Thursday, September 29, 2022

Pioneer Valley Theatre News September 29, 2022

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter
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September 29 - October 19, 2022


I am spending this week at the Shea, running around backstage as part of Deus ex Machina - and you can too! (Well, maybe, if you already have tickets) Audiences get the chance to dive behind the scenes and back in time and really explore the magical backstage of the Shea Theatre. 

From the Valley Advocate: a review of Jack Absolute Flies Again at Amherst Cinema/NT Live in early October.


The next issue will include events from October 6 - 26. 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
Westfield Theatre Group presents Marvin's Room
October 14-22
More information 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

Are You Really a Parent-Friendly Workplace
by Michelle Ramos and Ashley Walden Davis

From the article: 
Michelle Ramos: Since you've started working in the arts sector, you’ve done a lot of amazing work: founding your firm, Unlock Creative, which is a social enterprise dedicated to nurturing, growing, and sustaining Black creative leadership; founding and being the current president of the National Black Women’s Creative Cooperative, a worker-owned limited liability cooperative and mutual aid network of Black women creatives; and doing work focused on how our industry can better support theatremakers with children. What are some of your observations in doing this work as a theatremaker and a parent?

Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com
PERFORMANCES
“MAMMA MIA!” TO OPEN MAJESTIC THEATER’S 25th SEASON
 
West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will kick off its 25th Season with Mamma Mia! which runs September 22 – October 16.  The beloved jukebox musical, with music and lyrics by Benny Anderson & Bjorn Ulvaeus, and book by Catherine Johnson, incorporates the music of pop group Abba in telling the story of Donna, a woman living a quiet life on a Greek island whose life is upended when her daughter Sophie becomes engaged.  Never knowing the identity of her father, Sophie invites the three men who may be her dad to the wedding.
 
Producing Director Danny Eaton is directing the play.  Associate Producing Director is Sue Dziura, Mitch Chakor is music director, and Stephen Petit is production stage manager.  The set was designed by Greg Trochlil, and Dawn McKay is costume designer.  Daniel Rist is lighting designer and Doug Wallace is sound designer.
 
Cast members include Cate Damon (Donna), Vivienne Damon (Sophie), Marty Bongfeldt (Tanya), Lori Efford (Rosie), Ben Ashley (Sam), Russell Garrett (Harry), Gene Choquette (Bill) and Sam Snyder (Sky).  Others cast members include Caelie Scott Flanagan, Natasha Ellis, Den Hernandez, Steven Sands and Michael Garcia.
 
Ticket prices range from $31 - $37 and can be obtained by visiting or calling the box office at (413) 747-7797 during hours of operation (Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
 
Audience members are required to wear a mask while in the building unless actively eating or drinking in the café.  Doors to the theater will open one hour before the start of a show, which is also when the café opens.  For more information, visit www.majestictheater.com
WAM Theatre Commemorates Banned Books Week with "Erased Histories: A Free Conversation Series"

WAM Theatre is delighted to announce a series of lively conversations with scholars, artists, and community members who will tell the true stories of Black and Indigenous Women who were Civil Rights pioneers. These FREE events will take place throughout Berkshire County, and in collaboration with The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, and Stockbridge Library. The series is presented in connection with WAM Theatre’s upcoming production of CADILLAC CREW and is funded by the Brabson Library and Educational Foundation.

This special series of conversations is taking place as part of Banned Books Week (September 18-24). The week is a timely effort to underscore the vital role of historically and presently banned books in school curriculum, public education, and access. The Erased Histories conversation series will feature scholars, artists, and community leaders telling true stories that are often missing from history books. We invite you to join us in listening to live and original retellings of stories that changed the face of history.

Our honored speakers will include: Indigenous Historian Heather Bruegl (Oneida/Stockbridge-Munsee), Storyteller Onamuni Jean Moss, Community Leader Gwendolyn VanSant (CEO and Founder of Multicultural BRIDGE), Professor Frances Jones-Sneed, Dr. Eden-Reneé Hayes, Storyteller, Inspirational Speaker Amber Chand, and Artist/Educator Nicole M. Young-Martin.

WAM Theatre is thrilled to be partnering with libraries throughout Berkshire County to present the conversations in free and easily accessible public spaces. WAM’s partners on this series include Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield, MA), Clark Art Institute Auditorium (Williamstown, MA), and the Stockbridge Library Association (Stockbridge, MA). We join together for Banned Book Week to celebrate the power of storytelling as a way to uplift voices that have been historically silenced.

