*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter

View this email in your browser

April 11 - May 1, 2019

Here's issue #201! And it's completely full of performances and auditions and workshops - probably too many for your email client to load, so don't forget that you can click the "view this email in your browser" button on the top right corner to do exactly that - it'll load the whole thing.

Speaking of the listings at the bottom of the newsletter, there are some really great workshops coming up - including one offered by Real Live Theatre about choreographing intimacy. This workshop would be an excellent training and resource for directors, actors, and anyone else working on a performance with intimacy. Register soon!

The next issue will include events through May 8. 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

Real Live Theatre's
Choreographing Intimacy workshop April 28th
visit the RLT website and see the listing below for details!

YOUR EVENT HERE
$5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing!
Email me to reserve your dates.

THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS:

from Howlround
Buy A Scone, Feed a Playwright
by Mora V. Harris

From the article:

I have been traveling a lot for playwriting things, like workshops, readings, rehearsals, and so on. I’m super lucky to get to do it, and grateful for the opportunities, but traveling for playwriting gigs can be hard.

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

SWEAT
by Lynn Nottage
directed by Gilbert McCauley
April 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 p.m.
April 13 at 2 p.m.
The Curtain Theater

In an America experiencing a rise in hate crimes and economic tension, and loyalties of red and blue that are sharply divided, many are asking, “How could this have happened?”
Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Sweat, explores systems of oppression and how they are internalized by people. This April, renowned director and UMass Theater Professor Gilbert McCauley brings to life Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize winner at UMass.

Inspired by real-life stories, Sweat takes place in Reading, PA, where a group of friends spends their days together working at Olstead’s Steel Tubing, and their nights having fun and blowing off steam at a local bar. Layoffs for some, and promotions for others, bring out tensions as lives are twisted and relationships splinter. This play offers an intimate study of how national turmoil plays out on a community level.
Although Sweat alternates in time between 2008 and 2000, we're encouraged to experience and understand the story’s relevance in today's society. As her audience watches the rust belt drama, Nottage pushes them to seek change and to “engage more with where we are culturally.”
Come join us for a play that’s ready to spark a conversation across the political divide.
$15 general admission, $5 for students and seniors. Call 1-800-999-UMAS or visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office online.

Springfield College / Visual and Performing Arts Department presents Death of a Salesman
4/11/19, 4/12/19 and 4/13/19 at 7:30 pm; 4/14/19 at 2:00 pm
Springfield College, Fuller Arts Center, Appleton Auditorium

“I don’t say he’s a great man…but he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid. He’s not to be allowed to fall in his grave like an old dog. Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person. . . A small man can be just as exhausted as a great man.”

Considered one of the greatest plays of the 20th century and as relevant today as ever, Arthur Miller’s classic drama tells the story of a worn out salesman, Willy Loman, who is crumbling under the weight of the American dream. It’s 1949 in Brooklyn, and during a pivotal 24 hours, Willy tries to reconcile the optimism of his youth with his unfulfilled dreams. Memory, truth, and lies intermingle, as he searches for the moment his life took a wrong turn. What betrayal undermined his relationship with his wife and destroyed the adoration of his sons? Professor Martin Shell will play Willy, acting alongside his students in this emotion-gripping drama, winner of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.

Suggested donation: $5; students and senior citizens: $2

Presented by special arrangement with Dramatist Play Services, Inc.

https://springfield.edu/simpson

Mount Holyoke College Department of Theatre Arts presents When We Were Young and Unafraid
04-11-2019, 04-12-19, 04-13-19 at 7:30 pm and 04-14-19 at 2:00 pm
Rooke Theatre

It is 1972 and Agnes has turned her bed and breakfast into a shelter for abused women. We follow her, her daughter, and the women who have come to seek refuge as they struggle with their footing in a rapidly shifting political landscape.

