Pioneer Valley Theatre News May 12, 2016

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser   May 12-June 1, 2016 The Northampton Arts Council Grant deadline is May 15! It's a great opportunity to have your event supported by our local cultural activities council, and you can easily apply online. There's more information and a link to the application in the Opportunities section below.  The next issue will include events through June 8. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me before next Tuesday at midnight. Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Submit Your Theatre Event THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround We Work Hard for No Money: Findings from an Independant Survey on Theatre Internships by Molly Marinik From the article:  What do you do with a BFA in theatre? If you’re an actor, you start auditioning. If you want to work at a theatre company, you get an internship. I had two internships during and immediately after graduate school. Both were unpaid and part-time. From learning valuable skills, to observing life in fancy institutions, to meeting peers and mentors who I am so grateful to consider my colleagues and friends today, my internships were a resounding success. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES The Majestic Theater presents BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO May 12-22  West Springfield The musical, which features the music of Neil Sedaka, is set during Labor Day Weekend in 1960 and features Marge and her stagestruck best friend Lois, who arrive at Esther’s Paradise Resort in the Catskills. Marge has just been left at the altar, and has decided to turn what would have been her honeymoon into a vacation with Lois. Romantic schemes and entanglements involve the pair along with several other characters, including Del Delmonaco, the resort’s handsome singer, Gabe, a geekish handyman, Harvey, the Borscht Belt comic and the widowed Esther. Cast members include Elizabeth Swan (Marge), Alexandra O’Halloran (Lois), Robbie Simpson (Del Delmonaco), Denise Walker (Esther) and Frank Aronson (Harvey). The play will be directed by the Majestic’s Producing Director Danny Eaton. Mitch Chakour is the music director, and set design is by Greg Trochlil. Ticket for the play range from $25-$30 and are available by calling or visiting the box office during its hours of operation, which are Monday through Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm.  More information online. Starlight’s Youth Theatre invites you to take a journey with them Into The Woods    May 13 at 7 p.m.; May 14 at 2p.m. and 7 p.m.; and May 15 at 2 p.m. Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton The success of Disney’s Into The Woods movie starring Meryl Streep has energized this local musical theater group to present the original Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical version by Stephen Sondheim and you can see it will come alive on the Academy of Music stage. This musical brings favorite fairy tale characters such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk to life; they set off to make their wishes come true but soon learn to be careful what they wish for as witches, giants and wolves loom.   Tickets are $10 for children/seniors and $14 for adults and are available at the Academy of Music Box Office or online. Unity House players presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lyrics by Tim Rice May 13, 14, 20, & 21 at 7:30 pm May 15 & 22 at 2:00 pm Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield, 245 Porter Lake Dr., Springfield MA 01106 Calling all dreamers!   General Admission: $18 Students/Seniors: $15 Director/Choreographer: Kathleen Delaney Music Director: Elisabeth Weber Tickets. For more info visit us on Facebook at Unity House Players; Email or Call: 413-739-2324 Exit 7 Players presents URINETOWN: The Musical May 13, 14, 20, & 21 @ 8pm, May 15 & 22 @ 2pm Exit 7 Players Theater, 37 Chestnut St., Ludlow, MA In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom! More information online. Happier Valley Comedy presents the Happier Valley Comedy Show Saturday, May 14th at 8pm doors open at 7  Arts Block Cafe 189 Main St., Greenfield, MA Tickets available online and at the door: $13 This month, The Ha-Ha's are joined by our special local friends GerryNuggeT, a two-person improv group featuring Mosie McNally and Kristina Smarz and THE HA-HA'S will perform "Shrink: Where Freud Meets Funny" More information here. J-ART at the JCC presents J-ART Youth INTO THE WOODS, JR. May 19 at 6:00 PM, May 22 at 11:30am and 3:00pm; May 23 at 6:00pm Springfield JCC: 1160 Dickinson St, Springfield, Massachusetts 01108 Come Into The Woods with J-ART Youth Theater, directed by Tony Jones. More information on Facebook.  For tickets call 413-739-4715 Children under 12: $5 Adults: $10  Reserved Patron Seating: $20 Happier Valley Comedy presents the Happier Family Comedy Show Saturday, May 21 at 4:00 PM 121 Club at Eastworks  Funny for the whole family (and perfect for kids 5-12 and their adults)! Get your family-friendly funnies in this totally interactive, high energy improv comedy show on the third Saturday of every month.  Facebook event here. Answers to your FAQs: IS THIS SHOW FAMILY FRIENDLY? Um, yeah! By its very definition and design. This show is rated G. We think it's most appropriate for kids 5-12, but everyone is welcome. WHAT MAKES A FAMILY? Love makes a family. You don't need to be related to come to the family show. You don't even need to be a kid!  WHAT IF I GET THIRSTY DURING THE SHOW? Little kid and "big kid" drinks are available for purchase before the show. WHAT IS THE FAMILY MAX TICKET THING? It's our immediate family discount. So you pay only $20 max for an immediate family circle. But our tickets are super reasonable anyway: Kids are only $5. Their adults are $10. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES The Northampton Arts Council has set a May 15th deadline for applications from organizations, schools and individuals for grants that support cultural activities in the community.   The online application form is now open and available here. The application process will be online only. Please do not submit paper applications. These grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds, including exhibits, writings, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies or performances in schools, workshops and lectures. The Northampton Arts Council is a unique Local Cultural Council in that it offers a second round of grants every spring with money raised through annual events like Transperformance and the Four Sundays in February Series.  