ERASED HISTORIES: A Conversation Series

In collaboration with the Clark Art Institute, the Berkshire Athenaeum, and Stockbridge Library Association.

Saturday, September 24, 3pm
Stockbridge Library Association, Stockbridge, MA
Featuring: storyteller and inspirational speaker Amber Chand.

Available Virtually throughout October
Online as part of WAM Theatre’s Spotlight Series
Featuring Indigenous Historian Heather Buegl (Oneida/Stockbridge-Munsee), Storyteller Onawumi Jean Moss, and Dr. Eden-Reneé Hayes.

Eggtooth Productions presents Deus Ex Machina
Sept. 29 - Oct. 1 at 7 and 9 pm

Tickets are $35 here:
 www.showclix.com/events/27957

First produced in 2017, Deus Ex Machina is a mesmerizing immersive production for an audience of only 18 members per show. With an intimate 1:1 cast to audience ratio and the entire Shea Theater as our set, participants will have a series of sublime engagements with an array of characters inspired by the building’s storied history as 1920s vaudeville house to a 70s hippy commune and, of course, a theater venue over a span of decades.

In addition to a number of beloved Eggtooth performers, including board member and Broadway makeup designer Joe Dulude II and WRSI host Monte Belmonte, Deus will feature special guests Matthew Glassman, former co-artistic director at Double Edge Theater (Ashfield, MA) and Tara Boland, former Associate Enrichment Director of immersive theater giants Punchdrunk (London, UK).

Director/Designer: John Bechtold, with scenic and costume design by Julia Whalen and makeup design by Joe Dulude II. Choreography by Lori Holmes-Clark. Performances: September 29 - October 1.

We want to include all so if ticket price is prohibitive contact lmciner@gmail.com for a discount.
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
Means of Production Theater Co.
Waiting for Lefty - A Benefit for the Pioneer Valley Workers Center

09/30 @ 7:30pm, 10/1 @ 7:30pm, 10/2 @ 2:30pm, 10/4 - 10/8 @ 7:30pm
The Institute for the Musical Arts - Goshen

At the height of the Great Depression, Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty rocked the class consciousness of America while setting a new standard for theatrical realism. Though it debuted in 1935, the play continues to resonate in light of increased unionization and labor activity across the country, as well as the general reevaluation of the culture of work brought on by COVID-19. In our 2022 production, a meeting of union truck drivers frames a series of vignettes that offer a glimpse into the lives and loves of union agitators. Why are they agitating? What do they deserve? What will they have to do to get it?

Ticket sales will benefit the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, a social justice and immigrant rights organization that champions labor rights across Western Massachusetts. Additionally, the first three performances will be followed by panel discussions with local labor organizers.

Performances will occur in the barn at the Institute for the Musical Arts, 165 Cape Street, Goshen, Massachusetts. We will ask that audience members wear masks for the duration of the show.

https://waitingforlefty.brownpapertickets.com/
PIC Family Friendly Salons are an opportunity for performing artists and audience members of all ages to come together in celebration of the artistic process. The lineup is curated to appeal to a family-friendly audience, and the performers give audience members a peek into creative practice by sharing inspiration and answering audience questions.The Salon will take place by the big red frame sculpture. Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and low-seat chairs, and are welcome to come early and stay late to pick apples and enjoy the beauty of Park Hill!

Date and Time: Sat Oct 1, 3-4pm, Park Hill Orchard, 82 Park Hill Rd, Easthampton
https://www.playincubation.org/salon
Happier Valley Comedy presents
The Understudies: An Improvised Musical
October 1 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.

More information.
K and E Theater Group Invites You to THE WILD PARTY
October 7-9 & 13-15 at Northampton Center for the Arts
 
K and E Theater Group returns with its final mainstage production of its supersized season two – a steamy prohibition tale, Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, October 7-9 and October 13-15, 2022 at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley Street.
 
Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party is adapted from Joseph Moncure March’s epic 1928 poem of the same name, originally produced by the Manhattan Theater Club in New York City. The original production won the 2000 Outer Circle Critics Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. Lippa also won the Drama Desk that year for Outstanding Music for one of the most exciting, pulse-racing scores ever written.
 
The Wild Party is the jazz age story of one tragic night in a Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and her menacing lover Burrs. The couple decides to throw the party to end all parties, inviting a colorful slew of guests living life on the edge. It is during this night where Queenie meets a handsome stranger named Black who wants to take her away, sending Burrs into a tailspin.
 
