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October 8 - November 4, 2020
In local news, The Valley Advocate is in danger of closing its doors. As many of you are aware, The Valley Advocate has been a huge supporter of theatre and performing arts in the community, and as a free paper, provides an incredible resource of event listings in each edition. Consider reaching out in support of the publication. This message comes directly from Chris Rohmann:
"The Advocate is back this week with a one-time issue, as the accompanying editorial says, "to gauge whether there is an appetite - and advertising - to give it a relaunch ... or whether it's time to put the alternative weekly to bed, literally, after 47 years."
My Stagestruck column is in it - a preview of Valley theater this fall, Zoomed and otherwise. It's in street boxes and store racks now, and the e-edition is here.
Here's a link to my column.
I'm hoping this isn't the end of the line for the venerable but still feisty rag (the issue also includes a piece about a scathing federal report on Springfield policing, an anti-biomass op-ed, a review of 2020's highs and lows, a history of the women's suffrage movement in Northampton, and a pull-out cannabis guide) but as the man said, it depends on the "appetite" for more.
If you have a minute to send a supportive message, it could help. Use the Contact Us form or email editor Chad Cain: ccain@gazettenet.com"
The next issue will include events through November 11. 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
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MASK MAKING AND PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
Sat. Oct. 24 3-5pm / Tues. Oct. 27 7-9pm / Fri. Oct. 30 7-9pm
Learn More
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YOUR EVENT HERE
$5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing!
Email me to reserve your dates.
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THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS:
from Howlround
What is the Role of the Artist Today?
by Michael Rohd
From the article:
This time of multiple pandemics requires deep reflection on individual and institutional values and practices. COVID-19, quarantine, climate catastrophe, and a public health crisis—marked by inequitable resource allocation and tragically disproportionate health outcomes—alongside the global response to George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police and the social justice uprising that followed, have made systemic and structural racism an articulated, visible public narrative in ways that bring us to what, as Angela Davis said recently, “Is a moment that no one could see coming but many have spent fifty years preparing for.”
Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
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PERFORMANCES and COVID-19 RESOURCES
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Creative Women Leading Climate Action concludes this week with two extraordinary events:
PANEL - Climate Change and Communities of Color: How Artists are Responding
Thursday, October 15, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Racial injustice is intrinsically tied to climate change. Artists of color have been imperative to the climate and racial justice movement through their various media. This panel includes three amazing artists who will talk about their art and the important work they are doing. Moderated by Hind Mari, Director, Women of Color Leadership Network, UMass. Panelists: Dr. Diana Alvarez, Artist Scholar; Chelvanaya (Naya) Gabriel, Artist; and Erika Slocumb, Artist.
WORKSHOP - New Fables for a New World
Thursday, October 15, 1 – 3:15 p.m.- The Workshop is full. Register to join the waitlist.
This workshop, facilitated by Dr. Terry Jenoure, Interdisciplinary Artist, turns concerns for the environment into performative arts activism. Dr. Jenoure's workshop is filled, but you can register to be added to the waitlist. Catch the workshop sharing at the start of the panel, Creative Climate Change and Communities of Color: How Artists are Responding, at 3:00 p.m.
Click here for more information and to register.
Free. Open to women and nonbinary people.
Pre-registration required.
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Kand E Theater Group
"Whispers From the Wings" Spooky Storytelling Series
K and E Theater Group's Facebook page, IGTV and YouTube Channel
Fridays 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 at 8:00 PM
After a successful, all-virtual Local Spotlight Series featuring over fifty theater personalities this summer and an ongoing virtual class series School’s In Session, K and E Theater Group is excited to produce online programming with an October-long presentation of Whispers from the Wings, a series of short terrifying stories presented by fifteen local storytellers.
These horrifying tales premiere every Friday night this October to set the mood and get our audiences psyched for Halloween. K and E Theater Group will present five original short stories that have been written and performed by fifteen local storytellers. Every storyteller will perform their written part of an original scary story without knowing what the preceding or next storyteller wrote or performed.
