Pioneer Valley Theatre News December 15, 2022

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

Pioneer Valley Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser December 15 - January 4, 2022 This week's Stagestruck column is about... yours truly. Ezekiel Baskin (a wonderful local theatre maker - and my first ASM when I moved here for the second time!) and I had a lovely conversation with Chris Rohmann a few weeks ago, and now we're in the Valley Advocate. Read it here. I'm grateful to be spending all my time helping theatre happen here and extra grateful to all the theatre companies, people, and places that I've gotten to make theatre with. Please forgive how awkward I sound talking about all of it.  The next issue will include events from December 22 - January 11. 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 Easthampton Theater Company Auditions for God of Carnage By Appointment Only - Email to Schedule Sides and Perusal Script Available 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 I Don’t Think it’s Just Me Anymore: The Shift Towards Healthier Theatre Education by Sara Bozin From the article:  Well-meaning relatives like to ask me during the holidays: “Now that you’re out of college, when will you be in another show?” I’ve gotten quite good at smiling and word-vomiting breezy, nonchalant responses like: “I’m not sure yet” or “I’m just seeing where it goes,” despite the fact that I have actually thought a lot about it. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I were to be honest while answering the dreaded question; if instead I said, “Actually, the last time I thought about auditioning, I had a panic attack,” while my dad carves the turkey in the kitchen. Or if I quipped, “I cried in the bathroom the last time my friends tried to get me to sing at karaoke,” while sampling baked brie at the appetizer table. Who knows, maybe this year I’ll just stand up after the prayer and announce: “I am afraid of performing now, and I don’t think I’m wrong!” Have you read an interesting article about theatre recently? Send it to me! pioneervalleytheatre@gmail.com PERFORMANCES “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2022” AND OTHER UPCOMING SEASONAL SHOWS AT MAJESTIC THEATER   West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present its annual seasonal variety show, “Home for The Holidays,” December 8-22.    The family-friendly show, featuring Pioneer Valley-based performers, has become a tradition at the theater for more than a dozen years.  Similar in style to nostalgic holiday specials of years past headlined by Andy Williams and Perry Como, “Home for The Holidays 2019” will be co-hosted by singer Ray Guillemette, Jr., who has headlined countless "A Ray of Elvis" sold-out shows at the Majestic, and Ben Ashley, a Majestic favorite who has performed in several hit shows including “Mamma Mia” and “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.”   Joining Ray and Ben onstage will be veteran Majestic performers including Myka Plunkett, Kait Rankins, Tully Russell, Vivienne Damon, Caelie Scott Flanagan, Michael Graham Morales, Alexandra O’Halloran, plus guest appearances from The Grinch and Santa Claus.  The show will be directed by Stephen Petit, and Mitch Chakour is the music director/arranger.   Tickets are $28 & $26 for adults, and $10 for children 10 and under, and are available by visiting or calling the Majestic Theater Box Office at (413) 747-7797 during its hours of operation (Monday – Friday 10am - 5pm, and Saturday 10am - 1pm).    Other upcoming Majestic holiday-themed shows include: “Holiday Stress Relief,” a night of improv comedy with The Majesters on Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m.  General admission seating is $15 at the door the night of the show.   For additional information, visit www.majestictheater.com. K and E Theater Group Presents BELIEVE - A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION   With a concept by David Cavallin, Ken Comia, Melissa Dupont, David Webber and Eddie Zitka, celebrate the season with a K and E Theater Group take on "festivating" the holidays in this new annual tradition.   Let us transport you to our K and E Theater Group holiday party where our eight performers will harmonize and pay homage to traditional and contemporary holiday music! Be filled with the spirit of the holidays!    Our production of BELIEVE - A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION features David Cavallin, Melissa Dupont, Christopher Marcus, Nicole Newell, Kathy Renaud, Tina Sparkle, Chris Webber, and David Webber. David Cavallin serves as music director and arranger. K and E Theater Group Artistic Director Eddie Zitka directs. Tickets are general admission for $22.00. There is no reserved seating. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.KETG.org.   ** Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required for entrance and while seated at the Northampton Center for the Arts. Happier Valley Comedy HVC's Fun Fridays: Storytelling Standup Showcase December 16 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. More information. Phantom Sheep Productions LaughCrafters: Holiday Show December 16 at 7:30 PM Unity House Players, 245 Porter Lake Dr. Springfield, MA Annual free community show featuring sketch comedy along with plenty of live unscripted scenes created on the spot, each with a custom holiday twist celebrating and satirizing the season with the unique Phantom Sheep brand of parody and silliness. Facebook Event More info: FB/IG @phntmsheep Silverthorne Theater Company, Inc. Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley December 17, 3:00 PM Deerfield Inn, 81 Old Main Street, Deerfield Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley offers an imaginative and playful sequel to the action of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. Silverthorne Theater actors will portray the familiar characters in a special fundraiser reading of the play at The Deerfield Inn, 81 Old Main Street, Deerfield, on Saturday, December 17, at 3:00 pm. Tickets for this staged, costumed reading are available at Eventbrite.com.  Full details are available at Silverthorne’s website under Special Events. STC co-founder Lucinda Kidder directs this special presentation. Proceeds go to support Silverthorne’s 2022-23 season. The event is sponsored by Champney’s Restaurant & Tavern. Patrons are encouraged to make reservations for lunch or dinner before or after the reading at 413-774-5587. Holiday beverages will be available before the reading and during intermission. Tickets https://www.eventbrite.com/e/miss-bennet-christmas-at-pemberley-a-silverthorne-fundraiser-tickets-441566175317 Happier Valley Comedy Happier Family Comedy Show December 17 at 3:00 PM The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W. Bay Rd, Amherst, MA) A high-energy interactive improv comedy show, perfect for 5-13 year olds and their adults. Third Saturday of every month at 3pm at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (125 W. Bay Rd. Amherst). Tickets: $5/child, $10/adult, 4 and under/free. More information. A.P.E., in partnership with Alexandra Ripp, presents a return engagement of A THOUSAND WAYS (Part Three): An Assembly by 600 Highwaymen “Just when you thought you might be getting a little cynical about the theater…think about 600 HIGHWAYMEN.”  – The New Yorker 2 SHOWS ONLY! LIMITED TICKETS! December 17th, 6pm and 8pm  A.P.E.’ Gallery, 126 Main St. Northampton, Massachusetts After six sold out shows, we are thrilled to be able to bring back this unique theater experience from one of the world’s most acclaimed theater companies, co-produced by Alexandra Ripp.  Obie Award-winning 600 HIGHWAYMEN present A Thousand Ways (Part Three): An Assembly. The final experience of their triptych of encounters between strangers is an intimate reckoning—of how small we are in the face of awesome natural forces, and of our mutual dependence. AN ASSEMBLY tasks an audience of 16 strangers to reconstruct an evocative story of perseverance and ruin. This unique theatrical event tests the ways we arrange ourselves after so much time apart. A THOUSAND WAYS is a triptych of performances that explore the line between strangeness and kinship, distance and proximity, and how the most intimate assembly can become profoundly radical. Each installment of the series plumbs the essence of performance, bringing people together in the creation of a moving live experience. Performances:  Saturday, December 17th • 6pm and 8pm  Only 16 tickets per performance Tickets: $15-50 sliding scale; $5 students (no one turned away for lack of funds) Masks are required for attendance to the performance visit http://www.apearts.org/upcoming.html for more information Tickets available via Eventbrite link Notes on the performance: For ages 13 and up. Audience members will be asked to read aloud. No more than 2 tickets/order. About 600 HIGHWAYMEN 600 Highwaymen (Abigail Browde and Michael Silverstone), “standard bearers of contemporary theater-making” (Le Monde), who have “quietly been shaking up American theatre since 2009” (The Guardian), have been making live art that, through a variety of radical approaches, illuminates the inherent poignancy of people coming together. Their productions exist at the intersection of theater, dance, contemporary performance, and civic encounter. Their work has been seen at Centre Pompidou (Paris), The Public Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Walker Art Center, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Dublin Theatre Festival, Onassis Cultural Centre (Greece), Bristol Old Vic (UK), Salzburg Festival and Theaterspektakel (Switzerland). They are recipients of an Obie Award, Switzerland’s ZKB Patronize Prize, and their work has been nominated for two Bessie Awards, a Drama League Award, and Austria’s Nestroy Prize. In 2016, Abigail and Michael were named artist fellows by the New York Foundation for the Arts and are currently Associate Artists of IN SITU, the European platform for artistic creation in public space. A Thousand Ways by 600 HIGHWAYMEN Written & created by Abigail Browde & Michael Silverstone Executive Producer: Thomas O. Kriegsmann / ArKtype Dramaturg & Project Design: Andrew Kircher Line Producer: Sami Pyne This production was commissioned by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, Stanford Live at Stanford University, The Public Theater, and Festival Theaterformen. Part Three: An Assembly was developed through a residency partnership with the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Original support for the production was provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Philadelphia. Happier Valley Comedy HVC Presents: Not In Charge! December 17 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA) Join the talented group Not In Charge for a fast-paced improv show inspired by true stories from the cast! Third Saturday of every month at 7pm at the Happier Valley Comedy Theater (1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, on rte.9). Tickets: $13 online and at the door. More information. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Easthampton Theater Company Auditions: God of Carnage CitySpace Blue Room, Easthampton, MA The Easthampton Theater Company is excited to announce auditions for its debut production of the remarkable Tony and Olivier award-winning play God of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza. We are seeking three talented and dedicated actors with a strong sense of comedic timing for the roles of Alan, Annette and Michael. The role of Veronica has been cast. Synopsis: When two boys get into a playground fight, their parents sit down to talk it out and try to resolve matters like civilized adults. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything! God of Carnage is a tense and at times hilarious comedic drama that explores the pitfalls of modern parents as they try - and fail - to bridge their differences. While confronting one another, they devolve through the course of the show to their most basic, and profoundly flawed, instincts. The show is directed by Jason Rose-Langston and produced by Michael O. Budnick. We are conducting auditions by appointment only for the following roles (all ages are stage playing ages): Annette: Age range 30s to 50s. Annette is a professional woman; very well put together and struggling to raise her son well while maintaining a manicured front of wealth and privilege. Image is everything for her, however she does not shy away from the messy work of being a mother. She is also very proud and emotional about her expensive belongings.. Michael: Age range 30s to 50s. Michael is married to Veronica, grew up working class, and supports his family through his own business, while his wife pursues a life of art, culture, and social justice. He is a rough, but good hearted father, and has a crippling phobia of hamsters. Alan: Age range 30s to 50s. Married to Annette, Alan is a high powered lawyer in a three piece suit every day of his life. He is bold, self assured, and solely committed to his work. He is detached from his family, and constantly working on one case or the next. He has the emotional compartmentalization that only lawyers can achieve, and is proud of it. He truly believes in the “god of carnage” - who in his view presides over our more visceral human nature.. This is a four-person show, and all four actors are on stage for the duration. Performances will be held at the Easthampton Town Hall in The Blue Room and are scheduled for May 11th through May 14, 2023. Rehearsals will begin the first week of March in or near Easthampton and will be scheduled based on cast and crew availability - likely one evening and one weekend time per week. Tech week begins May 6th and some availability will be required that weekend as well as full availability in the evenings the entire following week. Auditions will be by appointment only.. If you would like to schedule an audition or would like more information or for any questions/concerns, please contact the production team. For auditions, please prepare a short monologue (no more than 2-5 minutes) for your audition. Your monologue should show us both your dramatic skills and comedic timing. You will also be asked to read with other actors or production team members from sides provided in advance of auditions. Sides and a pdf of the script are available at the link below for perusal. Callbacks may be arranged as necessary. Easthampton Theater Company is a new production group created by Easthampton and nearby residents to bring quality community theater productions to the City. With the support of local businesses, patrons and theater aficionados, ETC strives to become the premiere theatrical venue for locally produced theater within the burgeoning arts scene based in Easthampton. Our website is under development and you can also see news about the organization in this facebook group, and be sure to like our facebook page under development. Dear Edwina Jr Audition Registration is now open! Register Now What is the show? The performance is for "Dear Edwina Jr." and more information can be found at: https://www.aomtheatre.com/event/dear-edwina-jr/ When are auditions? The auditions will be held on January 5th, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. When are the performances? There will be two performances. They will be on Thursday, March 9th and Friday, March 10th at 6:30 PM. What's the rehearsal schedule? Rehearsals will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at The Academy of Music from 5:00 to 7:00 PM starting January 10th. Who can participate? All children ages 9 to 16 years old are welcome! No experience required! What if I have more questions? Please contact Education Director Kyle Lawrence with any questions. He can be reached at education@aomtheatre.com WORKSHOPS & CLASSES 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 Local Theater Critic Max Hartshorne 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|*