Funds will be available in the following categories: Dance, Film/Video, Literature, Mixed Media, Music, Schools, Theater, and Visual Arts. Last spring, the Council awarded $15,000 to 23 recipients with grants ranging from $250-$1500.  Projects must start no earlier than July 1, 2016, and must be completed by June 30, 2017. ArtsEZ grants are reimbursed to the recipient after the completion of the project. More info here. Auditions for Ghost Light Theater's summer production of Becky's New Car  May 16, 6:00pm  Bangs Community Center, Amherst MA May 17, 7:00pm  Hackworth School of Performing Arts- 397 Main St. Easthampton, MA Callbacks May 19, 7:00pm  Hackworth School of Performing Arts- 397 Main St. Easthampton, MA Auditions will start approximately 30 minutes after posted time. Sides are available by request by emailing joseph.van.allen@gmail.com. Performances will be August 12, 13, and 14, and August 19, 20, and 21 in Easthampton, MA. SYNOPSIS: Have you ever been tempted to flee your own life? Becky Foster is caught in middle age, middle management and in a middling marriage—with no prospects for change on the horizon. Then one night a socially inept and grief-struck millionaire stumbles into the car dealership where Becky works. Becky is offered nothing short of a new life…and the audience is offered a chance to ride shotgun in a way that most plays wouldn't dare. BECKY'S NEW CAR is a thoroughly original comedy with serious overtones, a devious and delightful romp down the road not taken. CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS (4 men, 3 women): Becky Foster (40s-50s): Narrator of the story. She is engaging and charming. Note: Becky breaks the fourth wall and interacts with the audience, so some improvisation skill is required. Joe Foster (40s-50s): Becky’s husband. Hard-working, insightful, and caring. Chris Foster (20s): Becky and Joe’s son. He is a grad student in psychology and still lives with his parents. Funny and quirky. Walter Flood (50s-60s): A wealthy businessman who lost his wife recently. Gentle, friendly, and earnest. Kenni Flood (20s): Walter’s daughter. Strong, intelligent, and emotionally supports her father. Steve (30s-50s): Becky's co-worker at a car dealership. He is coping with a recent loss in strange ways. Ginger (30s-50s): Walter’s neighbor, struggling admirably through a shift in identity. For more information, please contact Joe Van Allen at joseph.van.allen@gmail.com Facebook event here. TheatreTruck hosts a roving Meet & Greet for The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Community Tuesday, May 17 7:30pm Northampton Brewery in the bar area Join us in Northampton! It's "community pint night" at the Brewery, so we've decided to plan our meet up around a good cause this month! Please help spread the word and add your company members and colleagues to the guest list. A casual night out of chatting and networking. What is the most pressing issue facing Pioneer Valley performing artists? American artists? Come talk about it. Grab a drink, say hello, talk up your latest project. We hope to see you there.  Audition for the J-ART 2016 Summer Series: J-ART Sings May 23 Springfield JCC: 1160 Dickinson St, Springfield, Massachusetts 01108 We're holding auditions for our annual summer series fundraiser performances! This summer, we’re holding two café-style revue performances of “J-ART Sings.” Performers of all genders, ages 15 and up are welcome. Use this link to sing up for an audition slot. Slot times are 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Performance Dates: J-ART Sings: Women Who Rock – Tuesday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m. J-ART Sings: Favorite Animated Classics – Sunday, August 28 at 12:00 p.m. Audition Info: Please prepare 32 bars of a song in the genre(s) you will be auditioning for. Either bring a CD or be prepared to sing a capella. Performers must be available on 7/18 & 7/19 for “Women Who Rock” and 8/25 & 8/28 for “Favorite Animated Classics." All participants have a $50 ad sale requirement Facebook event here. The Country Players are pleased to announce two opportunities to audition for their summer youth theater program: A Night of Mysteries. Children in grades k-12 are invited to audition for one of two separate one act plays. The Mystery of the Gumdrop Dragon is a sweet tale that takes place in days of Yore and is aimed at younger children. For the older kids and teens, it is And Then There Was One, a parody on the Agatha Christie's murder mystery with jokes and puns flying as are the weapons. There are also plenty of opportunities for children who want to help out backstage with lights and sounds and crew work.  Auditions:  May 30 (6pm) at Karen's Dance Studio in Greenfield and May 31 (6pm) at Frontier Regional School in South Deerfield. For more info or questions, please email:mystery.gumdrop.dragon@gmail.com Summer Internships and Apprenticeships with New Century Theatre Season: May 31-August 6 New Century Theatre’s Internship Program is a full-time summer experience meant for motivated individuals who are looking to bridge the gap between their academic experience and a career in theatre. Our interns are vital members of this small professional theatre, working alongside a dedicated company of artists, administrators, technicians and designers. Interns will gain practical experience, knowledge and industry contacts. New Century Theatre encourages interns to learn the basics behind all areas of theatrical production by varying intern assignments throughout the ten-week program. The apprenticeship program at New Century Theatre is a part-time summer program for local high school students. Apprentices may work backstage, assist in the creation of props and costumes, and run the light board for our NCT Kids productions. Apprentices interested in lighting, costumes and set design may also have the opportunity to help with our mainstage New Century Theatre shows. More information and applications available online. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Have a class, workshop, audition or event coming up? 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