Thursday, October 28, 2021

Pioneer Valley Theatre News October 28, 2021

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter
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October 28 - November 17, 2021


Lots of great closing weekends this weekend: The Who's Tommy from Exit Seven Players, Macbeth at 33 Hawley Street, and while the live version of Kamloopa has now closed, there is still time to get your ticket to the streamed version of the show, which begins November 1 and will be available until the 7th. Get your tickets! 

And check out Chris Rohmann's review of Eugène Ionesco's absurdist classic (playing now at Shakespeare & Company) here.

The next issue will include events from November 4 - 24. 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
Exit Seven Players LTD presents The Who's Tommy
October 28, 29, 30 at 8PM and Oct 31 at 2PM
Exit7players.org
MACBETH
October 30 at 7pm and October 31 at 4pm The Workroom @ 33 Hawley St.
*Free Admission* Ticket Reservations
WAM Theatre presents Kamloopa by Kim Senklip Harvey, directed by Estefanía Fadul
Streaming digitally, Nov 1-7, 2021
Tickets here
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

Cascade of Change: Transitioning in Crisis
Regina Victor and Kaiser Ahmed in Conversation

by Kaiser Ahmed and Regina Victor

From the article: 

Kaiser Ahmed: At Jackalope, I’m so proud of our reputation of being supportive of our artists and creating opportunities. We’re just trying to be as equitable as possible and as transparent as possible, and we've always held those mottos as the best way to navigate this industry. Diversity, inclusion—these are not just words, but core values. We want to get more diverse American stories representing America. That's the mission statement of our company.

Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Exit Seven Players LTD presents The Who's Tommy
October 28, 29, 30 at 8PM and Oct 31 at 2PM
Exit Seven Theater, 37 Chestnut Street Ludlow, MA 01056

Based on the iconic 1969 rock concept album, The Who's Tommy is an exhilarating story of hope, healing and the human spirit. The pinball-playing, deaf, dumb and blind boy who triumphs over his adversities has inspired, amazed and puzzled audiences for more than 50 years. The story is so compelling that it was produced as a world-touring ballet, a campy, over-the-top 1970's movie, then finally brought to Broadway as a brilliant, dramatic reimagination. This five-time Tony Award-winning musical version was translated to the stage by theatrical wizard Des McAnuff into a high-energy, one-of-a-kind theatrical event. With a live rock band on stage, outstanding regional talent, inventive staging, costuming and choreography driving the non-stop action, Exit 7's performance of The Who's Tommy is not to be missed.  

Directed by Michael O. Budnick
Music and Sound Supervised by George Garber Jr.
Choreography by Stephanie Gilbert
Instrumental Accompaniment by Cadre Prime
Exit7players.org
DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER AT THE MAJESTIC THEATER OCTOBER 28 – DECEMBER 5
 
The second show of the Majestic’s 24th Season opens this Thursday.  Don’t Dress for Dinner, a madcap French farce written by Marc Camoletti (who wrote Boeing Boeing, a recent Majestic production) runs through December 5.
 
The comedy is set in renovated French farmhouse two hours from Paris.  Bernard is hoping to send his wife Jacqueline off to her mother’s place for the weekend so that he can romance his mistress Suzanne, a Parisian model. He’s also hired a Cordon Bleu cook, Suzette, as an alibi, and he’s invited his friend Robert to dinner. Jacqueline, though, is becoming suspicious, and in a phone conversation with Robert it’s revealed that they, too, are also having an affair. Suzette, the caterer, arrives, and Robert introduces her as his mistress. Bernard is furious because of the mix-up, and Jacqueline feels betrayed because she thought she was Robert’s only mistress. Suzette is convinced, for a little extra money, to go along with the deception — but then Suzanne arrives and she now has to pretend she’s the cook!
 
