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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter

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March 7 - 27, 2019

There are so many things going up in the next three week! Go see one or two or a bunch of them! Also, is one of them your show that you would like featured? For only $5 you can have the top newsletter slot. Send me an email to reserve for next week.

The next issue will include events through April 3. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me before Tuesday at midnight. Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com

Submit Your Theatre Event

THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS:

from H owlround
Carrying On Our Cultural Responsibility Through Theatre
by Puakahiki Kaui Kaina

From the article:

My ancestors are grounded in the districts of Puna, Kona, Hilo, and Hāmākua on the island of Hawaiʻi. I come from generations of people who are rooted in this land with stories that are longing to be told and need to be heard. I have often questioned myself in search of my place and responsibility to my family, my ancestors, and to future generations. I believe we all come to a point in our lives where we need to discover what our purpose is in this life. For me, it came by way of hana keaka Hawaiʻi, or Hawaiian theatre.

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
Stagestruck

Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet

PERFORMANCES

Double Edge Theatre presents SUGA

Conceived, created, and performed by Travis Coe
Directed by Stacy Klein

Open rehearsals: March 6-7
Previews: March 8-10

An investigation of freedom, and the bounds — personal, artistic, societal, and political — one must break through to achieve it

Almost sold out! Buy your tickets today >>

Support our Academy Youth Programs and come out to 42nd St.!
March 7 and 8 at 6:30 PM
Academy of Music

The ultimate show-biz musical, 42nd Street celebrates Broadway, Times Square, and the people who make the magic of musical theatre!

Peggy Sawyer may be from a small town, but she has big dreams. Fresh off the bus in New York, the young, hard-working Peggy lands herself a spot in the chorus line of a new Broadway show. At first she is just one dancer among many, but when the show’s leading lady is injured it seems that Peggy may get her shot at the limelight after all.

A Broadway classic that never fails to sweep audiences off their feet, this musical bubbles over with energy, humor, and show-stopping production numbers.

K and E Theater Group Presents SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
March 7, 8 & 9 at 7:30 PM and March 10 at 2:00 PM
Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA

"It's about one moment" for Western Massachusetts’ bold, new theater company, K and E Theater Group presents Tony Award Winner Jason Robert Brown’s first musical, SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, one weekend only, March 7-10 at Northampton Center for the Arts in Northampton.

The musical is presented as a collection of songs, artfully blending pop, jazz and gospel in powerful solo and ensemble numbers sweeping us into the multiple journeys that result in that “one moment” where we decide to stand our ground, take one step, and eventually find our way home.

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD features Ben Ashley, Paula Cortis, Melissa Dupont, and David Webber. Musical Direction by Bill Martin and Direction by KETG President and Artistic Director, Eddie Zitka.

All performances are at Northampton Center for the Arts, located at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tickets are general admission for $25.00. There is no reserved seating.

Visit www.KETG.org for more information about our company and our production.
Tickets.

Amherst Regional High School presents Tuck Everlasting: the Musical
March 7-9 at 7:30; March 9 at 2:00
Amherst Regional High School

ARHS presents this gorgeous new musical based on Natalie Babbitt's classic novel. Starring nearly 150 incredible students of Amherst Regional High School, who do everything from design, building, pit, and performance. We'd love to see you! An ideal family show, too - bring everyone!

Facebook event.

BOEING-BOEING LANDS AT MAJESTIC THEATER MARCH 7 – MARCH 31

“Boeing-Boeing,” a classic French farce by Marc Camoletti, will be presented at West Springfield's Majestic Theater February 21 – March 31. The comedy, translated and adapted by Beverley Cross, premiered in London in the 1960s where it ran for seven years. A 2008 Broadway revival garnered Tony Awards for Best Actor (Mark Rylance) and Best Revival of a Play.

The story is set in Paris, home to an American architect and lothario named Bernard who is “engaged” to three different air hostesses who don't know each other exists. All along Bernard has been carefully arranging their arrivals and departures based on the their flight schedules into Paris's Orly Airport. This arrangement works for him until one day he is visited unexpectedly by Robert, an old school chum from America. As Robert arrives, various flight schedules are changed, and the three women begin showing up at once. Critics describe “Boeing-Boeing” as a “madcap, politically incorrect, door-slamming romp of a comedy.”

Majestic Theater veteran Rand Foerster will direct the play with Danny Eaton serving as producing director. Greg Trochlil is set designer, Dawn McKay is costume designer, Dan Rist is lighting designer and production manager is Stephen Petit. Actors include Jack Grigoli (Bernard), Scott Renzoni (Robert), Christine Anthony (Bertha), Kyle Boatwright (Gloria), Katie Mack (Gabriella) and Larissa Marten (Gretchen).

Tickets for these shows range from $24-$34 and are now available by calling or visiting the box office during its hours of operation, which are Monday through Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm.
For additional information, visit www.majestictheater.com.

