FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center welcomes the public to a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new performance venue, the Indigo Room, next door to the historic theater on Sunday, October 12 at 1 p.m. The ceremony is part of a weekend-long grand opening comprised of performances and other events.
Community members are invited to join local officials and special guests as Mahaiwe Board members and staff mark the official opening of the Indigo Room with this symbolic proceeding.
The ceremony will be highlighted by a traditional Chinese lion dance performed by Guanglei Hui and Bin Zhai to bring good luck to the building and all who use it. Red envelopes will be available for attendees to present their good wishes, and an apple cider toast will be raised in celebration. Guests will be given a commemorative souvenir.
Ticketed grand opening events include Indigo Comedy Night with Kevin McCaffrey on Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m., Drag Bingo with Miranda Moirai on Friday, October 10 at 9:30 p.m., jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway on Saturday, October 11 at 8 p.m., free family concert Terry A La Berry on Sunday, October 12 at 11 a.m., and blues musician Guy Davis on Sunday, October 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at mahaiwe.org or by calling or visiting the Box Office, 413-528-0100, at 14 Castle Street, Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m.
“Grand opening weekend will demonstrate what to expect at the Indigo Room,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “It is a continuation of the high-caliber work and customer care that audiences expect of the Mahaiwe, while expanding what we can do. It’s an intimate social space where you can find live comedy, special events like drag bingo, and an array of musical performances, as well as family-friendly entertainment, and everything in between. The Mahaiwe is excited to invite the community to commemorate this addition to downtown Great Barrington at the ribbon cutting ceremony.”
Some earlier sneak preview events at the Indigo Room served as soft openings, helping the Mahaiwe team to polish its operations in the new space. Future programming will include nationally-known as well as regional artists, a range of genres, and collaborations with local non-profit performing arts and social service organizations.
About the Indigo Room
The Indigo Room is a flexible performance space in the former Great Barrington firehouse building at 20 Castle Street, next door to the historic Mahaiwe theater.
Seating in the Indigo Room is modular, allowing different audience capacities based on the nature of a program. About 80 patrons fit in an arrangement of café tables; 100 in plain rows; and 150 when standing-room-only. These seating plans can be customized in various combinations, such as with plain rows behind café tables in front.
Indigo Room concessions include beer, wine, soft drinks, hot beverages and snacks.
About the Mahaiwe
Located in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is the year-round presenter of world-class music, dance, theater, classic films, Live in HD broadcasts, and arts education programs for the southern Berkshires and neighboring regions. The intimate jewel box of a theater opened in 1905. Since 2005, the performing arts center has hosted over 1,500 events and welcomed over half a million people through its doors. More than 27,000 students from 77 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
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