UpCountry Magazine, May/June 2018 by New England Newspapers, Inc.

Adventures in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

MAY/JUNE 2018

The Discovery Issue People to meet, places to explore and new experiences to enjoy in UpCountry this spring. Featuring: The UpCountry Golf Guide Berkshire Theatre Group at 90 Strolling of the Heifers marches on Go off-road with Land Rover and more...

Voted Magazine of the Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association

TABLE OF CONTENTS

15 32 51 58

Art on wheels

The UpCo Golf Guide

BTF at 90

Moo-vers and shakers

Classic autos go on display at car shows across the region.

The annual directory of clubs and courses in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

Berkshire Theatre Festival enters its tenth decade in Stockbridge.

The Strolling of the Heifers celebrates cattle and community.

“Super Troopers 2” rolls into town Vermont’s favorite film troopers return for another ride

6 From the editor 21

9 Happenings

Why girls should golf Finding empowerment out on the course

NECCA lifts hopes The New England Center for Circus Arts finds a new home

‘The most fun you’ll have at two miles per hour.’

25 Worth checking out 63

See the harbingers of spring Birdwatching in UpCountry

Southern Vermont College’s Laumeister Arts Center’

10 Get out & go

In the wings Upcoming events in the UpCountry art world

7 Contributors

The al fresco dining guide

75 Up Close

Pieces of history from The Trustees of Reservations UpCountryOnline.com | 5

FROM THE EDITOR Norman Rockwell loomed large in the March/ April issue of UpCountry magazine, and we received so much positive feedback for it that I wanted to thank you, dear readers, for sharing it. Meanwhile, one reader prompted an inquiry into whether Joe’s Diner in Lee, Mass., was the actual setting for Rockwell’s “The Runaway.” That’s the 1958 illustration of the state police trooper conversing with a boy — the runaway — at a lunch counter while the cook listens in. Our reader sourced Ed Locke, who as a boy modeled as the runaway, to clarify. According to Locke, Rockwell posed the group at the Howard Johnson’s restaurant on Pittsfield-Lenox Road in Lenox, Mass. And it was there that Rockwell took the primary reference photo that served as the basis of the painting. From there, Rockwell sought inspiration elsewhere for the painting’s background details — the lunch menu, the pie case, the coffee setup. Rockwell took reference photos of these things too. And those images probably came from a diner located in Housatonic, Mass., according to Jeremy Clowe, the Norman Rockwell Museum’s manager of media services. “Who knows whether Rockwell might have been influenced by Joe’s, among the diners in the area, but the museum cannot confirm that,” Clowe said. Meanwhile, “The Runaway,” which has been on tour, is about to return home. The illustration will be back at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., in June. My suggestion? Go eat breakfast at Joe’s Diner, and then visit “The Runaway” for yourself. Kevin Moran, Editor kmoran@berkshireeagle.com Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), The Runaway, 1958. Oil on canvas, 35 ¾" x 33 ½." Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 20, 1958. Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN

Publisher Fred Rutberg

frutberg@berkshireeagle.com

Editor Kevin Moran

kmoran@berkshireeagle.com

Associate Editor Jennifer L. Huberdeau

jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com

Art Director Kimberly Kirchner

kkirchner@berkshireeagle.com

Chief Revenue Officer Jordan Brechenser

jbrechenser@berkshireeagle.com

Chief Consumer Sales/ Events Officer Warren Dews Jr.

wdews@berkshireeagle.com

Regional Advertising Managers Berkshire County, Mass.: Kate Teutsch kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com

Bennington County, Vt.: Susan Plaisance

splaisance@manchesterjournal.com

Windham County, Vt.: Josh Unruh jdunruh@reformer.com

Newsstand price: $5.25 per issue. Discounted subscriptions available. Subscriptions are free for subscribers of The Berkshire Eagle, Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer.

UpCountry Magazine is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

On The Cover A man tees off at the Brattleboro County Club n Brattleboro, Vt. Story, page 32. Photo: Kristopher Radder.

6 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

CONTRIBUTORS Anne Archer [“Get Out & Go,” page 10] lives in Manchester, Vt. She is a regular contributor to the Manchester Journal.

Cherise Madigan [“In with a bang,” page 9] is a native Vermonter and frequent contributor to the Manchester Journal and Bennington Banner.

Benjamin Cassidy [“Up Next,” page 41] is the arts and entertainment reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School and the University of Michigan, Benjamin now lives in Dalton, Mass.

Kevin O’Connor [“Moovers and shakers,” page 58] is a Vermont native and Brattleboro Reformer contributor.

Jennifer Huberdeau [“Up Close,” page 75] is New England Newspapers’ online editor and associate editor of UpCountry magazine. She also pens the column, “The Cottager,” for Berkshires Week and The Shires of Vermont.

Nancy A. Olson [“NECCA lifts hopes,” page 63] is a freelance writer now after 35 years of teaching English and journalism. She lives in Putney, Vt., which she first discovered by attending Windham College.

David LaChance [“Art on wheels,” page 15] is the news editor of the Bennington Banner. He is a lifelong car enthusiast, and was formerly an editor, writer and photographer with Hemmings Motor News. Maru León Griffin [“Why girls should golf,” page 29] has worked as an art director and creative director for top magazines and ad agencies and ran a successful graphic design studio before moving to Bennington, Vt., with her family to revitalize Mt. Anthony Country Club.

Scottish-born Sharon Smullen [“Berkshire Theatre Festival celebrates 90 years,” page 51] is a regular Berkshire Eagle correspondent and lives in Lebanon Springs, New York. A passionate supporter of the Arts, she has written for numerous area publications and is a former BBC World Service contributor.

Trudy Tynan [“See the harbringers of spring,” page 68] is retired after 30 years as a reporter with the Associated Press. She is a member of the Hampshire Bird Club and in the summer volunteers with NOAA to count seabirds on Stellwagen Bank. She lives in South Hadley, Mass., with two Maine coon cats, who stay inside.

UpCountryOnline.com | 7

HAPPENINGS

In with a bang Southern Vermont College’s Laumeister Arts Center opens its doors with a celebration of The New Yorker cartoons

ABOVE: Cartoon by Jack Ziegler, via Laumeister Arts Center

By Cherise Madigan A wealth of wit will grace the Bennington arts landscape this June, when more than 100 New Yorker cartoons from the iconic magazine’s history will be displayed at Southern Vermont College’s new Laumeister Arts Center. The exhibit will mark the grand opening of the Arts Center, formerly known as the Bennington Center for the Arts. When the facility was gifted to the college in December — the largest gift in its history — Fine Arts and Music Professor Eric Despard was quickly tapped by SVC President David R. Evans to coordinate something “really big” for its debut. “This [exhibit] helps tie us in with all of the wonderful cultural things going on in the Berkshires, as well as in the Northshire,” Despard explained. “As a liaison for that sort of ‘arts corridor.’” Despard quickly reached

“This [exhibit] helps tie us in with all of the wonderful cultural things going on in the Berkshires, as well as in the Northshire, as a liaison for that sort of ‘arts corridor.’” — Eric Despard, Fine Arts and Music Professor, Southern Vermont College out to friend Jessica Ziegler, the daughter of legendary cartoonist Jack Ziegler. The elder Ziegler worked with The New Yorker for more than 40 years, contributing over 1,500 cartoons to the publication alongside Barron’s, Esquire and Playboy. Though the artist passed away in 2017, Despard knew that Ziegler’s daughter continued to circulate and celebrate his work. After signing on for the collaboration, Despard says,

Jessica Ziegler even sought other New Yorker cartoonists to join in on the fun. Now, not only will 20 artists be sharing their work in Bennington, but some are also slated to attend the exhibit’s debut on June 29. “We’ll be hosting a gala that night, and the next day there’s going to be a panel discussion with some of the artists,” Despard said, adding that a performance by “legendary cabaret entertainer” Steve Ross will round out the weekend.

“[Ross] fits in nicely with he New Yorker theme,” he added. The exhibit ushers in a new era for the arts at Southern Vermont College, which hopes to collaborate with other regional institutions like the Bennington Museum,The Bennington Bookshop and the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass., in the future. The college has already begun to expand its programming, collaborating with New England Newspapers Inc. for two panel discussions thus far, and will add a bachelor’s degree in arts administration to its curriculum this fall — the first arts major offered by the college. That new era will come in with a bang thanks to Despard, who envisions an exciting future for both Southern Vermont College and its Laumeister Arts Center. “It’s all about raising our profile in the arts,” he added. “I think that this is really going to put us on the map.” • UpCountryOnline.com | 9

GET OUT & GO

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‘The most fun you’ll have at two miles per hour.’ The Land Rover Experience Center in Manchester, Vt., takes luxury off-road.

By Anne Archer

Sitting in a comfortable leather seat, surrounded by two-zone climate control, tree trunks are merely inches away from the Land Rover’s rearview mirror. Suddenly, the already tight off-road trail becomes tighter as several two-foot deep potholes buried underneath mud or ice – or both – come in to view. For the last 20 years, the Land Rover Experience Center in Manchester, Vt., has been demonstrating the capabilities of luxurious, current model year Land Rovers on their 80-acre off-road driving course and in the Green Mountains on class four roads. “It’s the most fun you’ll have at two miles per hour,” says David Nunn, location manager and professional overland driver at Land Rover Experience Center. With only four of these adventure experiences in North America, drivers are given a unique opportunity to learn how to maneuver a luxury brand four-wheel drive vehicle with incomparable off-road functions through extremely narrow passages, steep ascents and major descents. The drive begins on an uneven trail that appears manageable. However, things become interesting rather quickly as the Land Rover slowly turns in to an impressive side tilt. The most amazing part of this level to sideways transition is how rapidly yet slowly — because you’re only going two miles an hour — it happens. The smoothness of the ride, even with a tire or two lifted off the ground, barely jostles the driver or the passengers. After the side tilt is conquered, another obstacle appears: a major ascent. The trail is now pointed toward the treetops and entrenched in bottomless ruts. “Stay in the ruts,” Nunn advises as the vehicle, which can drive through up to 35 inches of water, climbs its way to the apex. Once the ascent is completed, the reward is a descent so steep that when perched atop the decline, the road seems to disappear underneath the front tires. “Use hill descent control,” Nunn says as the Land Rover eases to the bottom of the road. But that’s not the end of the adventure. With roughly five miles of trails, drivers get to do it again — this time on a different part of the course. If this sounds fun, you’re right. If you feel this might test your skill level and your comfort level, you’re right again. According to Nunn, before getting behind the wheel drivers are informed they will feel tested but they will be taught appropriate driving techPhotos courtesy of Land Rover Experience Center, Vermont

