Smiles of a Berkshires Night : A Gay Weekend in the Country
While Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch and the rest of the cast of the Broadway revival of A Little Night Music are trudging their way through a bleak, Chekhovian production of Sondheim’s waltz-driven ode to summer love, the Berkshires are as flaming as the fiery red and gold fall foliage transforming the countryside. This historic geographic region in western Massachusetts offers a host of quaint towns, scenic fall vistas and cultural happenings with a nonchalant gay-friendly attitude. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2004, but don’t expect to see a barrage of gay flags or kitsch shops synonymous with Provincetown or Fire Island. The Berkshires, instead, present a mix of Gilded Age charm with a burgeoning food scene and artist-driven nightlife.
Sarah, Queen of the Berkshires
In its heyday, the Berkshires was home to the east coast elite. Exemplifying this time period is Ventfort Hall in Lenox, which was built for Sarah Morgan (sister of J. Pierpont Morgan) and finished in 1893. The property is now a museum and performance space, playing host to a series of concerts, lectures and readings. Also on display is Les Petites Dames de Mode, a stunning exhibit of nearly sixty models that portray women’s fashion from 1855 to 1914. Designer John R. Burbidge, who was a senior designer at the famed Priscilla of Boston, has worked on the collection for more than thirty years, incorporating vintage fabrics and elaborate historical details.
From the Guilded Age to the Green Age
While you won’t be able to stay overnight at Ventfort Hall unless you’ve hidden in the water closet, you can feel equally pampered at the charming and über green Topia Inn ($125-$210/night). This gay-owned and -operated bed & breakfast is the creation of partners Nana Simopoulos and Caryn Heilman, who assembled an eclectic team of artists, craftspeople and builders to open a zen-like space that honors various cultures and traditions as well as the environment. The property also sits a stone’s-throw away from the Ashuwillticook Trail, an 11-mile recreational trail and a perfect way to take in the fall foliage.
Defying Gravity
Artists of all kinds have migrated to the Berkshires over the decades to explore their craft and have greatly contributed to the rebirth of enclaves struggling to rebound from factory closings throughout the 1980’s. At the anchor of this movement is MASS MoCA in North Adams, 13 acres that once housed a textile factory then later an electronics plant. Now one of the foremost contemporary arts centers in the Northeast, the organization is an open platform for the creative process. Currently not to be missed is Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective - a stunning installation comprised of 105 large-scale wall drawings spanning the artist’s career.
Another hidden gem is the Berkshire Musuem in Pittsfield. Founded in 1903 by Zenas Crane, third-generation owner of Crane & Company (official supplier of paper to the U.S. Treasury), the museum holds a diverse collection of historic artifacts, 19th and 20th century sculptures and paintings, as well as contemporary installations. Joe Wheaton and Susan Rodgers, two prominent gay artists, have combined forces to create Spacial Relationships, showing through October 11th. Wheaton’s work is structural and gravity-defying and challenges the "gay artist" stereotype. "I initially thought I had to show my proficiency as a welder," he shares with a sense of humor. "If I wasn’t gay I could have worked in styrofoam." Rodgers’ work utilizes everyday materials like wood, wire and rope. The collaborative effort was commissioned by Executive Director Stuart Chase sight unseen, a testament to the museum’s commitment to diverse programming.
