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July 21 - August 10, 2022
It's opening weekend of the final summer of the Ko Festival of Performance! There are three performances of FLUSHING (Make Room for Someone Else) this Friday-Sunday, plus the Story Slam on Sunday night (I think this is already sold out - but contact Ko to get your name on a waitlist!) And don't miss Educating Rita from Passport Theatre Company at CitySpace this weekend for four performances only!
Two articles from StageStruck this week: A.I.M/Abraham In Motion & upcomings at Jacob's Pillow plus Shakespeare & Company, Much Ado About Nothing and A Walk in the Woods.
The next issue will include events from July 28 - August 17. 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
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YOUR EVENT HERE
$5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing!
Email me to reserve your dates.
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THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS:
from Howlround
Playable Plays: Towards a New Interactivity
by Drew Paryzer
From the article:
Millions of dollars are being poured into the “immersive” art sector worldwide in the form of explorable art installations, pop-up projection palaces, virtual reality experiences, and more. As a playwright who has worked in this sector during its ascendance, I’ve been inspired by the vastness of the audience it’s unlocked—as well as that audience’s willingness to engage with deep, complex stories.
Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
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This July, Passport Theatre Company presents a new take on Willy Russell’s classic comedy, Educating Rita. Starring Stephanie Carlson and Adrian Goldman, the production opens July 21 at 7:30 pm at The Blue Room, Old Town Hall, 43 Main St in Easthampton, with performances on July 22 and 23 at 7:30 pm and July 24 at 2 pm.
Tickets for Educating Rita are on sale now at Eventbrite. For further information, call (413) 552-6412.
About the Play
Rita is a working-class hairdresser who wants to learn and grow. She sees education as the path to a better way of living her life. Frank is a disillusioned university professor who uses alcohol to mask his feelings of inadequacy. Rita sweeps into his cocoon of an office like a strong gust of wind, ruffling his papers, absorbing his knowledge and challenging his assumptions. Each has a romanticized view of life in the other's social circle. Rita believes that the educated have more culture, and that their lives therefore have more meaning. Frank believes that any problem can be forgotten with a trip to the pub.
Rita and Frank struggle, connect and clash, and do or don't learn. It is a quiet play. Like Rita, it is charming with a serious side as well. Perhaps the moral of Educating Rita is that it doesn't matter so much what song you sing; it's how you sing it. If we value growth, if we want to get "the absolute maximum out of this living lark", the choice is ours to do so, and it is never too late to start.
Visit Passport Theatre online
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Theater Between Addresses
Grail Knight: An Immersive Play
7/21/22 at 7pm, 7/22 at 7pm, 7/24 at 4pm, 7/29-7/30 at 7pm, 7/31 at 4pm
Three Sisters Sanctuary, 188 Cape St, Goshen, MA
Grail Knight, written by Sean French-Byrne and directed by Ezekiel Baskin, is an immersive retelling of the story of the Quest for the Holy Grail. Here Sir Galahad, the last knight of the Round Table, is reimagined as a young trans girl struggling under the weight of destiny and the task of fixing her predecessors’ Camelot. Galahad is joined on her quest by Sir Mordred, the king’s bastard, whose fate is to tear down Camelot, and Lancelot, her blood father who has done the unspeakable to ensure Camelot’s survival. To Mordred, Galahad is a mirror of his own experience; to Lancelot, Galahad is an uncomfortable echo of his past. Together, they seek the grail and face their entangled destinies.
Living in a broken world, the knights face questions that haunt us today: How can we fix the mistakes of our predecessors? How do we find agency and identity in a world where we must conform to survive? Is there room to live and love in a dying world? How can we break from the power structures and narratives we are raised with?
The play takes place throughout the Three Sisters Sanctuary, and the audience is free to explore the enclaves and secrets of the sanctuary throughout the play. As an audience member, it is your choice how you follow the grail quest; the threads of the story intertwine and weave, but each character’s path is unique - who will you follow?
