Barrington Stage Company Black Voices Legacy Awards

11:06AM / Thursday, February 19, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—Barrington Stage Company (BSC), under the leadership of Artistic Director Alan Paul and Managing Director Greg Reiner, announced the inaugural Celebration of Black Voices Legacy Awards, a community-centered evening honoring the past, celebrating the present, and uplifting those shaping the future of the local Black community.

The event will take place Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, beginning with a pre-show reception at 5:00 PM at Mr. Finn's Cabaret, followed by the awards ceremony at 6:00 PM at the St. Germain Theatre at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center (36 Linden Street).

"Barrington Stage Company has always believed that theatre lives most powerfully when it is rooted in community," said Greg Reiner, Managing Director of Barrington Stage Company. "The Celebration of Black Voices Legacy Awards affirm that commitment by honoring the individuals and leaders whose contributions have shaped, strengthened, and sustained the Berkshires. As an inaugural event, this evening marks not just a celebration, but a promise—to listen, to uplift, and to continue building a more inclusive future together."

The evening will begin with a festive reception featuring a live jazz performance by Living Legend Award recipient Wanda Houston, accompanied by her band—Andy Wrba, Conor Meehan, and Benny "Fingers" Kohn. Guests will enjoy drinks and light refreshments while gathering in celebration and connection.

At 6:00 PM, the Celebration of Black Voices Legacy Awards Ceremony will commence, hosted by Broadway veteran and BSC Associate Artist Alan H. Green. Directed by Josh Adam Ramos, the ceremony will include award presentations, special performances, and moments of reflection honoring individuals, businesses, and organizations whose contributions continue to enrich, empower, and shape the Berkshire community.

"This inaugural celebration is about visibility, gratitude, and joy," said Sharron Frazier-McClain, Barrington Stage Company's Director of Community Engagement and the event's Creator and Producer. "It is a moment to acknowledge those whose work—often behind the scenes—has built foundations, opened doors, and inspired future generations. Every voice matters, and every legacy deserves to be seen."

Honors

Ancestors' Legacy Award: Shirley Edgerton
Honoring elders and trailblazers whose wisdom, leadership, and sacrifice laid the groundwork for today's community strength.

Shirley Edgerton is an educator, DEI practitioner, and community activist. In 2010, she launched Rites of Passage and Empowerment, a mentoring program for young people of color identifying as female or non-binary.

Pillars of the Community Award: Dennis L. Powell (NAACP)
Recognizing those who consistently show up—quietly or boldly—to provide stability, guidance, and care across generations.

Dennis L. Powell is an accomplished chef, a graduate and former faculty member of the Culinary Institute of America, and President of the NAACP Berkshire County Branch since 2015. He was born and raised in Pittsfield.

Living Legend Award: Wanda Houston
Celebrating a legacy still in motion—uplifting, mentoring, and amplifying Black voices through art and leadership.

Wanda Houston has performed on stages throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia, as well as on Broadway, film, recordings, and television. Berkshire Magazine named her one of the Berkshire 25 in 2022.

Celebration of Black Voices All-Star Award: Sherrie Bethel
Honoring a contributor whose talent, heart, and storytelling have shaped the spirit of the Celebration of Black Voices Festival.

Sherrie Bethel is a local poet and a core collaborator with the Celebration of Black Voices since its inception. She has been foundational to several CBV programs, including the Gospel Choir, Devised Theater, and Poetry Slam.

Allyship in Action Award: John Bissell (Greylock Federal Credit Union)
Recognizing the meaningful use of influence and resources to actively support and uplift communities of color.

John Bissell is President and CEO of Greylock Federal Credit Union and, alongside Julianne Boyd, a co-founder of Berkshire Underground. He was named CEO of the Year in 2019 by the Cooperative Credit Union Association.

Culture Keeper Award (Past & Present): Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed
Honoring those who preserve, teach, and advance Black culture, history, and traditions.

Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed is Professor Emeritus of History at MCLA. A scholar, writer, and civil rights activist, her work centers on the African American experience in rural and small-town America, with a focus on both the Deep South and the Berkshires.

Rising Changemaker Award: Dashine Moore (Beat the Streets)
Highlighting an emerging leader demonstrating vision, promise, and commitment to community transformation.

Dashine Moore is the founder of Beat the Streets, a program dedicated to empowering Pittsfield youth through basketball and mentorship.

Dream Forward Award: John Lewis
Recognizing visionary leadership that builds pathways for Black excellence, sustainability, and freedom.

John Lewis is the Founder and CEO of R3SET Enterprises, pioneering equitable resource distribution models for disenfranchised communities and reimagining how commerce, governance, and social equity intersect.