The Drama Studio Inc. presents The Wolves
3/08/19 @ 7:30 PM, 3/09/19 @ 7:30PM, 3/10/19 @ 6:30PM, 3/15 @7:30PM, 3/16 @ 7:30PM, 3/17 @ 3PM & 6:30PM
41 Oakland St. Springfield, MA 01118

Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. A portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.

*This show contains strong language and mature content.
*Currently our facility is not handicap accessible

TICKETS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-EXCHANGEABLE. Online ticket sales close 5 hours prior to the start of the performance.If the event is listed as sold out please contact us as 413-739-1983 for wait listing and potential availability.

wolves.brownpapertickets.com

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Ha-Ha's & Friends: Sparkle Hour!
March 9 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

Longtime local favorites The Ha-Ha's perform a completely improvised comedy show with a special guest - this month we welcome Philip Markle from NYC performing a musical one-man show! Saturday, March 9th at 7pm at the new Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). And stick around after for the 9pm showcase and open improv jam! Tickets: $13 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com.

March 9 and 23: Piti Theatre's 10th annual SYRUP: One Sweet Performing Arts Festival, Shelburne Falls Come experience a unique Hilltown tradition where the joy of the performing arts meets the sweetness of sap! Piti’s celebration of spring for family audiences at Shelburne-Buckland Community Center, 53 Main St. on Saturday, March 9 starts with a Pancake Party at 11 am! Award winning physical comedian Alex the Jester as seen on PBS and off-Broadway headlines the Festival at 3:30 pm followed by Alex's teen/adult workshop Primal Talk: Non-Verbal Stuff Made Fun! Piti’s much loved musical "Olde Coleraine" is at 2:30 and join us for pancakes, syrups, skits, and a CD release party from 11 - 2:30. Plus free Real Pickles and Red Sox raffle! Tix: $12/$10 students & seniors/$5 children at ptco.org/syrup or 1-800-838-3006.

Day 2 of SYRUP on Saturday, March 23: Tell them you saw it when! Piti Theatre's Jonathan Mirin, clown-dancer Narieka Masla, pianist Laura Josephs and vocalist Christian Schwedbler share their works-in-progress @ The Barn at 31 Water Street in Shelburne Falls. 2:30 pm: Masla's "Learning to Tango" followed by Mirin's comedic, autobiographical "Canary in the Goldmine" at 3 pm about his wife's developing a mysterious illness which turns out to be electro-sensitivity. Josephs and Schwedbler send us into the night with piano/vocal works by Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams, Ravel and Ives. And yes, there will be syrup tasting between each and every artist! March 23^rd is a free event recommended for ages 15+ Reservations strongly suggested because The Barn at 31 Water Street is an intimate venue. Reserve by emailing: info@ptco.org. Complete festival info: ptco.org/syrup

Ghost Light Theater presents March's Wednesday Workshop Play Reading
March 13 at 7:00 PM
Gateway City Arts, Holyoke, MA

March’s reading is TEDDY BEAR by Gayle Hudson. Young Becca accepts a twisted and quest-filled path to freedom from an unnerving attachment to a dark and controlling force. TEDDY BEAR is a disturbing and magical fantasy about getting out of the dark. With live music by Zoe Darrow. Directed by Jasmine Caamano.

Wednesday Workshop is a monthly reading series hosted by Ghost Light Theater and Gateway City Arts, presenting staged readings of local and new works to showcase the broad range of creative theatrical talents in the Valley. As well as a performance, the intention is to make Wednesday Workshop an opportunity for artists from our many communities to come together to meet and socialize.

In the interest of making the event financially accessible, the series runs on a pay-what-you-will model with a suggested donation of $5. The donations will be split between Ghost Light and each month's featured author(s). Please also consider coming early to order dinner from The Bistro, to support our generous venue; food and drink from The Bistro can also be brought into the performance. After the show, The Bistro will be open for food, drinks, and socializing.
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Northampton High School Theater and Music Departments Present Grease

Tickets Now Available for Rollicking 1950s Musical, to be Staged in NHS Auditorium, March 14-16

Northampton, MA, February 14, 2019 -- The Northampton High School (NHS) musical players are rarin’ to knock our socks off in their production of Grease in the NHS Auditorium on March 14, 15, and 16. The beloved coming-of-age Broadway musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School, features an ensemble cast and crew of NHS who will bring the sock-hop, the Burger Palace, and other raucous elements of ‘50s youth culture to life, inviting the audience to hop onto the roller-coaster of teen-age romance, angst, and hilarity.

With its colorful characters, intricate production numbers, and memorable songs, Grease evokes the most delightfully entertaining aspects of high school life in the 1950s. Comments Lucia Dostal, a member of the cast, “Yes, practices can sometimes be long, but every dance number we do makes us more excited. We get the feeling that this show is going to be amazing. It’s high-energy and high-focus.”