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nique as well as the proper way to use the vehicle’s technology. Armed with this knowledge, drivers have a better understanding of their limitations and the vehicle’s limitations, thus enabling them to find the courage to push themselves. However, no one becomes an expert off-road driver overnight. With constantly evolving driving conditions, due to changing seasons and variable weather, Nunn emphasizes that in order to understand how to handle different road conditions,

a driver must experience the drive, instead of being told how to drive. In other words, handson experience will make it easier to recognize mistakes and figure out how to correct them. And while mistakes do happen, there is no need to worry. “Land Rovers never get stuck. They get ‘momentum-ly’ challenged. When that happens, we execute recovery,” Nunn says with a smile. Although some people may want to drive haphazardly through the woods, that is not

The details ... Land Rover Experience Center 80 Union St., Manchester, Vt. What: Land Rover driving experience on off-road course, mountain trails, class 4 public access roads When: Open year-round Cost: 25-minute adventure ride $25, 1-hour off-road experience $275, 2-hour lessons $425, half-day adventure $650, 6-hour full day adventure $1,200 Tip: If you’re prone to motion sickness, take a Dramamine before your adventure. More info: 802-362-0687 or lrevt.com

12 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

Land Rover’s practice. The goal of off-road driving is not to tear up the environment or the vehicle but rather to learn and utilize the vehicle’s capabilities while being environmentally respectful. With this in mind, Land Rover follows a strict tread lightly policy derived from the nonprofit organization Tread Lightly!, a group in which Land Rover was a founding contributor. Tread Lightly! encourages people to enjoy the outdoors responsibly while being good stewards of the land. The professional drivers at Land Rover Experience Center understand not everyone knows “gravity works” as Nunn says, while others, who know how to make a line choice, are looking for a challenge. So, the Experience Center offers a va-

riety of driving packages, all of which can be customized to fit the needs of individuals or groups. Options range from a 25-minute ride on the course with a professional driver explaining techniques and capabilities, to a six-hour, behind-the-wheel adventure where the driver learns what the luxury vehicle can really do. As Nunn points out, everything taught during an off-road driving adventure is transferable to on-road driving. So, even if you and your vehicle don’t see a lot of backroads, it wouldn’t hurt to learn its pivot point or to respect your peripheral vision limitations — if for no other reason than to stop hitting the curb when pulling out of the grocery store parking lot. •

Art on Wheels

Classic cars, lined up for display on Saturday afternoon at the annual Bennington car show, held at Willow Park in Bennington, Vt. Photo: Holly Pelczynski

Auto shows celebrate history, community and some really cool cars. By David LaChance For reassurance that spring is once again returning to the land, you might look to nature’s signals, such as the emergence of the crocuses and the reappearance of the songbirds. If you’re a sports fan, Opening Day is a sure signpost, even if the local baseball diamond is still hidden by snow. Those with even the most minimal interest in automobiles will notice another marker: the emergence of collector cars from their winter hibernating places. With temperatures warming up and a couple of solid April rains to scour the steel-eating salt from the roads, these rolling pieces of history add a dash of color and interest to our winter-weary streets. Once the older cars are out and about, car show season can’t be far behind. While

some owners of collector cars are content to appreciate them in the confines of their own garages, most share a desire to bring them out into the sunshine where everyone, gearhead or not, can enjoy them. The Berkshires and Southern Vermont boast a number of rewarding shows, beginning in springtime and continuing through our brilliant days of autumn. From Brattleboro, Vt., to Great Barrington, Mass., there are dates to mark on the calendar. By the way, if the words “car show” conjure up visions of gleaming rows of Duesenbergs and a whiff of snobbery, you’ll want to recalibrate. These tend to be shows where anything and everything is welcomed with open arms – though you’ll certainly see the occasional Maserati and Packard, too.

It doesn’t hurt to be a gearhead at a car show, where you’ll always find a like-minded soul ready to discuss the intricacies of Holley carburetors, or the merits of basecoat-clearcoat finishes. But even if you’re not, there are still any number of ways to get a kick out of older cars. Design, cultural perspective, historical significance and good old nostalgia are all facets that add sparkle to the chrome. Just as important for a number of car enthusiasts is the social aspect of shows. “You meet people from every walk of life and every level of income,” said Richard Astle, treasurer of the Pittsfield Piston Poppers car club and owner of a 1957 Chevrolet. “I love the people as much as I love the cars.” The Piston Poppers have been around a long time – since

1950, in fact. But their show this year will be in a brand-new location, at The Commons on First Street in Pittsfield, which has led to tempered expectations. Though they’ve attracted as many as 400 cars in the past, Astle said, organizers will be pleased if they draw 100 this year. Car shows are volunteer-driven, and require lots of work to pull off. In recent years, some well established shows have fallen by the wayside – the Hildene show in Manchester, Vt., the briefly revived Chesterwood show in Stockbridge, Mass., and the Hillcrest Hospital show, among them. Still, others have risen to take their place, most notably Motorama, which takes over all of downtown North Adams, Mass., for one Sunday in August.• UpCountryOnline.com | 15

Car Shows in the UpCountry 2018 What follows is a list of car events that are well worth your time. A bit of advice: wear comfortable shoes, put on sunscreen and bring cash for the food vendors. A day of affordable fun awaits. Hemmings Motor News Cruise-Ins Dates: May 10 and 24; June 7 and 21; July 13 and 26; Aug. 9 and 23 Time: 5:30-8 p.m. Location: 222 Main St., Bennington, Vt. Cost: Free vehicle registration and general admission Further information: hemmings.com/cruiseins Every other Thursday during the summer – with the exception of National Collector Car Appreciation Day, held on a Friday – Hemmings puts on a cruise-in in the parking lot of its headquarters in Bennington. All years, makes and models are welcome; winners are

featured in the pages of Hemmings Motor News.

Ioka Valley Farm Car Show Date: Saturday, May 12 Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Location: Ioka Valley Farm, Route 43, Hancock, Mass. Cost: $2 general admission Proceeds benefit Relay for Life and the Hancock Volunteer Fire Department.Anything with a motor is welcome. Rain date: Saturday, May 19.

Horsepower Meets Horse Power Date: Sunday, June 10 Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Location: Orleton Farm, 31 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge, Mass. Cost: Free for drivers and passengers in 1970 and older vehicles Further information: colonialcarriage.org Car cruise in conjunction with the 20th annual Orleton Farm Pleasure Driving Show, a judged competition for horse-drawn vehicles. Stroll the beautiful grounds, watch the driving competition, and see the collection of antique coaches and carriages in the museum. Pack a picnic lunch or purchase food there.

TOP: Rain covers one of the classic cars during the annual Bennington Car show held at Willow Park in Bennington, Vt. BOTTOM: Jeff Edwards checks out some of the antique cars while at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, Vt., for the annual State Line Car Club Fathers’ Day Car Show. Photos: Holly Pelczynski.

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TOP: Paul Allen admires a funny car at Motorama. BOTTOM: Over-the-top restorations like this 1912 Model T by Karl Schmidt draw car enthusiasts from around New England to the North Adams, Mass., Motorama. Photos: Ben Garver.

Father’s Day Weekend Car Show Date: Saturday, June 16 Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Location: Vermont Veterans’ Home, 325 North St., Bennington Vt. Cost: Free vehicle registration and general admission Further information: Call Bob Houran at 802-384-9098 This show originated in 2010 for the enjoyment of the residents of the Vermont Veterans’ Home, though all are welcome to attend.There will be food vendors and a DJ, 60 prizes will be handed out — including one awarded by a veteran. Proceeds benefit the Veterans’ Home. Rain date is June 17.

Falls Village Car Show

Cars on the Common

Falls Village, Conn. Date: Sunday, July 8 Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Location: Downtown Falls Village, Conn. Cost: $10 vehicle registration, free general admission Further information: Search for “The Falls Village Car & Motorcycle Show” on Facebook or call 860-824-5861

Date: Saturday, July 21 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: 100 First St., Pittsfield, Mass. Cost: Vehicle registration $15; free general admission Further information: Call Richard Astle at 413-329-2202 or email kuelcaat@aol.com

Cars and motorcycles of all types take over the downtown of this quintessentially New England village. This show is organized with the help of the Olde Yankee Street Rods & Classic Cruisers of Great Barrington. Proceeds benefit the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department.

Brattleboro on Wheels Date: Saturday, July 14 Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location: Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro, Vt. Cost: Free vehicle registration and general admission Further information: Search for “Brattleboro on Wheels” on Facebook Hosted by Rotary of Brattleboro, this show benefits Rotary projects. Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast. Registration for a poker run, a leisurely drive through the area’s scenic back roads, begins at 8:30; the cost is $5 per wheel

Sponsored by the Pittsfield Piston Poppers, one of the country’s oldest operating cra clubs. This year, the event moves to the grounds of the Pittsfield Common. Food vendors and a DJ will be present. Rain date is Sunday, July 22.

Mount Equinox Hill Climb Date: Aug. 11-12 Time: All day Location: 1A St. Bruno Drive, Arlington, Vt. Cost: Entry open only to members of the Vintage Sports Car Club of America; spectators are welcome at no cost Further information: vscca.org Though this is not a car show per se, it gives ample opportunity to get up close to a variety of vintage competition cars and chat with their owner-drivers in the parking lot of the Mt. Equinox Toll House. Organized by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America.

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Motorama Date: Sunday, Aug. 26 Time: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Location: Main Street, North Adams, Mass. Cost: $15 vehicle registration, free general admission Further information: northadamsmotorama.com Motorama was created to give all lovers of motorized vehicles of all kinds a place to come together and show off their treasures. New for 2018 will be a free cruise-in kick off concert, held at the Noel Field Athletic Complex located on State Street, on August 25, from 5-8 p.m.

Labor Day Car Show

Presented by Albany Rods & Kustoms, this show offers over 1,500 cars, vendors, food, fun and games for the whole family. A cruise along Canada Street is featured from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Green Mountain Car Show Date: Friday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Sept. 16 Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Location: 7012 Route 7, Pownal, Vt. Cost: $10 vehicle registration, $5 general admission, children under 10 free Further information: greenmountaincarshow.com

Date: Sunday, Sept. 2 Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Location: VFW, 800 Main St., Great Barrington, Mass. Cost: $10 for vehicle registration, $3 for spectators ($5 for two, $10 per car load)

Presented by The Bennington Cruisers, this car show and swap meet offers food and games for the family. All proceeds will be donated to local charities. Thirty individual awards and a best in show will be presented.

