WHAT WE DO
Bazaar Productions, Inc is a performing arts incubator now in residence at The Foundry artspace in West Stockbridge, MA. Our mission is to radicalize the cultural landscape of the Berkshires by commissioning, developing and presenting original and groundbreaking new works of theater, dance and multi-media performance by the most vital and revolutionary contemporary voices.
We are guided by the following principles:
- To champion live performance as a vehicle for interdisciplinary collaboration, radical discourse and empathy.
- To create a safer and activated working environment that is driven by the ethos of equity, diversity and inclusion.
- To subvert traditional models of theatrical hierarchy by promoting horizontal collaboration and shared artistic leadership.
- To make accessible cultural experiences for humans across identities, socio-economic status, race, religion and creed.
- To reinforce the value of access through sliding scale admission, pick your own price performances and free programs.
- To embrace that we are currently a white-led organization committed to anti-racism with the intention to dismantle colonialist practices and narratives.
- To continue to educate ourselves about the institutionalized systems of oppression that impact the lives of our POC, non-binary, queer, neuro-diverse and body diverse collaborators.
- To relentlessly reconsider and reimagine “the way things have always been done”
History
Bazaar Productions was founded as a counterpoint to the traditional regional theater model and as a means of providing both recognition and resources to emerging voices working in a variety of artistic mediums. Since our inception in 2005, we have remained artist centered and artist led, commissioning, presenting and producing dozens of works including PASSAGE with Kickwheel Ensemble Theater, Treewives (UpStreet Arts Festival); 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks, The Waypoint by Iris Dauterman, Dark: An End of The World Play with Music and an Exercise Bike by Timothy Ryan Olson, the josaphine footnote by The Deep Ellum Ensemble and Facing our Truth in collaboration with Bard College at Simon’s Rock and the Multicultural Bridge. Additional projects include: EarlyStages, (a new play development program), :30 Live (a New Music Series) and our largest project, The Berkshire Fringe which recently celebrated its tenth season. Bazaar Productions has been an artist in residency at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, The Millbrook School, The Daniel Arts Center at Bard College Simon’s Rock, Shire City Sanctuary in Pittsfield and The Foundry in West Stockbridge.
The Berkshire Fringe
Taking place during July and August in Western Massachusetts, The Berkshire Fringe is an international festival that has welcomed over 600 artists from Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and all across the United States. Since 2005 the Berkshire Fringe has been recognized as a vital testing ground for new work that has presented nearly 100 full-length original productions, staged readings, visual art exhibitions, free concerts and workshops.
The Berkshire Fringe will be returning in 2020 in our brand new home located at the Foundry in West Stockbridge!
Works presented at The Berkshire Fringe often come through an open submission process that encourages a diverse spectrum of artists to apply and insures that festival curators are able to present the most adventurous and exciting programming available.
Participating artists are given housing, technical and administrative support and residency space to develop and perform new work. Fringe artists are also invited to teach workshops, attend performances and engage more deeply with the community through open rehearsals and discussions.
Below is a small sampling of past Berkshire Fringe Artists with whom we have had the pleasure of collaborating:
The Anthropologists/Melissa Fendell-Moshito (New York, NY)
Alexandra Beller (New York, NY)
Dan Bernitt (Lexington, KY)
Jane and Tair Chen (Los Angeles, CA)
Mashuq Mushtaq Deen (Brooklyn, NY)
The Deep Ellum Ensemble/Matthew Earnest
Goat In the Road Productions (New Orleans, LA)
Hotel Obligado (Philadelphia, PA)
Obehi Janice (Boston, MA)
Haerry Kim (Soul Korea)
Sponsored by Nobody/ Kevin Doyle (Brooklyn, NY)
Strong Coffee Stage/Bronwyn Sims (Brattleboro, VT)
Anaïs Alexandra Tekerian & Kevork Mourad (New York, NY)
Under The Table Theater Ensemble (Brooklyn, NY)
The Wardrobe Ensemble (Bristol, UK)
Workhorse Theater (Providence, RI)
Diana Yanez (Los Angeles, CA)
Bazaar Productions and The Berkshire Fringe have been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Berkshire Eagle, the Valley Advocate, Rural Intelligence, Metroland, Berkshire Living Magazine, Berkshire Magazine, the New York Sun, Chronogram, the Women’s Times, and has been featured on NBC News Channel 10's Mass Appeal, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and New England Public Radio.
Bazaar Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Make a contribution today!