>> NARRATOR: Coming up on Weekends With Yankee: Nothing says the arts in New England like Tanglewood in the summer, so Amy heads out to the Berkshires to see what it takes to make the perfect picnic at this famous music festival.

>> You can spend a little bit of money on a lawn ticket, and all of a sudden, everybody's living the good life.

>> NARRATOR: Next, we travel to Williamstown, Massachusetts, to experience a little of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and catch a performance by Matthew Broderick in a new play called "The Closet."

>> Mr. Wilde.

>> Ronnie Wilde, of... ♪ Ronnie Wilde ♪ ♪ Lost control ♪ >> NARRATOR: Then it's over to New Hampshire to tour the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, the former home of one of America's greatest sculptors.

>> It's a way of introducing people not only to art, but also the wonderful natural beauty of the area.

>> NARRATOR: And finally, Richard visits the MacDowell Colony, an artists' colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, that has hosted such legends as composers Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, and playwright Thornton Wilder, who wrote Our Town here.

>> I'm always intimidated when I first get here, because everyone is so fascinating and amazing, and has such an interesting story and is working on such interesting stuff.

>> NARRATOR: So come along with us for a once-in-a-lifetime journey through New England as you've never experienced it before, a true insider's guide from the editors of Yankee magazine.

Join explorer and adventurer Richard Wiese, and Yankee senior food editor Amy Traverso, for behind-the-scenes access to the unique attractions that define this region.

It's the ultimate travel guide from the people who know it best.

Weekends with Yankee.

>> Major funding provided by: ♪ ♪ >> Massachusetts is home to a lot of firsts.

The first public park in America, the first fried clams, the first university in America.

The first basketball game.

What's first for you?

♪ ♪ (birds chirping) >> Series funding provided by the Vermont Country Store, the purveyors of the practical and hard-to-find since 1946.

>> The Barn Yard, builders of timber-frame barns and garages.

>> And by American Cruise Lines, exploring the historic shores of New England.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Lenox, Massachusetts.

This picturesque little town nestled in the Berkshires has long been a magnet for artists and writers, including such notable residents as Edith Wharton and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Today, it's perhaps best known for Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

One of the great joys of visiting Tanglewood is to bring a picnic, sit on the expansive lawn, and listen to the beautiful music.

We caught up with chef, caterer, and cookbook author Alana Chernila, who has been perfecting the art of the Tanglewood picnic for years.

>> TRAVERSO: What's our menu today?

>> So, today we're going to be-- we're going to go pretty simple.

You know, it's so beautiful, we don't need much.

So we're going to do a nectarine, corn, and scallion salad.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh, beautiful.

>> And then we're going to do a cold beet soup with some buttermilk and herbs, and we'll put some toppings on there.

And I just have some nice bread, some local cheese.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh, that sounds perfect.

>> A little chocolate and fruit.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: While Amy starts making the corn salad, Alana prepares the leeks for a cold beet soup.

>> TRAVERSO: How did you get started with food?

>> You know, it was sort of accidental.

I was in my late 20s, I was working at the farmers' market as one of my jobs, and I found that that was my favorite thing I did all week.

I was sharing recipes with people at the market, I was helping them figure out what to do with the vegetables they were buying, and a friend of mine encouraged me to start a blog, and it just kind of went very quickly from there.

My first book came out in 2012, so it didn't take long.

>> TRAVERSO: Wow, that happened quickly.

>> Yeah.

>> TRAVERSO: So, you've done three books.

>> I started out writing really about making foods that people normally buy, so it's sort of yogurt and granola and those sort of things.

And then my second book followed in that path, as well.

And my third book is all about vegetables, so it goes back to the beginning for me, yeah.

>> TRAVERSO: Wow, that's terrific.

Now, when did you first sort of get into the Tanglewood picnicking culture?

Because it's not just about the food, it's sort of about creating a little, almost like a dining room on the lawn.

>> Exactly!

>> TRAVERSO: Some people have candles, and they bring china... >> Yeah, and flowers.

You can spend a little bit of money on a lawn ticket, and all of a sudden, everybody's living the good life.