Director Marie Brown, a local performer, designer, and educator, is coordinating creativity from every corner of Northampton High. Musical direction is provided by Beau Flahive, creator/arranger/teacher of NHS’s famed a capella group, the Northamptones. The 80-person cast, crew, and band include several of Beau’s ‘Tones, singers from the NHS chamber choir and chorus, members of the Funktionlust improv troupe, NHS Band members, and students representing a range of activities and interests. A production of the NHS Theater and Music Departments, Grease also features choreography by Eddie Zitka, president and artistic director of K and E Theater Group. When the curtain comes down, you’ll want to hand-jive your way directly to Herrell’s Ice Cream for a rootbeer float to complete your night of wistful time travel.

Tickets for Grease are available at brownpapertickets.com (yes, a sellout is expected). Call words are “Grease!” and“Northampton High School Auditorium.”

Grease will be staged at the following dates and times:
•Thursday, March 14, 2019, 7pm.
•Friday, March 15, 2019, 7pm.
•Saturday, March 16, 2019, 2pm; and
•Saturday, March 16, 2019, 7pm.

Ticket prices are as follows:
•Northampton High School Students and Staff: $6.17 ($5 + service fee)
•Non-NHS Students, and Members of the Senior Community: $11.34 ($10 + service fee) •General Public: $16.52 ($15 + service fee)

Grease is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. Follow the activity on Instagram at @nhsgrease2019 and on Facebook at “NHS Grease The Musical.”

Happier Valley Comedy Presents The Happier Family Comedy Show
March 16 at 3:00 PM
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 W Bay Rd, Amherst, MA

Monthly family-friendly improv comedy show, great for 5-12 year olds and their adults. It's funny for the whole family! Saturday, March 16th at 3pm at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W Bay Rd., Amherst). Tickets at the door: $10/Adults, $5/Kids, Free/4 yrs and under (Reduced admission for museum members). For more info: www.happiervalley.com.

Happier Valley Comedy Presents: Not In Charge
March 16 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

Join the talented group Not In Charge for a polished, fast-paced improv show inspired by the improvisers' real life stories! Saturday, March 16th at 7pm at the new Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). And stick around after for the 9pm showcase and open improv jam! Tickets: $10 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com.

Happier Valley Comedy & The Majestic Theater presents Theater On The Spot!

March 18 at 7:00 PM
The Majestic Theater, 131 Elm St, West Springfield, MA

Calling all improv and theater lovers! Join us as talented improvisers from Happier Valley Comedy create an entire play on the spot based on your suggestions. While the cast and crew of the Majestic Theater's current farce Boeing Boeing take a much-deserved night off, we'll use their set, props, and lighting to present a theatrical experience like nothing you've ever seen.

Don't miss this one-night-only special performance full of comedy, drama, and the joy of the unexpected!

Monday, March 18th at 7pm
The Majestic Theater
131 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA
Tickets are $10, only at the door!

https://www.happiervalley.com/tots.html

A SKULL IN CONNEMARA
by Martin McDonagh
Performed by No Theater

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, March 21- 23 & 28 - 30, 8:00 PM,
A.P.E. Gallery, 126 Main Street, Northampton, MA.
Seating is limited. Tickets: $20.00. https://connemara.bpt.me
House opens at 7:30 PM. Performances start promptly at 8:00 PM.
No late seating. More information: (413) 586-5553 orlisathompson@apearts.org

No Theater, the resident theater of A.P.E., performs Martin McDonagh's A SKULL IN CONNEMARA, a dark comedy by the writer/director of the Academy Award winning film THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, for 6 performances only, March 21-30, at 8:00 pm at A.P.E.

A SKULL IN CONNEMARA was first presented as a Druid Theatre Company and Royal Court Theatre co-production in Galway, Ireland and then in London in the summer of 1997. "Mr. McDonagh's great strength is that he combines a love of traditional story-telling with the savage ironic humour of the modern generation.... In A SKULL IN CONNEMARA, a gravedigger, whose job is to disinter the bones of seven-year-old corpses and smash them to a pulp, is hotly suspected of killing his wife." THE GUARDIAN

Performed by No Theater veterans Roy Faudree, Charles Holt, Jane Karakula and Tom Mahnken, the play takes place in McDonagh’s fictional rural West Ireland small town where people “smile at you ‘til you’re a mile away before they start talking behind your back."

Based in Northampton, No Theater has been presenting their new original experimental works in Western Massachusetts and around the world since 1972, alongside innovative productions of plays by such diverse writers as Shakespeare, Chekhov, Čapek, Kroetz, Gogol, Williams, Albee, Berkman, Maceda, Mullin, McDonald, and Maxwell.

