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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter

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June 20 - July 10, 2019

The first ever Strident Theatre production opens next week! Get your tickets to The Final Say by Meryl Cohn - or get some more information about the inaugural production here.

Click to access the PVTN Google Calendar - if you want to add your events, send me an email and I'll give you permission.

The next issue will include events through July 17. 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

The Final Say by Meryl Cohn - June 28-July 14
Get your tickets today!

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
Risk in the Body and World at Warsaw's Generation After 3 Showcase
by Amanda L. Andrei

From the article:

Several months after adapting a play by the early twentieth-century avant-garde Polish playwright Stanisław Witkiewicz, I was invited, as an American theatremaker, to the Generation After 3 festival in Warsaw. The theme of this third annual showcase of recent Polish theatre was “risky projects,” and fourteen distinct pieces that centered on risk—ranging from theatre to performance art to dance—were presented.

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?
Pioneer Valley Theatre Google Calendar
In the Spotlight, Inc.
Berkshire on Stage
Stagestruck
ArtsBeat Radio and News Colum n

Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet

PERFORMANCES

Silverthorne Theater Company presents The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in Broadway history, as the second production of STC’s 2019 Season. The show plays June 20 – 29 in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.

The run kicks off with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County Opening Night Benefit on June 20 with all tickets priced at $30, proceeds to benefit the charitable organization. Patrons will enjoy a special Pre-Show Reception at 7 pm in the theater, followed by the performance at 7:30 pm.

Dates for the production are June 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 7:30 pm. The Sunday matinee on June 23 begins at 2 pm. Tickets for opening night, June 20, are all $30; otherwise tickets for Thursday or Sunday are $20 general admission, $18 student/senior (65+). Tickets for Friday and Saturday night shows are $25 general admission, $20 student/senior (65+.)

The Fantasticks tells the gentle story of falling in – and out of – love and the perils of wishes realized. It features lovers, pirates, bandits, and turnips, as well as a memorable score with such classic tunes as “Try to Remember and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.” Join us in recalling that love is possible and dreams do come true.

Director Carmela Lanza-Weil first worked with Silverthorne as director of the world premiere of Aidan’s Gift, winner of STC’s 2016 New Play Competition. She has an extensive background in professional theater as a director and actor. Music Director Ted Trobaugh was MD for Silverthorne’s premiere production of the original musical Tar2f! in the spring of 2018.

The cast includes Larry Picard (Northampton) as El Gallo; Jasmine Goodspeed (Florence) as Luisa; and Andy Zane (Northampton) as Matt. Stephanie Carlson* (Easthampton) plays Hucklebee, while Autumn Tustin (Northampton) is Bellamy. John Reese* (Greenfield) and David Cavallin (West Springfield) play Henry (The Old Actor) and Mortimer respectively. Madeline Bolles Oldenberg (Colrain) rounds out the cast as The Mute. (*Members of Actors Equity Association)

Sharon Weyer (Northfield) will stage manage the production; Hannah Trobaugh designs the sets. John Iverson (Bernardston), Tech Director and Fight Choreographer, handles set construction, sound and lighting design. Costume design is by Jazmine Carroll of Keene, NH, and choreography by Molly Fletcher Lynch. . Rebecca Daniels is producer for the show.

The Upper Pioneer Valley’s only small professional company, Silverthorne enjoys its status as resident company at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield’s Cultural District.

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

Three nights, three eras, one cast.

Upon arrival, go to the side door of the theater, and use the password "Rosebud" to gain access.

Bring a friend--or four. We invite you to dress for the occasion.

WHEN: Saturday, June 22nd at 8PM

WHERE: Shea Theater Arts Center
$12 in advance/ $15 at the door

Cash bar! Local beer, wine, and custom champagne cocktails.
Live music! Performer to be announced. New performers every night!

GET YOUR TICKETS:
www.showclix.com/event/sam-s-place-dance-hall

#GETTOTHESHEA
-------------------------------------------------
What is Sam's Place?
Sam's Place is a secret club where everyone gets to be an insider, held for three consecutive nights at the Shea Theater. Snuck in via a side door with a password, audience members find their way through the building to Sam's - a pop-up bar with live music all night and special drinks for the occasion. A cast of characters, all of whom share some connection to Sam, await you to share their stories across the evening. And - if you're lucky - one of them might sneak you off into the corners of the building for a magical tête-à-tête. The twist? Sam's Place will transform each evening of the run - June 20-22 - into a club from a different era.