The local storytellers that are featured in this series include Ryan Bird, Emily Bloch, Stephanie Carlson, Cate Damon, Joe Dulude II, Lindel Hart, Peter Kennedy, Josh Mason, Howard Odentz, Lisa Parker, Josh Prouser, Konrad Rogowski, Kevin Tracy, Seana Walsh, and Christine Zdebski.
Our scary stories can be found on the K and E Theater Group Facebook page, IGTV or their YouTube channel at 8:00 PM every Friday in October.
Our production is in part supported by Easthampton City Arts through the Easthampton Artist Grants Initiative. K and E Theater Group welcomes and appreciates any donations throughout the series and future programming that will help us fund our 2021 season, By Invitation Only. To learn how to help, please visit www.KETG.org.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kandetheatergroup
IGTV https://www.instagram.com/kandetheatergroup/channel/
YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCjboOVgFra2Ef1DL0X6PXPA
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| UMass Theater announces a slate of digital projects for Fall 2020 |
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Launches Oct. 9
When The Soul Looks Out: Selections from Dr. Yusef Lateef’s Creative Writing
Oct. 29 &31 at 7:30, Oct. 30 at Midnight:
COVEN-19, Or, Magicks for Unprecedented Times
Nov. 12, 15, & 19 at 7:30 p.m.:
Visionary Futures: Science Fiction Theatre for Social Justice Movements
Dec. 1, 2, & 3 at 7:30 p.m.:
Café Subterrain
Launch date this winter:
Pandemic Podcast
All events free, check our 2020-2021 Season page for registration information as each production nears!
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This semester, our venue is a space online instead of a stage. We invite you to join us as we fuse theatrical creativity with modern technology to safely reach the farthest corners of our community.
We look forward to bringing theater to you in new ways, whether it's the lesser-known literary side of a jazz giant, using science fiction conventions to dream a better future into existence, telling stories about current issues, or visiting the coolest Zoom rooms ever as artists evoke magic to incite change or empower us all to perform acts of resistance.
All events are free of charge (although we gratefully accept donations from those who are able to give).
When The Soul Looks Out: Selections from Dr. Yusef Lateef’s Creative Writing
Curated and directed by Priscilla MarÃa Page
Dr. Yusuf Lateef is a towering figure in jazz, a deeply spiritual and philosophical man whose recordings and teachings have left a lasting imprint in the world of music. We are proud to be a part of the Centennial Celebration of Yusef Lateef, coordinated by Glenn Siegel as part of the Magic Triangle Series out of the UMass Fine Arts Center. To honor Dr. Lateef’s legacy, Dr. Page has curated a filmed presentation of his writings, Midnight in the Garden of Love, Spheres, and Another Avenue, performed by Five College and UMass Theater alumni, faculty, and students with guest artists Miles Griffith, Mary LaRose, and Fay Victor.
Presented by the UMass Fine Arts Center’s Magic Triangle Series and UMass Theater.
When the Soul Looks Out will premiere online on Oct. 9 and will remain accessible to viewers afterward. Visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office for information on this curated reading, as well as the other presentations that are part of Dr. Lateef's Centennial Celebration.
COVEN-19, or, Magicks for Unprecedented Times
Produced by Maegan Clearwood, Percival Hornak, and Helen Rahman
2020 is on fire, and more than ever, we are being called upon to own our individual and collective powers, make meaning out of utter chaos, and manifest tangible, seismic change. In late October, when the veil between our world and the other is at its very thinnest, our Coven will perform a live, remote ritual for the community that addresses the grief and pain we are all experiencing — but also the potential for transformation in these strange times. The time is ripe for magick-making: join us.
Presented live online Oct. 29 and 31 at 7:30 pm and Oct. 30 at Midnight.
