Pioneer Valley Theatre News January 25, 2024

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser  January 25 - February 24, 2024 Perhaps I'll see you at a sold out show this weekend - I'm stage managing 2.5 Minute Ride at the Academy of Music, and at CitySpace for Torch Song. Hope you got your tickets already!  Rather be backstage? There are a good number of auditions and other opportunities in the newsletter this week! The next issue will include events from February 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 Easthampton Theater Company presents Harvey Fiertein's Torch Song Jan 26, 27, 28, Feb 2, 3, 4 in the Blue Room, Old Town Hall in Easthampton Tickets Available Here Open Call for MICAFEST 2024 Submit your work by January 31 ExperienceMICA.org 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: Fostering Emotional Intelligence Through Theatre by Zach Dalli From the article:  In today's fast-paced world, emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in personal growth and success. It goes beyond book smarts or academic achievements; it encompasses understanding our own emotions as well as empathizing with others. And what better way to cultivate these essential skills than through the magic of theatre? Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES MAJESTIC THEATER TO PRESENT THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST JANUARY 25 – FEBRUARY 11 Oscar Wilde’s Victorian Masterpiece Described as a “Trivial Comedy for Serious People” The Majestic Theater will present Oscar Wilde’s Victorian masterpiece about marriage, morality and mistaken identity, The Importance of Being Earnest, from January 4 through February 11 at the West Springfield venue.  Described as a “trivial comedy for serious people,” the story follows two gentlemen, Jack and Algernon, each with a hidden double life that comically leads to confusion and hijinks.  When Algernon discovers that Jack has been posing as a man named Ernest to escape from his “excessively boring” life in the country, Algernon promptly travels from his London flat to Jack’s country estate to pose as the fictional character himself.  Confusion and hilarity reign as each man meets and falls in love with a proper young lady and along the way must confront the formidable Lady Bracknell all in the name of romance and revelry. Danny Eaton is producing director, Sue Dziura is associate producing director, and Rand Foerster will direct the play.  Cast members include Rylan Morsbach, Alexandra O’Halloran, Lisa Abend, Peter Evangelista, Caelie Scott Flanagan, Peter Hicks, Krista Lucas, Tom Dahl, Jack Grigoli, Myka Plunkett, and Stephanie Craven.  Stephen Petit is production stage manager, associate production manager is Aurora Ferraro, and Michael Lounsbury is set designer.  Dan Rist is lighting designer, and costumer designer is Dawn McKay. Tickets are now being sold for The Importance of Being Earnest, and all remaining plays in the Majestic’s current 2023-2024 Season, and range from $31 - $37.  Box office hours are Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, and Saturday 10am-1pm.   The wearing of face masks in the theater is optional. 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 The Academy of Music Theatre presents, Tony Award-winning playwright Lisa Kron’s poignant, funny, complex, and uplifting play, 2.5 Minute Ride over three weekends: January 19, 20, 26, 27, and February 3 and 4, 2024. The play is directed by Mary Beth Brooker and performed by Allie Wittner. In 2.5 Minute Ride, Tony Award-winning playwright Lisa Kron invites her audience on a roller coaster ride through the family album. Rising and falling between high hilarity and deep disquiet, Kron demonstrates with disarming simplicity that humor and horror can share the same human moment. The play switches back and forth between a daughter’s journey to Auschwitz with her septuagenarian father, a Holocaust survivor; her Michigan family’s annual pilgrimage to a Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park; and her brother’s marriage to his internet bride. By moving seamlessly between these three diverse recounting, Kron creates a complex and at times startling meditation on how human beings make sense of tragedy, grief, and everyday life. Director Mary Beth Brooker makes and performs work for theater, video and installation, and writes plays and short fiction. Her local work as a director and dramaturg includes spoken word movement works at the APE/Workroom, New Play Readings Series, Smith College, and School for Contemporary Dance and Thought. Actor Allie Wittner performed in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston. Past projects include “The Donkey Show” (American Repertory