Thursday, March 31, 2022

Pioneer Valley Theatre News March 31, 2022

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter
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March 31 - April 20, 2022


This weekend: Jane Eyre at Hampshire Regional High School, Blithe Spirit at the Majestic, Antigone at Springfield College, and an improvised musical at Happier Valley Comedy. And that's just the performances! Check out workshops and opportunities (like a chance for free space and some funding for your event from CitySpace!) or plan what you might want to see next weekend in all the listings below. 

The next issue will include events from April 7 - 27. 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

Gender Euphoria, Episode 9: On Being a 'Trans Trailblazer'
by Nicholas Shannon Savard and Scott Turner Schofield

From the article: 
Nicolas Shannon Savard: Hello, and welcome to Gender Euphoria, the podcast. I'm your host, Nicholas Shannon Savard. My pronouns are they, them, and theirs. For today's episode, I sat down with award-winning actor, writer, consultant, and educator Scott Turner Schofield. Scott Turner Schofield was dubbed a trans trailblazer by many a media outlet after being cast in The Bold and the Beautiful in 2015, becoming the first openly trans actor to play a major recurring role on daytime television and the first trans man to be nominated for an Emmy Award for his acting in Studio City in 2020. A multimedia version of his on- man show special Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps premiered in the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and was a special event at Outfest 2020. Behind the scenes, Schofield works as a consultant on HBO's hit show Euphoria and partnering with GLAD and IATSE, has vetted trans-affirmative policy for the union and has educated thousands of crew members in onset sensitivity.

Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
PERFORMANCES
Hampshire Regional High School
Jane Eyre - HRHS Spring Musical
March 31, April 1 & 2 - 7:00 PM, April 3 - 2:00 PM
Hampshire Regional High School

Hampshire Regional High School’s Musical Theatre program makes its much anticipated return to the stage with its upcoming production of Jane Eyre the musical. Jane Eyre is a Tony Award-nominated musical depicting Charlotte Brontë’s haunting and mysterious gothic romance, with Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon, and the Book and additional Lyrics by John Caird.
Myka Plunkett returns to direct her 6th production with HRHS with Lauren Bell as music director. The dates of the performances are March 31, April 1, and April 2 at 7 p.m. and April 3 at 2 p.m. All performances will take place at the Hampshire Regional High School auditorium in Westhampton.
The performance includes cast and crew from Westhampton, Southampton, Goshen, Chesterfield, Williamsburg and Worthington. Additionally, in an effort to provide performing arts opportunities to more children, after two years with limited options, the cast will include a children’s chorus from the elementary schools of the Hampshire Regional School District. More than 40 students will be accompanied once again by a talented live pit orchestra conducted by Rebecca Phelps.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults/general admission, $10 for Seniors and children under 18, and $5 for HRHS students and staff. Tickets are available by calling (413) 437-5587, emailing hrhstickets@gmail.com, at the door, or through this GoFan link
There is a service fee for all tickets purchased online.
As of the time of this publication, HRHS is mask optional, but attendees should check the school’s website (https://www.hrhs.net/) for updates closer to the date of the productions.
BLITHE SPIRIT REVIVES MAJESTIC THEATER’S 24th SEASON
MARCH 31 THROUGH APRIL 3
 
Blithe Spirit, a classic comedy by Noel Coward, will be presented at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater February 24 through April 3.  The opening of the show follows a brief hiatus in the Majestic’s 24th season of live theater that was caused by an uptick in reported cases of COVID in the region.
 
The story focuses on Charles, a socialite and successful writer who is researching the occult for his latest novel.  He arranges for clairvoyant Madame Arcati to hold a séance in his home, during which she inadvertently summons the ghost of Charles’ first wife Elvira, who has been dead for seven years.  Only Charles can see or hear Elvira; his current wife Ruth doesn’t believe Elvira exists.  The ghostly Elvira makes ongoing efforts to disrupt the marriage, including sabotaging Charles’ car in the hopes that he will join her in the spirit world.  Instead, it is Ruth who is killed in the car, and her ghost immediately comes back for revenge on Elvira.
 
