Pioneer Valley Theatre News June 15, 2023

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser June 15 - July 5, 2023 The Cake closes this weekend! Check it out if you haven't already. And you can read Max Hartshorne's review of it here.  Also this weekend: catch two different performances of Real Live Theatre's staged reading of When The Mind's Free, and more!  The next issue will include events from June 22 - July 12. 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 Chester Theatre Company presents The Making of a Great Moment June 22-July 2 Tickets and More Information Silverthorne Theater Company presents The Cake June 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 at 7:30 PM, June 10, 11, 17 at 3:00 PM Tickets and More Information Real Live Theatre presents When The Mind's Free June 16 and 17 at the Shea Theater in Turner's Falls Tickets and More Information K & E Theater Group presents The View UpStairs June 22-25 at 33 Hawley Street Tickets and More Information 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 Examining White Gay Responsibility in Our Theatres by Monroe Shearer From the article:  First: positionality. I am a man (though a distinctly genderqueer one), I am gay, and I am white. I am cognizant of the hypocrisy that comes with being a white gay man taking up space to talk about white gay men taking up too much space. However, I believe it to be wholly irresponsible to place the burden of dismantling oppression solely upon those it most affects, and I hope white queer communities, especially my fellow white cis gay men, will be able to better internalize it better coming from an insider. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES Silverthorne Theater Company The Cake 6/15 at 7:30pm, 6/16 at 7:30pm, 6/17 at 3pm & 7:30pm Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College, 893 West St, Amherst, MA 01007 Silverthorne Theater Company presents the final production of our 2023 season, Bekah Brunstetter's The Cake. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, performances will take place at the Mainstage Theater at Hampshire College in Amherst, from June 9th - 17th. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/thecake23 at $25 general admission, with discounted tickets for students, seniors, and audience members 25 and under. Silverthorne Theater Company is a proud participant in the Card to Culture program, offering $5 tickets to SNAP/EBT, WIC, and ConnectCare cardholders. The cast is anchored by Elizabeth Aspenlieder*, a company member at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, where she has performed in over 30 plays over the past 20 years, including Regan in King Lear, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hermione in A Winter’s Tale.  She won Boston’s prestigious Elliot Norton award for her solo performance in the comedy Bad Dates and won a 2019 Berkie Award for best supporting actor in The Waverly Gallery.  In The Cake, Aspenlieder will be taking on the role of Della, a conservative baker who faces a crisis of conscience.   Rounding out the cast are four veteran actors, listed here with their previous Silverthorne Theater credits: Tahmie Der (The Taming, Christmas at Pemberley, Intimate Apparel), Gabriel Levey (Intimate Apparel), Claudia Maurino (Christmas at Pemberley) and Sam Samuels* (The Mystery of Irma Vep, Tar2f!).   When Della, a North Carolina Baker and devout Christian, is asked to bake a wedding cake for her best friend’s daughter, she is overjoyed. But that joy is short-lived when she learns that the intended is another bride and realizes she is faced with an agonizing choice between faith and family. Struggling to reconcile her deeply-held belief in “traditional marriage” and the love she has for the woman she helped raise, Della finds herself in strange new territory.  Inspired by a story still in the headlines, this marvelously funny play is proof that love is the key ingredient in creating common ground. tinyurl.com/thecake23 Translate Gender Once Upon A Drag - an original musical play by co-ACT, Trans Youth Community Theatre Collective June 15 at 7:00 PM Easthampton, MA (Due to the rise of transphobia, exact address will be provided after purchase) When a bunch of high school students discover a secret gateway to a deserted drag performance club, they decide to embark on a self-discovery journey. With the help of a mysterious being and drag elders, they 'sashay away' fears and barriers as they reclaim the hidden history and revive the long-lost drag club. Once Upon A Drag is an original musical play by co-ACT, the first community theatre collective for trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth in Western Massachusetts. The youth write and create a play based on personal and collective experiences. About the Show: Starring: co-ACT Youth Collective Guest Star: Drag performer Giri Spades (they/them) Dramaturgs & Directors: Mr. J (they/them) & Shai kuper (they/he) Music: Mr. J Tickets Want to make a donation and receive an additional free ticket? Donate here: https://tinyurl.com/4drhuwpj co-ACT is an independent program offered by Translate Gender, a  collective-based, consensus-run (501C3) non-profit organization that works to support trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth, their families, and community members in Western Massachusetts. Great Barrington Public Theater set to stage the American premiere of The Stones, a mind-twisting gothic mystery, with Ryan Winkles in a solo performance as the haunted school teacher