And you walk around, and you can see, some people might bring pizza and a couple of cans of beer.

And then you go to the next one, and it's, like, candelabra and wine glasses.

(Amy laughing) It's, like.

this amazing scene.

>> TRAVERSO: So where are we going to fall on that spectrum?

>> I think we're going to fall right in the middle.

>> TRAVERSO: Yeah.

>> Right in the comfort zone.

We'll bring our flowers, we'll bring our wine.

(sizzling) I have these local white nectarines that are so amazing right now.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh!

>> You want to pick out the ones that feel good to you.

I want to cut them right into the bowl, because all that amazing juice is going to help make the dressing.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh, yes.

>> So I think we're almost there.

Do you see how pretty this is getting?

>> TRAVERSO: Beautiful.

>> And so the basil is the last part, and then we're going to put some salt.

Then squeeze a lime over, and that's how it is going to be all finished.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh, great.

♪ ♪ >> So I'm going to put beets and some lemon juice, and leeks, stock, herbs, buttermilk.

>> TRAVERSO: Perfect.

>> All in the blender, and that's going to make our soup.

(blender whirring) (blender stops) >> TRAVERSO: Oh, that's so good.

♪ ♪ So the Berkshires are located in this interesting spot in western Massachusetts, where it's sort of two hours from Boston and two hours from New York.

So, I can see how it attracted a lot of vacationers.

But it's got this real history with the arts.

>> It's really a big piece of the spirit of this place.

It was a lot of artists who didn't want to follow convention in terms of where they summered.

It's a magnet for people wanting to create.

>> TRAVERSO: So, a little bit on each?

>> Yeah, just a little scoop on each.

I'm going to grab some feta.

>> TRAVERSO: I love that the vessel used to transport it is also the vessel you use to eat.

>> It's all about ease, right?

>> TRAVERSO: Just stick your spoon in there.

>> The fewer dishes, the better.

>> TRAVERSO: Yeah.

All right, that looks beautiful.

>> All right.

So we've got that, we're going to just do a little... >> TRAVERSO: ...extra pepper.

>> And we'll top all these jars.

Doesn't the show start at 2:30?

>> TRAVERSO: I think it does.

>> So, we should probably get ready.

>> TRAVERSO: Okay, all right.

>> Amy, I think we're ready.

>> TRAVERSO: Oh, great.

>> Do you want to come grab one of these baskets?

All right.

>> NARRATOR: Alana lives in Great Barrington, about 25 minutes from Tanglewood.

>> TRAVERSO: Tanglewood's been around for 80 years and I've been coming here my whole life, but I cannot wait to meet up with some locals and see the picnic scene from the inside.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: With their picnic basket all packed, Alana and Amy head to the lawn to meet up with Alana's friends.

>> TRAVERSO: Hi!

>> Hi!

(Amy laughs) >> Good spot?

♪ ♪ >> TRAVERSO: New Englanders are real weather optimists.

There are people here-- I mean, it's forecast for rain, but people are still here, I love that.

>> It's a gem of a place.

It's a great way to expose your family to classical music, and have a good time doing it.

>> This is the most civilized thing that one can do on a Sunday afternoon, in, in Massachusetts or anywhere else.

>> The atmosphere at Tanglewood is unique.

We have beautiful nature.

We have people who love music.

We have people who are devoted, and there's always something wonderful happening on the stage.

>> TRAVERSO: What do you guys have?

This looks amazing.

Wow, all right.

Roasted figs and nectarines with goat cheese?

>> Ah!

>> TRAVERSO: That is beautiful.

>> Yum.

>> Roasted tomatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, feta, and this dressing that I... >> TRAVERSO: Is that, like, a tahini, sort of, peanut butter or something?

>> Tahini.

>> TRAVERSO: Tahini, nice.

Sausages.

>> Sausages from our local farm.

>> TRAVERSO: Ooh.

So, do you ever do, like, competitions, or is there any element of competition with picnics?

>> You know, there's more... an inspiration, I like to think.

