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Battle of Egremont: A tale of biscuits and betrayal
Upstairs at The Triplex, July 26!
It was an insult. It was a misunderstanding. It was an epic family drama that tore a community asunder, sending eerie ripples through the rest of American history.
Or was it?
In Battle of Egremont: A tale of biscuits and betrayal, Berkshire-based writer Jeremy D. Goodwin finally tells the tale that’s never been told, with the help of original and historical photography, artwork, and juicy anecdotes uncovering the dastardly cause of the split between tiny Berkshire villages North Egremont and South Egremont.
Battle of Egremont: A tale of biscuits and betrayal will be performed for one night only this summer, at the Triplex Cinema on Thursday, July 26 at 8 p.m. as part of the Upstairs Live at the Triplex series. Tickets are $15 each and available now, at the Triplex Cinema box office or online. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Seating is limited. Triplex Cinema is at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, Mass.
Or was it?
In Battle of Egremont: A tale of biscuits and betrayal, Berkshire-based writer Jeremy D. Goodwin finally tells the tale that’s never been told, with the help of original and historical photography, artwork, and juicy anecdotes uncovering the dastardly cause of the split between tiny Berkshire villages North Egremont and South Egremont.
Battle of Egremont: A tale of biscuits and betrayal will be performed for one night only this summer, at the Triplex Cinema on Thursday, July 26 at 8 p.m. as part of the Upstairs Live at the Triplex series. Tickets are $15 each and available now, at the Triplex Cinema box office or online. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Seating is limited. Triplex Cinema is at 70 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, Mass.
(Get tickets here)
Battle of Egremont follows the surprising breadcrumb trail leading from a family dispute in Colonial Egremont that sent its lemony ripples through the rest of American history, from President John Adams’ breakfast habits to the surprising cause of the War of 1812, even inspiring one of the most popular albums of the 1980’s.
“This is the story the powers that be in North and South Egremont don’t want you to hear,” says Goodwin. “If this comedy of bad manners were not still so raw, so awkward, so dangerous, I ask: why isn’t anyone else talking about it? This should be taught in every school, but instead it is swept under the carpet like so many stale biscuit crumbs.”
“This is the story the powers that be in North and South Egremont don’t want you to hear,” says Goodwin. “If this comedy of bad manners were not still so raw, so awkward, so dangerous, I ask: why isn’t anyone else talking about it? This should be taught in every school, but instead it is swept under the carpet like so many stale biscuit crumbs.”
Framed as a lively show-and-tell with the help of the big screen at the Triplex, Battle of Egremont examines the hilarious alternate history of the conflict that split North and South Egremont, from the town’s days as a boom town—fueled by the popularity of the near-mythical Egremont Biscuit—to latter day humiliations that continue to haunt the community and keep the wounds fresh. As the old folk song goes: At what price a delicious biscuit? A question-and-answer period follows the presentation.
Goodwin is an independent journalist who has contributed to publications including the Boston Globe, American Theatre, ARTnews, Berkshire Living and the newly launched Berkshire Magazine. He is the pop music critic for the Berkshire Eagle and a regular news contributor to New England Public Radio. His slideshow presentations on King Phillip’s War and the Battle of Egremont have been popular hits at Berkshire Creative’s BarCamp events, and he performed Battle of Egremont in workshop form for a capacity audience at the 2011 Word X Word festival, where it was a breakout hit.
“If one thing comes out of this presentation,” Goodwin says, “I hope we can begin the healing. It’s time to start enjoying biscuits without the weight of history I know we all feel every time we bite into a cookie, crumpet or johnnycake.”
Goodwin is an independent journalist who has contributed to publications including the Boston Globe, American Theatre, ARTnews, Berkshire Living and the newly launched Berkshire Magazine. He is the pop music critic for the Berkshire Eagle and a regular news contributor to New England Public Radio. His slideshow presentations on King Phillip’s War and the Battle of Egremont have been popular hits at Berkshire Creative’s BarCamp events, and he performed Battle of Egremont in workshop form for a capacity audience at the 2011 Word X Word festival, where it was a breakout hit.
“If one thing comes out of this presentation,” Goodwin says, “I hope we can begin the healing. It’s time to start enjoying biscuits without the weight of history I know we all feel every time we bite into a cookie, crumpet or johnnycake.”