Theatre) and “Charlie Boyd” (SheLosAngeles Theater Festival best ensemble winner). As a playwright, they were awarded a residency through the Play Incubation Collective for their show, “The Consort.” Seating is limited. Tickets are available at the Academy Box Office, Tuesday – Friday, 3-6pm, at aomtheatre.com or by phone at 413.584.9032 x105. There will be a talk back on January 27 th in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day with Rabbi Riqi Kosovske of Beit Ahavah Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton, Mary Beth Brooker, and Allie Wittner. Easthampton Theater Company Harvey Fiertein's Torch Song Jan 26, 27, Feb 2, 3 at 7:30PM, Jan 28, Feb 4 at 2PM Blue Room, Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA 01027 The life of Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing, Jewish drag queen living in New York City, is dramatized over the span of the late 1970s and 1980s. Told with a likable, human voice and considerable humor, Torch Song follows Arnold’s odyssey to find happiness in New York. All he wants is a husband, a child, and a pair of bunny slippers that fit, but a visit from his overbearing mother reminds him that he needs one thing more: respect. ETC's performance of Torch Song also features live music by a torch-song singing drag performer. Directed Jason Rose-Langston Produced by Jason Rose-Langston and Michael O. Budnick Cast: Arnold: Patric Madden Ed: Jay Torres Laurel: Kim Tobin Alan: David DiRocco David: Devin Dumas Ma: Rona Leventhal The Lady: Pedro Serrazina Production Team: Eva Husson-Stockhamer, Veronica Klakotskiy, Deb Jacobson, Manny Morales, Matt O'Reilly, Frank Croke, and Jason Hayes Torch Song Trilogy premiered at La Mama ETC over the course of two years from February 1978 - October 1979. The play transferred to Broadway in June 1982. The three-act trilogy won the 1983 Tony Award for best play. Easthampton Theater Company is presenting Harvey Fierstein's 2017 two act adaptation, which premiered off-Broadway at the Tony Kieser Theatre in a Second Stage Theater Production and transferred to Broadway in November 1, 2018 at the Hayes Theater. The production was nominated for two Tony awards including best revival. This production restores the live, torch-song singing drag performer "Lady Blues" featured in the original production of the Trilogy. easthamptontheater.com PanOpera Inc In Our Opera Era January 27 at 6:00 PM Northampton Center for the Arts 33 Hawley Street, Flex Room PanOpera is pleased to announce our first event of 2024, an opera gala: In Our Opera Era. We're thrilled to present iconic scenes from Così fan tutte, Cavalleria rusticana, I Pagliacci, Lucia di Lammermoor, Tosca, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Street Scene. In Our Opera Era will feature sopranos Emily Baker and Evangelia Leonits; mezzo-sopranos Rachel Abrams and Katherine Saik DeLugan; tenors Joshua Collier and George Eisenhauer; and baritones Cailin Marcel Manson and Liam Shannon accompanied on piano by Clifton Noble JR. Join us to celebrate our return to the stage in 2024! We hope to see you there. Free with suggested donation of $20 Tickets Bing Productions presents   a reading of  The Back-Porch Gang  written and directed by Ben Scranton  January 27 Trinity Methodist Church  Springfield, MA  A fun-filled journey with seniors experiencing love, loss, and renewal in a retirement community. Tickets: free. Eggtooth Productions Where I End & You Begin January 27 Reserved slots every 10 minutes, beginning at 10:00am Mass MoCA, North Adams Be the first to experience MASS MoCA through a new lens with Where I End & You Begin, an immersive audiowalk for two people. Bring your headphones for an intimate journey that will guide you and one companion through MASS MoCA via a location-aware app for your phone. The two of you will travel through the museum’s spaces on a synchronized path that will shift your experience of the world around you. Presented as a work-in-progress by Mass MoCA artists-in-residence John Bechtold & Alli Ross; co-produced with Eggtooth Productions (Greenfield, MA); score by Sam V. Perry. https://massmoca.org/event/free-day-2024/ This work is opening as a part of Mass MoCA's Free Day on January 27th, but will be open to additional dates soon.  