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 — who has also since departed — started as executive director. Simotes’ contract was to expire in May 2015. Simotes says he wants to continue his work growing the theatre community in the Berkshires.
“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.”
Berkshire Theatre Group CEO Kate Maguire says the organization had been looking to fill the role for the past year, adding that she’s known Simotes for 25 years.
“He will help to assist in all administrative areas of the theatre including finances and fundraising,” Maguire said. “As an artistic associate he’ll also work in the artistic area. He’s a valued director and teacher so he’ll be working with our apprentices. While not this year, but next year I’m sure he’ll be directing a project for us.”
Simotes was on track to become a chair within the dance and theatre department at Millikin University in Illinois and was waiting on the contract to arrive in the mail when Maguire called him out of the blue to offer him the position. Simotes has worked with four theatre companies in the Berkshires: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage Company, Shakespeare & Company and Berkshire Theatre Group.
A founding member of Shakespeare & Company in 1978 who in recent years guided the organization through tough financial times, Simotes says he decided to leave as artistic director and president after Dildine took over as executive director because of shifting leadership and operational methods.
“When the board chair shifted there was a feeling amongst a few that the line of power had to change,” Simotes said. “That there should be an executive director and an executive director in that situation that I should actually report to that person and that person then reports to the chair. When you’re kind of running the whole game and you have to make a change that’s OK and I was willing to do that. But, it also felt that it was also a better option for my wife and I to be able to step back from the company and let them handle it cleaning than to have me there going ‘Well this is the way we would do it,’ that kind of thing.”
Earlier this month, Dildine left Shakespeare & Company after just six months on the job. Since then three board members including chair Sarah Hancock have resigned their posts. Simotes says he never got a chance to really get to know Dildine. Simotes says he wishes Shakespeare & Company luck adding that he will always consider himself a part of the company.
“It’s always better to have a vibrant theatre scene rather than have anybody experience difficulty,” Simotes said. “That was my feeling when I was at Shakespeare and Company and definitely it’s even more strongly aligned now that I’m in a position to support Kate at Berkshire Theatre Group.”
While he says all of his energy is dedicated to Berkshire Theatre Group, Simotes adds that doing future work with Shakespeare & Company isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Maguire says she didn’t feel the need to reach out to Shakespeare & Company before bringing on Simotes.
In a statement Shakespeare & Company leadership offered its congratulations to Simotes and Berkshire Theatre Group wishing both a successful summer. Shakespeare board of trustees member and former chair Sarah Hancock says she wishes Simotes all the best in his future endeavors.