What will Sam's Place be each night?
Thursday, June 20: Speakeasy, 1925
Friday, June 21: Folk Club, 1967
Saturday, June 22: Dance Club and Bar, 1984

How does it work?
Each evening, audience members will arrive to the Shea with a (not so secret) password: "Rosebud." After giving our doorman the password, you'll be escorted into the building through a special route that will transport you to Sam's. Audience members are encouraged to dress for the occasion and to bring some cash for the bar, where era-appropriate drinks will be served. Live music and a drink are just the start of your night. As the audience settles in, the residents of Sam's Place will begin to emerge and share the many secrets the evening has in store.

Is this a play or a music event?
It's both. Sam will keep you caught up in live music all night, with many theatrical ventures at the edges of the show. Characters from Sam's will interact with the audience across the night, and you'll be encouraged to seek them out to learn their stories. That said, you could have a fine evening of it with the band all night by itself!

I heard that this is immersive theater. Does that mean that I'll be forced to perform?
Absolutely not. As an audience member, you stay fully in charge of your experience. You may choose to seek out the stories and characters of Sam's, which will unlock new corners of the show, or you can stay a fly on the wall, taking it all in. It's up to you.

How should I dress?
We encourage you to dress for the appropriate era each night of the show.

If the show changes every night, can I come back?
Yes! There will be brand new experiences and performances each night of the show. Returning is encouraged.

I still have questions. Who can I talk to?
Contact Emma Ayres (Shea Program coordinator at gettotheshea@gmail.com

Chester Theatre Company presents THE NIGHT ALIVE by Conor McPherson
June 20-30; Thursdays at 2pm and 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm
Town Hall Theatre, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA

Dublin. A bare bones flat. Two mates just scraping by. When Tommy saves a young woman from a beating, things get worse--and maybe just a bit better. New York Drama Critic Circle Award Winner for Best Play. Directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer.

Box office: (413) 354-7771.
Tickets.

Odyssey Bookshop presents a reading by Regina Porter

Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 7:00pm
9 College st.
South Hadley, MA 01075

Join us Thursday, June 20 at 7:00pm for an evening discussion and book signing with Regina Porter, author of The Travelers.

About the Book

The adventures of two families unfold and intertwine—across continents and generations, spanning the 1950s through Obama’s first year as president—in The Travelers, an absorbing tale of family, history, and the persistence of love.

Meet James Samuel Vincent, an affluent Manhattan attorney who shirks his modest Irish American background but hews to his father’s meandering ways. James muddles through a topsy-turvy relationship with his son, Rufus, which is further complicated when Rufus marries Claudia Christie.

Claudia’s mother— Agnes Miller Christie—is a beautiful African American woman who survives a chance encounter on a Georgia road that propels her into a new life in the Bronx. Soon after, her husband, Eddie Christie, is called to duty on an air craft carrier in Vietnam, where Tom Stoppard’s play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” becomes Eddie’s life anchor, as he grapples with mounting racial tensions on the ship and counts the days until he will see Agnes again.

These unforgettable characters’ lives intersect with a cast of lovers and friends—the unapologetic black lesbian who finds her groove in 1970s Berlin; a moving man stranded in Portsmouth, New Hampshire during a Thanksgiving storm; two half-brothers who meet as adults in a crayon factory; and a Coney Island waitress whose Prince Charming is too good to be true.

With piercing humor, exacting dialogue, and a beautiful sense of place, Regina Porter’s debut is both an intimate family portrait and a sweeping exploration of what it means to be American today.

About the Author

Regina Porter is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow and recipient of a 2017-2018 Rae Armour West Postgraduate Scholarship. She is also a 2017 Tin House Summer Workshop Scholar. Her fiction has been published in The Harvard Review. An award-winning writer with a background in playwriting, Porter has worked with Playwrights Horizons, the Joseph Papp Theater, New York Stage and Film, the Women's Project, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company. She has been anthologized in Plays from Woolly Mammoth by Broadway Play Services and Heinemann's Scenes for Women by Women. She has also been profiled in Southern Women Playwrights: New Essays in History and Criticism from the University of Alabama Press. Porter was born in Savannah, Georgia, and lives in Brooklyn.