Treem "finds the feminist flux and foment in an era that has been more traditionally presented as comically awkward and quaint. She has come up with a smart and exciting premise to bring characters of different backgrounds–and different notions of what it means to be a woman at a pivotal historical moment–into proximity and conflict." - New York Times

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/theatre

Box Office will be staffed beginning Mon, April 8, 3-6 pm daily and one hour prior to performance.
(413) 538-2406
email: rookeboxoffice@gmail.com

“THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES” LIGHT UP MAJESTIC THEATER STAGE APRIL 11 – MAY 26

West Springfield's Majestic Theater will transport audiences back to the days of girl group pop music when it presents “The Marvelous Wonderettes” April 11 through May 26. The musical, by Roger Bean, is set in 1958 at Springfield High School. It's the Super Senior Prom, and the previously-booked Crooning Crabcakes can't perform. All hopes are pinned on the Wonderettes, an all-girl singing group that finished third in the State Song Leaders competition. Cindy Lou, Missy, Betty Jean and Suzy not only get the gig, they come back ten years later to perform at their reunion. Popular songs like “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar” and other 50's and 60's favorites are featured in the play, which has been described as a "cotton candy musical trip down memory lane!"

Majestic Theater Producing Director Danny Eaton will direct the play with Mitch Chakour serving as musical director. Greg Trochlil is set designer, Dawn McKay is costume designer, Dan Rist is lighting designer and production stage manager is Stephen Petit. Doug Wallace is sound engineer. Actors include Kait Rankins (Missy), Mollie Posnick (Suzy), Tina Sparkle (Betty Jean) and Kaytlyn Vaneloecht (Cindy Lou).

The play closes out the Majestic's 22nd Season. 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.

Leonora & Alejandro:
La Maga y el Maestro

April 12-14
7pm at Double Edge Theatre
Last chance to get tickets! Purchase today! >>

No need to wait until mid-April:tickets for the Summer Spectacle will be available at this performance

Happier Valley Comedy presents HVC Presents: SCRIPTED/UNSCRIPTED
April 13 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater

See what happens when we pair one professional actor following a published theatrical script line-by-line with one plucky improviser doing their best to play along without having any idea what scene they're in. Saturday, April 13th 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. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hadley Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

STRIDENT THEATRE TO CELEBRATE
INAUGURAL SEASON WITH SEASON PREVIEW EVENT

Strident Theatre, the Valley’s newest professional
theatre company, is pleased to announce the first program of the company’s inaugural season, the Season Teaser Wine and Cheeser fundraiser. Designed to both introduce the company and create a dialogue with the community, the candid Season Teaser Wine and Cheeser will feature readings from the upcoming season’s works, complemented by light refreshments. The event will take place on Saturday, April 13 th at 7 p.m., at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton. All proceeds will go toward Strident’s launch and inaugural mini-season this summer.

Strident Theatre’s first season will take place at Smith College, and boasts a world premiere production, as well as multiple staged readings of works by local playwrights. Attendees at the Season Teaser Wine and Cheeser fundraiser will hear selections from the upcoming season, and will also have a chance to mix and mingle with the Strident team. “It’s our hope that this event can really get us engaged with the community,” said Board President Kyle Boatwright. “We want to know what kind of productions people want to see, what kinds of classes we can offer, what programming—we have our own ideas and plans, our own vision, but part of that vision is moving forward with this company having really heard what our community
wants.”

Strident Theatre was founded in 2018 by Artistic Director Susanna Apgar. With a leading focus on inclusive feminism, the theatre company seeks to offer artistic opportunities to underrepresented voices, through a summer mainstage season and year-round programming that will benefit the community in terms of both artistry and social justice. Said Apgar, “We’re witnessing a moment in time where theatre is shedding its skin on a grand scale - not just the practitioners, but the audiences. We’re seeing new and historically underrepresented voices growing and thriving. Strident is elated to join the Valley’s many theatre companies in making our area a more inclusive, more art-filled, and more beautiful place.”

To purchase tickets to the Season Teaser Wine and Cheeser, please click here.