Ms. Karakula and Mr. Faudree appeared in No Theater's 1974 original production of THE ELEPHANT MAN before touring the work to New York in 1978 and reviving the production in The Academy of Music in 1986. Mr. Mahnken, founder and bass player for local band Trailer Park, appeared last year with Ms. Karakula and Mr. Holt in No Theater's "google gogol" and in several episodes of No Theater's ROAD TO HELL locally and in Rotterdam, as well as the European and Asian tours of No Theater's END OF THE ROAD, a collaboration with the Young at Heart Chorus. Mr. Holt performed No Theater's CHUCK in the Rotterdam Festival and regularly works with The Cardboard Sea, a theater based in Asheville, NC, which last summer toured its original production THE AMENDMENTS to Northampton.

Faudree started No Theater with Sheena See in 1972 and both tour internationally with the New York based theater company The Wooster Group. Throughout the 1980s Karakula, See and Faudree toured such original No Theater productions as DFS (de fiance suction), LAST RESORT and DUPE to New York, San Francisco and festivals and theaters throughout Europe.

Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh

T ickets.

UMass Play Lab
Swimming Lessons
by Shazeb Meraj and Jared Sarnie
Director: Erin Nicole Eggers
Dramaturg: Tatiana Godfrey
March 21, 29, 30 at 7:30 p.m.
March 23 at 2 p.m.

Come My Beloved
by Emma Weinstein
Director: Josh Glenn-Kayden
Dramaturg: Shaila Schmidt
March 22, 23, 28 at 7:30 p.m.
March 30 at 2 p.m.
The Rand Theater

$7.50 general admission per play, $5 per play for students and seniors. Call 1-800-999-UMAS or visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office online.

Come see how things play out — Play Lab presents two brand-new plays in development

Come My Beloved explores the downfall and resurgence of an American city
Swimming Lessons follows two young doctors as they navigate life and politics

Play Lab is for finding undiscovered gems. The exciting new works we present each year are fresh from the printer, and our Play Lab audiences are the first to see them live on stage!

From March 21-30, the 2019 edition of the UMass Amherst Department of Theater New Play Lab will present staged readings of two new plays that have been workshopped with the playwrights, MFA Directors and Dramaturgs and a company of actors. Come My Beloved, by emerging professional playwright Emma Weinstein, is a new play about race, intimacy, and Detroit, MI, and Swimming Lessons, by a pair of UMass students, Jared Sarnie and Shazeb Meraj, follows two young hospital interns as they navigate life, politics, and cultural differences.

Weinstein's Come My Beloved will be directed by Josh Glenn-Kayden with Shaila Schmidt as dramaturg. We experience the continuing impact of race and gentrification on personal relationships through a look at three black and Jewish couples from three different decades in Detroit. Heartfelt and insightful, Come My Beloved explores the downfall and resurgence of one of America’s most important cities and the vastly different trajectories of two communities within it.

Swimming Lessons, by UMass students Shazeb Meraj and Jared Sarnie, will be directed by Erin Nicole Eggers with Tatiana Godfrey as dramaturg. With funny, quick, and snappy dialogue, we follow the lives of two interns named Yusuf and Josephine as they navigate the inner workings of a reputable Boston hospital. This play explores timely conversations around representation, immigration, xenophobia, and racism—all fairly heavy topics—through a charmingly witty perspective and, as the authors happily note, “a lot of bad rap.”

These three writers will follow in the footsteps of previous years’ playwrights, including some whose plays have gone to be produced on the UMass mainstage and at professional theatres across the country. They will sit in on rehearsals and performances to hear their plays aloud, honing their work night by night. Those who come for our opening night may be seeing a completely different play than those who come to our closing performance!

This makes Play Lab a safe haven for established and emerging playwrights; it's also an opportunity for audiences to see new ideas in action and see the beginnings of what could be a masterpiece. Get your tickets now to be in the room to be part of this creation!

Post-show Discussions
We want to hear what you think! Please join the Swimming Lessons cast and crew on March 23 at 2 p.m. and March 29 at 7:30 p.m. for a Post-show Discussion. Please check our website for information about Come My Beloved discussions.

The Academy of Music is proud to present (In)Dependent: The Heroin Project, a new play by Kent State University students Emelia Sherin and Zach Manthey, directed by Linda McInerney (Eggtooth Productions) on March 22 and 23, 2019 at 7:30pm.

The drama is based on interviews with heroin users, counselors, and family members. It exposes the reality of the heroin crisis, and captures the physical, mental, and emotional issues that people who have experienced opioid misuse disorder, friends, families, nurses, policemen, and children undergo from primary and secondary interaction with heroin.

The Academy of Music Theatre has partnered with Hampshire HOPE (a multi-sector opioid coalition in Northampton) and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office on this project to raise awareness about Opioid misuse disorder, reduce stigma, and elevate the voices of those who are oppressed; to provide a deeper, more meaningful community engagement process which allows us to better understand the experiences of those impacted by Opioid misuse disorder. Performance evenings will begin with readings of the work that came out of the creative writing sessions led by HOPE, where those affected by opioids, including friends and family of users, people in recovery and people actively using, wrote on the toll opioid misuse has taken on their lives. The writing from these workshops will also be compiled into a FREE chapbook, along with the drawings of Marvel Comic, Marcus McLaurin, who has designed original artwork for this production. They will be handed out at the performances and around the community. The Academy has also given out over 200 free tickets to recovery centers in the area.