RSVP

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.

New Century Theatre presents Edward Albee's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
Directed by Keith Langsdale
Gateway City Arts
92 Race Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

Friday & Saturday, June 21 and 22 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM

After taking a hiatus year, New Century Theatre returns to the Valley theatre scene this June with two productions in their 28th summer season. The company opens with Edward Albee's American masterpiece, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke for a limited run of eight performances.

Love hurts. In the wee hours on the campus of a small American College, a long-suffering couple, George and Martha, stagger home after a faculty party. Refusing to call it a night, Martha announces that she’s invited a new young professor and his wife for a nightcap. As the impromptu after-party rolls on towards dawn their fun and games escalate into a lacerating bout of words and wits. The gloves come off and George and Martha have at each other, at the expense of their guests, landing blow after blow. As dawn approaches and the alcohol continues to flow, a devastating revelation also comes to light that changes four lives forever. Winner of five Tony Awards, this masterpiece of American Drama is a brilliant and poetic exposé about our shared human condition.

The production will present just eight performances at the famed Gateway City Arts in Holyoke. Located at 92 Race Street along one of Holyoke's historic canals, Gateway City Arts was described by the City's Mayor, Alex Morse, as the "soul of Holyoke's creative economy."

Dine or have a drink before the show at Gateway City Arts' THE BISTRO – featuring a locally-sourced menu, merging classic favorites with just enough of an innovative spin to intrigue the adventurous palette. There is a full bar with 12 taps, classic and signature cocktails, wine, and beer from some of the finest regional breweries.

TICKET INFORMATION:
General Seating:
$32, $30 for Seniors (65+)
$15 Student Rush

BUY ONLINE: newcenturytheatre.org
Information & Questions:
info@newcenturytheatre.org
413-587-3933

Serious Play Theatre Ensemble presents THE WALL

A close kin to the one we hear so much about, but this wall both real & metaphoric separates Jews from Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians. Litwak knows first-hand the perspective from both sides spinning a tale of hope and crushed dreams, faith and failure, and above all the unrelenting search for justice.

Written and performed by NYC based, award winning international theatre artist, Jessica Litwak
THE WALL- a new one woman play, written & performed by Jessica Litwak with post show discussion following each performance
When:   June 21 & 22    7:30pm
Where: Flex Space APE@Hawley / Northampton Community Arts Trust 33 Hawley St, Northampton MA

Reservations encouraged: thewall.brownpapertickets.com
Ticket Prices:   $22 general, $20 students & seniors, At the door $25 (14 yrs and up)
Additional information: seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com or phone 413-588-7439

As seen by Serious Play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last August, this play uses poetry, humor, and diverse characters through puppetry to give voice to an impossible problem that can only be survived through increased humanity, paradoxical curiosity and artful expression. As a Jewish artist with important relationships in Palestine and Israel, Litwak has a unique perspective on the Occupation. She grapples with deeply felt paradoxes of heart & heritage, east & west, men & women, justice & peace.

Jessica Litwak is a multifaceted international theatre artist focused on theatre for social change & community engagement. She is an award winning playwright, actress, and educator. She received her BA in acting from NYU and her MFA in playwriting from Columbia. She often works creating theatre in the Middle East, Central Europe and the U.K. She is a core member of Theatre Without Borders and Artistic Director of the H.E.A.T. Collective and the founder of Artists Rise Up New York.

EMMY AWARD WINNER GORDON CLAPP IS ROBERT FROST IN “THIS VERSE BUSINESS” AT MAJESTIC THEATER
Acclaimed One-Man Show to Run at West Springfield Theater June 21-23

Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor Gordon Clapp will bring the poetry of Robert Frost to Majestic Theater audiences for four performances June 21-23. Clapp, who has been touring in the one-man show for nearly 10 years has received acclaim for his portrayal of the iconic American poet and native New Englander who was invited by President Kennedy to recite his poem “The Gift Outright” at Kennedy's inauguration.

The play, by A.M. Dolan, combines Frost's lively poetry readings with a more intimate monologue to show the audience both the public and private faces of the beloved poet and long-time Amherst College professor. Gus Kaikkonen will direct the show.

