Pioneer Valley Theatre News March 17, 2022

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser March 17 - April 6, 2022 Congratulations to the Northampton Arts Trust on the $2.5 million to finish 33 Hawley Street! It's so exciting to see all the new venues popping up around the valley: Bombyx, and Marigold, and CitySpace and more! Check them out if you are looking for a spot to have a show! And check out the opportunity listed below for the new Pay It Forward program from CitySpace - free space and money for your work! The next issue will include events from March 24 - April 13. 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 Exit 7 Players present The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time March 11, 12, 18, 19 @ 8pm and March 12, 20 2pm Tickets and more information 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 Arts, Culture, and Commoning: A New/Old Path to Collective Transformation by Jamie Gahron and Matthew Glassman From the article:  The commons involves an identity shift... different roles and perspectives. We can escape from capitalist value chains by creating value networks of mutual commitment. It is by changing the micropatterns of social life on the ground with each other that we can begin to decolonize ourselves from history and culture. — David Bollier (1966–) and Silke Helfrich (1967–2021), authors and activists, Free, Fair, and Alive: The Insurgent Power of the Commons Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES Northampton High School Mamma Mia! The Musical Thursday, March 17 at 7pm, Friday March 18 7pm, Saturday March 19 2pm, Saturday March 19 7pm Northampton High School 380 Main Street Northampton, MA. Northampton High School is pleased to present Mamma Mia! The show is directed by Myka Plunkett, with choreography by Eddie Zitka and musical direction by Beau Flahive. The production features a live pit orchestra and a cast of more than 50 NHS students. Note: Masks are required and must be properly worn for the duration of the show. Buy tickets early - the last musical performed in 2019 sold out! When buying tickets online, be sure to select the date you want to attend. The musical has three evening shows (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) plus a Saturday matinee. We are absorbing the service fees for tickets, but we welcome donations if you are able to help us offset those fees. Questions? Contact the Northampton Musical Booster Club at northamptonmbc@gmail.com. Tickets BLITHE SPIRIT REVIVES MAJESTIC THEATER’S 24th SEASON MARCH 17 THROUGH APRIL 3   Blithe Spirit, a classic comedy by Noel Coward, will be presented at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater February 24 through April 3.  The opening of the show follows a brief hiatus in the Majestic’s 24th season of live theater that was caused by an uptick in reported cases of COVID in the region.   The story focuses on Charles, a socialite and successful writer who is researching the occult for his latest novel.  He arranges for clairvoyant Madame Arcati to hold a séance in his home, during which she inadvertently summons the ghost of Charles’ first wife Elvira, who has been dead for seven years.  Only Charles can see or hear Elvira; his current wife Ruth doesn’t believe Elvira exists.  The ghostly Elvira makes ongoing efforts to disrupt the marriage, including sabotaging Charles’ car in the hopes that he will join her in the spirit world.  Instead, it is Ruth who is killed in the car, and her ghost immediately comes back for revenge on Elvira.   Producing Director Danny Eaton feels certain the play will lift the spirits of its audience.  “We’re really glad to be reopening our doors after closing for a few weeks when COVID numbers were climbing in our area,” he stated.  “We were very dismayed to reschedule our January play, Betty and the Patch, for June of this year, but it really made sense, given the circumstances, and our mission to help keep attendees, performers and staff in good health.  We, along with everyone else, feel weary at times due to the pandemic, but Blithe Spirit will provide great laughs and we think audiences will really enjoy this solid comedy.”   Eaton reported that the down time was put to good use to upgrade amenities at the venue.  “We’ve installed all new carpeting, stage lighting and sound equipment.  New chairs have been ordered, and new HVAC systems are improving air quality throughout the theater and café.  We’ve been very busy during the time we’ve been closed,” he stated.   The cast of Blithe Spirit includes Fleece (Ruth), Russell Garrett (Charles), Jeannine Haas (Madame Arcati), Sara Corbyn Woolf (Elvira), Stuart Gamble (Dr. Bradman), Christine Voytko (Mrs. Bradman) and Caelie Flanagan (Edith).  Understudies include Myka Plunkett, Jack Grigoli, and Alexandra O’Halloran.   Sue Dziura, who is the associate producing director, is directing the play, Stephen Petit is production stage manager, and set design is by Greg Trochlil.  Costume designer is Dawn McKay, Dan Rist is lighting designer and Aurora Ferraro is the associate production manager. Exit Seven Players Ltd. