Pioneer Valley Theatre News October 22, 2015

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser   October 22 - November 11, 2015 Live Art Magazine is this Friday: it's a one-night-only extravaganza of performance showcasing writing, artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers and all kinds of risk-takers. The last two years have been a complete blast, and I know this year will also be amazing. See you there! On Tuesday, Smith College Department of Theatre is offering a workshop with Cori Thomas called Getting EVERYBODY on Stage: A Conversation for Performers, Writers, Directors (and others) of Color. It's free and open to the public, and I encourage anyone interested in building a diverse theatre community to attend. Scroll to the bottom for more information about the event - or contact me!  And don't forget, there is still time to catch EVIL DEAD: The Musical at the Shea Theater. Take a look at their ad or listing below for more information or to purchase tickets. The next issue will include events through November 18. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me before next Tuesday at midnight. Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Submit Your Theatre Event Get your tickets today for Evil Dead the Musical! THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround Dear (My Fellow) White (Chicago {Or Anywhere} Theatre) People by Nicholas Ward From the article:  Every year, September in Chicago brings a whole new slate of white people plays.    While our population skews non-white, most theatres employ majority white leadership, ensembles, casts, staff members, playwrights, and directors. It’s also majority male, straight, able-bodied, English-speaking, and cis-gendered, but this piece will focus on the whiteness. If our goal is to create diverse, dynamic, multi-cultural, and relevant theatre, dismantling this white majority is highly important. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES Phantom Sheep presents LaughCrafters: Comedy Improv Show Thursday, October 22 at 7:00 PM J-ART at the JCC 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield Western MA's own comedy troupe Phantom Sheep returns to the JCC stage with their popular LaughCrafters:Comedy Improv show!  Performing games and scenes all created on the spot based on suggestions from the audience in a fast paced hilarious show! Tickets: Only $8 Adults/ $5 for students 413-739-4715 Facebook event. Unapologetic: a collection of narratives Studio Theatre, Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College October 22, 23, 24 at 8:00 PM   Unapologetic is a collection of women-centric pieces. This series of works will present several different narratives performed in the same space. What does feminist theatre mean to the individuals who experience it? What conversations are created post performance when one person considers a piece to be feminist and another does not? How can one space support three different narratives without claiming a universal experience? Featuring: Marisol by Jose Rivera, Haiku by Katherine Snodgrass, and selections from 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan Lori Parks. LIVE ART MAGAZINE ISSUE #3 Friday, October 23 at 7:30 PM Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main Street, Northampton Live Art is a fast-paced, staged “magazine” of contemporary art, music and commentary, a live show structured like a magazine: first ‘the front-matter,’ a series of fast-paced, 2 to 4 minute surprises, followed by ‘the well,’ the main body of two or three 6 to 8 minute works that dig a bit deeper. Live Art is part of the national pop-up magazine movement.  Our event offers ephemeral and memorable writing and stagecraft for one-night-only.  Recording, filming and photography are forbidden. This protects works-in-progress from documentation so that artists are free to push the boundaries of their art.  It is a 21st century anomaly, an intimate presentation in a time of mass communication.  It’s non-digital new-media!  And it’s magical fun. Our live magazine showcases our some of our best local and regional writers, poets, artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers--creative “risk-takers. We’ll feature award-winning NEPR radio producer Karen Brown’s new live radio piece, and work by Karen Skolfield, NEPR’s Arts & Humanities award winner for 2015. Skolfield will trade witty, gorgeous poems on stage with Floyd Cheung, poet and Smith prof.  NEPR is developing a “Live Art Magazine” podcast highlighting our feature performers and their artistic process--but NOT the work you’ll see on Friday, October 23rd!  