For general information on Strident Theatre, please visit the website, or Facebook page, or email info@stridenttheatre.com.

Double Edge Theatre presents Women and Magic Symposium

April 14 at 1 pm
Join these women in a discussion on the hidden territories of women’s creative processes. Featuring Susan Aberth, Morgan Jenness, Stacy Klein, Meena Natarajan, Baraka Sele, and Sherina Sharpe.

Tickets and info >>

Community Weekend

Saturday, May 4 Ohketeau (‘to plant, to grow’) is the name Nipmuc Elder Larry Spotted Crow Mann gave to open programming at DE for Voices of Native Youth, to begin in May in honor of our anniversary.

Sunday, May 5 Come celebrate Double Edge’s vibrant community members, artists, and partners: fly on bungees, sing, dance, and play music, and learn about DE’s Ashfield history and ongoing renovation and preservation of the beautiful Farm! Open flying and singing: 1-3 pm. Gathering, discussion, award ceremony, meal 3-5 pm.

The Tattooed Man Tells All by Peter Wortsman
Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 7:30 PM
Acting Studio 1, Mendenhall CPA, Smith College

A solo performance by Keith Langsdale, directed by Ellen W. Kaplan

Woven from interviews the author conducted with Holocaust survivors in Vienna in the 1970s.

This program is co-sponsored by Smith Department of Theatre, the Jewish Studies Program and the Smith College Lecture Committee.

Free and open to the public.

UMass Theater presents Baltimore, a play to spark a timely conversation

Baltimore, a new work by Kirsten Greenidge, examines what happens on a college campus in the aftermath of a racist incident. UMass Theater hopes audiences of both an abridged presentation of the play this spring, as well as those who see the fully-mounted production in the fall, will find that the play sparks productive conversations about difficult topics.
April 17-27, the play will be presented to the community in an abridged format. The event, which is free and open to all, will consist of the performance, followed immediately by a conversation about the issues raised. The event, which is free and open to all, will consist of the performance, followed immediately by a conversation about the issues raised. While the incident in the play is different in scope than some of those experienced in our community recently, we hope that the event creates a space for community members to talk productively with each other. The presentations will be at New Africa House and seating will be free. Reservations are strongly encouraged but not required.

More about Baltimore
When a racist incident divides her first-year students, reluctant resident advisor Shelby finds herself in the middle of a conversation she does not want to have. As pressure to address the issue mounts from residents, the new dean, and even her best friend, Shelby must decide if she will enter the fray or watch her community come apart at the seams. Sharp, funny, and searing, Baltimore is about racism on college campuses and how we learn to talk to each other.

This spring, we are producing a 30 minute cut of Baltimore, followed immediately by a postshow Q&A, to which the general public is welcomed.

Performances:
April 17, 18, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at 2 p.m.
at New Africa House
Free, open to all, reservations encouraged but not required
Reserve your tickets through the Fine Arts Center Box Office

We are pleased to announce that these workshop presentations will be followed in Fall 2019 by a fully-staged production of Baltimore and post-show discussions. Check the UMass Theater website at www.umass.edu/theater for performance dates later this summer.

This workshop is a collaboration with the Office for Equity & Inclusion.

Josie's Magical Flute Improv, with Sea Tea & Happier Valley Guests
April 18 at 7:30 PM
The Shea Theater, Turners Falls, MA

Josie's Magical Flute (Mandy Anderson, Sally Ekus, Julie Waggoner) bring their signature improv comedy form "The Ride" back to The Shea on April 18. Joining them are Sea Tea Improv's Allie Rivera, as well as Danny New of Channel 22 / Mass Appeal and Happier Valley Comedy, and Ben May of Happier Valley Comedy. Get ready for a wild ride of scenes and games, all made up fresh on the spot, just for you.

https://sheatheater.org/

SILVERTHORNE THEATER ANNOUNCES
NEW PLAY READING SERIES

An integral part of Silverthorne Theater Company’s mission is to promote the development of new work, especially by Western Massachusetts and New England playwrights. In 2018, we staged the world premieres of three new works, two of which were from such writers.

