Thursday, August 25, 2022

Pioneer Valley Theatre News August 25, 2022

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter
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August 25 - September 14, 2022


Looking for some way to get your kids involved in theatre this fall? Take a look at the fall opportunities for 6-18 year olds at the Drama Studio. And now is the time to sign up to audition for Amherst Community Theater's January production of The Little Mermaid. There are a handful of jobs available - at the Academy of Music, the Majestic Theater, and it's now time to submit your application for First Night Northampton!

The next issue will include events from September 1 - 21. 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
Join our theatre conservatory this fall for in-person classes. We offer acting programs for ages 6-18, where young people come to grow as artists, leaders, and individuals.
For more information, visit www.dramastudio.org/drama-studio-classes
Amherst Community Theater Auditions for The Little Mermaid
September 9-11 Sign up 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

Intimacy and Equity: A Balancing Act
by Ann James

From the article: 

The intimacy industry is under pressure. While many creatives and artistic leaders see the benefits of intimacy direction and coordination as specific care and technical support for actors, the industry itself has not yet created an equitable and inclusive training process for marginalized people.

Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
PERFORMANCES

New play reading series at The LAVA Center, featuring local playwrights and friends of LAVA
Some Thursdays and Saturdays in August and September; see schedule below
The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield

In August and September, The LAVA Center is presenting a series of new play readings by local playwrights and friends of LAVA.

For many of these readings, actors are invited to perform in an unpaid cold reading of the play in a casual atmosphere.

The schedule for the playwrights is as follows:
Thursday, Aug. 25, 5:30 p.m.: Christine Benvenuto
Thursday, Sept. 8, 5:30 p.m.: Alfonso Neal

Actors are invited to jump in on cold readings on Thursday, Sept. 8.

For more information, visit our website at https://localaccess.org

Ja'Duke Theater
"Proof" by David Auburn
8/26 at 7:00pm, 8/27 at 7:00pm, 8/28 at 2:00pm
Ja'Duke Performing Arts Center, Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls MA

"Proof" is a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning drama, written by David Auburn.  The show explores the grey area between genius and madness, through the relationships of the four characters. It's about loss, love, betrayal and family.

Tickets
Happier Valley Comedy
The Happier Valley Championship
August 27 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy's Next Door Lounge (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.


More information.
Catalyst 22 presents Mira and the Liminal Dimension
August 27 at 7:00 PM and September 3 at 7:00 PM
The LAVA Center, 324 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301

"I ask you, as we head into the abyss, the in-between place where we tell our story: What is the half-life of human thought and action on a space?"

We invite you to join us for a premiere performance of our play, "Mira and the Liminal Dimension"! This is a collaboratively created show based on the concept of liminal space, and is our own modern mythical tale! The show is a one-act performance with no intermission. We will be performing at the LAVA Center in Greenfield!

Directed by Kevin Van Develde
Devising Company: Steph Reyes, Amanda Bowman, Kelly Tierney, Zee Shepherd, Angie Parker, and Biddy Remick.
Facebook event
Happier Valley Comedy
The Understudies: An Improvised Musical
September 3 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)

Be part of the fun as these brave improvisers and their trusty musician create an entire musical from scratch. First 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.

Tickets
Happier Valley Comedy
2nd Saturdays Presents: Longform Improvisation
September 10 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)

A cast of experienced improvisers dive into a variety of formats based on audience suggestions. Second 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.

Tickets
Happier Valley Comedy
HVC's Fun Fridays: Storytelling Standup Showcase
September 16 at 5:30 PM
Happier Valley Comedy's Next Door Lounge (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. Free!

Tickets
Happier Valley Comedy
HVC Presents: Not In Charge!
September 17 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)

A cast of experienced improvisers dive into a variety of formats based on audience suggestions. Second 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.

Tickets
Happier Valley Comedy
The Happier Valley Championship
September 24 at 7:00 PM
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.

Tickets
MIFA Victory Theatre
Angela Davis, A History of the United States

9/30 at 7:30 PM, 10/1/22 at 7:30PM & 10/2/22 Matinee at 2PM
Rooke Theater, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA 01075

MIFA Victory Theatre presents French theater company Compagnie L'Héliotrope in "Angela Davis, A History of the United States"

The play, mixing narration, speeches, video, and rap music, tells the story of Angela Davis, American Black activist, professor and author, who faced a turbulent life during the civil rights movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Actress Astrid Bayiha alone on stage exudes rage at injustice and discrimination through the power of words and music with the help of musician-composer Balde AliMbaye. Don't miss Astrid Bayiha in Angela Davis' fierce journey!

Face Masks Required
Free parking at Gorse Lot, 27 Morgan St., South Hadley, MA.

