Pioneer Valley Theatre News May 20, 2021

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser May 20 - June 9, 2021 I'm very interested to see what happens with the state fully reopening - what will guidelines be for in-person performance and will anyone be changing their plans for upcoming events? I am certainly looking forward to attending a few small outdoor events once I'm fully vaccinated (getting my second dose today!) If you need helping getting a vaccine appointment or to/from the appointment, I'm happy to help!  The next issue will include events from May 27 through June 16. 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 YOUR EVENT HERE $5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing! Email me to reserve your dates. Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Google Calendar Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround Dismantle the Hierarchy: Best Practices for Creating a More Equitable, Consensual Theatre Classroom by Alli St. John From the article:  Think of a time someone in a position of power asked you to do something that made you feel physically or emotionally unsafe. Did you feel empowered to tell them “no”? Now, imagine you’re a teenager in a theatre class or drama club where the consequences for speaking up may be academically or socially damaging. Would you feel the same way? Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES From the New England New Play Alliance: Virtual Theatre and Audio Plays White Snake Projects presents Death by Life created by Cerise Lim Jacobs May 20-25 directed by Kimille Howard Galvanized by the killing of George Floyd, the virtual opera Death by Life explores the intersection of systemic racism and mass incarceration. The libretto uses texts by incarcerated writers and their families. The score features five Black composers representing a broad range of ages and styles. Tickets: pay what you can.   Artists’ Theater of Boston presents She Eats Apples by Stephanie K. Brownell May 21-22 directed by Jasmine Brooks She Eats Apples is a nonlinear exploration of rape culture as seen through the eyes of four teenagers embroiled in the complexities of growing up. The play asks: How can we imagine a culture of consent and healthy relationships when we are embroiled in the complex web of rape culture, when we are taught through media, casual conversation, and uncritiqued views of history that what doesn’t feel right inside our own bodies, is just normal? Tickets: Free, registration required.   The Depot for New Play Readings presents a Zoom reading of True Identity by Quinn D. Eli May 23, 2:00 PM directed by Anne Flammang A real-life adventure is taking place inside Damascus Comics, only there are no superheroes around to save the store’s African-American proprietor, Ramir. His oldest friend and only employee, a white woman named Beth, attracts the frenzied attention of protestors and reporters in a case caught on live video. After she spots two white children traveling in a car with a black man, Beth becomes convinced the children are in danger and calls the police. Her call sets off a series of events that threatens the store she runs with Ramir, jeopardizes their relationship, and demands, in the end, an enormous price for Living While Black. Tickets: free.   The Huntington Theatre presents The Black Beans Project by Melinda Lopez and Joel Perez now-May 30 directed by Jaime Castañeda Mariana and Henry meet virtually to share a secret family recipe that forces them to reveal secrets of their own. The siblings transform pandemic panic into renewal in this tender comedy about family, food, and finding the strength to move on. Tickets: pay what you can.   Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Boston Theater Marathon XXIII now-May 28 Boston Theater Marathon XXIII: Special Zoom Edition features 10-minute plays by New England playwrights in collaboration with New England theatres. Audiences are encouraged to lend their support to area theatre companies and to the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund, which provides financial support to theatres and theatre artists in need. The productions begin at noon each day, with the exception of Sundays. A question-and-answer session follows each play. This week's plays: Following the Rules by Alexis Krysten Morgan May 18 sponsored by New Repertory Theatre A teacher uses the system to punish a student who makes a mistake. When I Grow Up  by Fabiola R. Decius May 19 sponsored by Wheelock Family Theatre A kindergarten teacher calls a conference with a parent to discuss her son’s answers in class, leading to a confrontation about racial awareness. Funeral by Jessica Durdock Moreno May 20 sponsored by Firehouse Center for the Arts When Brian misses out on his best friend Tyler’s COVID-safe Zoom wedding due to a bad internet connection, he realizes that what was meant to be a celebration of love ended up feeling more like a funeral as he sat isolated in his room. Swans by Melinda Lopez May 21 sponsored by Northeastern University Department of Theatre How long does it take to become a local? A first date takes a detour in this comedy set at an iconic Boston location. Marty  by K. Alexa Mavromatis May 22 sponsored by Hartford Stage A COVID-time trip to the grocery store brings adventure, reflection, frustration, discovery, and something else. Is it despair? The Brunch Crowd by Dillon Yruegas May 24 sponsored by Sparkhaven Theatre Always wanted to know how transgender people of color go about their daily lives? Spoiler alert: they don’t talk about the surgery, or anything else that the cis seem to be so obsessed about. They go to brunch and drink too many mimosas, just like you! Reset by Kelly Smith May 25 sponsored by Flat Earth Theatre Desperate to buy last minute concert tickets, Lindsey tries to remember her login password with the help of… her Password. Tickets: free, click "purchase tickets" to join the production. Ja'Duke Theater presents High School Musical 5/21 @6pm, 5/22 @2pm Disney Channel's smash hit movie musical comes to life on stage! Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities. Disney's High School Musical is fun for the whole family. This hour long show is perfect for any age. Seating capacity is limited so purchasing tickets in advance is highly encouraged. Masks must be worn at all times and social distancing is enforced. Tickets *Doors open 30 minutes prior to show *Pre-order concessions at www.jaduketheater.com/shop *Seating will be general admission and will adhere to social distancing policies *Masks must be worn Howling at the Moon June 8-12 Howling at the Moon will take place in early June at Double Edge's Farm Center. Mythic tales and ancestral visions will be shared fireside by Ensemble actors Travis Coe, Milena Dabova, Jennifer Johnson, and Carlos Uriona, interwoven with a musical and visual world of aerial flight and fantastic beings roaming the land under the starry sky. Author, musician, storyteller Larry Spotted Crow Mann of the Nipmuc Nation, will lead us into the performance with his own ancestral story drawn from his play Freedom in Season. This performance is co-presented by the Ohketeau Cultural Center. General Box Office opens on May 8 Member tickets on sale here! The Re/Emergence Collective presents Re/Emergence June 11-13, June 18-20 with staggered start times: 6:00pm, 6:50pm, 7:40pm each night Park Hill Orchard, Easthampton, MA RE/EMERGENCE is a post-apocalyptic performance that examines grief, initiation, envisioning, and healing as a community after a year of unprecedented upheaval. Looking to nature and its transformative powers, RE/EMERGENCE invites audiences to reflect, meditate, and nurture a new vision of the future. Tickets RE/EMERGENCE was created by the Re/Emergence Collective, a group of theater-makers and frequent collaborators mostly basesd in the Pioneer Valley who gathered in artistic community over the past year to devise this performance. We processed the many challenges of the year’s events through implementing more collective ways of artmaking rather than the traditional hierarchical theater model in order to practice the kind of inclusive theater that we hope to see more of in the future. SILVERTHORNE THEATER AND LAVA ANNOUNCE THE PUBLIC READING OF NEW PLAY   Set in an unspecified re-purposed building in a small Western Massachusetts town, Northampton author and playwright Ellen Meeropol’s GRIDLOCK tackles issues of climate change and radical activism as two sisters reunite after a fifty-year separation. On Friday, June 11, a public reading of this work-in-development will give audience members and artists the chance to hear and comment on this new play.   The reading will take place at 7:30 pm at the LAVA Center at 324 Main St, Greenfield. The reading is free and open to the public, but seating capacity is very limited, so reservations are advised by calling 413-768-7514 or writing to silverthornetheater@gmail.com, Attendees should have been fully vaccinated. The event will also be streamed live on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTM_CHysj_URdk1QDxCWr_A   Meeropol’s play is loosely based on the characters and events portrayed in her recently released novel Her Sister’s Tattoo (Red Hen Press, 2020). Two sisters are caught up in the anti-war protests of the mid-‘60s, but as a result of “the thorny intersection of family loyalty and clashing political decisions”, a half-century estrangement ensues. GRIDLOCK brings the two, now in their 70’s. back together when a widespread and days-long outage of the national electrical grid throws the country and the local communal living group into a difficult position.   Development of this play and others by local playwrights writing about contemporary issues is part of the missions of both Silverthorne Theater and LAVA (Local Access to Valley Arts). Jan Maher of LAVA directs this reading with actors from both groups participating. More information about the reading can be found at https://www.localaccess.org/ or https://silverthornetheater.org/special-events . AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Ja'Duke Theater presents Young Frankenstein Auditions 5/20 @ 6:00 PM, 5/23 @ 6pm Join us for auditions for our live theater event of Young Frankenstein scheduled to take place in August. For performance dates and more information about auditions please visit our website. More info.  SILVERTHORNE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR “A BROADWAY CABARET’   What better way to celebrate the return of live theater than with music? In our first major post-pandemic production, Silverthorne Theater presents A Broadway Cabaret, onstage August 6-8 in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield. Eight singer/actors will perform tunes from Broadway’s Golden Age shows - solos and ensemble numbers presented for audiences seated at cabaret tables arranged for maximum comfort and following whatever state guidelines for indoor performance are in place at that time.   