 7pm
Sun, Aug 5 at 6pm
Wed, Aug 8 at 9pm
Thurs, Aug 9 at 7pm
Fri Aug, 10 at 9pm
Sat Aug, 11 at 7pm
Sun Aug, 12 at 8pm
Mon Aug, 13 at 8pm
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Dan Bernitt is “Yelling at Bananas in Whole Foods” – need we say more?
YELLING AT BANANAS IN WHOLE FOODS
Written & Performed by Dan Bernitt
JULY 26 – AUGUST 5
Organic. Raw. Vegan. Locally Grown. Gluten Free. Sugar Free. Free Range. Hormone Free……STOP THE INSANITY!!!!!!!!!! After a chance meeting with a famed 1990’s health guru at a smoothie shack in Taos, New Mexico, Dan embarks on an epic journey to radically change his relationship with the food he consumes. But will his journey into the rabbit hole of the future of food, the effects of food, and on and on, turn into a militant obsession that isolates him from all of human kind? From two time Berkshire Fringe artist favorite Dan Bernitt (Thanks for the Scabies, Jerkface! and Phi Alpha Gamma) comes Yelling at Bananas in Whole Foods; an intimate portrait exploring the choices we make about what goes into our bodies and ultimately, finding joy with whatever those choices may be.
A two-time Lambda Literary award finalist, Dan has been hailed as a “Li’l Sedaris” by The Valley Advocate and named “One of America’s next great monologists” by -nytheatre.com.
Thurs, July 26 at 7pm
Fri, July 27 at 9pm
Sat, July 28 at 6pm
Sun, July 29 at 8pm
Mon, July 30 at 8pm
Wed, Aug 1 at 7pm
Thurs, Aug 2 at 9pm
Sat, Aug 5 at 9pm
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“The Bathtub Play is performed by Haerry Kim & Ji Hun Kim.
BATHTUB PLAY
Written and Created by Haerry Kim
Performed by Haerry Kim & Ji Hun Kim
AUGUST 3-12
U.S Premiere. A man and a woman are in a room with a bathtub. She wants to forget her past. He wants to be happy. They don’t speak the same language but keep trying to communicate even despite their differences. Developed at the historical Samilro Chang-go Theater (the first black box theater in Seoul, South Korea) Bathtub Play uses movement, gesture and fragmented conversations to examine the nature of love through memory, humor and desire. Bathtub Play is the newest in a series of works by award winning Berkshire Fringe artist, Haerry Kim (FACE, 2011)
Fri, Aug 3 at 7pm
Sun, Aug 5 at 8pm
Mon, Aug 6 at 8pm
Wed, Aug 8 at 7pm
Thurs, Aug 9 at 9pm
Fri, Aug 10 at 7pm
Sat, Aug 11 at 9pm
Sun, Aug 12 at 6pm
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“The Fragile Nincomtard is a work created and performed by Daniel Forlano
FRAGILE NINCOMTARD
Created and Performed by Daniel Forlano
AUGUST 11-12
He’s buzzing! He’s magnetic! He’s desperate! He’s absurd! Whether balancing a flower delicately on his nose, perching on a wine bottle on miniature furniture or thwarted by an enormous pile of books, clown, comedian and performer Daniel Forlano delivers an impromptu, spontaneous and action packed fiasco that’s fit for audiences of all ages.
“True comic genius!” – Windsor International Buskers Festival
TWO SHOWS ONLY
Sat, Aug 11 at 3pm
Sun, Aug 12 at 3pm
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AN EVENING SOIREE OF DEVISED THEATER
TO BENEFIT THE TADD GERO FUND FOR EMERGING ARTISTS
Monday, August 13 at 6pm
Created and Conceived by THE 2012 BERKSHIRE FRINGETERN APPRENTICE COMPANY
Directed by Sara Katzoff & Timothy Ryan Olson
Come see what the apprentice company has been cooking up! Six young theater artists from across the U.S are given the task of writing, devising, developing, designing and starring in an entirely original short performance in only two weeks time! The result is a high energy and completely inspired production featuring physical theater, live music, wacky dancing and more. All tickets, by donation. Proceeds benefit the Tadd Gero Fund for Emerging Artists.
:30 LIVE! -
The Berkshire Fringe’s FREE music series takes place each Monday and Wednesday during the Berkshire Fringe and features an eclectic mix of new music, emerging composers and sonic innovators from throughout the Northeast. Please check website for details and sound samples from participating artists.
30 Live! Performance schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, July 25 at 7:00pm- Briars of North America
Monday, July 30 at 7:00pm- Mr. Jenkins
Wednesday, August 1 at 6:00pm- Boy+Rocket
Monday, August 6 at 7pm- ensemble, et al.
Wednesday, August 8 at 6:00pm- Surprise Guest Artist
Monday, August 13 at 7:00pm- Concert Black
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
All workshops are FREE, open to the public and take place on Saturday afternoons at 1:30pm in the Daniel Arts Center. Each workshop is taught by a Berkshire Fringe festival artist and welcomes participants of all backgrounds and levels of experience ages 16-96! Space is limited and early registration is strongly recommended. Please call 413-320-4175 for more information.
Saturday, July 28 at 1:30pm- Writing for Performance with Dan Bernitt
(Creator of Yelling at Banana’s in Whole Foods)
Saturday, August 4 at 1:30pm- Personal Memoir as performance with Haerry Kim
(Creator of Bathtub Play)
Saturday, August 11 at 1:30pm- Physical Theater with The WARDROBE ENSEMBLE
(Creators of RIOT)
Sunday, August 12 at 4:30pm-Clown and Physical Comedy with Daniel Forlano
(Clown and Comedienne extraordinaire)
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GENERAL INFORMATION
All performances, events and workshops take place at The Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road in Great Barrington. 2011 Tickets to all events are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. All opening night performances are Pi¢k Your Own Pri¢e, available only at the door. Ask our box office about a Season’s Pass – See all five shows for $55. All workshops, :30 Live! performances and EarlyStages Programs are free unless otherwise noted. For directions, tickets, workshop registration, and all other information please call (413) 320-4175, e-mail us at info@berkshirefringe.org or visit www.berkshirefringe.org.
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