Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce Holds Annual Event at Berkshire Botanical Garden

Print Story | Email Story
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce elected new officers and honored members during the annual meeting held at the Berkshire Botanical Garden on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. 
 
Barbara Zanetti, executive director of the chamber, said officers elected for the 2026-2027 term included President: Amanda Barcenas, Prado de Lana Sheep Farm, Vice President: Avie Maloney, Once Upon a Table, Assistant Vice President: Amy Oberfield, Stockbridge Coffee & Tea, Treasurer: Philip Celentano, Trustco Bank, Secretary: Kelly Palmer, Marian Service Corp. Seven others will be joining the board as members-at-large, Michael Beck, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Wendy Pearson, Stockbridge Library Association, Douglas Goudey, Wheeler & Taylor, Stacey Gravanis, The Red Lion Inn, Margit Hotchkiss, Norman Rockwell Museum
 
Amy Aldrich, Tanglewood and Michelle Teillon, Chesterwood. These members sit on the board as advisory members.
 
Amanda Barcenas, chamber President gave thanks to our members individual and collective efforts this past year. She recognized new businesses, highlighted chambers' marketing efforts, special events, and thanked the Town of Stockbridge for their continued support.
 
Special recognition during the evening was given to Business Member Lee Bank; resigning president, Pamela Boudreau; and long-term treasurer, Douglas Goudey.
 

Tags: chamber of commerce,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

King and Confidantes Debate Hope and Change in 'American Five'

By Alan PetrucelliSpecial to iBerkshires
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Fiction and fact meld in the regional premiere of "The American Five," now playing at the Larry Vaber Stage of the Unicorn Theatre. 
 
The play takes a fictionalized look at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his four closest confidants in the months leading up to the famed March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. The quintet, through differing opinions, animated arguments, constant threats of violence and a late-night meal featuring challah bread and wine, become a family as they prepare for the history-making march that galvanized the Civil Rights movement.
 
Most of us know the King saga. It's the second act in which playwright Chess Jakobs' genius shines. Prejudice runs rampant here: Is Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer from New York who shows up in Montgomery to join the fight for racial equality and "to repair the world," viewed as white? Jewish? Both? And march strategist and organizer Bayard Rustin experiences his own fight for civil rights because of his homosexuality. Here, Jakob explores prejudice on different levels.
 
The cast is top-notch with many emotional highs. As King, Rashun Carter (who would look more like his character if he had a full moustache) and Sydney Elisabeth (as Coretta Scott King) are at their best during a scene that bounces between humor and poignancy. 
 
She questions her husband about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy; he is angry and refuses to discuss it. "There is no 'you' out there, without a 'me,' in here," she says, leading King to agree that because of her self-worth and unwavering devotion to him, she is "Coretta Scott Queen."
 
As Clarence Jones, King's personal counsel, Brett Diggs has assurance and dignity; Harry Smith's portrayal of lawyer Stanley Levison, is nothing short of extraordinary. Destan Owens' performance as gay Bayard Rustin is the play's most outstanding performance as he defends his relations with men: "You don't get to judge me!" he tells King. "I'm just trying to find love."
 
"The American Five" is tightly directed by Gerry McIntyre; the historic period projections and footage/designed by Alex Hill remind people that there are dreams, such as hope and change, that are still being fought.
 
View Full Story

More South Berkshire Stories