According to Danny Eaton, producing director at the Majestic, “We're really delighted to have an actor of Gordon's stature and reputation on the Majestic stage in a great piece of theater that celebrates one of America's greatest poets.”

Clapp is best known for his Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Detective Greg Medavoy on the TV series “NYPD Blue,” and has been seen most recently in the series “Chicago Fire.” He was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Dave Moss in the 2005 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of David Mamet's “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Clapp has appeared in “Flags of our Fathers,” “Moonlight Mile,” “Matewan” and “Eight Men Out.” His television credits include “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Deadwood,” “Wings” and “Cheers.”

Tickets for “This Verse Business” are $26 and $24 and can be purchased over the phone at (413) 747-7797 or in person at the Majestic's box office. More information about “This Verse Business” can be found at www.thisversebusiness.com.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Valley World Open Cup Grand Prix Series Derby Bowl Championship!
June 22 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, June 22nd 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.

Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents Henry V
Directed by Noah Tuleja
June 26-30 and July 3-7
7 p.m.

Ticket Prices: Adult: $15 | Student/Senior: $10 | Child: $7
No one turned away for lack of funds.

All performances take place at the Arthur F. Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies, 650 E Pleasant St, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002

King Henry V is all in favor, and to this end he invades France. A good war? A just war? One of Shakespeare’s most beloved history plays offers us a most ambiguous hero, a dubious cause, against-the-odds victories, and one of the most rousing pre-battle speeches ever penned. Join us as we head “Once more unto the breach, dear Friends,” with this streamlined, small cast, ensemble production of King Henry V.

Tickets

PaintBox Theatre presents MARY POPPINS
Williston Theater
18 Payson Avenue
Easthampton, MA

Drop on in for this fun and exciting satirical, PaintBox twist on that High Flying Lady in the sky! Linda Tardif will be bringing the fun with her take on this classic tale.

June 28, Friday 10:30 & 1:00
June 29, Saturday 10:30 & 1:00
June 30, Sunday 10:30 & 1:00
July 2, Tuesday, 10:30 & 1:00

MARY POPPINS TICKETS

Strident Theatre presents THE FINAL SAY
By Meryl Cohn
Directed by Jonny Epstein and Susanna Apgar
Actors: Susanna Apgar, Kyle Boatwright, Marty Bongfeldt, Jeannine Haas, Steve Pierce, Chris Rojas

June 28-30, July 4-7, July 11-14
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00 PM, Sunday at 2:00 PM
Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre at Smith College

Naomi might finally get her play about her grandmother’s wartime survival and heroism produced – if only a bombastic musical with an eerily similar story line, written by her former mentor, weren’t just about to open off-Broadway. Naomi seeks the help, and friendship, of her late grandmother’s closest confidant, as she navigates a highly complicated road toward the truth. As Naomi decides how far she will go to protect her beloved grandmother's story, she discovers that a spunky production assistant, Martha, may be the key to untangling this mess …. and Naomi’s heart.

This comedy/drama attempts to answer the questions: Who owns a story? And can an idea really be stolen?

The Final Say was the winner of the Eventide Arts New Play Award, and the runner up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award.

Tickets.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Majesters
June 29 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

West Springfield's musical improv sensation kicks off their summer season for one night in Hadley! Saturday, June 29th 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.

Ghost Light Theater will present Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama How I Learned to Drive

July 5, 6, 11, 12 & 13 at 8:00 PM and July 7 at 2:00 PM in the Mark Landy Party Hall at Gateway City Arts, 92 Race Street in Holyoke. Directed by Sue Dziura.

How I Learned to Drive is a warm, tragic, funny, and strikingly perceptive memory play in which a young woman named Li’l Bit looks back on her warped experience with love and struggles to forgive in the face of her past sexual trauma. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 the matinee performance, and will be available at the door or online.

How I Learned to Drive addresses difficult subject matter but does so with compassion, sophistication, and gentle humor. Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Lortel Prize, the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Awards for Best Play, as well as her second OBIE.
This play deals with difficult subject matter and is intended for mature audiences.

How I Learned To Drive is presented with permission from Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
#GLTHILTD

Facebook Event.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Understudies: An Improvised Musical
July 6 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

Be part of the fun as four improvisers create an entire musical from scratch. Saturday, July 6th at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door.
For more info: www.happiervalley.com.