>> TRAVERSO: Yeah.

(laughs) >> Cheers.

>> TRAVERSO: Cheers.

Let's try the soup.

I've been looking forward to this forever.

Mmm!

You know what?

In the time it's been sitting, the dill flavor has really kind of worked its way into the rest of the soup.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> TRAVERSO: It's so good, it's like another layer of flavor.

>> It is, it's even better than when we tried it in the kitchen.

>> TRAVERSO: Mm-hmm.

This salad tastes even better.

>> Oh, good!

>> TRAVERSO: It's just had a little more time for the flavors to combine.

And the herbs, in particular the basil, is really popping.

>> I'm so excited.

>> TRAVERSO: Mmm.

(orchestra tuning) Sounds like the music's going to start any minute.

And then we'll just sit under here, under the sun!

>> I think it's going to be good, I think we're all set.

>> TRAVERSO: Yay, this is great.

>> (laughs) (playing gentle classical piece) (music ends) ♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America's finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to this beautiful college town.

The festival is a nine-week summer series of performances designed to delight audiences of both local residents and summer visitors.

We stopped by this idyllic town while the festival's world premiere of The Closet was being performed by Matthew Broderick and a team of New York actors.

It is fair to say the Williamstown Theatre Festival anchors the arts scene in the Berkshires.

>> The Williamstown Theatre Festival is part of a group which we call ArtCountry.

And ArtCountry is the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Mass MoCA, the Clark, the Williams College Art Museum, and the Bennington Museum.

And together, we offer, you know, an opportunity for people to come up and stay for a couple of days, see everything that there is to see in this little corner.

And that's before you layer in Tanglewood and Jacob's Pillow, and all of the other extraordinary offerings which, if you wanted to fill weeks of your time here in New England, you certainly could do.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: For years, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has been a place where luminary actors, directors, and writers want to be: names like Blythe Danner, Audra McDonald, Marisa Tomei, Bradley Cooper, Sam Rockwell, and others.

>> There's something about making work in this environment, which is so beautiful, and so quiet, and so inviting, and so safe in many ways, that I think it's almost like a piano player, a virtuosic piano player going back to just remembering how to play the scales, right?

When theater makers come here, they can relax.

Time slows down.

>> NARRATOR: In the last few decades, Williamstown has become known for its performances of innovative versions of classics, including The Skin of Our Teeth, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Seagull, and Our Town.

>> Hopefully pulling forward all of that richness of honoring great work on stage by actors and directors, and adding to that a kind of pillar made of great playwrights.

So we are expanding what we do again, continuing to honor our past, but in looking forward, growing into being a place where some of the best, and, you know, hopefully most impactful theater is being generated here by living playwrights with extraordinary collaborators who want to come back summer after summer.

>> NARRATOR: One of the key productions during our visit is a play called The Closet, starring actor Matthew Broderick.

>> You must be Martin O'Reilly!

>> Yes?

>> I just saw your house!

Your neighbor showed it to me.

I've come to talk to you.

>> Oh, yes, yes, of course.

>> Thank you for coming to the office, Mr. Wilde!

>> Ronnie Wilde, of ♪ Ronnie Wilde ♪ ♪ Lost control ♪ ♪ Ronnie Wilde ♪ >> It's set in rural Pennsylvania, and the setting of this play is a Catholic religious supply warehouse in a converted old building, not unlike the sort of mills you see when you drive through New England.

>> What the hell is this place?

(laughter) >> Is this the nuns' equivalent of a stewardess's lounge?

(laughter) >> Matthew Broderick plays Martin O'Reilly.

And Martin O'Reilly's life, when we meet him, is in shambles.

His marriage has come to an end.

His relationship with his teenage son is really fractured, and he thinks he's going to be fired because he has made a series of mistakes from which he does not think he is going to recover.

>> I noticed a basketball-- so there's a son?

Or two, or a butch daughter?

(laughter) >> A son, a teenager.

The judge said that he was old enough to choose where to live-- he chose his mother.

He thinks I'm boring, too.

>> Are you?

>> I must be.

