Adams Theater Presents 'ReWritten: A Dance Theatre Work'

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ADAMS, Mass. — The Adams Theater will host the presentation of "ReWritten", a new dance theatre work, produced in partnership with MCLA MOSAIC (MCLA Open Shared Arts + Intersectional Culture), on Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29. 
 
Co-created by Matthew Cumbie and Tom Truss, "ReWritten" reflects on the relationship between authors Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville as a way to explore history, queerness, and the intimacy that arises through collaboration.
 
This production engages an interdisciplinary creative team of artists and scholars and weaves together dance, music, visual art, projection and text to reimagine an intergenerational love story that has shaped American literature. 
 
"ReWritten" has been in development since 2019, and includes a series of immersive site-specific performances at Arrowhead, the home in Pittsfield where Melville famously wrote his landmark novel Moby-Dick (and where Hawthorne was a regular guest), as well as engagements at Dance Place (DC), Bethany Arts Community (NY), Colby College (ME), the House of Seven Gables (MA), and the international conference of the Melville Society in Paris, FR. Now, the Adams Theater is proud to present the first full-length version of this remarkable production on July 28 and 29, 2023.
 
The show is directed by Rudy Ramirez, and features projection design by Bessie-award winning Roma Flowers, set and lighting design by Jeremy Winchester, original music by Summer Kodama, and visual art influence by internationally-celebrated artist Diane Samuels. Research and dramaturgy for "ReWritten" have been led by queer scholar Katherine Stubbs, and documentation efforts have been led by Berkshire-based artists Larry Burke and Shirin Kazimov. Production management is directed by Sarah Chapin, and Alex Aleksandrov and Anthony Simon have been integral to its continued success. 
 
This project is being supported by New Works New England, a granting program of the New England Foundation for the Arts. To learn more about the project, click here. 
 
Tickets for "ReWritten" are available at a price range of $10 to $30 and can be purchased at www.adamstheater.org.
 
MOSAIC (MCLA Open Shared Arts + Intersectional Culture)
 
MOSAIC is MCLA's community-serving cultural events program. Formerly known as MAC (MCLA Arts & Culture) MOSAIC brings people together through the acts of artistic and cultural exchange with a mission to learn about each other, break through barriers to understanding, and build the commonalities that define communities.
 
MOSAIC presents public cultural events in the form of exhibitions, performances, workshops, readings, lectures, and discussions. Our events are inclusive, diverse, accessible, and focus on the exchange between communities, artists, faculty, and students.
 
In-Person Box Office Hours: The theater is holding new in-person box office hours for community members who would like to buy tickets! Box office hours will take place Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m. at 27 Park Street.
 
Buy a ticket, give a ticket: All local students 17 and under can attend at least one Adams Theater show for free with pre-registration (email info@adamstheater.org). Theater patrons can help pay it forward by purchasing a Community Ticket in addition to their own. 
 
Season packages: The theater is also offering season packages, offering exclusive access to behind-the-scenes events and savings on ticket prices. 
 
The Adams Theater's programming season is supported by grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, and 1Berkshire, and sponsorship from local businesses including Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Adams Plumbing & Heating, and SBM.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Adams Theater Recommended for 10-Year Tax Exemption

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen on Wednesday approved a 10-year special tax agreement with Adams Theater LLC.
 
The vote was 3-1, with Selectwoman Ann Bartlett voting nay over the length of the STA and Selectman Joseph Nowak recusing himself over concerns about conflicts as a volunteer and donor.
 
The STA is structured around $1.5 million to be invested to complete the Park Street theater for year-round use by 2026.
 
The exemption the first year would be 100 percent, followed by two years each of 75 percent, 50 and 25, and then 10 and 5 percent for the final years. 
 
The total estimated value of the agreement, based on the recent valuation of the theater by the town assessor and projected increases, is $204,000. The theater will be required to report its progress annually to the state during the term of the STA.
 
"We want to apply a maximum tax relief while the theater is being built up and undergoing these renovations ... so once it kind of reaches full capacity, the town's able to capitalize on some of those property taxes as the yearly exemptions go down," said Colby Tarjick, program manager in the Community Development Office.
 
Tarjick said the situation is a bit different for this special tax assessment because arts institutions are typically tax-exempt organizations. The Adams Theater, however, is remaining on the tax roll so it seeking some relief as it completes the renovation.
 
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