Pioneer Valley Theatre News August 9, 2018

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser  August 9 - 29, 2018 I will be out of town next week - but there will still be a newsletter. However, if you would like an event included in the next newsletter (which will cover August 16-September 5), please submit by THIS Friday, August 10 at 12 noon. If you miss the deadline, your event won't be in a newsletter until August 23!  Also, if you haven't seen it yet, I've created a spreadsheet for all Pioneer Valley Theatre Makers to list their skills and contact info - for networking, job opportunities, etc. If you are a director, designer, technician, actor: Add yourself! The next issue will include events through September 5. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me before Tuesday at midnight (EXCEPT THIS WEEK BY FRIDAY!). Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Submit Your Theatre Event Audition Appointments Now Open: Call 413-259-3065 Tickets on sale now! THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround Casting An Actor with Albinism: The Importance of Authenticity On Stage by Julie Taiwo Oni From the article:  How do you cast authentically when there is not a single actor of a certain identity to be found within your community? If my mission as a playwright is to share stories of the underrepresented, then how can I cast an actor who lacks the marginalized identity my script requires? This obstacle is an important element of the current fight for fairness in casting, and I encountered it full-force on my own journey to find a Black teenage male actor with albinism. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Want to know even more about events in the Pioneer Valley and beyond, including reviews, interviews, and previews? In the Spotlight, Inc. Berkshire on Stage Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet PERFORMANCES Chester Theatre Company presents THE ALIENS by Annie Baker 8/9 at 2pm and 8pm, 8/10 at 8pm, 8/11 at 2pm and 8pm, 8/12 at 2pm, 8/16 at 2pm and 8pm, 8/17 at 8pm, 8/18 at 2pm and 8pm, 8/19 at 2pm Town Hall Theatre, 15 Middlefield Rd., Chester, MA Included in the NEW YORK TIMES as a must-see production at a summer festival in Western Massachusetts! Jasper and KJ, both suffering from “failure to launch,” have created their own universe behind a local coffee shop, where the dumpster smells last week’s lattes. Enter Evan, an impressionable new employee/high school student intrigued by the pair’s unconventional charm. While the two impart their “wisdom” on their new, young friend, life’s great pleasures like literature and music are savored along with its bitter brew. Tickets. Double Edge Theatre’s We The People Summer Spectacle 2018 August 9 - 19 7:30 pm Wed - Sun, rain or shine We are reimagining We The People, with entirely uncharted territories to explore. The audience will travel among the fields, flowers, waterways, barns, forests, and secret paths of our blooming, verdant Farm. Birds fly above, transforming into human form as they gently land. Courageous citizens emerge from the past - a farmer, an immigrant, a suffragist, a black knight and more - leaving a legacy of vital imagination that shapes the present and future. Enormous creatures appear from the trees and spring up from the water; a woman’s voice is heard, her song of longing floating on the wind. History, flight, and music are woven together to create an allegorical tapestry, the audience invited to wander among these fantastical, interlaced worlds. For tickets: doubleedgetheatre.org/tickets Exit 7 Youth Players presents The Little Mermaid Friday 8/10 at 8PM, Saturday and Sunday 8/11-12 at 2PM Exit 7 Theater, 37 Chestnut Street, Ludlow, MA Exit 7 Youth Players present Disney's The Little Mermaid August 3-5and 10-12. Based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, and the wildly popular Disney film, this musical staging of The Little Mermaid features a funny and fanciful book by Doug Wright, with the beloved score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Glenn Slater in an expanded but completely faithful form, featuring the rambunctious and persuasive “Under the Sea,” the romantic expectation of “Kiss the Girl,” and that anthem to longing and belonging, “Part of Your World.” Directed by Andrew Gilbert with Music Direction by Dan Monte and Choreography by Stephanie Gilbert.  