Pioneer Valley Theatre News December 9, 2021

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser December 9 - 29, 2021 It's Nutcracker week at the Academy of Music! Come see the show this weekend - Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 1pm and 4pm, Sunday at 1pm. I'm stage managing!  Chris Rohmann's preview of holiday shows in the area can be found in the Valley Advocate. Go check out The Thanksgiving Play at Smith - it's only open to Five College COVID testing program participants in person, but there are tickets available to stream the final two performances this Thursday and Friday at 7pm! The next issue will include events from  December 16 - January 5. 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 The Mother of All Emotions by Betty Shamieh From the article:  For a long time, I thought of my beloved extended theatre community as my family. When you get rejected as a painter or a poet, you might feel badly. You might punch a wall or cry uncontrollably as you question your self-worth, talent, and life choices. Hopefully, you eventually shake it off and get back to work. But, when your “family” doesn’t invite you to play with them (and, when it comes down to the brass tracks, what do we seemingly responsible adults actually do together when we make theatre except play?), it impacts more than simply your psychic realms. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com LIVE PERFORMANCES Bright Half Life By Tanya Barfield Directed by Gina Kaufmann December 10-11, 2021 Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center 289 Main Street Greenfield, MA 01301 This intimate and celebratory production is under the direction of Gina Kaufmann, who directed Silverthorne’s  The Revolutionists in 2019.  She is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a Professor of Theater (Acting and Directing) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  She is also a feminist who prioritizes social justice in her directing work and in her season planning. Throughout her thirty-year career as a director, almost every project Gina chose to work on was selected at least in part by her desire to wrestle with gender, gender hierarchies and revising form and expectations to open up our minds to new models of relating to one another. Featured in this production are Kyle Boatwright in the role of Vicky, and Katie Mack, a member of the Actors Equity Association, as Erica. Boatwright is a Pioneer Valley-based musician, actor, coach, and creative collaborator. She was last seen on the Silverthorne stage in The Revolutionists (2019) and recently directed Smith College’s production of Stoop Pigeons. This will be Katie Mack’s first time working with Silverthorne, but Valley theater-goers will remember her performances at The Majestic in West Springfield. Ezekiel Baskin is stage manager and John Iverson will provide technical direction. Moving seamlessly from head-over-heels romance to marriage to children to skydiving and so many little intimacies in between, the two characters, Vicky and Erica, span decades in an instant and slowly, delightfully, allow us to know and love them. Bright Half Life is a joyful and complicated chronicle of a deeply committed lesbian relationship. “If these women, these maybe soul mates, could somehow suddenly see what the years will bring, would they still go out on that first date?” The New York Times Tickets are available at the door and via Eventbrite. Friday, December 10, 2021 @ 7:30 PM Saturday, December 11, 2021 @ 7:30 PM Masks and Proof of Vaccination required for admittance. Click here for more details. https://silverthornetheater.org/event/bright-half-life/ Buy Tickets for Bright Half Life Phantom Sheep Productions presents LaughCrafters Holiday Show December 16 at 6:00 PM Agawam Senior Center, 954 Main St. Agawam Celebrate the season and laugh off that holiday stress!  In our annual tradition, we're performing a FREE community show for all of you with sketches and lots of live improvised unscripted scenes created on the spot based on audience interaction! Facebook event Phantom Sheep is also hosting a drop-in workshop on Monday Dec. 6th at Unity House Players with more classes and shows expected in the new year. K and E Theater Group Presents BELIEVE: A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION   With a concept by David Cavallin, Ken Comia, Melissa Dupont, David Webber and Eddie Zitka, celebrate the season with a K and E Theater Group take on "festivating" the holidays in this new annual tradition.   Let us transport you to our first K and E Theater Group holiday party where our eight performers will harmonize and pay homage to traditional and contemporary holiday music! Be filled with the spirit of the holidays!    Our inaugural production of BELIEVE: A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION features David Cavallin, Melissa Dupont, Christopher Marcus, Nicole Newell, Kathy Renaud, Tina Sparkle, Chris Webber, and David Webber. David Cavallin serves as music director and arranger. K and E Theater Group Artistic Director Eddie Zitka directs. Tickets are general admission for $22.00. There is no reserved seating. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.KETG.org.   ** 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 Theater   The Association of the Boston Public Library present ONWARD - Votes for Women written and directed by Lisa Rafferty music by Adam R. McDonald now-December 14 The women’s suffrage movement was a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States. The 19th Amendment, which guarantees women the right to vote, was finally passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. Onward -- Votes for Women offers the powerful and inspiring perspectives of the extraordinary women who fought for 70 years for equality. For a streaming link, email birchtreeprods@gmail.com. Tickets: free.   Arlekin Players present Witness by Nana Grinstein, Blair Cadden, and Igor Golyak Dec. 10-Jan. 23 directed by Igor Golyak Witness, the latest project from Arlekin’s Zero Gravity (zero-G) Virtual Theater Lab, is a new documentary theater piece about Jewish immigration in the face of antisemitism. The piece is inspired by the journey of the MS St. Louis, which left Hamburg in 1939 with over 900 Jewish people on board and headed to Cuba only to be turned away, leaving the passengers stranded with nowhere to go and no escape. Witness shares stories of Jewish immigrants from around the globe through an interactive virtual theater experience at the nexus of film, theater, and video games. Tickets: $12-$45.   North Shore Readers Theatre presents Covenant by John Minigan  December 11 directed by Arlene Barnard Jordan’s mission to infiltrate and report on an apocalyptic religious community has ended in disaster. Questions from an unseen interrogator trigger and inform Jordan’s memories of her time undercover and force her to decide whether the beliefs that guided her mission are any less dangerous than the beliefs of those in the group. How do we become entrenched in the beliefs we hold and what, if anything, can get us to walk away when our beliefs lead to chaos and destruction? Tickets: free, donation suggested. Portland Stage Company presents Searching for Mr. Moon by Willy Holtzman and Rich Topol now-December 5 directed by Julia Gibson Featuring Broadway star Richard Topol. At the moment of his daughter’s birth, Rich Topol searches for a father to replace the one he lost and finds two: his famous father-in-law Lukas Foss and himself. Foss’ eclectic music underscores Rich’s funny and poignant journey to fatherhood. Searching for Mr. Moon is a play for anyone who has contemplated the mysteries of parenthood and mortality or is curious about the lives of contemporary classical music icons and Broadway stars. Tickets: $20-$68. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES The Academy of Music Theatre seeks applications for the position of Box Office Attendant, a part-time position. This is a full-year, hourly position with a regular weekly schedule and variable event schedule that averages 20-30 hours/week across the year. $18-$20/hr. The Box Office Attendant is responsible for controlling all aspects of ticket sales for the Academy of Music Theatre.  The Box Office Attendant works closely with the Box Office Manager, Theater Manager, and renters of the Academy to make sure tickets are accurately sold and customer and renter concerns are addressed in a courteous and professional manner. The Box Office Attendant is responsible for daily operation of computer software and online ticketing systems, answering phone calls and emails, observing proper box office policies and procedures, and following customer service best practices.   The Box Office Attendant must be able to respond to customer complaints and deal with any issues that arise at the ticket counter or via patron feedback. Work activities include: Undertaking the daily sales of tickets, managing held seats, arranging pre-sales, etc. and entering data as required Working directly with the ticketing agency to create new seating charts and fulfill other special requests as needed Providing periodic reports and customer lists to Academy renters Maintaining the box office cash drawer; reconciling end-of-shift revenue, preparing deposits, and maintaining records; and maintaining proper change for the cash drawer Managing and responding to patron complaints regarding any box office-related issues Undertaking any other responsibilities relating to ticketing services, as self-identified or requested   Preferred Qualifications: 1 year of relevant experience working in a box office (or similar customer service) environment  Basic knowledge of box office protocols and procedures Excellent customer and client service skills Working knowledge of online ticket sales platforms and credit card procedures Strong math and data skills   Education: High School diploma or work experience in related field Other Skills: Cash handling experience Strong computer and Internet literacy Proofreading and editing Attention to detail Time management   The successful applicant must be available to work during the Academy’s standard box office hours, Tuesdays through Fridays from 2:30-6:00pm, as well as taking on the majority of event shifts (generally nights and weekends) in the box office.  