Pioneer Valley Theatre News July 1, 2021

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser July 1 - 21, 2021 This weather sure is a good excuse to find a turn the fan all the way up and hide away for a few hours in the afternoon - maybe with a good play to stream? Through July 4, Ko Festival of Performance is streaming The Magic City Massacre on demand - watch it whenever you most need the break.  Maybe if the heat breaks this weekend you can venture out and see Matilda at Turners Falls High School! Stay safe out there! Or see something in the Berkshires: check out Chris Rohmann's reviews here.  The next issue will include events from July 8 through 28. 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 Ko Festival of Performance presents The Magic City Massacre Streaming On Demand Through July 4. Tickets Available. 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 Maybe There's More Than Enough: Escaping the Scarcity Mindset in Nonprofit Theatre by Alix Rosenfeld From the article:  Along with pursuing a freelance career as a dramaturg and writer, I spent the first year of the pandemic as a fundraiser for a midsize theatre company. Specifically, I was the grant writer, responsible for providing roughly a third of the organization’s revenue. It was about as much fun as you imagine. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com LIVE PERFORMANCES Turners Falls High School/Great Falls Middle School Matilda: The Musical 222 Turnpike Road, Turners Falls, MA TWO NIGHTS ONLY! Thursday- July 1st Friday- July 2nd 7:00 in the TFHS auditorium! Don’t miss it!  These kids have waited over a year to share this with the community! Matilda: The Musical is based on the classic Ronald Dahl book. It follows the story of a very gifted little girl who learns she has a lot of power in the face of adversity. This musical is rated PG. Tickets: $10 for Adult $8 for Students $5 for 5 and under Tickets available at the door Directed by: Kimberly Rose Assistant Director: Alyssa Conway Consultant: Mandy Oliver Choreography by: Kiley Palmquist, Hannah Warnock, Maddie LeBorgne, and Izzy Vachula-Curtis Set: Jonathan Chappel, Brian Lamore, and the Amherst Leisure Community Theater “FOURTEEN WEDDING DRESSES” NEXT UP IN SILVERTHORNE THEATER NEW PLAY READING SERIES   Local playwright and long-time Silverthorne Theater company member Steve Henderson has penned a truly unique play, Fourteen Wedding Dresses, for the third second of STC’s Theater Thursday new play reading series on Thursday, July 15. Under the direction of Keith Langsdale, the reading will be performed live at 7:30 pm in the LAVA Center at 324 Main Street, Greenfield.   The reading is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a discussion with the playwright. It will be streamed live on Silverthorne’s YouTube channel as well, and remote viewers will be able to join a Zoom session following the reading to give feedback. Full details are available at https://silverthornetheater.org/play-reading-series/.   Jimmy and Vivian are frightened teenagers running away from their small town home in Kentucky to get married.  They fear not only for themselves but for their younger siblings Missy and Henry. They offer the best advice they can on how to stay safe and promise to return in a few years. But nothing goes as planned. Decades pass. Henry and Missy narrow their lives into a strange and heartbreaking cycle until the arrival of a young visitor exposes secrets and lies that rip their desperate routine to rags and tatters.   A strong cast will read the varied roles: Missy will be played by Cate Damon; Rand Foerster will read the role of Henry. Samantha Choquette will play Young Vivian, with Jimmy Murphy reading Jimmy.    Kimberly Salditt-Poulin will play the adult Vivian, and Linda Tardif reads the role of Gracie, grand-niece to Henry and Missy. Director Keith Langsdale most recently filmed his solo performance in The Tattooed Man Tells All for Silverthorne during 2020, and directed our 2019 production of The Diary of Anne Frank.   Henderson is well-known in the Valley and beyond as an actor and playwright, and as author of Senior Theater, a comprehensive approach to producing theater by, for and with seniors. He co-wrote Silverthorne’s 2018 production of White, Black & Blue, and has had  another play in the Theater Thursday series, Sandwich, in 2019. Silverthorne produced his Jerry and Ed in 2015. The Kentucky setting for Fourteen Wedding Dresses is influenced by visits to his brother who has lived there since the seventies.      An integral part of Silverthorne Theater Company’s mission is to promote the development of new work, especially by Western Massachusetts and New England playwrights. Theater Thursdays is supported in part by a grant from the Greenfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Conway, Deerfield, Northfield, and Shelburne Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.   Theater Thursdays 2021 is a series of free rehearsed readings of new, or new to us plays, begun in 2019. All are followed by audience discussions. The purpose of the readings is to give a platform for new work to be heard, and when possible, to be able to give playwrights direct audience feedback.  It also gives Silverthorne a look at plays that we might consider for full production in future seasons. Complete information for each reading may be found at https://silverthornetheater.org.   