Keep an eye out at massmoca.org or eggtooth.org for details. Storytelling open mic and potluck, “Beautiful Disasters,” to take place at The LAVA Center WHAT: Beautiful Disasters: Storytelling Open Mic + Potluck WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m. WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield Beautiful Disasters is a monthly storytelling open mic and potluck where Trouble Mandeson and Nisse Greenberg host a night of story and food sharing, every first Thursday at The LAVA Center. Doors open and food is served at 6 p.m. Show will start at 7 p.m. All stories are meant to be true, personal stories from your own life. Show is pay-what-you-want. This month we share stories of love lost, love found, love delayed, and love misguided. In advent of our most Hallmarky of holidays, we seek to explore the depths of the beautiful disaster that is LOVE. Come out to share a story of the time you loved the wrong person, or the wrong person loved you. Come out and share a story of sibling love, grandparent love, business partner love, pet love or any other interpretation of love you can think of. Or, just come to hear your community’s stories of love. Maybe come to fall in love. More information. Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School Natasha, Pierre, and the Comet of 1812 February 2 and 3 at 7:30, February 4 at 2:00 PM PVPA 15 Mulligan Drive, South Hadley, MA 01075 PVPA Theater Department presents: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is a sung-through musical adaptation of a 70-page segment of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace written by composer/lyricist Dave Malloy. It is based on part 8 of Tolstoy's novel, focusing on Natasha's romance with Anatole and Pierre's search for meaning in his life. Directed by David Cavallin, with musical direction by Jeremy Milligan. Assistant Director: Cadence Maldonado, Class of 2025. Choreography by David Cavallin with Henry DiNapoli, Class of 2025 and Legacy Moye, Class of 2025. Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com www.pvpa.org ETHEL the BARN NO MALARKEY February 3 at 7:00 PM NO MALARKEY is a solo performance by Joanna Rush and her decision to become a stand-up comic at the age of 83! Joanna is a New York veteran of stage and screen and got her start as a member of the Rockettes (she can still still do an eye-high leg kick). This is the opening performance of ETHEL the BARN's new solo performance series. www.ethelthebarn.com ETHEL the BARN is a performance and studio space in Southampton. After a year of presenting live music, we are expanding our offerings by premiering a solo performance series. The showing of NO MALARKEY on February 3 will be followed the next weekend (Feb. 9 @ 7 p.m. and Feb. 11 @ 2 p.m.) by the award-winning EVERY BRILLIANT THING, a deeply touching yet often funny story about one man's attempts to deal with tragic loss. Contact perlsteinj@gmail.com for info and reservations. ETHEL the BARN Every Brilliant Thing February 9 at 7pm, February 11 at 2pm ETHEL the BARN invites you to the performance of the award-winning show EVERY BRILLIANT THING. Described as a "life-affirming gem" and "filled to the brim with joy", this piece details one man's attempt to find hope in the midst of great sorrow. Along with Joanna Rush's one-woman show NO MALARKEY, this piece marks the beginning of ETHEL the BARN's series of solo performances. ETHEL is a studio space in Southampton which has been showcasing musical performance for over a year. As a member of the Valley theatre community, we are extending an invitation to you to attend, as well as submit proposals for workshops, residencies and performances. All at no charge!! www.ethelthebarn.com Get ready to rebel, rejoice, and revel in love!  Presenting "Love Revolution Cabaret: Silverthorne's Season Opener Benefit"! Join us on February 10, 2024, at The Blue Room @Cityspace in Easthampton -- performances at 2:00 and 7:00 Silverthorne's Season Opener Benefit is a celebration of all kinds of love - everything except romantic love that is - our songs challenge norms and celebrate the diverse tapestry of love for our friends, our children, our students, our favorite attorney, even ourselves.  The singers are Silverthorne favorites Frank Aronson*, Kyle Boatwright, Stephanie Carlson*, Tahmie Der, Michael Garcia, John Iverson, Gina Kaufmann and Sam Samuels*, accompanied by Lauren Bell on piano. Enjoy refreshments and connect with friends old and new as these artists take you on a musical love odyssey with iconic tunes like "For Good" (from Wicked), “I'm Here” (from The Color Purple) and the heartwarming "Love Changes Everything" (from Aspects of Love).  Joining us means more than being in the audience; it means actively fostering the success of Silverthorne Theater. Your engagement directly fuels our ability to fully realize not only this season but seasons to come. Your support is the cornerstone of our artistic endeavors, and we deeply appreciate your commitment to us and the arts.  (And - We'll be announcing our 2024 season at this event!!!) Don't miss your chance to be part of Love Revolution Cabaret @ The Blue Room in Easthampton – grab your tickets now! AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Arts Programming and Venue Manager Description: CitySpace, is a community-driven center for the arts centrally located in downtown Easthampton in the historic Old Town Hall. It is a place for creative possibility and meaningful connections across communities in western Massachusetts. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CitySpace, restores, preserves, and manages Old Town Hall as a center for the arts for the City of Easthampton and Western Massachusetts. CitySpace seeks a part-time (25 hours) Arts Programming and Venue Manager. This individual will ensure that all events run smoothly from concerts and private rentals to connecting with a wide range of communities. This position will be responsible for house management, programming, and volunteer management in CitySpace's Blue Room – a flexible performance and event venue with a capacity of 100 seats, or 230-standing attendees. The right candidate will be as organized as they are personable, and committed to providing our audiences with as safe and enjoyable an experience as possible. They will help build community with programming and the contributions of volunteers and, ultimately, ensure that CitySpace audiences want to return again and again to a place that feels fun, inspiring, and welcoming to all. Reporting to the President of the Board, this position is ultimately an ambassador for our multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization. More details on the CitySpace website.  Holyoke Community College Theater Costume Design Position Holyoke Community College seeks a costume designer for this semester's production of The Great Gatsby, adapted by Simon Levy. Successful candidate will be able to work effectively and communicate with students staff and faculty to produce a quality show on a modest budget. Rehearsals begin 1/31/24. Performance Dates April 10-13. Flat Fee $1700. Local candidates only please. HCC cannot proved travel of housing. Email Resume and Portfolio to mwhiton@hcc.edu The Hartsbrook High School is in the process of preparing to put on a production of Clue! and we are seeking students or community members who are interested in working in the following roles: Prop Manager: Need 1 person to: -Assess props and furniture needed for play -Meet with students on prop team to help them organize and schedule their work -Support students as they find, make, and organize props and furniture -Come to some rehearsals to get a sense of the space, cast, and play -Stay in communication with Director *Role could be shared among more than one person -Should attend a rehearsal early February, start meeting and working with students early February, have props ready to be used by Mid-Late February Costumes/Make-up:  Need 1-2 people to: -Meet with the students on the these teams -Schedule finding, making, shopping for costumes -Work with cast and Director to ensure artistic vision, comfort, and fit of costumes -Come to some rehearsals to get a sense of the space, cast, and play -Stay in communication with Director *Role could be shared among more people -Should attend a rehearsal early February, start meeting and working with students early February, have costumes ready to be used by Late February Assistant Stage Managers: Rotating Position - Need 1-3 people at each rehearsal beginning the week of February 26th - Sign up for any amount of time that you can/would like to come help - Adults come to rehearsals to support cast and crew as needed - Support Student Stage Managers, Lighting Crew, Props Department, Costumes, Make-Up as needed - Responsibilities may include helping students stay on task when not on stage, being extra sets of eyes and ears, helping to   problem solve as things arise, emotional support! -1-3 adults at each rehearsal joining in on the fun and ensuring everyone is on task, safe, and listening Base pay for these positions is $16.50/hour but could be higher, depending on experience Rehearsals are Mondays and Thursdays, 3:30-5:30, and Wednesdays 3:30-7:00. Interested folks can email dlevi@hartsbrook.org. Holyoke Community College Theater The Great Gatsby Auditions Thursday Jan 25th 2pm-5pm Holyoke Community College 303 Homestead Ave. Holyoke MA 01040 [Leslie Phillips Theater, Fine and Performing Arts Building] HCC Theater will hold auditions for The Great Gatsby, adapted by Simon Levy, directed by Pat Sandoval January 24th and 25th 2-5pm Auditions will consist of cold readings. Auditioners do not need to prepare monologues. Anyone is welcome to audition. Call backs if necessary will be Friday January 26th at 2:00pm Performance dates April 10-13, 2024 Fill out an audition form at this link