You will be able to download three episodes of the podcast in the weeks before the performance. Check out the complete line up online. Purchase TICKETS through the Academy of Music. $10 for students, $14 for General Admission, and $18 at the door. Ghost Light Theater presents Evil Dead: The Musical October 23, 24, 30, 31 at 8:00 PM Shea Theater in Turners Falls 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376 Evil Dead: The Musical unearths the old familiar story, [where] boy and friends take a weekend getaway at abandoned cabin, boy expects to get lucky, boy unleashes ancient evil spirit, friends turn into Candarian Demons, boy fights until dawn to survive. Based on the cult classic Evil Dead movie trilogy created by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Kevin Tracy directs the work, which features a book and lyrics by George Reinblatt, music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris and Reinblatt. Music direction by Eric Johnson and conducted by Ted Trobaugh. Produced by Megan Healey. Choreography by Sarah Devine. Fight choreography by Emily Eaton. The cast includes Joe Van Allen (as Ash), Erin Fitzgerald (Linda), Samantha Hinds (Cheryl), Christine Voytko (Annie), Emily Eaton (Shelly) Monique Dubois (Fake Shemp/Moose), Christopher Rose (Ed), Colin Allen (Scott), Russell Nadeau (Fake Shemp) and Josh Mason (Jake). Tickets are available through Eventbrite for $20 ($5 more for splatter zone pass with poncho). For more information, visit the website or Facebook. *This show is in no way appropriate for young audiences* Smith College Department of Theatre presents METAMORPHOSES by Mary Zimmerman directed by Hannah Sachs '16 Theatre 14, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, Smith College October 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 at 7:30 PM   "Funny one moment, achingly sorrowful the next, METAMORPHOSES somehow manages both to lift you out of the moment you're living in and speak to it with piercing directness." -The Wall Street Journal. Set in and around a large pool of water, METAMORPHOSES is a refreshingly contemporary poetic chronicle of Greek mythology. Based on David R. Slavitt's translation of The Metamorphoses of Ovid, METAMORPHOSES brings familiar tales of love and loss to life. Free for Smith students. $10 General, $5 Seniors and Students Tickets and more information available online. Facebook event here.  Greenfield Community College presents DRACULA Dramatized by Deane and Balderston From the novel by Bram Stoker Directed by Tom Geha Oct 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 @ 7:30pm, Matinee and 7:30 shows on Oct 24 Greenfield Community College's Sloan Theater, One College Drive, Greenfield, MA 01301 Visit the website for more information.  Happier Valley Comedy presents Sunday Improv Fun Time Sunday, October 25 at 7:00 PM Arts Block Cafe, 289 Main Street, Greenfield Come one, come all, to play easy-to-learn short form improv comedy games in a supportive, welcoming environment alongside professional improvisers. (Or just watch.) And then sit back and relax while the Sunday Improv Fun Time House Team entertains with a totally improvised set.  Only $5 More information online.   TheatreTruck presents The Aspect of the Place, A Halloween Happening at The Evergreens 6:30pm & 8pm nightly, from Wednesday, October 28th - Sunday, November 1st The Evergreens at The Emily Dickinson Museum, 232 Main Street, Amherst TheatreTruck gets into the spirit of Halloween with this story-telling celebration of ghosts and the Gothic at The Evergreens.  Co-produced by The Emily Dickinson Museum & TheatreTruck, a roving Collaborative, The Aspect of the Place takes the audience through The Evergreens, an impressive 'time capsule' of a prosperous nineteenth-century household in a small New England town. The house is still completely furnished with Dickinson family furniture, household accoutrements, and decor selected and displayed by the family during the nineteenth century. The ​piece honors the House, the spooky delights of Victorian ghost stories and the idea that ​phantoms walk within. ​ TheatreTruck and TEDM partnered this Summer to produce a sold-out run of The Emily Dickinson Project, attracting audience from all over the Pioneer Valley, the nation and even the UK! TheatreTruck​ is dedicated to crafting mobile and site-specific performance, sustainably & playfully and is delighted to be partnering with the Museum once again. The Emily Dickinson Project Director and Co-creator Brianna Sloane curates the Halloween event.  Tickets available online.  Double Edge presents THE GRAND PARADE October 29 and 30 CityStage, Springfield   The Grand Parade depicts major events of the 20th century in a theatrical style inspired by Marc Chagall’s kaleidoscopic vision of humanity at play, at war, and at rest. Trapeze, circus, dance, projections, and popular culture fill the height and breadth of the stage in a spectacle of history populated by people and animals in acts of grace and destruction. Time both shrinks and expands as the 20th century unfolds in a dream-like rush of juxtapositions that include the ecstasy of landing on the moon, the frenzy of war, the skilled escapes of Houdini, the atomic bomb, Kennedy's assassination, and Hitler's brutalization of Europe. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit their website or call the City Stage Box office at 413-628-0277. Discount tickets are available for students, families, and groups of eight or more. The Amherst College Department of Theater and Dance presents THE CHERRY ORCHARD by Anton Chekhov directed by Ron Bashford October 29, 30, 31 at 8:00 PM  Kirby Theater, Amherst College An intimate production featuring the acting and design work of students and faculty from Amherst and Hampshire Colleges. First produced in 1904 by the Moscow Art Theater, The Cherry Orchard is Chekhov’s last play, a bittersweet comedy about love and loss in pre-revolutionary Russia. Chekhov’s finely drawn characters set against a background of social change influenced generations of playwrights in Russia and the United States. Tickets are free, but reservations are recommended; call (413) 542-2277. More information online. Smith College Department of Theatre presents  THE DICTATOR'S GRANDDAUGHTER by acclaimed Spanish playwright David Desola Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 PM in Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre Having just returned to the unnamed country where her grandfather ruled as absolute ruler, his innocent Granddaughter finds him on his death bed, his cronies held for crimes which she finds unimaginable. Estela Harretche and Ellen W. Kaplan perform in English and Spanish, alternating scenes as the character changes and develops over time. Free.  Black Cat Theater presents HELLO, DOLLY! November 5, 6, 7 at 7:00 PM November 8 at 2:00 PM South Hadley High School Black Cat Theater is delighted to announce their fall production of Hello, Dolly!, directed by Drew Gilbert (artistic) and Dick Matteson (musical).  “Some people paint, some sew… I meddle!”  Hello, Dolly! is the story of matchmaker Mrs. Dolly Levi’s efforts to marry Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half-a-millionaire, and send his money circulating among the people like rainwater the way her late husband, Ephraim Levi, taught her. Along the way she also succeeds in matching up the young and beautiful Widow Molloy with Vandergelder’s head clerk, Vandergelder’s assistant with Mrs. Molloy’s assistant, and a struggling artist with Vandergelder’s weeping niece. Military personnel, active and retired (with ID), will be admitted free to any performance. Also, Girl/Boy scouts in uniform--and accompanied by a adult--can come free with the donation of a non-perishable food item for the local food pantry. Profits from the show go toward a scholarship available to any South Hadley High or Granby Jr/Sr High student going on to college to major in the arts. Ticket prices are General Admission $15.00 and Senior/Student $12.00.  For reservations please email blackcattheater@gmail.com or call 413-563-6023. See the Facebook event. Wilbraham United Players presents THE ODD COUPLE November 6, 7, and 13, 14 at 7:30 PM, November 8 and 15 at 2:30 PM Wilbraham United Church, 500 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA The Wilbraham United Players will present Neil Simon’s THE ODD COUPLE November 6-15th. Appearing as Oscar Madison will be David Chivers from Wilbraham.  Co-starring as Felix Ungar will be Wesley Olds of Broadbrook, CT.  Also appearing in the production will be Don Clements as Murray the Cop, Paul Nesbit as Vinnie, Andy Price as Roy and Jeff Erb as Speed.  They’ll be joined by Christine Arruda and Aimee Lamontagne as The Pigeon Sisters.  THE ODD COUPLE is the first production in the Player’s “Season of Simon” focused around the works of playwright Neil Simon. For more information about the Players productions go to their website –or email them. The Drama Studio presents The Terribly True Story of Sophia (last name unknown) and How She Came to Live Betwixt the Trees Or the Invention of Fairies by Monica Giordano, Directed by Mat Bussler November 6 at 7:30 PM November 7 at 4:00 and 7:30 PM November 8 at 3:00 PM The Drama Studio, 41 Oakland St. Springfield, MA Three children set out on an unforgettable journey to change their ending after learning that one of them, Sophie, is going to die. The Terribly True Story of Sophia (last name unknown), is the terribly true story about growing up, and the terrible truth about wishes: how it is sometimes best to exchange them for Hope. Visit the website or call 413-739-1983 for reservations.  Tickets are $18 for Adults and $10 for students. Arena Civic Theatre presents STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling directed by Russ Elstrom November 6, 7, 13, 14 at 8:00 PM November 8 and 15 at 2:00 PM Katherine Sloan Theatre, Greenfield Community College The action is set in Truvy's beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are "anybody" come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town's rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M'Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a "good ole boy." Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward drama when the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) becomes pregnant.  