In 2019 we offer a series of free rehearsed readings of new or new to us plays, , called Theater Thursdays, followed by audience discussions. These will be held in different locations in the region. Complete information for each reading may be found at https://silverthornetheater.org.

The purpose of the readings is to give a platform for new work to be heard, and when possible, to be able to give playwrights direct audience feedback. It also gives Silverthorne a look at plays that we might consider fully producing in future seasons.

Thursday, April 18             SANDWICH, by Steve Henderson.
                                                Directed by Brianna Sloane
7 pm                           170 Main St, Greenfield
Single mom and advertising exec Kathy (Linda Tardif) is trying to deal with her aging mother Marlene (read by Linda Putnam) and her precocious teenage Jennifer (Melle Lowenthal) as each seems on a collision course with disaster. A talent for stand-up comedy runs in the family, making this treatment of intergenerational conflict sparkle with wit and truth-telling, SANDWICH, the second in Silverthorne’s Theater Thursday New Play Reading Series is directed by Brianna Sloane. Playwright Steve Hendersonwill be on hand to discuss the play after the reading. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, May 16               RESTORATION ROOM, by Harley Erdman
                                                Directed by Chris Rohmann
                                               7 pm               UMass Theater Department, Room 204
Two academics, each married to someone else, struggle to resist the power of their mutual intellectual & physical attraction.

Thursday, June 13               DEAR GALILEO, by Claire Willett
                                                Directed by Rebecca Daniels
                                                7 pm   170 Main Street, Greenfield
Three women in three different times wrestle with their identity, the conflict between science and religion, and what it means to be their fathers' daughters…. As the three stories move toward their point of convergence, the destinies of each become inextricably bound with the others, linked through time by love, family, grief, the search for identity and the wonder of the stars.

Thursday, September 12               CAMPUS UNREST, by Talya Kingston
                                                            Directed by Trenda Loftin
                                                            7 pm Location TBA
Complex choices face an inter-racial British academic couple newly arrived on the campus of a troubled American college.

Sunday, October 13                         VERITAS, by Betty Shamieh
                                                            Director TBA
                                                            3 pm   Deerfield Community Center
In the 1660s Harvard College’s governors insisted that Native American youths be trained at the College as Christian ministers to be able to convert their tribes to Christianity. This play explores the lives of the first four of these early converts and the attitudes at the time toward them. Post-show discussion led by historians & members of local Native American communities.

Further details at www.silverthornetheater.org  or call 413-768-7514.

Smith College Department of Theatre presents AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare
directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer
April 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 PM in Theatre 14

The Smith College Department of Theatre presents AS YOU LIKE IT, by William Shakespeare April 19-20 and 25-27 at 7:30 PM in Theatre 14, directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer. A pastoral romantic comedy that features one of Shakespeare's most beloved heroines, AS YOU LIKE IT subverts the traditional rules of romance. Gender roles, nature and politics are confused in a play that reflects on how bewildering yet utterly pleasurable life can be.

A girl named Rosalind is in love with a boy named Orlando, which is convenient because they’ve been banished to the same forest. Orlando is in love with Rosalind. Orlando is also very attracted to a boy named Ganymede. And what does it mean to be a girl or a boy anyway? Or to play one? Director Daniel Kramer says, "As You Like It explores love and freedom. In it, a young woman pretends to be a young man who is pretending to be a young woman, and she draws the attention of both a young man and a young woman. The play takes on new meaning in a time of more fluid gender identities."

The Smith production will put the action, and the audience, on the Theatre 14 stage in a reworking of the theatre's classic proscenium space. Costumes are designed by Smith Professor, Kiki Smith. Priscilla Yichen Zhou and Lisa Mena are the student designers for sets and lighting. The script has been adapted for length by Smith Professor Kramer who adds, "It's a delight creating this comedy with a cast of fifteen students and wonderful student and faculty designers and crew."

