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Miss Hall’s School Presents 'Cry-Baby'

Miss Hall's School will stage 'Cry-Baby' this weekend in Pittsfield.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Miss Hall’s School Theater Ensemble will bop back to the 1950s for its winter musical, "Cry-Baby," the stage adaptation of the cult-classic John Waters film.

Performances will take place at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 2; 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 3; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 4, in the Woods Theater of the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the Miss Hall’s campus. General admission is $10, and reservations are recommended. Go online for tickets or call 413-443-6401. Also, please note, the performance and subject matter are PG-13 and not suitable for children.

Set in 1954 in Baltimore and fueled by rock and roll, this romantic comedy tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker — the leader of a group of juvenile delinquents known as "Drapes" — and rich, good girl Allison Vernon-Williams, who has grown tired of her straight-laced life. Complicating matters are Allison's jealous boyfriend, the squeaky-clean Baldwin Blandish, and his pals "the Squares," and Lenora Frigid, who has a crush on Cry-Baby.

This MHS production stars junior Ainsley Schuth as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker; senior Olivia Kinne of Pittsfield as Allison Vernon-Williams; sophomore Riagain Wiley as Allison's square boyfriend, Baldwin Blandish; and senior Jayme McGuigan of Pittsfield as Allison’s grandmother, Mrs. Cordelia Vernon-Williams.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.