K and E Theater Group's production of The Wild Party features Chelsea Derby as Queenie, Carina Savoie as Kate, Joshua Fernandez Garcia as Black, and Eddie Zitka as Burrs. Also featured are Julia Bussell as Nadine, Michael DeVito as Phil D’Armano, Christine Greene as Madelaine True, Jessica Glasser as Mae,  Andre Ruiz as Sam, Lauren Seslar as Featured Ensemble, Chris Webber as Oscar D'Armano,  David Webber as Max, Jami Wilson as Dolores, Jessica Winter as Jackie, and John Woytowicz as Eddie. 
 
The K and E Theater production of The Wild Party is directed and choreographed by K and E Theater Group President and Artistic Director Eddie Zitka. The seven-piece band is led by Bill Martin.
 
Opening Night is Friday, October 7, 2022, at 7:30 PM. 
 
Additional performances are:
Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM
Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Friday, October 14, 2022 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 2:00 PM.
The closing performance is scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2022 at 7:30 PM.


Tickets are general admission for $27.00. There is no reserved seating.
 
This production contains mature themes, drug usage, explicit language, and strong sexual content. Stage effects include strobes and bright moving lights. Recommended for mature audiences only.
 
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.
 
Tickets and performance information for The Wild Party are available at www.KETG.org.
HCC Alumni Players
Phillips Festival 2022

October 8 at 7:30 PM
Holyoke Community College Leslie Phillips Theater Holyoke, MA

An evening of original, short plays written, directed, and staged in in 24 hours.  

From Concept to Curtain ... IN ONE DAY

The Festival is to benefit the Leslie Phillips Fund for the Arts and Arts Education at Holyoke Community College

https://lesliephillipsfestival2022.brownpapertickets.com

We are also celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the HCC Players, Holyoke Community's theater ensemble at the Festival.
Happier Valley Comedy presents
2nd Saturdays Presents: Longform Improvisation
October 8 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.

More information.
Westfield Theatre Group,
A Department of the Westfield Woman's Club
Marvin's Room

October 14, 15, 21, 22 at 7:30 PM and October 22 at 2:00PM
Westfield Woman's Club, 28 Court Street, Westfield, MA

Scott Pherson's Obie and Drama Desk award winning comedic drama Marvin's Room explores interpersonal relationships within a family experiencing a series of crises and life choices. Frank Rich of the New York Times called Marvin’s Room:
“…one of the funniest plays of this year as well as one of the wisest and most moving”
With resonant and timely themes, Marvin’s Room casts a sensitive but often darkly humorous light on caregiving, sibling relationships, teenage rebellion, abandonment, mental health and loss. The play evokes deep empathy and understanding, smiles of recognition, laughter and sympathy for our shared human condition. Audiences may alternately laugh and cry, but they will no doubt emerge having had a deeply affecting experience.
Directed by Michael O. Budnick
Produced by Eva Husson-Stockhamer and Sophie Stevenson
Set Design by Eva Husson-Stockhamer
with Robert Clark, Set Builder
Costume Design by Theresa Allie
Lighting Design by Frank Croke
Publicity by Sally Memole
Cast:
Bessie: Tracy Grammer
Lee: Gilana Chelimsky
Hank: Joe Wilcox
Ruth: Theresa Allie
Dr. Wally: Jim Merlin
Dr. Charlotte/Director: Nicole Calero
Charlie: Calaeb Vertig
Bob/Marvin: Jon Golden

http://westfieldtheatregroup.com

Mummenschanz: 50 Years

Saturday, October 15, 3 p.m.

Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall

Tickets Start at $20, Patrons Under 17 at $15

“Witty madness… dazzling and delightful!” - The New York Times

UMass Amherst opens a season of family programming with an enduring favorite: Mummenschanz has been dazzling audiences of all ages in theaters across the globe for five decades. For the company's 50th anniversary production, the legendary visual theater troupe invites audiences on a journey through their history and into their future.

Filled with imagination and poetry, the production features such legendary characters as the Clay Masks, the Toilet Paper Faces, the air-filled Giants, and the Pipe Creature, along with an abundance of other bizarre objects and shapes that spring to life on stage. The production also includes sketches featuring surprising new forms and characters that capture the signature Mummenschanz spirit of infinite possibility and delight.