This is a full-year, hourly position with a regular weekly schedule and variable event schedule that averages 20-30 hours/week across the year. Please submit a resume and cover letter outlining relevant experience to Box Office and Marketing Manager, nclark@aomtheatre.com 247 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 10th. LAVA Arts Center The Bridge of Her Nose December 12 at 1:00 PM, December 19, 5-7 PM Greenfield, MA Mature teens and adults are warmly invited to audition for a play about Israel/Palestine to be staged as three dramatic readings the evening of February 26 and the afternoon and evening of February 27 at the LAVA Art Center in Greenfield. Please contact christinebenvenuto@hotmail.com and andreack2013@gmail.com. Collaborating with LAVA and area theater artists, Temple Israel Greenfield will present a play in two parts, one a work of fiction, the other drawn from the transcripts of Compassionate Listening sessions conducted in the West Bank and Israel. We aim to increase understanding and empathy, and promote positive dialogue about the Middle East while considering our own urgent need for effective communication here at home. Performances will be followed by facilitated conversation with the audience. People of all backgrounds, communities and identities urged to audition as we strive to create a multicultural, multigenerational ensemble cast. SILVERTHORNE THEATER ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR MARCH 2022 SHOW – ADMISSIONS, by Josh Harmon Silverthorne Theater seeks Equity and Non-Equity actors to audition for Admissions, by Josh Harmon, directed by Mark Dean, with performances three weekends, March 11 through 26, 2022, at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, MA. Auditions will be on Sunday, December 12 from 3:00 – 6:00 pm, and Monday evening Dec 13 from 6-9pm at The LAVA Center, 324 Main Street in Greenfield, MA. Synopsis: Sherri Rosen-Mason is head of the admissions department at a New England prep school, fighting to diversify the student body. Alongside her husband, the school’s headmaster, they’ve largely succeeded in bringing a stodgy institution into the twenty-first century. But when their only son sets his sights on an Ivy League university, personal ambition collides with progressive values, with convulsive results. A no-holds-barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of hypocrisy. Casting Breakdown: Sherri Rosen-Mason – early fifties, very liberal secular Jewish woman.  Head of Admissions for Hillcrest. Bill Mason – Early fifties, very liberal WASP, Sherri’s husband.  Head of the School at Hillcrest. Charlie Luther Mason – Seventeen, Bill and Sherri’s son, a senior at Hillcrest. Ginnie Peters – Fifties, very liberal WASP, stay-at-home mom, her son is Charlie’s best friend. Roberta – Early seventies, white, works in development at Hillcrest. Actors should prepare a 60-90 second contemporary monologue, and will read from scenes from the play. To sign up for an auditions time slot please use the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-hIovwotaPUTAKI7V4_BLQI7kcUNE8GgYsQsp7Wk5j8/edit?usp=sharing Although advance sign up is preferred, walk-ins will be welcome. If unavailable to be seen in person at this audition, please email markdean6@gmail.com. Audition sides will be provided. Rehearsals will begin in early February 2022. Auditioners and performers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID19. For any questions contact markdean6@gmail.com or call 413-923-4992.  Auditions are open to Equity and non-Equity performers; all roles are paid. STAGE MANAGER WANTED: Silverthorne Theater Company, Greenfield, MA, is seeking a stage manager for their Spring 2022 production, Josh Harmon’s Admissions, directed by Mark Dean – at a New England prep school, Sherri Rosen-Mason and her husband fight to diversify the student body - but when their only son sets his sights on an Ivy League university, personal ambition collides with progressive values, in a no-holds-barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of hypocrisy. Rehearsals begin February 1st, performing from March 11 through 26 for three weekends at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield. Responsibilities include facilitating rehearsals and production meetings; keeping book; maintaining schedules, contact lists & other materials; maintaining communications among cast and crew; and overseeing tech rehearsals and performances. There is a stipend of $750 for the position. Contact Mark with interest and/or questions: markdean6@gmail.com, or 413-923-4992. 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 The Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD), which specializes in the art of performing, teaching, and directing staged combat/theatrical violence has announced a new initiative, “Expand, Educate, Empower” (EEE), providing free stage combat training to underserved communities. It is an effort by the SAFD to make stage combat training accessible to underserved artists and theatre professionals. This program is a nationwide search for educational organizations and institutions, performing arts groups, and community or professional theatres that are interested in participating.  