Olde Yankee Street Rods & Classic Cruisers will present their 50th annual Labor Day Car Show. The first 200 cars will receive dash plaques. Awards include 15 top trophies with two best of show and 25 club picks.

Cops & Rodders Car Show

Adirondack Nationals Date: Thursday, Sept. 6, to Sunday, Sept. 9 Time: Thursday, 7-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-noon Location: Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center, 48 Canada St., Lake George, N.Y. Cost: $15 for the weekend; kids 12 and under are free. Further information: adirondacknationals.com

Date: Saturday, Sept. 29 Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Location: Route 8, Washington, Mass. Cost: $10 vehicle registration Further information: Call Nicole Miller at 413-427-2995 Presented by the Becket Police Association, this third annual show will raise funds for the association’s annual children’s Christmas party. Music, food and a huge raffle are among the offerings. First 50 vehicle registrants get a free lunch. Rain date is Sept. 30. •

ABOVE: Joey Brown checks out some of the antique cars at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, Vt. for the annual State Line Car Club Fathers’ Day Car Show. Photo: Holly Pelczynski

18 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

Vermont’s favorite film troopers return for another ride By Benjamin Cassidy “Farva!” “Meow!” Like any cult classic, “Super Troopers” has devout fans who can readily produce memorable lines and phrases from the 2001 film. It wasn’t a surprise, then, when audience members shouted references to the original movie before and after an early April screening of “Super Troopers 2” at Merrill’s Roxy

Cinemas in Burlington, Vt. That nobody stopped them, however, was perhaps more indicative of the raucous, widespread affection for the flick, especially in Vermont. The Green Mountain State is also home to many of the movie’s more mellow followers. “The audiences up here — they ’re like educated stoners. And that is exactly our sweet spot,” director Jay

Chandrasekhar said the next morning during an interview with fellow cast members and writers Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske at Hotel Vermont on Cherry Street. Like “Super Troopers,” the sequel (which hit theaters on April 20) is set in Vermont — sort of. A town near the U.S./ Canada border that has long been deemed French-Cana-

dian is now likely to be ruled American. Consequently, Vermont’s governor (played once again by Lynda Carter) informs the infamously rowdy gang of five Vermont state troopers — Mac (Lemme), Thorny (Chandrasekhar), Foster (Soter), Rabbit (Stolhanske) and Farva (Heffernan) — that they need to set up a new highway patrol station in the disputed land. They also must collaborate with

ABOVE, FROM LEFT: Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske in the film “Super Troopers 2.” Photo Provided by Twentieth Century Fox Film

UpCountryOnline.com | 21

local Canadian law enforcers. Predictably, rivalry and scandal emerge. It’s not the only plot resemblance to its forerunner, and fans will recognize many faces from the original, though not all made the cut. “I think the hard thing was the characters from the first movie that we wanted to bring back, but you can’t bring back every character,” Heffernan said. New faces include Rob Lowe, who plays the town’s mayor, and Emmanuelle Chriqui. “In ways, I find their performances more fun to watch than our own,” Chandrasekhar said of actors who weren’t in the original. Broken Lizard (the comedy troupe formed by the five actors playing troopers) began working on the movie in 2015. It was shot in Massachusetts, including areas near the Quabbin Reservoir. While Broken Lizard has written multiple films since “Super Troopers,” such as “Club Dread” and “Beerfest,” the group had a difficult time getting the sequel made. They sought $2 million via an Indiegogo campaign. They raised more than double that. Before the Burlington screening, the five actors expressed their appreciation to those who had donated. But they need more support to start filming the next “Super Troopers.” “We need them to actually go into the theater to see the movie the way that they didn’t watch the first one,” Soter said, “because what people did on the first one is they watched years later on the couch or whatever. … We don’t have the luxury this time of letting it seep slowly out into the public consciousness.”•

ABOVE: Official poster for “Super Troopers 2.” Provided by Twentieth Century Fox Film.

“The audiences up here – they’re like educated stoners. And that is exactly our sweet spot.”

22 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

— “Super Troopers 2” director Jay Chandrasekhar

WORTH CHECKING OUT

UpCo al fresco With temperatures on the rise, nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the time to enjoy a great meal with a side of fresh air.

Photo: Daniel von Appen/UnSplash

The Reluctant Panther 39 West Road, Manchester Village, Vt.

Hours of Operation: Reservations recommended Dinner service Tuesday Saturday from 5:30 pm More information: 802-362-2568 www.reluctantpanther.com

SPONSORED LISTING

34 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,549, 5,393 Pontoosuc Lake Country Club COURSE RATING: 71.1 (m), 72.7 (w) SLOPE: 128 LOCATION: (m), 134 (w)38 Kirkwood Drive, Pittsfield GREENS FEES: Monday-Wednesday, $35 TYPE: Public with for 18 holes; Thursday-Friday; memberships available $58 and $45 forPHONE: juniors 413-445-4217 and seniors. Weekday twilightWEBSITE: (after 3 p.m.), $42. Nine holes plcc.biz on Thursday-Friday, $35. Daily fee and PAR: 70 (BACK/FRONT SummerYARDAGE Club members have access to TEES): 6,207/5,240while Saturday the course Monday-Friday COURSE RATING: and Sunday reserved for club members 69.2 (m), 68.9 (w) and their guests. 122 (m), 111 (w) CART FEES:SLOPE: Reflected in prices above GREENS FEES: $10 for nine holes RANGE: Yesand $18 for 18 on weekdays. SeTEE TIME POLICY: Theover) course expected niors (62 and andisjuniors (18 to openand on May 19 and can for be under) playtee fortimes $15. $12 made starting on May 15. for 18 on Satnine holes and $20 urdays, Sundays and holidays. TwiHEAD PROFESSIONAL: Drew Anderson light fees (afterDesigned 5 p.m.) areby $14 on COURSE DESCRIPTION: Desweekdaysknown and $16ason weekends. mond Muirhead, the “Picasso (No credit cards. ATM the available.) of Golf Course Architecture,” course FEES: $8/single or $16/ featuresCART natural rolling terrain and small double for 9 holes; $12/single undulating greens thatfor are18well-protector $20/double holes. ed by bunkers. Stunning views of the RANGE: No Haystack Mountain Peak and the Green TEE TIME POLICY: Starting times Mountains plentiful. on are Friday-Sunday. For Monday-Thursday, it’s first-come, first-serve. HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Bob Dastoli LOCATION:COURSE 70 Spyglass Drive, Wilmington DESCRIPTION: The course, which dates back to 1927 PAR: 72 and underwent a full re-design TYPE: Resort with memberships availableunder the guidance of Wayne Stiles in PHONE: (802) 464-8301 1939, has tree-lined fairways that WEBSITE: hermitagegolfclub.com give it a true New England feel YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,549, while at the same time featuring 5,393 some fairways that have the look COURSE RATING: 71.1 (m), of a seaside links.72.7 (w)

Hermitage Golf Club

SLOPE: 128 (m), 134 (w) Skyline Country Club$35 GREENS FEES: Monday-Wednesday, LOCATION: Route 7, for 18 holes; Thursday-Friday; $58 and $45 forLanesborough juniors and seniors. Weekday 71 twilightPAR: (after 3 p.m.), $42. Nine holes TYPE: Public, with on Thursday-Friday, Daily fee and memberships $35. available SummerPHONE: Club members have access to 413-445-5584 the course Monday-Friday while Saturday WEBSITE: skyline-cc.com and Sunday reserved for club members YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,110/4,708 and their guests. RATING: CART FEES:COURSE Reflected in prices above RANGE: Yes67.3 (m), 66.9 (w) SLOPE: 117 (m), 118 (w)is expected TEE TIME POLICY: The course Prices to openGREENS on May FEES: 19 andWeekdays: tee times can be range from $14-15 walking and made starting on May 15. $20-$22 with cart depending on HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Drew starting time for nine Anderson holes; prices COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by Desrange from $15-$22 walking and mond Muirhead, known as the “Picasso $25-$45 with cart for 18 holes depending on starting time. On of Golf Course Architecture,” the course pricesterrain range from $15featuresweekends, natural rolling and small $17 greens depending time undulating that on arestarting well-protectwalking and $20-24views ridingoffor 9 ed by bunkers. Stunning the holes. Prices range from $20-$25 Haystack Mountain Peak and the Green walking and $30-39 riding for 18 Mountains are plentiful. holes. CART FEES: Reflected in prices above RANGE: Yes TIME POLICY: LOCATION:TEE 70 Spyglass Drive,One Wilmington week in advance PAR: 72 HEAD PROFESSIONAL: TYPE: Resort with memberships available Jim Mitus

Hermitage Golf Club PHONE: (802) 464-8301

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COURSE DESCRIPTION: The Lanesborough layout offers plenty of elevation changes to challenge golfers — playing with a member can really help first-time visitors — and features gorgeous views of Pontoosuc Lake from atop the course. .

Taconic Golf Club

LOCATION: 19 Meacham St., Williamstown TYPE: Semi-private, with memberships available PHONE: 413-458-3997 WEBSITE: taconicgolf.com PAR: 71 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,800/5,143 COURSE RATING: 73.5 (m), 80.1 (w) SLOPE: 134 (m), 141 (w) GREENS FEES: $160, first time only, for unaccompanied guest and $60 for unaccompanied guest restart. $100 Tuesday and Thursday special (10 a.m.-noon) It’s $95 for Williams College alumnus/ spouse, $110 for guest of alumnus, $70 guest with member, $95 for college employee/spouse, $110 for employee guest; $45 for 9 holes employee. It’s $40 for Williams

students, $110 for student guests, $95 for a student’s parent, $110 for guest of student’s parent. CART FEES: Greens fees include cart RANGE: No TEE TIME POLICY: One week in advance HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Josh Hillman COURSE DESCRIPTION: Considered Wayne Stiles’ best work and recognized as one of the best courses in New England and top college courses in the nation, Taconic tests all facets of a golfer’s game while building to a spectacular climax with a string of great finishing holes.

