Shakespeare & Company Announces First Three Titles of the 2023 Season

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LENOX, Mass. – Tickets are on sale now for the first three titles of Shakespeare & Company's  46th Season, in addition to multi-show FLEXpasses at reduced prices.
 
Two Shakespeare titles will be staged in the summer months: "The Contention (Henry VI, part II)" from June 17 – July 15 at the Tina Packer Playhouse, and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," August 1 – September 10, outdoors at the New Spruce Theatre.
 
In addition, "August Wilson's Fences" will be presented at the Tina Packer Playhouse July 22 – August 27. The remainder of the 46th Season at Shakespeare & Company will be announced this winter.
 
Both three- and five-show FLEXpass packages, good for one ticket to any three or five shows, are being offered at a discount from now until March 15, 2023. FLEXpasses offer up to 40 percent off regular ticket prices; early show and seat selection, and further savings through one-time service fees and no exchange fees.
 
Early-bird pricing is $150 for a three-show FLEXpass and $265 for a five-show pass, and purchases may be made at shakespeare.org or by calling the Box Office at (413) 637-3353.
 
Discriptions included in a press release:
 
"The Contention (Henry VI, part II)," by William Shakespeare
 
The first edition of Henry VI, Part II was printed in 1594 as "The firste parte of the Contention of the two famous houses of York and Lancaster."
 
Nearly 430 years later, Shakespeare & Company has given the title a modern abbreviation as it explores themes of royalty that remain timeless: strategic marriages, political treachery, religious unrest, and a measure of "comic sport –" particularly in the arena of law.
 
Commonly regarded as the strongest of the Henry VI trilogy, The Contention centers on the War of the Roses, a murder plot, and a rebellion that widens the divide between two houses. It will be presented from June 17 through July 15 at the Tina Packer Playhouse.
 
"August Wilson's Fences," by August Wilson
 
Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play in 1987, August Wilson's Fences is set in the 1950s and is known as one of Wilson's "Pittsburgh Plays."
 
A moving study of emotional depth and the human condition, it follows the story of Troy Maxson – a working-class Black man struggling to provide for his family. His past includes the high of a promising career with the Negro Baseball League and the low of a prison sentence, while his present is complicated by resentment, regret, and the walls we build around ourselves.
 
August Wilson's Fences will appear at Shakespeare & Company from July 22 through August 27.
 
"A Midsummer Night's Dream," by William Shakespeare
 
The residents of Athens comingle with the forest fairies in this wild, family-friendly romp that features magical meddling, romantic tangles, and a play within a play for good measure. One of Shakespeare's most beloved Comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream has been described by scholars as Carnivalesque: pushing the plot forward through humor and chaos. A Midsummer Night's Dream will be presented outdoors at the New Spruce Theatre from August 1 through September 10. 
 

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Pennrose Breaks Ground in Lenox, Bringing 68 Units of Affordable Housing

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LENOX, Mass. — Pennrose announced the groundbreaking of 238 Pittsfield Road, a 68-unit affordable rental community.

The development will bring much-needed affordable, family-friendly housing options to the area.

The community will consist of 10 residential buildings offering a mix of 23 one-bedroom, 38 two-bedroom, and seven three-bedroom apartments. Of the 68 total homes, 57 will be affordable for households earning from 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) up to 80 percent AMI, with the remaining 11 units available at market rate rents.

A community building at the entrance of the development will offer resident-focused amenities, including event space and a fitness center, along with on-site offices for Pennrose management and resident services staff.

"238 Pittsfield Road builds on the progress that the Town of Lenox has made in addressing the region's pressing needs for affordable, family-sized rental housing," said Karmen Cheung, Regional Vice President at Pennrose. "This partnership with the Town of Lenox continues to deliver communities that give families of all sizes a place to call home. Together with Forge, these two communities reflect our long-term commitment to meeting the diverse housing needs of Berkshire families."

Currently only 7 percent of Lenox's housing stock is deed-restricted affordable, falling short of the 10 percent goal established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, approximately 90 percent of the town's existing affordable housing is limited to seniors, and market-rate rental options remain sparse.

238 Pittsfield Road is located a mile down the road from Forge,  a mixed-income community that celebrated its grand opening in August. Together, the two sister developments will add a total of 133 new affordable units to the town.

The project continues Pennrose's collaboration with the Town of Lenox and is guided by the goals of the Town's 2017 Housing Production Plan, 2021 Master Plan, and 2002 Gateway Redevelopment Plan.

The project is financed via federal 4 percent tax credit and state tax credit allocations from the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), with the National Equity Fund as the syndicator and Rockland Trust and US Bank as the investors. Rockland also provided construction debt, and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) provided both permanent debt and Workforce Housing Funds. MassDevelopment is the bond issuer, and EOHLC provided additional soft sources and operating subsidy. Finally, the Town of Lenox provided local Affordable Housing Trust and Community Preservation Act funds, as well as funds through the Commonwealth's HousingWorks Infrastructure Program (HWIP).

Haynes Construction is serving as general contractor and The Architectural Team as architect for the development.

Construction is underway and is expected to be completed in early 2028.

 

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