A founding member of Shakespeare & Company who left the organization in November, is taking on a leadership role with Berkshire Theatre Group.Effective Monday, Tony Simotes will be Berkshire Theatre Group’s managing director and artistic associate. Simotes left Shakespeare & Company in November two months after Rick Dildine started as executive director. Simotes’ contract was to expire in May 2015.
“I really hope to continue some of the work that I was doing in terms of helping to grow the theatre community here in the Berkshires and to try to bring a greater influence to what we do in the Berkshires in the arts scene to more and more people,” Simotes said. “As well as to continue to direct and be involved in productions that I find fascinating, interesting or things I’d like to explore. As well as to work with such a storied theatre that’s been here for more than 80 years and to be a part of a long theatrical history like that and especially one born and bred right here and I would say an American theatre festival is really terrific. Really, really terrific.”
“He’s a valued director and teacher so he’ll be working with our apprentices,” said Berkshire Theatre Group CEO Kate Maguire. “While not this year, but next year I’m sure he’ll be directing a project for us.”
Simotes says he didn't have a chance to really get to know Dildine. Simotes, who led Shakespeare & Company as artistic director, says he left because there was a shift in how things were going to be done and he felt it was the right time to leave and let someone else take over.
Simotes says he will always call himself a proud member of Shakespeare & Company and wishes it the best of luck. While he says all of his energy is dedicated to Berkshire Theatre Group, he adds that doing future work with Shakespeare & Co. isn't out of the realm of possibility.
“It’s always better to have a vibrant theatre scene rather than have anybody experience difficulty,” said Simotes.