Auditions for A Broadway Cabaret are scheduled for Sunday, June 6 and Monday, June 7, from 7 pm - 9 pm each night. All vocal ranges are required for the show’s range of musical selections. Auditioners should register for an appointment at silverthornetheater@gmail.com or by calling 413-768-7514. Full details of audition requirements may be found om the Silverthorne website at https://silverthornetheater.org/event/auditions-a-broadway-cabaret/   The show will be staged by veteran STC director John Reese, with Ben Ware as Music Director. Stage Manager Robby Moore will be scheduling audition appointments.   A Broadway Cabaret is a fundraiser for Silverthorne which, like all other live theaters, saw drastically reduced revenues during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. Front-line workers and emergency personnel will be offered free admission to the event in recognition of the services and sacrifices made for our entire community during the pandemic.   For questions and further information, please contact us at silverthornetheater@gmail.com, call 413-768-7514, or visit https://silverthornetheater.org/  ELF Student Engagement Mini-Grants April 13, 2021 OVERVIEW Easthampton Learning Foundation (ELF) and Easthampton Public Schools invite proposals for projects, initiatives, and activities that provide enriching experiences to students in collaboration with school administrators. The activities must take place outdoors, during school hours, and must follow COVID-19 safety protocols as prescribed by the CDC (Center for Disease Control). GOAL Let’s connect our community of talented artists, musicians, science buffs, historians, etc., and dream up some fun, safe, enriching outdoor activities during the school day for our school community SPECIFICATIONS Easthampton Public Schools serve children of all abilities between Pre-Kindergarten and 12th grade, and successful proposals should specify the school and grades it aims to serve. ● Maple School: Pre-Kindergarten - 4th grade ● Center and Pepin Schools: Kindergarten - 4th grade ● White Brook Middle School: 5th - 8th grades ● Easthampton High School: 9th - 12th grades PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING: ● Educational or enrichment objective of project ● Project timeline ● Nature of student involvement ● Short budget outlining planned expenses ● Description of past and/or current experience working with children and teens EXAMPLES OF MINI-GRANT PROJECTS ● Arts and crafts (mural painting, visual arts, theater, creative writing, music, etc) ● Sports, dance, exercise (Yoga, Thai Chi, playground games, obstacle courses, etc.) ● Science ● World Languages AWARDS Successful awardees will receive a grant, which could include materials and/or staff compensation. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. ELF is actively committed to supporting BIPOC* artists and educators. BIPOC applicants strongly are encouraged to apply. *BIPOC = Black, Indigenous, People of color NOTE: All individuals are required to have a CORI check prior to working with students and/or receiving any funding. To submit a proposal, please visit https://elfhelps.org/apply-for-a-grant.html, and attach your CV. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sara (908-892-4104; amoroso.sara.l@gmail.com) or Jenny (413-695-8680; jenny.papa@gmail.com). Assistant Production Manager, Five College Dance (Post-Baccalaureate) The Five College Consortium seeks an Assistant Production Manager to provide production management support for Five College Dance (FCD) events on the multiple campuses within the consortium. This is a non-exempt, benefited, 11-month position (August-June), with a two-year appointment beginning early August 2021 and ending late June 2023, with the possibility of a one-year extension. This position is intended to be an in-person onsite role that may begin as a remote position due to pandemic-related restrictions. Job Summary The Post-Baccalaureate Assistant Production Manager provides production management support for Five College Dance (FCD) events on multiple campuses. More details here. For sale is a prop car for the musical Chitty Chitty Bang bang. The wings deploy manually from inside the car, raft inflates, headlights and interior lights work.  Its on a platform with casters and is manually moved around the stage.  A scissor lift can be added to elevate the car.  I'm looking for 2,000 or best offer. It is currently stored in Monson ma. Contact Jay Pollack at pollackplayhouse@yahoo.com for more information  WORKSHOPS & CLASSES JUNE 19th Serious Play presents: Unique Live Sound & Music Opportunity with Composer/ Musician Jonny Rodgers (www.cindertalk.com) Creating A Choir: Getting Our Hands & Feet Wet in Sound Creation  Serious Play’s Live Community Workshop-Demonstration -Creating a Human Touch Activated-Water Activated Choir.  