Great Barrington Price Chopper Rebranding as Market 32

08:32AM / Sunday, December 24, 2023Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. Following the vote of approval for a wine and malt liquor license for the Great Barrington Price Chopper by the town's Selectboard, Price Chopper/Market 32 will launch plans to modernize and expand its store under the company's Market 32 banner.

"We've been committed to the Great Barrington community for nearly three decades and, being on equal footing with other stores in the area will enable us to proceed with our plans to convert our store into a contemporary food and service-focused Market 32," said Price Chopper/Market 32 President Blaine Bringhurst.

The construction timeline for the conversion will be finalized when all of the permitting is in place, but the company hopes to unveil its newest Market 32 in time for 2024 holiday season. The store will remain open throughout the conversion process.

The look and feel of Market 32, which was driven by customer research, is more contemporary than the Price Chopper brand, though many of the differences are subtle. Marked by open space, a décor filled with earth tones and product-focused displays, murals and lighting, the brand emphasizes convenient, ready-to-eat foods; fresh, handcrafted, and locally grown, produced and manufactured products; and intuitive product/department adjacencies (e.g., greeting cards next to the floral department; craft beer next to salty snacks), according to a press release.

"We're thrilled that the Town Selectboard has approved this license and we're very excited to bring Market 32 to our customers in Great Barrington," said Bringhurst. "This investment reflects our continued commitment to the community that has come to rely on us for high quality products, exceptional service, and unparalleled value."

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Great Barrington Public Theater Appoints Artistic Director

09:57AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will now join Jim Frangione at the helm as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater.

"We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region's premiere developmental theater," Founder & Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater's signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions. I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner. It's a "Bear" of a job! But we feel great about the direction of our theater."

Judy Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as the Associate Artistic Director after 2 years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Founder and Artistic Director Jim Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened Great Barrington Public's creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Judy Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher and artist for social justice for over four decades with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She led the M.F.A. Directing Program at Boston University's School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

"Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand-in-glove with our founding mission and core beliefs," Founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons explains. "Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth."

"Judy's distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years," Managing Director Serena Johnson added. "We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season."

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