August 8 - 28, 2019

Hello from Canada! I'm away this week, so apologies if I missed your submission. Feel free to share your event on the Facebook page - and add PVTN as a co-host on your event to be shared to all of our followers as well!

It's not too late to register for Real Live Theatre's Choreographing Intimacy Workshop - this is a very important training for anyone involved in theatre! More information in the listings below - the training is August 17.

The PVTN Google Calendar is available through that link - if you want to add your events, send me an email and I'll give you permission.

The next issue will include events through September 4. 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
August 17 - Register Here

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
Participatory Theatre: Europe's Game Changer
by Verity Healey

From the article:

In 2009, at Germany’s Staatsschauspiel Dresden theatre, Miriam Tscholl pioneered “bürgerbühne,” or participatory theatre for citizens, a form of community outreach via artistic collaboration. Tscholl worked to give participatory theatre productions the same resources and scheduling as the playhouse’s main programming, and it became an integral part of the city’s theatrical landscape. Her approach has been adopted, adapted, and reinterpreted in theatres across Europe; a German theatre company, Munich Kammerspiele, for example, now includes such work in their main repertoire without distinguishing it from their other productions.

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

Chester Theatre Company presents CURVE OF DEPARTURE by Rachel Bonds
August 8-18; Thursdays at 2pm and 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm
Town Hall Theatre, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA

In a New Mexico motel room, three generations gather to lay to rest their past as they look toward the opportunities and challenges of the future.

CURVE OF DEPARTURE offers a multi-faceted, multi-generational picture of family life: loving, complicated, funny, challenging, and full of uncertainty. A father, son, and ex-wife gather to bury a man they loved, but didn't always like. But, he is the reason they have each other to depend upon.

Tickets.

Arena Civic Theatre presents Modigliani by Dennis McIntyre
August 9, & 10 at 7:30pm
The Roundhouse at the Franklin County Fairgrounds
89 Wisdom Way
Greenfield MA 01301

Tickets $18 General Admission, $15 Seniors
Opening Night all tickets $15
Tickets may be purchased at the door,
Online at arena-civic-theatre.ticketleap.com/modigliani/
Or reserved by leaving a message at 413-233-4368

In 1916, unable to sell his paintings and unable to work, Modigliani decides to leave Paris. A robbery attempt, aided by his painter friends Turillo and Soutine fails and he seeks money from Zborowski, his agent, who informs him he’s about to meet Cheron, an influential art dealer. Modigliani’s poet mistress, Beatrice Hastings, tries to convince him to meet Cheron himself. Frightened of failure, he finally agrees, only to discover Zborowski has given away his best painting. His meeting with Cheron is a disaster and, in a rage, he slashes his paintings and attempts to destroy all the work in his studio. Beatrice prevents this and forces him to realize the paintings are his life. Left alone with no possibilities for success, Modigliani begins work again on a self portrait.

“A wild, funny and moodily proactive play…raffish and richly atmospheric.” -New York Daily News
“One of the most enthralling dramas in years…wonderfully exciting in the varied richness of its texture.” -New York Post
The performances will take place inside the historic Roundhouse building on the Franklin County Fairgrounds. Patrons may park inside the grounds. The venue is not air conditioned, and restrooms are located in a separate building.

CitySpace presents Tours of the Second Floor of Easthampton's Old Town Hall
August 10 at 6:00 PM
September 14 at 6:00 PM
September 29 at 7:00 PM
October 5 at 7:00 PM
October 12 at 6:00 PM
and possibly other additional dates

Join us on a tour of the second floor of Old Town Hall. Whether you're headed to Art Walk Easthampton or off to one Easthampton's fine restaurants like Galaxy or Coco & The Cellar Bar, join us for a guided walk through of the second floor of Old Town Hall.
Tour is free and open to the public.
Learn more about the project cityspaceeasthampton.org/transformation

Free - no reservations necessary, but you can RSVP to a Facebook event.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Ha-Ha's & Friends: Still Life
August 10 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA

Local favorites since 2003, The Ha-Ha's perform alongside special guests each month. Saturday, August 10th 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)

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

IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY WITH THE MAJESTERS SCHEDULE:
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.

Franklin County Summer Youth Theater presents Seuss Stories
August 16 and 17 at 6:30 PM
Hopkins Academy--131 Russell Street, Hadley, MA

A fun family event for children of all ages and those still young at heart. Come see Star Bellied Sneetches, The Lorax, SeussOdyssey and more both Friday and Saturday night at Hopkins Academy in Hadley, MA. Tix at the door.

Eggtooth Productions presents Barbès in the Woods
August 17 at 1:00 PM
Bartlett Farm in Montague

Introducing Barbès in the Woods, a new global music festival that pays homage to one of Brooklyn's most iconic bars. Nestled in the hills of Western Massachusetts, this day-long festival features two-stages of music with afrobeat pioneers Antibalas, Underground System, Slavic Soul Party!, and more. It's going to be the quintessential backyard festival — the sort of thing you’ve always wanted in the middle of your summer — on a pristine tract of historic farmland in Montague, Massachusetts.