Serious Play Theatre Ensemble and Ko Festival of Performance present MOVING WATER   In the face of rising sea levels, a new devised theatre piece about climate change, & how water fragility shapes our human interactions… LIVE: July 22-25, Thurs.– Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 4pm with a talkback   Workroom Theatre | APE@Hawley | Arts Trust | 33 Hawley St., Northampton   WEB: July 30–Aug 1, Fri. & Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 4pm with talkbacks via online through Ko Festival of Performance Multi-camera recording by Northampton Open Media  ALL TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT https://kofest.com a 2-year collaboration by Serious Play Theatre Ensemble  written by Eric Henry Sanders  direction: Sheryl Stoodley  original music: Jonny Rodgers  set & video design: Robin Doty  lighting design Sabrina Hamilton  with actors: Kermit Dunkelberg, Ximena Salmerón, Will Swyers Questions: seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com or 413-588-7439 And check out the new Serious Play website: seriousplay.org VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES Ko Festival of Performance streams last summer’s Zoom presentation of "The Magic City Massacre” on demand June 19-July 4th. With a cast of 14, Deletta Gillespie’s play tells the story of one of the most prosperous black communities in the history of the United States, how Tulsa came to be the site of the worst incidence of civil unrest second only to the Civil War, and why almost one-hundred years later, most Americans still don’t know about it. Post show panel discussion features Darly Davis, an African-American man known for his efforts to convince Klu Klux Klansment to leave and denounce the KKK. Information and sliding scale tickets are available at https://kofest.com. From the New England New Play Alliance: Virtual Theatre and Audio Plays   SpeakEasy Stage Company presents The Boston Project: Project Resilience now-June 30 To celebrate the distinct and enduring spirit of this great city, SpeakEasy commissioned five local playwrights to write site-specific, short plays that celebrate the resilience that sees us through each day. The playwrights: Fabiola R. Decius, Hortense Gerardo, Paige Monopoli, Nico Pang, and Adrian RoCale. Tickets: $30.   New Hampshire Theatre Project presents The Uncertainty Principle now-June 30 In science, the Uncertainty Principle states that "the momentum and position of a particle cannot both be precisely determined at the same time." Using this theme as a metaphor for the ever-changing landscape of life during COVID-19, NHTP artists created a docudrama based on the podcast We Don't Know What This Is Yet by Genevieve Aichele, with Monique Peaslee Foote and Susan Geib, music by CJ Lewis. Tickets: $10. SILVERTHORNE THEATER ANNOUNCES RADIO PRODUCTION FUNDRAISER -  FOXFINDER Silverthorne Theater brings back the days of radio drama with its production of Dawn King’s haunting play, Foxfinder. A fundraiser for the theater, the show will be broadcast one time only at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 24, on the Company’s YouTube channel. Listeners will be sent the link to the special broadcast with their donation of any size. Details can be found on the Silverthorne website at https://silverthornetheater.org/special-events   Veteran director Ellen Kaplan directs an all-star cast of actors, including Frank Aronson, Jarice Hanson, Stephanie Carlson and Kevin Tracy as they bring the futurist tale to life. Cate Boram is sound designer, and Sophia Pichanick stage manages the production. All are donating their services in the interest of assisting Silverthorne as the theater recovers from the past year of shuttered venues.   Foxfinder is a play of suspense, a thriller, a story of power, zealotry and self-denial, that puts a sinister shadow on our very near future.  It is a study in power, in suppressed sexuality, in a fascist mindset manifested in a young boy sent on a mission to force compliance, deny feelings, and – to eradicate foxes, which we cannot see but which are everywhere.  Originally set in rural England, Kaplan has moved the action to the equally appropriate American farm country where at some future time, climate change has severely impacted the profitability of the farmers. Government regulations and a carefully orchestrated fear-mongering campaign stretch their already taut emotions to the breaking point. Though Silverthorne Theater managed to continue working during the COVID-19 shutdown with several well-received virtual productions, the normal sources of revenue to cover the expense of maintaining personnel and office space was drastically reduced. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to ensuring the start-up of our 2021-22 season can proceed as planned. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES CitySpace requests your thoughts! Are you a performer, musician, event maker, local arts organization affiliate, or Western Massachusetts community member? CitySpace seeks your feedback about the first-floor performance and event space in Easthampton's Old Town Hall. We are looking to better understand your needs to create successful events and performances.  