mwhiton@hcc.edu for more information Smith College Department of Theatre AUDITIONS EVERYBODY by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Tara Franklin This modern riff on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman follows Everybody (chosen from amongst the cast by lottery at each performance) as they journey through life’s greatest mystery—the meaning of living. Auditions:  Sunday, January 28 and Monday, January 29, 7:00-9:00 PM Acting Studio 1, Mendenhall CPA Please let us know if you are interested but unable to make either date. Callbacks will be on Tuesday, January 30. Performances:  April 24, 25, 26, 27 at 7:30 PM in Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre Casting Breakdown:    This play is written for a company of nine performers of varying generations and gender and ethnic identities. The exact breakdown of roles should vary from performance to performance via lottery or some other element of chance. USHER/GOD/UNDERSTANDING: played by an actual usher or at least it should initially seem so. DEATH: played by the oldest actor in the company. SOMEBODIES: played by five actors until they become something else. EVERYBODY: played by a Somebody (as determined by chance). FRIENDSHIP/STRENGTH/KINSHIP/BEAUTY/COUSIN/MIND/STUFF/SENSES: played by remaining Somebodies. GIRL/TIME: played by a young child stolen from the audience - or at least it should initially seem so. LOVE: played by an audience member - or at least it should initially seem so. A, B, C, & D: voiced by Somebodies not playing Everybody. Audition Prep:  No appointment necessary. Sides from the script will be available at the audition for cold reads. No preparation necessary. Perusal scripts available at Josten Library. Contact/Questions:  Production Manager, Nikki Beck, ncbeck@smith.edu Mothers Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) Call to Artists/ Artist Opportunities MICAfest Art for Change: The M/others’ View Deadline January 31, 2024 Submission Fees $15 suggested, sliding scale MICAfest Art for Change: The M/others’ View is seeking bold and innovative submissions from visual artists, performers, writers, and storytellers exploring the many facets of m/otherhood for the upcoming city-wide, month-long festival in May 2024 throughout Northampton. We invite submissions pushing boundaries, challenging perspectives, and igniting conversations through unique artistic visions. Cracks in the porcelain cradle: art that shatters stereotypes and dares to explore the raw, the real, and the unspoken in m/otherhood. Illuminate the spectrum: single, chosen, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and beyond. Performance opportunities throughout the month! Venues include: Anchor House of Artists, Northampton Center for the Arts, and First Churches of Northampton. Questions? Check out our FAQs. experiencemica.org/micafest-2024-art-submissions/ Audition Announcement Easthampton Theater Company's Production of The Man Who Came to Dinner Easthampton Theater Company is holding open auditions for the uproariously funny Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman play The Man Who Came to Dinner on Wednesday and Thursday evening, February 7 and 8, 2024 in Easthampton. This classic farce features a large, multi-age cast of two dozen actors with a nice mix of principal, supporting and character roles available. All roles are open, no roles are pre-cast. (Note we are a not-for-profit community theater and all stage roles are uncompensated) Auditions dates: By appointment only. Appointments are available Wednesday or Thursday February 7 and 8 between 6-9:30PM. Audition information, character descriptions and sign-up link are on our detailed audition information document HERE Location: St. Philips Church, Easthampton, MA Callbacks: February 15, Thursday Performance Dates: June 20-23, Easthampton High School Auditorium Rehearsals begin in April, with a read-through and some individual character work possible in March. Directed by Eva Husson-Stockhamer Produced by Michael O. Budnick Summary and character descriptions, audition forms and sign-up information are available HERE Please direct any questions to info@easthamptontheater.com More information about the company and production announcements are available at our website at easthamptontheater.com. You can also visit our facebook page at the link below: facebook.com/easthamptontheatercompany Brush up on your Shakespeare — audition for Twelfth Night at UMass Theater   Shakespeare returns to the UMass Theater mainstage season this spring, and auditions are happening soon! Director Milan Dragicevich is seeking a cast of performers for our production of Twelfth Night. In adition to Milan, the creative team