Beautiful mermaid Ariel should be a happy girl -- she lives in an enchanted undersea country, her father is a King, and she has the most beautiful singing voice. But she is a passionate, headstrong teenager, and wants what she cannot have -- to live on land. When she falls in love with a handsome human prince, Ariel is more determined than ever to gain a pair of legs. But her only option is to defy her furious father, and bargain for the help of Ursula the Sea Witch, with her voice the price of entry onto dry land. With the help of Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and officious court composer Sebastian the crab, Ariel must wordlessly gain the love of Prince Eric within three days -- or lose her soul to the ambitious witch! Please visit http://www.exit7players.org/buy-tickets/ for tickets. Reserved Ticket Prices: $22 Preferred (first four rows), $20 Adult, $18 Seniors (62+), Students with ID, and Children (12 and under). Prices for special shows and events may be different. For group sales, (10 or more tickets/$15 each, Preferred seating not included) or wheelchair seating please contact the box office directly at 413.583.4301. Preferred seating excluded in group discount offer. More information. The Country Players Youth Production  Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – A Musical  Adapted for stage by Susan K. Morgan, Original Music by Danny Elfman New Lyrics by Susan K. Morgan and Nikolas Thompson August 10th and August 11th, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday August 12th at 2:30pm.  Performances will be held at Frontier Regional High School, 113 N Main Street, South Deerfield MA.  Tickets: Adult General Admission $12, Students (10 and under) $10, and Seniors (65 and up) $10   The Country Players’ Youth Theater troupe has been busy once again! Join us for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – A Musical, featuring the music of this much beloved story. Come see Jack, Sally, Oogie Boogie, Dr Finkelstein, the Mayor and all the fun characters of Halloween town tell this fun story.   Facebook event    Happier Valley Comedy: Grand Opening Show Saturday, August 11 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA Don't miss the first ever show in our NEW HOME! Longtime local favorites The Ha-Ha's take the stage for the first time along with friends Kelsey Flynn, Paul McNeil, and Scott Braidman for a completely improvised comedy show. Stick around after the show for a theater tour, raffles, and a celebratory drink next door at The Taproom! Saturday, August 11th at 7pm at the new Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door. www.happiervalley.com Tomfoolery Entertainment presents Tomfoolery: Sketch Comedy Live! Aug 17 @7:30PM, Aug 18 @7:30PM, Aug 19 @2:30PM (Nuestras Raices Farm) 24 Jones Ferry Rd, Holyoke MA A unique bled of crude and clever comedy, "Sketch Comedy Live!" is a variety show presented by Tomfoolery Entertainment, featuring original sketch comedy, improvisational comedy and guest musical performances!  Nuestras Raices Farm (La Finca) 24 Jones Ferry Road, Holyoke, MA, 01040 Friday August 17th @7:30 PM (Doors open at 7PM!) Saturday August 18th @7:30 PM (Doors open at 7PM!) Sunday August 19th @2:30 PM (Doors open at 2PM!) Pre-sale Admissions: $10 Student Admissions (at the door): $10 General Admission (at the door): $15 Tickets ***ADULT CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This show was designed for a mature audience and includes material that some viewers may find offensive. 18+ Recommended*** Facebook event   AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies Is your theatre company missing? Email me! Academy of Music Theatre Arena Civic Theatre Black Cat Theater Chester Theatre Company The Country Players Eggtooth Productions Exit 7 Players Ghost Light Theater Hampshire Shakespeare Company Happier Valley Comedy Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts Ko Theater Works/Ko Festival of Performance Majestic Theater New Century Theatre PaintBox Theatre Pauline Productions Real Live Theatre Red Thread Theater Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Silverthorne Theater Smith College Department of Theatre St. Michael's Players Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. TheatreTruck Turbulent Times Theater Westfield Theatre Group Wilbraham United Players Smith College Department of Theatre is hiring Publicity Manager for the Arts  Position Summary: Provide creative vision for audience development and publicity management in the Dance, Theatre, Music, and Film and Media Studies Departments. Plan and manage publicity efforts, and develop promotional ideas in conjunction with chairs and artistic directors. Duties and Responsibilities: Develop long-term strategies for publicity, marketing and on-line presence. Plan and manage new publicity efforts and promotional ideas in conjunction with chairs and artistic directors. Responsible for the design, production, and distribution of all physical and digital publicity and marketing materials. Collect information, and create (writing and editing, and creating or supervising layout and design) all publicity materials for Dance, Music, Theatre, and Film and