General Admission: $10 Adults/$5 Students & Seniors Free for Smith Students with ID card
To purchase tickets:
www.smith.edu/smitharts

Shakespeare Stage presents The Tempest
4/19/19 at 7:30 PM, 4/20/19 @ 7:30PM; 4/21/19 6:30PM
33 Hawley Street

The Tempest is the story of facing Nature's superior power over man and woman and the humble journey of those who suffer and in the end, surmount such adversity. Neither a comedy nor a tragedy, The Tempest is a magical and spiritual experience that focuses on many different aspects of love or lack thereof: Romantic, Fraternal, and love of drink to name a few.

Come with us on this tempestuous journey as we set the stage between the 1st and 2nd World War. A time when the great globe itself was facing such tumult and fear of complete destruction and annihilation. Will we succumb to technological advancements or will the heart, will love win in the end?

Shakespeare Stage strives to provide artistic enrichment in the Pioneer Valley and beyond. Through passionate performances, involvement from the community, and the pursuit of dramatic growth and excellence, we contribute to the increasing importance of the arts and theatre for our neighbors.

Tickets.

Happier Valley Comedy presents Happier Family Comedy Show
April 20 at 3:00 PM
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W Bay Rd., Amherst)

Monthly family-friendly improv comedy show, great for 5-12 year olds and their adults. It's funny for the whole family! Saturday, April 20th 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 HVC Presents: Not In Charge
April 20 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, April 20th 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.

“TALES OF THE LOST FORMICANS” PLAYWRIGHT WILL ATTEND OPENING NIGHT OF SILVERTHORNE’S 2019 SEASON

Silverthorne Theater Company is honored to open our 2019 Season with Constance Congdon’s modern classic, Tales of the Lost Formicans The play opens Thursday, April 25 and runs through May 4 in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.

Opening night for Tales, April 25, will be UNITED WAY NIGHT, with all tickets priced at $30, proceeds to benefit the United Way of Franklin County. Patrons will meet Playwright Constance Congdon at a special Pre-Show Reception at 7 pm in the theater. Congdon is considered “One of the best playwrights our country, and our language, has produced.” (Tony Kushner) “Congdon writes like a woman possessed.” (Nels Nelson, New York Daily News) Her work appears in many collections and continues to be produced worldwide.

The play explores the themes of adolescence, aging parents, fragile memory, lost love & divorce unfold in a collage of moving & hilarious encounters among family members, the people around them -- and the aliens who are studying them, trying to make sense of the complex dynamics of the family and its environment.

Tales Director and Amherst College Theater Professor Yagil Eliraz (Northamptong) is a colleague of playwright Congdon, Professor Emeritus of Playwriting. A native of Israel, this is the first professional production Eliraz has directed in this country since coming here three years ago.

The cast includes Stephanie Carlson*(Easthampton) as Cathy, Frank Aronson* (West Whately) as her father Jim. (*Members of Actors Equity Association) Polly Pillsbury (Petersham) plays Evelyn, Jim’s wife while Molly MacLeod (Holyoke) plays Cathy’s teenage daughter. Val Vaille (Gill) portrays Judy, Cathy’s best friend; Joe Cardozo (Amherst) plays another well-meaning friend. Michael Marceline (Greenfield) rounds out the cast as Alien/Actor #7.

Abigail Douglas (Amherst) will stage manage the productions; Mike Bullock will design the sound. John Iverson (Bernardston), Tech Director, designs the sets and lighting; and Reba-Jean Shaw-Pichette (Deerfield), Costume Designer, provides costuming.

Ticket and reservation information may be found on Silverthorne’s web site. Tickets for all shows are currently available at Eventbrite.com, or by calling 413-768-7514. Patrons can now use credit cards at the door or over the phone.

