
- Photo by Daniel Rader
- Katy Sullivan and Wendell Pierce in 2016 Williamstown Theatre Festival production of “The Cost of Living.”
Known for its approach toward revisiting classic-repertoire plays using innovative new productions, developing new original musicals and plays, and training aspiring new actors and theater personnel, WTF is a nation-wide magnet for superior talent and delighted audiences. The festival’s list of alumni includes such award-winning names as Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Walken, Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Dreyfus, E.G. Marshall, Christopher Reeve, Blythe Danner, Nathan Lane, Richard Chamberlain, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Cooper, Calista Flockhart, and many others. Festival founder and executive artistic director Nicholas Psacharopolis oversaw its operation for more than 30 years and steered it away from the standard summer stock repertoire, concentrating instead on cultivating a cosmopolitan, international atmosphere that performed works by such playwrights as George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekov, Bertholt Brecht, Tennessee Williams, Tom Stoppard, and Jean Anouilh.

- Photo by Daniel Rader
- Marisa Tomei in “The Rose Tattoo,” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2016.
In addition to the headline productions and a one-night-only solo concert by Broadway legend Chita Rivera to benefit WTF’s New Play & Musical Development Initiative (July 9), the festival will once again offer an appetizing array of supplementary cultural events. Among these are its year-round Community Works program for Berkshire residents of all ages and backgrounds; the Late-Night Cabaret (July 12-August 11); readings; workshops; backstage tours; Sunday Lawn Talks with the actors; educational programs; and other attractions.
Ensconced on the campus of Williams College in the charming Western Massachusetts town of Williamstown—also home to the Clark Art Institute and adjacent to Mass MoCA in North Adams—Williamstown Theater Festival adds to the area’s status as a weekend-worthy destination for art and culture mavens.
Comments