BCT Presents 'The Haunting of Hill House'

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BENNINGTON, VT. — Bennington Community Theater presents "The Haunting of Hill House" by F. Andrew Leslie.
 
The play is directed to Robert Ebert.
 
According to a press release:
 
Hoping to cause a sensation in the field of parapsychology, Dr. John Montague rents Hill House, a secluded manor with a reputation for being haunted. He carefully selects two participants for his study—Eleanor Vance, a thirty-two-year-old woman who was reported to have had experiences with a poltergeist as a child, and Theodora, a woman marked in one of his lab's studies as having psychic abilities. A third participant, Luke Sanderson, also joins the group. Luke stands to inherit Hill House after his aunt dies, and Luke's aunt sends him to watch over the house and deter amateur ghost hunters.
 
From the director:
 
I am excited to be a part of Bennington Community Theater's first stage production since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our play, "The Haunting of Hill House" was written by F. Andrew Leslie; it is based on the novel of the same name, written by Shirley Jackson when she was living in North Bennington.  It is said that from her house she could see both the Jennings Mansion on the Bennington College campus and the Park McCullough house and that both these homes were her inspiration for Hill House.  Although she would not consider it a ‘ghost story' there is still plenty to fear in "The Haunting" and it is fitting that our opening weekend coincides with the festivities of Halloween. I am also proud and honored to be able to dedicate our production to our dear departed friend Sally Sugarman. A noted educator, Sally, along with her husband, local playwright Bob Sugarman, was an energetic devotee and advocate of live theater and she fully recognized the value of community theater. She is missed.
 
Showings:
  • 7:30 pm Oct. 29 & 30 and Nov. 5 & 6
  • 2:00 pm Oct. 31 & Nov. 7
Tickets General Admission $10 / Premium Reserved Seating $15. Get tickets at bpacvt.org/tickets or call the box office at 802.447.0564
 
COVID: Proof of COVID vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of attendance is needed to attend. A mask is required to be worn when in the theater.
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Coggins Auto Group Celebrates Five Years

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The family-owned Coggins Auto Group is celebrating five years of operations: Coggins Toyota of Bennington and Coggins Honda of Bennington, and Coggins of the Berkshires in nearby Massachusetts.
 
Mike Coggins purchased three dealerships — Honda, Toyota and Ford — in 2020 with a goal to restore trust and a "true sense of community-minded dealership culture." 
 
"My primary focus from day one was bringing back that connection to the region," Coggins had said back in 2021. "This area values real relationships. They want to know the people they're doing business with. We set out to rebuild that trust."
 
The Ford dealership was sold off in 2023 and Coggins of the Berkshires, with sales and services for used cars, opened the same year in Pittsfield, Mass. 
 
According to Coggins Auto Group, the dealerships had social media ratings of two stars when they were purchased; now all Coggins locations are garnering more than four stars in customer satisfaction reviews. 
 
"We sell cars, and we fix cars, and our goal is just to make our customers happy, and keep our employees happy, and that's what's made this really work these last few years," said General Manager Scott O'Connell.
 
Coggins Auto Group is also involved in events that benefit the community, including its popular annual charity golf tournament that funds local charities and organizations such as the Bennington Little League.
 
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