Visionary Futures: Science Fiction Theatre for Social Justice Movements
Conceived and directed by Josh Glenn-Kayden
This project takes its inspiration from the Octavia’s Brood anthology, which explores the connections between radical speculative fiction and movements for social change. We are commissioning three professional playwrights to each write a 30-minute play of visionary fiction that confronts urgent issues of our time. Each writer will be paired with an activist whose work intersects with the play's subject matter. These writer/activist teams will collaborate to create work that is visionary in its approach while also grounded in contemporary activist thought.
The plays, written to be performed digitally, will be in conversation with each other and will present three different visions of future worlds. Join us for staged readings of excerpts in the fall, with full productions during the spring semester.
Presented live online: Play 1 on Nov. 12 at 7:30; Play 2 on Nov. 15 at 7:30, Play 3 on Nov. 19 at 7:30 pm, play titles to be announced
Café Subterrain
Devised and directed by Rudy Ramirez, with coordinator Yao Chen
Immersive theater works by placing its audience amid the action; we’re taking this concept remote. Café Subterrain invites audience members to gather in a digital café where they’ll journey through virtual rooms to meet resistance agents from across time and space who will share their stories and empower audience members to commit small acts of change in their home communities. The idea: to give comfort and hope that the world can emerge from hardship to a better place, and that the struggle can feel like celebration.
Presented live online: Dec. 1, 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m. A second iteration of this production is planned for spring, dates to be announced.
Pandemic Podcast
Conceived and produced by Bianca Dillard
What are the stories behind the staggering numbers? Theater is about storytelling, and this podcast will draw on theater to tell the story of this pandemic from a multiplicity of perspectives, interviewing experts and folks with first-hand experience of the disease, whom we might not otherwise encounter in our isolation. Together, a team of interviewers, writers and sound design students and faculty mentors will look at topics such as how the pandemic is disproportionately adversely affecting populations of color; how mask wearing has become a polarizing political issue; and what healthcare workers are experiencing.
Look for this series to be posted online this winter. |
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From the New England New Play Alliance:
Virtual Theatre and Podcasts
New Hampshire Theatre Project presents
Elephant-in-the-Room Series®
October 14 and 22
online readings
directed by Genevieve Aichele
The Elephant-in-the-Room Series® presents play readings and community conversations about stigmatizing topics that we as a society often feel uncomfortable discussing in public. Following the reading, a facilitated audience conversation focuses on attitudes about ethical issues involved in the subject over time and today, and our responsibility as a society to bring these issues out of the shadows and into the cultural mainstream. Tickets: free.
Final Thoughts
by Tim Barretto
October 14
Final Thoughts explores the isolating issue of suicide, which was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States in 2017, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people. The reading and subsequent discussion are co-presented by the City of Portsmouth, Seacoast Mental Health, and Portsmouth Hospital PARS. Tickets: free.
A Wider Circle
by Mary Ellen Hedrick
October 22
A Wider Circle examines the complex challenges of substance misuse disorder. The reading and subsequent discussion are co-presented by Network4Health, South Central Public Health Network, and DerryCAM. Tickets: free.
Huntington Theatre Company presents
Dream Boston
now-October 28
Dream Boston is a series of short audio plays that asks local playwrights to imagine favorite locations, landmarks, and their friends in a future Boston, when we can once again meet and connect in our city. New performances are released each Wednesday.
feeling now
by J. Sebastián Alberdi
directed by Caley Chase
Friends decide whether to part for the night after dancing at Machine, right outside Fenway Park on August 23, 2023. Streaming from October 14.
Echoes
by Patrick Gabridge
directed by Rosalind Bevan
Friends make a late-night visit to the Old State House on the anniversary of the Boston Massacre on March 5, 2025. Streaming from October 21.
The Moment Before the Lights Went Out on the Rothkos
by John Kuntz
directed by Rebecca Bradshaw
Museum visitors encounter two Rothko paintings and discover the mystery of each other at the Harvard Art Museums on January 22, 2022. Streaming from October 28.
To watch previous episodes, click here.