Media Studies public events. Write, edit, and disseminate press releases, PSAs, and associated material in timely fashion for regular performing arts season events and for additional events as assigned by supervisor. Understand and follow Smith College general public relations protocols. Coordinate with College Relations as appropriate. Maintain media materials for press and websites. Plan and coordinate new publicity efforts and promotional ideas in conjunction with chairs and department objectives. Hire, train, supervise, and maintain schedules and job assignment descriptions for student employees. Plan and analyze annual budgets and submit to chairs for feedback and approval. Manage publicity budget. Work with departments to set audience and revenue goals, and consult on ticket pricing with attention to those goals. Coordinate with Budget and Provost’s offices about budget and additional needs. May need to attend evening rehearsals, performances, concerts, screenings and/or other events. May advise or participate in committee work or planning in the four departments. Qualifications: Education/Experience: BA/BFA and 3 years job-related experience and/or the equivalent combination of education and/or experience. Professional experience in arts marketing and/or publicity. Skills: Ability to solve problems; ability to take initiative; excellent communication (oral and written), organizational and interpersonal skills; strong project and budget management skills. Comfort and experience with social media and marketing. Graphic design skills are a plus but not required. Additional Information: This is a 44 week, academic year position.  Applications can be submitted until August 15, 2018 for priority consideration for this position.  The search committee will begin reviewing candidate profiles on August 16th, 2018. More info and to apply.  HCC MUSIC AND THEATER 2018 FALL MUSICAL "IN THE HEIGHTS" Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes Directed by Patricia Sandoval and Ellen Cogen Auditions are Tuesday and Wednesday August 21 & 22, 2-5pm and 6-8pm with possible callbacks on Friday, August 24. Holyoke Community College Fine & Performing Arts Building, Leslie Phillips Theater (the Forum) Performance Dates: Thursday through Saturday, November 8, 9, and 10 and November 15, 16, and 17. Auditions will consist of -Readings from the script -16 bars of a song from "In the Heights" -Dancing. Wear clothing you can move around in. Set around Fourth of July in the primarily Hispanic neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City, "In the Heights" tells the universal stories of three generations living in this vibrant community. Their neighborhood is on the brink of change, and the characters sing about their hopes and struggles. These songs tell audiences about the dreams of first-generation college student Nina Rosario; Abuela Claudia, who left her home country of Cuba as a child; Usnavi de la Vega and Daniela, who fight to keep their small businesses open as the neighborhood faces gentrification; and many others. Each character negotiates which traditions are important for them to keep and which ones they should leave behind. This production is made possible, in part, by the support of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts. *You do not have to be an HCC student to audition* Facebook Auditions for Ghost Light's final show of 2018, "Sex With Strangers." by Laurie Eason August 29 and 30 at 7:00 PM Gateway City Arts, 92-114 Race St. Holyoke, MA How far will you go to get what you want? Will you be the same person if you do? When twenty-something star sex blogger and memoirist Ethan tracks down his idol, the gifted but obscure forty-ish novelist Olivia, he finds they each crave what the other possesses. As attraction turns to sex, and they inch closer to getting what they want, both must confront the dark side of ambition and the trouble of reinventing oneself when the past is only a click away. Directed by Kevin Tracy CHARACTERS: OLIVIA: 39 and then 41. Smart, sexy, outwardly strong but covering some fragility. American but spent many years living abroad. ETHAN: 28 and then 30. Very charismatic, sexy, a fast talker, used to being the center of attention. From Chicago but has little to no accent. Performance dates: 11/9, 11/10, 11/15, 11/16, 11/17 @ 8pm 11/11 @ 2pm A selection of the script can be found here: https://www.dramatists.com/previews/5079.pdf Auditions will consist of cold reads. There may be a callback date. This play will not be appropriate for children. For questions contact kevinrt@kevinrt.com Facebook. Springfield College Theater hiring a Technical Direction/Scenic Designer Springfield College Fuller Arts Center and scenic shop Beginning Fall 2018 Provide technical direction and scenic design for Springfield College Theater, supervised and directed by Prof. Martin Shell.  