Nick, directed by Michelle Joyner. An audience favorite at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Stones is a present-day, provocative gothic mystery by award-winning, London-based playwright/director Kit Brookman. Great Barrington Public Theater opens the company’s ten-week summer season with the American premiere of the riveting new play. After a strange epiphany, Nick leaves his job as a school teacher and breaks up with his long-term boyfriend. A reconnection with an old flame-- from whom he's kept a long-buried secret--leads to a job at a countryside estate as tutor to two beguiling young children. In his uprooted situation, the job, setting and family seem too good to be true... until ordinary stones begin to materialize around him. A fascinating, ominous mystery unfolds. Reality splinters into historical illusions with the stones as witnesses of the human record, leaving Nick and his audience to riddle: Who among us is deluded and anesthetized by modern contentment? Who is crippled by guilt and revenge--both personal and collective? And finally: How do we navigate and survive our murky, threatened future? Brookman is a daring, gifted writer making a name in British theater circles. The GB Public’s production of The Stones pairs Ryan Winkles, one of the Berkshires’ finest actors, with consummate storytelling director Michelle Joyner, who saw The Stones at the 2022 Edinburgh festival. She was taken by the story’s contemporary voice, sensibilities and moody atmosphere and describes it as, “A very of-the-moment tale that makes you want to pull your chair closer to the fire and listen. The pacing is tense, the mood darkly comic and spellbinding.” The Stones plays June 15-July 2, Thurs.- Sat., 7:30pm, Sat. and Sun., 3pm, in the Liebowitz black box theater, Daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230. More information can be found on the GBPT website and on Facebook. Tickets to performances are affordable to all, between $25 and $50, and are available on the website and by phone 413-372-1980, or GBPTboxoffice@gmail.com. Festival of new play readings by local playwrights to take place at The LAVA Center in June On the Boards: a festival of new play readings by local playwrights Fridays and Saturdays in June, 7 p.m. (see complete schedule below) The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield The LAVA Center’s festival of new play readings by local playwrights, “On the Boards,” continues this weekend with a double bill of “750%” by Christine Benvenuto and Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” adapted by P. H. Crosby. For the past few months, LAVA hosted a theater incubation series, in which six local playwrights workshopped and developed new plays. Now they’re ready for an audience! Get a glimpse into the process of making theater, in this festival of staged readings of new works in many stages of development. “750%” by Christine Benvenuto A seemingly random encounter on a subway platform brings two people together. Their story unfolds, revealing who they are to each other, their shared past and separate futures, and the intimate partner violence that has brought them to this moment. “750%” is performed by Shannon Chabot and Mary Budzn. Christine Benvenuto’s plays have been produced by the Boston Theater Marathon, the Sixth Festival in NYC, The Braid in Los Angeles, and online. Her play Bridges was part of The LAVA Center’s social justice series last year. Her play Destination Wedding received its first public reading at LAVA last summer, and its second at Clamour Theater in Northern Florida as part of a playwright’s residency in March. A new play, Yours, will be produced as a podcast and released next fall. She is the author of two books published by St. Martin’s Press, and her short stories, essays, and articles have appeared in many newspapers, magazines and anthologies. Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” adapted by P. H. Crosby Who is Bartleby? Where did he come from? What does he want? The head of a Wall Street law firm in the 1860s wrestles with proper management of his office staff, including a strange newcomer… “Bartleby the Scrivener” performed by Rick Malone, Tracy Trimm, Kevin McVeigh, Becca Mandel and Andra Daunhauer. P.H. Crosby, a resident of Gill, is a writer of poetry, fiction and drama, published in Changing Men, The Other Side, War, Literature and the Arts (WLA), the Montague Reporter, Sparks of Calliope, Friends Journal, Blue Unicorn and other venues. A short play, “A Change in Climate” was produced on-line in 2020 by the LAVA Center, where Crosby’s adaptation of George Gissing’s The Odd Women also received a two-part stage reading in 2022-23. Crosby has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University and studied English and Drama at Catholic University and Greenfield Community College. “On the Boards” continues through June with: As We Were: Nine Days in October by Jan Maher Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24, 7 p.m. All plays are also viewable online for two weeks. For more information and tickets, visit https://thelavacenter.org/on-the-boards/.  