Pioneer Valley Theatre News July 8, 2021

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Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser July 8 - 28, 2021 There may be a few spots left in Juanita Rockwell's workshop this weekend - take a look at the KoFest website to find out - and while you are there, book your tickets for their summer performances! The Magic City Massacre is available on demand through July 18, and Moving Water starts the weekend following - live for four performances, then virtual the weekend after.  Summer theatre reopenings in the Advocate - online and in print! - this week. Read it here. The next issue will include events from July 15 through August 4. 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 Ko Festival of Performance & Serious Play Theatre Ensemble present MOVING WATER LIVE July 22-25, VIRTUAL July 30-August 1 Tickets Available Ko Festival Workshop: Transforming Your Writing by Resting Your Mind July 10-11 / Level 2: July 17-18 More Info and Register Here YOUR EVENT HERE $5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing! Email me to reserve your dates. Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Google Calendar Click to Access: Pioneer Valley Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet THIS WEEK IN THEATRE NEWS: from Howlround And It Feels Good The Responsibility of Theatre, and the Imagining of a World Without Oppression by Dane Figueroa Edidi From the article:  Before theatre was thought of as a commercial machine, before the great theatrical amphitheaters of Greece, there were the storytelling traditions of Africa that demonstrated the direct connection between art and spirituality. These traditions also demonstrated the ways in which artists, being holders of the spiritual heart of the community, were often taken care of and revered. Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com LIVE PERFORMANCES “FOURTEEN WEDDING DRESSES” NEXT UP IN SILVERTHORNE THEATER NEW PLAY READING SERIES   Local playwright and long-time Silverthorne Theater company member Steve Henderson has penned a truly unique play, Fourteen Wedding Dresses, for the third second of STC’s Theater Thursday new play reading series on Thursday, July 15. Under the direction of Keith Langsdale, the reading will be performed live at 7:30 pm in the LAVA Center at 324 Main Street, Greenfield.   The reading is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a discussion with the playwright. It will be streamed live on Silverthorne’s YouTube channel as well, and remote viewers will be able to join a Zoom session following the reading to give feedback. Full details are available at https://silverthornetheater.org/play-reading-series/.   Jimmy and Vivian are frightened teenagers running away from their small town home in Kentucky to get married.  They fear not only for themselves but for their younger siblings Missy and Henry. They offer the best advice they can on how to stay safe and promise to return in a few years. But nothing goes as planned. Decades pass. Henry and Missy narrow their lives into a strange and heartbreaking cycle until the arrival of a young visitor exposes secrets and lies that rip their desperate routine to rags and tatters.   A strong cast will read the varied roles: Missy will be played by Cate Damon; Rand Foerster will read the role of Henry. Samantha Choquette will play Young Vivian, with Jimmy Murphy reading Jimmy.    Kimberly Salditt-Poulin will play the adult Vivian, and Linda Tardif reads the role of Gracie, grand-niece to Henry and Missy. Director Keith Langsdale most recently filmed his solo performance in The Tattooed Man Tells All for Silverthorne during 2020, and directed our 2019 production of The Diary of Anne Frank.   Henderson is well-known in the Valley and beyond as an actor and playwright, and as author of Senior Theater, a comprehensive approach to producing theater by, for and with seniors. He co-wrote Silverthorne’s 2018 production of White, Black & Blue, and has had  another play in the Theater Thursday series, Sandwich, in 2019. Silverthorne produced his Jerry and Ed in 2015. The Kentucky setting for Fourteen Wedding Dresses is influenced by visits to his brother who has lived there since the seventies.      An integral part of Silverthorne Theater Company’s mission is to promote the development of new work, especially by Western Massachusetts and New England playwrights. Theater Thursdays is supported in part by a grant from the Greenfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Conway, Deerfield, Northfield, and Shelburne Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.   