Wahconah Country Club

LOCATION: 20 Orchard Road, Dalton TYPE: Public with memberships available. PHONE: 413-684-1333 WEBSITE: wahconahcc.com PAR: 71 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,558/5,431

COURSE RATING: 72.5 (m), 75.1 (w) SLOPE: 135 (m), 128 (w) GREENS FEES: Shoulder season (opening to Friday before Memorial Day and Oct. 1 to close): Monday to Friday, it’s $55 for 18 holes, $35 for nine holes for public guests.Weekend and holiday rates for public guests are $65 for 18 holes and $40 for 9 holes. In-season rates (Friday before Memorial Day until Oct. 1). Monday to Friday, $70 for 18 holes and $45 for nine holes for public guests; weekends and holidays, it’s $80 for 18 holes and $50 for 9 holes. CART FEES: $40 per person for 18 holes, $25 for 9 holes. RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Call pro shop HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Mark Duane and Jim Underdown COURSE DESCRIPTION: The site of the final competitive tournament round played by the legendary Bobby Jones in 1948, Wahconah is a beautiful layout and features some of the county’s most challenging holes. The terrace overlooking the par-5 18th green offers a perfect setting annually for

Wahconah’s popular Little Brown Jug best-ball tournament,

Waubeeka Golf Links

LOCATION: 137 New Ashford Road, Williamstown TYPE: Public, with memberships available WEBSITE: waubeeka.com PHONE: 413-458-8355 PAR: 71 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,229/4,878 COURSE RATING: 71 (m), 68.1 (w) SLOPE: 124 (m), 112 ( m) GREENS FEES: Rates for 2018 were not available prior to publishing. RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Seven days in advance for public, eight days for members HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Erik Tiele COURSE DESCRIPTION: Blessed with spectacular views of Mount Greylock and also one of the county’s best-conditioned public layouts, Waubeeka received rave reviews from some of the state’s best amateur golfers when it hosted 2016’s Massachusetts Public Links Championship.

The Berkshires 9-hole courses Donnybrook Country Club

LOCATION: 775 Williamstown Road, Lanesborough TYPE: Open to public with memberships available PHONE: 413-499-7888 WEBSITE: donnybrookgolf.com PAR: 36 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,676 for 18 holes/4,852 COURSE RATING: 72.4 (m), 72.2 (w) SLOPE: 139 (m), 126 (w) GREENS FEES: Weekdays: Before 8 a.m. and at twilight, it’s $20 for 9 or 18 holes. Daytime primetime is $25 for 9 holes, $30 for 18. For weekends and holidays, before 7 a.m. and at twilight it’s $25 for 9 or 18 holes. In daytime primetime, it’s $30 for 9 holes and $35 for 18. Seniors (65+) get 10 percent off while juniors (15 and under) are 20 percent off. CART FEES: 9 holes: $10, 18 holes: $15 RANGE: No TEE TIME POLICY: Call pro shop to set times GENERAL MANAGER: Matt Kelly COURSE DESCRIPTION: A fun course with elevation changes and beautiful scenery — check out the view from the back tee on the par-5 fifth hole — that offer golfers no shortage of playing

ABOVE: Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pittsfield, Mass. Photo: Gillian Jones.

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Mount Anthony Country Club LOCATION: 180 Country Club Road, Bennington, Vt. TYPE: Open to public PHONE: 802-447-7079 WEBSITE: www.mtanthonycc.com PAR: 71 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,497/5,892 COURSE RATING: 68.3 (m), 67.8 (w) SLOPE: 121 (m), 117 (w) GREENS FEES: Monday-Thursday, 18 holes: $45 + tax Friday-Sunday, 18 holes: $55 + tax Monday-Thursday, 9 holes: $30 + tax Friday-Sunday, 9 holes: $35 + tax CART FEES: $10 for 9 holes/ $20 for 18 holes RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Call Proshop to set up tee times: 802-447-7079 HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Jack Ralbovsky COURSE DESCRIPTION: MACC welcomes you to experience Vermont golfing at its best in the heart of historic Bennington. Their 18 Hole, Par 71 Championship Golf Course has gone through a major renovation including the new shaping of bunkers and tee complexes. A systematic agronomic program is ongoing with all existing grass areas, fairways, and greens which results in superb turf quality. The golf course takes full advantage of the spectacular Green Mountain location and views and challenges players at every level. Photo: Greg Nesbit for MACC SPONSORED LISTING

YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,549, 5,393

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by Desmond Muirhead, known as the “Picasso

COURSE RATING: 71.1 (m), 72.7 (w) SLOPE: 128 (m), 134 (w)

options with huge teeing areas on $20 for 18 HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Jay Abair Generalthe Electric course GREENS FEES: Monday-Wednesday, $35 COURSE RATING: 71.1 (m), 72.7 (w) CART FEES: $15 forof9Golf Course Architecture,” most of the holes. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Built in Athletic Association terrain and small for 18 holes; Thursday-Friday; $58 and SLOPE: 128 (m), 134 (w) holes, $27 for 18 features natural rolling the 1930s for General Electric LOCATION: 303 Crane undulating greens that are well-protect$45 foremployees juniors and seniors. Weekday GREENSPark FEES: Monday-Wednesday, $35 No Forest RANGE: and executives, the Ave., Pittsfield by bunkers. Stunning views of the twilightcourse (afterfeatures 3 p.m.), some $42. Nine holes for 18 Club holes; Thursday-Friday; $58 TEE and TIME POLICY: ed First elevation Country Open toGreen public with Peak and on Thursday-Friday, Dailydownhill fee and $45 for the come, first serve Haystack MountainTYPE: changes — the$35. steeply LOCATION: 41 juniors Forest and seniors. Weekday memberships available GENERAL second shot on the par-4 secSummer Club members have access to twilight (after 3 p.m.), $42. Nine holes MANAGER: Mountains are plentiful. Park Ave., Adams PHONE: 413-443-5746 Bradbury ondMonday-Friday hole is a prime example — and TYPE:on Open to public with $35. Daily John-Michael the course while Saturday Thursday-Friday, fee and PAR: 36 SUPERINTENDENT: June Blaje whilereserved all of thefor parclub 4s members measure memberships Summeravailable Club members have access to YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES):and Sunday COURSE DESCRIPTION: Located less than 400 yards, the 560-yard PHONE: 413-743-3311 and their guests. the course Monday-Friday while Saturday 6,205 for 18 holes/5,274 at the base of Mount Greylock sixth hole is one of the county’s WEBSITE: forestparkadams.com CART Reflected in prices above and Sunday reserved for club members COURSE RATING: 71 (m), 69.6 (w)FEES: and founded in 1900, the Forest toughest par 5s. LOCATION: 70 Spyglass Drive, Wilmington PAR: 34 SLOPE: 113 (m), 109 (w) RANGE: Yes and their guests. Park layout —an Alexander Lindley YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT PAR: 72 GREENS FEES: Rates for TEE TIME POLICY: The Country course is expected CART5,110 FEES: in prices above Greenock Club design — is relatively course TEES): forReflected 18 holes/4,216 TYPE: short Resort with memberships 2018 wereavailable not available St.,can Leebe to openLOCATION: on May 19 220 and W. teePark times RANGE:RATING: Yes with rolling fairways that create COURSE PHONE: (802) 464-8301prior to publishing. TYPE: Open to public made starting on May 15. with TEE(m), TIME The course is expected plenty of uneven lies and small 65.2 67.3POLICY: (w) WEBSITE: hermitagegolfclub.com RANGE: No memberships available HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Drew Anderson to118 open May can bethat will test anyone’s SLOPE: (m);on115 (w)19 and tee timesgreens TEE TIME POLICY: Call pro shop (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,549, PHONE: 413-243-3323 chipping andYARDAGE putting ability. GREENS FEES: $15 on for May 9 holes, COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by Desmade starting 15. to set times 5,393 WEBSITE: greenockcc.com

Hermitage Golf Club

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Drew Anderson

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mond Muirhead, known as the “Picasso

PAR: 35 (m), 37 (w) YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,230 for 18 holes/5,258 COURSE RATING: 70 (m), 72.7 (w) SLOPE: 123 (m), 126 (w) GREENS FEES: Spring Rates: Weekday guest rates $18 for 9 holes walking, $25 with a cart; $25 for 18 holes walking or $35 with a cart. Weekend and holiday with a member: $22 for 9 holes walking or $32 with a cart; $30 for 18 holes

walking or $48 with a cart.. CART FEES: Included in above pricing. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by the legendary Donald Ross, Greenock offers traditional oldschool charm while challenging golfers with elevation changes on approach shots and challenging putting surfaces.

Worthington Golf Club LOCATION: 113 Ridge Road, Worthington

TYPE: Open to public with memberships available PHONE: 413-238-4464 WEBSITE: worthingtongolfclub.net PAR: 35 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 5,579 for 18 holes/5,165 COURSE RATING: 67.3 (m), 68.5 (w) SLOPE: 120(m), 123 (w) GREENS FEES: Weekdays: $26 for 18 holes; $16 for 9 holes. Juniors

under 18 play for free. Weekends: $32 for 18 holes, $20 for 9. CART FEES: $23 per rider for 18 holes, $53 per rider for 9. RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Call pro shop to set times HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Francis Kringle COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is home to the highest hole in Massachusetts at an elevation of 1,700 feet.

Stockbridge Golf Club

tinuous invitational team tournament in the nation.

The Berkshires Private Golf Clubs Berkshire Hills Country Club

LOCATION: 500 Benedict Road, Pittsfield TYPE: 18 holes, private PHONE: 413-447-9429 WEBSITE: berkshirehillscc.com PAR: 72 (m), 73 (w) YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,780/5,458 COURSE RATING: 72.7 (m), 73.6 (w) SLOPE: 135 (m), 132 (w) GUEST POLICY: With a member, $35 for 18 holes on weekdays, $25 for 9, $45 for 18 holes on weekend. An unaccompanied guest can play for $90. HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Mike Hillman RANGE: Yes COURSE DESCRIPTION: A challenging course that features a non-tradtional mix of holes for a par-72 layout — eight par-4 holes, five par 3s and five par 5s Berkshire Hills is the only course in the state totally designed by A.W. Tillinghast, whose masterpieces include U.S. Open venues Winged Foot and Bethpage Black.

Country Club of Pittsfield

LOCATION: 639 South St., Pittsfield TYPE: 18 holes, private PHONE: 413-447-8500 WEBSITE: ccpittsfield.org PAR: 71 YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,395/4,987 COURSE RATING: 71.2 (m), 71.8 (w) SLOPE: 132 (m), 120 (w) GUEST POLICY: Guests playing 18 holes with members can play for $70 (cart not included). RANGE: Yes HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Eric Mabee COURSE DESCRIPTION: Originally designed by Donald Ross in 1917 but now considered a Wayne Stiles course after his redesign work in the 1920s, the well-manicured layout features some major elevation changes and a golfer’s success will depend more on his accuracy and short game than how far he or she can hit it off the tee.