Realizations of their mortality draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad. Arena Civic Theatre’s cast includes: Dawn Mayo as Truvy Jones, Cristen Rosinski as Annelle Dupuy DeSoto, Terry Adams as Clairee Belcher, Louise Krieger as M’Lynn Eatenton, Kaineeca Pabon as Shelby Eatenton-Lacherie, and Claudia Eitner as Ouiser Boudreaux.  The production is directed by Russ Ekstrom. Tickets are $16 for General Admission, $13 for Seniors and Students, and $10 for children 12 and under. Some of the subject matter may not be suitable for young children. Tickets are available at World Eye Bookshop, at the door, and through ACT’s website. They can also be reserved by calling (413) 233-4368. Valley Light Opera presents BRIGADOON Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton November 7, 13 and 14 at 8:00 PM November 8 and 15 at 2:00 PM "This is what happened, the strange thing that happened, to two weary hunters who lost their way......"  When Tommy and Jeff stumble into a quaint Scottish village that doesn't seem to be marked on their map, they are invited to be guests at a wedding, and perhaps much more.  In their first foray into the classics of American musical theatre, Valley Light Opera presents Brigadoon, long a favorite on the stage.  With sumptuous costumes and scenery, gorgeous music performed by a full orchestra and a talented cast, this will be a production you won't want to miss. More information on their website. Smith College Department of Theatre presents PHOTOGRAPH 51 by Anna Ziegler directed by Kitty Lixin Lin '16 Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 PM in Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre   Anna Ziegler's PHOTOGRAPH 51 illuminates the life of Rosalind Franklin, one of the great and under-recognized female scientists of the 20th Century, whose passionate mapping of the contours of the DNA molecule has had untold consequence. The NY TIMES heralds Ziegler's refusal to smooth Franklin's edges "by making her anything other than formidably, even self-sabotagingly, intelligent." Free and open to the public. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES CREW CALL: Night at the Wax Museum directed by Tony Jones  Production of J-Art Youth Theater: 2nd – 9th Grade  Interviews will be held the week of October 19th Springfield Jewish Community Center The Springfield Jewish Community Center is looking to fill these PAID positions: Stage Manager – required to attend all rehearsals  Costumer – required to attend at least 5 rehearsals  Lighting Designer & Board Operator  – required to attend at least 5 rehearsals  Sound Designer and Operator – required to attend at least 5 rehearsals  2 Tech Weeks: Jan 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 Preview/Dress Rehearsal: January 28 6:00pm Performances: January 30th at 7:30pm, January 31st at 11:30 and 3:00pm (dates may be subject to change). Rehearsal Dates: Tuesdays (3:30-6:00) And Sundays (2:30-5:00) Nov 17, 22, 24, 29, Dec 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, Jan 3, 5, 10, 12, Auditions for youth are Tuesday, October 27th from 3:00-7:00pm with Call Backson Tuesday, November 3rd 3:00-7:00pm To schedule an interview with the director, please email a resume or Letter of Interest to Tony Jones. Amherst Leisure Services (LSSE) presents Youth on Broadway 2016 Auditions Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA Oct. 22, 6-8:30 PM and Oct. 24, 12-5 PM Be part of this fun and exciting high quality musical theater performance workshop that culminates in a full scale Musical Theater Revue. April 8-10. Looking for talented children/teens, aged 4-12 grades. Directed by Becca Greene-Van Horn and music directed by Benjiman Durfee and Cindy Naughton. If cast, the fee for the workshop is $269. Scholarships are available. Sign up for your audition slot by calling LSSE at 413-259-3065. Find information on the audition online. In its fourth year, YOB has provided opportunities for many local area youth to sing leading and featured roles from many different shows. Doing many broadway hits, gives more youth a chance to shine than happens with just one play. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity. AUDITIONS: Night at The Wax Museum Directed by Tony Jones  Springfield Jewish Community Center Auditorium Auditions: Tuesday, October 27th from 3:00-7:00pm Call Backs: Tuesday, November 3rd 3:00-7:00pm AUDITION INFORMATION: *Prepare a 1 minute comedic monologue (a story, joke, or speech). *Slots are in 5 minute increments and are first come first serve. *Arrive before your audition time to fill out paperwork. REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE DATES: Rehearsal Dates: Tuesdays (3:30-6:00) And Sundays (2:30-5:00) Nov 17, 22, 24, 29, Dec 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, Jan 3, 5, 10, 12, 2 Tech Weeks: Jan 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 Preview/Dress Rehearsal: January 28 6:00pm Performances: January 30th at 7:30pm, January 31st at 11:30 and 3:00pm (dates may be subject to change). The JCC will walk any children who are signed up for Hebrew School on Tuesdays at 5:30 to Sinai. Please let us know if you need this service.  