will include composer/musician Tim Eriksen (Cordelia's Dad, the Cold Mountain soundtrack). Auditions are open to EVERYONE who wants to participate in the telling of a magical tale. Auditions are Feb. 12 & 13 in the Rand Theater, Bromery Center for the Arts, and are open to Five College and community performers as well as UMass Theater members. The show will run in the Rand Theater April 26-May 4. Audition details: Please prepare a 1 - 1 1/2 minute Shakespearean monologue (verse or prose), as well as a 1-minute excerpt from a song of any style, period, or genre. The key point for both monologue and song is the opportunity for vivid expression, storytelling, and communication. (Please adhere to time limits for monologue/song.) And...have FUN. Auditions are open to everyone who would like to participate in the telling of this magical tale! Synopsis: Lovers find one another as mistaken identities abound, lost bonds are magically restored, boisterous passions are exhausted, and the swirling music plays on and on and on. Shakespeare’s comedy is full of whimsy and wordplay, humor both clever and crass, and larger-than-life characters who are complex, human, and intimate. We invite you to join us for the Elizabethan festival of epiphany, when the world is turned upside down in a long night of revelry that takes players and audience alike on a journey through the heights and depths of the human emotional experience.  Visit SignUp Genius for the signup sheet, character breakdown, and more. ETHEL the BARN Auditions: What the Constitution Means to Me February 21 at 6:00 PM ETHEL the BARN, a studio and performance space is hosting auditions for WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME. The play addresses themes such as women's rights, immigration, domestic abuse, and the history of the United States. It received a nomination for Best Play in the 73rd Tony Awards and was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. There are roles for 3 actors: one male-identifying and two female-identifying (one in their 30's and the other a teenager. www.ethelthebarn.com All actors will share in the money collected at the door in the form of suggested donations with a minimum of $125/actor per performance. The production is scheduled for June with rehearsals in May. For more info or to schedule an audition slot contact: perlsteinj@gmail.com Please bring a one-minute comic monologue ETHEL the BARN 1x1: Solo Performance Development Series 1x1 is a new solo performance development series. For over a year ETHEL the BARN has been holding musical performances and workshops. We are now expanding our offerings to include theatre and other types of performance. We are currently accepting proposals for the workshopping of new solo performance pieces. Pieces chosen will get free use of the barn for rehearsals as well as the guidance of a mentor. If chosen for performance the creator(s) will receive a $500 stipend. For more information please contact: perlsteinj@gmail.com www.ethelthebarn.com WORKSHOPS & CLASSES My name is Dan Deutsch and I am a second year Master's student in the Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning program at UMass Amherst. I am conducting a research study for my master's project, When Communities Thrive, Artists Thrive: A Cultural Plan Blueprint for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. The blueprint will be a set of recommendations on cultural planning centered around the needs of individual artists and the creative community. Artists in Hampshire and Hampden counties are welcome and encouraged to share their ideas through this 10-15 minute survey. The results of this survey will help set the stage for future projects and initiatives that will work to support the creative community.  The survey will be open until early-mid February. Please do not hesitate to ask questions, and thank you very much for considering. LAVA Center to host four-week theater workshop on directing and acting for writers, actors, and directors in February WHAT: Directing and Acting for Writers, Actors, and Directors: Some Basics — a four-week workshop WHEN: Wednesdays, 4–6 p.m.: February 7, 14, 21 and 28 WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield Theater is, most often, a highly collaborative art. It is beneficial for actors to have experience directing, for directors to have experience acting, and for playwrights to have experience with everything—this makes for a well-rounded theater artist that can better understand where their co-theater-makers are coming from. Join seasoned theater artist Jan Maher and The LAVA Center for a four-week workshop for writers, actors, and directors will explore the basics of different aspects of theater