Nominees for Ninth Berkshire Theatre Awards Announced

04:27PM / Saturday, October 18, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) has announced the nominees for the 2025 Berkshire Theatre Awards, colloquially known as The Berkies.

The awards will be presented on the evening of Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield. This is the ninth time the awards will be presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

In addition, The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater will be presented. The Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Conn., won the award last year for their community and education efforts.

"It’s an unusual year for nominations," said Board President J. Peter Bergman. "So many people have been nominated more than once. In fact Christopher and Justin Swader, scenic design nominees for two shows, actually received nominations for seven shows they designed this year. And the Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater has brought in several theater companies that have never been nominated before. It should make the discussion very interesting indeed, even though the recipient of the last-named award is selected by the BTCA board."

The awards ceremony is open to the public, free of charge. If you would like to attend the ceremony on Monday November 10, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, please call 413-769-8306 for reservations.

1. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play:

A. Jayne Atkinson - Other Desert Cities - Dorset Theatre Festival

B. Sasha Diamond - The Weekend - Barrington Stage Company

C. Cathy Lee-Vischer - The Outsider - Ghent Playhouse

D. Laura Shatkus - The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

E. Elizabeth Stahlmann - Other Desert Cities - Dorset Theatre Festival

2. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play:

A. Greg Cuellar - The Mousetrap - Berkshire Theatre Group

B. Tony Pallone - Deep Blue Sound - Harbinger Theatre

C. Shai Vaknine - How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos - Great Barrington Public Theater

D. Dan Woods - The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

3. Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play or Musical:

A. Luke Cantarella - King James - Barrington Stage Company

B. Wilson Chin - The Weekend - Barrington Stage Company

C. Jason Simms - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

D. Christopher & Justin Swader - Other Desert Cities - Dorset Theatre Festival

E. Christopher & Justin Swader - Salvage - Dorset Theatre Festival

4. Outstanding Choreography:

A. Kaitlyn Frank - A Bronx Tale - Mac-Haydn Theatre

B. Kaitlyn Frank - Jesus Christ Superstar - Mac-Haydn Theatre

C. Mandy Modic - Guys and Dolls - Mac-Haydn Theatre

5. Outstanding Direction of a Musical:

A. Steve Edlund - A Bronx Tale – Mac-Haydn Theatre

B. Ellie Heyman - fuzzy - Barrington Stage Company

C. Mandy Modic - Guys and Dolls – Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Alan Paul - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

E. John Saunders - Jesus Christ Superstar – Mac-Haydn Theatre

6. Outstanding Costume Design of a Play or Musical:

A. Amy Avila - The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

B. Kathleen DeAngelis - Million Dollar Quartet - Sharon Playhouse

C. Mika Eubanks - N/A - Barrington Stage Company

D. Ana Kuzmanic - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

E. Amanda Roberge - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

7. Outstanding Solo Performance:

A. Caroline Aaron - The Best Medicine - Great Barrington Public Theater

B. Neil Brookshire - Bent Compass - Bridge Street Theatre

C. Hero Marguerite - A Hundred Words for Snow - Chester Theatre Company

D. Godfrey Simmons - Mr. Joy - Chester Theatre Company

8. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical:

A. Molly Rose McGrath - The Little Mermaid - Playhouse Stage Company

B. Lucy Rhoades - Million Dollar Quartet - Sharon Playhouse

C. Monica M. Wemmet - Annie - Mac-Haydn Theatre

9. Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical:

A. Matthew E. Adelson - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

B. Amina Alexander - The Weekend - Barrington Stage Company

C. Andrew Gmoser - Jesus Christ Superstar - Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Wheeler Moon - Million Dollar Quartet – Sharon Playhouse

E. Andrea Sofia Sala - Galileo’s Daughter – WAM Theatre

10. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical:

A. Alex Burnette - Million Dollar Quartet - Sharon Playhouse

B. Tristan Caldwell - Jesus Christ Superstar - Mac-Haydn Theatre

C. Mike Keller - A Bronx Tale - Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Dakin Matthews - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

E. Spencer Stanley - Guys and Dolls - Mac-Haydn Theatre

11. Outstanding Direction of a Play:

A. Chris Foster - Deep Blue Sound - Harbinger Theatre

B. Eric Hill - The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

C. Daniel Elihu Kramer - A Case for the Existence of God - Chester Theatre Company

D. Michelle Ong-Hendrick - A Hundred Words for Snow - Chester Theatre Company

E. Rob Ruggiero - King James - Barrington Stage Company

F. Isadora Wolfe - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

12. Outstanding Sound Design of a Play or Musical:

A. Jason Crystal - fuzzy - Barrington Stage Company

B. Ryan Hickey - Once – The Majestic Theater

C. Scott Killian - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

D. Nathan Leigh - How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos - Great Barrington Public Theater

E. Ken Travis - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

13. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical:

A. Amelia Barr - The Last Five Years - Mac-Haydn Theatre

B. Ali Ewalt - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

C. Wild Handel - Annie - Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Grace McLean - Penelope - Ancram Center for the Arts

E. Cass Morgan - fuzzy - Barrington Stage Company

14. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical:

A. John Cariani – fuzzy - Barrington Stage Company

B. Ken Wulf Clark - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

C. Ian Federgreen - Guys and Dolls - Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Emmett O’Hanlon - Camelot - Barrington Stage Company