Happier Valley Comedy presents
Happier Family Comedy Show
October 15 at 3:00 PM
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W. Bay Rd, Amherst, MA)

A high-energy interactive improv comedy show, perfect for 5-13 year olds and their adults. Third Saturday of every month at 3pm at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W. Bay Rd. Amherst). Tickets: $5/child, $10/adult, 4 and under/free.

More information.
Happier Valley Comedy presents
HVC Presents: Not In Charge!
October 15 at 7:00 PM
Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)

Join the talented group Not In Charge for a fast-paced improv show inspired by true stories from the cast! Third 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.
Department of Film Media Theater at Mount Holyoke College
The Sweet Science of Bruising
10/20 and 10/21 at 7:30pm, 10/22 at 7:30pm, 10/23 at 2:00pm
Rooke Theater at Mount Holyoke College

The Department of Film Media Theater at Mount Holyoke College is delighted to announce our first production of the season, Joy Wilkinson’s The Sweet Science of Bruising, a rambunctious new play about the underground world of Victorian female boxing. Four very different women are drawn from different walks of 19th century London and into the boxing ring, where their lives are intertwined through bouts of passion and a quest for freedom. In the end, only one can become world champion. “Wilkinson’s storytelling has an attractive briskness and clarity, which builds up engrossing details about female boxing...Each of the four main protagonists seeks the power to have some control over their lives, and this remains a radical goal today” - The Theater Times. Resplendent with the pugilistic arts, who else should direct this but our own stage combat expert, Assistant Professor Noah Tuleja. Sweet Science runs from October 20–23, 2022.

Dates:
Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 pm
Friday, October 21 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 22 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 23at 2:00 pm

Location:
Rooke Theater at Mount Holyoke College
Lower Lake Road, South Hadley, MA 01075


Tickets.
HVC’s Fun Fridays: Storytelling Standup Showcase
October 21 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.

More information. 
SILVERTHORNE THEATER OPENS 2022-23 SEASON WITH
LAUREN GUNDERSON’S FARCE, THE TAMING
 
With a burst of patriotic song and covered in American flags, Miss Katherine Chelsea Hartford from the gorgeous state of Georgia vows to become the next Miss America and make her momma proud. Silverthorne Theater’s production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Taming promises audiences a hilarious romp through the contemporary, past and future corridors of power.
 
Under the direction of Mary Corinne MillerThe Taming opens on Friday October 21, in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main Street, Greenfield MA. Evening performances at 7:30 pm are scheduled for October 21, 22, 27, 28 & 29, with 3:00 pm matinees on October 22, 23, and 29. Tickets are on sale at EventBrite.com. The venue is handicapped accessible. In keeping with now standard live theater practice, audience members are asked to wear masks to prevent the spread of the Covid 19 virus.
 
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Shrew, beauty pageant contestant Katherine (Tahmie Der) has aspirations beyond the sash and crown – but she needs the help of an ultra-conservative Senator’s aide Pat (Stephanie Carlson*) and ultra-liberal eco-terrorist Bianca (Tracy Einstein).   It takes a trip back to 1770 for Kate to find an unexpected compromise that is timely and fresh.
 
Technical Director John Iverson heads a design/technical staff that includes Sharon Weyers (Stage Manager), Olivia Barry (Assistant Director/Dramaturg), and Christina Beam (Costume Designer). Iverson designs sets, lighting and sound; Heather Tower and Lucinda Kidder share Producer responsibilities.
Happier Valley Comedy presents
The Happier Valley Championship
October 22 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.

More information.
AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES

Come make a meaningful impact on our students and in our community  and submit your application for the  Assistant Technical Director position. This person will provide support for both the theatre and dance departments on campus. They will take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. They will also supervise the scenic design and technical aspects of all Dance performances; assist with the daily operation of equipment and spaces; manage student workers, mentor and teach beginning and advanced students. 

Smith College is committed to the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity and the work it takes to enact them and we hope that  you will  join us in that commitment.

Additionally, we offer exceptional benefits, many available starting on the first day of employment!