LOCATION: 6A Main St., Stockbridge TYPE: 18 holes, private PHONE: 413-298-3423 WEBSITE: stockbridgegc.com PAR: 71: (m), 73 (w) YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,567/5,344 COURSE RATING: 72.7 (m), 71.9 (w) SLOPE: 129 (m) 122 (w). GUEST POLICY: Guests must play with a member, although the club has an arrangement that allows play by those staying at some Stockbridge-area inns. RANGE: Small practice area HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Steve Mazzariello COURSE DESCRIPTION: With smallish greens, relatively narrow fairways and the ever-present Housatonic River looming, Stockbridge isn’t overly long but has proven time and again to be an excellent test of golf. The course dates to 1895 and its Men’s InvItational — a four-ball event — is believed to be the longest con-

Wyantenuck Country Club

LOCATION: 46 West Sheffield Road, Great Barrington TYPE: 18 holes, private PAR: 70 (m), 72 (w) PHONE: (413-528-3229 WEBSITE: wyantenuck.org YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,056/5,254 COURSE RATING: 71.2 (m), 71.6 (w) SLOPE: 128 (m), 123(w) GUEST POLICY: Guests must play with member RANGE: Limited practice area HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Tom Sullivan COURSE DESCRIPTION: Highly praised by golfers who competed in the 2011 Massachusetts Amateur Championship, this Great Barrington gem isn’t long and offers generous driving areas but its undulating greens create difficult chips and confounding putts to those new to the course.

Southern Vermont Golf Courses Bellows Falls Country Club

LOCATION: 12 Country Club Road, Bellows Falls PAR: 35 (m), 36 (w) TYPE: Nine-hole public course with memberships available PHONE: 802-463-9809 WEBSITE: bellowsfallscountryclub.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,014 for 18 holes/5,200 COURSE RATING: 68.6 (m), 75.1 (w) SLOPE: 117 (m), 125 (w) GREENS FEES: $30 for 18 holes and $18 for nine for adults on weekdays; $22 for 18 holes and $16 for nine for juniors (16 and under) and seniors (65 and over). $33 for 18 holes and $22 for nine on

weekends; $28 for 18 and $19 for nine for juniors and seniors. Only members and their guests can tee off before 10 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. . CART FEES: $18 for 18 holes for non-members and $15 for members; $12 for non-member and $10 for members for nine holes. RANGE: No TEE TIME POLICY: Reserved tee times are not required COURSE DESCRIPTION: An excellent course for seniors and recreational golfers with all of the par-4 holes measuring less than 400 yards.

Hermitage Golf Club Please call to confirm this course has opened for the season.

LOCATION: 70 Spyglass Drive, Wilmington TYPE: Resort with memberships available PHONE: 802-464-8301 WEBSITE: hermitagegolfclub.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,549/5,393 COURSE RATING: 71.1 (m), 72.7 (w) SLOPE: 128 (m), 134 (w) COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by Desmond Muirhead, known as the “Picasso of Golf Course Architecture,” the course features natural rolling terrain and small undulating greens that are well-protected by bunkers. Stunning views of the Haystack Mountain Peak and the Green Mountains are plentiful.

Ekwanok Country Club

LOCATION: 3262 Main St., Manchester PAR: 70 TYPE: Private PHONE: (802) 362-1774 WEBSITE: ekwanok.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,534/5,050 COURSE RATING: 71.6 (m), 128 (w) SLOPE: 128 (m), 120 (w) GREENS FEES: Must play with a member. RANGE: Yes HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Tom Mackey COURSE DESCRIPTION: Dating back to 1900, this Walter Travis and John Duncan Dunn-designed course isn’t long but it is very

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ABOVE: Kathy Brooks golfs at the Brattleboro Country Club in Brattleboro, Vt. Photo: Kayla Rice. challenging, especially around and on the demanding putting surfaces. Named by Golf Digest as Vermont’s best course.

The Golf Club at Equinox

LOCATION: 108 Union St., Manchester Village PAR: 71 TYPE: Resort with memberships available PHONE: 802-362-7880 WEBSITE: playequinox.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,423/5,082 COURSE RATING: 70.7 (m), 70.6 (w) SLOPE: 128 (m), 129 (w) GREENS FEES: From opening day until May 24 and from Oct. 9 until closing rates on Monday through Thursday range from $59 to $89 and on Friday-Sunday from $89 to $109. Twilight fees (after 2 p.m.) range from $39 to $59 Monday-Thursday and $59 to $79 Friday-Sunday. Family golf (after 4 p.m.) ranges from $109-$119. From May 25-Oct. 8, Monday-Thursday rates range from $79 and $119 and Friday-Sunday from $99 to $149. Twilight rates (after 3 p.m.) range from $59 to $89 Monday-Thursday and $69$89 Friday-Sunday. Family golf (after 4 p.m.) is $119 Monday-Thursday and $129 Friday-Sunday. CART FEES: Reflected in prices above RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Can be made online or by calling the pro shop DIRECTOR OF GOLF: Craig Luckey. HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Joan McDonald COURSE DESCRIPTION: Ranked

as a top-10 course in Vermont open to the public by several publications, Equinox mixes beautiful views with classic mountain golf, which means plenty of elevation changes and undulating greens.

Manchester Country Club

LOCATION: 229 Beech St., Manchester Village PAR: 72 TYPE: Private PHONE: (802) 362-2233 WEBSITE: mccvt.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,829, 5,130 COURSE RATING: 73.0 (m), 71l0 (w) SLOPE: 136 (m), 126 (w) GREENS FEES: Not available. RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Guests at area inns can get starting times through the inns. HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Kevin Bennison COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed by Geoffrey Cornish in 1967 and renovated by Cornish and Steve Durkee in 2003, the course will test all aspects of your game and features an especially strong set of par-3 holes.

Stamford Valley Golf Course

LOCATION: 194 The Lane, Stamford PAR: 36 TYPE: Nine-hole public course. PHONE: (802) 691-9144 WEBSITE: stamfordvalleygolf.com YARDAGE (BACK TEES): 2,995 for 9 holes COURSE RATING: 68.2 (m),

38 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

64.5 (w) for 18 holes SLOPE: 110 (m), 87 (w) GREENS FEES: $22 for 18 holes, $16 for nine. CART FEES: $16 per person for 18 holes, $8 for nine. RANGE: No. TEE TIME POLICY: Reservations are recommended but not required. Times can be made seven days in advance by calling the pro shop. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A short course that features several driveable par-4 holes for the longer hitters. A great walking course and a fun course for seniors.

Brattleboro Country Club

LOCATION: 58 Senator Gannett Drive, 348 Upper Dummerston Road, Brattleboro PAR: 71 TYPE: Public with memberships available PHONE: 802-257-7380 WEBSITE: brattleborocountryclub.com YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,533/5,051 COURSE RATING: 71.8 (m), 70.0 (w) SLOPE: 127 (m), 115 (w) GREENS FEES: Monday-Thursday: $45 for non-member for 18 holes, $30 for nine. Friday-Sunday: $55 for non-member for 18 holes, $36 for nine. CART FEES: $20 for non-member for 18 holes, $12 for nine. Brattleboro also offers GolfBoards, a one-person skateboard-style cart for $25 for 18 holes and $15 for nine. RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: One week in advance

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Eric Sandstrum COURSE DESCRIPTION: Winding around and through dense forests, Brattleboro is a challenging course with plenty of elevation changes to keep the golfer guessing.

Mount Snow Golf Course

LOCATION: Country Club Drive, West Dover TYPE: Public, with memberships available PHONE: 802-464-4254 WEBSITE: mtsnow.com/golf YARDAGE (BACK/FRONT TEES): 6,943/5,384 COURSE RATING: 73.7 (m), 76.4 (w) SLOPE: 129 (m), 143 (w) GREENS FEES: $54 with a cart for adults ages 18-64 for 18 holes Monday-Thursday; $42 for those ages 7-17 and 65 and over; $39 for nine holes for all ages with a cart. $39 for 18 holes walking. $39 for all golfers after 3 p.m.Special $29 rate on Wednesdays. $79 with a cart for all ages Friday-Sunday and $60 after 3 p.m. CART FEES: Reflected in prices above RANGE: Yes TEE TIME POLICY: Call the pro shop or book online at the HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Matthew J. Conroy COURSE DESCRIPTION: The two nines offer different experiences with the front nine more open with scenic expanses while the back nine winds through wooded terrain.The rolling fairways are relatively wide and the greens large. The course is 2,000 feet above sea level. •

UP NEXT

In the wings What to look forward to in the art world this spring

By Benjamin Cassidy When the Berkshires and Southern Vermont are in full bloom this June, the local summer theater scene will just be sprouting. In Bennington, locals can check out a play — “The Almost True and Truly Remarkable Adventures of Israel Potter” — with Berkshires ties at Oldcastle Theatre Company beginning on June 15. Less than two weeks later, theatergoers can head just south to watch stage and screen stars in “The Closet” and “The Sound Inside” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Musicians will tell their own stories throughout the region. On May 12, Brazilian jazz group Chico Pinheiro Quartet will play bossa nova and other genres from their homeland that are guaranteed to rouse at Brattleboro’s Vermont Jazz Center. On June 15, Roger Daltrey sings “Tommy” one more time at Tanglewood. And a week later, Aimee Mann will finish off a run of three singer-songwriters at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center with her weighty brand of folk. For those who may be seeking rustic solitude without the allergens, the Bennington Museum’s “Cambium (Into the Woods): Works by Bill Botzow” exhibit may be just the antidote. For all, there will be options, a welcome sign that the region’s art scene continues to grow.

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CHICO PINHEIRO QUARTET VERMONT JAZZ CENTER 72 COTTON MILL HILL, BRATTLEBORO, VT.

May 12, 8 p.m. A Brazilian group will play Brazilian jazz, bossa nova and samba. Eugene Uman’s Convergence Project, June 9, 8 p.m.: The pianist’s annual concert will feature David Picchi on bass, Michael Zsoldos on saxophone, Jeff Galindo on trombone, Jon Fisher on drums and some special guests.

For the last two decades, the Vermont Jazz Center has been a consistent source of fresh work in the genre. Since, among others, Eugene Uman took the reins from founder Attila Zoller in 1997, one of the institution’s objectives has been to stage one concert per month. It has achieved that goal since 1998, even exceeding 12-per-year on occasion. (Would it be jazz if there weren’t a little room for improvisation?) Perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that while many area cultural institutions are still shaking off winter’s doldrums in May, this Brattleboro institution is already in full swing. Uman, a pianist who once developed music programs in Colombia, turns to another musician with South American ties for May’s concert (May 12): Chico Pinheiro, a Brazilian guitarist, vocalist and composer who has been touring across the U.S. and earning acclaim in his homeland for years. On that night, Pinheiro will play with Eduardo Belo on bass and Helio Alves on piano. (As of this writing, the drummer had yet to be announced.) If history serves, expect a performance fit for any time.