The cast includes Jack Grigoli (Bernard), Scott Renzoni (Robert), Bethany Fitzgerald (Jaqueline), Elizabeth Pietrangelo (Suzette), Alexandra O’Halloran (Suzanne) and Shaun O’Keefe (George).  Danny Eaton is producing director, Stephen Petit is the director/production manager and Greg Trochlil is set designer.  Costume designer is Dawn McKay, stage manager/associate producing director is Sue Dziura, and Dan Rist is lighting designer.
 
In accordance with regulations from the Actors' Equity Association, an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance, the Majestic Theater requires all attendees to wear masks at all times (except when eating and drinking), to be fully vaccinated against COVID, and to present their vaccination card (or a photo of it on their cell phone) upon arrival.  At this time, no food or drink may be brought into the theater, and needs to be consumed in the Majestic Café.

Tickets range in price from $31 - $37 per show, and are available for sale at the box office in person Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 1pm; or on the phone at (413) 747-7797. 
MACBETH
Halloween Weekend
October 30 at 7pm and October 31 at 4pm
The Workroom @ 33 Hawley St.
Northampton, MA 01060
*Free Admission*
Ticket Reservations + Proof of Vaccination against Covid-19 required

When an ambitious military captain is prophesied to become King of Scotland by three witches, his desire for instant gratification becomes a treasonous, bloody unraveling. Shakespeare's classic thriller is devised by an international cast of 8 actors in 7 days with no director.

Featuring:
Vaughn Pole*
Justin Viz
Jelena Djukic
Jane MacLaughlin
Kristen Moriarty
Joseph Cardozo
Mary Potts Dennis
Hilary Dennis

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and STage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Agreement.
Play Incubation Collective invites you to a fall ARTS SALON at Park Hill Orchard, Thursday Nov. 4th, 5:30-7pm. We will gather by the fire and hear brand new works-in-progress from a curated selection of local writers and musicians. There is also an open mic portion of the evening where any artists are welcome to present works (under 5 min). This gathering is a wonderful opportunity to connect and have conversations with other artists and see PIC's development process in action. This event is free but we encourage you to sign up in advance. Feel free to email Sarah or Rachel with any questions. (sarah@playincubation.orgrachel@playincubation.org)
Valley Light Opera
Pirates of Penzance

11/06/2021 at 8pm, 11/07/2021 at 2pm, 11/12/2021 at 8 pm,11/13/2021 at 8pm,11/14/2021 at 2 pm

Academy of Music  Northampton
Gilbert and Sullivan beloved operetta Pirates of Penzance .Fully costumed, staged and performed with orchestra.

aomtheatre.com
SILVERTHORNE’S THEATER THURSDAY 2021 PLAY READING SERIES
WRAPS UP IN NOVEMBER
 
Two powerful plays by playwright Ellen W. Kaplan round out the 2021 Theater Thursday play reading series: Someone Is Sure to Come (November 11) and Testimonies (November 18). Both readings begin at 7:30 pm and are free to the public. The live readings take place in The LAVA Center at 324 Main Street, Greenfield and will also be filmed for viewing on YouTube following the reading. Hilary Dennis directs both readings.
 
Because seating is limited, reservations are requested and may be made through Eventbrite. The link for reservations may be found on our website at https://silverthornetheater.org/play-reading-series/  Attendees will need to bring their 
vaccination card, or a photo of it, along with a corresponding state or federal ID for entry.
.
As described by the playwright: Someone Is Sure to Come “ is a play by Kaplan and incarcerated men and women across the U.S.  Monologues and poetry written by people currently on Death Row or serving Life Without Parole, many of whom have been in solitary confinement for decades.  Their words are woven into a lyrical play that looks at life ‘inside’ and ‘out.’  Fantasy, humor and poetry combine to create a kaleidoscopic vision of serving hard time, and to question the responsibility we have when society imprisons people and ‘throws away the key.’” Someone Is Sure to Come was presented in NYC at La Mama Annex and published in the Tacenda Literary Magazine.
 