Celebration of Black Voices Legacy Awards host Alan H. Green is an actor whose three-decade career has taken him from Broadway to the White House and from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem to stages across the country. He is an Associate Artist and Board Member of Barrington Stage Company.

The evening's director, Josh Adam Ramos is a director, producer, and arts educator whose work centers community-driven storytelling and inclusive artistic collaboration.

Infused with artistry, storytelling, and deep appreciation, the Celebration of Black Voices Legacy Awards promises an evening of recognition, reflection, and collective joy—honoring the legacies that shaped our past while lighting the way forward.

Tickets are $30 available by calling 413.242.6411, or online at https://barringtonstageco.org/cbv-legacy-awards/

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BRPC Exec Search Panel Picks Brennan

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:11AM / Thursday, March 12, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Executive Director Search Committee voted Wednesday to move both finalists to the full Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, with a recommendation that Laura Brennan was the preferred candidate.

Brennan, BRPC's assistant director, and Jason Zogg were interviewed by the committee on Saturday.

Brennan is also the economic development program manager for the BRPC. She has been in the role since July 2023 but has been with BRPC since 2017, first serving as the senior planner of economic development.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania and earned a graduate-level certificate in local government leadership and management from Suffolk University.

Zogg is vice president of place and transportation for Tysons Community Alliance, a nonprofit that is committed to transforming Tysons, Va., into a more attractive urban center.

He previously was the director of planning, design, and construction at Georgetown Heritage in Virginia, where he directed the reimagining of Georgetown's C&O Canal National Historic Park.

They each had 45 minutes to answer a series of questions on Saturday, and the search committee said they were both great candidates. Meeting virtually on Wednesday, the members discussed which they preferred.

"In my own personal opinion, I think both candidates could do the job and actually had different skills. But I do favor Laura, because she can hit the ground running and with the time we have now, I think she is very familiar with the organization and its strengths and weaknesses and where we go from here," said Malcolm Fick.

"I would concur with Malcolm, especially because she was the only candidate who could speak directly to what's currently going on in the Berkshires, and really had a handle on every aspect of what BRPC does, could use examples, and showed that she actually understood the demographic information when that information was clearly available on the BRPC website, and through other means, and she was the only candidate who was able to integrate our regional data, our regional demographics, into her answers, and so I find her more highly qualified," said Marybeth Mitts.

Brennan was able to discus the comprehensive regional strategy the BRPC has worked on for Berkshire County and said she made sure they included voices from all over the region instead of what she referred to as the "usual suspects."

"That was an enormous priority of ours to make sure that the outreach that we did and the input that we gathered was not from only the usual suspects, but community groups that were emerging in a lot of different corners of the region and with a lot of different missions of their own, and try to encompass and embrace as many voices as we could in that," Brennan said in her interview.

Member Sheila Irvin said she liked Brennan’s knowledge of Berkshires Tomorrow Inc.

"I think that her knowledge of the BTI, for example, was important, because that's going to play a role in the questioning that we did on funding. And she had some interesting insights, I think on how to use that," said Irvin. "And in addition, I just thought her style was important.

"She didn't need to rush into an answer. She was willing to take a minute to think about how she wanted to move on and she did."

In her interview, Brennan was asked her plans to help expand funding opportunities since the financial structure is mainly grants and the government has recently been withdrawing some interest.

"With Berkshires Tomorrow already established, I would like to see us take a closer look at that and find ways to refine its statement of purpose, to develop a mission statement, to look at ways that that mechanism can help to diversify revenue," she said. "I think, that we have over the last several years, particularly with pandemic response efforts, had our movement to the potential of Berkshire's Tomorrow as a tool that we should be using more, and so I would like to see that be a big part of how we handle the volatility of government funding."

Member John Duval said she has excelled in her role over the years.

"Laura just rose above every other candidate through her preliminary interview and her final interview, she's been the assistant executive director for maybe a couple of years and definitely had that experience, and also being part of this BRPC, over several years, have seen what she's capable of doing, what she's accomplished, and embedded in meetings and settings where I've seen how she's responded to questions, presented information, and also had to deal with some tough customers sometimes when she came up to Adams," said Duval.

"She's done an excellent job, and then in the interviews she's just calm and thought through her answers and just rose above everyone else."

Buck Donovan said he respected all those who applied and said Zogg is a strong candidate.

"I think both and all candidates were very strong, two we ended up were extremely strong," he said. "Jason, I liked his charisma and his way. I really could tell that there was some goals and targets and that's kind of my life."

The full commission will meet on Thursday, March 19, to vote on the replacement of retiring Executive Director Thomas Matuszko.

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