>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CONNECTING POINT, I'M JIM
MADIGAN.
THE MAHAWIE THEATER HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF LIFE IN GREAT
BARRINGTON FOR A CENTURY.
IT HAS POSTED PERFORMANCES BY SOME OF THE GREATEST STARS.
CONNECTING POINT PRODUCER DAVE FRASER VISITED THE VENERABLE
VENUE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE HISTORY AND WHAT'S HAPPENING
THERE NOW.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THIS SO SPECIAL IS THAT IT IS A
REAL TOOLBOX OF A THEATER, AND THE CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT WENT INTO
THE BUILDING IN 1905, THE ATTENTION TO THE ACOUSTICS FOR
THOSE PERFORMERS, THE DELICACY AND THE CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT WENT
INTO THE PILLARS, THE CEILING PAINTINGS, THE COLORS, AND ARE
ALL EXQUISITE, AND DURING THE RESTORATION, HUGH HARDY OVERSAW
IT AND PAID GREAT ATTENTION TO THAT HISTORIC DETAIL SO THE
ACOUSTICS HAVE BEEN PERFECT.
THE ROSE COLORS WERE PART OF THE 1930s COLORS USED IN THE
THEATER SO THEY ARE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AND ELEGANT AND VERY SPECIAL ENVIRONMENT, AND
PEOPLE FEEL THE WARMTH THAT THEY REMARK ON THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS,
THE FOLKS WHO WORK HERE AND THE ARTISTS WHO PERFORM FEEL AN
INTIMACY BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE PERFORMERS AND ALSO FROM
THE THEATER, ITSELF, IT'S A VERY SPECIAL, SPECIAL BUILDING, AND
QUITE BEAUTIFUL.
>> IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A VAUDEVILLE HOUSE, AND ACTUALLY
IT IS ONE CONTINUOUS BUILDING, SO THE THEATER WAS BUILT AS AN
ANCHOR FOR THE DOWNTOWN AND THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT BY A
GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN IN 1905.
>> ORIGINALLY IT HAD 1,000 SEATS, WE'RE DOWN TO JUST UNDER
700 SEATS BUT IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE.
THERE WERE VAUDEVILLE SHOWS IN THE BEGINNING FOR DECADES.
WE BECAME A MOVIE HALL IN THE 1930s.
AND SO MANY RESIDENTS REMEMBER SEEING THEIR FIRST MOVIES HERE,
DATE MOVIES HERE, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, THERE WERE ALSO HOOLA
HOOP CONTESTS, THE THEATER WAS A PLACE FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
TO GET TOGETHER.
PEOPLE COULD TAKE THE TROLLEY OR WALK THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN, AND
SEE A SHOW, SEE A MOVIE, AND NOW AS OF 2005 THEY HAVE BECOME A
YEAR-ROUND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SO IT HAS EVOLVED IN A
GREAT WAY THAT HOLDS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
IN OUR PROMPT NOD DOWNSTAIRS WE HAVE A PICTURE FROM THE ORIGINAL
OPENING NIGHT FROM SEPTEMBER OF 1905, WE SEE THE MEN AND WOMEN
DRESSED UP, THE WOMEN WERE IN OUTFITS WITH THEIR DRESSES UP TO
THEIR NECKS AND DOWN T THE FLOOR, SO IT WAS A FESTIVE
OCCASION.
THEY DID SHOW SILENT FILMS.
WE HAVE CHARLIE CHAPLIN MEMORABILIA SO THERE WERE MOVIES
BEING SHOWN EARLY ON.
IT CONVERTED REALLY TO ALMOST A FULL-TIME MOVIE HALL, AND THE
THEATER SHOWED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL CLASSICS.
WE HAVE KING KONG, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO SAW GONE WITH THE
WIND, AND PEOPLE STILL IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO SAW THE EARLY
FILMS AND THROUGHOUT THE DECADES.
OUR FOUNDER WAS THE ORIGINAL CHAIR AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
AND SAW THE NEED FOR WORLD CLASS ARTISTS BRINGING COMMUNITY
MEMBERS AND VISITORS OF ALL AGES TO THE THEATER.
SHE VALUES, AS WE ALL DO, THE ROLE OF A THEATER TO BRING
PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THE ROLE OF ART AND PERFORMANCE.
IN 2005 THERE WAS RESTORATION, THEY SAW A NEED FOR THIS ROLE IN
THE THEATER THAT WAS WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES AS WELL AS SCREENED
EVENTS AND A GATHERING PLACE FOR AUDIENCES TO COME TO GO FIRST
CLASS AND WORK ON THE STAGE AND SO THERE WAS A 9 MILLION
RESTORATION TOP TO BOTTOM, MODERN ELECTRICITY AND NO HEAT
IN THOSE EARLY YEARS, IT WAS JUST BROUGHT IN 2005 SO NOW IT
IS COMFORTABLE ALL YEAR.
AND WE HAVE THIS LOWER LOBBY PROMENADE THAT SHOWS THE
ARCHIVES, A LOT OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM BEFORE AND AFTER AND
COMFORTABLE WOMEN AND MEN'S ROOM SO THERE IS NOT A LINE AT
INTERMISSION.
THAT WAS A CHANGE FOR THE MODERN CENTURY.
THIS HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY TREASURE, A LOCAL LANDMARK.
IT IS NOW BECOMING LIKE A REGIONAL DESTINATION FOR NEW
ENGLAND AND THE NORTHEAST.
WE'RE DRAWING AUDIENCES FROM ALL OVER BERKSHIRE BUT WE'RE ALSO
DRAWING FROM -- WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALMOST EVERY STATE
IN THE UNION AND REGULARLY FROM NEW YORK AND NORTHAMPTON AND
ALBANY, PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE OFTEN BECAUSE THE THEATER IS A
SPECIAL REAL, AND THERE IS A GATHERING PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN
HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND MAGICAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS THEY TAKE
WITH THEM.
IT IS A SPECIAL ASPECT AND TAKES THE SUPPORT OF A COMMUNITY TO
KEEP A THEATER GOING FOR 100 YEARS SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT
GREAT BARRINGTON AND THE BERKSHIRES HAVE KEPT THIS
THEATER ALIVE.