This outdoor immersive play runs roughly 90 minutes. We encourage you to bring a picnic and continue your exploration of the sanctuary before or after the performance. Tickets are $15 for students, seniors, and those age 25 and under, and $25 general admission. The first $10 of each ticket will go to the Sanctuary, for their continued upkeep and operations, and the remainder of each ticket will go directly to compensating the artists involved in the production. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds - if you cannot afford the ticket prices but want to see the production, please reach out to us at theaterbetweenaddresses (at) gmail (dot) com and we will connect you with subsidized free or reduced price tickets. If you';re able to donate above the cost of your ticket, we encourage you to do so, to help us compensate our artists fairly while making sure we can provide free and reduced price tickets to everyone who needs them.
Performances will take place on July 21st and 22nd at 7pm, July 24th at 4pm, July 29th and 30th at 7pm, and July 31st at 4pm. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/grailknight22
If we need to cancel a performance due to extreme weather (heat or heavy rain/thunderstorm), all tickets for that performance will be honored at any future date, including additional rain dates on August 5th and 6th, or refunded upon request
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The GB Public Theater 2022 mainstage opens with Public Speaking 101 (July 21 - July 24) a fun, turn-the-tables comedy by the much loved, wonderfully accomplished and always engaging Berkshire-based playwright Mark St. Germain.
When a neurotic, amateur actress leads her community college class of terrified adults to compete in their county’s First Annual Public Speaking Competition, their cross-currents, tongue-tied quirks and foibles become a tight, repartee comedy, brought to life by a brilliant cast, including Peggy Pharr-Wilson, David Smilow, Nathan Hinton, Brendan Powers and Rachel Burttram. Directed by GBPT Artistic Director Jim Frangione, Public Speaking 101 brings the misfit contest and heartfelt laughter to the McConnell Theater for ten performances only.
Audiences know and love Mark St. Germain’s quick, sharp dialogue and knotty situations where characters walk into quicksand of their own making and need to reach out to others for a lifeline. “Mark is a master at comic set-up, timing and real character quirks,” director Jim Frangione says. “He can come up with a very funny storyline, and no one gets out until the hang-ups are resolved. This time, Mark gives us a comedy with great heart. Speaking in public is number one phobia for almost everybody. For these people it’s absolute terror. We all know the moment, when we wish we would have said something but couldn’t find the words.” Frangione works closely with St. Germain and directed and played the title role in GBPT’s 2021 production of Mark’s comedy Dad. “It becomes more than a comic story about a classroom of mixed nuts and lost dogs. It’s about finding that sweet spot in your heart that lets you pump yourself up and show yourself off as the prize-winner we all know we are, no matter what. Mark has given us a feel-good story just when the world really needs one.”
As St. Germain explains it, “We have a pastor terrified of addressing his congregation and sings to them instead, a cop who dissolves on the witness stand, a mortician more comfortable with the dead than the living and a writer whose every word sounds like drying paint, taught by Sunny Strutt, an aspiring community theater actress whose offstage life is falling apart. It takes us into the hearts of a misfit class struggling to find their own voices.”
Mark St. Germain, Jim Frangione and Public Speaking 101 cast members are available for interviews.
Public Speaking 101 and will be staged ten times only, from July 14-July 24, Thurs.-Sun., 3pm and 7:30pm, in the McConnell Mainstage Theater, Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230. Tickets can be reserved on the Great Barrington Public Theater website.
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BETTY & THE PATCH ONSTAGE AT MAJESTIC THEATER JULY 21 - 24
The Majestic Theater will present the debut of Betty & The Patch, a new contemporary comedy/drama by Producing Director Danny Eaton June 9 through July 24.
The play is set at The Patch, one of those local destination restaurants with the reputation of good and plentiful food along with a kind of privacy which makes it ideal for intimate get togethers. It’s been run by Betty Borelli for years but a recent kitchen fire has forced a shut down. Determined to reopen, Betty has recruited her daughter Cristina, a successful attorney, to come home and help. But that’s not the only reason — she has had recent health issues and Betty wants Cristina and chef Bobo Henderson to ensure the restaurant’s future. There are family secrets as well that need to be finally revealed, and recent visits from past friends have added to the urgency. Will Cristina stay? Will Bobo finally let Cristina know he’s in love with her? And just who is Cristina’s father?