Tickets are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling or visiting the Academy of Music Box
Office. We are open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM and can be reached at 413-584-9032 ext.105.
Tickets can also be purchased online by visiting www.aomtheatre.com.

Show Dates/ Times:
Friday, March 22, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 7:30pm
Doors at 7:00 pm

Ticket Prices:
$10-20 (plus applicable fees)
Where/ How Tickets Can be Purchased:
Academy of Music Box Office Open Tuesday- Friday 3:00PM-6:00PM
Call: 413-584-9032 ext.105 (Service fees will apply with purchase)
Visit www.aomtheatre.com for online ticket purchases.

THE FEVER by Wallace Shawn
Winner of the Obie Award for Best Play, 1991.
Friday and Saturday, March 22, 23 at 7 P.M.
Performed by Peter B. Schmitz, Directed by John Hellweg
$10-15 tickets at the door.
Box office at 33 Hawley will open at 6:15 p.m. Seating limited to 30.

“Mr. Shawn exposes the contradictions and compromises of the urban liberal mind with a mercilessness that is sly and at times hilarious” (N.Y. Times)

Ghost Light Theater Presents: Constellations by Nick Payne
3/22, 23, 28, 29 & 30 at 8 PM & 3/24 at 2 PM
Gateway City Arts - 92 Race Street, Holyoke

Directed by Sue Dziura

How many chances do we get to make a first impression? For Roland and Marianne, the answer is infinite. In the play, running March 22-30 in the Mark Landy Party Hall at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, Payne proposes that life exists in a multiverse, in which countless parallel existences play out simultaneously, allowing for an infinity of possible futures. In Constellations, some of these parallel universes play out over the course of Roland and Marianne’s relationship. Do they hit it off right away or part ways, never to meet again? Does he break her heart? Does she break his? Will their relationship take root and grow into something beautiful, or will their romance be cut short by the decisions they’ve made? Marianne is played by Jen Campbell, and Roland by Kevin Tracy.

Performance for Constellations are March 22, 23, 28, 29 & 30 at 8:00 PM, and March 24 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $12 for evening performances & $8 for matinees and can be purchased at the door or online.

Constellations is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

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Happier Valley Comedy Presents The Happier Valley World Open Cup Grand Prix Series Derby Bowl Championship!
March 23 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

In this competitive comedy show, two teams of improvisers face off through scenes and games to see who can win the ultimate prize: an old trophy we found in someone's attic. Saturday, March 23rd at 7pm at the new Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). And stick around after for the 9pm showcase and open improv jam! Tickets: $13 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com.

Gypsy Layne Cabaret to perform burlesque theater at Hawks & Reed

WHO: Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Co.

WHAT: Burlesque theater

WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Hawks & Reed, 289 Main St., Greenfield, MA

TICKETS: $15 advance, $20 day of show
Tickets.
Facebook.

Gypsy Layne Cabaret & Co. returns to Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center! The Berkshires’ first homegrown burlesque troupe enters its ninth season with a bang — and then some — offering a dazzling evening of unabashedly body-positive entertainment in Greenfield on Saturday, March 23. There’s sexiness galore and laughs a plenty, punctuated by sizzling strips, alluring belly dance, live music, astounding swordplay, outrageous comedy, dynamic dance routines and more!

Gypsy Layne’s mission is to highlight burlesque as a vehicle for self-expression and self-empowerment. This tantalizing crew of saucy ladies and jaunty gents is ready to tease its way into your heart with its vivacious artistry, which has resonated with audiences all over New England and beyond for nearly a decade.

More info.

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Future of the Performing Arts in Easthampton
Sunday, March 31, 2-4PM
Flywheel Arts, Easthampton Old Town Hall
43 Main Street, Easthampton

Performing arts organizations, organizational leaders, performers, musicians, artists, and interested community members are invited to attend a convening on the Future of Performing Arts in Easthampton II.

Join CitySpace and performing arts stakeholders for a tour of the Old Town Hall and presentation and discussion about the next steps for the Old Town Hall’s 2nd floor performing arts and community space. We are looking for your feedback on the vision and facility plan, and how CitySpace’s next steps fits into the performing arts eco-system of Easthampton and the Pioneer Valley.

While you are in Easthampton, come check out two city-wide events — come early for Easthampton WinterFest: City-Wide Festival and stick around for Art Walk Easthampton!

This convening is presented in partnership with CitySpace, Pioneer Valley Theatre News, Flywheel Arts Collective, and others. The Future of Performing Arts in Easthampton II is a follow-up and outcome from the 2013 charette that mobilized CitySpace to restore and manage the 2nd floor space into a flexible performing arts and community space. Since then CitySpace has been actively creating the strategies for the next steps including finalizing architectural construction design, and cost estimates with Kuhn Riddle Architects.

