Brazilian Day Celebration in Pittsfield

12:41PM / Wednesday, September 04, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Brazzucas Brazilian Market, Espetinho Carioca, and MassDevelopment's Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Partners are thrilled to announce the first-ever Brazilian Day Celebration in Downtown Pittsfield.

This event will honor Brazilian culture and Brazilian Independence Day on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, from 2-9 PM.

The event kicks off at 2 PM at Brazzucas Brazilian Market (75 North Street) with a performance by Marcelo Santos. The main event begins at 5 PM at the intersection of Market Street and North Street, featuring The Berkshire Bateria, and Berkshire Brazil. The evening will conclude with a set by Quarteto de Samba from 7-9 PM at Espetinho Carioca (48 B North Street). Hot Plate Brewing will also be serving beverages outside from 5-7 PM.

Event Highlights:

? The Berkshire Bateria: A dynamic troupe of musicians performing samba rhythms on traditional Brazilian percussion instruments.

? Berkshire Brazil: A Sa?o Paulo native, Luana Dias David has performed worldwide and brings a blend of Salsa, Samba, Capoeira, and Classic Ballet to the stage.

? Quarteto de Samba: Founded by Brazilian musician Tarcisio Ramos (Taz), this group features Bossa Nova, Jazz, Choro, and Samba, with performances by talented artists including Sam Stouffer, Jean-Gathright, and Henry Davidson.

? Marcelo Santos Music

Berkshire County's Brazilian and Latin American immigrant population is growing, and this event aims to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing vibrant music, dance, and food with the community. It also seeks to foster a sense of belonging and create opportunities for new Brazilian businesses and artists.

This celebration is part of MassDevelopment's TDI initiative to revitalize North Street by promoting cultural and economic growth in Gateway Cities.

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Tina Packer, Founder of Shakespeare & Company, Dies at 87

Staff Reports 06:51PM / Saturday, January 10, 2026

LENOX, Mass. — The doyenne of Shakespeare's plays, Tina Packer, died Friday at the age of 87.

Shakespeare & Company, which Packer co-founded in 1978, made the announcement Saturday on its Facebook page.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Company's founding artistic director and acclaimed director, actor, writer, and teacher," the company said on its post and in a press release.

Packer, who retired a the theater company's artistic director in 2009, had directed all of Shakespeare's plays, some several times, acted in eight of them, and taught the whole canon at more than 30 colleges, including Harvard. She continued to direct, teach, and advocate for the company until her passing.

At Columbia University, she taught in the master of business administration program for four years, resulting in the publication of "Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons in Leadership and Management with Deming Professor John Whitney" for Simon and Schuster. For Scholastic, she wrote "Tales from Shakespeare," a children's book and recipient of the Parent's Gold Medal Award.

Most recently her book "Women of Will" was published by Knopf and she had been performing "Women of Will" with Nigel Gore, in New York, Mexico, England, The Hague, China, and across the United States. She's the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the Commonwealth Award.

"Our hearts are heavy with the passing of Tina Packer, a fiery force of nature with an indomitable spirit," said Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. "Tina affected everyone she encountered with her warmth, generosity, wit, and insatiable curiosity. She delighted in people's stories, and reached into their hearts with tender humanity. The world was her stage, and she furthered the Berkshires as a destination for the imagination.

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