Producing Director Danny Eaton feels certain the play will lift the spirits of its audience.  “We’re really glad to be reopening our doors after closing for a few weeks when COVID numbers were climbing in our area,” he stated.  “We were very dismayed to reschedule our January play, Betty and the Patch, for June of this year, but it really made sense, given the circumstances, and our mission to help keep attendees, performers and staff in good health.  We, along with everyone else, feel weary at times due to the pandemic, but Blithe Spirit will provide great laughs and we think audiences will really enjoy this solid comedy.”
 
Eaton reported that the down time was put to good use to upgrade amenities at the venue.  “We’ve installed all new carpeting, stage lighting and sound equipment.  New chairs have been ordered, and new HVAC systems are improving air quality throughout the theater and café.  We’ve been very busy during the time we’ve been closed,” he stated.
 
The cast of Blithe Spirit includes Fleece (Ruth), Russell Garrett (Charles), Jeannine Haas (Madame Arcati), Sara Corbyn Woolf (Elvira), Stuart Gamble (Dr. Bradman), Christine Voytko (Mrs. Bradman) and Caelie Flanagan (Edith).  Understudies include Myka Plunkett, Jack Grigoli, and Alexandra O’Halloran.
 
Sue Dziura, who is the associate producing director, is directing the play, Stephen Petit is production stage manager, and set design is by Greg Trochlil.  Costume designer is Dawn McKay, Dan Rist is lighting designer and Aurora Ferraro is the associate production manager.
Springfield College Theater
Antigone by Sophocles


April 1 at 7:30 pm April 2 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm; and April 3 at 2:00 pm
Fuller Arts Center, Springfield College, Springfield

This fresh adaptation of a classic Greek drama tells the story of a rebellious young woman, Antigone, who resists a tyrannical political leader, the new king Creon, who happens to be her uncle! Our new version features the modern-day setting of a war-torn country, and the constant media, cameras, and reporters who press themselves into the middle of this family tragedy. A masterpiece of civil disobedience, Antigone explores the struggle of the individual with the laws of the state.

Do the proud ever find joy? Whose truth matters?

More information
The Understudies: An Improvised Musical! 
April 2nd at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)   
Be part of the fun as brave improvisers and their trusty musician create an entire musical from scratch. Saturday, April 2nd at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door.
For more info: https://www.happiervalley.com/understudies.html
The Academy of Music Theatre
AOM Season Series Presents: The Flick
4/7/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/8/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/9/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/10/22 at 2:00 PM
The Academy of Music Theatre

In a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35 millimeter film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lackluster, second-run movies on screen.

With keen insight and a finely-tuned comic eye, The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world. 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Obie Award to Annie Baker for Playwriting; Obie Award to Matthew Maher for Sustained Excellence of Performance; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

https://www.aomtheatre.com/event/the-flick/

Ticket Prices:
$20 + taxes & fees

All patrons MUST wear a mask inside the theater while not eating or drinking.
Olvidados: A Mexican American Corrido 
By Elisa Gonzales
Lyrics by Elisa Gonzales
Musical Arrangement, Composition, and Additional Lyrics by Moises Vázquez
Directed by Sara Guerrero

April 7, 8, 9 at 7:30 p.m., April 9 at 2 p.m. 
In the Rand Theater, located in the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts at UMass

Tickets: Sold through the Fine Arts Center Box Office and at the door.
Prices: $15 general admission, $5 youth, students, and seniors
Content Advisory: Use of racial slurs and discussion of a child’s death