COURTESY PHOTO

42 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May/June 2018

Last year, Oldcastle Theatre Company went international with its season opener. In Donald Margulies’ “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself ),” the title character is marooned on a Coral Sea island before he returns to England. This year’s first offering isn’t without international incident, but the story’s roots are far more local. “The Almost True and Truly Remarkable Adventures of Israel Potter” follows the journey of a Berkshires man who leaves his Western Massachusetts abode to fight in the Revolutionary War. He is soon captured and spends decades meeting a variety of figures in Britain before eventually returning home. Joe Bravaco and Larry Rosler’s play is inspired by Berkshires scribe Herman Melville, who wrote “Israel Potter: Fifty Years in Exile.” At Oldcastle, the cast will include Christine Decker, Richard Howe and Gary Allan Poe. Nathan Stith will direct.

“THE ALMOST TRUE AND TRULY REMARKABLE ADVENTURES OF ISRAEL POTTER” OLDCASTLE THEATRE COMPANY 331 MAIN ST., BENNINGTON, VT.

Opens June 15, 7:30 p.m. A play based on Herman Melville’s “Israel Potter: Fifty Years in Exile” recounts a Berkshires man’s journey after entering the Revolutionary War.

COURTESY PHOTO

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“THE SOUND INSIDE” and “THE CLOSET” WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL ‘62 CENTER FOR THEATRE AND DANCE, 1000 MAIN ST., WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.

“The Closet” Opens June 26, 7:30 p.m. Main Stage: Mark Brokaw directs this world-premiere comedy featuring Matthew Broderick. “The Sound Inside” Opens June 27, 7:30 p.m. Nikos Stage: David Cromer helms this world premiere drama starring Mary-Louise Parker. The two plays, “The Closet” and “The Sound Inside,” opening the 2018 Williamstown Theatre Festival suggest containment. Restraining anticipation for these world premieres, however, will be difficult for theatergoers. Though the annual festival has a long history of bringing celebrated stage and screen actors to Williamstown, this year’s initial offerings will raise eyebrows in the bookish Northern Berkshires locale. “The Closet,” a contemporary comedy by Douglas Carter Beane that draws inspiration from Francis Veber’s film, “Le Placard,” casts Jessica Hecht, Brooks Ashmanskas and, in the lead role, Matthew Broderick. “The Producers” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ” star plays Martin O’Reilly, a Scranton resident whose professional and romantic realities are upended by the arrival of Ashmanskas’ character. Mary-Louise Parker (“Proof,” “Weeds”) will also command plenty of attention. She plays an Ivy League professor who must ally with a student to overcome a challenge in “The Sound Inside,” a drama by Adam Rapp. With Carmen Cusack and Steven Pasquale also appearing on the Main and Nikos Stages this summer, excitement should remain high throughout the festival’s eight-week run.

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ROGER DALTREY TANGLEWOOD KOUSSEVITZKY MUSIC SHED, 297 WEST ST., LENOX, MASS.

Roger Daltrey with the Boston Pops June 15, 8 p.m. The Who’s lead singer performs the rock opera, “Tommy.” Alison Krauss June 19, 7 p.m. One of the most decorated acts in music is touring after the release of her first solo album, “Windy City,” in nearly two decades last year. Andy Grammer June 22, 7 p.m. The pop artist will make his Tanglewood debut a year after playing the Boston Pops July 4th Fireworks Spectacular. In the Northern Hemisphere, summer begins on June 21 this year. But in the Berkshires, you can be forgiven for bumping that date up a week. That’s because Roger Daltrey and the Boston Pops will open Tanglewood’s season on June 15 with a performance of “Tommy.” For many, Tanglewood, with its lush lawn and sweet sounds, evokes summer as much as bathing suits and ice cream trucks. And for many, Daltrey is just as connected to rock ‘n’ roll. The Who’s lead singer helped the iconic group embark on multiple decades of commercial success and critical acclaim. He appears in Lenox one year after bandmate Pete Townshend played a different rock opera, “Classic Quadrophenia,” with the Pops at the storied summer music festival. “Tommy” explores the life of a boy who is deaf, mute and blind. The Who released the double album in 1969, the same year the group first took the Tanglewood stage. This year’s show, part of Tanglewood’s Popular Artist series, precedes a June lineup of Alison Krauss, Andy Grammer and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, ensuring that Tanglewood will dive, not wade, into this summer.

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AIMEE MANN MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 14 CASTLE ST., GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.

Melissa Etheridge June 10, 7 p.m. The iconic rocker returns to the Berkshires less than a year after performing at Tanglewood. Aimee Mann June 22, 8 p.m. The singer-songwriter is touring after collecting her first Grammy win earlier this year. Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo June 25, 8 p.m. The rock ‘n’ roll duo (and couple) will offer an acoustic performance that shows off Benatar’s mezzo-soprano range and Giraldo’s guitar wizardry. Throughout the year, venues in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont book a broad range of singer-songwriters because the region reveres meditative verses and refined instrumentation. During a 12-day period in June, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center will pay homage to that culture by housing three of the most celebrated singer-songwriters around: Melissa Etheridge ( June 10), Ani DiFranco ( June 17) and Aimee Mann ( June 22). Though none of them are strangers to the area, Mann might still need to pull up Google Maps from time to time. Mann’s first landmark musical moment came when she contributed to the soundtrack for the film, “Magnolia,” which earned her three nominations at the 2001 Grammy Awards. A more recent one arrived this year when her 2017 album, “Mental Illness,” won for best folk album at the 2018 Grammys. The renowned lyricist isn’t typically sunny in song. But in this part of the country, she’ll find an audience who knows that reveling in the summer light requires enduring the clouds.

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“CAMBIUM (INTO THE WOODS): WORKS BY BILL BOTZOW” BENNINGTON MUSEUM 75 MAIN ST., BENNINGTON, VT.

“Cambium (Into the Woods): Works by Bill Botzow” Opens June 2 The politician and visual artist submits a range of works that includes a multi-panel display depicting bug paths in a tree’s cambium layer. “Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont” Opens June 30 Paintings, photos, documents and furniture from 19331943 highlight the New Deal’s impact on creativity in the Green Mountain State.

Politics has always impacted art. For further confirmation, gallery-goers can visit the Bennington Museum’s late June opening of “Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont,” which illustrates the impact of federal programs on visual works in the Great Depression’s aftermath. Yet, a show starting earlier in the month demonstrates that the Southern Vermont institution’s remains dedicated to, first and foremost, showcasing regional ingenuity. The exhibit, “Cambium (Into the Woods): Works by Bill Botzow,” contains eight watercolor and mixed media works on paper, a large-scale multi-panel and wood sculptures by a Southern Vermont resident. That the local artist is a state representative could excuse overt partisan pieces. But Butzow doesn’t go there. Instead, he draws inspiration from his natural surroundings, including cambium, the layer between the bark and wood on a tree. “My path to thinking about the cambium layer comes by noticing, by paying attention to the growing forms we see all around us,” Botzow wrote in an artist’s statement. “Attention, noticing, touching, gathering, ordering, responding has led to sculptures and drawings that I hope in some way honor that liveliest, hidden place where the creative grows.”

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Bottling the Berkshires Berkshire Mountain Distillers turns the region’s natural riches into award-winning spirits. Chris Weld’s first attempt at distilling was a flop, cut short when his mother discovered that the then-eighth-grader’s plans to build his own still would put him in violation of federal law. Undeterred by this early setback, Weld remained fascinated by the art and science behind the distilling process, soaking up knowledge through site visits, seminars and an apprenticeship with a distiller in Kentucky. Berkshire Mountain Distillers opened its doors in 2007 with Weld at the helm as founder, owner and chief operator. For seven years, the company operated out of a renovated barn on the side of East Mountain in Great Barrington, Mass., on the grounds of the historic Soda Springs Farm. The area was once a popular retreat for 19th-century city dwellers, drawn in by claims that the mountain spring water had curative properties. Weld, too, was attracted to the region’s wealth of natural resources. The fertile soil and active farming community meant many key ingredients were available just outside the barn door. Currently, the company sources its primary grain, corn, from Riverhill Farm in Great Barrington, and its secondary grains — wheat, rye and barley — from Stonehouse Farm in Hudson, N.Y. Since moving in 2014 to a larger, more accessible location at 356 South Main St., Sheffield, Mass., the distillery has installed three greenhouses and multiple gardens to grow botanicals for its gin. The distillery also grows its own herbs, which it offers to area bars and restaurants for craft cocktails and seasonally-inspired menus. LEFT, FROM TOP: Berkshire Mountain Distillers founder, owner and operator Chris Weld stands behind a selection of craft spirits available in the distillery’s retail shop in Sheffield, Mass. • A few of Berkshire Mountain Distillery’s award-winning spirits. • Wooden barrels rest in racks at Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ Sheffield facility. Photos: Casey Albert BELOW: One of three greenhouses on the distillery grounds, used to grow botanicals for gin and herbs for sale locally. Photo courtesy of BMD.

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BMD in the limelight Despite, or perhaps because of, its laser-focus on local production, BMD has made a name for itself on the national scale. BMD products have had their praises sung by the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Maxim, GQ, Country Living and marthastewart.com, and numerous industry publications. The distillery’s proudest achievement came courtesy of the New York Times, which named BMD’s Greylock Gin the number one craft gin in the country. Most recently, BMD has sparked interest with its Craft Brewers Whiskey Project, now in its sixth year. Intended to merge the craft beer and whiskey scenes together to create a one of a kind spirit, the project involves distilling brews from a select group of brewers — including Sam Adams, Harpoon, Brewery Ommegang, Two Roads, Long Trail and others — into unique whiskey blends.

Moving forward BMD currently employs eight full-time staff members and distributes 10 different spirits to bars, restaurants and retail outlets across 18 states. In addition, the distillery’s Sheffield location offers an expanded selection of up to 25 different labels, including varieties of their Cask Bourbons (finished in recently-emptied craft beer barrels) and batches of their seasonal Ethereal Gin, which varies in flavor from year to year. The newest addition to the BMD lineup is the Smoke and Peat Bourbon Whiskey, a variation on their popular Berkshire Bourbon that has been second aged in barrels sourced from the Islay region of Scotland. The heavily peated whiskey barrel adds earthiness and smoke tones to the bourbon. In 2016, the company secured a farmer distilleries pouring permit and is now open year-round for tours, tastings and sales.

