Summer in the Berkshires
A Performing Arts Weekend of Culture
July 23-25, 2021
The performing arts are back in full swing in the Berkshires this summer, so get ready for a weekend full of dance, theater, music and nature — all while bonding with fellow art-full women! Think bucolic green mountains, picturesque New England towns, and some of the best performing arts in the country.
We will be driving together from midtown Manhattan and staying in the charming Black Swan Inn on the banks of Laurel Lake, just a few minutes from historic downtown Lee, MA with weekend highlights including:
Harriet Harris in Eleanor at the Barrington Stage Company
An outdoor Boston Symphony Orchestra concert on the lawn at Tanglewood
Brian Brooks Moving Company at the beloved outdoor stage at Jacob’s Pillow
Self-guided visit of Edith Wharton’s beautiful summer home, the Mount
Option to add on a matinee of Becoming Othello in Shakespeare & Company’s beautiful Roman Garden Theatre
It it sure to be a memorable weekend of art, community & connection, so I hope you will join us!
If you’ve never been on a Women of Culture trip before, you must fill out the form here in order to be invited to book, in order to make sure the experience is a good fit for you. Otherwise, you can book directly here.
Tentative Schedule:
(price for all items with a star are included in trip price)
Friday July 23rd
12:45pm: Meet at Avis Rental car for 1pm departure
(225 East 43rd Street, NYC)
Approx. 4pm: Check in at the Black Swan Inn
(435 Laurel St, Lee, MA)
6pm: Dinner in Pittsfield
7:30-9pm: Eleanor at the Barrington Stage Company*
(Boyd-Quinson Stage - 30 Union Street Pittsfield, MA)
***
Saturday July 24th
Free continental breakfast at the hotel
10am-11:30pm | Self-guided visit of Edith Wharton’s the Mount*
(2 Plunkett Street Lenox, MA)
12pm | Lunch in downtown Lenox
2-3:30pm | Optional matinee of Becoming Othello at Shakespeare & Company OR
time to explore the shops & galleries of Lenox OR
take an uber to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge (timed tix required)
4pm | Time to enjoy the lake at the Black Swan
8pm | Picnic dinner & BSO performance at Tanglewood*
***
Sunday July 25th
Free continental breakfast at the hotel
12pm | Brunch in Lee
2-3pm | Brian Brooks Moving Company at Jacob’s Pillow*
(358 George Carter Rd, Becket, MA)
7pm | Approx. return to Midtown
(225 East 43rd Street, NYC)
*
The schedule is subject to change at the leader's discretion and also according to the weather. It has been designed to address the varied needs and interests of the group while also giving all the optimal amount of time to enjoy a mix of the activities available, though it’s not set in stone and all activities are optional (though no refunds will be provided for any included activities that aren’t attended).
Please note that the area known as the ‘the Berkshires’ is a group of small, relatively remote towns that are NOT very accessible by public transportation. We will be spending our time in the towns of Lenox, Lee, Becket and Pittsfield which are all less than 20 minutes apart, and car services are available, though prices may be high, and individuals will be responsible for paying for any taxi/uber fees incurred by deviating from the options listed above.
If you have any issues with the schedule or prefer to deviate from the itinerary, please kindly inform the trip leader in advance of the trip.
Tickets & Cost
This amazing experience is only open to 8 people, and you must fill out the short questionnaire here to make sure the group and trip are a good fit before booking.
All options include the selected accommodation option (either double or single room) at the Black Swan, and the activities starred above. Full experience tickets include a spot in the rental car to/from Midtown, as well as transport around the Berkshires.
All meals, aside from the free continental breakfast at the hotel and the picnic dinner at Tanglewood are separate and must be paid on-site.
If you prefer to arrange your own accommodation, please email me at alex@womenofculture.org directly for pricing.
Room Options
All prices are per person, based on early bird rates through 6/23 at midnight
Private King Bedroom
$1100 with transport/$900 without
Shared Queen bedroom
$800 with transport/$600 without
+ $50/person for Becoming Othello
Art-full members get 5% off all trips (get more information here).
Please note that all payments are FINAL and non-refundable, unless the entire trip has to be cancelled due to the health crisis. You MUST cancel if you feel sick or learn you have been exposed to the virus within 14 days of the departure date. You may transfer your ticket to someone else but the substitute must be approved by trip leader.
If you’ve never been on a Women of Culture trip before, please fill out the questionnaire here before booking. Otherwise, you can book directly here.