Boston Podcast Players presents
Don't Give Up The Ship
by Laura Neill
This nautical fantasia features 18th century seamen, townies of the Hamptons, opera divas, Iron Chef playwriting, and more. Stream the podcast.
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Journey down memory lane with us as we share filmed performances of all five past Naked I productions this fall, culminating with the world premiere virtual production of The Naked I: Revitalized!
TICKETS HERE
Screening Details
Register for a ticket for one or all six Naked I productions and you will have access to view the filmed performance on each weekend specified below for the entire weekend - from Friday night through Sunday! You can experience the show on your own schedule, any time you like, pausing as needed to refill the popcorn! We will also provide a link to a PDF playbill so that you can follow along and learn titles of the pieces and the artists involved.
Accessibility
Closed captions have been created by 20% Theatre are available and recommended for all to use. Additionally, our brand new production screening in mid-December, The Naked I: Revitalized, will offer ASL virtually as well.
Pay-What-You-Can
Registration for each production is pay-what-you-can, and no one will be turned away. Our plays & events have been $5-$25 Sliding Scale for many years, and we ask you to contribute what you can for yourself and any household viewers joining you.
Panel Discussions
Stay tuned for information about live panel discussions with some of the artists involved in these productions over the years - hosted by Artistic Director, Marcela Michelle.
Questions?
Email us anytime: info@tctwentypercent.org.
The Naked I
Monologues
from Beyond the Binary
2009 Performance on Film
OCTOBER 16-18, 2020
Written By Tobias K. Davis in 2002
Originally performed February 2009 at Bedlam Theatre in Minneapolis
Filmed & Edited by Sam Berliner
Following in the footsteps of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues comes The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary by award-winning transgender playwright, Tobias K. Davis. Not willing to stop at discussing women's vaginas, The Naked I explores the bodies and experiences of transgender, gender-queer, and intersex individuals. The play, which includes monologues, duologues, and short sketches, shares stories about men with vaginas and women with penises, women born without vaginas, and a multitude of other differently-gendered people exploring their bodies and dissecting society's assumptions. Tender and heart wrenching, deeply funny and erotic, Davis takes the idea of a monologue-based play to a new level and boldly explains and explores the land beyond 'male' and 'female'.
Original 2009 production postcard design by Tracy Willor.
The Naked I
Wide Open
2012 Performance on Film
OCTOBER 23-25, 2020
A world premiere original production by 20% Theatre Company
Originally produced in February 2012 at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis.
Inspired by our ground-breaking, sold-out 2009 production of The Naked I: Monologues From Beyond The Binary by transgender playwright, Tobias K. Davis, The Naked I: Wide Open is a brand new play made of monologues and short scenes, featuring the talents of over 60 local transgender/gender non-conforming artists and allies. Fresh, sexy, humorous, gut-punching, and unbelievably honest stories that you don’t want to miss.
The Naked I
Insides Out
2014 Performance on Film
NOVEMBER 13-15, 2020
A world premiere production by 20% Theatre Company
Originally produced in February 2014 at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis
Filmed by Ben McGinley
The 3rd in a series of Naked I plays, The Naked I: Insides Out explores queer and trans experiences through monologues, short scenes, and spoken word poems. This production features the work of nearly 100 LGBTQ artists and allies - including contributing writers, directors, performers, designers, technicians, and more!
Original 2014 production postcard artwork by Archie Bongiovanni.
The Naked I
Self-Defined
2016 Performance on Film
NOVEMBER 20-22, 2020
A world premiere production by 20% Theatre Company
Originally produced in February 2016 at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis
Filmed by Ben McGinley
Building community both locally and nationally, The Naked I: Self-Defined aims to highlight the voices and experiences of trans/queer/otherwise non-cisgender and/or non-heterosexual people through the production of brand new, never before seen monologues, short scenes, movement pieces, spoken word poems, short film, and more - featuring the contributions of over 50 artists.
Original 2016 production postcard artwork designed by an amazing artist in the Mpls trans community who wishes to remain anonymous.
