Pioneer Valley Theatre News July 25, 2019

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser   July 25 - August 14, 2019 This Saturday at the Shea: 413 Says #CloseTheCamps: 24 Hour Performance Fundraiser - please come! And if you can't come, you can buy a ticket at any level to make a donation to RAICES Action Network, Immigrant Families Together and the Pioneer Valley Workers Center. I will be there and I hope to see you there. Only two more weeks of this summer's Ko Festival of Performance, with their theme of Habitat: Human. See below for more information about (dis)Place[d] and Lessons of Humanity. The PVTN Google Calendar is available through that link - if you want to add your events, send me an email and I'll give you permission. The next issue will include events through August 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 Real Live Theatre's Choreographing Intimacy Workshop August 17 - Register Here Mary Poppins at Exit 7 Players | July 26-August 4 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. THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround Provoked and Triggered by Christin Essin From the article:  As a theatre studies professor at Vanderbilt University, I regularly assign attendance at theatrical performances to my students, and this May I had the opportunity to design a course completely around live performance. Each summer, Vanderbilt offers a series of “maymesters”—month-long intensives held in international locations. During the spring, I spent many hours researching productions and booking tickets for the “Theatre in London” maymester, including performances at a variety of commercial, state-sponsored, and independent venues. Such a trip, I determined, required a full day in Stratford-upon-Avon to see the classical offerings of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com 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 Radio and News Column Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet PERFORMANCES Hampshire Shakespeare Company is pleased to present The *Annotated* Taming as a part of our 30th season of Shakespeare Under the Stars! The *Annotated* Taming: Or, Out of the Saddle, Into the Dirt From Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew Adapted & Directed by Toby Vera Bercovici with music & lyrics by Old Flame July 25-28 7 p.m. Arthur F. Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies Ticket Prices: Adult: $15 | Student/Senior: $10 | Child: $7 For more info & tickets visit www.hampshireshakespeare.com https://hsctaming.bpt.me/ Strange worlds. Fantastical adventures. Mythic visions. Who is Baron Von Munchausen? Hero? Liar? Buffoon? Double Edge’s upcoming Spectacle is an ode to joy and a journey of the imagination indoors, outdoors, to the stars and back.   "Reality? Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash and I’m delighted to say that I have no grasp of it whatsoever," says Baron Munchausen. I am the Baron is created by the DE Ensemble and directed by Matthew Glassman & Jeremy Louise Eaton.   SOLD OUT You can email tickets@doubleedgetheatre.org or call 413-628-0277 to be put on the waitlist. July 25 - August 18 Chester Theatre Company presents ON THE EXHALE by Martin Zimmerman July 25-August 4; Thursdays at 2pm and 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm, Sundays at 2pm Town Hall Theatre, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA When a college professor's son dies in a mass shooting, she becomes entranced with the weapon that killed him. The play presents a unique perspective on an American epidemic. Tickets. Ko Festival of Performance presents (dis)Place[d] July 26, 27 at 8:00 PM and July 28 at 4:00 PM Holden Theater, Amherst College Written and performed by DEBÓRAH ELIEZER Directed by BEN YALOM Video Design: KEDAR LAWRENCE Lighting Design: SABRINA HAMILTON In (dis)Place[d], foolsFURY Co-Artistic Director Debórah Eliezer cracks open the assumptions of her own identity through the story of her father, Edward Ben-Eliezer, an Iraqi Jew born in 1930, a member of the Zionist underground, refugee, Israeli spy, and immigrant to America. Eliezer brings twenty years’ experience as an acclaimed physical performer to create a dozen different characters, including her father at three different ages, her great grandmother, their Iraqi neighbors, an ethereal embodiment of the Tigris Euphrates valley itself, refugees, immigrants, and more. First generation immigrants have often hidden the stories of their past, sometimes to keep painful memories from their children, sometimes to enthusiastically embrace their new countries. The children are caught between cultures, with no way of acknowledging a multi-national, multi-ethnic identity. It was not until Eliezer’s father had begun his descent into dementia that she began to glimpse his past. “We kept cyanide in our socks,” he said out of the blue one day. And she learned that her peace-loving father had been a spy for the Israeli Defense Forces. Other stories trickled out: as a child he hid for days on a rooftop as Baghdadi Jews were slaughtered during the Farhoud, a Nazi-inspired “pogrom”; at 11 he joined the Zionist underground, smuggling weapons; at 19 he was targeted for assassination, fled Baghdad, crossed the desert on foot, and lived in a refugee camp on the Iraq/Iran border for two