Testimonies is based on interviews with Ezidi (Yezidi) women in camps in Northern Iraq, in 2019. The Ezidi are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority who trace their roots back to ancient Mesopotamia. They practice a pre-Islamic religion, that draws inspiration from Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Traditionally, Ezidi are farmers and shepherds, but in the mid-seventies Saddam Husain had Ezidi villages destroyed and their inhabitants transferred to collective settlements. In August 2014, the Ezidi (Yezidi) people were subjected to genocide: thousands were massacred, kidnapped, enslaved, raped and tortured by the Islamic State (ISIS). 
Following each reading, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to the playwright. Instructions for online viewing will be posted on the Silverthorne website:  https://silverthornetheater.org/play-reading-series/

Kaplan is Professor of Theatre at Smith College. She previously directed Silverthorne’s premiere production of Peter Wortsman’s solo show, The Tattooed Man Tells All in 2018, which was filmed and streamed in 2020. In July 2021, she directed a radio adaptation of Dawn King’s Foxfinder for the Company.
 
She has been a Fulbright Scholar in Costa Rica, Fulbright Senior Specialist in Romania and Hong Kong, an actress, director and playwright. She performs and directs internationally, having worked in China, Israel, Costa Rica, Argentina, Puerto Rico and across the United States, and has been guest professor at Tel Aviv University; Hong Kong University, where she was a distinguished writer-in-residence in 2016; the Chinese University of Hong Kong; University of Costa Rica; Heredia University (Costa Rica); and the University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, Romania. During the pandemic, she taught virtual classes at Rojava University in Syria.
 
Kaplan’s book, Theatre Responds to Social Trauma comes out in 2022.
 
About Silverthorne Theater
Silverthorne Theater Company, resident professional theater at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization founded in 2014. Our mission is to present adventurous, thought-provoking theatrical experiences, including productions of new and classic work for traditional audiences and diverse populations. Contact us at silverthornetheater@gmail.com or 413-768-7514.
K and E Theater Group Presents CABARET
 
Leave your troubles outside – life is beautiful at Cabaret!  John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff’s Tony®-winning musical is about following your heart while the world loses its way. K and E Theater Group will continue its supersized season with the timeless “masterpiece of musical theatre” (Chicago TribuneCabaret onstage, live at Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, in Northampton, November 12-14 and 18-20, 2021.
 
In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920's draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the cabaret. With the Emcee's bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin's natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally's boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Cabaret has some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, including “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “Maybe This Time.”
 
K and E Theater Group's production of Cabaret features Eddie Zitka as the Emcee and Myka Plunkett as Sally Bowles, Christopher Marcus as Clifford Bradshaw, Becca Greene-Van Horn as Fraulein Schneider, Gene Choquette as Herr Schultz, Jay Torres as Ernst Ludwig, and Carina Savoie as Fraulein Kost. Cabaret also features Brenden BartlettDavid CavallinKelsey CollisNatasha EllisDominique Libera, Hannah McCluskeyAndre RuizBeth SieglingDavid Webber, and Jami Wilson
 
Bill Martin is the Musical Director leading a band of eight musicians. Chris Webber serves as Stage Manager. K and E Theater Group Artistic Director Eddie Zitka is the Director and Choreographer.
 
Tickets are general admission for $27.00. There is no reserved seating. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit KETG.org/cabaret.
 
* This production includes strong sexual content, smoking, and depictions of violence. Strobe lighting will be used. Parental guidance is suggested.

** Proof of vaccination and face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required for entrance and while seated at the Northampton Center for the Arts.
VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES
TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR WAM THEATRE’S KAMLOOPA
Streaming digitally November 1-7, 2021

WAM Theatre is excited to present the US premiere of KAMLOOPA: AN INDIGENOUS MATRIARCH STORY by Kim Senklip Harvey, winner of Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Award for English Language Drama, directed by Estefanía Fadul (WAM’s Native Gardens, The Oregon Trail).  COVID safe live performances of this new comedy,  will be presented at Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre in Lenox, MA, from October 7-24. A digital streaming version of the production will also be available in the United States only from November 1-7. Tickets are on sale now.