The Naked I
Recognize/d
2018 Performance on Film
DECEMBER 4-6, 2020
A world premiere production by 20% Theatre Company
Originally produced in February 2018 at Minnsky Theatre, Minneapolis
Filmed by Ben McGinley
The Naked I: Recognize/d is the 5th in a series of Naked I plays produced by 20% Theatre Company. Building community both locally and nationally, this production aims to highlight the voices and experiences of trans/queer/otherwise non-cisgender and/or non-heterosexual folks. Written, performed, and directed by LGBTQIAP+ people, this is a show for us, by us, and about us. The Naked I: Recognize/d features 20 brand new staged pieces including monologues, scenes, movement/performance pieces, music performance, and more, and includes the contributions of over 60 LGBTQIAP+ artists.
Original 2018 production postcard artwork by Joy Spika.
The Naked I
Revitalized
2020 World Premiere Production
DECEMBER 11-13, 2020
An original, virtual production by 20% Theatre Company
The Naked I: Revitalized explores queer and trans experience through brand new monologues, scenes, song, dance and movement, featuring the contributions of over a dozen local and national artists on topics including gender identity/ies, relationships, transgender/gender non-conforming experiences and all-around self-defined queerness.
This production was originally intended to be performed live back in April 2020 with many more actors and directors involved. Due to Covid-19, we postponed once, and then again, and then decided to go virtual, which meant shifting gears a bit. Some artists created and filmed their own solo work, and some were able to safely involve other artists. We took what was given to us and edited it all together to create this incredible virtual world premiere performance.
Featured writers/creators include Connie Chang, Sami Pfeffer, Forrest Mainville, Tobias K. Davis, Sea Thomas, Ayesha Adu, Hannah Stein, Rubin Hardin, Kitty Sipple, Nick Malakhow, and Johanna Keller Flores.
The Naked I: Revitalized is the 6th and final Naked I production to be produced by 20% Theatre Company.
Original production postcard artwork by Ethan O'Brien.
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Theatre of War presents Antigone in Ferguson.
Antigone in Ferguson is a groundbreaking project that fuses dramatic readings by acclaimed actors of Sophocles’ Antigone with live choral music performed by a diverse choir, from St. Louis, Missouri and New York City culminating in powerful, healing discussions about racialized violence, police brutality, systemic oppression, gender-based violence, health inequality, and social justice. The project was conceived in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in 2014, through a collaboration between Theater of War Productions and community members from Ferguson, MO, and premiered at Normandy High School, Michael Brown’s alma mater, in September of 2016, and has since toured the country and the world.
In light of the uprising and protests catalyzed by the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Dion Johnson, and many others; and the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on black and brown communities, Antigone in Ferguson aims to generate dialogue, consciousness, compassion, outrage, understanding, and positive action at this critical moment.
Translated and directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries
Music composed and conducted by Dr. Philip Woodmore
Co-facilitated by De-Andrea Blaylock Johnson
Featuring performances by Tracie Thoms, Jason Isaacs, De-Rance Blaylock, Duane Foster, Willie Woodmore, Nyasha Hatendi, Marjolaine Goldsmith, Jumaane Williams, and The Antigone in Ferguson Choir.
Antigone in Ferguson
October 17, 2020
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
This special presentation of Antigone in Ferguson will foreground the perspectives of people in Baltimore, Maryland whose lives have been impacted by police brutality, community violence, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-presented by Theater of War Productions, the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, and the Johns Hopkins Program in Arts, Humanities & Health, in partnership with the American Society for Bioethics + Humanities.
RSVP: aifbaltimore.eventbrite.com |
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WAM Theatre presents a digital production of
ROE
by Lisa Loomer
Directed by Kristen van Ginhoven
October 17-20, 2020 (online)
Two Women. Multiple Truths. One Landmark Supreme Court Case.
