Great Barrington Public Theater Hosts Benefit Reading of 'Amchitka'

10:13AM / Wednesday, July 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater adds programming to its 2025 Summer Season with a new reading of Mark St. Germain's latest play, "Amchitka."

The first staged reading of this new play will take place on July 23, 2025 at 7:00pm. Tickets will cost $30; all proceeds from the reading will go to support GB Public's legacy of New Work and its playwriting development program.

"Amchitka" will be directed by Barrington Stage Company's Founding Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd and will star Debra Jo Rupp alongside James Barry and Sarah Keyes.

Mark St. Germain describes Amchitka as a thriller. The play takes place on the deserted island of Amchitka, once used for underground nuclear testing. Three visiting scientists find that their boat ride back to the mainland has been canceled and communications sporadic. Something has entered our solar system that is speeding toward earth. An asteroid, a comet - or a craft? Amchitka confronts an otherworldly danger that might have already arrived.

Debra Jo Rupp will star as Moira Adams, a senior DOE (Department of Energy) staff member who leads the three man team. Sarah Keyes will play botanist Connie Carrol and James Barry will play Nate Platski, a botanist borrowed from NASA for this assignment.

Artistic Director Jim Frangione said: "We're very excited to present a reading of this brand new play by one of our great friends, and newest board member, Mark St. Germain—and excited to have Julianne, Debra Jo, Sarah, and James join us in this unique collaboration of well-known Berkshire theater artists."

Following the reading, Mark St. Germain and Julianne Boyd will take the stage for Chat GBPT with the audience about Amchitka, the creation of the piece, and the importance of readings in the development of new work.

GB Public presents at the McConnell Theater in the Daniel Arts Center, five minutes from downtown Great Barrington on the campus of Bard College at Simon's Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Tickets to the new season are on sale on the GB Public Theater website and by phone 413-372-1980.

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Letter: Southern Berkshire Ambulance Expresses Gratitude for Support

Letter to the Editor07:00PM / Saturday, August 08, 2026

To the Editor:

Over the next nine months, the Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad (SBAS) will take delivery of two new ambulances, at a cost of roughly $1 million, to replace two vehicles that are very much on their last wheels. Lacking that $1 million, SBAS had to put out an emergency call of its own. I write to share the wonderful news that Berkshire Preservation Inc. (BPI) more than answered our call.

BPI's board, which includes Carole Owens, Louis Schroeter, Wende and David Carver, Nelson Furlano, and Todd Ehrlich worked tirelessly to organize a benefit concert at the Colonial Theatre that netted $98,877 for SBAS. We saw firsthand how hard they worked to bring it off, and we could not be more grateful to be the beneficiaries of their efforts and generosity.

SBAS answers your emergency calls 24/7/365. It means a great deal to us that when we were the ones in need, BPI answered ours. If you would like to learn more about BPI, and you should, please go to preservationinc.org.

With deep gratitude,

Ken Schumacher
Great Barrington, Mass.

Ken Schumacher is president of the board of directors
of the Southern Ambulance Squad

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