Pioneer Valley Theatre News September 26, 2019

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser   September 26 - October 16, 2019 This is your chance to be a part of the restoration of the second floor of the Old Town Hall in Easthampton! It's a beautiful unobstructed space, perfect for a flexible performance venue - exactly what CitySpace is currently raising money to create. Please donate whatever you can to make this project a reality. Your support of CitySpace is truly a donation to all the performing arts companies and creators in the Pioneer Valley - a flexible, accessible, affordable venue will provide a home to all kinds of performance. Speaking of the Old Town Hall - stay tuned for more information about the Old Town Hall Ball. It will be held at Eastworks on Saturday, October 19. Tickets are available now - and only $15 until October 1. Want to volunteer at the event (perhaps in a historic outfit!) and get in for free? Send me an email. The next issue will include events through October 23. 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 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 You Must Kick Up a Fuss by Matilda Ibini and Oladipo Agboluaje From the article:  Matilda Ibini: We have really similar backgrounds—we were both born in Hackney but come from Nigerian descent—and have had amazing conversations when you’ve come to my flat or when you visited me when I was doing my residency at the National Theatre Studio in London. As Black writers in the UK, there was a clear understanding between us of the barriers we faced. There aren’t many of us here, so when you do find someone, you want to hold onto them and say, “You’re my kin. I’m gonna come to you about everything.” Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Google Calendar PERFORMANCES Smith College Department of Theatre New Play Reading Series presents Two Short Radio Plays by Alex Page curated by Tanyss Rhea Martula directed by Mary Beth Brooker and Marty Bongfeldt Thursday, September 26 at 7:30 PM in Acting Studio 1, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, Smith College   THE CANCELLED SKY: The playwright imagines relatives, including his grandmother, taking their last train ride in 1944. To Auschwitz.    ONCE IN A GOLDEN HOUR: A solo interpretation of two strangers meeting on a beach.    These readings are to share and honor the writing of Alex Page, a warm, funny unforgettable man who taught in the UMASS/ Amherst English Department for 35 years and died last year at the age of 94.    Smith graduate student Mary Beth Brooker, among others, will participate in the readings. Tanyss Rhea Martula, Smith '66, is curating the evening for Len Berkman. Free. SILVERTHORNE THEATER PRESENTS “THE REVOLUTIONISTS” – LAUREN GUNDERSON’S COMIC TAKE ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION   Silverthorne’s fall kicks off with its mainstage production of Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists, a very different take on the French Revolution from the viewpoint of four prominent women of the time. Dates for the production are September 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 pm. Tickets for Thursdays are $20 general admission, $18 student/senior (65+). Tickets for Friday and Saturday night shows are $25 general admission, $20 student/senior (65+.) Tickets are available through Eventbrite.com or by calling the Box Office at 413-768-7514. The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.    A brutal comedic quartet about four very real women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. This fast-paced play centers on the lives of feminist playwright Olympe De Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen Marie Antoinette, & Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle who hang out, murder Marat, lose their heads, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in revolutionary Paris.  The director brings a cabaret aesthetic to Silverthorne’s production; audiences can expect a fluidity of performance space and interconnection between actors and audience.   Director Gina Kaufmann brings a very impressive background to her Silverthorne debut, having a long list of professional and academic productions to her credit in Chicago, New York, the Berkshires, here in the Valley and elsewhere in the US. A member of The Directors and Choreographers Society, she just completed three years as chair of the UMass Amherst Department of Theater where she is Associate Professor in the MFA Directing Program.     The cast of The Revolutionists includes Brianna Sloane* (Sunderland) as Olympe de Gouges. Sloane is founder and director of TheatreTruck,, a Valley collaborative that crafts mobile and site-specific performance, and most recently hosted “413 Says #Close the Camps.” Kyle Boatwright (Amherst) plays Marianne Angelle. An Amherst College graduate, Boatwright performed in Silverthorne’s 2017 production of Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris, and is one of the founding members of Strident Theatre.  