We spent an entertaining and engrossing evening at this play, currently being performed around the corner from Brook Farm Inn, Lenox MA, at Shakespeare & Co.  The  intimate theater is a wonderful place to connect with the action, and the costumes alone are worth the price of admission.  Here’s the information:

Love is the ultimate weapon! This wickedly entertaining story of love, sex and betrayal is as sumptuously guilt-inducing as a decadent chocolate you just can’t resist. Depicting the devious schemes of French aristocrats on the cusp of the Revolution, it heats up the intimate Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company this winter under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer.

Packer directs Elizabeth Aspenlieder, who won the coveted Elliot Norton Award for her tour de force performance in Bad Dates last winter, and Josh Aaron McCabe, most recently seen last fall as Sherlock Holmes (and a host of other characters, both male and female) in the runaway hit The Hound of the Baskervilles. Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) was ahead of its time as a novel in 1782 and it still may be ahead of its time today.

“Zany” and “freewheeling” are two of the adjectives being used to describe Shakespeare & Co.’s new offering, opening tonight in Lenox, Massachusetts. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is, of course, based on the story by Arthur Conan Doyle.  Three actors play 16 characters, including Watson and Holmes.  At Brook Farm Inn, we’ve already purchased our tickets, as some of the guests have done as well, since you can walk to the theater from here.  The play runs through November 8th, and is a welcome attraction for the foliage season. We’ll tell more about it after we see the performance.

Sherlock Holmes (Sidney Paget, 1904)

We’re delighted that Brook Farm Inn is mentioned by Francine Segan on this terrific website magazine in an article entitled “Summer Breakfasts — Perfect for a Sunday Brunch.”  http://www.bettyconfidential.com/cbc/food-home.html  Francine is a food historian and cookbook author who’s written about us in the past.  She is also a noted presenter, who was at Shakespeare & Co. last night, and our guests who attended raved about her.  We’ve enjoyed Francine’s presentations about food and movies, and also food in Shakespeare’s time. We highly recommend her cookbooks!

The weather is great, and the hours we’ve spent gardening  at Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, are paying off!  So everything looks green — just the right weather for hiking, or relaxing among our flowers and trees.  Also, here are some suggestions for theater performances this weekend, to keep you busy every evening.

Berkshire Theatre Festival performs  The Faith Healer, “An intenseluy powerful play by one of Ireland’s greatest playwrights.”

Shakespeare & Co. opens Romeo and Juliet tonight.

Mixed Company in Great Barrington offers “April in Paris,” a delightful comedy. 413-528-2320.

Shakespeare & Co.,  in Lenox, right around the corner from Brook Farm Inn, has announced its program for the ‘09 season.  Wow! It will be the longest season ever — May 27 through March 14, 2010.  There are two theaters on the Shakespeare campus, plus the outdoor theater, and the program has something for everyone. Hamlet, Othello, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet.  Then there are contemporary plays:  Shirley Valentine, Golda’s Balcony and more.  We can’t wait to take our grandchildren to “Toad of Toad Hall” at the Outdoor Bankside Festival. Go to the website www.shakespeare.org for  full information and tickets.

The Berkshires is a destination for every season.  In winter, not only can you enjoy wonderful outdoors recreation, but the arts are alive and well!  Next weekend there are two live theater performances that we at Brook Farm Inn (Lenox, Massachusetts) can recommend.  First, at Shakespeare & Co. is “Bad Dates,” which we’ve seen and enjoyed.  “Bad Dates” is good theater, very entertaining. Then there’s the Ghent Playhouse which is also offering a comedy, “The Boys Next Door.”

Shakespeare & Co. is presenting “The Canterville Ghost” from Sept. 19th through November 9th.  Adapted from the story by Oscar Wilde, it sounds like the perfect play for the autumn season.  Featured is Michael Hammond as Sir Simon the Spellbinder.  Hammond received rave reviews for his recent portrayal of Iago.  We have our tickets, and will encourage our guests, at Brook Farm Inn in Lenox Massaachusetts, to see it.

Right around the corner from Brook Farm Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts, Shakespeare & Co. will have the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence  on July 4th at 3 PM.This is always an inspiring and powerful event…you can hear the words echo through the centuries, and they are still true.  Admission is free, but you need a ticket, so reserve asap.