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time March 18, 19 @ 8pm and March 20 2pm Exit Seven Players Theater, 37 Chestnut Street, Ludlow, MA Originally produced in London and on Broadway, the stage version of the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. “This adaptation by the acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens is intensely, innately theatrical; it is also funny and extremely moving…resonates with quality.” —Telegraph (London). “…just terrific…a profoundly moving play about adolescence, fractured families, mathematics, colours and lights…dazzling.” —Independent (London). “A beautiful, eloquent, dazzlingly inventive show about the wonders of life.” —Evening Standard (London). Curious Incident follows a critical period in the life of fifteen-year-old Christopher, a young man with an extraordinary brain. He is exceptional at math but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, detests being touched, and distrusts strangers. Now it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a “garden fork” (British for pitchfork, as the story is set in England.)  Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington, and he carefully records each fact of the crime. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his life. Through creative lighting and sound, clever staging and a versatile ensemble, Curious Incident invites the audience to embark upon a journey to understand the point of view of its unusual narrator and his completely unique way of interacting with the world. At times both comedic and heart-wrenching, Curious Incident is a timely examination of our assumptions about “normality” and neurodiversity. Directed by Michael O. Budnick, Produced by Jami Wilson and Christine Greene http://exit7players.org Happier Valley Comedy HVC's Fun Fridays: Storytelling Standup Showcase March 18 at 5:30 PM Happier Valley Comedy's Next Door Lounge (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA) Watch Happier Valley Comedy talent try out their latest material, laugh together, raise a glass, and support up-and-coming standup comedians. Doors open at 5:30. Showcase starts at 7pm. Tickets and more information. A.P.E.@Hawley and The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought Present: Bread & Puppet Theater Sunday, March 20, 6pm The Workroom, 33 Hawley Street Bread & Puppet comes to A.P.E at Hawley Street in Northampton, MA on Sunday, March 20th with Finished Waiting, a new show created this winter by B&P director, Peter Schumann and the storied Vermont troupe of puppeteers, carpenters, bus drivers, musicians, dancers, agitators and bread-bakers—many of whom do all of the above in the process of inventing Bread & Puppet's aesthetically iconic and politically plainspoken shows and bringing them to audiences far and wide.  Finished Waiting is a show for this moment of political, social, ecological, and epidemiological rupture and uncertainty, a moment in which many feel the seduction of a stance of waiting: waiting for the pandemic to be over, for better leaders to be elected, for actions to be taken by the powerful to respond to ecological catastrophe, for families to be reunited or seemingly eternal wars to end.   What do we do and where do we go when we're finished waiting? What transformations might be possible in our lives and in our politics if we stopped waiting for them to change, or for others to change first? How is it possible to recognize the moment in which we can set waiting aside and set out toward something—and, as importantly, how can we recognize the moment in which we can, at last, lay aside cherished innocences or bootless hopes, see what is for what it is, and act accordingly? How can it become possible for us to arise together and promote the arising of new worlds of collective possibility through collective uprising?  Bread & Puppet foments such practices of rising in the provocatively quotidian terms of “Domestic Resurrection”— under the banner of which aesthetic and spiritual sublimity are not at odds with political stridency and the rigors of traditional household chores.  In Finished Waiting, Bread & Puppet invites audiences throughout the Northeast to harken to these practices of uprising, and take heart from them—as we all participate in the satisfaction of another, equally fundamental kind of waiting: the waiting for spring's arrival after a long winter. With this show, Bread & Puppet seems to call on us to recognize how nature itself shows us what is possible and what can arise, when we abandon waiting and embrace transformation.  According to Schumann the show will star “the clock and its customers, skies, cities, mountains, forward dancers, backward dancers, a stop officer, and an eye divinity who teaches seeing to non-suspecting eyes.”  After the performance Bread & Puppet will serve its free sourdough rye bread with aioli, and Bread & Puppet’s “Cheap Art”—books, posters, postcards, pamphlets and banners from the Bread & Puppet Press—will be for sale. Purchase tickets online  K and E Theater Group Presents ALTAR BOYZ   K and E Theater Group will continue its supersized season by presenting the RAISE THE PRAISE Tour with the ALTAR BOYZ, at Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, in Northampton, March 24-27, 2022.   