Eileen Vandewalle (Danvers), who appears as Charlotte Corday, graduated from the UMass Amherst Theater program in May. Julie Nelson* (Amherst), who plays Marie Antoinette, just retired from her position as Theater Professor at UMass where she taught Acting as well as Clown, a skill she will bring to her portrayal of the famous French queen. (*Members of Actors Equity Association)   Ezekiel Baskin (Northampton) will stage manage the production; John Iverson (Bernardston), Tech Director, handles set, sound and lighting design. Costume design is by Christina Beam; Tatiana Godfrey will serve as dramaturg for the production.  Carmela Lanza-Weil (Shelburne Falls) and Rebecca Daniels (Turners Falls) are co-producers for the show.    Ticket and reservation information may be found on Silverthorne’s web site:https://silverthornetheater.orgTickets for all shows are currently available at Eventbrite.com (type in the nameThe Revolutionists), or by calling 413-768-7514. Patrons can use credit cards at the door or over the phone.  “THE TUNA GODDESS” LAUNCHES MAJESTIC'S 23rd SEASON  SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 13 Season Subscriptions, Single Tickets Available for Mix of Musicals, Comedy, Thrills and Drama The Majestic Theater's 23rd Season will kick off with “The Tuna Goddess,” which will run September 5 through October 13, according to Producing Director Danny Eaton. The comedy/drama by Jade Schuyler tells the story of Alexandra Durning who grew up in Chatham, MA on her father Norman's fishing boat, the Harley X, but left years ago for an advertising career in Boston. She returns to settle her father's estate only to discover that he left his boat to both her and his first mate, Pete, her childhood best friend. Alex isn't interested in the boat and wants to return to Boston and her fiance, but Pete can't afford to buy her out. Alex decides to stay for one fishing season and signs on as Pete's first mate, confronting both her past and future. The play has been described as a “soaring, gritty and emotional play that will have you laughing uncontrollably one minute and then crying with heartbreak the next.” The cast includes Lexi Langs (Alexandra), Erick Kastel (Pete), Cate Damon (Deb), Tom Dahl (Sully), Rob Clark (Norman), Liam Toner (Shawn), Larkin Fox (young Alex) and Noah Tuleta (Richard). Danny Eaton will direct with set design by Greg Trochlil. Gary LaMagna is stage manager, Dawn McKay is costume designer and Dan Rist is lighting designer. Production manager is Stephen Petit and Aurora Ferraro is associate production manager. Single tickets are now available and range from $26 to $34. They can be purchased over the phone by calling (413) 747-7797 or visiting the box office. Happier Valley Comedy presents The Happier Valley Championship September 28 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, September 28th 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. The HCC Alumni Players presents Phillips Festival 2019 September 28 at 7:30 PM Leslie Phillips Theater Holyoke Community College Holyoke, MA An evening of original one act plays.   From Concept to Curtain in just ONE day! All proceeds to benefit the Leslie Phillips Fund for Theater Arts and Education at Holyoke Community College. Tickets. “Experiencing the World of Japanese Noh Theater—Featuring Hisa Uzawa and Hikaru Uzawa”   One of the first women to act as a lead performer in a traditional Noh lineage, Hisa Uzawa is a prominent member of the Tessenkai branch of the Kanze School of Noh theater in Tokyo. She has been designated as a “Living Cultural Treasure” by the Japanese government. She and her daughter Hikaru, also an accomplished professional actor, will introduce the dynamics and techniques of the 650-year tradition that lies at the heart of the Noh theater. The Uzawas will perform climactic dance sequences from Hagoromo, and present behind-the-scenes details of chanting, choreography, elaborate costumes, masks. Noh theater combines music, dance, and acting in order to communicate emotions and Buddhist themes. An intimate glimpse of one of the world’s major performing arts traditions!   Sunday, September 29, 2019 Experiencing the World of Japanese Noh Theater—Featuring Hisa Uzawa and Hikaru Uzawa Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, 4:00-5:30pm Open to the Public   SPONSORS: Sponsored by the Smith College Departments of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Theatre, Dance, the Program in East Asian Studies, the Ada Howe Kent Fund, the Endowed Lecture Fund and the Japan Foundation. CitySpace presents Tours of the Second Floor of Easthampton's Old Town Hall September 29 at 7:00 PM October 5 at 7:00 PM October 12 at 6:00 PM and possibly other additional dates  Join us on a tour of the second floor of Old Town Hall. Whether you're headed to Art Walk Easthampton or off to one Easthampton's fine restaurants like Galaxy or Coco & The Cellar Bar, join us for a guided walk through of the second floor of Old Town Hall. Tour is free and open to the public. Learn more about the project cityspaceeasthampton.org/transformation Free - no reservations necessary, but you can RSVP to a Facebook event. The Understudies: An Improvised Musical!  