Take the Quick Survey The Theater Project, inc., dba Majestic Theater, located in West Springfield, Massachusetts is seeking an immediate hire for a Technical Director / Carpenter. The Majestic is a year-round 229 seat professional theater operating under and SPT6 contract with Actors Equity Association. We produce a five play subscription season September to June, in July and August a three production Children’s Theater, and musical concerts over the Summer. More at: majestictheater.com This is a full time position which requires a number of years of hands-on experience in live theater and a skill set that includes carpentry, welding, and rigging. The Technical Director should also be versed in both stage lighting and sound design. He/She is responsible for maintaining the scene shop in good working order with a focus always on safety. Additionally, from time to time, there may be repair and/or maintenance projects at the theater itself for which the TD is responsible. This is a full-time year round position with a salary of $40,040 and may include benefits. To apply, please send an email telling us of your interest and why you think you’d best fit this position. Please also include your professional resume. eMail to: dannye@majestictheater.com Danny Eaton, Producing Director MAJESTIC THEATER 131 Elm Street West Springfield, MA 01089 www.majestictheater.com Smith College Department of Theatre hiring Assistant Costumer / Cutter Job Summary Assist in the daily operations of the Costume Shop, planning and executing the costumes for the Theatre and Dance Departments’ productions.  The position is divided equally between the two departments. Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. Essential Functions 60% Assist with the consultation with designers and choreographers; prepare for the execution; order and purchase materials and constructs.  Oversee the construction of all the costumes for the major productions and concerts.  Set up fittings for the designer; adjust garments with input from designer; mark and oversee all alterations; launder, clean and repair costumes for the theatre and dance productions with student help. Attend rehearsals and production meetings as needed.  15% Supervise and instruct all students, interns and work study students 10% Teach techniques of sewing and the execution of designs including beginning and advanced construction procedures in THE 200, THE 254 and THE 354 labs as well as other construction and running crews for productions. 10% Maintain costume facility.  Maintenance of storage and equipment for Theatre and Dance departments include:  storage, pulling and restocking of garments and accessories. Other Functions 5% Ensure a safe and hazard free environment for all workers. Back up other staff needs as necessary.  Perform related duties as required. All employees are expected to participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses) College level instruction and experience in theatre/dance costume construction or equivalent experience. Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Skills  Experience with pattern drafting or draping, cutting of muslin version for first fitting, consulting on and often swatching and shopping for appropriate fabrics, fabric preparation and dying, tailoring and sewing period garments.  Experience using and maintaining industrial and home sewing machines as well as industrial irons, steamers and sergers.  More information and application. The Academy of Music is hiring  Marketing and Box Office Manager  Full Time / Commensurate with Experience Full listing and application   General Position Summary: The primary responsibilities of the Marketing and Box Office Manager is planning and creating marketing materials for Academy program and fundraising events, including social media; selling ads for the program guide; setting up show and ticket pages; selling tickets and responding to patron questions and concerns. Also responsible for maintaining small part time box office staff, scheduling and training. Essential Functions and Major Responsibilities: * Advise the Executive Director on marketing strategies. * Identify, build and manage a portfolio of advertisers for program guide. Design and create annual program guide and inserts. * Create all print and electronic marketing and communication materials for programs, including social and digital media. * Provide tracking and conversions for marketing campaigns * Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop fundraising materials and communications. * Ticket sales and patron service at shows * Overseeing the daily sales of tickets and entering data as required * Creating and submitting bi-weekly reports, customer contact information and/or customized reports to box office users, and zip code reports * Creating and providing weekly and event reports to bookkeeper and/or Theater Manager * Providing reports, will call list, and settlement night of and/or end of performance to renter * Reconciling any issues between ticket sales and the financial department * Training, scheduling, and supervision of ticket office staff. Making sure that all staff is fully trained in handling customer issues and explaining policy regarding ticket sales * Managing and responding to patron’s complaints regarding any issues with ticket sales * Providing quarterly sales analysis for marketing * Soliciting renters to utilize box office services * Undertaking any other responsibilities relating to ticketing