Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter September 3, 2015

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser  September 3 - 23, 2015 Things are looking busier in the Valley as students return this week. And you can go back to school too: fall classes are starting up in September! Take a look at the listings below if you are looking for an acting class for fall.  The next issue will include events through September 30. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me. Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Submit Your Theatre Event Want to see your event right up front? Contact me to reserve the featured event slot in a future newsletter. Your $5 goes right towards keeping this newsletter running! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com  THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from HowlRound Promise Me You Won't Start as Arts Nonprofit by Seth Lepore From the article: Please, for the love of all that exists, don’t go and start a nonprofit because you think you’re supposed to. There’s a myth that only nonprofits can take advantage of the granting system or give individual donors write-offs. Nope. There’s a better way: it’s called fiscal sponsorship. I think every theatre, dance, film, and music artist and/or group should be fiscally sponsored. It’s a great way to understand the basic level operations of a nonprofit without being one, while also giving you the ability to work on your fundraising, development, and grantwriting skill sets. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES PaintBox Theatre presents  Puss in Boots at the Eric Carle Museum  Directed by Tom McCabe Saturday, September 5 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  Sunday, September 6 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.    Sooooo a long time ago, a very cool kitty asked a young lass, "How would you like to be a hero?" The girl had nothing better to do, so she nodded. The adventure begins! The basic rule: when in doubt always trust the cat. Puss is one clever kitty; she'll show us how to get from empty pockets to the height of adventure.   Eric Carle Museum 125 W. Bay Rd. Amherst, MA 01002   Tickets: $8 (Member $7.50)   Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Museum Admissions Desk or by calling 413-658-1126. No same-day phone reservations. On the day of the performance, tickets are first come, first served. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Spindrift Theatre Works presents SOLDIER'S HEART by Tammy Ryan directed by Robert Freedman September 18 and 19 at 7:30 PM, September 20 at 2:00 PM Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton Marine Sgt. Casey Johnson, a single mom, goes to war in Iraq where, in addition to experiencing the horrors of war, is sexually assaulted by a fellow Marine. Once home and in the grip of PTSD, she tries to survive while haunted by the past. More information and tickets available online. Mature Audiences Only. $20 General $18  Seniors, Students, veterans, active duty military. Box office fees will apply.   AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Alt Shakespeare Company is hosting a Meet and Greet and Auditions for ASC's first show, Shakespeare After Dark. It'll be an uncensored romp through Shakespeare's raunchier scenes. If that doesn't sound like your thing, come anyway! We're looking to build an ensemble for this and future shows.  This is an opportunity for us to meet you and you to meet us. It's an informal get-together at one of the producer's houses. (Please email for directions.) There will be food and drinks, feel free to contribute if you wish. Saturday, September 12 6:00 to 7:00 - Mingling and hanging out 7:00 onward - Reading some Shakes Any questions? Send an email or check out the Facebook event. Auditions: Amherst Leisure Services Community Theater presents MARY POPPINS    Auditions will be at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst on these dates and times: Thursday, September 17 from 6:00 pm to 9:15 pm Friday, September 18 from 6:00 pm to 9:15 pm Saturday, September 19 from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm Sunday, September 20 from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm Auditions are held in groups, begin on the hour, and last for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Callbacks will be held on Monday, September 21 from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the Bangs Center. Performances are in January. Auditions are by appointment. To make an appointment call Amherst Leisure Services at 413-259-3065. Questions: Visit our website or call Sam Karlin at 413-265-8900 The Comical Mystery Tour is a Franklin County based Murder Mystery Dinner Theater group. We have been performing year round for over 20 years. We do 5 or 6 different shows per year each show lasting approximately 2 months. We are always looking for actors and actresses of various ages. The minimum age is 18 as there is, quite often, flirting in our shows. If you would like to try your hand at improve and breaking the 4th wall while trying to stay with the script, or if you are old hat at this sort of thing, please contact us for an audition and if a part comes up in one of our shows that we feel you would be good for, we will contact you to see if you are free for the shows we have booked. A car and license are necessary as we travel all over MA, mostly Western MA, but depending on the numbers, we will go further. It is a paid gig. It doesn’t pay a lot, but it is more than Community Theater and you get food. You can contact us at (413) 774-9844 or through Facebook. Silverthorne Theater Company is looking for an actor for our entry into the Double Take Fringe Festival. Seeking a 20-ish Latino male actor - or at least one who is fluent in Spanish - for the key role of Esteban (sensitive, romantic) in our production of "Lynette At 3:00 A.M." - goes up October 16 & 17 in Greenfield. Contact director David Rowland ASAP at drowland@nmhschool.org or phone (413 863-5583). Black Cat Theater of S. Hadley is looking for 2-3 men, ages 20s-30s, for their fall production of the musical Hello, Dolly! If interested, please email the director at agilbertlaw@gmail.com WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Starlight Youth Theatre presents Acting Classes September 12 - December 6  Maple Ridge Community Center, Sunderland grades 2-3 Seussical Storybook Theatre grades 4-5 Phantom Tollbooth grades 6-7 Neil Simon scene work grades 8-12  David Ives "All In the Timing" Please visit the website for more information. Short Form Improv Fun Time with Laura Patrick (For Beginning and Intermediate