years; he managed to bring 8 of his 9 siblings to Israel, unable to save the eldest, who stayed behind and was killed. Bit by bit Debórah uncovered her roots, and the remarkable history of the Iraqi Jewish Diaspora. Remarkable because Jews had been deeply integrated into Iraqi life for over 2500 years, and made up a third of Baghdad’s population in 1940. And because, within a decade, all 130,000 were gone, expelled, escaped, or killed. Today fewer than 10 Jews remain in Iraq. (DIS)PLACE[D] follows her exploration of these stories, and asks hard questions: Who has the right to tell the story of a people? What is the significance of borders versus land and culture? What is the relationship of nationality to identity? The work aims to open a space for community dialogue around these issues in general, and specifically within the diaspora of Mizrahi Jews. Through this journey, the artist also finds a missing part of herself, “a song sung in a language I can’t understand” as she puts it. “A dream I can’t remember.” “Luminous…So beautifully written, performed and directed that you might wish it were longer.” (SF Examiner) Tickets available online kofestboxoffice@gmail.com  (413) 542-3750 New Century Theatre presents A WALK IN THE WOODS by Lee Blessing Directed by Sam Rush The West End at Eastworks 116 Pleasant Street, Easthampton, MA 01027 July 26 - August 4 Showtimes:  Friday, Saturday - 7:30 PM Sunday matinee - 2:00 PM Sunday evening - 7:30 PM Beginning July 26th we'll present A WALK IN THE WOODS by Lee Blessing at The West End space located in Easthampton's Eastworks building. Directed by Sam Rush, this comedy/drama is set in the early 80's toward the end of the Cold War. A newly assigned American diplomat tries desperately to negotiate a nuclear arms treaty with her more experienced Soviet counterpart. As the talks stall and tensions mount the two decide to take a stroll in a mountain glen in Switzerland, away from the negotiating table, and the prying eyes of the press corps. Eastworks at 116 Pleasant Street in Easthampton is surrounded by a wealth of great dining establishments and pubs all just a short distance from the West End Performance space. TICKET INFORMATION: General Seating: $32, $30 for Seniors (65+) $15 Student Rush  BUY ONLINE: newcenturytheatre.org Information & Questions: info@newcenturytheatre.org 413-587-3933 A reading of off-Broadway play Occupied Territories at the Flex Space at 33 Hawley Street. Local veterans to highlight intergenerational impact from wartime service.   Public Readings: July 26 & 27 – 7:00 P.M.  Free Workshop: July 27, 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. In connection with Occupied Territories, a writing workshop, led by acclaimed Vietnam Veteran and prize-winning author, Preston Hood of Colrain, Mass., will take place Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Flex Space. People interested in joining the workshop should send an email to mamaxner@gmail.com.   Occupied Territories is part of “What We See”, four weeks of theater projects presented by A.P.E. @Hawley. Supported in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of Western MA and the Northampton Arts Council.  NORTHAMPTON, MA – Several community partners in western Massachusetts will present a staged reading of the play,Occupied Territories, at the Flex Space at 33 Hawley Street on July 26 and 27 at 7 p.m.  The readings are free to the public and are followed by a post-reading discussion.   Following its sold out off-Broadway run in 2017, Occupied Territories will be coming to Northampton for a special engagement reading that brings together actors from the New York City production and local veterans. Occupied Territories tells the story of an adult daughter coming to terms with her father’s experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War.  Inspired by the true story of a Massachusetts Vietnam veteran and the impact of his war experience on his life and on his family, the play’s themes of love and loss resonate with audiences. As one man said after seeing the play: “It is a love story: within a family and between soldiers.”   The reading is part of a project started by the creators of Occupied Territories, where the writers, director, and actors connect with local veterans to work on the play together for a week.     “It is a powerful and moving experience to hear Vietnam veterans reading for 19-year-old characters in the jungles of Vietnam,” said co-writer/director Mollye Maxner. Occupied Territories delves into the intergenerational impacts of war on families, and it serves to support increased conversation between soldiers and civilians, and between veterans and their families.   Maxner is a native of Northampton currently on faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a graduate of Mount Holyoke College. Her father, Steve Maxner, served in Vietnam and received care at the inpatient PTSD unit at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Leeds. Bringing her family’s story to Northampton is in many ways an act of bringing the play “home.”   This summer’s reading is a first step in bringing a fully staged production of Occupied Territories to Northampton in 2020.   