Articles by Bess Hochstein

Yet another long-standing fan favorite returned to the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival this month. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago first appeared at the Pillow in 1983 and has graced the historic Becket, Massachusetts, stages more than […]

Before we proceed, it seems necessary to admit that I’m not crazy about musical theater. Of course, there are exceptions: Oklahoma, to be sure, and I’m a huge Hamilton fan—the original cast recording is a […]

When the New Zealand-based dance group Black Grace made its US debut at Jacob’s Pillow in 2004, the stunning performance resounded around the world. Former artistic and executive director Ella Baff had made yet another […]

When I first heard the premise for Anna in the Tropics, I assumed this play was a comedy—a mash-up of Anna Karenina with Cuban emigres in a Florida cigar factory: hilarity ensues. And while this […]

Seeing Kyle Abraham’s dance company A.I.M. perform An Untitled Love at the Ted Shawn Theatre last week at Jacob’s Pillow—the world’s preeminent dance festival—felt to me like a homecoming on many levels. As a lover […]

This exceptional summer theater season in the Berkshires keeps getting better and better. Just when you think you’ve seen the best play you’ll see all summer, another production comes along and blows you away. Such […]

The indie film Once was a surprise hit of 2007. Made on a shoestring budget in Ireland, with no big names, no special effects, and no cataclysmic or euphoric climax, it’s the type of quiet […]