Exit 7 Players present Avenue Q

Exit 7 Theater, 37 Chestnut St, Ludlow, MA, 0156
April 26-May 12, Friday’s and Saturday’s at 8pm, Sunday’s at 2pm

Winner of the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt and packed with heart.

The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton, who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that, although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Filled with gut-busting humor and a delightfully catchy score, not to mention puppets, Avenue Q is a truly unique show that has quickly become a favorite for audiences everywhere. Although the show addresses humorous adult issues, it is similar to a beloved children's show; a place where puppets are friends, Monsters are good and life lessons are learned.

Rated R for adult situations and content.

Tickets On Sale Now!

The Radical Interconnectedness Festival

APRIL 26 AND 27, 2019
offering art of all kinds created by artists addressing the concerns of marginalized communities.

Come experience theater, music, installation, dance, poetry, video, etc. all presented in downtown Turners Falls in a variety of alternative venues like storefronts, repurposed churches, the Discovery Center, the Shea Theatre - all in walking distance. Tickets at Eggtooth.org or at the Shea on Fest. weekend.

One $20 ticket gets you into everything. See how much you can experience!

We've invited art that engages issue of race, age, gender, religion, economic class, and aspects of cultural identity that have been suppressed. In addition, we will offer a conversation with the artists and humanist scholars to place the conversation in context on April 28, 2019 from noon til 3:30 pm in the Cohn Commons at Greenfield Community College.

Supported by Mass Humanities, and the Mass Cultural Council Montague and Conway branches and Fostering Art and Culture and Turners Falls RiverCulture.

The art:

Ezekiel Baskin and Samuel Achilles Edwards- Queer Intimacies (working title); A short play exploring the complex beginnings of queer relationships through audience interaction. Great Falls Discover Center. 5:30 pm on rotation.

Vital. Vibrant. Visible: Local Indigenous Identity Through Portraiture, photography by Sara K. Lyons curated by Rhonda Anderson. Great Falls Discovery Center. Ongoing.

Julia Whalen, An immersive installation piece exploring childhood memory. Flourish. Ongoing.

Katherine Adler, “Artifacts of the Ephemeral" and will have two components. First, physical objects with corresponding meditative writings. Second, a 30 hour durational performance at St. Anne's Church. 30 hours In the space will run FRI 26 @3pm-SAT 27 @9pm.

Formerly incarcerated women of Voices from Inside, spoken word performance. Great Falls Discovery Center. 5:00 pM.

Alex DeMelo, The United Arc Performing Arts Program presents theatrical performances by members of the United ARC, an organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in achieving the universal goals of inclusion, choice, and independence. Shea Theatre. 5:00 PM.

Lori Holmes Clark, Cloudy, With a Chance of Fringe is a buoyant contemplation of Neurodiversity through Song and Dance by Broadway veteran and Local theatre maker, Lori Holmes Clark. Great Falls Discovery Center. 8 PM.

Joe Dulude, In this installation piece, Joe is allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the living room from his youth in the 1970s; exploring how his past has shaped the way he thinks about himself, who he is and where he came from. FAB 5-8 PM.

Cynthia Snow with Kathy Steinem, A dance piece focusing on aging, dementia, and caregiving with poetry by Snow and Susie Patlove and the à Capella group Acapelagos. Shea Theatre. 6 PM Saturday only.

Karen Werner, a live experimental radio documentary performance, Strange Radio: Live documentary transmission on the layers of time, sound, and memory in Jewish Vienna. Strange Radio will be released on CD with an accompanying booklet in 2019. Church of Pod. 7-8 PM.

Terry Jenoure, Pelala is Terry Jenoure’s solo performance of music, storytelling and video that weaves a new fable for our day. Shea Theatre. 7 PM Saturday Only.