ROE is an historically sweeping play with a large ensemble cast that illuminates the history of one of the most polarizing social issues of the modern era, the Roe v. Wade, U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established a woman’s right to an abortion. ROE explores the women behind the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, illuminating the heart and passion each side has for their cause, providing a reminder of where the debate began and how hard we have to work to communicate compassionately with people with whom we may disagree. Playwright Lisa Loomer says, "I wanted people to feel, as they watched the play, that their point of view was represented, if nothing else because that helps people be more open and willing to hear another point of view."
Tickets and more information: www.wamtheatre.com/showsandevents/roe/
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The FEAR Project
Written and Directed by Jessica Litwak
Based on interviews conducted by the actors: Amir Levi, Fiona Rene, Mariana ČÞková, Evangelos Lalos, Joan Lipkin, Zach Rothman-Hicks, Fiona Rene, Amir Levi, Elishka Soukupova and Jessica Litwak.
www.theheatcollective.org/thefearproject
The FEAR Project is a theatrical action based on interviews about fear. The experience includes pre-show interviews, the viewing of a play, and a post- show discussion with the artists about the 14 FEAR questions. The FEAR Project aspires to create an atmosphere of restoration by giving people a chance to communicate about fear in a safe and creative space. It has been produced in The Czech Republic, India, and the U.S. This time it is being performed virtually and internationally.
THREE CHANCES TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE FEAR PROJECT:
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OCTOBER 17th, 2020 NYC 07:00 PM New York (4:00 CA Time)
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OCTOBER 25th, 2020 EU 07:00 PM Europe (1:00 NY Time, 10:00 am CA Time)
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OCTOBER 30th, 2020 California 07:00 PM Pacific Time (10:00 NY Time)
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This is a fast moving, funny, educational and moving look at an under represented corner of the Suffrage movement commissioned for the 2020 Centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment.
Catch a shortened version on October 10th
https://themarsh.org/shows_and_events/marshstream/misf-performer-jessica-litwak/
OR in its entirety:
The SOLO Show: Oct 22
With: Jessica Litwak, Kirsten Kammermeyer and Karla Mosley
(An alternate political engagement to the Debate) will be available after on Youtube
The ZOOM Reading: Oct 26
In this Version a group of 11 actors come together to read the play in order to stir up action and discussion. With: Gina Alvarado, Melinda Buckley, Paola Irun, Kirsten Kammermeyer, Joan Lipkin, Jessica Litwak, Ashley Marinaccio, Camille Mazurek, Karla Mosley, Miranda Jane Williams, Nick Sholley
The Discussion: Oct 29th
Citizens (who have watched one or both of the 50,000 Mice offerings) come together to discuss voter suppression, voting rights and what we can do to Get Out The Vote in the last days before the 2020 Election.
The ZOOM Reading: Oct 26
www.theheatcollective.org/suffrage
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Eggtooth Productions, The Academy of Music Theatre of Northampton, and The Shea Theatre of Turners Falls present a Live Theatrical Video Game called Stagehand. The show takes place on Zoom on October 22, 23, 24, and 25th at 7 pm and 9 pm each night.
Tickets are $10 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stagehand-tickets-123681447539. Access to a computer with microphone, camera and speakers, a basic understanding of Zoom, and a good internet connection are required. Audience members should be 14 years and older.
Staged as a live performance, audience members of Stagehand join the show from home via Zoom to experience this intimate adventure from home. Discovering the unusual powers that come from exploring a live environment via a virtual interface, groups of four will be connected to an in-show avatar that allows the group to search an entire theater full of stories, objects, and characters.
Developing a relationship with their in-world avatar, audience members make choices about where to go, what to look at, and who to engage with, much in the style of a first-person video game. As director John Bechtold offered, “We are exploring that blurry line between a live action video game that blends into live theatrical experience. What stories are possible when you leverage the immedicacy of theater with the powers of virtual connections? We think there's an exciting playground here to bring the human dynamic into a remote world. We hope that theater lovers, gamers, and brave adventurers will come on this adventure with us. We've created this work at a time where two jewels of the Valley - The Shea Theater and the Academy of Music - sit mostly dormant. Even in this time, however, these theaters retain the power to inspire their visitors. Stagehand makes these spaces primary characters amidst an ensemble cast of wonderful Valley performers. We look forward to inviting you in."