ALTAR BOYZ is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band on the last night of their national 'Raise the Praise' tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. With their tight harmonies and spectacular choreography, the ALTAR BOYZ will delight your audiences. As they perform their signature hits such as 'Rhythm In Me,' 'The Calling,' and 'I Believe,' the Boyz question their loyalty to each other and ask whether or not faith is really holding them together. They finally deliver a message of unity, that 'there is no star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice.'   Full of sharp parody, sinfully spectacular dancing and irreverent humor, ALTAR BOYZ has been adored by audiences all over the world. With an extraordinary mix of side-splitting songs, uncontrollable laughs and light-hearted fun, this award-winning and totally original musical is 90 minutes of heavenly delight that is destined to rock the masses of all denominations!   The Boyz raising the praise are Dante Woods as Matthew, Michael DeVito as Mark, David Webber as Luke, Michael Luciano as Juan, and Christopher Marcus as Abraham. Bill Martin is the musical director. K and E Theater Group Artistic Director Eddie Zitka is the director and choreographer.   Performances run from Thursday, March 24, through Sunday, March 27, 2022. Tickets are general admission for $27.00. There is no reserved seating.   For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit KETG.org. ----- Winner of 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Best Off-Broadway Musical ALTAR BOYZ Book by Kevin Del Aguila Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler & Michael Patrick Walker Conceived by Marc Kessler & Ken Davenport Music Direction by Bill Martin Direction and Choreography by Eddie Zitka   * There may be flashing lights used in this production. ** Proof of vaccination and face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required for entrance and while seated at the Northampton Center for the Arts.  Springfield College Theater Antigone by Sophocles April 1 at 7:30 pm April 2 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm; and April 3 at 2:00 pm Fuller Arts Center, Springfield College, Springfield This fresh adaptation of a classic Greek drama tells the story of a rebellious young woman, Antigone, who resists a tyrannical political leader, the new king Creon, who happens to be her uncle! Our new version features the modern-day setting of a war-torn country, and the constant media, cameras, and reporters who press themselves into the middle of this family tragedy. A masterpiece of civil disobedience, Antigone explores the struggle of the individual with the laws of the state. Do the proud ever find joy? Whose truth matters? More information The Academy of Music Theatre AOM Season Series Presents: The Flick 4/7/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/8/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/9/22 at 7:30 PM, 4/10/22 at 2:00 PM The Academy of Music Theatre In a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35 millimeter film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lackluster, second-run movies on screen. With keen insight and a finely-tuned comic eye, The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world. 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Obie Award to Annie Baker for Playwriting; Obie Award to Matthew Maher for Sustained Excellence of Performance; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. https://www.aomtheatre.com/event/the-flick/ Ticket Prices: $20 + taxes & fees All patrons MUST wear a mask inside the theater while not eating or drinking. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Now casting for our spring production of Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses, show dates June 9-12. Rehearsals begin April 11. Callbacks (if needed) will be held at the High School on Friday, March 25. Actors will be doing cold reads from the script, sides given at auditions, no monologues necessary. MASKS REQUIRED (masking during performances will depend on vaccinations and CDC guidelines at the time of show). Please fill out the audition form in advance; walk-ins also welcome! https://forms.gle/NuR5y1uuQN9k4e93A SUMMARY: The Lovers’ Landing Beach Hotel, a popular wedding destination, has acquired a certain mystique as the home of Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses. Bubba's extra-curricular activities, without exception, appear to be illegal. They run the gamut from cash prize bingo, to a rum distillery, to off-track betting. You name it, Bubba is doing it. Arriving at the hotel is Beatrice Rutherford-Smythe (The epitome of the New England blue bloods) and her daughter Traci, to check out the hotel for Traci's wedding. They have an appointment with Madame Coco, the hotel's wedding planner, who unfortunately has eloped. The only staff member who knows anything about weddings is Uncle Bubba, who, coerced by Audrina, now has to spend the rest of the play, alternating between himself and Madame Coco. Two other guests are checking in today. Traci's fiance, Peter Mudd, and a mysterious Douglas DuPont. Through a mix up of room numbers, a series of mistaken identities ensues. Candy, the hotel receptionist, is bribed by Beatrice to flirt with Peter, but ends up with Douglas. Douglas, who is actually an innocent travel writer for a destination wedding publication, is mistaken for a federal agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Candy's report