To learn more about Berkshire Mountain Distillers, schedule a tour or purchase BMD products, visit berkshiremountaindistillers.com. FROM TOP: Weld and staff share a laugh on the distillery floor. • Used kegs from Samuel Adams are used to add a unique flavor to cask-finished bourbon. • Herbs, grown on-site, are available for purchase at the distillery’s retail store. Photos: Casey Albert.

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Berkshire Theatre Festival celebrates 90 years in Stockbridge

By Sharon Smullen

Once upon a time in Stockbridge, three men gambled on a casino. Almost a century later, their wager is still paying off: Berkshire Theatre Festival celebrates its 90th year this season as a pillar of the Berkshire theater scene.

Cecilia Loftus in the Berkshire Theatre Festival production of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enchanted April,â&#x20AC;? April 1928.

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In 1928, businessman Walter Clark, sculptor Daniel Chester French and Dr. Austen Riggs founded the Three Arts Society and opened the Berkshire Playhouse in an uprooted and relocated landmark building. Designed by renowned architect Stanford White, the Stockbridge Casino on Main Street (where the Mission House now stands) had lost much of its luster in the 40 years since its 1888 opening. More a genteel country club than gambling den — bridge, whist and tennis were the most daring games played there — its vaudeville-style fundraisers showcased the diverse talents of well-heeled community members. When Naumkeag owner Mabel Choate wanted to relocate Mission House from Prospect Hill to Main Street, Three Arts Society bought and moved the Casino by horsedrawn wagon to the corner of Yale Hill Road and East Main Street. There it stands to this day, now under the watchful eye of Kate Maguire, managing director then artistic director/ CEO of Berkshire Theatre Festival since 1995.

“The theater is 90 years old and has had a good many artistic directors,” Maguire said, “and each has taken it on a different artistic journey.” The Playhouse was created on the inspiration of Civic Repertory Company founder Eva Le Gallienne, a distinguished actress who toured widely and championed opening theaters around the country “so everyone would be able to see theater,” Maguire said. With mature, moneyed board members as mentors, and artistic leadership by enthusiastic youthful co-directors former Civic Repertory actor Alexander Kirkland and recent Yale graduate F. Cowles Strickland, the full inaugural season included Le Gallienne in “The Cradle Song.” In 1935, at the tender age of 23, company stalwart Billy Miles began a storied tenure as director that lasted 18 years. When wartime gas rationing closed the Playhouse for four seasons, Miles toured the student company to different towns with a new play each week until the theater reopened in 1946. Stars such as Ethel Barrymore, Tallulah Bankhead, Lil-

lian Gish, Gloria Swanson and Buster Keaton headlined playbills with original and touring productions. Thornton Wilder performed as stage manager in his iconic play “Our Town.” In 1964, Berkshire playwright William Gibson and director Arthur Penn ushered in an adventurous era for the renamed Berkshire Theatre Festival. They brought with them Broadway star Anne Bancroft, part of a glittering lineup that included Estelle Parsons and promising newcomer Frank Langella. Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman performed fresh from filming breakout Oscar-nominated roles in “The Graduate” and “Bonnie and Clyde,” and Al Pacino won a Tony for a new play by Berkshire writer Don Petersen that transferred to Broadway. During this Renaissance period, Gibson and Penn created “extraordinary work — provocative, sometimes difficult,” Maguire said. “They drove the theater to be a reflection of what was going on in the world at the time.” For Arthur Penn’s son, TV and theater director Matthew Penn, his boyhood Stockbridge

home offered a chance to see live theater in action, and he would drop by the rehearsal room, explore the theater and climb to the overhead catwalk. “When you’re a little kid, you’re watching what looks like a lot of fun,” Penn recalled. “It was a magical experience, people telling these imaginary stories with wonderful dexterity.” With wife Candace, Penn raised their now-grown children in Stockbridge as much as possible, increasingly spending time there. “What’s good for the arts in the Berkshires is what’s good for the world up there,” he observed. Currently he directs at many area theaters, and will make his Berkshire Theatre Festival debut in August with a Christopher Durang double bill starring Harriet Harris. Faced with a creative challenge, he occasionally wonders what his dad would do. Twenty-nine-year-old Vermont drama teacher Josephine Abady took over in 1979, and for nine years presented only American plays — ‘20s and ‘30s revivals, and modern works by Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Miller, Clifford Odets

LEFT: Ethel Barrymore in “School for Scandal,” 1940. NEXT PAGE: First Rehearsal of “You Never Can Tell,” 1953. Photos courtesy of BTF.

Berkshire Theatre highlights: 1888

Stockbridge Casino opens on Main Street.

1903

Colonial Theatre opens in Pittsfield.

1928

Casino moved by Three Arts Society to current location, reopens as Berkshire Playhouse with Alexander Kirkland and F. Cowles Strickland as co-directors. Drama school opens following year.

1935- Billy Miles hired as artistic director. Air1958 conditioning installed. and Edward Albee, performed by actors that included Sigourney Weaver, Kim Hunter and Christopher Walken. All the while, behind the scenes, board member and legendary Stockbridge businesswoman Jane Fitzpatrick was keeping the Berkshire Theatre Festival alive, Maguire said. From the late ‘70s to early ‘90s, the theater benefited from her generosity and spirit. Fitzpatrick believed that theater was for the community, a beautiful art form that deserved respect, Maguire said. Maguire saw a transformed Unicorn Theatre reopen in 1996, and she spearheaded the 2010 merger with Pittsfield’s historic Colonial Theatre, creating the Berkshire Theatre Group and a year-round venue. She recognizes the influence of her Greek immigrant mother and police officer father, who encouraged drama lessons and a love of the theater. “Serving the community

1942- Playhouse closed for WWII. Student 1946 company tours towns. 1951

Colonial Theatre closes.

1964

President/playwright William Gibson, director Arthur Penn chart new course. Name changed to Berkshire Theatre Festival.

1979- Josephine Abady becomes artistic director, 1987 stages only American plays. 1995

Kate Maguire appointed managing director, then artistic director/CEO in 1998.

1996

Unicorn Theatre reopens after renovation.

2006 Colonial Theatre reopens after restoration. 2010 Berkshire Theatre Festival and Colonial Theatre merge, creating Berkshire Theatre Group with year-round programming. 2018

Berkshire Theatre celebrates 90 years in Stockbridge.

through the art of theatre and offering kids the ability to communicate, that’s where it all began,” she said. Her programming over the past 10 years has been eclectic, Maguire noted, and the

theater’s education role in the community has expanded to reach 13,000 children. Professional education has also continued with an emphasis on training, said Maguire. The first apprentice program

in the Festival’s second year included Katherine Hepburn and Jane Wyatt, she noted. “There’s a group of artists we regard as company members, and at the same time we make sure new artists are coming in,” Maguire said. “The goal is to refresh, reflect and watch what’s happening in the world.” Company mainstay David Adkins discovered his calling at Berkshire Theatre Festival. As a summer acting school apprentice from Dartmouth College, renowned actor David Schramm encouraged him to audition for Juilliard, Adkins said. He was accepted on the spot and enrolled that September. “It really changed my life,” Adkins said. “I was launched into the theater business through the Berkshire Theatre Festival.” While at Juilliard, he returned year after year as an intern, working behind the scenes and performing in plays and children’s theater in the UniUpCountryOnline.com | 53

‘When you’re a little kid, you’re watching what looks like a lot of fun. It was a magical experience, people telling these imaginary stories with wonderful dexterity.’ — Matthew Penn, TV and theater director

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: William Gibson, unknown actor, Anne Bancroft and Frank Langella in “A Cry of Players,” 1968. Anne Twomey, John Shea and Sigourney Weaver. “Animal Kingdom,” 1982. Gloria Swanson in “Between Seasons,” 1952. Photo by Louis Hansen. William Devane and Al Pacino in “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?” 1967. NEXT PAGE: Louis Gossett Jr. and Will Lee in “Waiting for Godot,” 1966. Photos courtesy of BTF.

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corn, then a stifling converted barn he refers to as “guerrilla theater.” On graduating, he received a leading role and an Equity card. Now Adkins leads the Acting Intern program, mentoring undergraduates with workshops and master classes. “It’s really helped me reconnect to acting in a more vibrant way,” he said. “My enthusiasm for the art form has been reinvigorated.” He credits Kate Maguire with sustaining this mentorship. “As an actor herself, she’s conscious of trying to nurture those that come through,” he said. “There’s nothing like experience to help you grow. I always feel like I’m being challenged from a different direction every time.” Adkin’s long, distinguished BTF history includes “Waiting for Godot” and last season’s critically acclaimed “Zoo Story.” This year, he will appear in Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Sherwood’s “The Petrified Forest ” — first staged at the Playhouse in 1939 — and Luigi Pirandello’s “Naked.” (Sherwood’s sister and Stockbridge resident Rosamund Sherwood served as a powerhouse board chairwoman, according to Maguire.) While many Berkshire Theatre Festival plays transfer on- and off-Broadway — three of them this year alone — ultimately it’s the Berkshire experience of watching first-rate theater in a relaxed, natural environment that attracts audiences and artists of all disciplines. Maguire takes nothing for granted. She knows the theater business is fragile, with many people contributing to its survival, from patrons to production personnel, artists and the board. “I am in awe that we are celebrating 90 years,” she said. “It’s remarkable we are still here.”•

If you go: Berkshire Theatre Group Fitzpatrick Main Stage, 83 E. Main St., Stockbridge, Mass. Unicorn Theatre, 6 East St., Stockbridge, Mass. Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. 2018 Season/Box Office: BerkshireTheatreGroup.org, 413-997-4444.

ABOVE: Berkshire Theatre Group CEO and artistic director Kate Maguire. Photo: Ben Garver.

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Moo-vers shakers and

How a parade of cows turned Vermont’s ‘Strolling of the Heifers’ into a year-round farming force

Jim Boyd and his daughter Molly, 2, walk Henry down Main Street during the 15th annual Strolling of the Heifers in Brattleboro, Vt. Photo: Kristopher Radder.