On the Boards is made possible by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the local cultural councils of Greenfield, Bernardston, Gill, Leyden, and Northfield. Real Live Theatre When The Mind's Free Staged Reading June 16 at 6:30 PM (Caregiver's Event) and June 17 at 7:00 PM (Gala Event) Shea Theater in Tuners Falls Tickets for both events When The Mind's Free is a dance-theatre piece that lifts language, ideas, and story from Shakespeare’s King Lear and places them in a contemporary context, that of a lesbian couple dealing with the early-onset-Alzheimer’s of the matriarch and the opioid addiction of their youngest daughter. The language in this piece is mainly contemporary and has emerged out of improvisations outlined and shaped by the director (Toby Vera Bercovici) and performed by the ensemble (Linda Tardif, Myka Plunkett, Annelise Nielsen, Liz Stanton, and Carolyn Goelzer). After working on this project for the past few years, RLT is ready to share staged readings of the final script, including choreographed dance pieces (choreography by Annelise Nielsen) and original live music (composed & performed by Samuel V. Perry). “There is a desperate need to increase the representation of those living with Alzheimer's and caregivers in media and pieces like this; this disease continues to impact more families and we need art pieces to help the broader public understand this disease.” -Meghan Lemay, Alzheimer's Association, Regional Manager, supporting consultant to When The Mind's Free. June 16 at 6:30 PM This evening is a pay-what-you-can staged reading for anyone impacted by dementia/Alzheimer’s or addiction, featuring a community conversation with the Alzheimer’s Association as well as information about local resources for those living with, or caring for loved ones with, memory loss and/or addiction. Tickets June 17 at 7:00 PM This evening is for the general public and also serves as a fundraising gala to celebrate & support When The Mind's Free - enjoy free food and a cash bar as well as the staged reading. Although ticket purchases are not tax-deductible, there will be options for making tax-deductible donations at the event. Tickets These 2023 staged readings will help us build momentum for the world premiere (here in the Valley!) in 2024, followed by a national tour 2024-2025. This project is funded in part by generous grants received from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. A Day in Our Lives: Local Teens Address School Shootings, Bullying, Global Warming Through Theater New Play @ Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main Street, Greenfield on Saturday, June 17 at 1 pm   Valley Playwright Mentoring (VPM) is a Piti Theatre program for teenagers where participants develop performances and podcasts based on stories from their lives with the goal of helping them and their community transform challenging experiences into art and resilience.                      On Saturday June 17 at 1 pm a group of teens who have been rehearsing since November in Greenfield will present the culmination of their 2022 – 2023 season with a series of connected scenes that give a sense of what their lives at home and school are like from a typical 24 hour period in March, 2023. The performance will be followed by Q&A and a reception. There will also be a reading of new scenes from the online VPM group that will later become podcasts with full sound design. Scenes address topics like family conflict, The Willow Project (global warming), school shootings, bullying and the comedy of everyday life at home and school. Admission is free. Reservations recommended at ptco.org/vpm. The performance is geared for ages 13+ given some mature themes. A Day in Our Lives is co-directed by Piti Theatre Artistic Director Jonathan Mirin, Teaching Artist Laura Josephs and the ensemble. Mirin says "One day the majority of the group came to rehearsal after there had been a lock down at their high school following a fake school shooting threat. Talking about what had happened and the level of stress created by gun violence in American schools lead to their wanting to incorporate that experience into the show and eventually to the whole idea of 24 hours in their lives."   VPM is also accepting registrations from new participants for October, 2023 for VPM troupes in Greenfield, Holyoke and Shelburne Falls. The program, which offers stipends to actor-playwrights who complete the six month mentorship, is made possible through the generous support of Mass Cultural Council's YouthReach program, Community Foundation of Western MA, the Markham-Nathan Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Swiss Harmony. VPM was inspired by Barrington Stage Company's Playwright Mentoring Project. K and E Theater Group Presents The View UpStairs at  Northampton Center for the Arts, June 22-25, 2023 for 5 Performances Only!   K and E Theater Group presents the Off-Broadway hit The View UpStairs, by Tony Award Nominee Max Vernon, June 22-25, 2023. This show marks a second production in their Coming Out with Pride series, presented annually in June celebrating queer-forward stories.   When Wes, a young fashion designer from 2023, buys an abandoned building in the French Quarter of New Orleans, he finds himself transported to the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant seventies gay bar. As this forgotten community comes to life, Wes embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-exploration that spans two generations of queer history. This smash hit features a gritty, glam rock score and a tight-knit ensemble of unforgettable characters. The View UpStairs asks what has been gained and lost in the fight for equality, and how the past can help guide all of us through an uncertain future.   