(laughter) >> Matthew's character, Martin, has to rent out his house, because he can't make ends meet.

A character played by Brooks Ashmanskas, named Ronnie Wilde-- who is openly gay-- rents half of his house, sort of sees the shambles that Martin O'Reilly's life is in, and, in order for Martin to keep his job, Ronnie encourages him to out himself as gay, and in doing so, sort of become a member of a protected class from which he could not be terminated, and hijinks ensue.

>> The truth about Martin is, the truth about Martin is... >> I'm gay.

>> He's not... >> I'm gay.

>> He isn't... (laughter) >> I'm gayer than a French poodle in a gay... (laughter drowning out line) >> Did you say you're as... >> I'm gayer than those little straw shoes worn by men in the Pyrenees.

>> Espadrilles!

>> Espadrilles!

I'm gayer than espadrilles.

I like the drinks with names that aren't beer or wine.

And the spiffy clothes, and, and the adjectives, and the, and... What else, what else?

I like to clean, I like to pick things up, and listen to show tunes, like... >> ♪ We're gonna to rock it tonight!

♪ ♪ Tonight!

♪ >> I'm gay!

Who's gay?

Me gay!

So gay!

(laughter) >> NARRATOR: So, after its run in Williamstown, where will the play go from here?

>> We shall see.

You know, there's a ton of interest in, in what, what will become its next life.

And we are certainly working quickly to figure all of that out.

>> They knew about us!

(laughter) >> Oh, Christ!

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Driving north into New Hampshire, we come across the beautiful town of Cornish, home to the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

This is where one of America's greatest sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, once lived.

Here, you can see more than a hundred of his artworks, both in the galleries and on the grounds, from huge heroic monuments to expressive portrait reliefs.

>> The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is the only national park in New Hampshire.

It's a site which has been here for a little over 50 years, and it is a way of introducing people not only to art, but also the wonderful natural beauty of the area.

>> NARRATOR: Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in Ireland, but grew up in New York City, after his family immigrated to America.

Today, he is generally acknowledged to be the foremost American sculptor of the late 19th century.

>> The works of art that you see at the park are all works by him.

Some of the casts are later casts, but they're all from the original molds done by his studio.

Or, if they're done later, they're done from the originals.

>> NARRATOR: One of his most famous pieces is called the Standing Lincoln.

It was one of the last pieces to be placed in the park, in 2016.

>> It's a monument which we've wanted at the site for some time.

♪ ♪ So when a visitor arrives, the first piece he'll see is the Standing Lincoln.

Right around the back of him is the Farragut Monument, so you can see the famous Civil War admiral there.

Elsewhere in the grounds is the Shaw Memorial, the Adams Memorial, and then the little studio where he worked, where you'll see the Diana and many of his other pieces.

So we're looking at the Shaw Memorial.

People will be surprised, because they will expect that it's in Boston, and we have not teleported it here.

It actually is in Boston, but it's here, as well.

This is actually the last version.

Saint-Gaudens made, actually, four versions of it, and this is the last one that he did.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: Saint-Gaudens is one of the greatest Civil War and Gilded Age sculptors in America.

>> When people ask me what my favorite is, I always think it's like asking a parent which child is the best.

But if I were to choose, it's the portrait of General Sherman, which is so lifelike and so intense that you really get a sense of the general and the man.

He's still a powerful figure in American history, and Saint-Gaudens captured that very well.

>> NARRATOR: While the grounds remain open throughout the year, the exhibit buildings are closed from November to the end of May.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ From Cornish, we travel south to Peterborough, New Hampshire, and the MacDowell Colony.

Because it's open to the public just one day each year, most people never get a chance to see this place.

But on this beautiful fall day, Richard got a real behind-the-scenes look at one of the most exclusive artists' retreats in the world.

The MacDowell Colony nurtures the arts by offering about 300 fellowships a year to creative individuals, and giving them an inspiring environment in which to work.

>> WIESE: The MacDowell Colony is the leading contemporary art residence program in America.

