Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

The mission of The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is to be the leading year-round presenter of performing arts, film, and educational programs for the Southern Berkshires and neighboring communities.

Through programs of the highest quality in dance, music, theatre and opera, we ensure a diversity of talent on the stage of our newly restored historic theater, at ticket prices affordable to our community. Our goal is to present available programs that appeal to all ages and interests.

The Mahaiwe Theater opened in September 1905 and is one of the oldest surviving theaters in the country. In its early years, the theater presented touring vaudeville acts and performers such as John Philip Sousa. It was transformed into a movie palace in 1930 and has been in continuous operation for over 100 years. Celebrated for its splendid acoustics, the theatre has played an important role in the life of the area.

The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center was formed in December 2002 and launched its first six-month presenting season with a Centennial Celebration in May 2005. The theater has been newly restored, with great attention to historical detail, at a cost of over $9 million. The restoration was overseen by noted architect, Hugh Hardy, www.h3hc.com/, with engineering and construction by skilled Berkshire craftspeople and artisans. The theater is a recipient of support from Save America’s Treasures, the historical restoration has been certified by the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the National Park Service, and the theater’s application is pending to be on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Mahaiwe is now a unique year-round performing arts center presenting music, dance, theater, opera, and classic films in the southern Berkshires. The theater seats almost 700 audience members. We have brought over 40 live events, more than 60 classic films, and the Metropolitan Opera “Live in HD” broadcasts to the theater’s stage and screen as well as hosted dozens of performances presented by others. The Mahaiwe strives to welcome the broadest possible community into our theater on an ongoing basis.