Improvisers) Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, 3:00-5:00pm (two hours) 104 Russell St. (Rt. 9 at West Street)/Downstairs, Hadley Class fee: $25 (plus you receive $6 OFF that night’s Happier Valley Comedy Show ticket) Have you ever watched “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on TV or seen improvisers play those “games” onstage and wished you could give them a try? Have you done a little improv and want to learn more basic short form games to solidify your foundation? Would you like get a deeper understanding of the games we’re playing at the monthly improv jam at the Sunday Improv Fun Time? Just want to get together and improvise with a group of cool people? This workshop is for you! Learn the how-to’s and insider tricks for a bounteous selection of short form games in a very supportive, positive environment. We’re all about the love and fun of improv! This workshop is open to beginning and intermediate players. About your teacher: Laura Patrick has been performing improv since 2003 with The Ha-Ha’s (formerly The Ha-Ha Sisterhood). She began her improv journey with classes taught by Cathy McNally and Kelsey Flynn of The Villa Jidiots. Born into a theater family, she started acting as a child, and spent years in New York as an actor/bartender/limo driver/bike messenger/house painter & paralegal.  After moving to the Happy Valley in 2002, she fell in love with improv from the start, and leapt into the comedy pond with both feet. She has been having a blast ever since, and SO CAN YOU! To register or for more information, email info@happiervalley.com. New Century Theatre presents Fall Acting Classes Whether you dream of the bright lights of Broadway, want to have some fun in your life, or just want to be more comfortable expressing how you feel, make an investment in yourself and take an acting class at New Century Theatre. Enrollments are limited to 10 in each class.   Acting for Non-Actors  Instructor - Sam Rush  Ages 18 and up (or by instructor permission)  Tuesdays, 5:15-7:15 p.m. Mendenhall Center, Green Street Northampton, MA  September 15 - November 10 (No class October 13)  Always wanted to try performing but were afraid to act? Now’s your chance. With NCT Producing Director Sam Rush, you’ll have a chance to explore your inner ham in a fun and supportive environment. Using improv, text and original source material, you’ll learn fundamental acting techniques that may just serve you the rest of your life - on stage and off.  Tuition: $275.00 for 8 week course  Playing the Moment  Instructor - Sam Rush  Ages 18 and up (or by instructor permission)  Wednesdays, 5:15-7:15 p.m. Mendenhall Center, Green Street Northampton, MA  September 16 - November 11 (No class on October 14)  This class is designed to strengthen the skills of actors with previous experience and for students who have taken the Acting for NonActors course and wish to continue their study of the actor’s craft. We’ll focus on scene study work and excercises that explore the theatrical moment. The class may work on a final peformance project.  Tuition: $275.00 for 8 week course More information available online. Happier Valley Comedy presents Zen of Improv 1 at Holyoke Community College (Adult Ed) Six Wednesdays at 6:30pm  Starting Sept. 16 Would you like to play and laugh for two hours every week? Do you want to get better at thinking on your feet? Could you use some practice in mindfulness and staying in the moment? turning off your judgmental mind? being brave? Would you like to become more confident speaking in public? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, “The Zen of Improv Comedy” would be an ever so lovely way to spend a couple hours every week. Pam Victor offers this series of classes for adults who want to try something fun, rewarding, and, quite possibly, mind-expanding. You’ll learn a very gentle, very easy approach to improv comedy in an incredibly positive and accepting atmosphere that will get you up on your feet and out of your head. Through exercises, improv games, and scene work, you’ll practice the vital improvisation skills of paying attention acutely, accepting other people’s ideas, redefining and disempowering failure, staying in the moment, reacting honestly to the reality of the here and now, and much more. No experience necessary. Being funny is not required! You can do this. Want to stretch your wings for a couple hours every week and laugh yourself silly in in the process? The first step is saying, "Yes, and..." Register online. Registration currently open for Zen of Improv 1 at GREENFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Continuing Ed) also! Six Thursdays starting Oct. 8. More info online. Acting Classes from instructor Toby Vera Bercovici of Real Live Theatre:   Adult Acting Workshop Mondays 6pm - 9pm,  September 21-December 7, North Star, 45 Amherst Road, Sunderland Acting is not about becoming a character, or even about being oneself on stage, but is, in fact, the art of becoming more fully present and open within each moment than one is able to be in ordinary life. Acting students will have the opportunity to perform in and receive coaching on a variety of exercises and scenes, working on, amongst other things, voice, presence, objectives, and authenticity. Excellent for both beginning, intermediate, and advanced practitioners of theatre, as well as for folks looking to deepen the connection between mind and body, self and other.   Cost of class is $450. Email reallivetheatre@gmail.com for more info and to reserve a spot! THEATER IMPROV FOR CHILDREN Theater improvisation increases spontaneity, creativity and self-confidence. We work on tuning into one’s scene partners, creating bold characters and developing skits with each other. The students will have opportunities to perform in the community, for family and friends 5th -8th Grade Group~ Weds. 3:00-5:00 K-4th Grade Group~ Thurs. 3:30-5:00 10 WEEK SESSIONS FROM SEPT-JUNE At the Florence Civic Center (Next to the Lilly Library) TO REGISTER CALL: Heidi Haas 584-5562 Or email at Heidi_Haas@comcast.net Check out my website at www.heidihaasimprov.com Instructor: Heidi Haas I have been teaching theater to children since 1996. I co-created and organized the afterschool drama program at the Leeds Elementary School in Northampton. I also offer theater and anti-bullying workshops at elementary schools. I coach the NHS Improv  Troupes FUNKTONLUST and direct the theater education company, Caught Off Guard at NHS.  In addition to the theater work, I have been a clinical social worker for 30 years with a specialty in child/family concerns. 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