For over 100 years, over 8,000 students have come here to write, perform, and create.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: The MacDowell Colony was established by pianist Marian MacDowell in 1907 to help foster the arts.

It was also a way for her to pay tribute to her husband, Edward, a composer.

>> Edward MacDowell was sort of a rock star in the turn of the century, in the late 1800s.

He came up here every summer, where he wrote his best work.

And his wife, Marian Nevins MacDowell, she set about building the artists' colony when he became terminally ill.

So this was kind of bringing something beautiful out of the ashes of the loss that she was suffering.

♪ ♪ >> WIESE: The colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is located on over 400 stunning acres of woodland.

♪ ♪ 32 studios house artists for weeks, if not longer.

It's been a variable who's who of artists who've come to work here-- everyone from composer Leonard Bernstein, Alice Walker of Color Purple fame, and Thornton Wilder, who wrote one of the most performed plays in America, Our Town.

>> NARRATOR: Each of the cabins is built to offer an experience of total solitude.

Artists gather only for group meals and to share their work.

♪ ♪ One amazing tradition at MacDowell is the daily delivery of lunch to each individual artist.

A team of chefs makes delicious meals that are then packed carefully into hand-painted wicker picnic baskets.

Then, as he's done for many years, Blake Tewksbury delivers them to each cabin doorstep so the artist remains undisturbed.

>> It's pretty amazing.

It's one of the ways in which the colony honors the people that come here.

It's a job that's only gotten better as I'm here, and I think all the long-term employees would tell you that, and because a percentage of the people return, we all develop long-term relationships with these individuals, and it makes for a rich history and a rich life for each of us.

>> NARRATOR: Playwright James Anthony Tyler is working on a play about gun violence.

He arrived here a few weeks ago.

>> It was really nice to come out here and have the solitude and be able to dive back into trying to create something new.

And it did take a couple of days to adjust.

(chuckling): Because it is quiet.

It's disturbing, because when I'm writing back in Brooklyn, you know, I can make it an excuse to, you know, check text messages and check the email, but not here, so it was an adjustment, but a great adjustment.

>> NARRATOR: Jiehae Park is also a playwright.

She's been at MacDowell for just a few days and is working on a new, as-yet untitled play.

>> It feels like coming here, especially at the beginning, is, is this slow shedding of all of the noise of everyday life that can build up and unconsciously interfere with whatever this magical thing is of, of creating something.

>> NARRATOR: She loves the spirit of warmth and community and caretaking.

>> It's so incredible to be with artists from different disciplines and from my own discipline.

I'm always intimidated when I first get here, because everyone is so fascinating and amazing and has such an interesting story and is working on such interesting stuff.

>> NARRATOR: Like her colleague, Clair MacDougall is also a writer, an independent journalist working on a book about Liberia called West Point Calypso.

>> My hope is to complete a couple of chapters of my book and to get a greater sense of the narrative, and, you know, how much more work I'll have to do, and the reporting I'll have to do when I get back to Liberia.

♪ ♪ >> NARRATOR: So how do you get to go to MacDowell?

>> MacDowell operates on an open application system.

We have three application deadlines each year.

Anyone can apply.

The important thing about applying to MacDowell is the work sample; that trumps everything else.

We're very interested in what you think is your best work.

>> NARRATOR: For exclusive video, recipes, travel ideas, tips from the editors, and access to the Weekends With Yankee digital magazine, go to weekendswithyankee.com and follow us on social media, @yankeemagazine.

Yankee magazine, the inspiration for the television series, provides recipes, feature articles, and the best of New England from the people who know it best.

Six issues for $10.

Call 1-800-221-8154. Credit cards accepted.

>> Major funding provided by... ♪ ♪ >> Massachusetts is home to a lot of firsts.

The first public park in America, the first fried clams, the first university in America, the first basketball game.

What's first for you?

(birds chirping) ♪ ♪ >> Series funding provided by the Vermont Country Store, the purveyors of the practical and hard-to-find since 1946.

>> The Barn Yard, builders of timber-frame barns and garages.

>> And by American Cruise Lines, exploring the historic shores of New England.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