Central Hampshire Veterans’ Services, the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Department of the American Gold Star Mothers, the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, and the Human Service Forum have worked together to bring the readings to Northampton and are key community partners assisting the Occupied Territories production team.      For more information on Occupied Territories visit www.occupiedterritories.org Mary Poppins: Exit 7 Youth Players July 26 - August 4, 2019 7/26 and 8/2 at 8pm; 7/27, 7/28, 8/3, and 8/4 at 2pm Exit 7 Theater, 37 Chestnut Street, Ludlow, MA 01056 One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts in a whole new way: as a practically perfect musical! The jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that "Anything can happen if you let it." Mary Poppins is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stagecraft. This show is a perfect opportunity to showcase a strong, iconic female performer, as well as unique special effects and illusions. Tickets On Sale Now! exit7players.org High Note presents DINNER THEATER AT BREWMASTER'S TAVEN 7/26 July 26 at 7:00 PM Brewmaster's Tavern - WILLIAMSBURG MA Dinner- Theater - Cabaret - Starring LeCABARET - Friday July 26th - Dinner @ 7 - show to follow     For reservation and info : call 413 268 7741 413 Says #CloseTheCamps: 24 Hour Fundraiser Saturday, July 27 at 8:00 AM through Sunday, July 28 at 8:00 AM Shea Theater Arts Center 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, Massachusetts 01376 Artists in the 413 have come together to present 24 hours of performance including music, theater, dance, and children’s programming at the Shea Theater Arts Center on Saturday, July 27th at 8am to Sunday July, 28th at 8am. We pledge to use our art as a united act of resistance and solidarity. Artists and staff are donating their time and talents so all proceeds can benefit asylum seekers and families in the current border crisis. Donations raised by this event will be sent to RAICES, Immigrant Families Together, and Pioneer Valley Workers Center, organizations working to #CloseTheCamps. The 413 may be far away from the Mexico/U.S. border geographically, but we members of the Pioneer Valley arts community recognize the need for local action. The line-up will be announced soon - check the Facebook page for details. Tickets will be priced from $10-$1,000 pay what you can. Please remember this is a fundraiser and purchase your ticket at the donation level you can. No one will be turned away. This event is presented by TheatreTruck. ---------------------------------------------------------------- GET YOUR TICKETS/MAKE YOUR DONATION: https://www.showclix.com/event/closethecamps *If you cannot attend you can still make a donation through this link* Julian Olf Memorial Service Everyone is welcome to a memorial service celebrating the life of Julian Olf, who passed way this past winter. The memorial service will take place on Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. in Bezanson Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Center, with a reception immediately following in the FAC Atrium. Announced on behalf of Julian Olf's family. Tributes to Professor Olf from former students and colleagues during his time with UMass Theater. Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Valley Championship July 27 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA In this competitive comedy show, two teams of improvisers face off through scenes and games to see who can win the ultimate prize: an old trophy we found in someone's attic. Saturday, July 27th at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com. MAJESTIC THEATER SUMMER CHILDREN’S THEATER SCHEDULE: ALL TICKETS:  $9.50 each ($9.00 each if all three shows are purchased at the same time) DISNEY MULAN JR.  Sunday July 28 - 1pm & 4pm Monday, Juy 29 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm  Tuesday, July 30 - 10am, 1pm Wednesday, July 31 - 10am, 1pm DR. SEUSS'S THE CAT IN THE HAT Sunday August 4 - 1pm & 4pm Monday, August 5 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm  Tuesday, August 6 - 10am, 1pm Wednesday, August 7 - 10am, 1pm CHARLOTTE'S WEB Sunday August 11 - 1pm & 4pm Monday, August 12 - 10am, 1pm & 6:30pm  Tuesday, August 13 - 10am, 1pm Wednesday, August 14 - 10am, 1pm IMPROVISATIONAL COMEDY WITH THE MAJESTERS SCHEDULE: Wednesday, July 31 - 7:30pm - $9 Wednesday, August 7 - 7:30pm - $9 Wednesday, August 14 - 7:30pm - $9 Returning on Wednesday nights will be Improvisational Comedy with The Majesters, which features a troupe of the best improv comics from across the Pioneer Valley and beyond for an evening of unscripted comic mayhem.  The program begins with improv scenes similar to "Whose Line is it Anyway," and is followed by a storyline that's developed with help from the audience.  Improvisational Comedy with The Majesters takes place Wednesday nights at 7:30pm July 10-August 14.  Tickets are $9 and are available at the door the night of each show. Arena Civic Theatre presents Modigliani by Dennis McIntyre August 1, 2, 3, 9, & 10 at 7:30pm The Roundhouse at the Franklin County Fairgrounds 89 Wisdom Way Greenfield MA 01301 Tickets $18 General Admission, $15 Seniors Opening Night all tickets $15 Tickets may be purchased at the door, Online at arena-civic-theatre.ticketleap.com/modigliani/ Or reserved by leaving a message at 413-233-4368 In 1916, unable to sell his paintings and unable to work, Modigliani decides to leave Paris.  