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By Kevin O’Connor When a handful of Vermont farmers promised to prod a few cows up Brattleboro’s Main Street in 2002 for what they christened the first “Strolling of the Heifers,” most locals figured it would be good for a laugh. Little did anyone foresee it would lead to big, serious business. The 17th annual event, set for May 31 to June 3, again will feature marching milkers followed by a slapstick, shovel-wielding cleanup crew. But the parade is just part of what’s now a year-round nonprofit agriculture-promotion outfit with a half-million-dollar annual budget and its own downtown headquarters. “It has far exceeded expectations,” says Orly Munzing, the event’s founder and executive director. “Yet we’ve made sure we’ve stuck to our mission.” The Stroll has drawn thousands of people since its inception, when the sight of jaywalking cows spurred television’s “Good Morning America” and newspapers from the Wall Street Journal to the Los Angeles Times to juxtapose images of Spain’s “Running of the Bulls” with meandering Holsteins. But the inaugural procession has grown into a four-season series of programs supporting farming and social, economic and energy well-being. “We celebrate sustainable agriculture,” Munzing says, “and connect people with healthy living.” When Munzing started the event, she hoped the publicity would, by cultivating interest, help area farmers.

“The Stroll is to support family farms and connect people with the food they eat,” she said at the time. “Once you begin to buy local, you start to think of other ways to live more sustainability.” Adding an annual Slow Living Summit in 2011, Munzing hoped the two days of speakers would, by communicating information, help citizens and communities. “The concept of slow living is not simply about sustainability,” she says. “It embodies mindfulness, cooperation and resilience. It’s a more reflective approach to how we live. I want people to better understand that when you live slow, you become more connected to your neighbors.” This year’s summit, set for May 31 and June 1, will feature the theme “The Future of Farm and Food Entrepreneurship” as well as several prominent national speakers. Charles Eisenstein, for example, has authored such books as “Sacred Economics” and “The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible” and appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s “SuperSoul Sunday” television series. Chuck Collins, for his part, is the great-grandson of meatpacker turned mogul Oscar Mayer and has written “Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.” But the work doesn’t stop with the summit. With its purchase of downtown Brattleboro’s River Garden building as a year-round headquarters, the organization is focusing on growing the economy — specifically, agricultural production, processing and distri-

“The Stroll is to support family farms and connect people with the food they eat. Once you begin to buy local, you start to think of other ways to live more sustainability.” -Orly Munzing, founder and executive director, Strolling of the Heifers

TOP RIGHT: Orly Munzing is founder and executive director of Vermont’s Strolling of the Heifers. BOTTOM: Vermont’s Strolling of the Heifers has purchased the downtown Brattleboro River Garden building as its year-round headquarters. Photos: Kevin O’Connor.

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bution that annually generate $4 billion and 13 percent of all Vermont jobs. “It’s still the ‘slow living’ mission to think about, take care and give to our friends and neighbors, but we’ve taken it into economic development,” Munzing says. “We need to create more businesses that are rooted in the community and culture rather than just filling real estate.” The organization has received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Economic Development Administration for a “Wind-

ham Grows” small business hatchery that helps startup and early-stage employers with development support. “Our job is to add value to the food that comes out of the earth to make it healthy and make jobs in the community,” U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said at the initiative’s kickoff. “That’s exactly what Windham Grows does.” A farm-to-table apprenticeship program, for its part, is training unemployed or underemployed people for full-time jobs in the fields of baking, butchering and cheese-making.

“Attaining more skills,” Munzing says, “will help someone attain more pay.” The organization is sparking national interest through its annual Locavore Index, which ranks states according to their commitment to local food. In 2017, Vermont topped the list (as it has since the index’s start) and was followed by Maine, Oregon, Montana, New Hampshire, the District of Columbia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Hawaii and Rhode Island. “Of course we’re proud that Vermont comes in as No. 1,”

Munzing says. “But our real purpose in compiling the index is to spotlight local food trends throughout the country and to encourage more efforts in every state to spread the benefits of healthy local foods and strong local food systems.” The Stroll, it seems, never stops. “The first year I thought it was a one-shot deal,” Munzing says. “Now the parade and festival fund all the work we do year-round. Little did I realize … it has a life of its own.”•

RIGHT: People gather on Main Street in Brattleboro to watch the 15th annual Strolling of the Heifers. Photo: Kristopher Radder. PREVIOUS PAGE: Scenes from Strolling of the Heifers Parades past. Photos: top right, Kevin O’Connor; bottom left, Kayla Rice; all others, Kristopher Radder.

Stroll for yourself … May 31 The 2018 Strolling of the Heifers will start with a Slow Living Summit on the topic “The Future of Farm & Food Entrepreneurship” May 31 and June 1, with admission and registration information available at slowlivingsummit.org. As for public events:

June 1 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gallery Walk and Street Festival: A downtown Brattleboro block party with food

and entertainment on Main Street and at the River Garden.

June 2 10 a.m. “May the Farms Be with You” The annual parade steps off with farm animals, tractors and bands, up Brattleboro’s Flat and Main streets. No dogs please, as they can scare the cows. 9 - 4 p.m. Slow Living Expo with food, entertainment and exhibits on the Town Common and adjacent Retreat grounds. No dogs please.

June 3 9 - 1 p.m. Famous Farmers Breakfast at Brattleboro’s Marina Restaurant 8- 4 p.m. “Tour de Heifer” farmto-farm cycling rides of 15, 30 or 60 miles. Registration and more information: bikereg.com/ tourdeheifer 9:30 - 4 p.m. Tour five select farms in the Brattleboro area. Pre-registration is required: strollingoftheheifers. com/farmtour More information is available at strollingoftheheifers.com. UpCountryOnline.com | 61

Jess Hill, a coach at New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vt, practices her skills on the ropes. Photo: Kristopher Radder.

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By Nancy A. Olson Circus is for everyone. That’s the foundation on which identical twins Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion, world-renowned circus performers and teachers, have built the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vt. Since its founding in 2007, NECCA’s mission has been to create and sustain “a school, facility, and community where circus arts are available to the general public and to inspire students of all skill levels, ages, abilities, and aspirations.” NECCA has grown substantially in the last decade. In June 2007, the center moved into its new state-of-the-art circus trapezium, a custom-designed 8,600-square-foot building with 40-foot-high ceilings, which allow for varied training apparatus, including an indoor flying trapeze rig, a built-in trampoline, and requisite safety equipment. Today, the circus school offers the most comprehensive full-time professional training program, a three-year track, for artists in the newest facility in the United States. But that’s not all. Whether a person is looking to develop fitness or wants to try something new, choices abound, including aerial fabric, Chinese pole, tumbling, trampoline, juggling, trapeze — both swinging and flying, as well as youth classes and summer camps. “Circus is one of the best ways of teaching physical literacy because people learn how their bodies work,” Forchion said. “We’re getting circus into schools in an intentional way. Right now, five local gym teachers are learning how to do backflips. We work with homeschoolers. We have after-school

programs. We also work with people with disabilities.” Smith and Forchion moved to Brattleboro in 2002. Their father, a farmer and logger, lives in nearby Guilford. “We never set out to build the longest-running professional circus training program in the United States,” Forchion said. “As our careers developed, and we became accomplished in that realm, we needed a place to train. That was at Cotton Mill Hill in Brattleboro. We started giving impromptu lessons, and they proved so popular, we outgrew the space in Cotton Mill and embarked on developing a building of our own.” What started out as impromptu lessons, is now one of the major arts organizations contributing to the local economy in Brattleboro, she said. “We have hundreds of students a year,” Forchion said. “This is a destination program. People come from all over the world, bringing in more diversity. Our students eat in local restaurants and stay in local hotels. Some of our adult

students work in those same businesses. So there are both economic and social benefits.”

A Community of Performers Jess Hill, from Asheville, North Carolina, is an example of someone who moved to he area because of NECCA, where she now teaches. A gymnast as a child, she saw an aerial fabric performance at a festival and was hooked. “I started taking one class a week while in college,” she said. “After graduating from college, I [decided to] do this full-time.” Hill received two years of professional training at NECCA. “This community is open and supportive,” she said, “and a non-competitive environment, which is important to me. The level of coaching and teaching is amazing. The coaches have so much knowledge and experience, and they’re very good at explaining.” “It ’s progression-based learning,” Hill continued,

ABOVE: The new New England Center For Circus Arts building on Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vt. Photo: Kristopher Radder. NEXT PAGE: New England Center for Circus Arts co-founder Serenity Smith Forchion helps Tess Neill, hanging from a fabric sling, fine-tune a position called ‘the gazelle.’ Photo: Chris Bertelsen

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“which allows your body to develop strength, so you’re safe in the moment and safe for the long-term.” That approach informs all the options available at NECCA, Forchion said.

Early Beginnings The sisters grew up on a small farm in rural Western Massachusetts, the oldest of seven children. In addition to helping take care of the chickens, rabbits and pigs, the twins would give endless presentations for anyone. “Performance was always in us,” Forchion said. “The two of us were always doing handstands in the front yard, or turning cartwheels over logs. Our genes gave us a natural awareness of movement plus flexibility and agility. But our biggest trait was that we worked really hard. We would practice until we couldn’t lift our arms anymore. Natural talent will take you only so far. You have to have a burning desire to do something.” Forchion said both her parents are hard workers. “When we were growing up our mother was a midwife. She took us along on home births,” she said. “We watched her go to medical school to become a

‘Our biggest trait was that we worked really hard. We would practice until we couldn’t lift our arms anymore. Natural talent will take you only so far. You have to have a burning desire to do something.’ — Serenity Smith Forchion, NECCA co-founder

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locum tenens doctor. [Locum tenens is a Latin phrase, meaning “to hold the place of,” in other words, a substitute.] She works in challenged communities, providing medical services in underserved areas, such as on American Indian reservations in the United States, and among aboriginal communities in Australia and New Zealand. She lives in Hawai’i.” The Smith family didn’t have a lot of material possessions, Forchion said. Instead, the family traveled to different parts of the United States and to different countries. “Also, at the age of 15, I went on a summer program to Spain, so I understood that people live in many different ways,” she said. Then chance played a part in Forchion’s life after she had spent a summer teaching at a performing arts camp that had circus. “When I was 18 and a junior in college, a door opened

RIGHT: Coach Katie Schmidt helps Tegwyn Rugg while on the trampoline at the Trapezium building for New England Center for Circus Arts. Photo: Kristopher Radder.

into a complete unknown, and I walked through it. I had a chance to join Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus.” she said. As a cast member at Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus, Forchion was a dancer, an aerialist, and an elephant rider. “It was so intriguing,” she said. “I lived on a train. I traveled and met new people and had new experiences. The tribe of circus was a natural fit.” Now the twins are offering to others the opportunity to find joy in movement. “We’re having a broader effect than we ever set out to

have,” Forchion said. “NECCA students range in age from three to 87. And we have drop-in classes. We encourage everyone to come in and try

something.” For more information: 802254-9780, info@centerforcircusarts.org or necenterforcircusarts.org •