Main Street Stage

artwork by Max Beckmann, Columbine

Main Street Stage is happy to announce the return of The Red Room, Saturday, June 14th.  Doors open at 8 for life drawing (model and art materials supplied), mingling and light refreshment.  At 9, follow the host into the theatre for a one hour variety show—a different show every week that features local musicians, writers, dancers, magicians and more.  The Red Room will run Saturdays in June and Mondays in July and August.  The Red Room is a deal; $10.00 a person gets you refreshments, drawing and a show.  The Red Room contains adult themes and language. Become a fan of The Red Room on Facebook

Talking With... by Jane Martin will be performed at Main Street Stage on May 23rd, 24th, 30th, and 31st at 8pm.

Produced by Melissa Quirk, this cast features many of the talented members from the Town Players’ production held at BCC in March.

Talking With... is a series of stories about individuals:  an actress just moments before the curtain rises, a housewife fantasizing about life in Oz, a disillusioned rodeo rider, a daughter mourning the loss of her mother, a snake handler, a champion baton twirler, and a woman who finds redemption through body art.  Each story is richly entertaining and cleverly written.  One finds humanity, humor and depth in each piece.

As a collection, Talking With... is the story of Everywoman.  It includes tales of faith, disillusionment, dreams and redemption.  There truly is a little something for everyone.

Ticket prices are $15 adult; $10 students/senior citizens. For reservations please call the Main Street Stage box office at 413-663-3240.

photo by Ali Karagoz

Main Street Stage presents Living With It, written and performed by Frank La Frazia. Living With It is an auto-biographical account of life as a teenager with a parent suffering from bipolar disorder. It portrays a young man who is coming of age, seeking independence and being dealt the responsibility of caring for a sick parent. It is rooted in a factual story from a teen’s perspective. In the tradition of Spalding Grey, John Leguizamo, and Eric Bogosian, this poignant and humorous piece features Mr. La Frazia portraying several characters and narration throughout. Living With It plays at Main Street Stage on March 14, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5.

The Mystery Of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam of the Ridiculous Theatre Company will continue its run November 1 through 10. It plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Thursday, November 1 is Community Night: pay what you can at 8 p.m. The show features sisters Justina Trova and Alexia Trainor and is directed by Wendy Walraven.

"This one is filled with laughs ... the laughter rarely ceases and the mystery of Irma Vep is revealed, solved and resolved before you leave the theatre.  What could be better than that during the Halloween season!" - J. Peter Bergman of The Advocate

Irma Vep is a spoof on great horror classics such as Curse of the Mummy, Wuthering Heights and Alfred Hitchcock's Academy Award winning Rebecca. For reservations call 413.663.3240.

Click here for photos of the production on Flickr.

The dark comedy Bosoms and Neglect written by critically-acclaimed playwright John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation, The House of Blue Leaves) opens Friday, July 20th at 8 P.M.  The play is directed by Main Street Stage Artistic Director, Bruce T. MacDonald and features Scott Moran as Scooper, Beth Hahn as Henny and Kelli Newby as Diedre.

Henny is eighty-three and blind.  Scooper is Henny's successful but emotionally insecure son. Henny has carried several secrets for which she feels guilty and responsible for Scooper's unhappiness.  Scooper has picked up Dierdre in a small bookstore and retired to her apartment in order to help her deal with a dead pet.  Scooper and Diedre are not strangers.  They have encountered each other in passing in their shared psychiatrist's office.  

Scott Moran was last seen in the Main Street Stage production of Veronica's Room.  Kelli Newby appeared last summer in John Patrick Shanley's Where's My Money? Beth Hahn appeared two summers ago in Ellen McLaughlin's Tongue of a Bird.  

Bosoms and Neglect is an intelligent, hilarious and provocative look at modern mores. It deals with contemporary characters who fight for meaning in a world where neglect, indifference and alienation reflect the norm in human relationships.

