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Dream Away Lodge Reopening in 2023 Under New Ownership

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BECKET, Mass. — The historic Dream Away Lodge is expected to reopen in the spring under new ownership.

It was announced on Sunday that former owner Daniel Osman sold the restaurant to The Dreamaway Lodge RE LLC. 

The plan is to bring back everything that the Dream Away is known for and make it even better.

"The intention is to return the Dream Away to service and to offer all the things we did before but even better — great food, great music, a beautiful place to make a wedding, retreat, or private event, an awesome outing for you and your friends, your partner, your lover, your grandma or your kids," according to a press release from the new owner.

"The Dream Away will once again be the Berkshire's magical spot — so close and yet so far, the secret place your either know about or don't!"

The new ownership group is reportedly comprised of Scott Levy, Sheryl Victor Levy, Daniel Giddings and April Wilson, with Scott Levy the signatory on the limited liability corporation's registration. The purchase closed last Tuesday for $615,000 according to documents on file with the Middle Berkshire Registry of Deeds. 

The storied Dream Away Lodge featured numerous folksingers and songwriters in its nearly 100-year history, including Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan.

It closed during the pandemic and Daniel Osman, its owner for the past quarter-century, recently put it up for sale. It includes the 200-year-old farmhouse, restaurant, music/event room, and grounds.

Earlier this year, the property was subject to a glamping proposal but after loud opposition from residents, the applicants withdrew the special permit application.

More information is expected to come soon. Employment inquiries can be sent to hello@thedreamaway.com.

 


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King and Confidantes Debate Hope and Change in 'American Five'

By Alan PetrucelliSpecial to iBerkshires
STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Fiction and fact meld in the regional premiere of "The American Five," now playing at the Larry Vaber Stage of the Unicorn Theatre. 
 
The play takes a fictionalized look at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his four closest confidants in the months leading up to the famed March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. The quintet, through differing opinions, animated arguments, constant threats of violence and a late-night meal featuring challah bread and wine, become a family as they prepare for the history-making march that galvanized the Civil Rights movement.
 
Most of us know the King saga. It's the second act in which playwright Chess Jakobs' genius shines. Prejudice runs rampant here: Is Stanley Levison, a Jewish lawyer from New York who shows up in Montgomery to join the fight for racial equality and "to repair the world," viewed as white? Jewish? Both? And march strategist and organizer Bayard Rustin experiences his own fight for civil rights because of his homosexuality. Here, Jakob explores prejudice on different levels.
 
The cast is top-notch with many emotional highs. As King, Rashun Carter (who would look more like his character if he had a full moustache) and Sydney Elisabeth (as Coretta Scott King) are at their best during a scene that bounces between humor and poignancy. 
 
She questions her husband about his meeting with President John F. Kennedy; he is angry and refuses to discuss it. "There is no 'you' out there, without a 'me,' in here," she says, leading King to agree that because of her self-worth and unwavering devotion to him, she is "Coretta Scott Queen."
 
As Clarence Jones, King's personal counsel, Brett Diggs has assurance and dignity; Harry Smith's portrayal of lawyer Stanley Levison, is nothing short of extraordinary. Destan Owens' performance as gay Bayard Rustin is the play's most outstanding performance as he defends his relations with men: "You don't get to judge me!" he tells King. "I'm just trying to find love."
 
"The American Five" is tightly directed by Gerry McIntyre; the historic period projections and footage/designed by Alex Hill remind people that there are dreams, such as hope and change, that are still being fought.
 
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