The Future of Performing Arts in Easthampton II is free and open to the public.
Facebook event.

AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

AUDITIONS MARCH 9 & 16 FOR CHILDREN'S THEATER AT MAJESTIC THEATER

Auditions are currently being booked from 10am – 6pm on March 9 and 16 for parts in this summer's lineup of Majestic Children's Theater at West Springfield's Majestic Theater.

Performers aged 14-19 are encouraged to call the theater at (413) 747-7797 during business hours (Monday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-1pm) to schedule an appointment. They will be asked to read scenes during their audition. Performing a monologue (not to exceed one minute in length) and singing are encouraged, but not required. If singing at the audition, performers may bring an instrumental CD to accompany themselves. If the instrumental song is stored on their phone, the theater will provide a bluetooth speaker.

Shows being performed on a rotating schedule this July and August are “Disney's Mulan Jr.,” “Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat” and “Charlotte's Web.”

The Theater Project is a non-profit company that Producing Director Danny Eaton founded in 1991. Since March 1997 it has been in residence in West Springfield's historic Majestic Theater, a century-old venue that was recently named "Best Place to See Theater" and “Best Live Theatre Company” in newspaper polls. In addition, Eaton's work at the Majestic was honored with a Regional Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theatre by the New England Theatre Conference. For additional information, visit www.majestictheater.com.

Academy of Music Theatre seeks Technical Director

Description:

The Technical Director (TD) has the daily responsibility for the theatrical technical operations of the Academy of Music Theatre, including lighting, sound, set design and construction, and coordinating necessary theatrical maintenance. The Technical Director will act as crew chief, determining number of stagehands and scheduling staff for all productions. The TD will act as liaison with the steward of I.A.T.S.E. Local 232, communicating the number of stagehands required and will oversee union crew during production. The TD is responsible for all technical operations during all shows.

Duties and responsibilities include:

Determines the necessary technical supports, such as lighting, sound, staging, and special needs, necessary for events and performances presented at the facility in advance of production dates.

Engineers and provides for set ups, maintains and operates all house systems including but not limited to rigging, lighting, projections and sound systems for theater, dance, music, and other productions and projects; assists guest designers and artists with technical matters.

Engineers, supervises and assists with set and stage construction, installation and management.

Oversees stage crews and back stage staff; responsible for hiring and firing non-I.A.T.S.E stagehands and for maintaining records of job performance for all stage hands. Makes recommendations for training.

Orients Academy renters and visiting productions to safety, technical characteristics and other areas of facility operations; facilitates the use of the technical facilities by the resident company and others engaged by or renting the Academy.

Monitors the condition of and maintains all Academy theatrical equipment including lighting, sound, projection and rigging equipment; arranges for the repair and replacement within budget; performs preventive maintenance on equipment; prepares annual budget for equipment purchases and maintenance.

Assists with the preparation and control of Academy production budgets; maintains inventory and orders specialized supplies.
Provides estimate for production costs prior to rental contract execution and for Academy productions; provides invoice for work performed to Executive Director.

Assists Front of House Manager with facility maintenance.
Any other tasks assigned by Executive Director

Qualifications:

At least 3 years of relevant experience with a performing arts venue
Working knowledge of current techniques, methods and procedures of theater, dance, and music productions and presentations including stage, set, sound and lighting design and implementation; stage management; computerized lighting systems; stage carpentry; appropriate safety precautions and procedures.
Ability to lift and carry 50lbs
Excellent communication and interpersonal skill
Master Electrician
BFA in Technical Theater or commensurate experience
Experience working in a union house preferred

How To Apply:
Please send cover letter and résumé to Executive Director Debra J'Anthony at djanthony@aomtheatre.com by March 12, 2019. No phone calls, please.
Apply by:
March 12, 2019
Salary:
competitive
About this Organization:
The Academy of Music Theatre is an 803 seat non-profit performing arts center located in the beautiful college town of Northampton, Massachusetts.

K and E Theater Group is casting our November 2019 Production ASSASSINS

Auditions can be scheduled on March 18th or 19th between 6:00-9:00 PM.

Monday, March 18th in Springfield at the
Greene Room Performance Collaborative in the Eastfield Mall

Tuesday, March 19th in Northampton at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, 46 Center Street (Street Parking ONLY).

Callbacks on Saturday, March 23rd at the Greene Room Performance Collaborative from 12-5 PM.

Check out www.KETG.org/auditions for character breakdown and more information about how to sign up for your audition slot!

Our show runs from November 14-17, 2019, at Northampton Center for the Arts in Northampton.

OPENING: MANAGING DIRECTOR

The Northampton Center for the Arts is seeking a Managing Director for ongoing and increasing programming and development in our new home in the Arts Trust building at 33 Hawley Street. For over 30 years, the Center has provided affordable space for artists, performers, and educators while developing programming dedicated to arts education, multidisciplinary collaborations, and community connections.