A robbery attempt, aided by his painter friends Turillo and Soutine fails and he seeks money from Zborowski, his agent, who informs him he’s about to meet Cheron, an influential art dealer.  Modigliani’s poet mistress, Beatrice Hastings, tries to convince him to meet Cheron himself.  Frightened of failure, he finally agrees, only to discover Zborowski has given away his best painting.  His meeting with Cheron is a disaster and, in a rage, he slashes his paintings and attempts to destroy all the work in his studio.  Beatrice prevents this and forces him to realize the paintings are his life.  Left alone with no possibilities for success, Modigliani begins work again on a self portrait. “A wild, funny and moodily proactive play…raffish and richly atmospheric.” -New York Daily News “One of the most enthralling dramas in years…wonderfully exciting in the varied richness of its texture.” -New York Post The performances will take place inside the historic Roundhouse building on the Franklin County Fairgrounds.  Patrons may park inside the grounds.  The venue is not air conditioned, and restrooms are located in a separate building. Ko Festival of Performance presents Lessons of Humanity August 2, 3 at 8:00 PM, August 4 at 4:00 PM Holden Theater, Amherst College   “Lessons of Humanity” uses a rich a blend of Samite’s traditional African music and personal stories that draw on his own experience of war and genocide in Idi Amin’s Uganda, and his life as a refugee who finds his new home in rural upstate New York to be a place from which he can reach out globally to help remind others of their strength, so that they may find peace. This newly created performance presents a more intimate look at the forces and experiences that have shaped this extraordinary artist and global citizen. Ko Festival of Performance Artistic Director Sabrina Hamilton will design the lighting.   Samite will also perform at the 6th annual Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival on August 10th. “Lessons of Humanity” provides a chance to get to know more about this world-renowned performer and founder of Musicians for World Harmony, an organization dedicated to enabling musicians throughout the world to share their music to promote peace, understanding, and harmony among people.   Ko Festival of Performance has formed a community partnership with The Karuna Center for Peacebuilding to build upon this season’s theme. Their season-long lobby display addressing the habitat theme has an interactive component about “Standing Up for Peace,” which will stand alongside Samite’s extraordinary photographs. KoFest performances are each followed by a discussion, giving the audience an opportunity to engage the performers and creators in a civic dialogue surrounding the season’s theme. Friday night’s post show discussion will include the Karuna Center’s Director of Programs Ginny Morrison, who has consulted with Amnesty International; Public Conversations Project; and a range of universities, prison systems and US health care systems. As a founding member of Mediators Beyond Borders, she has co-led efforts to incorporate trauma-informed practice into all of MBB’s programming.   The world-renowned musician Samite was born and raised in Uganda, where his grandfather taught him to play the traditional flute. When he was twelve, a music teacher placed a western flute in his hands setting him on his way to becoming one of East Africa’s most acclaimed flutists. He performed frequently to enthusiastic audiences throughout Uganda until 1982, when he was forced to flee to Kenya as a political refugee. Samite immigrated to the United States in 1987, and now he and his wife Sandra make their home on their small horse farm in upstate New York. Today his smooth vocals accompanied by the kalimba, marimba, litungu, and various flutes mesmerize audiences throughout the world. For more information on Samite, please visit http://www.samite.com/   Performances are Friday and Saturday, August 2 and 3 at 8:00 PM, Sunday, August 4 at 4:00 PM. KoFest performances take place in Amherst College’s Holden Theater, located behind the Admissions Office off South Pleasant Street in Amherst, MA. Tickets are $22 Adults / $18 Students & Seniors and $10 for SNAP/EBT cardholders. Tickets are available online at kofest.com, by email at kofestboxoffice@gmail.com  and by phone at (413) 542-3750. The box office phone line is staffed daily from 1-5 and 1 to curtain on performance days. Call about a limited number of $8 tickets.   More information about the artists can be found at kofest.com.   PaintBox Theatre presents HOW DO DINOSAURS GO TO SCHOOL? Williston Theater 18 Payson Avenue Easthampton, MA Beloved Author Jane Yolen asks "How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?" in her beloved children's book. We've tasked ourselves to try and answer that very question. PaintBox takes this 'tail' and twists it PaintBox style. Callum LaFrance tackles this feat, short arms, long neck, and all! Aug 3, Saturday, 10:30 & 1:00 Aug 4, Sunday, 10:30 & 1:00 Aug 6, Tuesday, 10:30 & 1:00 DINOSAUR TICKETS Happier Valley Comedy presents The Understudies: An Improvised Musical August 3 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA Be part of the fun as four improvisers create an entire musical from scratch. Saturday, August 3rd at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com. “WHAT WE SEE” THEATER WORKS AT 33 HAWLEY STREET AND SCDT   Sunday, August 4th: 2pm & 5pm Staged readings & audience/artist talk-backs (Sliding scale tickets starting at $10) 33 Hawley Street, Northampton   FAR REACHES RLT presents the first public staged readings of a new script by RLT member Ellen Morbyrne called Far Reaches in the genre of Cli-Fi (a science fiction genre dealing with the impacts of climate change).  