October 5th at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)  Be part of the fun as four improvisers create an entire musical from scratch. Saturday, October 5th 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. Eggtooth Productions presents Morning Vodka with Mr. Drag and Karl In celebration of difference, world-renowned performers Mr. Drag and Karl will perform Morning Vodka with special musical guests at 10 Forward (formerly the Root Cellar), on Saturday, October 5 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 6 at 7:30 pm. 10 Forward is located under Mesa Verde on Miles Street in Greenfield. Said Mr. Drag, “Mr Drag and Karl have played worldwide to tens of people and are now back in the Pioneer Valley to bring their comedy/cabaret show here. Morning Vodka is the continuation of Mr Drag and Karl’s talk show. Mr Drag will regale you with stories of his past in story and song while downing copious amounts of vodka. Karl will dance the night away while bumbling his way through the show. And there will be a special musical guest! Mr Drag is old and tired and needs a break. Seating is limited so get your tickets now!” The Mr. Drag and Karl show is a cabaret/comedy show featuring the duo of Joe Dulude II (whose images were vandalized) and Kat Adler. They have been working together in their signature style reminiscent of George Burns and Gracie Allen in a show filled with song and dance and storytelling for three years. Tickets for Mr. Drag and Karl are $15 and available at http://www.rootcellarbar.com/calendar and the photos/projection light show is free to the public. UMass Theater presents Baltimore, a play to spark a timely conversation BALTIMORE by Kirsten Greenidge directed by Josh Glenn-Kayden Performance Details Oct. 10, 11, 16, 17, 19 at 7:30 Oct. 12 & 19 at 2 School matinee: Oct. 16 at 10 Oct. 18 at 4 Rand Theater This production runs 90 minutes, followed immediately by a 30-minute discussion Tickets $5 students and seniors, $15 general admission. Call 1-800-999-UMAS or reserve your tickets through the Fine Arts Center Box Office Content Advisory This production includes: Hate-based language When a racially-charged incident divides her first-year students, reluctant resident advisor Shelby finds herself in the middle of a conversation she does not want to have. As pressure to address the controversy mounts from residents, the new dean, and even her best friend, Shelby must decide if she will enter the fray or watch her community come apart at the seams.   Sharp, funny, and searing, Baltimore is not only a timely drama about racism on college campuses, but a reminder that each one of us carries unique experiences and understandings of the world that influence how we move through it.   This play asks us to recognize that we each negotiate the world differently, and that, when we acknowledge this, we are better able to combat our biases and assumptions to help build a stronger, more inclusive community where we see each other for who we really are.   “I see the production as only half of the work. The other half is using this play to spark larger discussions at this university about what is happening on this campus and in this country and how we can all work towards positive change,” says director and second-year graduate student, Josh Glenn-Kayden. “I believe theater is a great way to have the hard conversations, and Baltimore is all about having those conversations.”   Join us after each performance where we will gather with undergraduate facilitators for post-show discussions about the play and how we as a community can create the language we need for introducing positive and lasting change on our campus and in our larger community.   And, while the incident in the play is different in scope than some of those experienced in our community recently, we hope that our production creates space for community members to talk productively with each other about issues like race, discrimination, and identity.   Presented in collaboration with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Student Affairs and Campus Life. Exit 7 Players present Legally Blonde October 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 at 8pm; October 13, 20, 27 at 2pm Exit 7 Theater, 37 Chestnut Street, Ludlow, MA 01056 Based on the novel and the hit-movie of the same name, Legally Blonde: the Musical chronicles the journey of the famously perky Elle Woods, a fashion-savvy, UCLA sorority girl who finds her life turned upside down when she is dumped by her boyfriend Warner. In an effort to prove to Warner that she is more than just some blonde sorority girl, she follows him to Harvard Law, where she struggles to fit in and do well. Ultimately, she defies expectations and manages to stay true to her delightfully pink personality. Director: Meaghan Farrell Music Director: Dan Monte Choreographer: Marybeth Mizula Producers: Chris Climo, Kelly Fellows Stage Managers: Kelly Fellows, Jordan Gawron Exit7players.org The Ha-Ha's & Friends!  