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Rogovoy Report on 2011 performance
Battle of Egremont
Workshop performance in Pittsfield, MA on August 16, 2011!
It was a tea-time treat lauded not only for its delicious taste and distinct hint of citrus, but for its potential to launch an industry that could put a small community on the map. But the legendary "Egremont biscuit" instead became an enduring symbol of strife and lost opportunity. The little-understood episode known as the Battle of Egremont is now finally explained in a non-partisan manner. An imaginative historical “lecture” incorporating period accounts, artwork, and quotes from historical figures ranging from President John Adams to the obscure diplomat George Madison Michael, Battle of Egremont is a workshop performance presenting an alternate and unconventional history of the split between the villages of North and South Egremont.
Produced by New Stage Performing Arts Center (NSPAC) and presented as part of the Word X Word Festival, Battle of Egremont is written and performed by Jeremy D. Goodwin. It is presented as part of a double bill with Phil Johnson’s The Unusual Adventures of Mr. Jib on Tuesday, August 16 on the third floor of the Beacon Cinema building (55 North Street) in Pittsfield. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Admission is free, but on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is cabaret-style, with a cash bar present. No advance ticketing is available. Battle of Egremont is approximately thirty minutes in length, with a question-and-answer period.
"Anyone who's lived in Egremont can attest to the heavy weight this sorry chapter still exerts upon the community, from the stilted smile of a shopkeep to the weary shrug of a librarian,” Goodwin asserts. “The lingering indignity is still so fresh, I don't believe I've ever even heard anyone in town so much as mention the Battle of Egremont. Nor will most historians admit it even occurred. And good luck finding fresh lemons. It's time that this story be told."
In early Colonial New England, one brother insults another. The rift divides the community, disrupting its early biscuit-based economy and irrevocably splitting the town of Egremont in two. Or did it? Goodwin posits in this dramatic performance that the reverberations from the now-forgotten incident have traced a subtle but powerful course through American history, from John Adams’ enduring bitterness to the failed treaty talks that could have stopped the War of 1812. The Battle of Egremont may have left a scar from which we are still healing. This multimedia presentation explores colorful anecdotes that help sketch out this alleged episode and its lingering legacy, from the infamous Trail of Awkward Silence to the "slap heard 'cross the village." The gulf that divides North Egremont from South Egremont is a chasm that divides us all from our past. Or perhaps it doesn’t. At what price a delicious biscuit?
Produced by New Stage Performing Arts Center (NSPAC) and presented as part of the Word X Word Festival, Battle of Egremont is written and performed by Jeremy D. Goodwin. It is presented as part of a double bill with Phil Johnson’s The Unusual Adventures of Mr. Jib on Tuesday, August 16 on the third floor of the Beacon Cinema building (55 North Street) in Pittsfield. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Admission is free, but on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is cabaret-style, with a cash bar present. No advance ticketing is available. Battle of Egremont is approximately thirty minutes in length, with a question-and-answer period.
"Anyone who's lived in Egremont can attest to the heavy weight this sorry chapter still exerts upon the community, from the stilted smile of a shopkeep to the weary shrug of a librarian,” Goodwin asserts. “The lingering indignity is still so fresh, I don't believe I've ever even heard anyone in town so much as mention the Battle of Egremont. Nor will most historians admit it even occurred. And good luck finding fresh lemons. It's time that this story be told."
In early Colonial New England, one brother insults another. The rift divides the community, disrupting its early biscuit-based economy and irrevocably splitting the town of Egremont in two. Or did it? Goodwin posits in this dramatic performance that the reverberations from the now-forgotten incident have traced a subtle but powerful course through American history, from John Adams’ enduring bitterness to the failed treaty talks that could have stopped the War of 1812. The Battle of Egremont may have left a scar from which we are still healing. This multimedia presentation explores colorful anecdotes that help sketch out this alleged episode and its lingering legacy, from the infamous Trail of Awkward Silence to the "slap heard 'cross the village." The gulf that divides North Egremont from South Egremont is a chasm that divides us all from our past. Or perhaps it doesn’t. At what price a delicious biscuit?