BOSOMS AND NEGLECT previews Thursday, July 19th and opens Friday, July  20th. It continues Fridays and Saturdays through August 4th at 8 P.M.  There will be two Sunday matinees, July, 22nd  and July 29th at  4 P.M. and two special Community Night performance at 8 P.M. on Thursday, July 26th  and August 2nd.  Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors and $10 for students .  The Community Night performances are "Pay What You Can".  Call 413-663-3240 for reservations. Seating is very limited and reservations are recommended.

Main Street Stage announces the production of Lee Blessing’s drama Down the Road. The show opens Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m.

The three-character play is directed by Main Street Stage’s Artistic Director, Bruce T. MacDonald. The cast features Ed Cating as Bill Reach, Mike Trainor as Dan Henniman, and Liz Urban as Iris Henniman. Mr. Cating was last seen in Main Street Stage’s recent production of Ibsen’s Ghosts. Mr. Trainor appeared in last spring’s Main Street Stage premier of Jennifer Mattern’s Like Home. Down the Road marks Ms. Urban’s debut with Main Street Stage. She is known locally as the President of North Adams’ Mill City Productions and heads up the Greylock Theatre Project in association with Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Dan and Iris Henniman have been hired to write a book recounting Bill Reach’s heinous crimes. Reach has admitted his guilt in the savage slayings of nineteen (or more) women. Over the many weeks of interviews the stress wears on the couple as they record Reach’s testimony of his unbelievably cruel acts. The Henniman’s begin to question the ethics of presenting Reach’s story, in all its horrific brutality, as if it were just another commodity to feed America’s obsession with celebrity.

Down the Road previews Thursday, April 19 and opens Friday, April 20, then plays Fridays and Saturdays through May 5 at 8 p.m. There will be two Sunday matinees, April 29 and May 6 at 4 p.m. and two special Community Night performances at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 26 and May 3. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors, $10 for students. Community Night performances are “Pay What You Can”. Seating is very limited. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 413-663-3240.

Our favorite local visiting theater company, Mill City Productions, presents "Baby with the Bathwater" by Christopher Durang. Performances are March 2 & 3 at 8:00, March 4 at 2:00, and March 9 & 10 at 8:00 at Main Street Stage, 57 Main Street, North Adams.  The play is directed by Marissa Carlson and features 11 local actors.  Due to some mature situations and comic violence, this production is not recommended for children under 12.  

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. For reservations, call 413-663-3211 or email contactmcp@yahoo.com.  For more information, please visit www.millcityproductions.org.

Directed by Bruce T. MacDonald

Featuring the acting talents of Joshua Bishoff, Edward Cating, Phoebe Hazzard, Phee Mayer, Kevin Moran, Kelli Newby.

Thursday, July 6 at 8pm (Preview)
Fridays and Saturdays, July 7 – 22 at 8pm
Thursday, July 13 at 8pm (Pay-What-You-Can)
Sunday matinees July 9 & 16 at 4pm

Tickets are $20, $15 (seniors), and $10 (students). Reservations are encouraged. Main Street Stage is located at 57 Main Street in North Adams, Massachusetts. For reservations or more info, call (413) 663-3240.

Celeste is a temp secretary and struggling NYC actresss. Celeste is having an affair with Sidney. Sidney is married to Marcia-Marie. Marcia-Marie is an emotionally exhausted trophy-wife. Sidney is a partner in the law firm which employs Henry. Henry is a young and idealistic divorce lawyer. Henry is having difficulties in his marriage to Natalie. Natalie is an accountant who once worked with Celeste. Things are looking really good for Natalie. She has only one problem: she can’t get rid of her former boyfriend, Tommy. Oh, yeah, one more thing . . . Tommy is a ghost.

With razor-sharp wit and sardonic humor Shanley’s darkly funny love story illuminates the lives of his characters as they face fear, lonliness, hope, truth and concience.