Theater Thursdays 2021 is a series of free rehearsed readings of new, or new to us plays, begun in 2019. All are followed by audience discussions. The purpose of the readings is to give a platform for new work to be heard, and when possible, to be able to give playwrights direct audience feedback.  It also gives Silverthorne a look at plays that we might consider for full production in future seasons. Complete information for each reading may be found at https://silverthornetheater.org.   Serious Play Theatre Ensemble and Ko Festival of Performance present MOVING WATER   In the face of rising sea levels, a new devised theatre piece about climate change, & how water fragility shapes our human interactions… LIVE: July 22-25, Thurs.– Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 4pm with a talkback   Workroom Theatre | APE@Hawley | Arts Trust | 33 Hawley St., Northampton   WEB: July 30–Aug 1, Fri. & Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 4pm with talkbacks via online through Ko Festival of Performance Multi-camera recording by Northampton Open Media  ALL TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT https://kofest.com a 2-year collaboration by Serious Play Theatre Ensemble  written by Eric Henry Sanders  direction: Sheryl Stoodley  original music: Jonny Rodgers  set & video design: Robin Doty  lighting design Sabrina Hamilton  with actors: Kermit Dunkelberg, Ximena Salmerón, Will Swyers Questions: seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com or 413-588-7439 And check out the new Serious Play website: seriousplay.org SILVERTHORNE THEATER PRESENTS ITS GALA LIVE MUSICAL REVUE A BROADWAY CABARET What better way to celebrate the return of live theater than with music? In its first major post-pandemic production, Silverthorne Theater Company presents A Broadway Cabaret, onstage August 6-8 in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield. Nine singer/actors will perform tunes from Broadway’s Golden Age shows – solos and ensemble numbers presented for audiences seated at cabaret tables arranged for maximum comfort and following all health guidelines. Performances are at 7:30 pm on Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7, with a matinee on Sunday, August 8 at 3 pm at Hawks & Reed PAC, 289 Main Street, Greenfield. General admission or reserved stage-side table seating tickets may be purchased at Eventbrite.com (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-broadway-cabaret-tickets-159859338585).  A Broadway Cabaret is a fundraiser for Silverthorne which, like all other live theaters, saw drastically reduced revenues during the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. Details at https://silverthornetheater.org/special-events   In recognition of their extraordinary service provided to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of tickets for each performance have been donated to local health care workers.   Veteran Silverthorne director John Reese (Greenfield) is staging the show, with Ben Ware (Greenfield) as Music Director. The ensemble of ten featured singers includes Kyle Boatwright (Amherst), David Cavallin (Easthampton), Thom Griffin (Colrain), Elysse Link (Amherst), Moe McElligott (Northampton), Larry Picard (Northampton), Rich Vaden (Holyoke), Jake Venet (Amherst), and Carol Wrobleski (Florence). Joan Haley(Conway) is Producer for the show, with Robby Moore (Leyden) as Stage Manager and John Iverson (Bernardston) as Technical Director.   To ensure the comfort of audience members, as pandemic restrictions have been lifted, precautions will be taken during the performances. All cast and crew members have been fully vaccinated, and we will provide masks if any patrons request them. Refreshments will be available throughout the show at the Hawks & Reed bar in The Perch.  “It is our fondest hope that the joy of live entertainment will enable all to thoroughly appreciate being back together again!” said Producer Joan Haley.   Though Silverthorne Theater managed to continue working during the COVID-19 shutdown with several well-received virtual productions, the normal sources of revenue to cover the expense of maintaining personnel and office space was drastically reduced. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to ensuring the start-up of our 2021-22 season can proceed as planned. VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES Ko Festival of Performance streams last summer’s Zoom presentation of "The Magic City Massacre” on demand through July 18th. With a cast of 14, Deletta Gillespie’s play tells the story of one of the most prosperous black communities in the history of the United States, how Tulsa came to be the site of the worst incidence of civil unrest second only to the Civil War, and why almost one-hundred years later, most Americans still don’t know about it. Post show panel discussion features Darly Davis, an African-American man known for his efforts to convince Klu Klux Klansment to leave and denounce the KKK. Information and sliding scale tickets are available at https://kofest.com. Theater Between Addresses Plague Wedding Performances are July 9 & 10, 7:30 pm est Particiaptory Livestream via Youtube Plague Wedding, by Abigail Weaver, is a spectacle of song, drama and survival. Performing two nights ONLY via participatory livestream on YouTube: July 9th & 10th at 7:30 PM EST. The piece runs approximately 45 minutes, and we invite your participation via the chat throughout. Director - Ezekiel Baskin Stage Manager - Eva Shannon-Dabek Director of Photography - Liz Walber Costume Designer - Nancy Clay Gregory Lighting Designer - Achaetey Kabal Set Designer - Alan Schneider Dramaturg - Zeydi Gold-Shapiro Publicist - Jenine Jacinto Starring Syl Simmons, Aria Acevedo, Stephen Fruchtman, and Nancy Clay Gregory Featuring the musical talents of Rachel Leader, Rebecca Mac, Ariel Shapiro, and Mattias Kaufmann Produced with the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Northampton Arts Council, South Hadley Local Cultural Council, Amherst Local Cultural Council, Hadley Local Cultural Council, and Eggtooth Productions. Facebook event. The stream will be available for free on our Youtube Channel, live at 7:30 EST on 7/09 and 7/10.  From the New England New Play Alliance: Virtual Theatre and Audio Plays   Theater Between Addresses presents Plague Wedding by Abigail Weaver July 9 and 10 directed by Ezekiel Baskin A centuries-old Ashkenazi folk tradition gets a doomsday reboot in 2020 Western Mass, courtesy of a smooth talking local talk-show host, a wannabe jester, and a very unhappy bride and groom. Link to stream on Friday and Saturday: free.   Cape Cod Theatre Project presents Tiny Father by Mike Lew July 8 and 10 directed by  Moritz von Stuelpnagel   A slice-of-life comedy about parenthood: Daniel’s “friends with benefits” relationship comes to a screeching halt when he suddenly finds himself the new father to a months-premature baby. His guide in the strange purgatory of hospital living is a grizzled oversharing nurse named Caroline. Tickets: $25. SILVERTHORNE THEATER ANNOUNCES RADIO PRODUCTION FUNDRAISER -  FOXFINDER Silverthorne Theater brings back the days of radio drama with its production of Dawn King’s haunting play, Foxfinder. A fundraiser for the theater, the show will be broadcast one time only at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 24, on the Company’s YouTube channel. Listeners will be sent the link to the special broadcast with their donation of any size. Details can be found on the Silverthorne website at https://silverthornetheater.org/special-events   Veteran director Ellen Kaplan directs an all-star cast of actors, including Frank Aronson, Jarice Hanson, Stephanie Carlson and Kevin Tracy as they bring the futurist tale to life. Cate Boram is sound designer, and Sophia Pichanick stage manages the production. All are donating their services in the interest of assisting Silverthorne as the theater recovers from the past year of shuttered venues.   Foxfinder is a play of suspense, a thriller, a story of power, zealotry and self-denial, that puts a sinister shadow on our very near future.  It is a study in power, in suppressed sexuality, in a fascist mindset manifested in a young boy sent on a mission to force compliance, deny feelings, and – to eradicate foxes, which we cannot see but which are everywhere.  Originally set in rural England, Kaplan has moved the action to the equally appropriate American farm country where at some future time, climate change has severely impacted the profitability of the farmers. Government regulations and a carefully orchestrated fear-mongering campaign stretch their already taut emotions to the breaking point. Though Silverthorne Theater managed to continue working during the COVID-19 shutdown with several well-received virtual productions, the normal sources of revenue to cover the expense of maintaining personnel and office space was drastically reduced. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to ensuring the start-up of our 2021-22 season can proceed as planned. Serious Play Theatre Ensemble and Ko Festival of Performance present MOVING WATER   In the face of rising sea levels, a new devised theatre piece about climate change, & how water fragility shapes our human interactions… WEB: July 30–Aug 1, Fri. & Sat. at 8pm, Sun. at 4pm with talkbacks via online through Ko Festival of Performance Multi-camera recording by Northampton Open Media  ALL TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT https://kofest.com a 2-year collaboration by Serious Play Theatre Ensemble  written by Eric Henry Sanders  direction: Sheryl Stoodley  original music: Jonny Rodgers  set & video design: Robin Doty  lighting design Sabrina Hamilton  with actors: Kermit Dunkelberg, Ximena Salmerón, Will Swyers Questions: seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com or 413-588-7439 And check out the new Serious Play website: seriousplay.org AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES MAJESTIC THEATER ANNOUNCES JULY AUDITION SCHEDULE FOR 2021-2022 SEASON Auditions for both Equity and non-Equity performers for roles in the upcoming 2021-2022 Season will be held in July according to Producing Director Danny Eaton.  This will be the 24th Season of performances since the Majestic was re-opened for live theater in March 1997.   Auditions will be held on the following dates:   Wednesday, July 21 – 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 22 – 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Friday, July 23 – 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 24 – 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.   Non-Equity performers will need to schedule their in-person auditions at the Majestic during those times.  To book an audition time, performers must call the theater at (413) 747-7797.   Equity performers are required to audition via video submission to be sent to dannye@majestictheater.com by July 15.  For more information about the video submission, please visit www.actorsequity.org  Callbacks will be conducted in-person at the theater.   Actors will be auditioned for parts in the following productions: “Don’t Dress for Dinner” (comedy) which runs October 28 – December 5, 2021, “Betty & The Patch” (contemporary comedy/drama) which runs January 6 – February 13, 2022, and “Blithe Spirit” (comedy) which runs February 24 – April 3, 2022.   Non-Equity performers new to the Majestic should prepare a brief monologue of their choice, and bring a picture and resume.  They will also be asked to read from prepared script selections.    People auditioning and performing at the Majestic must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.     The Majestic endured a temporary closing beginning in March 2020 in response to the pandemic.  The theater will re-open on August 7 and present the remaining dates of “The Pitch,” the drama that was mid-run when the theater closed.  Silverthorne Theater Company, Greenfield, MA, is seeking a stage manager for their fall 2021 production, Charles Ludlam's The Mystery of Irma Vep - the classic quick-change parody of Gothic horror and monster movies, directed by Chris Rohmann. Rehearsals begin the last week of August - mostly three rehearsals per week until late September - opening on October 1st for three weekends at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.  Responsibilities include facilitating rehearsals and production meetings; keeping book; maintaining schedules, contact lists & other materials; maintaining communications among cast and crew; and overseeing tech rehearsals and performances. There is a stipend of $750 for the position. Contact Chris with interest and/or questions: Skyscraper@crocker.com or 413-532-5321. CitySpace requests your thoughts - before July 10! Are you a performer, musician, event maker, local arts organization affiliate, or Western Massachusetts community member? CitySpace seeks your feedback about the first-floor performance and event space in Easthampton's Old Town Hall. We are looking to better understand your needs to create successful events and performances.  Take the Quick Survey The Theater Project, inc., dba Majestic Theater, located in West Springfield, Massachusetts is seeking an immediate hire for a Technical Director / Carpenter. The Majestic is a year-round 229 seat professional theater operating under and SPT6 contract with Actors Equity Association. We produce a five play subscription season September to June, in July and August a three production Children’s Theater, and musical concerts over the Summer. More at: majestictheater.com This is a full time position which requires a number of years of hands-on experience in live theater and a skill set that includes carpentry, welding, and rigging. The Technical Director should also be versed in both stage lighting and sound design. He/She is responsible for maintaining the scene