More about our accommodation at the Black Swan Inn:
(rated 4.5/Excellent on Tripadvisor and #3 of 11 hotels in Lee)
Black Swan Inn Lee – Lenox, an Ascend Collection® Hotel Member is conveniently located in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in Lee Massachusetts. Enjoy the sparkling Laurel Lake right in our backyard where you can go swimming, fishing or boating (kayak, pontoon and pedal boat rentals available from the hotel).
All spacious guest rooms of the Black Swan Inn come equipped with Keurigs, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, desks and cable television. Free wireless internet and fitness room.
Reviews from Tripadvisor:
“Great location, really friendly and helpful staff. Our room was clean, so was the hotel. If I needed something it was either delivered to our room or one of the hotel's employees was trying to locate it for me. Good breakfast. Definitely would stay there again.”
“Black Swan was great. Very accommodating, clean, friendly, and the Lake front is just beautiful. Very convenient to all Berkshires attractions.I would highly recommend for your next stay in the Berkshires!”
***
More about Eleanor at the Barrington Stage Company
In Eleanor, playwright Mark St. Germain brings to life Eleanor Roosevelt, the most influential First Lady the world has ever seen. From her “Ugly Duckling” upbringing to her unorthodox marriage to Franklin, Eleanor puts her controversial life, loves and passions on the stage. Tony Award-winning actress Harriet Harris is best known for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on Frasier and Felicia Tilman on Desperate Housewives
***
More about Becoming Othello at Shakespeare & Company
Described as a living memoir, BECOMING OTHELLO: A Black Girl’s Journey is a multimedia theatrical production with lyrical language, soulful songs and the music that shaped the life of a resilient little girl growing up in Spanish Harlem. This choreopoem chronicles the life of classical actress, Debra Ann Byrd.
The solo show flows from Debra Ann’s recounting of her ancestral lineage to her arrival at a crossroad in life, while taking us through her joy-filled and tumultuous youth; a fateful encounter with a company of Shakespearean actors and her remarkable, gender-flipped journey on the road to becoming Othello. We share in Debra Ann’s struggle with self-esteem and how, against all odds, she manages to make it through foster care, teenage pregnancy and single parenting, to become the person she always dreamed she could be. It is a deeply personal, poignant and powerful story of perseverance, tragedy, triumph and ultimately, unconditional love.
***
More about the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood
Andris Nelsons and John Williams, conductors
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
Robert Sheena, English horn
Thomas Rolfs, trumpet
Jessie MONTGOMERY Starburst
John WILLIAMS Violin Concerto No. 2 (world premiere)
COPLAND Quiet City
STRAVINSKY Suite from The Firebird (1919 version)
***
More about Brian Brooks Moving Company at Jacob’s Pillow
A “master of momentum” (Chicago Tribune), Brian Brooks has choreographed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Miami City Ballet, Wendy Whelan, and his own New York-based company. They will perform two world premieres and revisit Closing Distance which premiered just before the pandemic and hasn’t been performed since.
Flight Study, a new work set to a dynamic string quartet piece by GRAMMY-Award winning classical composer Bryce Dessner, was developed in multiple residencies over the past year. Brooks also performs a new untitled solo work for himself for the first time in over five years. Closing Distance is set to a Pulitzer Prize-winning score by composer Caroline Shaw, and features the eight-voice Williamstown, MA-based ensemble Roomful of Teeth.
FAQ's
1. Can I arrange my own travel?
Yes, please let me know if you will be driving your own car and might like to carpool with others! There is a Peter Pan bus that goes round-trip from Port Authority to Lee, MA, but I can’t guarantee there will be space for you in the rental car so you would need to uber around the Berkshires as well.
2. What is NOT included in the cost of the trip?
All meals, aside from breakfast at the hotel and the picnic lunch at Tanglewood, as well as any additional activities or ride services, are separate and must be paid individually. You should estimate at least $50+ per day to spend on food/drinks.
3. What if I don’t know anyone — do I need to come with a friend?
No! Most women attend out Weekend of Culture trips on their own, and the idea is that we will all get to know one another over the course of the weekend. However, please do let me know if you are coming with a friend with whom you would like to share a room.
4. Do I have to stay with the group/attend all pre-planned activities on the itinerary?
No, you are welcome to pick and choose though there will be no refunds for included activities that weren’t attended, and you will have to arrange your own transport/taxi if you would like to go somewhere separately from the group that involves driving.
5. I’ve already been on another Weekend of Culture trip, how can I purchase?
Great, can’t wait to have you join us again! Please go ahead and reserve your spot here, or paypal me the amount of the room you would like (as long as it shows as being available on the checkout page) using this link, and I will send you a confirmation upon receipt.