The real UpStairs Lounge was a beacon for those living covertly queer in New Orleans. “The bar, like the show, is about community, and that the shared experience that gay people lived in the 1970s brought them together,” said KETG Artistic Director Eddie Zitka, said of the show. “With that, also comes joy, and optimism for humanity. However, we also eventually realize that in today’s reality, our community has never been more fractured,” adds Ken Comia, Vice President and Co-Founder of K and E Theater Group.   K and E Theater Group’s production of The View UpStairs features Zach Bakken as Cop, Michael Garcia as Freddy, Eric Macksoud as Dale, Christopher Morey as Richard, Aileen Merino Terzi as Inez, Raven Turner as Henri, David Wallace as Buddy, David Webber as Patrick, Robert J. Williams as Willie, and Eddie Zitka as Wes. Andre Ruiz serves as Stage Manager. The band is led by musical director Benjamin Maniscalchi. Performances are: Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM Friday, June 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM* and 7:30 PM The closing performance is scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:00 PM. *Face coverings required at this performance.   All performances are at Northampton Center for the Arts, located at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tickets are $27.00 and seating is general admission.   This production contains mature themes, explicit language, and strong sexual content. Stage effects include strobes and bright moving lights. Parental guidance is suggested.   The health and safety of our audience and all volunteers is our top priority. Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required at the Saturday, June 24, 2023 matinee show. For all other performances, face coverings are strongly recommended, but optional. This production is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Northampton Arts Council. Tickets and performance information for The View UpStairs are available at www.KETG.org. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Ja'Duke Theater Auditions for "God of Carnage" June 25 at 7:00 PM Ja'Duke Performing Arts Center, Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls MA The Ja’Duke Theater in Turners Falls announces auditions for God of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza.  Sunday June 25th, and Tuesday June 27th. 7pm both nights.  At the Ja’Duke Theater, Industrial Blvd. in Turners Falls. Show dates are October 13th, 20th and 21st at 7pm. And October 15th and 22nd at 2pm. Directed by Nick de Ruiter. Described as “A comedy of manners… without the manners,” God of Carnage revolves around two married couples meeting to discuss a fight their 11-year-old sons had at a playground.   There are four adult roles. Age is not important, as long as the performer appears old enough to have an 11-year-old child. Please prepare a brief monologue (3 minutes or less). It does not have to be memorized.  Auditioners might also be paired or grouped to read from the script together. If you have any questions, email nick@whai.com Job Description and Details https://smithcollege.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/smithcollege/job/Smith-College/Box-Office-Manager_R-202300328 Job Summary Oversee the overall day to day operations of the box office from the daily sales and office hours to scheduling student staff for daytime and evening operations. The Box Office Manager will ensure a hospitable, smooth and efficient operation. Responsible for programming and monitoring the ticketing system, tracking daily sales and deposits, ticket account management and fulfillment, supervising and directing student staff and volunteers, and troubleshooting in difficult situations. Work closely with Theatre and Dance department staff, SmithArts Publicity Manager, and the Director of the Smith Office for the Arts. Leads by example at all times and provides the highest level of customer service to all guests, vendors and clients. Provide box office expertise and conduct research to help build a more expansive box office model for future years, serving diverse departments and partners across the Arts at Smith. This role would be a 2-year fixed-term part-time benefits eligible role from September 2023-May 2025. UMass FAC hiring Technical Assistant III Job Summary  The Technical Assistant III oversees all operations in the lighting department, supervises lighting and related electrical aspects of productions with Fine Arts Center including outdoor, hybrid, virtual, rental and on/off campus events, assists in general production duties and supervises student and professional crew members in these activities.    Essential Functions  Coordinates lighting and production planning with visiting professional and student production companies, designs, adapts or implements lighting plans for all stage productions and supervises the hanging and focus of stage lights and operation of lighting control consoles.  Repairs and provides preventative maintenance for stage lighting and related electrical equipment, responds to lighting and electrical problems occurring during productions and makes recommendations on major repair of lighting and on new equipment acquisitions.  Creates and maintains all lighting records including but not limited to detailing current lighting positions, circuit, focus, purpose and rentals. Manages and maintains all lighting inventories. Tracks electrical expenses for events from pre-production through post-production.  Trains and supervises student work crews in the performance of lighting and general stage production duties. Works collaboratively with touring technical production personnel and also supervises professional and union crew members.  