October 12th at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA)  Local favorites since 2003, The Ha-Ha's perform alongside special guests each month. Saturday, October 12th 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 24 Hour Theater Project Auditions for the Northampton 24 Hour Theater Project Saturday, September 28th, 2019, 1pm-3pm 33 Hawley St, Northampton, MA 01060 Ever wanted to be a part of the Northampton 24 Hour Theater Project? Now's your chance! Walk-in auditions for the 24 Hour Theater Project will take place on Saturday, September 28th, 1pm to 3pm at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley St, in the downstairs studio. Auditions will be cold readings; no other preparation is required. Please email Susanna Apgar at s.apgar@gmail.com with any questions. No appointments are necessary! We look forward to seeing you soon.  The Academy of Music Theatre Announces Auditions for the musical Miss You Like Hell, book and lyrics by Quira Alegria Hudes, and music and lyrics by Erin McKeown. Performances on March 27 & 28, 2020 at the Academy of Music Theatre, 274 Main Street, Northampton, MA. All auditions and call backs to be held at the Academy of Music Theatre. You do not need to make an appointment to attend. Please see audition dates and times below. DATES AND TIMES: October 7th: featured roles and ensemble. Auditions from 6:30pm-10pm. Prepare a song of approximately 36 bars, a cappella or with backtrack. Auditions will include sides and dance and movement. October 8th: ensemble for those who are strong dancers and movers, who can sing a little. Auditions from 6:30pm-8pm. Auditions will include dance and movement. Callbacks will be held October 9 from 6:30-10pm. ROLE INFORMATION: 3 female and 3 male featured roles. Olivia: half-Latina, sixteen Beatriz: Mexican-American, late thirties to early forties Pearl: African-American, sixteen Mo: Southern, in retirement Higgins: also Southern, also in retirement Manuel: Peruvian, a day laborer, thirties to fifties Ensemble of singers who step into the story as a lawyer, an officer, a legal clerk, a guy at a motel desk, an ICE official: any gender For questions, please email Executive Director Debra J’Anthony at djanthony@aomtheatre.com. Seeking FOUR African-American actors: TWO women: (18-30), (40-60). TWO men: (18-30), (35-50) for Dominque Morriseau's SKELETON CREW.  Northampton Center for the Arts: May 14-17, 2020.  Actors will be paid.  For information and scripts contact Robert Freedman. 413-531-4164 - rpf1012@comcast.net WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Real Live Theatre presents Foundational Acting Techniques Workshop October 7, 14, 21, 28 at 6:30 PM Real Live Theatre This four-week workshop series taught by RLT members Toby Vera Bercovici & Jeannine Haas will explore the use of the body, voice, emotion, and intellect to create theatrical moments. It is designed both for actors and non-actors, and will encourage creative agency, risk-taking, choice-making, and a new perspective on oneself, both alone and in relationship to others. It will utilize techniques from improvisation and clown, as well as from practitioners Konstantin Stanislavski, Anne Bogart, Michael Chekhov, and others. This workshop series is most powerful when all four parts are taken, but each part can be taken individually - sign up for one, two, three, or all four dates!  Mondays in October, 6:30pm-9:30pm. Cost is $320 for whole series, or $100 per class. Payment plans & scholarships available. Email reallivetheatre@gmail.com for more info and to register. More information. The Northampton Arts Council is calling for funding proposals from artists, residents, organizations, and schools. Council grants support cultural activities in Northampton, Florence, and Leeds -- including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances, workshops, and lectures. Applications will be available online beginning September 1st and are due by October 15th.  For local guidelines and complete information on the Northampton Arts Council including information about previously funded projects, visit http://www.northamptonartscouncil.org/p/grants.html  Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at https://www.mass-culture.org/northampton 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 CitySpace 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 Northampton Playwrights Lab PaintBox Theatre Panopera Pauline Productions Real Live Theatre Red Thread Theater Royal Frog Ballet Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Shakespeare Stage 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 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 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|*