The cast of Betty & The Patch includes Christine Anthony (Betty), Katie Mack (Cristina), Issa Best (Bobo), Brad Shepard (Joey), Michael Graham Morales (Michael), J. T. Waite (Andy), Linda Storms (Betty understudy), Valerie Vaile (Cristinas understudy), Joel Gladu (Bobo understudy), Rick Malone (Andy/Joey understudy) and Liam Toner (Michael understudy).
Eaton will direct the play. Associate Producing Director/Stage Manager is Sue Dziura, and Stephen Petit is production stage manager. Set design is by Greg Trochlil, and Dawn McKay is costumer designer. Daniel D. 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 or other proof 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 to Betty & The Patch range from $31 - $35 and are available for sale at the Majestic’s box office Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 1pm; or on the phone at (413) 747-7797.
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Ko Festival of Performance presents FLUSHING (Make Room for Someone Else)
Eric Bass, co-founder/Sandglass Theater & Linda Parris-Bailey, co-founder/Carpetbag Theatre; directed by Kathie deNobriga
Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 at 8pm, July 24 at 4pm
Emily Dickinson Hall at Hampshire College
893 West St, Amherst, MA
A puppet show with songs, made for adults, FLUSHING begins at the Brink, where two theater directors are passing the leadership of their ensembles to the next generation. This moment sparks a reflection on what it means to retire and what it might mean to inherit. For those stepping down, what do we leave and who do we become? And for those stepping up, how do we take what is given and make it our own?
Tickets $30 Patron, $22 Standard, $10 Discount
Buy Tickets
info@kofest.com
Box Office phone line opens July 18: 413-559-5351.
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Ja'Duke Theater
Crazy For You
7/22 @ 7pm, 7/23 @ 7pm, 7/24 @2pm
Ja'Duke Theater
A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy, Crazy For You® tells the story of young New York banker Bobby Child, who is sent to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theatre. In Deadrock, Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker, the theatre owner’s daughter. But Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows – through cunning, razzmatazz, and a hilarious case of mistaken identity – to win Polly’s heart and save the theatre. Memorable Gershwin tunes from the score include “I Got Rhythm,” “Naughty Baby,” “They Can't Take That Away from Me,” “Embraceable You,” “But Not for Me,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Rating: G
Run Time: 2 hours and 15 Minutes (one intermission)
More information
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Happier Valley Comedy
The Happier Valley Championship
July 23 at 7:00pm
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)
In this competitive comedy show, two teams of improvisers face off through scenes and games to see who can win the ultimate prize: your laughter! Fourth Saturday of every month 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: www.happiervalley.com.
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KoFest Story Slam & Celebration
Sunday, July 24 at 8pm
Emily Dickinson Hall at Hampshire College
893 West St, Amherst, MA
A celebration of KoFest’s three decades, featuring true stories on the theme of “Stepping Up / Stepping Back.” There will be some ringers, and also some wild-card slots, for these stories about transitions. Special guest appearance by Sara Felder. Email info@kofest.com if you are interested in pitching a story.
Tickets $26 Patron, $16 Standard, $10 Discount
Purchase Tickets
info@kofest.com
Box Office phone line opens July 18: 413-559-5351.
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No Theater
let go
a short adult comedy about love, death and piles of paper....
Performances
July 28 - August 6 at 8:00 PM
Thursday, July 28 - sold out
Friday, July 29 - sold out
Saturday, July 30
Wednesday, August 3
Thursday, August 4
Friday, August 5
Saturday, August 6
LIMITED SEATING-- Running Time: 1 hour w/out intermission
(Vaccination and Masks required)
TICKETS AND INFO
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Ko Festival of Performance presents EZELL: Ballad of a Land Man
Clear Creek Creative
Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30 at 6:15pm, July 31 at 10:15am
Emily Dickinson Hall / Hampshire College Farm
893 West St, Amherst, MA
An environmental, cultural and spiritual parable of domination and resilience that explores the complexities of climate change, indigenous erasure and environmental extraction (fracking) - that is based on the artists’ lived experience in their rural Appalachian community in KY. This immersive outdoor experience features a contemplative walk through the woods to the performance site with live music, the play, a return walk and a post-show dialogue with the artists and a panel of local experts.
Tickets $30 Patron, $22 Standard, $10 Discount
Purchase Tickets
info@kofest.com
Box Office phone line opens July 18: 413-559-5351
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