The successful candidate for the position of Managing Director will possess practical knowledge and experience of scheduling and supporting a variety of visual and performing arts events. She/he/they will be comfortable being a public face of the Center, possess excellent communication skills and will be adept at networking and outreach. She/he/they will serve as the general manager for the Center, overseeing staff in a collaborative working environment, and supervising the building facilities. She/he/they will act as chief administrator for the Center, and a liaison to Northampton’s civic, non-profit, and commercial institutions, the greater Northampton arts community, and the partner organizations programming the spaces at 33 Hawley. The Managing Director will understand how to implement mission and vision in practice, and will guide the Center during its current period of exceptional growth and transition.

This is a full time position, including some evenings and weekends, with a salary that is competitive and commensurate with experience.

If you are an experienced arts administrator with a background in presentation and performance, and excellent communication skills, we want to meet you!

For a complete job description, please click here.

Qualifications:

Experience in performance/event space management
Experience with event planning/production and/or project management
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Resourcefulness and adaptability in multifaceted operations and range of partners
Experience with financial record keeping systems such as Excel or QuickBooks
Experience with social media platforms
Experience with Mailchimp and Squarespace or similar platforms

How To Apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@nohoarts.org. Please clearly label all files with first and last names.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, but priority will be given to applications received by March 18, 2019.

Smith College Department of Theatre seeks Technical Director

Position Summary:

Supervise and instruct students in technical responsibilities for the theatre complex and assist the instructor of set design courses. Responsible for scene shop operations and the safe use of theatre spaces in the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Supervise the Assistant Technical Director, student interns, assistants, and crews in the use and maintenance of all shop and stage equipment and stage properties, the setup and safety of flexible seating, dismantling and recycling of all scenery; organization of the technical and stage crew, and general shop and stage safety.

Create all construction drawings and direct the engineering, construction and rigging of all scenery including the scheduling of scenic construction, scene painting, installation of technical elements. Maintain, organize, and inventory all shop equipment, scenery, properties, platform storage, traps, flying equipment, floor treatments, rehearsal and stage spaces. Prepare annual stage and shop budget request and supervise all expenditures. Assist with the instruction of design and technical areas as requested by design faculty. Consult with the Assistant Technical Director, who serves part-time as the Technical Director for the Department of Dance, regarding dance production needs in theatre spaces. Assess the production needs of non-Departmental groups, provide a list of pre-approved technical staff, and/or approve the qualifications of visiting technical personnel.

Supervise the safe use of theatre spaces, including the scene shop and technical equipment, with the exception of lighting and sound equipment. Oversee the maintenance of all performance spaces.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience: Master of Fine Arts degree in appropriate field or professional equivalent experience.

Skills: Must have requisite technical skills in all aspects of construction, carpentry, metal work, and stage rigging, as well as a complete knowledge of shop and stage equipment. Knowledge of Vector Works and/or Auto CAD design software required. Knowledge of theatrical automation a plus.

Additional Information: Smith College is an EO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer

APPLY ONLINE before March 30.

Sex and Power Looking for Lighting Designer and Stage Manager!

Performances will be in early spring at the Northampton Arts Trust. Small stipend available.

Actor, dancer, interfaith minister Joanna Rush girlsplains the complexities of Sex and Power in our culture. Enduring date rape and gang rape in real life she went on to a career in movies and on stage playing various species of seductress, which, by the way, exposed her to misogyny as practiced internationally throughout history. Covering ground that ranges from evolutionary biology to Greek mythology, the invention of masculinity, our socio-economic systems, and anecdotes from her own acting career, she provides insights that can help us heal today’s sorry state of sexual affairs. Rush’s creative, nontraditional outlook offers hope and a road map for how we can progress and ride the #MeToo movement into a healthier sexual landscape for all.

More information here. Contact Joanna with questions.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Happier Valley Comedy presents Free Your Mind: Beginner/Intermediate Improv Workshop with Philip Markle

March 9 at 10:00AM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

We start with our core belief that loving the hell out of whatever is happening onstage is the key to strong, successful scenes. You will learn that there is no right or wrong way to improvise - and that you become powerful as a performer by embracing your mistakes and failing gloriously. This class pairs this sense of artistic freedom with a focus on creating from a strong point of view, to be specific and surprising in your choices, and to confidently navigate the vocabulary and concepts that make-up long-form scenic improv. Then, we focus on the performer as part of the scene by diving into the dynamics that make up surprising and believable two-person, three-person, and group scene work. Lastly, we focus on the performer as part of the ensemble: so you can take care of yourself onstage--great! Now, how can you be a team player who listens and supports every move to build long-form pieces organically. The class culminates in specific, personal notes to challenge your own artistic roadblocks and a final performance for the public.

More information.