Antibalas
Combo Chimbita
Underground System
Slavic Soul Party!
Anbessa Orchestra
Alsarah & The Nubatones
Stephane Wrembel
Big Lazy
Klezperanto
The Berkshire Bateria & Bossa Triba

THE BACK STORY: Barbès was once a Park Slope laundromat until two Frenchmen turned it into a bar. That bar had a back room for music. And that back room soon became Brooklyn’s favorite hang for omnivorous, authentic, non-commercial and international performances. Its been called "a cultural phenomenon” by the Christian Science Monitor and "…the vanguard of the new Brooklyn jazz scene” by the New York Times. The tiny venue hosts more than 700 performances a year. The point is: this is no ordinary bar. And this will not be any ordinary festival.

THEATRE: Come prepared for an immersive theatrical scavenger hunt put together by our friends at The Shea Theater Arts Center, Eggtooth Productions, and Fine House.

THE LOCATION: The festival is set on the former Bartlett Farm in the village of Montague: a twelve-acre tract of field, forest & river abutting the Sawmills Conservation Area and forming a natural enclosure for an intimate gathering. Music on two stages from 1PM-11PM.

Montague is 3 hours north of New York City and 2 hours west of Boston. It has a distinctly progressive, Western Mass vibe. The legendary Book Mill is just around the bend.

Eggtooth Productions and the Shea Theater Turners Falls collaborate with the performance company, Fine House to enhance your Barbés in the Woods experience by drawing you into immersive encounters with musical, magical woodland beings who emanate from the forest, dance through meadows, and sing up from babbling streams to engage you, captivate you, and create personal moments of enchantment as you discover and collect their gifts. As part of the festival, enjoy this mystical scavenger hunt celebrating sense, feeling, and perspective.

Round trip charter buses leave from Park Slope in the morning and return late at night. Visit www.barbesinthewoods.com to reserve a seat or find out more.

The festival is made possible in part with help from our partners: New England Public Radio, Greenfield Northampton Cooperative Bank, Turners Falls RiverCulture, Montague Cultural Council, Northeast Solar, and AMR of Springfield.

Tickets.

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Family Comedy Show
August 17 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 5-13 year olds and their adults. It's funny for the whole family! Saturday, August 17th 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
August 17 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 true stories from the cast and audience! Saturday, August 17th 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.

PEACH PARTY: Celebrating 10 Years of Youth Programming at the Academy of Music

In keeping with the theme of the 2020 AOMYP 10th anniversary production of James and the Giant Peach, Jr., we are throwing a PEACH PARTY at Park Hill Orchard! The event will feature a performance with a combination of youth performers and songs from the last 10 years, face painting, fun photo op's, peach themed treats, and of course, you can experience Park Hill’s “Art In the Orchard” walking sculpture trail which winds through the fruit gardens of the orchard! All proceeds to go benefit the Academy of Music Theatre Youth Program.

Tickets are $10 each (plus online fees).

All proceeds go to the Academy of Theatre Youth Program.
CASH OR CHECK ONLY AT THE DOOR (no fees at door)

WHERE:
Park Hill Orchard
82 Park Hill Rd | Easthampton, MA | 01027

WHEN:
Sunday, August 18, 2019 11am - 1pm

CitySpace presents Have a Seat Cabrito
Sunday, August 18 at 6:00 PM
Luthiers Co-op

Join this late-summer party and fundraiser for Old Town Hall!

Luthier’s Co-op and CitySpace are throwing a party that’s not for kids but does celebrate baby goats and late-summer with swing music, specialty drinks made with Luthier’s Co-op house spirit — Cabrito (goatling) tequila — and a donation toward the second floor of Old Town Hall.

Through ticket purchases of Have a Seat Cabrito, CitySpace is looking to match a generous donation from Sage Meadow Farm that they raised through Caprine Vinyasa (yoga with baby goats) classes.

Sage Meadow Farm, a small family farm located in Easthampton MA owned by Joe and Stan McCoy, made a donation towards CitySpace’s Old Town Hall second floor renovation project. CitySpace needs your ticket purchase to the party in order to double this donation!

Have A Seat Cabrito, also launches CitySpace’s campaign to sell 375 chairs to the community. Before the end of 2020, CitySpace seeks donations to name all of the chairs that will be located on the second floor of Old Town Hall's future performing arts and community space. Catch-up with your friends and neighbors for this fun late-summer bash in support of the future of the arts in Easthampton.

CH'CHUNK will be serving up classic swing and Americana music with a modern twist. Luthier’s will be offering a menu of specialty drinks made with Cabrito tequila and light fare will be served. Cash bar.

Tickets will be available at the door (while they last).

Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Valley Championship
August 24 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, August 24th 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.

AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

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.

Springfield College Theater seeking Scenic Designer/Technical Director
August 26, 2019
Springfield Colllege scene shop and Fuller Arts Center theater

The Theater Program at Springfield College invites applicants for a position as Scenic Designer/Technical Director for the Springfield College Theater. The program produces one play each semester, and the position is contracted on a per production fee basis. To apply, please contact Professor Martin Shell, Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts department, at mshell@springfieldcollege.edu, with a letter of interest, CV, and references.

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.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Real Live Theatre presents Choreographing Intimacy: a one-day intensive for all theatre practitioners
August 17 at 10:00 AM
45 Amherst Road, Sunderland MA 01375

“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.

•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.

Check out the website for all the logistics and to register. Register by July 20 and receive $25 off the workshop cost!

Email Ellen and Toby with any questions.