We produce one play each semester. Fee per show. Applicants with an MA or MFA may also apply to instruct a stage production course as an adjunct. TD does not require the grad degree, but please provide your resume of experience. Contact mshell@springfieldcollege.edu Auditions for Amherst Leisure Services Community Theater's upcoming production of Peter Pan are September 14-16! Audition appointments can be made via phone at 413-259-3065. Auditions are at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. The production will be an exciting and inclusive take on the classic story of Peter Pan. The show goes up in Bowker Auditorium at UMass Amherst in January 2019. Cast size will be about 60. Auditions are open to anyone age 7-107 (no performing experience required). Folks of all genders, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations are encouraged to audition. Visit www.alsct.org/auditions for more information (including an audition FAQ) and email producer@alsct.org with any questions. Request for Proposals Eggtooth Productions Radical Interconnectedness Festival Turners Falls, MA April 26, 27, 2019 We are seeking proposals from artists to address the concerns of marginalized communities.   We invite stories that engage issues of race, age, gender, religion, economic class, and those aspects of cultural identity that have been suppressed.   We seek a wide range of artistic expression: music, dance, theatrical, visual, immersive, installation.   Commission fee will be $500 and Eggtooth will provide the venue, the audience, and promotions for the work.   Email proposals to: lmciner@gmail.com Deadline is October 31, 2018 WORKSHOPS & CLASSES MAKE LEARNING WITH REAL LIVE THEATRE THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR SUMMER! We are psyched to launch five brand new summer workshops for theatre makers of all backgrounds, interests, and levels of experience. All workshops are led by RLT members and educators and will take place at the North Star Building on Route 116 in Sunderland, MA. Join us for any or all of these fabulous afternoons - discounts are available for those interested in more than one! Saturday August 11th 12-4 PM: Choreographing Intimacy with Toby Vera Bercovici and Ellen Morbyrne Saturday August 25th 1-4 PM: Instigating Hope and Change Through Theater with Ezekiel Baskin and Trenda Loftin CLICK HERE for more information on each workshop, our educators, and how to register! Feel free to email reallivetheatre@gmail.com with any questions. Happier Valley Comedy presents Forget Your Fear & Trust Your Truth: A Personal Growth Workshop for Women with Pam Victor August 12 at 10:00 AM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley Ready to disregard the hogwash that’s holding you back? Would you like to get better at quieting your inner critic, so you can amplify your truth? Ready to be braver about standing up to authority and authentically speaking your mind? Would you like to connect mindfully with a group of supportive women who are on (and by) your side?  Do you need more play in your life? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then treat yourself to a day of self-care and empowerment on Sunday, August 12!  "Forget Your Fear & Trust Your Truth" is a three-hour workshop packed with learning and laughter, community and connection, mindfulness and manifesting, trust and truth. This workshop provides you with game-changing tools to bolster these skills in a supportive, judgment-free community of women using fun and active improv exercises to help you gain courage to flip off your fear and trust your truth because YOU ARE ENOUGH. This workshop is part of the "Females Unleashing Courage, Knowledge, Individuality, and Truth Program" which facilitates powerful learning experiences through easy-to-learn, non-performance improv training exercises. Most improv exercises are completed in a circle or pairs; participants are never forced to be “on stage.” Pam Victor's superpower is making sure all people along the introvert-extrovert spectrum feel successful and have a blast with the THROUGH LAUGHTER workshops. Throughout the workshop, you'll have opportunities for both private reflection and focused sharing of your experiences and knowledge in a positive, judgment-free community of women who are there to lift each other up. Let's grow stronger together!  NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED! THIS WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ALL WHO IDENTIFY AS WOMEN AGES 18+.  No improv (or other) experience necessary. More information. Submit your workshop or class or audition or performance or job or any other theatre opportunity here! 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