Happier Valley Comedy presents Advanced Scene Dynamics: Advanced Improv Workshop with Philip Markle

March 9 at 2:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

This class builds on the baseline level of fearless playing, strong/specific choices, and ability to attack the stage. Now, we will challenge ourselves with advanced improv techniques, such as how to find the "edge" in every scene and take it from good to great, exploring the role of the individual in an ensemble, living dangerously in the moment-to-moment instead of plotting ahead, authentically acting and grounding your characters, and diving into the dynamics that make up three-person and group scene work and longforms. Students will receive personal feedback based on their work in this class.

Prerequisite: Completion of Zen of Improv 4 or equivalent experience from another comedy school.

More information.

Serious Play Theatre Ensemble presents Moving Water- Exploratory Workshops
April 6th, noon to 3PM; April 27th, 11AM to 2PM
Serious Play Studio #233, Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA

Join Serious Play Artistic Director, Sheryl Stoodley, and Visual Artist Rosalyn Driscoll in a collaborative exploration of water in word, movement, sound, and text.

Three Saturday workshops, open to the community

To register, contact Serious Play (seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com)
Be sure to include chosen date, your name, phone number, and e-mail address

Dress for movement

Make, find, or bring a vessel to hold water

Participants 20+, limited enrollment
Fee $20, pay at the door

Upcoming Training Programs at Double Edge Theatre

Double Edge Theatre was founded by Stacy Klein to research the role of actors’ training in the development of performance creation. Training is the heart and vitality of Double Edge’s creative process. Since 1982, when it was first developed by Klein based on her work with Rena Mirecka, Grotowski’s founding actor, it has grown to include work with large objects, developed by Klein and David Flaxman from 1985, and then outdoor work and spectacle developed with Carlos Uriona since 1996. Since 2011 Matthew Glassman has been leading the development of training at Double Edge. The unique, holistic methodology engages the actor’s full potential – physical, vocal, emotional, and imaginative – to drive individual exploration, ensemble collaboration, and performance creation.

Open Trainings
March 10 & May 19
11 am

Summer Intensive: May 31 - June 14, 2019
Spectacle Immersion: May 31 - Aug 24, 2019
Fall Immersion: Fall 2019

Winter Intensive: January 1 - 7, 2019
Spring Intensive: March 15 - 17, 2019
Creation Lab: March 15 - April 14, 2019

Real Live Theatre presents Choreographing Intimacy
04-28-2019 10:00 AM
Real Live Theatre, Sunderland, MA

Real Live Theatre presents an expanded version of our popular workshop led by Toby Vera Bercovici and Ellen Morbyrne. “Intimacy Choreography” is a relatively new concept, having emerged out of a need to protect actors from unsafe working conditions and blurred boundaries. It is an important practice not only for the mental, physical, and emotional health of actors, but also for the experience of the audience: the more safe and grounded the performers, the more electric the scene. Utilizing techniques from multiple disciplines, including yoga, dance, and theater, Ellen and Toby will guide participants through a safe and specific process to develop choreography that feels motivated and appropriate for characters and situation, as well as authentic and dynamic in terms of external behaviors.

This workshop is useful and relevant to all theater practitioners and administrators:

•As a performer, the take away will include language with which to speak to your director and co-actors and tools to create safe working conditions when there aren’t any.

•As a director, teacher, or choreographer, you will learn how to build a safe environment, lead exercises to create trust within that environment, and utilize specific skills for analyzing and staging intimate moments.

•As an arts administrator, you will learn best practices for ensuring safe working conditions for your employees.

More information.

Real Live Theatre presents Exploring the Expressive Voice & Its Extremes
7-10pm on 5/10 and 10am-5pm on May 11
Real Live Theatre, Sunderland, MA

Tune in to find your voice

Discover the universe of sound that is inside you

Experience your boundless voice

Explore song and text

Create space and time with sound

We’ll begin with discovering and exploring the voice “as it is,” then work toward less familiar vocal areas. Through this process participants will increase awareness of centers of resonance in the body, developing a personal vocabulary unifying sound, sensation, image, and emotion. We will explore the voice in relation to simple song and spoken text. We will deepen the relationship to unknown vocal territories regarding pitch, timbre, resonance and dynamics. We will discover the world of vocal soundscapes and our connection to sound as an expression of space and time.

Liz Stanton is a New York City-based, multifaceted theatre artist, who has studied with a variety of teachers from the Roy Hart Theatre: primarily Richard Armstrong, Ethie Friend and Jonathan Hart Makwaia. She has incorporated the Roy Hart voice work into her teaching for nearly 20 years. She creates award-winning devised theatre pieces, composes music for theatrical sound scores, and she’s written an opera - The Bacchae: In Song and Vocal Extremes. She is the theatrical development producer of Convergences Theatre Collective in New York City. Liz is an adjunct instructor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the Experimental Theatre Wing and New York Film Academy.

https://reallivetheatre.net/classesworkshops