This is part of a public phase of development for composing sound using “Playtronica” (www.playtronica.com) for our upcoming July devised production, Moving Water. For the musical score of Moving Water, composer Jonny Rodgers is developing choral compositions (& other aesthetic goodies) using a “Playtronica” device, so that actors can “play” the set, water & each other in real time & improvise with elements of musical compositions or sound design at will during the performance. The public is welcome to join us this June 19th, learn about how this happens & try this technique out for themselves! When: SATURDAY June 19 / 2-3:30pm Where: Well Ventilated Flex Space at the Arts Trust Complex, 33 Hawley St, Northampton With All Covid Protocols: Social Distancing, Masks, Hand Sanitizer Limited Number of Participants: 16 yrs & up Please Contact Serious Play & Register: Phone 413-588-7439 or Email seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com Open to anyone interested in musical discovery- musician or not! $15 general - $10 students & seniors (cash or check @ the door) WORKSHOPS TRANSFORMING YOUR WRITING BY RESTING YOUR MIND a meditation and writing workshop with JUANITA ROCKWELL JULY 10 - 11, 1pm - 4pm EST Whether we write for our own pleasure or for others, to be read on the page or to be spoken aloud, we want our writing to reflect our experience of the world. But our habitual thinking and the ways we tell these stories become a kind of spell of doing, of busy-ness; a spell that binds us, separates us from others, and limits our authentic expression. If we release this imprint of Doing, what might happen if we can rest in the stillness, silence and spaciousness of our Being? In this two-day, small group workshop, you will learn practices that will ... Read more...   TRANSFORMING YOUR WRITING BY CLEARING YOUR MIND (level 2) a meditation and writing workshop with JUANITA ROCKWELL JULY 17 - 18, 1pm - 4pm EST This workshop provides opportunities to deepen the work begun in Transforming Your Writing by Resting your Mind, Read more... Announcing:The Completely Ridiculous Summer Conservatory Monday July 5th to Friday August 13th Twelve students. Six weeks. Five days a week. Three and a half hours a day. Over 100 hours of laughter, failure, tears, beauty, triumph, wonder and play! Applications are accessible via the link below and will be accepted on a rolling basis until 11:59pm EST on May 30th. Starting in July, a dynamic ensemble of Completely Ridiculous students will have the opportunity to engage in globally minded professional actor training - all from the comfort of home. We are all kinds of excited about the summer program, especially our faculty! This spring we brought on Chalia La Tour (Broadway: Slave Play, Tony Award nominee), Arturo Luis Soria (Broadway: The Inheritance) and Storm Thomas (Theater But Dance). And, this summer we will be welcoming back Ato Blankson-Wood (Broadway: Slave Play, Tony Award nominee) and Zenzi Williams (Black Panther). By the end of the 6 weeks, Completely Ridiculous students will walk away with industry contacts, a more enthusiastic and curious body, a larger capacity to dream and dream big, and a greater comfort with spontaneity, freedom and play. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of who they are as unique individual artists, leaving the program with a whole new set of skills to apply to their career and/or ongoing education. APPLY NOW! Drama Studio Summer Programs July 5 2021 - August 13 2021 41 Oakland Street, Springfield, MA The Drama Studio is a unique community where young people come to grow as artists, leaders, and individuals. Now offering a variety of on-site and online acting and theater programs in a safe environment, including Fantastical Scenes, where students will stage scripted and originally written fantasy scenes, build fairy houses, and prepare for a final performance /sharing. In TeenScene: Thinking Outside the Blackbox teens will study Immersive Theater and work together to create ideas and content for a socially distanced, outdoor performance. Other classes include Acting Up: Summer Sun Stories, SummerSlam: Improv Week, and an Online Class: Improv for Actors. No prior acting experience required. Summer enrollment now open! Space is limited. dramastudio.org/summer-programs Hampshire Shakespeare Company Educational Theater Workshop August 2-6 at 9:00 AM Virtual & Williston School In this half day program students will learn age-appropriate storytelling and performance skills from home for the first few days, and work together to present on Friday. Come practice acting, public speaking, empathy, creative writing, prop making, costume designing, resiliency, and play (just to name a few!) with us. More info. Submit your workshop, class, audition, performance, or any other theatre opportunity here! Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies Academy of Music Theatre Arena Civic Theatre Black Cat Theater Chester Theatre Company CitySpace Cold Spring Community Theatre Completely Ridiculous Productions Drama Studio Double Edge Theatre Eggtooth Productions Exit 7 Players Franklin County Youth Theater Ghost Light Theater Greenfield Community College's Theater Department Hampshire Shakespeare Company Happier Valley Comedy Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts K and E Theater Group Ko Theater Works/Ko Festival of Performance Majestic Theater New Century Theatre No Theater Northampton Community Arts Trust Northampton Playwrights Lab PaintBox Theatre Panopera Pauline Productions Real Live Theatre Red Thread Theater Royal Frog Ballet Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Shakespeare Stage Shea Theater Arts Center Silverthorne Theater Smith College Department of Theatre St. Michael's Players Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. Strident Theatre TheatreTruck Turbulent Times Theater UMass Department of Theater UMass Theatre Guild Valley Light Opera Westfield Theatre Group Wilbraham United Players 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 TV/Radio and News Column Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*