“There are all these happy surprises of people who are creating here, and we can really shine the light on them,’’ said Barbara Sims, festival co-curator, noting that the first submission received was a bagpipe concerto. Sims and fellow actress Hilary Somers Deely sifted through hundreds of submissions to craft 12 performance programs, most composed of thematically linked bills of several artists each - one alternates between dance troupes and poetry, another juxtaposes short story readings with short plays, another offers live music.
The festival is full of people with unrelated day jobs who are seizing the chance to strut their stuff.
Bobby Houston, a filmmaker who relocated to the Berkshires after winning an Academy Award in 2005 for best documentary short, is showcasing his first foray into theatrical writing with the drag musical “Viva La Diva.’’ David Scribner, editor of the Berkshire Record, will present scenes from his short play “Invasive Species,’’ a satirical look at the Berkshires’ human population from the view of aquatic creatures in a Stockbridge lake.
Abigail Elwood’s aptitude for performing acrobatics while climbing a suspended length of fabric emerged on the festival’s radar only because she also happens to be Deely’s gardener.
Houston said he conceived his work as a screenplay, but changed gears after being exposed to the local performing arts scene. “That’s the Berkshire effect,’’ he said. “I became immersed in theater in a way that would never happen in LA. We realized [the film] would be a lot more fun on stage. It was really unexpected.’’
$15 per performance, or $100 for festival pass. Opening night performance and party $50. 413-997-4444, www.berkshiretheatre.org
Jeremy D. Goodwin can be reached at www.jeremydgoodwin.om.
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