to Beatrice introduces a roller coaster of events creating an on again-off again wedding. In the midst of all this mayhem,Bubba and Beatrice appear to be falling in love. Peter and Traci are reconciled (Several times), and Audrina and Douglas find they have a strong attraction for each other. Throughout the play though, one question remains unanswered: Is it true love or is it the mystique of 'Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses' at the Lovers' Landing Beach Hotel? CASTING: 3M, 4F CANDY - (Age 25+) - A local woman, who is working so she can put herself through college. She is vivacious, and personable, all of which make her eminently suitable for her job as the hotel receptionist. She enjoys her job, and although she appears to be a bit of a "flake," her innocent, good-natured and quirky personality always shines through to cover her inadequacies. Candy's innate, innocent ability to make a mess of things causes many comedic visual sequences, which involve her, and therefore she needs to be reasonably agile and athletic. WILLBERFORCE "BUBBA" BROWN - (Age 50+) - Bubba is the younger brother of Archibald Brown, the former "recently deceased" owner of the hotel. He is rough around the edges, ingenious, and has a heart of gold. He has been the maintenance and operations manager of the hotel for many years. We learn, as the play progresses, that most of these operations are unconnected with the daily running of the hotel, and are highly illegal. Bubba, however, seems to have found a way around the illegalities (at least in his own mind). When Madame Coco, the wedding planner suddenly elopes, he is coerced by his niece into playing her role. A series of quick changes have the Rutherford-Smythe's believing that there really is a very "eccentric" Madame Coco. AUDRINA BROWN - (Age 30+) - The late Archibald's daughter and Bubba's niece, grew up in the hotel, but hasn't been there very much since graduating high school. She inherited the property a few weeks ago and has very recently taken over the business end of running the hotel. She is efficient, resourceful, smart and practical. She quickly learns that this hotel does not run like any other businesses with which she has been involved. As a loving and doting niece, she is faced with the problem of Uncle Bubba. Is he a "Good ol' Southern boy,'' or a crafty criminal? BEATRICE RUTHERFIRD-SMYTHE - (Age 50+) - She belongs to what the authors call "The American Aristocracy," the so-called blue bloods of New England. She is more concerned with her perspective son-in-law's family history and background than anything else about him. She has a superior attitude, which tends to annoy people with whom she comes into contact. She is very used to dominating those around her and likes things done her way. As the play progresses, she adapts to the casual lifestyle of Lovers' Landing, and ironically finds herself attracted to Bubba, a man who is the total antithesis of everything in her life. TRACI RUTHERFORD-SMYTHE - (Age 25+) - Beatrice's daughter, has selected the Lovers' Landing Beach Hotel for her destination wedding, probably to avoid the socialite trappings upon which her mother would otherwise insist. She is marrying Peter, whom she has known for only a short time, despite the fact that her mother considers him totally unsuitable. At first we see her as a self-centered, pampered, rich girl. But, as she discovers what she thinks is her fiancé's apparent infidelity, she becomes a strong-minded woman, determined to discover the truth. DOUGLAS DUPONT - (Age 30+) - Checks into the hotel and arouses Bubba's suspicions when he is found taking detailed photographs of the hotel and asking questions of the locals in town. Bubba believes him to be a government agent from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Audrina, agrees to help her Uncle discover who he is, but in doing so, begins to fall for Douglas. Candy innocently mistakes him for Peter Mudd causing Douglas a great deal of trouble. While investigating the hotel, he becomes convinced that there is some truth to the mystique of Lovers' Landing, the home of sandy toes and salty kisses, especially after Candy, Traci, Audrina, Beatrice, and yes even Madame Coco "come on to him." It isn't till the end of the play that it is revealed he is a writer for a destination wedding magazine. (This role can be doubled with the actor also playing Peter Mudd). PETER MUDD - (Age 30+) - Traci's fiancé arrives at Lovers' Landing, and despite his rocky relationship with his future mother-in-law, the dragon lady, he is looking forward to spending time with his lovely bride to be. Alas, poor Peter never gets that chance. One event after another, created accidentally by Candy, leaves Peter in compromising positions, with Beatrice and Traci, believing he has "strayed," purposely rendering him unconscious. Despite the on again-off again wedding, Peter continues to try to convince Traci of his love. Catalyst22 Casting for “Tim Miller’s My Queer Body” On a rolling basis through March 28 Casting the principle role of Tim for “Tim Miller’s My Queer Body” This is a paid, non-equity gig.  