services * Any other assigned tasks requested by Theater Manager Requirements: * 2 years of relevant professional experience working in a box office/customer service environment for non-profit venue or organization preferred * Strong computer skills (Including but not limited to Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud) * Strong Social Media skills (experience with Facebook events, Instagram stories, Twitter through a business/school/professional hobby, not just personal use) * Excellent customer service skills (including interpersonal skills, email writing and phone etiquette) *Graphic art experience * Knowledge of on-line ticket sales, credit card procedures (preferred) * Broad knowledge of box office protocols and procedures a plus. Education: * Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent; recommended but not required * Management or leadership experience in a box office or customer service environment The Academy of Music is hiring  Producer/Outreach Coordinator Part Time/ $20+/hour Full listing and application   The Producer/Community Outreach Coordinator has the responsibility of producing the Academy of Music Theatre’s Valley Voices Story Slam, coordinating its workshops and managing communications. As Community Outreach Coordinator, the responsibilities include building relationships and working with the Latinx community through storytelling and our Valley Voices Story Slam. Duties and responsibilities include: • Produce show series, coordinating with Academy of Music Theatre’s partner New England Public Radio • Prepare timelines, manage logistics, and host shows • Market series and workshops through radio ads, website, and social media • Develop strategies to reach underserved populations • Plan and host workshop events • Build and maintain community partnerships • Collaborate with WGBY/WGBH to produce nationally televised Stories from the Stage Requirements: • BA in English, Theater Arts or related field or experience • 2 years experience in community outreach and events planning • Experience working directly with people of diverse racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic backgrounds. • Ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments, Spanish speaking preferred • Ability to present to diverse audiences, specifically racially, ethnically, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse communities. Valley Arts Mentors presents Valley Arts Mentorship Program Valley Arts Mentors (VAM), a new collaboration between Piti Theatre Company, Holyoke Media and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Franklin County, is launching a webinar series focusing on arts-based mentorship in the Connecticut River Valley. Recordings of the first two webinars can be found on the Valley Arts Mentors website. Valley Arts Mentors is committed to leveraging the arts to empower youth through a mentorship model. VAM launched a mentorship program for artists in the Valley ages 18+ this fall and is still accepting mentors and mentees on a rolling basis at artsmentors.org/mentorship.The primary goal of the program is to provide early career artists with the support and encouragement crucial to launching a successful career in the arts. Anyone with questions can call (508) 439-2069 or email admin@artsmentors.org. Mentors and mentees will be matched until all slots are filled. https://artsmentors.org 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. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Hampshire Shakespeare Company Leaving the Island: Reconnecting as Performers in a New Landscape 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26 at 6:00 PM Northampton Center for the Arts - Flex Space In this exciting workshop and collaborative art experience, we will work as an ensemble to (re)learn the art of collaboration using movement and voice based techniques. We’re also just going to have a good time expressing ourselves, together. Enrollment is limited to 12, and participants will need to have proof of vaccination as we will be moving near and (perhaps connected to) each other. Since we are building community and safety within our small group, attendance at each session (rather than only one or some) is strongly encouraged. 6-7pm Mondays July 5, 12, 19th and 26th at the Northampton Center for the Arts (Flex Space) Free, but donations will help offset rental costs and support the company, which is greatly appreciated. Pre-registration required, email: pegmmduffy@gmail.com to register or with questions/concerns/hopes A bit about me: I am a 36 year old Queer theatre maker and independent bookseller. I graduated from MHC in 2007 with a BA in politics and theatre, and since then have taught theatre to ages 2-98 in curricular, community, and extracurricular contexts. My pronouns are she and her, and I hope to create a creative ensemble and community together with you! 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. Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents Young Company Two Day Workshop August 12 and 13, 10 am - 4pm Williston Northampton School Two day theater lab exploring Shakespeare's Macbeth led by Hannah Simms and Adam Lee Secor. Ages 13-18, no experience needed. Performance for invited audience at end. This is an outdoor event. https://forms.gle/SQNKR4qLrikgTwXeA 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|*