Fee is $140 for JCC members/$175 for general public. This fee includes a professional performance DVD, two tickets to Preview night, scripts, and a J-Art Youth Theater Shirt.  CALL 413-739-4715 to book your audition time! Auditions will be held in the auditorium of the Springfield JCC at 1160 Dickinson Street University of Massachusetts Amherst - Assistant Professor, Scenic Design, Theater Department The Department of Theater in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts invites applications for a tenure-track position in Scene Design at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin September 1, 2016. This professor, specializing in scene design, will be an impressive professional practitioner and teacher who will bring experience and vision to the Department. The successful candidate will teach MFA graduate and undergraduate courses in such areas as Scenic Design, Drawing/Rendering, Architectural History, Scenic Painting, Scale Model Building, Drafting, Computer Skills, and collaborative classes across theater disciplines. The professor is also responsible for the scene design, scenic art and properties design of the department's main stage season, the supervision of student designers and artisans, as well as contributing other specialties to complement departmental offerings. The professor will collaborate closely with all production areas including the Scene Shop Faculty and Staff, consisting of the Faculty Technical Director, Scenic Construction Director, 2 graduate students, and numerous undergraduate work-study and practicum students. Two newly renovated theaters include a 450-seat proscenium and a 100-seat flexible performance space.  Participation in departmental and university service is also a responsibility. We are seeking talented applicants qualified for an assistant professor position. Under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at other ranks may receive consideration. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Requirements: MFA in Scene Design by time of hire Extensive experience as a professional scene designer at the national level Evidence of ongoing creative achievement Demonstrated excellence in teaching scene design at the college level Additional Information: The university is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body.  The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members.  Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University's goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual's record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic degree and career.   Application Instructions: To apply submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae (or detailed professional resume), a link to your online portfolio, and the names and e-mail addresses of three references here. Applicants should apply by the priority deadline of  November 2, 2015, in order to ensure consideration. AUDITIONS: Virginia Woolf's ORLANDO By Sarah Ruhl Directed by J. Mehr Kaur ‘16  Based on the novel by Virginia Woolf, ORLANDO is a musical romp through time about passionate love, gender nonconformity, and the Royal English Court.  Auditions:  Sunday, November 8, and Monday, November 9, 7-10 PM, Hallie Flanagan, Mendenhall Center, Smith College, Northampton.  Call backs on Wednesday, November 11, 7-10 pm, Hallie Flanagan  Performances:  February 26, 27, March 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 PM;  Hallie Flanagan, Mendenhall Center, Smith College, Northampton. Casting Breakdown:  Ensemble cast of 11, Seeking actors, dancers, and musicians of all backgrounds.  Audition Prep: No preparation necessary. Sides will be provided from the script.  Facebook event. WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Getting EVERYBODY on Stage: A Conversation for Performers, Writers, Directors (and others) of Color Tuesday, October 27, 7-9 PM  T114, Mendenhall Center Green Room FREE! Playwright/Actress Cori Thomas will lead a frank conversation about challenges, opportunities, and obstacles that face performers and writers of color in the theatre today.  Cori will discuss her work, offer thoughts on contemporary okaywrights whose work addresses diverse audience, and suggest strategies for auditioning, casting, and writing works that speak to a diverse world. Cori will be joined in conversation by writer and actor Kent Alexander. Ellen Kaplan will moderate the discussion.  Cori will read a selection from her new play, FLIGHT 109, about former child soldiers in Liberia.  ALL ARE WELCOME - this discussion and workshop is for EVERYONE who is interested in building a diverse and welcoming theare! Facebook event here. 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|*