St. Michael's Players A.C.T. present Shrek The Musical, Jr.
April 26 and April 27 at 7:00 PM, April 28 at 2:00 PM
St. Michael's Community Center, 53 Somers Road, East Longmeadow, MA

An all-inclusive community theater (A.C.T.) experience for youth ages 7-21. Our special-needs actors are teamed up with shadow actors to allow youth of all ages to experience the thrill of the stage.
More information.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Valley World Open Cup Grand Prix Series Derby Bowl Championship!
April 27 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, April 27th 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.

Smith College Department of Theatre presents THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE by David Ives and the I Sing Earth class presentation.
Wednesday and Thursday, May 1 and 2 at 7:30 PM

Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre

THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE Written by David Ives, directed by Cathy Kennedy ’20 in a double bill with a performance by students in I Sing Earth a course taught by Andrea Hairston and guest artist, Pan Morigan.

Free and open to the public.

AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents
Auditions for 2019 Season of Shakespeare Under the Stars
4/12/19 @ 5-9 p.m.; 4/13/19 @ 12-4 p.m.

Mount Holyoke College

MAIN STAGE AUDITIONS
For HENRY V and THE *ANNOTATED* TAMING: OR, OUT OF THE SADDLE, INTO THE DIRT

Friday, April 12 @ 5 – 9 p.m.at Room L-3, Cleveland Hall, Mt. Holyoke College
Saturday, April 13 @ 12 – 4 p.m. at the Blanchard Great Room, Community Center, Mt. Holyoke College

Callbacks will be on Sunday, April 14 @ 5 - 9 p.m.

Please prepare a 1 – 2 minute Shakespeare monologue.
People interested in auditioning for female roles in Taming should also prepare at least 30 seconds of a rock song.

Please sign up for an audition slot here.

Questions? Contact us via email or message us on Facebook.
More info.

We are looking to expand membership in FRIENDS OF SILVERTHORNE, our exceptional group of enthusiastic volunteers who help us out with many basic jobs throughout the year. (and not-so-basic) jobs throughout the year. It’s a great way to meet new people with common interests!

There is NO membership fee to join FOS! Your time is priceless as far as we’re concerned.
You might

Help out backstage with fast costume changes
Pound nails or hold ladders as the sets are put into place
Assist a patron find just the perfect seat in the audience
Tap your creative side coming up with ideas for decorating at our benefit

Then again you might

Read new plays submitted to STC and advise on choices for our next season
Speak to your book club or at a senior center about STC
Scout locations for show posters
Post photos and notices on social media sites

In exchange for your time and energy there will be many perks such as recognition in the program;
comp tickets; play reading events; meet the actors, directors and sometimes even the playwrights.

GIVE SILVERTHORNE A TRY! Call for more information: 413-768-7514. RSVP by April 1. Let Mary Kay know - mk4stc@gmail.com

Ghost Light Theater's Auditions for How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel
Directed by Sue Dziura
April 22 and 23 at 7:00 PM
Gateway City Arts - 92 Race Street, Holyoke

Performances at Gateway City Arts

A wildly funny, surprising and devastating tale of survival as seen through the lens of a troubling relationship between a young girl and an older man. HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE is the story of a woman who learns the rules of the road and life from behind the wheel. Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize. Co-winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Co-winner of the 1998 Lucille Lortel Award for outstanding play.

AUDITION INFORMATION

Email sdziura@wma.us for an audition slot

Please prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue. Sides will be handed out at the audition for cold readings.

All roles are available

Lil Bit - Physically 25-40ish. Plays the character from age 11 to present day. Was described at age 12 as having a body that looked 20. In part due to a traumatic event at age 11, in some ways she has grown up much quicker than she should have, but at the same time often portrays a typical teenager. Has a very complicated relationship with her uncle. Must be able to transition to and from different periods in her life easily. Also should be versed in performing both comedic and dramatic moments.
ETHNICITY: All Ethnicities

Uncle Peck-Physically around 45, but plays the character from age 38. A good-looking and charismatic man. A former alcoholic and Marine veteran who will not open up about his troubles. Can be both a great comforter and a cause of great discomfort. Has a very complicated relationship with his niece. Must be able to portray this character through highs and his lows.
ETHNICITY: All Ethnicities