“When I read KAMLOOPA, I got goosebumps and knew immediately that it was a play our WAMily would love,” exclaimed WAM Producing Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven. ”With its magical realism, its heart, its activism and its ceremony, KAMLOOPA is the perfect play to close out our 2021 season.” 
Come along for the ride to KAMLOOPA, the largest powwow on the West Coast. This high energy comedy follows two urban Indigenous sisters and their encounter with a lawless trickster, as they explore what it means to honor who they are and where they come from. Follow their journey in this captivating, contemporary new play, as the courageous sisters turn to the ancestors for help to reclaim their power.
 The play opens on Indigenous People’s Weekend, and  in line with WAM’s philanthropic mission and accountability work, a portion of proceeds from KAMLOOPA will be donated to women and girls initiatives of the Cultural Affairs office of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Tribe, upon whose lands WAM lives and works. 

Harvey is Syilx and Tsilhqot'in with Ancestral ties to the Dakelh, Secwepemc, and Ktunaxa communities. In May 2021, she became the first Indigenous playwright to win Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Award for English Language Drama. The judges said: “The brilliance, the irreverence, the fire of KAMLOOPA sweeps us into the world of three Indigenous women on a mind-bending quest. The audience is seduced by the love, humour and depth of these matriarchs as they embrace and celebrate who they are in the world and with each other.”
Playwright Kim Senklip Harvey explains: “I created KAMLOOPA to ignite the power that lives within Indigenous femmes and peoples. This transformation story is an offer for all of us to be bold and passionate about having the courage to fully become ourselves.”
Director Estefanía Fadul agrees, stating that: “WAM’s mission of combining arts and activism and creating theatre that centers women could not align more with my own work. I am grateful to call WAM one of my artistic homes and am excited to return to direct Kim’s beautifully visceral play. From the moment I read it, the journey of the three women at the heart of the story, as they struggle to define their identities within a diaspora, resonated deeply with me. It's a story of sisters, of coming into one's own power, and finding one's place within a larger community. It is told with so much joy, heart, and imagination, and I cannot wait to share it with audiences.”
Three Indigenous actors are making their WAM Theatre debuts in KAMLOOPA. Sarah B. Dennison (Soledad at the American Indian Community House in partnership with Carnegie Hall; The Assasination of J Kaaisar at Theatre for the New City), a New York-based actor, writer, and director, originally from the Spokane Reservation, will be playing the role of Kilawna. Jasmine Rochelle Godspeed  (Leonora’s World and the touring production of Leonora and Aljehandro in collaboration with Double Edge Theatre) a Massachusetts based Native American actor and playwright from the Nipmuc Nation will be playing Indian Friend #1 (Edith), and Ria Nez (Mother Courage and Her Children and The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot both at the Frederick Loewe Theater), an Indigenous (Nahautl) actress, director and artist based in New York, will play Mikaya.
Returning artists include company dramaturg Tatiana Godfrey; Stage Manager Amanda Nita Luke, who served in the same capacity this season for WAM’s online reading of The Light; and costume designer Calypso Michelet, who was the Assistant Costume Designer for WAM’s 2020 streaming production of ROE. Making their WAM debuts on this production are lighting designer Emma Deane, sound designer Caroline Eng, and costume designer Lux Haac, whose work was last seen in the Berkshires in Barrington Stage Company’s 2018 production of Well Intentioned White People. 
For tickets to the live performance or digital stream of KAMLOOPA please call (413) 637-3353 or visit WAM online here. For more information about the 2021 Season and WAM Theatre’s programs, events, and artists, please visit www.WAMTheatre.com.
From the New England New Play Alliance: 

Virtual Theatre and Audio Plays

 
 

Depot for New Play Readings presents
a reading of
Backstage Fairytale
by Michael John McGoldrick
October 31
directed by Anne Flammang

A writer meets up with a former lover, now a successful New York actor, to reveal he's written a play about her. A romantic comedy about romantic comedies and the psychic needs that fuel creativity. Tickets: free.