Show Dates/Times:

Friday, September 30, 2022, at 7:30 pm - In French with English supertitles, FREE Student Performance (Student I.D. Required unless under age 13), Non-Student General Admission $20

Saturday, October 1, 2022, at  7:30 pm  - In English with French supertitles
General Admission $20, Students $15

Sunday, October 2, 2022, at 2:00 pm Matinee - In English with French supertitles
General Admission $20, Students $15

https://www.mifafestival.org/events
AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES
The Academy of Music Theatre, an 816-seat historic performing arts venue in the lovely New England college town of Northampton, Massachusetts, seeks a full-time Technical Director. Responsibilities include organizing all technical aspects of performances and supervision of union stage crews. Knowledge of sound, lighting, set installations and rigging systems plus excellent communication and organizational skills required. A qualified candidate will have a minimum of a BA or BFA in technical theatre or equivalent with professional experience. Applications must be received by August 29th.  Send résumé to: djanthony@aomtheatre.com For a full job description, please email djanthony@aomtheatre.com.
 
The Academy of Music Theatre provides live performing arts year-round: dance, theater, music, spoken word and multimedia. In addition, we provide educational programs year-round with one fully staged musical theater youth production. We serve over 62,000 patrons and are a destination site for visitors from the Connecticut Valley and New York City areas. We offer on average 130 performances annually.
 
The salary is $56-58K.
Scenic Artist/Painter – MAJESTIC THEATER
131 Elm St West Springfield, MA 01089
About the Company
The Majestic Theater has been bringing locally-produced live, professional theater to the Pioneer Valley since 1997. Every season at the Majestic consists of five productions, including at least one musical, which typically run for six weeks. In addition to the subscription season, the summer includes children's theater, concerts, plays, improvisational comedy shows, and more.
Job Description
The Scenic Artist works closely with the Scenic Designer in accomplishing all texture and painted effects of a production.  The scenic artist will oversee painting crews as needed.  Candidate should have a working knowledge of painting techniques such as marbling, wood grain, etc., and understand paint mixing and stenciling.   Experience in a professional or collegiate theatrical shop would be helpful.
Work schedule based upon productions: five season productions (August – April), children’s theater (May – June), additional productions as scheduled.

Hourly compensation based upon experience.  
Hourly range $20 to $25.  Benefits to be determined.

Interested applicants should email sue@majestictheater.com with cover letter and current professional resume.
Silverthorne Theater Company will hold open auditions for the role of PATRICIA in its 2022-23 Season opener, Lauren Gunderson’s The Taming, will be held from 7 - 9 pm on Sunday, August 28, at the LAVA Center, 324 Main Street, Greenfield.  Virtual callbacks will be held on Monday, August 29, beginning at 4 pm. The show runs from October 21-29, 2022. Rehearsals begin in early September.

To reserve a slot, call 413-768-7514 or send your request to silverthornetheater@gmail.com. Auditioners are asked to submit recent headshots and current resumes to silverthornetheater@gmail.com. Video submissions will be considered if received by August 28, but anyone submitting a video would need to be available for the Monday callbacks. Proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is required for all auditioners.  Call 413-7678-7514 or go to silverthornetheater.org for more details.

PATRICIA is a conservative aide to Georgia’s Senator Peter Baxter. Also plays James Madison in 1787. The cast is comprised of three roles, with each role portraying two to three characters. All roles are described as being in their 20s-30s and female-identifying. As per the playwright: “Actors need not be white”. Actors of all races, ethnicities, abilities, genders, ages and political leanings are strongly encouraged to audition. All roles are paid.

The Taming by Lauren Gunderson is a raucous, all-female political comedy inspired by Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. When two political opponents wake up to discover themselves locked in a hotel room with a beauty queen hell-bent on revolutionizing the American government, they are forced to face the vast political divide in order to find a way to save both themselves and our great democracy. Born out of frustration over the partisan grid-lock holding our country hostage, this play tackles the role of women in contemporary American government, the vision and biases of the founding fathers, feminism and beauty pageants, political extremism, Liberal angst and the GOP, through the startling humor of three wildly different, and richly developed women who might just be political geniuses. 
Ja'Duke Theater
Little Shop of Horrors Auditions
August 29 at 7pm
Ja'Duke Theater

The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names "Audrey II" - after his coworker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II's out of this world origins and intent towards global domination!

Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2 Hours and 15 Minutes (one intermission)
More information.
the Drama Studio Open House
August 30th at 6 pm, for ages 6-8 and August 31st at 6 pm for ages 9-18
41 OAKLAND STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA, 01108

Join us for our 2022 Open House to learn about our acting classes and Conservatory program!

Come and visit the Drama Studio on Tuesday, August 30th, at 6 pm for ages 6-8, and on Wednesday, August 31st, at 6 pm for ages 9-18.