MAJESTIC THEATER SUMMER CHILDREN’S THEATER SCHEDULE:
ALL TICKETS: $9.50 each ($9.00 each if all three shows are purchased at the same time)

DISNEY MULAN JR.
Monday, July 8 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, July 9 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, July 10 - 10am, 1pm

Sunday July 28 - 1pm & 4pm
Monday, Juy 29 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, July 30 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, July 31 - 10am, 1pm

DR. SEUSS'S THE CAT IN THE HAT
Monday, July 15 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, July 16 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, July 17 - 10am, 1pm

Sunday August 4 - 1pm & 4pm
Monday, August 5 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, August 6 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, August 7 - 10am, 1pm

CHARLOTTE'S WEB
Monday, July 22 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, July 23 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, July 24 - 10am, 1pm

Sunday August 11 - 1pm & 4pm
Monday, August 12 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday, August 13 - 10am, 1pm
Wednesday, August 14 - 10am, 1pm

Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour in Northampton, presented by North Star
Four shows July 9 & 10 1:00 pm and 6 pm
Three County Fairgrounds, 113 Old Ferry Rd, Northampton, MA

Circus Smirkus is coming to Northampton, thanks to North Star! Circus Smirkus, New England's premier traveling youth circus, proudly presents its all-new show, “Carnival.” Come to the Big Top Tent for a spectacular lineup of unforgettable acts, with amazing acrobats, clowns,(Gate 4, 113 Old Ferry Road, Northampton) jaunty jugglers, and wondrous wire-walkers. Awe, delight, and side-splitting laughter awaits!

Tickets available locally at River Valley Co-op and A2Z Science and Learning Store and online. More information.

IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY WITH THE MAJESTERS SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, July 10 - 7:30pm - $9
Wednesday, July 17 - 7:30pm - $9
Wednesday, July 24 - 7:30pm - $9
Wednesday, July 31 - 7:30pm - $9
Wednesday, August 7 - 7:30pm - $9
Wednesday, August 14 - 7:30pm - $9

Returning on Wednesday nights will be Improvisational Comedy with The Majesters, which features a troupe of the best improv comics from across the Pioneer Valley and beyond for an evening of unscripted comic mayhem. The program begins with improv scenes similar to "Whose Line is it Anyway," and is followed by a storyline that's developed with help from the audience. Improvisational Comedy with The Majesters takes place Wednesday nights at 7:30pm July 10-August 14. Tickets are $9 and are available at the door the night of each show.

AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

SCARLET SOCK FOUNDATION BEGINS GRANT CYCLE

Non-profit seeks to promote social-justice theater with $500 and $1,000 grants to qualifying theater companies and individuals

The Scarlet Sock Foundation is currently accepting grant applications. Theater companies and individuals with a social-justice focus are encouraged to apply online at scarletsock.org. Social-justice theater is a tool for promoting awareness of socially relevant topics. It’s a platform for the expression of individual differences and a catalyst for discussion for community members who fee marginalized and/or stigmatized. Companies whose work will include this focus will be considered for grants in the amount of either $500 or $1,000.

Children and/or young adults (ages 5-18) who are interested in attending theater arts camps, workshops, conferences, or other theater-related programs but are not able to attend because of financial need are encouraged to apply for individual grants.

Theater companies who receive Scarlet Sock Foundation grants will be invited to share their projects at the foundation’s annual gala in 2020.

The Vintage Cellar East

We are a large vintage mall in The Keystone Mill in Easthampton, MA. Check us out if you are a local playhouse or theatre looking to rent props or even buy props for period pieces that can be reused.

Please feel free to email or call 413 977 1978.

SILVERTHORNE THEATER COMPANY ANNOUNCES “SHORT & SWEET FESTIVAL OF NEW (tiny) PLAYS” FOR SPRING OF 2020

Silverthorne Theatre Company of Greenfield, MA, announces its Short & Sweet Festival of New (tiny) Plays, to be held in spring 2020, and invites submissions of original, unpublished works for the stage, in any style, with:

∙ No more than 20 minutes' playing time

∙ No more than four actors (reasonable doubling okay)

∙ Simple production values

Scripts selected for the Festival will be given full, low-tech productions. We will pay a small royalty. This is not a workshop opportunity. Submissions must be finished scripts, not works-in-progress.