During the Great Depression, over one million Mexicans and Mexican Americans were illegally and unconstitutionally repatriated to Mexico. What they went through has reverberated through successive generations, and among those affected were Professor Elisa Gonzales' great-grandparents. April 7-9, UMass Theater presents a workshop production of Olvidados: A Mexican American Corrido, Gonzales' compelling new musical about her ancestors' experiences. 
"I owe so much of what I have been able to accomplish because of my family—my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents—I wanted to find a way to honor their stories and their legacy. Olvidados is my love letter to them," said Gonzales.
This is a workshop production — meaning the piece is a work in progress and likely to undergo further revision — and it is a creative collaboration with Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble. We are thrilled to have Breath of Fire Founding Artistic Director Sara Guerrero as director, and Ensemble member Moises Vázquez as the composer and musical director of the piece. 
Breath of Fire takes as its mission the support and enrichment of the lives of Latinas in visual & performing arts, working to raise awareness of critical issues in the community and to be a catalyst for personal healing and social justice, a goal which fits beautifully with Gonzales' work.
The echoes of racial and ethnic scapegoating from 90 years ago sound eerily familiar in this musical, which highlights the corrido as a storytelling form. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States defines the corrido as a verse narrative, a story sung to a musical accompaniment, portraying characters engaged in heroic, often tragic, struggles in real or realistic episodes that reflect the language, experiences, and values of common folk. For approximately two hundred years, corridos have been a cherished part of a traditional heritage in various regions of Mexico and the United States.

"Stories like the Repatriation Drives of the 1930s never make it to our classrooms. Telling this story, at this time, feels even more critical as we are witnessing several states adopting laws and policies that would prohibit and restrict the teaching of anything related to race and racism," explained Gonzales.

Come to the Rand Theater at UMass to see and hear us bring this powerful and uplifting story to the stage.
Get your tickets today!

Tickets can be purchased through the Fine Arts Center Box Office (click here to go directly to our events) or at the door before each performance.
Amherst College Department of Theater and Dance
The Last Five Years
April 7, 8, and 9
Amherst College Kirby Theater: 200 S Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01002

The Amherst College Theater and Dance Department is proud to present Jason Robert Brown's beloved musical, The Last Five Years. This show is Mattea Denney's (Class of 2022) senior honors project, and will be Amherst College's first theatrical performance open to the public in over two years.

This renowned musical by Jason Robert Brown offers an intensely personal look at the highs and lows and unknowable spaces in Jamie and Cathy's five-year relationship – from meeting to break-up... or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. As it toggles between these two points of view, with one character's story moving forward and the other’s backward, the audience may feel like they are flipping through the scrapbook of Jamie and Cathy's lives together, as though we've been invited to pull out an old video and play back a moment, seemingly frozen in time but still alive in our memory.

The show is directed by Ashley Olivea Teague and musical directed by Keiji Ishiguri. Mattea Denney ('22) and Sterling Kee ('23) star as Cathy Hiatt and Jamie Wellerstein and are joined by Sebastian Son ('22), Alfred Kibowen ('23), Luke Herzog ('23), Annika Paylor ('24), Lydia Silver ('25), and Phoebe Mugford ('25) in the ensemble.

Performances will be held at Amherst College's Kirby Theater on April 7, 8, and 9. The house opens at 7:30 PM and the show begins at 8:00 PM. Tickets are free! Reserve your ticket.
PORT OF ENTRY SECOND IN SILVERTHORNE THEATER COMPANY PLAY READING SERIES
GREENFIELD, MA– Silverthorne Theater Company presents the second in its 2022 Thursdays Play Reading Series play.PORT OF ENTRY, by Talya Kingston, directed by Amy Brentano, on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 7:30 p.m at the LAVA Center, 324 Main  Street, Greenfield.
About the play: It’s a regular day in the back office of a small New England International airport.  TSA agent Hank is orienting newbie Chloe in her new job and Jana has just arrived on a flight from the Middle East to start her new semester of graduate school.  The problem is that overnight a new law has come into effect – commonly known as “The Muslim Ban” – and it’s up to these gatekeepers to enforce it.  A play that asks the questions: who is protecting our country? And who are they protecting it from?
 
The reading is offered free and open to the public. Registration is required because of limited space and may be made here.
 