Show dates: May 28-30, June 4-5, 11-12. All daytime performances. Schedule:  Casting will be finalized by March 28. There will be on average two rehearsals and one production meeting starting on April 5. The solo performer should expect to do a significant amount of work outside of rehearsals in memorization and in evolving the material for performance. First performed in 1992, Catalyst22 is bringing this essential piece of queer solo performance to Franklin County in a unique outdoor staging. The performance celebrates gay erotic desire and love during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic. For more about the piece and its resonances today check out our website. Tim - Early-mid 30s. Queers of all races and ethnicities invited to audition. Notes on Tim’s queer body: There is significant nudity in the second half of the show. There are scripted and thematic reasons which require the performer to have a cisgender male body. We do not have a universally-accessible venue so unfortunately we cannot consider wheelchair users for the part. ASL-speakers are welcome to audition in partnership with an interpreter, bearing in mind that the director, producer and creative team do not know ASL. All Catalyst22 artists are fully vaxxed. Please reach if you have any preliminary questions about your own wondrous queer body in relation to the production. Prior experience with solo performance is not a requirement. A background in scripted work would be valuable. Backgrounds in improv, stand-up, drag, event hosting, etc are also valuable. Tim knows how to work a crowd. A love of poetry is a big plus. To audition, email Catalyst22. JT Platt, the producer/director, will get back to you with the 35-page script. The first round of auditions will be one-on-one open-ended conversations. Callbacks will be 30 minute fully-clothed working sessions at an indoor space in Montague. To learn more about the director/producer, JT Platt, and Tim Miller, the playwright/deviser, please visit our webpage. You will find information about the Catalyst22 group there as well. If you are interested in coming to one of the group’s upcoming information sessions, look for the Open Door meetings on our Facebook page. Website: www.catalyst22.org/my-queer-body Introducing Pay It Forward! Calling all performers, musicians, dancers, and artists of all kinds!  CitySpace’s Pay It Forward pilot program invites artists who live in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties to create, incubate, rehearse, and perform in CitySpace’s Blue Room, a performance and community space located in Old Town Hall.  CitySpace is offering artists the opportunity for short-term residencies and a venue for public performances and events. In addition, artists will receive a $500 payment for a public performance or event. Further, Pay It Forward fellows will have access to artist-tailored workshops, peer-learning cohorts, or one-on-one coaching to deepen their practice, build new skills and relationships, and explore new ideas. Apply by April 1 @ 11:59 p.m. Eligibility Artists (musicians, performers, dancers, and multimedia, literary, and visual artists) who live in Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin counties. Ages 18 and older. Priority Artists who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Economically disadvantaged artists Benefits Up to 6 days of residency in the Blue Room in May 2022. A $500 payment for a public performance or event in CitySpace’s Blue Room. Support from CitySpace with venue arrangements, marketing, and tech (as coordinated). Access to workshops, peer-learning cohorts, or one-on-one coaching. Get the Full Scoop Looking for actors interested in devising, experimenting, and collaborating on new work! A workshop production of Weaving Penelope, a new play by Rebecca Daniels and Richard Carp, directed by Carmela Lanza-Weil, will be presented on June 26, 2022, outdoors, in Shelburne Falls. Workshop rehearsals will begin in May. A stipend is available for all actors.   Weaving Penelope is a play exploring the mostly untold story of the wife of Odysseus, who ruled her husband’s kingdom while he was away at the Trojan War—and on other adventures—for 20 years. It explores Penelope’s experiences and expands on scenes from Homer’s The Odyssey. The play nods to some Greek theatre conventions, including the use of a chorus of players who narrate the story and out of which all characters—except Penelope—emerge. We seek a diverse ensemble of about ten curious actors; all genders, ethnicities, and ages (16+) welcome.   Interested actors should submit a link (YouTube or Vimeo) to a self-taped short monologue (60-90 seconds), along with a resume and, if available, a headshot to Carmela at  carmela.lanza.weil@gmail.com no later than April 2, 2022. Callbacks will be held in person on Saturday, April 9th; rehearsals will begin mid-May, scheduled according to actor availability.   To audition and perform, all actors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please provide a scan of your vaccine card with your audition materials or be prepared to show proof of vaccine at the call-backs, which may be masked (final decision will be announced to those who are called back before the event).   For questions, please contact director, Carmela Lanza-Weil (carmela.lanza.weil@gmail.com) or playwright/producer, Rebecca Daniels (rdaniels2525@gmail.com ). WORKSHOPS & CLASSES WAM Theatre is thrilled to present two free zoom workshops with two of our favorite Teaching Artists. Each workshop is one off and lasts for two hours (perfect for busy lives and commitment-phobes!)  