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield affordable, low-deductible medical insurance 

  • Low to no-cost Dental, Vision and Life Insurance options

  • Generous Paid Holidays and time off

  • A Retirement Plan with a 9% Employer Funded annual contribution

  • Tuition Benefits with family offerings

Essential functions

Production Support

Assist with the preparation of all theatre and dance productions. Examples of this support include, but are not limited to:

  • Maintaining and modeling safe practices during the production process

  • Scenic planning and execution

  • Ordering and budgeting supplies

  • Drafting, Design consultation, Engineering, Furniture repair and construction

  • Properties creation

  • Rigging, painting, and stage preparation

  • Problem solve for technical needs as necessary during dance performances 

  • Research and learn new practices, equipment, and materials used in theatre and dance production and design work

  • Attend rehearsals, performances, production and scheduling meetings as needed

Student Supervising

  • Supervise, instruct, and mentor the THE 200 and DAN 200 student production crews, the interns and scene shop work study for the theatre and dance departments

  • Actively assist in the development of a learning ethos in the scene shop that encourages beginning and experienced students to develop skills, confidence, inclusiveness, autonomy and leadership 

  • Co-instructor for the scene shop focus on THE 200 

Facility Maintenance

  • Assist in maintenance of the performance and classroom spaces in the Mendenhall performing arts complex 

  • Work with the Five College Dance Production Manager and students to maintain equipment and provide technical supervision of the Scott Dance Studio

  • Maintain records of shop inventories, maintenance schedules, and safety checks

Safety

  • Ensure a safe and hazard-free environment for all workers 

  • Train students and staff on the safe use of the power tools and machinery in the shop and stage spaces 

  • Have knowledge of, model and manage safe practices for students, staff and faculty when working at height and using the tools and machinery in the shop and stage spaces 

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge and demonstrated experience with scenic and property construction techniques; knowledge and demonstrated experience with wood and metal working tools; knowledge and demonstrated experience with rigging, drafting, tool maintenance and repair. Must be able to work standing for long periods of time, lift up to 50 lbs. Demonstrated knowledge of safety protocols used in construction, rigging and production. 

We will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education and experience to meet the needs required of the position.   If you are someone who has the  technical skills to do the job and a desire to work directly with students, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and submit an application for the position!

Skills

The ability to organize and prioritize work in order to meet an assigned deadline. Ability to multitask, pay consistent attention to detail, respond effectively to various work styles and communicate effectively with faculty, students and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience teaching, leading and working collaboratively with diverse constituencies, especially college students. Knowledge of Q-lab and Vectorworks programs. Basic knowledge of sound and lighting equipment. Knowledge of, or interest in, automation practices for the performing arts.

Additional Information 

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

We seek to pay competitively and equitably based on factors such as the position and individual qualifications.  While actual pay will vary based on these factors, target pay is generally around $22 - $27/hour.

Apply Here.

HCC Alumni Players
Phillips Festival 2022
October 7 at 6:30 PM through Performance October 8 at 7:30 PM
Holyoke Community College Leslie Phillips Theater Holyoke, MA


Looking for Actors, Directors, and Stage Crew to be a part of the Phillips Festival 2022, an evening of original short plays celebrating the 50th anniversary of the HCC Players and benefitting the Leslie Phillips Fund to support Arts and Arts Education at HCC


https://forms.gle/wyWm1S1jJYpxh7Tr7


This is how the Phillips Festival process works.  People who are interested in participating sign up to either act, direct, write or stage manage. On Friday Oct 7th, all participants meet and the actors audition with a provided piece.   Then the writers are assigned actors, props, and other play elements by random draw.  Then they have until 6 AM on Saturday to write a 10-minute play.  Early Saturday morning, October 8th, the participants meet back at Holyoke Community where the directors are given their plays, again by random drawing.  The actors and directors rehearse all day and perform the finished product at 7:30 Saturday night.
Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals

Mass Cultural Council’s Cultural Sector Recovery Grants for Individuals offers unrestricted grants of $5,000 to creatives and gig workers to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set a path for growth.

Application Process
UMass Fine Arts Center
Job Opening: Performing Arts Programming Office Support

Since its founding in 1975, the UMass Fine Arts Center has been a central force in the cultural, social, and academic life of the University, the Five College campuses, and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The Fine Arts Center's combination of educational, visual, and performing arts programs not only makes us unique, but it also secures a very vital and necessary position for us to meet the diverse needs of scholars, faculty, students, alumni, and the broader community.

Job Summary
The Clerical Assistant provides administrative and coordination support to the performing arts department in the areas of contracting, purchasing, timekeeping, budgeting, artist services, funding, and marketing.

https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/515508/clerical-assistant
UMass Fine Arts Center
Job Opening: Performing Arts Asst. Curator

Since its founding in 1975, the UMass Fine Arts Center has been a central force in the cultural, social, and academic life of the University, the Five College campuses, and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The Fine Arts Center's combination of educational, visual, and performing arts programs not only makes us unique, but it also secures a very vital and necessary position for us to meet the diverse needs of scholars, faculty, students, alumni, and the broader community.