Following the reading, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback to the playwright
 
Directed by Amy Brentano, a strong cast of local actors are performing.
2nd Saturdays Presents...
April 9th at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)   

A dive into theatrical longform improv formats you'll love, from classics like Armando and Shrink to new creations like Neighbors, which has played to standing ovation! Saturday, April 9th at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door.
For more info: https://www.happiervalley.com/2nd-saturdays.html.
HVC’s Fun Fridays: Storytelling Standup Showcase

April 15th at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)   

Watch Happier Valley Comedy talent try out their latest material, laugh together, raise a glass, and support up-and-coming standup comedians. Doors open at 5:30. Showcase starts at 7pm. Friday, April 15th at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Free!
For more info: https://www.happiervalley.com/happiervalleycomedy_fun_fridays.html#thirdfridays
HVC Presents: Not In Charge! 
April 16th at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)   

Join the talented group Not In Charge for a polished, fast-paced improv show inspired by true stories from the cast and audience! Saturday, April 16th at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door.
For more info: https://www.happiervalley.com/notincharge.html
AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

Introducing Pay It Forward!
Calling all performers, musicians, dancers, and artists of all kinds! 
CitySpace’s Pay It Forward pilot program invites artists who live in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties to create, incubate, rehearse, and perform in CitySpace’s Blue Room, a performance and community space located in Old Town Hall. 

CitySpace is offering artists the opportunity for short-term residencies and a venue for public performances and events. In addition, artists will receive a $500 payment for a public performance or event. Further, Pay It Forward fellows will have access to artist-tailored workshops, peer-learning cohorts, or one-on-one coaching to deepen their practice, build new skills and relationships, and explore new ideas.

Apply by April 1 @ 11:59 p.m.

Eligibility

  • Artists (musicians, performers, dancers, and multimedia, literary, and visual artists) who live in Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin counties.
  • Ages 18 and older.
Priority
  • Artists who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
  • Economically disadvantaged artists
Benefits
  • Up to 6 days of residency in the Blue Room in May 2022.
  • A $500 payment for a public performance or event in CitySpace’s Blue Room.
  • Support from CitySpace with venue arrangements, marketing, and tech (as coordinated).
  • Access to workshops, peer-learning cohorts, or one-on-one coaching.
Get the Full Scoop
Looking for actors interested in devising, experimenting, and collaborating on new work! A workshop production of Weaving Penelope, a new play by Rebecca Daniels and Richard Carp, directed by Carmela Lanza-Weil, will be presented on June 26, 2022, outdoors, in Shelburne Falls. Workshop rehearsals will begin in May. A stipend is available for all actors.
 
Weaving Penelope is a play exploring the mostly untold story of the wife of Odysseus, who ruled her husband’s kingdom while he was away at the Trojan War—and on other adventures—for 20 years. It explores Penelope’s experiences and expands on scenes from Homer’s The Odyssey. The play nods to some Greek theatre conventions, including the use of a chorus of players who narrate the story and out of which all characters—except Penelope—emerge. We seek a diverse ensemble of about ten curious actors; all genders, ethnicities, and ages (16+) welcome.
 
Interested actors should submit a link (YouTube or Vimeo) to a self-taped short monologue (60-90 seconds), along with a resume and, if available, a headshot to Carmela at  carmela.lanza.weil@gmail.com no later than April 2, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person on Saturday, April 9th; rehearsals will begin mid-May, scheduled according to actor availability.
 
To audition and perform, all actors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please provide a scan of your vaccine card with your audition materials or be prepared to show proof of vaccine at the call-backs, which may be masked (final decision will be announced to those who are called back before the event).
 
For questions, please contact director, Carmela Lanza-Weil (carmela.lanza.weil@gmail.com) or playwright/producer, Rebecca Daniels (rdaniels2525@gmail.com ).
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
WAM Theatre is thrilled to present two free zoom workshops with two of our favorite Teaching Artists. Each workshop is one off and lasts for two hours (perfect for busy lives and commitment-phobes!)  All are welcome & encouraged to sign up!

Saturday April 2, 2-4 pm - Improvisation with Tatiana Godfrey

Making It Up: The Basic Tenets of Improvisation

Improvisation is the art of making up stories in the moment. Impro’s Co-Artistic Director and WAM’s Company Dramaturg Tatiana Godfrey will lead you through theater and improv games to create stories. Participants will practice committing to their ideas, deep listening, sharing space equitably, and having fun.