artistry. This workshop will, through practice, offer you some experience in other roles in theater. Registration and commitment to full participation is required. Please do not register if you know you will be unable to attend one or more sessions. Cost: Free to playwrights who have participated in LAVA’s online programming; $25 for others. To register: Send statement of interest/commitment (What do you hope to learn/gain from this workshop? Is your calendar cleared so you can attend every session?) to jan@localaccess.org with cc to info@thelavacenter.org. For more details, visit https://thelavacenter.org/directing-and-acting-for-writers-actors-and-directors/  MAJESTIC THEATER OFFERING “NEW WORDS – A PLAYWRITING WORKSHOP” FEBRUARY 12 – MARCH 18 Producing Director Danny Eaton Presenting 6-Week Program for Beginning Playwrights  Danny Eaton, Producing Director and Founder of the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, has announced the creation of a six-week, in-person playwriting workshop that he will be presenting on Monday evenings at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield from 6:30pm – 8:30pm from February 12 – March 18.  Geared for beginners, “New Words – A Playwriting Workshop” will be open to the first 12 registrants.  The workshop will focus on character creation and storytelling for the stage, and will conclude with a presentation of each participant’s work by a core group of Majestic Theater actors before a live audience on Tuesday, March 19.  The fee for the workshop is $250.  To register, contact the Majestic Theater at (413) 747-7797 Mon-Fri 10am-5pm/Sat 10am-1pm. About Danny Eaton Eaton is the Founder of The Theater Project, which has been in residence in the Majestic Theater since 1997.  He attended Holyoke Community College in 1970 after more than four years in the Marine Corps, and subsequently transferred to Amherst College.  He earned a Masters Degree in Playwriting from Wesleyan University.  His many plays have been seen locally, as well as in New York and Chicago.  Eaton was Assistant Director at Stage West, and also a faculty member and Artist-in-Residence at Columbia College in Chicago.  He produced and directed the Majestic's inaugural production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.  In addition to producing each season's calendar of shows, he has also directed many of its productions.  Eaton wrote the musicals, The Ride and Anthem, the plays The Island Lily, Iris and The War and Walt Whipple, each of them presented at the Majestic.  He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Society of the Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC).  Eaton is the proud winner of 2009's New England Theatre Conference Regional Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theatre.  His latest work, The Ladyslipper, will be presented during the Majestic’s 2023-2024 season. Actors WorkOut Scene Studies Class February 19 at 6:00 PM - 8 Mondays through April 8 Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, 130 Pine Street, Northampton, MA. 01062 This class is designed to free the actor's creative spirit and to nurture innovation, openness and courage.  It is the arena where the most dynamic growth happens for actors.  While scene study is the focus of this class, it is always with an eye to the growth and development of the individual artist. Participation is limited to 16 students. Riotous Youth will offer a three-day session in February for students ages seven through 11  Shakespeare & Company has announced that it will hold a new Winter Session of its Riotous Youth theater program for students ages seven through 11, Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, Feb. 23, coinciding with Massachusetts and New York Public Schools winter breaks. Riotous Youth introduces students to Shakespeare’s language, stories, characters, and themes using imaginative and playful methods that incorporate voice, movement, and acting. This fast-paced, four-day session will focus on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, culminating with a performance piece shared with family, friends, and Shakespeare & Company staff on the final day of the session. Winter Session Riotous Youth is held at the Shakespeare & Company campus at 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, Mass. Tuition is $325, and limited financial aid is available.  Registration is open now; for more information or to apply, visit shakespeare.org/education, or contact Education Residency and Riotous Youth Programs Manager Caitlin Kraft at ckraft@shakespeare.org or (413) 637-1199 ext. 132. 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. 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