WAM Theatre to Offer Workshops on Black Theatre Aesthetic

LENOX, Mass. — WAM Theatre is offering a workshop on the Black Theatre Aesthetic in connection with our production of Cadillac Crew.

The two 90-minute online sessions happening on Oct, 9 and Oct. 30 and will be led by Tatiana Godfrey, Co-Artistic Director of Impro Theater Company in Los Angeles and Literary Manager at the Cincinnati Playhouse. Community members are invited to join Tatiana to deepen their understanding of the Black theatre aesthetic and the importance of its representation.

"Both seeing Cadillac Crew and taking this workshop is doing work to highlight and uplift Black voices," said Teaching Artist Tatianna Godfrey (former WAM Theatre Dramaturg).  "For me, it also goes a long way towards helping theatre-goers build a more diverse canon of plays that they love and support."

Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks famously asked, "What is a Black play?" This two-session workshop will explore excerpts of texts by Contemporary American Black writers, ask critical questions of them, and then use our in-class analyses to frame the cultural heritage of Cadillac Crew.

Students will take away a greater knowledge of Black playwrights, will be able to identify themes and motifs that recur in the Black aesthetic, and will be able to articulate the importance of representing this aesthetic. Participants are expected to purchase a ticket to Cadillac Crew and attend both the pre- and post-show workshops.

These special 90-minute workshops can be taken over Zoom from the comfort of participants’ homesand are open to all, regardless of experience level. The workshops are expected to sell out, and registration is now open.

The workshops are provided on a Pay-What-You-Can basis, but participants are also expected to purchase a ticket to Cadillac Crew (live or streamed) as part of the workshop experience.

Visit www.wamtheatre.com/workshops/ to reserve your spot or to learn more.

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.