GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Great Barrington Public Theater Annual Benefit will take place on June 14, 2025 at Saint James Place. 

 

This year's honoree and recipient of the 2025 Black Bear Award will be Tristan Wilson.

 

Tristan Wilson served as the first Managing Director of Great Barrington Public from 2020 until his recent retirement in December 2024. He was integral to the operations of GB Public and helped launch the company to its full season and off-season programming.

 

Tristan Wilson and Jim Frangione were friends and partners while working at Berkshire Playwrights Lab in 2017 before Jim Frangione and Deann Simmons Halper co-founded Great Barrington Public Theater.

 

"When Deann and I started Great Barrington Public Theater in 2019, we knew that Tristan had to be our first and most important hire." GB Public Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Since then, we ran the day to day operations of the company together. One of Tristan's greatest qualities is that he is ‘unflappable in the face of multiple crises'. Theater folk know the value of what that means and it's not to be understated." 

 

Jim Frangione continued, "I can't imagine how Great Barrington Public Theater would have fared without his unscrupulous honesty, his vast expertise across several areas—whether it be forging contracts and agreements with artists, designers, playwrights, directors and technical staff, dealing with our union reps, or exhibiting his vast technical experience."

 

"I'm grateful for our friendship of many years," Jim Frangione said. "We'll miss him for sure, but he won't be far away. Much to our delight, he'll still be serving on the board of the theater, keeping us honest and offering sage advice. We all wish Tristan and Peggy a rewarding next chapter as they travel the world, but always keeping the Berkshires, and all of us, close".

 

In addition to his tenure at GB Public, Tristan Wilson has also worked for Barrington Stage Co and The Mahaiwe here in the Berkshires. Over his career Tristan has worked on theatre (Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally), opera, dance, music, live television, radio, and special event productions. 

 

The Great Barrington Public Theater Annual Benefit will be a celebration of the continued success of the GB Public and a season full of world premiere plays. Auctioneer John Terrio returns to host and run the annual auction.

 

The Great Barrington Public Theater Annual Benefit will be held at the Saint James Place, in downtown Great Barrington, 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Tickets to the event and the 2025 season on the GBPT website and by phone 413-372-1980.