Job Summary
The Performing Arts Assistant Curator works with the Performing Arts Curator to manage the performing arts department during the 2022-2023 season and devise a 2023-2024 season that reinforces the identity and goals of the Fine Arts Center (FAC). The position supports a coherent, innovative, and socially relevant performing arts and culture season featuring artists, projects, and outreach and engagement activities from across disciplines, genres, and cultures, including music, dance, theatre, family shows, international, and more. This is a temporary position.


https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/515779/temporary-professionalperforming-arts-assistant-curator
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/
PRACTICE STUDIO, with Chalia La Tour

A Weekly, 90 minute Drop-In Class, ​​Open to All Levels of Experience
Mondays starting September 26th | 12-1.30pm EST | On Zoom
$20/Week, $65/Month | Open to All

 
Sign up!
 

Like any art form, acting is a practice. In Practice Studio you will be given held space to do just that. Practice. Practice tuning into yourself. Practice releasing & empowering your voice. Practice generously offering and vulnerably revealing yourself. Each week Tony Award nominee and Broadway Black’s Antonyo Award Recipient for Best Featured Actor in a Broadway Play, Chalia La Tour (Slave Play Broadway, Yale MFA) will guide you through a progression of exercises & deep internal exploration to aid you on a path where your artistry is ever growing. This class is perfect for maintaining a sharpness of skills, preparation for auditions, or revitalizing your connection to your work. What does practice make? Better.

Improv Workshop for Beginners with Head of Happiness Pam Victor!

Saturday, October 1st
​1:00-3:00pm
​Happier Valley Comedy Theater
​(1 Mill Valley Rd in Hadley)
​$25
Prerequisite: None! All are welcome.

​Does the idea of performing in front of people scare the dickens out of you?
Have you ever watched improv and thought, "I could never do that!"?
Have you ever watched improv and thought, "Hell, I could definitely do that!"?
Do you not give a flying fig about improv comedy but want to learn some tricks to become more confident speaking in public and more mindful in the moment?
Interested in checking out what's going on at Happier Valley Comedy?
Are you curious about improv but you don't consider yourself a scaredy cat?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, "Improv for Scaredy Cats (And Non-Scaredy Cats Too!)" is the workshop for you. It's designed especially for the improv newbies, improv-curious, and anyone who wants to step outside their comfort zone.

Once you get started, you'll soon see it's not that scary after all.
Head of Happiness Pam Victor leads you through a very gentle, easy approach to improv comedy in a positive and accepting atmosphere where failure is disempowered. (At HVC, we believe it's only a mistake if you don't learn from it.)
Our main focus is to have as much joy and ease as humanly possible in two hours!

More information.

The Black Theatre Aesthetic Workshop with Tatiana Godfrey

Sunday, October 9: 2-3:30pm EST (Online, via Zoom)

AND

Sunday, October 30: 2-3:30pm EST (Online, via Zoom)

Pay-what-you-can for all participants.

Visit  www.wamtheatre.com/workshops/ to reserve your spot or to learn more.

Limited space.

WAM Theatre is proud to offer a workshop on the Black Theatre Aesthetic  in connection with our production of Cadillac Crew. These two 90-minute online sessions happening on  October 9th and October 30th,  will be led by Tatiana Godfrey, Co-Artistic Director of Impro Theater Company in Los Angeles and Literary Manager at the Cincinnati Playhouse. Community members are invited to join Tatiana to deepen their understanding of the Black theatre aesthetic and the importance of its representation.

Completely Ridiculous Productions
The Fun of Failure

1-4pm on Saturday October 15th, 22nd, 29th, November 5th, 12th, 19th, December 3rd and December 10th.

Through games, original song writing, improvisation and a series of fundamental Clown exercises, we will strengthen their ability to listen; to play without shame; to be generous with others and themselves; to be courageous and vulnerable enough to fail, fail again and then fail better. Over the 8 weeks we will investigate a series of group and solo exercises, warming ourselves up for the introduction of the Red Nose(!) and the glorious triumphs and epic disasters to follow. There will be tricks, costumes, maybe even a little show that you'll put on for all of us! No matter what we're 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 Empathic Vulnerability: the willingness to fully see an other, while being fully seen by an other, all while staying open to the possibility of transformation.

More information.
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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