Comedian John Mulaney Had the Crowd at the Mahaiwe Theater’s Annual Gala in Stitches

Saturday night in the Berkshires town of Great Barrington, supporters of theater and the performing arts were lured to a tent across from the beautifully renovated Mahaiwe theater for its annual gala. The crowd gathered to raise money for their local theater—a mini-hub of culture in the mountains—but also, for comedian John Mulaney, who would later have the audience in stitches. Though the Mahaiwe frequently features big-time names on its marquee (David Sedaris took the stage the night prior) guests were particularly tickled by Mulaney’s appearance and his support of the small-town theater.

On green tablecloths, punctuated by terra-cotta planters bursting with colorful end-of-summer arrangements, guests enjoyed farm-to-table local delicacies; each plate featured a different tie-dyed heirloom tomato display at peak ripeness. The night’s honoree Maggie Buchwald—past board chair, friend of the theater, cultural philanthropist, and wife of super-agent Don Buchwald—took to the stage to commemorate her time on the board of the theater, explaining, “I didn’t have an understanding of philanthropy until I came to the Berkshires.” Accepting praise from Mahaiwe founder Lola Jaffe, Buchwald humbly shared, “thank you for coming out to celebrate me, but as far as honors go, the honor is all mine.” Film producer Nicholas Ma (of Won’t You Be My Neighbor) then spoke to gala attendees about the importance of updating the theater’s film equipment to support one of the many mediums to showcase. As a berry-filled dessert made its way around the room, spirited auctioneer Rachel Orkin-Ramey successfully raised additional funds for the theater’s renovation efforts.

Now in fine spirits, guests made their way across the street, filling in the Mahaiwe theater where they warmed up their laughing muscles and doubled over for the sharp and keen Seaton Smith (Girls, Inside Amy Schumer, Mulaney). Comedian John Mulaney finally took the stage to face a rosy-cheeked and watery-eyed crowd who he immediately sent into hysterics by complaining that he received more instructional emails for this gala from the small-town committee than he did for a private show he did for the First Lady at a secret military base across the globe. “Glad to be here honoring this beautiful theater,” Mulaney shared with a delighted audience, admiring the ornamental plaster, and then, in perfect Mulaney timing, with a cocked brow he couldn’t help but ask, “but seriously, is it haunted?”