One Raft Person. One Witness. One world covered in endless ocean.  What do we remember? And how? What does it mean to survive, and what is survival worth to us? Two people from completely different backgrounds make their way towards understanding, following memories and stories as they seek some kind of truth.  These readings are the culmination of RLT’s residency at the Flex Space inside 33 Hawley (the Northampton Arts Trust Building), as the final week in A.P.E.’s month-long block of theater residencies. RLT will be working to bring this story to life for the first time: exploring what works about it so far, what can be refined, redefined, or more excellently imagined, and culminating in two staged readings with talk-backs on Sunday, August 4th.  The RLT artists involved in this initial phase are Ellen Morbyrne serving as playwright and director, Trenda Loftin serving as a performer, Julissa Rodríguez serving as a performer, and Julia Vincenza Whalen serving as designer. Info & tickets. www.reallivetheatre.net   PaintBox Theatre presents EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A PIRATE Williston Theater 18 Payson Avenue Easthampton, MA Aug 7, Wednesday, 10:30 & 1:00 They areeeeeeee back with more jokes, more treasure, and more shenanigINs-and-OUTs. Kelsey Flynn, Troy Mercier, Myka Plunkett, and (out on his maiden voyage with PaintBox) Gerrin Mitchell will be holding strong this summer on deck with all new jokes. You're always welcome to join the crew for the third installment of the saga that is PaintBox PIRATES !!! PIRATES TICKETS Tickets are also available at the box office on the day of the show(s). Parking available in the rear lot. Happier Valley Comedy presents The Ha-Ha's & Friends: Still Life August 10 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Rd, Hadley, MA Local favorites since 2003, The Ha-Ha's perform alongside special guests each month. Saturday, August 10th at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door. For more info: www.happiervalley.com. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES JOB OPENING at UMass Amherst VISITING ARTIST IN PLAYWRITING/LECTURER POSITION The Department of Theater at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure-track lecturer in African American Theater and Playwriting/Playmaking.  This is a spring semester initial appointment with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, beginning January 15, 2020. The Department seeks a candidate with experience in playwriting and/or playmaking, African American theater and/or African American cultural production and a demonstrated record of professional theater experience at the national level.    Responsibilities include: Teaching courses in playwriting/playmaking and African American theater, teaching undergraduate- and graduate MFA-level courses, and interacting with the Department’s multicultural curriculum and public outreach initiatives. This position is central to the Department’s interest in exploring and generating new theatrical works, both in workshop form and on our main stages as part of our production season. Candidate must have M.F. A. in Theater or equivalent professional experience. Salary is commensurate with experience.  To apply, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae (including email and phone contact information for references) and three current letters of recommendation to UMass Theater Chair Gina Kaufmann via email. Springfield College Theater seeking Scenic Designer/Technical Director August 26, 2019 Springfield Colllege scene shop and Fuller Arts Center theater The Theater Program at Springfield College invites applicants for a position as Scenic Designer/Technical Director for the Springfield College Theater. The program produces one play each semester, and the position is contracted on a per production fee basis. To apply, please contact Professor Martin Shell, Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts department, at mshell@springfieldcollege.edu, with a letter of interest, CV, and references. SCARLET SOCK FOUNDATION BEGINS GRANT CYCLE Non-profit seeks to promote social-justice theater with $500 and $1,000 grants to qualifying theater companies and individuals The Scarlet Sock Foundation is currently accepting grant applications. Theater companies and individuals with a social-justice focus are encouraged to apply online at scarletsock.org. Social-justice theater is a tool for promoting awareness of socially relevant topics. It’s a platform for the expression of individual differences and a catalyst for discussion for community members who fee marginalized and/or stigmatized. Companies whose work will include this focus will be considered for grants in the amount of either $500 or $1,000. Children and/or young adults (ages 5-18) who are interested in attending theater arts camps, workshops, conferences, or other theater-related programs but are not able to attend because of financial need are encouraged to apply for individual grants. Theater companies who receive Scarlet Sock Foundation grants will be invited to share their projects at the foundation’s annual gala in 2020. The Vintage Cellar East We are a large vintage mall in The Keystone Mill in Easthampton, MA.  