All are welcome & encouraged to sign up! Saturday March 19, 2-4 pm - Playwriting with Winter Miller Perfect for writers of all experience levels Writing strong characters with authentic dialogue is a craft, but it begins with being able to listen and observe. Generally, we are our own biggest obstacles—fear of not knowing, fear of being wrong, fear of committing to something. For two hours, award-winning playwright Winter Miller will lead you through a series of writing prompts to spark inspiration. Saturday April 2, 2-4 pm - Improvisation with Tatiana Godfrey Making It Up: The Basic Tenets of Improvisation Improvisation is the art of making up stories in the moment. Impro’s Co-Artistic Director and WAM’s Company Dramaturg Tatiana Godfrey will lead you through theater and improv games to create stories. Participants will practice committing to their ideas, deep listening, sharing space equitably, and having fun. Spots are going fast (Tatiana's March workshop is already sold out!) More information & registration here: https://www.wamtheatre.com/workshops/ Happier Valley Comedy The Joy & Ease of Improv One-Day Intensive April 2 at 10:00 AM Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA 01035 Happier Valley Comedy's Founder and Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers this one-day intensive for adults who want to try something fun, rewarding, and, quite possibly, mind-expanding. You'll learn a very gentle, very easy, patient approach to improv comedy in an incredibly positive and accepting atmosphere that will get you up on your feet and out of your head. Through improv exercises, games, and scenework, you'll practice the vital improvisation skills of paying attention acutely, accepting other peoples ideas, redefining and disempowering failure, staying in the moment, quieting your critical voice to invite more joy and ease into your work, and much more. Register Phantom Sheep Productions/ Unity House Players Comedy Improv Open Jam March 21 at 7:00 PM Unity House Players, 245 Porter Lake Drive, Springfield, MA Enjoy with a night of improv games that we'll teach and play alongside you! Brush up on skills! Get a taste of our upcoming classes! Meet new people! Laugh and have fun! Open to General Public. Adults & Teens 15+. No experience necessary. All levels welcome. Attendees must be fully vaccinated. Fee: Pay what you can/ suggested $5 Facebook event Phantom Sheep/Unity House Players are also offering a weekly improv class starting April 4th. Drama Studio Summer Programs July 5th, 2022 - August 19th, 2022 41 OAKLAND STREET, SPRINGFIELD, MA, 01108 The Drama Studio is a unique community where young people grow as artists, leaders, and individuals. Now offering a variety of onsite acting and theater programs in a safe environment, including Stories on Stage, where students will prepare an entire production of Story Theatre and Improv for younger audiences, including a literacy video. In TeenScene: SummerFest teens will present a fully produced festival of One Acts. Other programs include Acting Up: Summer Fun Stories, SummerSlam: Improv Week, and Island Improv, Scenes and Myths. No prior acting experience is required. Summer enrollment now open! Space is limited. https://dramastudio.org/summer-programs Enrollment Opens Monday for PIC's First Youth Program WHAT: This 2-week summer program, led by arts educators Kit Marshall and Felicia Sloin, will invite participants to explore their creativity through art, music, yoga, drumming, dance, and improvisation. The program will culminate in a celebratory sharing for friends and family.  We are very excited to be presenting our first ever youth programming with CREATIVE JOURNEYS - formerly a program of Valley Performance Playground-  this summer! WHO: Ages 7-11 (limited to 14 participants) WHERE: Lander Grinspoon Academy, 257 Prospect St., Northampton WHEN: August 1-5, 8-12, 9am-3pm COST: $625 for 2 weeks Registration opens Monday, March 7th and will be limited to 14 participants. So register early to reserve your spot! Learn More Here Hampshire Shakespeare Company presents Educational Theater Workshops July 11-15, July 21-29, Aug 1-5 Northampton Center for the Arts Fun and educational week-long theater programs for kids ages 7-15 run by local professionals. https://hampshireshakespeare.com/ Submit your workshop, class, audition, performance, or any other theatre opportunity here! Pioneer Valley Theatre Companies Academy of Music Theatre Amherst Community Theater Arena Civic Theatre A.C.T. Youth 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 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 Mount Holyoke College Rooke Theatre No Theater Northampton Community Arts Trust Northampton Playwrights Lab PaintBox Theatre Panopera Pauline Productions Performance Project Phantom Sheep Players Play Incubation Collective 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 Theater Between Addresses TheatreTruck Turbulent Times Theater UMass Department of Theater UMass Theatre Guild Unity House Players Valley Light Opera Ware Community Theatre Westfield Theatre Group Wilbraham United Players World and Eye 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|*