The program offers 30 hours of training in one weapon discipline by a teacher and assistant certified by the SAFD. There is also an opportunity to certify in the said weapon discipline at the end of the course, also free of charge. If you would like to request a specific individual that is a member of the SAFD that you already have a relationship with, you are welcome to do so on the application.  I thought this may be a program fitting your organization/theatre, and would highly encourage you to apply. For more information and the application portal, please visit https://safd.org/train/development/eee/. You may also contact development@safd.org for any questions. CALL FOR PLAYWRIGHTS  WHAT: Play Incubation Collective (PIC) 2022 Developmental Residency WHEN: February-Oct 2022 (Applications due Dec 31 2021)  WHERE: Rehearsals will take place in Hampshire County (playwrights should expect to regularly attend local in-person rehearsals)  Play Incubation Collective (PIC) seeks submissions of scripts-in-progress by local BIPOC and/or queer playwrights. Play Incubation Collective is a hub for new play development based in Western Massachusetts. PIC’s mission is two-fold:  1.To provide long-term, process-driven opportunities to develop new plays that challenge the status quo  2. To build a collaborative network of local theater artists and supporters  PIC’s process of play development is unique. We invite incoming playwrights to spearhead their vision with the support of our collective of theater makers. We bring a talented team of actors, dramaturgs, designers and more to collaborate with each writer on the development of their piece, and all of the participating artists help contribute to PIC’s monthly administrative duties.The specifics of what that development looks like are open to the writer. (more details here.) The 2022 PIC writer-in-residence will receive a stipend to go along with this 9-month residency, access to monthly rehearsal space, and a culminating public presentation of their play in the fall of 2022.  Submission Form Due by DEC 31, 2021  Submitted scripts do not need to be complete. Playwrights must submit a minimum of 20 pages, and the play’s cast should not exceed 10 characters. For this development opportunity, PIC is focusing on plays, not musicals.  Finalists will be notified in mid-January and PIC will be in touch to schedule an interview. Estimated Time Commitment: 10 hrs/month rehearsal time, 2-4 hrs/month admin time More Info: www.playincubation.org  sarah@playincubation.org, rachel@playincubation.org WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Academy of Music Theatre "Getting to Know Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!" Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00-7:00pm beginning January 4 Academy of Music Theatre Register Now! Come hoot and holler with us for our Youth Musical, Oklahoma!, part of the "Getting to Know Rodgers & Hammerstein" series. Ages 9-16 are welcome, no experience necessary! Rehearsals start January 4, 2022 and run Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:00-7:00pm. Shows on March 10th and 11th. Email Susan at education@aomtheatre.com for more info. Website  This opportunity is a 10 week process that culminates in a fully staged performance in March. The cost of the program is $350 plus a $10 registration fee. Students must show proof of full vaccination by the time of the first rehearsal. Apply Now to the Completely Ridiculous Conservatory! Winter Session January 10th - March 5th, 2022 Spring Session April 4th - May 28th, 2022 Starting in January, and then again in April, 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! The CRC is a one of a kind program, in that it was built entirely for Zoom, AND each faculty member not only has extensive training in their individual discipline of actor training, but also a strong foundation in the world of clown, games, play, and physical acting - having all trained with Master Clown and Commedia Teacher Christopher Bayes at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, and/or The Pandemonium Studio. At the end of the 8 weeks, Completely Ridiculous students will walk away with: •A greater sense of direction, as well as concrete and actionable next steps for each individuals career. •A more enthusiastic and curious body. •A larger capacity to dream and dream big. •A greater comfort with spontaneity, freedom and play. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of who they are as unique, individual artists and what they bring to an ensemble, as well as a whole new set of skills and professional contacts to apply to their career and/or ongoing education. Don’t miss your chance to work with our ever expanding community of international artists and apply today! Click the link below for all of the info and COME PLAY! Apply Now! the Drama Studio January and December Workshops at Drama Studio! 01/15, 01/22 41 OAKLAND STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA, 01108 This winter, we are offering ON-SITE workshops for students of all ages! Join one or more of the Drama Studio winter workshops and learn about our theater conservatory for ages 6-18. We will offer the following workshops: Stage Combat Ages 13-18 January, 15th Ages 9-12 January, 22nd For more information, visit www.dramastudio.org/workshops 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 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|*