Check us out if you are a local playhouse or theatre looking to rent props or even buy props for period pieces that can be reused. Please feel free to email or call 413 977 1978.  WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Happier Valley Comedy presents Zen of Improv for Teens July 26 at 6:00 - 9:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley Would you like to learn a joyful and easeful approach to improv comedy? Could you use some practice in mindfulness? turning off your judgmental mind? being brave? Would you like to become more confident speaking in public? New to improv and curious about how this whole improv comedy thing works? Or have you done some improv and want to learn a different approach? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, Zen of Improv for Teens Workshop would be an ever so lovely way to spend a few hours laughing and learning together. Happier Valley Comedy's founder and Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers this one-time exploration of her Zen of Improv approach specifically for folks 15-18 years old. Pam's philosophy is a very gentle, very easeful approach to improv comedy in a positive and accepting atmosphere. Through improv comedy exercises and games, we practice the vital improvisation skills of paying attention acutely, accepting other people's ideas, redefining and disempowering failure, staying in the moment, quieting your critical voice to invite more joy and ease into life. Then we'll apply those skills to fun improv games, like Word-at-a-Time Proverbs, Gibberish Interpreter, and Late for School. No experience necessary. Being funny is not required! Everyone can improvise. (No joke.)  Join Pam for the Zen of Improv. It’s good for the stage, and it’s good for the soul! Pre-requisite: None! Just be 15-18 years old and interested in learning improv! More information. STCC presents The Play's The Thing Program runs July 29-August 2 $279 STCC Campus A week of theater immersion for kids ages 11-14 that includes theater games, improvisation, and an adaptive short play performed at the end of the week for family and friends. This week of theater builds social skills, confidence, and self-esteem. More information. Real Live Theatre presents Choreographing Intimacy: a one-day intensive for all theatre practitioners August 17 at 10:00 AM 45 Amherst Road, Sunderland MA 01375 “Intimacy Choreography” is a relatively new concept, having emerged out of a need to protect actors from unsafe working conditions and blurred boundaries. It is an important practice not only for the mental, physical, and emotional health of actors, but also for the experience of the audience: the more safe and grounded the performers, the more electric the scene. Utilizing techniques from multiple disciplines, including yoga, dance, and theater, Ellen and Toby will guide participants through a safe and specific process to develop choreography that feels motivated and appropriate for characters and situation, as well as authentic and dynamic in terms of external behaviors. •As a performer, the take away will include language with which to speak to your director and co-actors and tools to create safe working conditions when there aren’t any.  •As a director, teacher, or choreographer, you will learn how to build a safe environment, lead exercises to create trust within that environment, and utilize specific skills for analyzing and staging intimate moments. •As an arts administrator, you will learn best practices for ensuring safe working conditions for your employees. Check out the website for all the logistics and to register. Register by July 20 and receive $25 off the workshop cost! Email Ellen and Toby with any questions. Submit your workshop or class or audition or performance or job or any other theatre opportunity here! Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies Is your theatre company missing? Email me! Academy of Music Theatre Arena Civic Theatre Black Cat Theater Chester Theatre Company Cold Spring Community Theatre Drama Studio Double Edge Theatre Eggtooth Productions Exit 7 Players Franklin County Youth Theater Ghost Light Theater Greenfield Community College's Theater Department Hampshire Shakespeare Company Happier Valley Comedy Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts K and E Theater Group Ko Theater Works/Ko Festival of Performance Majestic Theater New Century Theatre No Theater PaintBox Theatre Panopera Pauline Productions Real Live Theatre Red Thread Theater Royal Frog Ballet Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Silverthorne Theater Smith College Department of Theatre St. Michael's Players Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. Strident Theatre TheatreTruck Turbulent Times Theater UMass Theatre Guild Valley Light Opera Westfield Theatre Group Wilbraham United Players 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|*