Assists in general stage management duties, supervision of load-in, set-up, dismantling, and load-out of touring productions and securing of the performance area before and after production.  Works with Production Manager to advance all events. Assists AV Head with technical projection and camera needs.  https://careers.umass.edu/mob/amherst/en-us/job/519149/technical-assistant-iii Marketing and Development Manager General Position Summary: The Marketing and Development Manager provides administrative support under the supervision of the Executive Director for the annual marketing and development plans that will achieve the programming and fundraising goals of the Academy. Essential Functions and Major Responsibilities: · Partner with the Executive Director, Theater Manager and Development committee on fundraising events. Coordinate and help manage fundraising events. · Acknowledge sponsors and oversee their sponsor packet opportunities. · Coordinate direct mail campaigns. Responsible for mailings, acknowledgements, and tax-receipts. · Manage and update accurate records of donors and prospects in Spektrix database and match against QuickBooks account. Enter contact reports of all visits, significant telephone conversations, letters and correspondence, gift solicitations, and other communications with donors. · Identify, solicit, and manage a portfolio of advertisers for annual program guide. Design and create annual program guide and inserts. · Create all print and electronic marketing and communication materials for Academy programs, including social and digital media. · Schedule radio and television interviews for Academy productions · Attend Development Committee Meetings. · Any other tasks assigned by Executive Director Qualifications: Specific Job Skills: · Excellent writing and speaking skills. · Excellent time management and organizational skills. · Strong knowledge of and experience working with donor and graphic design software programs. · Strong personal interest in the performing arts. · Ability to work both independently and collaboratively. · Ability to lift 30 lbs. Minimum Qualifications: · Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent required. · Three years experience in development and marketing or related field. How To Apply: Please send résumé to Executive Director Debra J'Anthony at djanthony@aomtheatre.com. Apply by: June 22, 2023 Salary: $50,000 / Per year About this Organization: The Academy of Music Theatre is an 816 seat non-profit performing arts center located in the beautiful college town of Northampton, Massachusetts. Summer Young Company is designed for young actors who wish to engage deeply with Shakespeare’s work through a more rigorous exploration of text, introductory voice, movement, ensemble building, and more. It's an extension of the Fall Festival of Shakespeare, Spring Young Company, and Riotous Company programs, and is ideal for local participants or those with access to local housing or personal transportation to/from local rehearsal spaces.  The program runs Monday through Friday, 9am – 3:30pm, with a break for lunch. Mornings are set aside for classes, while the afternoon is dedicated to creating and rehearsing. Final performances are Friday, July 28 at The Dell at The Mount, Edith Wharton's home, and Saturday, July 29 at Shakespeare & Company’s Rose Footprint Theatre. To learn more or to schedule an audition, contact Education Programs Manager Meg Marchione at mmarchione@shakespeare.org or (413) 637-1199 ext. 172. Majestic Theater Scenic Carpenter & Buildings Maintenance This new entry-level position at the Majestic Theater is our attempt to combine two part-time jobs into one full-time job with the following responsibilities: Assist the Majestic’s Technical Director with the construction and installation of five season productions' sets and various other theatrical projects.   Basic carpentry skills required, tools will be provided, and building techniques unique to the theater will be taught.   Provide basic maintenance, cleaning and snow shoveling of the Majestic Theater’s three buildings (theater, shop/rehearsal, and actor house).  Coordinate sub-contractors providing any maintenance services related to electrical, plumbing or HVAC.   Help to support and supply the Majestic Café’s operation. The time spent on these two tasks will be determined by the Majestic’s production schedule.  Candidates for this position should be upbeat, and willing to join a team that will work together to get the job done!   There will be the opportunity to learn about many aspects of the theater. Compensation will be hourly with an average week being 40 hours.   During weeks that season production sets are being installed at the Majestic Theater the work hours will increase.   The pay rate will be $16 to $19 per hour depending upon past experience and skills, with benefits to be reviewed.   Valid driver’s license required.  