Amid the many cultural attractions in the region, the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, stands out for its award-winning productions and comprehensive educational and community-based programming. The theater’s 2026 season is one of its most ambitious; it includes two Pulitzer Prize-winning modern classics, one of the greatest theatrical farces ever written, and new works that speak directly to who we are right now as a society.
“Our 2026 season is a celebration of extraordinary storytelling in all its forms — timeless, uproarious and boldly new,” said Artistic Director Alan Paul. “This season features works that have shaped the American theater, as well as world premieres that reflect the company’s deep commitment to developing new voices and new stories. Together, these productions embody what BSC does best: entertain, challenge and connect our audiences through theater that feels both essential and alive.”
The company has several theaters within a few blocks of each other. In the Boyd-Quinson Theater, BSC’s main stage, the season features “A Chorus Line” (July 15-Aug. 8), a new 50th anniversary production of the Broadway musical that won nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. This will be followed by Michael Frayn’s beloved door-slamming comedy “Noises Off,” in a first-time BSC production directed by Gordon Greenberg.
At BSC’s Blatt Center for the Performing Arts, the St. Germain Stage season will open with “Driving Miss Daisy” (May 27-June 21), a collaboration with Palm Beach Dramaworks directed by BSC founding artistic director Julianne Boyd and starring Ray Anthony Thomas and Debra Jo Rupp. This is followed by the world premiere of “Estate Sale” (June 30-July 25) by Keelay Gipson, an Afro-surrealist artist, professor and award-winning playwright and BSC Sparks grant recipient.
The season includes other provocative and timely new works. “The Zionists: A Family Storm” (June 16-July 3), produced in association with Miami New Drama, focuses on a family gathering on a Caribbean island where old grievances give way to new political fears. “Dead Girl’s Quinceañera” (Aug. 5-29), a collective world premiere by BSC, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and Hartford Stage, is a dark comedy about true-crime obsession, teenage bravado and what happens when girls decide to stop waiting for answers. Another world premiere, “The Urmetazoan” (Sept. 30-Oct. 25), by playwright Alex Rugman and directed by Jack Serio, tells the story of two sisters facing an imminent goodbye as one prepares to leave Earth for deep space.
“BSC is deeply committed to our home in the Berkshires, producing as many or more shows this summer than ever before, for a devoted and engaged audience,” said Managing Director Greg Reiner. “And we are continuing our deep work within this community, showing up where it matters to bring new audiences theater that matters.”
Since moving to Pittsfield in 2006, Barrington Stage has prioritized its connection to residents and families through extensive and inclusive education and community engagement programs that help make its productions accessible to all. The company strives to make BSC an artistic home for an inclusive community of talented actors, writers, designers, directors and musical directors, as well as a home for its staff, students, interns and educators.
BSC has gained attention beyond the Berkshires, with productions that have moved on to Broadway and to major regional theaters around the country. The company believes that its work to support playwrights, and their visions of the world we live in, is central to its success in creating meaningful theater that resonates with all audiences.
“BSC’s season is a thrilling reflection of who we are right now as a society, wrestling with division and longing for connection,” Paul said. “It’s an exciting season because it’s alive and designed to bring us together in the dark to experience something unforgettable.”
For tickets and more information on the 2026 season, including additional productions, concerts, cabarets and the company’s annual gala, visit barringtonstageco.org.
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino 
