Lisa Green reports from Great Barrington. In past years, the Mahaiwe Performing Art Center’s annual gala has put the focus on some special honoree, but this year, it was the community that received the accolades. This year marks 15 years since the dream was born to make the vintage theater a year-round, world-class performing arts venue, and the gala on Sunday, July 30, was a celebration of the past and a look toward the future. After cocktails and dinner, guests filed into the Mahaiwe for a sold-out concert by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. In remarks preceding the concert, Maggie Buchwald, the chair of the board of directors, expressed her appreciation to the donors, staff and ticket buyers of the Mahaiwe, who have made it possible to bring live performances, films, HD broadcasts and many special events to the Berkshires. “We honor all of you,” Buchwald said. [Above: Don Buchwald, Maggie Buchwald, board member Stephen Berenson and Margaret Deutsch, board treasurer.]
Ron Walter and Marilyn Walter; Scott Pezza and Melanie Najarian.
Holly Feirstein and Barry Feirstein; BJ Johnson and Pam Johnson.
Karin Watkins, Mahaiwe’s director of finance and administration, Jeff Weber, Stacey Weber of Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Realtor Barbara Schulman, and Aine Ungar.
Sandy Fisher, Beryl Jolly, Mahaiwe’s executive director, Alan Jaffee, vice-chair of the board of directors, and Liz Jaffe; Brigittte McDonald, John Miller, a board member, and Lyssa Miller.
Richard Barzily, Diana Barzilay and Louise Barzilay; Sari Scheer and Sam Kopel.
Board member Stephen Berenson with Sue Lipson, Hilary Ferrone, Chris Ferrone, and Dan Lipson, also a board member.
Patricia Ellis, Vicki Tashjian and Marilyn Hayward; Beth Sackler, Jeff Cohen, and Jennifer Tabakin, Great Barrington town manager.