The Majestic Theater is an inclusive employer. To apply for this position, please email:  sue@majestictheater.com Ghost Light Theater Auditions for Ghost Light Theater's LIZZIE!! July 9 and 10 at 6:00 PM Gateway City Arts - 92 Race St. in Holyoke Ghost Light Theater announces auditions for LIZZIE!!! Music by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Alan Stevens Hewitt, Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner & Book by Tim Maner Directed by Kevin Tracy Music Direction by Sarah Puckett Choreography by Sarah Devine On a sweltering summer morning in 1892, in a small New England city, a prominent businessman and his wife were brutally axed to death in their home. Their daughter Lizzie Borden was the prime suspect. Lizzie’s trial was a coast-to-coast media sensation, and her story has become an American legend. LIZZIE is four women fronting a six-piece rock band. LIZZIE is rage, sex, betrayal, and bloody murder. LIZZIE is American mythology set to a blistering rock score. Please be advised that this production contains adult subject matter - some of a violent and sexual nature. Auditions will take place July 9 & 10th at 6:00 PM at Gateway  City Arts - 92 Race St. in Holyoke. Call backs are by invitation only. Please prepare 32 bars of a rock song - you can bring sheet music for accompaniment or bring a backing track to play over Bluetooth. You will be asked to read from the script and participate in a short dance call. Please fill out this audition form and submit it back to producer Megan Healey via email (healeymegan11@gmail.com)  by noon on your audition day. Rehearsals begin once weekly or bi-weekly starting in mid-July with a regular rehearsal schedule starting in September. Performances are November 3, 4**, 9, 10 & 11 at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke. **2 show day AVAILABLE ROLES LIZZIE BORDEN: Lead, Female identifying, 20-30 The younger daughter of the Borden household, accused of her father and stepmother’s murders; transforms from broken, fragile, meek, and obedient to strong, self assured, conniving, and terrifying. Rock mezzo with strong high belt and head voice (High belt: F#3-F#5, Belt to A5) Ethnicity: All Ethnicities ALICE RUSSELL: Supporting, Female identifying, 20-30 She lives next door to the Bordens and visits Lizzie often; secret, sweet, and sensuous, with a slightly maternal tenderness in her affections for Lizzie. Pop/rock soprano with strong mix. (High mezzo lyric/mix/belt: G3 with F#3 pick-up – A5 legit soprano) Ethnicity: All Ethnicities BRIDGET SULLIVAN/MAGGIE: Supporting, Female identifying, 20-35 Speaks and sings with an Irish dialect, traditional Irish lilting to hard rock-n-roll; housemaid to the Borden family; sly, with a dark, dry sense of humor; quick on the uptake. Rock mezzo. (Contralto/low alto: F3 with E3 pick-up) Ethnicity: All Ethnicities EMMA BORDEN: Supporting, Female Identifying, 30-35 Older sister to Lizzie; resents her father’s second wife and his financial support of her family; commanding, angry, outspoken, and possessive, but also desperately sad. Rock alto/mezzo belt. (Alto/mezzo belt: F#3-D5) Ethnicity: All Ethnicities Ghost Light Theater encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities to audition. LIZZIE is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC. (www.broadwaylicensing.com) Facebook event The Northampton Arts Council is now accepting performer applications for First Night Northampton 2024 On Sunday, December 31, 2023, 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 creating a diverse, exciting, family-friendly event. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2023. 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 2024, please complete the online application, which can be found at firstnightnorthampton.org. Check out the First Night Northampton 2023 playlist on YouTube. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Shakespeare & Company has announced its series of Merry Wanderers’ Guided Tours, hosted in July and August at Shakespeare & Company.  General Manager Steve Ball (with dog Willie) leads a two-hour walk through the Company’s stages, artists’ rehearsal studios, costume and prop shops, weapons armory, and more. meeting with some of the artisans involved in creating theater at Shakespeare & Company along the way. The Summer Season’s Merry Wanderers’ Guided Tours will meet in the lobby of the Tina Packer Playhouse. The first Merry Wanderers’ Guided Tour will be held Thursday, July 6, at 10:30 a.m., followed by: Thursday, July 13, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, July 20, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, July 27, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, August 8, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, August 10, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, August 17, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, August 24, at 10:30 a.m.  Thursday, August 31, at 10:30 a.m.  Each Merry Wanderers’ Guided Tour will admit a maximum of 30 patrons, with tickets costing $15 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets can be reserved at shakespeare.org. For more information, call the Box Office at (413) 637-3353, or email boxstaff@shakespeare.org. Monthly “Puppetry Percolator” workshop series to begin at The LAVA Center every 4th Thursday, 5–8 p.m.; begins Thursday, June 22, 5–8 p.m The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield More information The LAVA Center’s Puppetry Percolator, on the 4th Thursday of each month, is an informal exploration of the worldwide art of puppetry. Drop in to examine puppetry’s history and evolution as an art, play with different forms, and workshop simple puppets and performance. This event series is appropriate for teens and adults. Let’s have some fun! Facilitated by Jovonna Van Pelt, former director of Puppet Showplace Theatre. Donations are welcome. 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 Easthampton Theater Company 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 Local Theater Critic Max Hartshorne Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*