E. Teddy Yudain - fuzzy - Barrington Stage Company

15. Outstanding Ensemble Performance:

A. Deep Blue Sound - Harbinger Theatre

B. Discord - Bridge Street Theatre

C. The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

D. How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos - Great Barrington Public Theater

E. King James - Barrington Stage Company

F. Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

F. Other Desert Cities - Dorset Theatre Festival

16. Outstanding Production with Fewer Than Six Performances:

A. The Last Five Years - Mac-Haydn Theatre

B. La Traviata - Berkshire Opera Festival

C. Rachmaninoff and the Tsar - Berkshire Theatre Group

17. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play:

A. David Adkins - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

B. Gregg Edelman - Metamorphoses - Berkshire Theatre Group

C. Jack Maxwell - Dying is No Excuse - Berkshire Theatre Group

D. Ben Rosenfield - The Weekend - Barrington Stage Company

E. Noah Ilya Alexis Tuleja - How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos - Great Barrington Public Theater

F. Michael Wartella - The Elephant Man - Berkshire Theatre Group

18. Sally and Robert Sugarman Award for World Premiere of a NEW Play:

A. fuzzy by Music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke, book and lyrics by Jeff Talbott, Barrington Stage Company

B. Dying is No Excuse, Renee Taylor - Berkshire Theatre Group

C. Get It Right, Randolyn Zinn, The Living Room Theatre

D. How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos, Maggie Kearnan - Great Barrington Public Theater

E. South, Carmen Borgia, Bridge Street Theatre

19. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play:

A. Jen Cody - Sylvia - Sharon Playhouse

B. Eliza Fichter - How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos - Great Barrington Public Theater

C. Diane Guerrero - N/A - Barrington Stage Company

D. Tamara Hickey - Mother Play - Shakespeare and Company

E. Hero Marguerite - A Hundred Words for Snow - Chester Theatre Company

20. The Larry Murray Award for Community Outreach and Support through Theater:

Winner, selected by the board, to be announced at the awards ceremony.

21. Outstanding Production of a Musical:

A. Camelot, Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Music by Frederick Loewe

Directed by Alan Paul

Barrington Stage Company

B. fuzzy, Book by Jeff Talbott

Music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke

Directed by Ellie Heyman

Barrington Stage Company

C. Guys and Dolls, Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Directed by Mandy Modic

Mac-Haydn Theatre

D. Million Dollar Quartet, Book by Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux

Songs by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, others

Directed by Greg Santos

Sharon Playhouse

22. Outstanding Production of a Play:

A. The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance

Directed by Eric Hill

Berkshire Theatre Group

B. How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos by Maggie Kearnan

Directed by Clay Hopper

Great Barrington Public Theater

C. Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman, based on the Myths of Ovid

Directed by Isadora Wolfe

Berkshire Theatre Group

D. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

Directed by Hunter Foster

Sharon Playhouse

E. Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz

Directed by Robert Egan

Dorset Theatre Festival

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Companion Corner: Buster at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:19PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – There is a fun and loving boy who is ready to get a fresh start with a new family who will take care of him.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Buster is a one-year-old Husky mix who has been at the shelter for about two months.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri introduced us to Buster.

"He is very sweet and social. He loves people. He likes kids. It does take him a little while to warm up to new people and build some trust. And then once you do build that trust with him, he's very goofy, and he likes to play and jump on you and mouth playfully and gently, and he does get really excited with his people that he has a strong connection with."

Olivieri said Buster was an unclaimed stray who fell on hard times before going to the shelter. Olivieri said they assume he is approximately one, but his exact age is unknown.

She said that they are unsure of his history, but he could have some kind of soft tissue damage. They conducted X-rays, but they came back inconclusive. There are no breaks in any of his bones, but he has some periodic lameness, and some further diagnostics would be something the shelter requires.

Furthermore, he does occasionally lift up one paw, but he does not show that he is in any pain.

"He came in pretty emaciated. We've gotten some weight on him. He's a little bit hunched in his spine. And again, the X-rays didn't show anything, but there could be something else going on that, like MRI, ultrasound could detect."

She said he needs a home and family that would be willing to keep him current with a veterinarian and able to address anything that comes up health-wise.

"He occasionally will show these symptoms, whether it was just from an old injury or something that possibly could still bother him. So right now he is on some restricted exercise. We're doing leash walks with him only," she said. "He can't really, at this point, run around freely because he could kind of further damage that leg if there's anything really really going on there, so he's a little bit of a puzzle. Like we said, we don't know exactly what happened to him in his past, and we are trying to keep him comfortable. He's not in any pain right now, but that lameness will crop up every once in a while with him."

But Buster can go to a home with cats and kids eight and up.

"He can go to a home with cats, and while he does like other dogs, we're saying he will do best as the only dog, just because he's got a couple medical issues going on and roughhousing with other dogs probably isn't best for him at this point. While he could have some doggy friends and go for some walks and gentle playdates with other dogs."

"He does like kids, but again, he is a little bit kind of sensitive to some body handling and being grabbed and that kind of thing. So we just want to keep him nice and comfortable with where he goes home," she said.

Buster loves to play and be pampered. He loves walks and being out in the woods and can be silly, especially with his picky eating.

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