Register here.
Amherst Community Theater
Auditions for The Little Mermaid

9/9 beginning at 6 PM, 9/10 beginning at 10 AM, 9/11 beginning at 10 AM
Bangs Community Center, Amherst

AUDITIONS are almost here for Amherst Community Theater’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid! 9 performances in the 600-seat UMass Bowker Auditorium, January, 2023. Irresistible songs, lavish sets and costumes, and a full live orchestra. Actors, singers, and dancers ages 7-107 are encouraged to audition! For more info, including character descriptions, audition music, and readings, visit www.amherstacts.org/auditions or contact producer@amherstacts.org.

Facebook event
Grant Application Opens: August 1st, 2022
Grant Application Closes: September 16th, 2022, at 11:59 pm EST

Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts 

Flexible Funding

We are excited to announce 2022’s round of Flexible Funding, which will provide general operating support to nonprofits that benefit our region.

As part of the Foundation’s strategic vision, preference will be given to organizations, who missions are in the following areas:

  • Diversity, equity and inclusion in workplaces and institutions, prioritizing racial equity.
  • A strong start for all children though high-quality early education and care.
  • Accessible and more affordable post-secondary education and training, providing pathways to completion and employment.
  • A vibrant and local arts and creativity ecosystem to support self-expression, economic vitality and connection.

Preference will also be given to organizations where leadership is racially diverse.

Learn More Here https://communityfoundation.org/nonprofits/flexible-funding-cfwm

Sign Up Now for Your Flamingo!
UMass Theater seeks participants from on-campus and the community for FLAMINGO MURMURATION, an outdoor performance piece created by designer Anya Klepikov. Participants will wear a flamingo pool float and perform simple choreography. The event is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 2-4:30, with rain dates Sept. 24 or Oct. 1.
No theater or dance experience is required!!

Email Anya Klepikov at aklepikov@umass.edu to reserve your flamingo float for this kick-off event for the 2022-2023 season.
Interested in being a group leader for the performance?
Open Call for the “Alpha Flamingos” (the AFs)
Would commit to going to a 90 minute workshop on Saturday September 10th and serve as group leaders at the performance on Saturday, September 17th (in the event of rain the performance will be rescheduled to September 24th or October 1st). Be willing to participate in Flamingo Foto-ops throughout the week that will be scheduled at that first workshop based on performer availability.
Email Rudy Ramirez at arramirez@umass.edu to sign up.

The Northampton Arts Council is now accepting performer applications for First Night Northampton 2023

On December 31, 2022 the Northampton Arts Council will present the 38th annual community New Year’s Eve celebration and festival of performing arts. Since 1985, First Night Northampton has filled our Paradise City with a 12-hour family-friendly festival of the arts, culminating in a traditional ball-raising from the roof of the Hotel Northampton. Proceeds from First Night Northampton will benefit local artists and community arts activities.

We look forward to receiving many proposals and to creating a diverse, exciting, family-friendly event. Complete and submit the application no later than August 31, 2022. Proposals are reviewed as they are received, so early applications are recommended. Please submit separate applications for each proposal. Proposals without support materials will not be reviewed. We will be notifying applicants at the end of October. To apply to perform at First Night Northampton please complete the online application which can be found here:
https://www.firstnightnorthampton.org/apply-to-perform

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Anyone who organizes or attends auditions or is involved in casting for the theatre, is recommended to take 30 minutes to listen to this conversation between casting director Victor Vazquez and dramaturg/performer Tatiana Godfrey.  Part of WAM Theatre's Spotlight Series, they talk about some of the problems that we run into in the traditional casting process, especially in terms of racial or gender stereotyping, and some of the opportunities and suggestions he has for better ways of placing actors in roles. 

https://www.wamtheatre.com/spotlight-series-with-casting-director-victor-vazquez/

Serious Play Theatre Ensemble presents A Very Special Writing Workshop with Claire Titelman

Dates: 

Saturday September 24th and Sunday September 25th

Place:  

Blue Barn at Bramble Hill Farm, 593 South Pleasant St, Amherst MA

Time: 

11am-4pm each day, which includes an hour long lunch break on the farm; (bring your own lunch & cold drink) water bottles available.

Price: $175

More info: 

Email Claire Titeman at claireprompts@gmail.com to see if there's a spot left and she will give you info on payment, etc. Limited enrollment. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Covid protocol: 

The class will be masked and you must be able to show proof of vaccination.

About the class:

This is a playful and challenging class with exercises and writing prompts that run the gamut from surreal to straightforward, from very deep to very dumb. They will encourage you to get out of your head, delve into your unconscious, and develop your authentic voice, leading to vulnerable, funny, fierce, strange, and surprising work. We will subvert elements of memoir, theater, fiction, and other genres to help inspire creativity-- all with a curriculum that’s designed for artists of all kinds: writers, comedians, performers, filmmakers, visual artists, and non-artists interested in exploring creative expression. Dropouts, shut-ins and people picked last in gym class are welcome!*

*Jocks, geniuses and the well-adjusted also welcome. This is an inclusive class. 

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
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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