Submission protocol:

∙ Electronically, in PDF format.

∙ The filename should be the title of the play (or a reasonable abbreviation).

∙ Include a title page and character descriptions.

∙ Number the pages.

Submissions that do not meet these and the criteria above will not be considered.

Playwrights are welcome to submit more than one script to the Festival, as long as they meet the guidelines.

Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2019
Send pdf files to Rebecca Daniels, STC Literary Manager: stcliterarymanager@gmail.com

JOB OPENING at UMass Amherst
VISITING ARTIST IN PLAYWRITING/LECTURER POSITION

The Department of Theater at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure-track lecturer in African American Theater and Playwriting/Playmaking. This is a spring semester initial appointment with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, beginning January 15, 2020. The Department seeks a candidate with experience in playwriting and/or playmaking, African American theater and/or African American cultural production and a demonstrated record of professional theater experience at the national level.
Responsibilities include: Teaching courses in playwriting/playmaking and African American theater, teaching undergraduate- and graduate MFA-level courses, and interacting with the Department’s multicultural curriculum and public outreach initiatives. This position is central to the Department’s interest in exploring and generating new theatrical works, both in workshop form and on our main stages as part of our production season. Candidate must have M.F. A. in Theater or equivalent professional experience. Salary is commensurate with experience.
To apply, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae (including email and phone contact information for references) and three current letters of recommendation to UMass Theater Chair Gina Kaufmann via email.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Announcing the Easthampton Futures Project!

Easthampton City Arts & the City of Easthampton's Planning Department, working in partnership with Dpict, are thrilled to announce the Easthampton Futures Project, a series of facilitated community workshops that will invite members of our community to envision and articulate the future of Arts & Culture for the City of Easthampton.

The information generated in these public sessions will provide the foundation for the next iteration of the Arts & Culture chapter of the City of Easthampton’s Master Plan.

Save the date!
June 22
All sessions run from 10am - 4pm
Food will generously be provided by Galaxy

Learn more about how you can participate!

Ko Festival Workshop TOY THEATER

July 8 – 13, 2019

with John Bell & Trudi Cohen of Great Small Works

A light-hearted lecture by Great Small Works’ own singing professor Dr. John Bell will introduce the 19th-century history of Toy Theater (also called paper theater) — the pleasures of its traditional practice in Victorian parlors, and contemporary revival on stages and in classrooms around the world. Participants will be shown some basic techniques and materials. We will discuss image and text selection and dramaturgy. And then they will break up into small groups and create their own original toy theater pieces. The workshop will culminate with everyone presenting the results of their efforts to each other.

Our workshop will present the history and practice of this intimate and highly accessible puppetry form. It will offer a chance to construct a toy theater stage and scenery and figures, and to put together a multi-scene story. Participants will learn the value of Toy Theater as a teaching tool, both in curriculum-based school environments, and in community programs. Most of all, they will discover the possibilities of this historic parlor entertainment for telling the grandest of tales with the simplest of means.

Anyone who would like to consider subject matter for their piece in advance of the workshop is encouraged to do so. A song, a poem, a location, an anecdote, a political idea, a hero, a news item, what I ate for breakfast, what I saw walking to the post office – there are infinite possibilities.

Register here.

Ko Festival Workshop UNLOCKING INSPIRATION: The Vital Act
July 29 – August 3, 2019with Debórah Eliezer of foolsFURY Theater

Each of us has a vital story to share. How do we reveal it?

This fun, participatory workshop will explore embodied creation methods that will remove your inner critic and allow your uninhibited creativity to flow. Through free writing, movement meditation, kinetic storytelling and vocal improvisation, we will unlock inspiration, discover untold stories and turn the idea of narrative on its head. Through the practice of ensemble theater training, we’ll explore horizontal leadership, the individual voice within the group and challenge assumptions about storytelling. We will conjure creations using physical scores, text, and song in a collaborative environment. Participants will gain more self confidence, greater expressive range and emotional availability in a fun and supportive setting. Suitable for actors, teachers, wellness coaches, and anyone interested in unlocking their creativity.

Register here.