 

Portland Stage Company presents
Perseverance
by Callie Kimball now-October 31
directed by Jade King Carroll

Perseverance illuminates the complexities at the heart of the suffrage movement and highlights the contributions of African-American women who were sidelined by white suffragists. It follows the parallel stories of the two fictional characters: Perseverance Turner, a Black suffragist and teacher in 1920, and Dawn Davis, a white woman running for office in 2020. By juxtaposing past and present, Kimball reveals both the bravery and the profound divisions that still shape the course of social movements. Tickets: $25.

AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

Assistant or Associate Professor of Acting 

The Department of Theatre at Smith College invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, to begin July, 2022. Teaching responsibilities for this position will regularly include beginning acting courses and a range of other acting classes, as well as directing students in one theatre production annually. Other courses may be taught depending upon the candidate’s field of specialization. The course load is 2/2, and directing a student production counts as a course. Candidates should have a strong foundation in Black, Indigenous, or Latinx theatre; college teaching experience; and significant professional acting experience. Candidates should have a demonstrated commitment to developing an inclusive approach to teaching a diverse student body, and to the role of theatre in a liberal arts education. M.F.A. in acting or a relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, is expected by the time of appointment. Candidates from groups underrepresented in theatre are encouraged to apply.

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is the largest women’s college in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars and artists interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. Smith College offers opportunities to foster faculty success at every career stage, such as those listed here: https://www.smith.edu/about-smith/provost/faculty-development. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges. Details about the Department of Theatre may be found at https://www.smith.edu/academics/theatre

Submit application at https://apply.interfolio.com/95269 with a cover letter, curriculum vitae, diversity/inclusion statement, sample syllabus, links to any acting sample and/or reviews of acting work, and three confidential letters of recommendation. Finalists may be asked for additional materials. Review of applications will begin on October 31. 

Diversity and a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff, faculty, and administration are crucial to the mission and values of Smith College. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, historically underrepresented minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

CASTING UNTITLED ANNIE BAKER FILM
Written and directed by Annie Baker, originally from Amherst, Massachusetts, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright of The Flick.
Produced by Dan Janvey - Academy-Award-winning producer of Nomadland and Beasts of the Southern Wild - and BBC Films.
The film follows 11 year old Lacy, her mother Janet, and the three people who come into their lives over one summer in 1991.
CASTING
LACY - 8-12 years old, any ethnicity. She is herself. Curious, observant, straightforward. Solid in her uniqueness, lives in her imagination. Odd birds welcome.
PIANO TEACHER - female piano teacher, 50-75 years old, any ethnicity. She teaches the Suzuki method to the main character, Lacy (8-12 years old).
ALSO SEEKING EXTRAS of all ages!
Acting experience is not necessary.
FILMING BEGINS SUMMER 2022 in Western Massachusetts.
Casting directors Eléonore Hendricks and Abby Harri are teaming up for their third film together in search of the young lead for Untitled Annie Baker Film. They specialize in street casting, finding non-professional actors, and discovering new talent.
TO APPLY / CONTACT
For more information and/or if you’re interested in you or your child being considered for the film, please apply at: untitledanniebakerfilm.com
password: Lacy
For any questions, contact Eléonore and Abby at: anniebakerfilmcasting@gmail.com
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
None for this week! Click the link below to submit yours!
Submit your workshop, class, audition, performance, or any other theatre opportunity here!
Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies
Academy of Music Theatre

Amherst Community Theater

Arena Civic Theatre

A.C.T. Youth 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

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

Mount Holyoke College Rooke Theatre

No Theater

Northampton Community Arts Trust
Northampton Playwrights Lab

PaintBox Theatre

Panopera

Pauline Productions

Performance Project

Phantom Sheep Players

Play Incubation Collective

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

Unity House Players

Valley Light Opera

Ware Community Theatre

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
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