Spots are going fast (Tatiana's March workshop is already sold out!)

More information & registration here: https://www.wamtheatre.com/workshops/

Happier Valley Comedy
The Joy & Ease of Improv One-Day Intensive
April 2 at 10:00 AM
Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA 01035

Happier Valley Comedy's Founder and Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers this one-day intensive for adults who want to try something fun, rewarding, and, quite possibly, mind-expanding. You'll learn a very gentle, very easy, patient approach to improv comedy in an incredibly positive and accepting atmosphere that will get you up on your feet and out of your head. Through improv exercises, games, and scenework, you'll practice the vital improvisation skills of paying attention acutely, accepting other peoples ideas, redefining and disempowering failure, staying in the moment, quieting your critical voice to invite more joy and ease into your work, and much more.

Register
We are very pleased to invite you to the first in PIC's series of individual virtual workshops. Playwright Darcy Parker Bruce of The Piedmont Plays will be offering "Mapping the Narrative," a guide to creating structure from your story's beginning to end.

Though the workshop will be taught through the lens of playwriting, this is a great opportunity for writers of all disciplines to be a part of a small and supportive group to help develop their creative practice. 

WHERE: Zoom
WHEN: Monday, April 11th 6-8 pm ET
COST: $35

Register Here
Completely Ridiculous Productions
Acting as Play - A Clown Class with Text
Saturday April 23rd
Pine Box Studio, Florence Massachusetts
11am - 4pm, with an hour long break from 1-2pm
$125

In this four hour workshop we will spend the first two hours exploring the comic world - jumping into our bodies, playing some games, and making a glorious mess as we begin to investigate what is so funny about YOU! Then, after an hour long break, we'll return to see how we can apply all of that wonder, whimsy and simple, stupid fun to text! It's going to have fun, like a lot of fun, maybe too much and then a little more. And laughter, lots and lots of laughter - all in pursuit of unfettered joy, radical acceptance and the actor's true super power, Empathic Vulnerability: the willingness to fully see an other and be fully seen by an other, all while staying open to the possibility of transformation.


More information.
Drama Studio Summer Programs
July 5th, 2022 - August 19th, 2022
41 OAKLAND STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA, 01108

The Drama Studio is a unique community where young people grow as artists, leaders, and individuals. Now offering a variety of onsite acting and theater programs in a safe environment, including Stories on Stage, where students will prepare an entire production of Story Theatre and Improv for younger audiences, including a literacy video. In TeenScene: SummerFest teens will present a fully produced festival of One Acts. Other programs include Acting Up: Summer Fun Stories, SummerSlam: Improv Week, and Island Improv, Scenes and Myths. No prior acting experience is required. Summer enrollment now open! Space is limited.

https://dramastudio.org/summer-programs
Enrollment Opens Monday for PIC's First
Youth Program
 
WHAT: This 2-week summer program, led by arts educators Kit Marshall and Felicia Sloin, will invite participants to explore their creativity through art, music, yoga, drumming, dance, and improvisation. The program will culminate in a celebratory sharing for friends and family. 
We are very excited to be presenting our first ever youth programming with CREATIVE JOURNEYS - formerly a program of Valley Performance Playground-  this summer!

WHO: Ages 7-11 (limited to 14 participants)
WHERE: Lander Grinspoon Academy, 257 Prospect St., Northampton
WHEN: August 1-5, 8-12, 9am-3pm
COST: $625 for 2 weeks

Registration opens Monday, March 7th and will be limited to 14 participants. So register early to reserve your spot!

Learn More Here
Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents
Educational Theater Workshops
July 11-15, July 21-29, Aug 1-5
Northampton Center for the Arts

Fun and educational week-long theater programs for kids ages 7-15 run by local professionals.

https://hampshireshakespeare.com/
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

Theater Between Addresses

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

World and Eye
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Pioneer Valley Theatre Google Calendar
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