Upon arrival, participants check in via a private Zoom call and are sent into this world as a character named Charlie - a stagehand put on a mission by their elusive director. Across the night, the members of the cast, who have taken to various corners of the building while the director is out. Very quickly, a host of mysteries and oddities surface for the audience to unravel.
Working from a new and exciting form, Stagehand offers live engagement with characters, explorable spaces, and a building full of questions waiting for answers. As a Valley-based theater company, Eggtooth is excited to produce a show that is also a love-letter to our local theaters that we love and miss.
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Smith College Department of Theatre
New Play Reading Series
HAVING THE GREYSONS and Other Food for Thought
Written and directed by Marty Bongfeldt
Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 PM
Free, registration required
A live, remote reading of four short-form plays presented in concert. Alfred Hitchcock said, “What is drama, after all, but life with the dull bits cut out?” These four short pieces present moments, choices, and consequences viewed through the lens of navigating relationships.
Register here.
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Join our theater witches
in COVEN-19 |
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Presented Oct. 29 & 31 at 7:30, Oct. 30 at Midnight
Free.
Visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office to register.
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When hard times hit, find your people and build a community to create joyful, resilient, magical art to share with the world.
That's what COVEN-19, Or, Magicks for Unprecedented Times aims to do, and its company of theater witches hopes community members join them in creating warmth and light in dark times. Led by dramaturgy MFA students Maegan Clearwood and Percival Hornak, and undergrad Helen Rahman, an online coven of 13 performers and creators are fusing witchcraft traditions, feminism, and theater into an online, immersive format.
"For me personally, magic is a source of healing and introspection," Clearwood says, and she wants to use it "to be with other like-minded people and figure out how to make the world a better place."
In keeping with that ethos, this will be a devised piece, meaning that rather than working from a script, the company builds the work by exploring questions and themes together. "It's a really nice opportunity just for us to experiment with ways of making theatre that are egalitarian and collaborative," says Hornak.
The finished piece will develop over the course of rehearsals, culminating in an interactive experience for the audience. After gathering to begin the performance, audience members will be led into separate break-out rooms via Zoom, where they'll find company members who will invite the audience to make magick with then, with experiences curated for the specific people present in the room with te performers.
While Clearwood reads tarot and has used her practice to help her puzzle out the answers to knotty problems on theater productions in the past, others in the coven/company are newer to witchcraft and theater and discovering how they interpret that connection. The coven is exploring a variety of types of magick, like sigil drawing, candle magic, kitchen witchcraft, and divination tools like tarot cards or rune stones.
Rahman expects skeptics in the audience, and welcomes people of all different belief systems. One of the things she's hoping to come out of this production is an opportunity to see where different religions and rituals intersect and to find commonality of belief. Developing confidence in one's own intuitions, for example, is an important life skill regardless of belief status, she points out.
COVEN-19 will perform around Samhain — the ancient holiday that predates and in some ways influenced our concept of Halloween — when the veil between our world and the other is at its thinnest. The time is ripe for magick-making: join us!
Presented live online Oct. 29 and 31 at 7:30 pm and Oct. 30 at Midnight.
This event is free. Visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office to claim your spot in the virtual audience now. |
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The Drama Studio
She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms
10/30 at 7:30 pm, 10/31 @ 7:30pm, 11/1 @6:30pm
She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms tells the story of Agnes Evans following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she stumbles into a virtual journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge. In this new adaptation of his critically acclaimed, high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies and nasty ogres, writer Qui Nguyen embraces the idea of digital storytelling to further blur the lines between ghosts and memories, fantasy and reality, and chaos and stability.
Directed by Dan Morbyrne
Designed by Austin Yelinek
More information
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