Female Greek Chorus- age 30 and up to play Lil’ Bit’s mother, Aunt Mary, and classmates. In addition, serves as part of this play’s interpretation of a Greek Chorus. Must be able to transition from bluntly hilarious to painfully serious.
ETHNICITY: All Ethnicities

Male Greek Chorus-age 25-40 to play Lil’ Bit’s grandfather, a high school classmate, waiter, and a young man Lil’ Bit encounters on a bus. In addition, serves as part of this play’s interpretation of a Greek Chorus. Comedic timing is essential, as well as the ability to seamlessly transform from one character to another.
ETHNICITY: All Ethnicities

Teenage Greek Chorus- age 18-25 to play Lil’ Bit’s grandmother, a high school classmate, and directly narrates as Lil’ Bit. In addition, serves as part of this play’s interpretation of a Greek Chorus. Has arguably the widest age range of characters in the show. Her roles can be both incredibly vulgar and brightly innocent.
ETHNICITY: All Ethnicities

Rehearsals begin Tuesday May 12 and a schedule will be determined based on cast availability. Rehearsals will take place at Gateway City Arts.

Performance dates:
July 5, 6, 12 & 13 at 8PM
July 7 & 14 at 2PM
at Gateway City Arts

Facebook event.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Serious Play Theatre Ensemble presents Moving Water- Exploratory Workshops
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

Happier Valley Comedy presents Move It!: Using Physicality To Create Emotionally Authentic Comedy

Saturday, April 27, 2:30pm-5:00pm (2.5 hours)
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd in Hadley)
$40
Prerequisite: Completion of Zen of Improv 3 or the equivalent at another comedy school

Scenes that come from an authentic emotional place are fun to watch and thrilling to perform. One of the quickest ways to stop overthinking your scene is to move your body. If you love to tap into your physicality, you will love this workshop. If you DON'T love moving or don't feel comfortable being physical on stage, this workshop is especially for you!

In this workshop, you will learn new tools and techniques to tap into your emotional authenticity and practice using them in a safe, supportive environment. This workshop will be accessible to all levels of physical abilities and limitations. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

https://www.happiervalley.com/moveit-workshop.html

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.

Happier Valley Comedy presents Healing Anxiety Through Laughter
May 5 at 2:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

A personal growth workshop with Kayla Solomon, LICW, and Pam Victor, Head of Happiness at HVC.
Sunday, May 5th, 2pm-5pm
Happier Valley Comedy Theater
1 Mill Valley Rd. (Suite B), Hadley, MA
$50
Open to All - No Experience Necessary!

A recent pilot study published in the Journal of Mental Health found that even brief intervention using improv exercises may provide "a strong and efficient treatment for patients with anxiety and depression." This experiential and fun-forward personal growth workshop uses easy-to-learn improv exercises to provide you with an opportunity to learn and practice a new vocabulary to kick to the curb the darn voices of fear, doubt, and judgement inside all of us. Using a series of accessible, non-performance improv exercises, we will sharpen the tools of insight, reframing negative thoughts, disempowering fear, and choosing laughter and play to shift from anxiety towards discovering the positive in everything. All exercises are voluntary and performed in a circle or pairs; participants are never “on stage.” Your facilitators are pros at making sure all people along the introvert-extrovert spectrum feel successful, learn a lot, and have a blast with this THROUGH LAUGHTER workshop. Side effects of participation may include giggles, guffaws, internal delight, joy, and ease.

No improv (or any other) experience necessary.
Despite what your inner critic may be whispering, YOU CAN DO THIS!
All you have to do is register, show up, and get ready to learn some powerful tools to Heal Anxiety THROUGH LAUGHTER.

Register.

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

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 Training: May 19 @ 11 am
Summer Intensive: May 31 - June 14
Spectacle Immersion: May 31 - Aug 24
Fall Immersion: Sept 15 - Dec 8