shop in good working order with a focus always on safety. Additionally, from time to time, there may be repair and/or maintenance projects at the theater itself for which the TD is responsible. This is a full-time year round position with a salary of $40,040 and may include benefits. To apply, please send an email telling us of your interest and why you think you’d best fit this position. Please also include your professional resume. eMail to: dannye@majestictheater.com Danny Eaton, Producing Director MAJESTIC THEATER 131 Elm Street West Springfield, MA 01089 www.majestictheater.com WORKSHOPS & CLASSES WORKSHOPS TRANSFORMING YOUR WRITING BY RESTING YOUR MIND a meditation and writing workshop with JUANITA ROCKWELL JULY 10 - 11, 1pm - 4pm EST Whether we write for our own pleasure or for others, to be read on the page or to be spoken aloud, we want our writing to reflect our experience of the world. But our habitual thinking and the ways we tell these stories become a kind of spell of doing, of busy-ness; a spell that binds us, separates us from others, and limits our authentic expression. If we release this imprint of Doing, what might happen if we can rest in the stillness, silence and spaciousness of our Being? In this two-day, small group workshop, you will learn practices that will ... Read more...   TRANSFORMING YOUR WRITING BY CLEARING YOUR MIND (level 2) a meditation and writing workshop with JUANITA ROCKWELL JULY 17 - 18, 1pm - 4pm EST This workshop provides opportunities to deepen the work begun in Transforming Your Writing by Resting your Mind, Read more... Phantom Sheep Productions LaughCrafters: Connections July 19 at 7:00 PM Come play short-form improv games with us in a fun casual online environment! All levels welcome! Keep your brains in shape, meet awesome people, laugh, and stay connected! Although this is not a class, we will take a moment to go over the basics of each game so everyone can participate. Fee: Free/Pay what you can. (Suggested donation: $5) Facebook event Phantom Sheep Productions is also hosting a teen improv workshop on July 21st, and an in person Jam at Unity House Players on July 26th West Springfield Public Library Teen improv workshop July 21 at 3pm Enjoy a free online workshop with the Phantom Sheep Players, as they lead a series of hilarious games! You’ll be part of the action creating comedy yourself learning industry secrets in Improvisation! OPEN TO TEENS AGES 13-17 Provided by the West Springfield Library Sponsored by Friends of the Library Register online at tinyurl.com/WSPLimprov to reserve your spot today! Phantom Sheep Productions is also hosting an online Improv Jam for adults on July 19th, and an in-person jam At Unity House Players on July 26th. Hampshire Shakespeare Company Educational Theater Workshop August 2-6 at 9:00 AM Virtual & Williston School In this half day program students will learn age-appropriate storytelling and performance skills from home for the first few days, and work together to present on Friday. Come practice acting, public speaking, empathy, creative writing, prop making, costume designing, resiliency, and play (just to name a few!) with us. More info. Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents Young Company Two Day Workshop August 12 and 13, 10 am - 4pm Williston Northampton School Two day theater lab exploring Shakespeare's Macbeth led by Hannah Simms and Adam Lee Secor. Ages 13-18, no experience needed. Performance for invited audience at end. This is an outdoor event. https://forms.gle/SQNKR4qLrikgTwXeA Submit your workshop, class, audition, performance, or any other theatre opportunity here! Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies Academy of Music Theatre Arena Civic Theatre Black Cat Theater Chester Theatre Company CitySpace Cold Spring Community Theatre Completely Ridiculous Productions 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 Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts K and E Theater Group Ko Theater Works/Ko Festival of Performance Majestic Theater No Theater Northampton Community Arts Trust Northampton Playwrights Lab PaintBox Theatre Panopera Pauline Productions Performance Project Real Live Theatre Red Thread Theater Royal Frog Ballet Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Shakespeare Stage Shea Theater Arts Center Silverthorne Theater Smith College Department of Theatre St. Michael's Players Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. Strident Theatre TheatreTruck Turbulent Times Theater UMass Department of 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 TV/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|*