Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

I was projectionist here in the early ‘80’s. I can testify that Al Schwartz ran this place perfectly. Picture and sound, concession, everything. Amazing. Perhaps Al is still around?

Also, the Berkshire Opera Company went out of business last year. The Mahaiwe does present HD screenings of the Metropolitan Opera from NYC.

The Mahaiwe is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 940 seats and open 6 days per week. It’s the only movie theater listed for Great Barrington.

Here are photos from 1981 and 1985:
http://tinyurl.com/p67sge
http://tinyurl.com/rxyy7s

Check the facts…… In 2007 the Mahaiwe is not only the finest small/medium size venue for live entertainment, it is also the FINEST reel to reel 35mm film venue. It is capable of providing 2,000 or 6,000 reel to reel projection in film formats of 1.37:1, 1.66:1, 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 for image. It can also supply any analog format for sound plus any Dolby Digital format including Dolby Digital EX. Installed are authentic Dolby proccesors. Century projector heads and sound heads. Christie console/lamphouses, 3 phase motors that are capable of 16-30 fps. The Mahaiwe has a 30'6" anamorphic screen with 16.5 foot candles of illumination minimum at any screen location.
A film at the Mahaiwe is an experience, it’s not just a movie!

The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Mahaiwe Theatre on Castle St. in Great Barrington has a facade photo taken in May 1941. There is a fancy boxy marquee with the name in huge letters on its front. There are 3 lines on its sides for the attraction. Movie playing is Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas in “A Woman’s Face”. Above the marquee is a large arch. The Report states that the theatre has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s in Fair condition; and has 461 orchestra seats and 400 balcony seats, total: 861 seats. The Report also states that there were no competing theatres in town.

Berkshire Eagle articles on the Mahaiwe’s restoration and grand reopening last weekend:

A renovated Mahaiwe Theatre opens (May 26)

Mahaiwe takes center stage (May 30)

An official press release on the restoration. After work is complete next year, the theatre manager expects to show film here once again.

Here’s a calendar of upcoming events at the Mahaiwe.

Here are four photos I took of the Mahaiwe in 1991. Two are of the exterior. Two show the lobby area.
OneTwoThreeFour

The Berkshire Opera company’s URL is: http://www.berkshireopera.org/

Their plans are quite ambitious, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they still show some films during the off-season.