Steve Lawson radiates enthusiasm for the Williamstown Film Festival program coming up this weekend. Despite the tropical heat of the day, Lawson, WFF's executive director, is animated and energetic, describing the films and their directors, and recalling that he and keynote speaker, actor David Strathairn had done 10 or 12 productions together in college.
    "He's a wonderful, protean actor," Lawson said of Strathairn. "He's done 53 films in 20 years."
    The two were a year apart at Williams College, where Strathairn graduated in 1970. Strathairn, who is scheduled to speak Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, is particularly identified with the films of director John Sayles, Class of 1972.
    Festival board president Robert C. Ware said "Steve has done a superb job this year putting together the festival. Besides coordinating out choice of some wonderful films, Steve has strengthened our partnerships with Images Cinema and the Clark, and developed important new partnerships with MASS MoCA and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. I am just very excited about this festival, and I think it's going to be great."
    Ware, an attorney, said,"last year I was sort of coordinator, although I had a lot of help from Steve and Lee (Harrison) and others. But this year I was just too busy and could not do that."
    "As the festival approaches, Steve went full time," he said.
    "We just needed a pro to step in and take over the reins and get the job done," said Ware.
    "He jumped in with both feet. It helped a lot that he was so involved last year. He was very familiar with the festival because he helped get it operational. We didn't need to explain who the players were. He lives right here in town.
    "He was the logical choice, and as it turned out, a very lucky choice," said Ware.
    Lawson said his combination of living in Williamstown and his extensive theater, film and television background meshed well with the festival's needs.
    Lawson has been associated with the Williamstown Theatre Festival since he was 19. He served as its first dramaturg, helped devise an epic celebration of Tennessee Williams, staged a salute to Elia Kazan and edited WTF: The First 40 Years. Among his many adaptations for WTF have been A Study in Scarlet, Tom Jones, Wild Oats, The Moonstone, I Can't Sleep (based on Clifford Odets' journals) and a new version of Schnitzler's La Ronde directed by Joanne Woodward.
    Lawson is director of Manhattan Theatre Club's Writers in Performance series. His television debut was adapting Bernanrd Pomerance's Broadway hit The Elephant Man for ABC. His credits since then include an Edith Wharton biopic for PBS' Great Performances, and The Room Upstairs for Hallmark Hall of Fame. As story editor on St. Elsewhere he, Tom Fontana and John Masius co-wrote the first teleplay on AIDS.
    He holds degrees from both Williams and the Yale School of Drama and has taught film at both places.
    One of his most prized mementos is a photograph taken of himself with French director François Truffaut, one of the luminaries he interviewed for publications such as The New York Times, Horizon and Saturday Review. He has also written for TV Guide, Film Comment, Travel & Leisure, Town & Country and The New Republic.
    In the fall he will become the artistic director of City Center's new series Act 4: Great American Plays in Concert, produced by Alec Baldwin.
    "I've loved film all my life," said Lawson. "And I think it's fun to run something."
    Last year's festival honored director John Frankenheimer who, Lawson recalled, agreed to come in January. "We had the guest, but we had to scrabble to get the indie films."
    This year, by contrast, "David agreed in late May, but we had the luxury of having 16 or 17 indie films, from which we chose six. We were looking for interesting, distinctive films, or wonderful performances, style and tone. We're showing two films a day for three days."
    And, said Lawson, these are scheduled with contrast in mind. For example, on Friday, the "very dramatic" Stranger in the Kingdom, about a black minister in an insular all-white community, will be followed in the evening by The Broken Hearts Club, which Lawson calls "a gay version of Diner."
    One of the featured actors in The Broken Hearts Club is festival co-founder Ben Weber.
    Saturday, Let the Devil Wear Black, is a modern-day version of Hamlet, a film Lawson calls "dark, gritty - it pushes the envelope for sex and language."
    That film is followed by Origin of the Species, a Big Chill-type story of friends reuniting for a weekend in the country. It was produced by David Nickoll, Williams Class of 1993, and also a founding member of WFF.
    Sunday screenings are Fools Gold, a wacky comedy, and, the final film, Anima, chosen Best Feature from the Newport film Festival.
    Three of these films are due to be released this year: Origin of the Species, The Broken Hearts Club and Let the Devil Wear Black, on Showtime, HBO and Encore.
    Lawson noted that the festival is growing. "Last year it was two days, this year it's three. The number of films has grown from three to six. Last year there were 10 events, this year there are 14. Last year there were two partners, this year there are four."
    Lawson favors starting small, noting that film festivals such as "Sundance, Telluride, Toronto all started small. There isn't any reason why Williamstown some day should not equal those. And the WTF's success, too, "didn't happen overnight."
    "This area has every other type of art: theater, museums, dance, music. I want film to establish the same footing here," he said.
    Lawson credits "legendary scholar critic" Charles Thomas Samuels who taught film at Williams, with kindling his great love of film.
    "I took his January course on Hitchcock and Antonioni - we studied The Lady Vanishes and L'Avventura. I wrote a paper on Blow-Up. I saw it 21 times in one year, and seven or eight times since. (Samuels) gave it back to me marked 'Nothing in this paper is original.' He made you think. He made me want to be a film critic."
    "One of the reasons movies mean so much is that they combine so many arts - drama, literature, music, art. The past 100 years of American film were wonderful, and we want to honor the past and bring up current films."
    Lawson's post involves travel - to New York, Los Angeles, Telluride.
    "There's nothing like meeting people face to face," he said. "It's exciting."
    Lawson took the job March 19, so he's packed in a lot of activity since then. "Part of me will be glad when it's over. Then I'll have a whole year to plan the next one.
    "I know the glamor has to kick in somewhere."
    Obtaining the print of Fool's Gold, when the only print was in Amsterdam, involved 15 phone calls - to Amsterdam, Delta airlines, the shipping company. A customs broker had to be enlisted to get the print from customs in Logan airport.
    "Happily, we have it," said Lawson.
    "I think we've got a very interesting schedule, and I hope people will come," he said. "I hope there are arguments, debates and provocative discussions."
    "Everyone who came last year was very happy with the new kid on the block," he said. "What didn't work last year will work this year. What worked last year will be fabulous this year."
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
click for more
