The next issue will include events from May 2 - 22. 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
Greenfield Community College
Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2
Thursday April 25 – 6pm – Part 2: Perestroika Friday April 26 – 6pm – Part 2: Perestroika Saturday April 27 – 1-4pm – Part 1: Millennium Approaches Saturday April 27 – Dinner & Shows – 1-10pm – (Part 1 1-4pm, dinner 4-6pm, Part 2 6-10pm) Saturday April 27 – 6-10pm – Part 2: Perestroika
Sloan Theater at GCC
GCC's spring theater performance of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, a complex, often metaphorical and at times symbolic examination of AIDS and homosexuality in the United States in the 1980s. Directed by Tom Geha with a cast and crew of students, staff and community members. While Part 1: Millennium Approaches was staged in the fall, this spring offers performances of both part 1 and Part 2: Perestroika on select days, including a double feature and dinner package on Saturdays! Please note the schedule and runtime of shows. Seating is limited, tickets must be purchased in advance online; $15/$5 (general/students) or $40/$25 (general/student dinner package).
gccfor.me/angels2
Angels in America, Part Two Week 1 Thu Apr 18 (ArtsNight - Selected Scenes) 5:00pm Fri Apr 19 (Opening Night) 6pm Sat Apr 20 Both Parts Dinner Package - Part One at 1pm, Dinner on Campus 4-6pm, Part Two at 6pm Week 2 Thu Apr 25 6pm Fri Apr 26 6pm Sat Apr 27 (Closing Day) Both Parts Dinner Package - Part One at 1pm, Dinner on Campus 4-6pm, then Part Two at 6pm Admission: - $15 General and $5 Students/Seniors - Dinner Package for Both Parts: $40 for General Admission and $25 for Students/Seniors (includes Parts 1 & 2 with Dinner in between) Length of Plays: Part One: 3 hours Part Two: 4 hours Seating Capacity: 85
The Smith College Department of Theatre presents Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on April 24, 25, 26, 27 at 7:30pm in the Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre directed by Kim Stauffer.
This often funny, always provocative play is a modern riff on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman in which the title character is at death’s door, reflecting on their good and bad deeds. Everybody updates this tale with Everybody–a role assigned to cast members via lottery at each show–and imagines what happens when we die and wonders if we are ever fully prepared. Tickets are $5-10 at smitharts.ludus.com.
“Life is unpredictable, so is this play,” explains guest director Kim Stauffer, “We are laughing one moment and experiencing a gut-punch of emotions the next.” Stauffer appreciates that Everybody includes the audience in its depiction of the lottery of life. As Everybody appeals to family, friends, possessions, and emotions to help on their final journey, the playwright blurs the line between the performance on the stage and the scripts people use in their daily lives. “The play puts us in a shifting space - a void that transforms again and again - with little to anchor us except the recognition of our shared lived experiences and the realization that this life belongs to us and us alone,” says Stauffer. “No one can walk it for us.”
Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins is an award-winning American playwright and 2016 MacArthur Fellow based in Brooklyn from Washington DC. His work often revolves around race and social identity and includes other adaptations of historical plays, such as An Octoroon which reframes Dion Boucicault’s The Octoroon. His play Appropriate is currently running on Broadway. Jacobs-Jenkins wrote Everybody when a friend was struck with a life-threatening illness and he became fascinated with how to represent a dying person on stage. The play premiered Off-Broadway at the Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center on February 21, 2017 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2018. Reviewing it in the New Yorker, Hilton Als wrote “With Everybody, Jacobs-Jenkins has written a play about love—or, rather, a play that shows how impossible it is to write about love—and it fills the heart in a new and unexpected way.”
The Smith College production of Everybody features a cast of 13 who play God, Death, Understanding, Friendship, Cousin, Kinship, Time, Evil, Love, Death, Somebodies and a rotating Everybody. Preparing for actors to effectively and safely play different roles for each performance has required a challenging and non-traditional rehearsal and tech process–a task that Stauffer says the cast, designers, and technical team have risen to with courage and collaboration. Creating the disorienting, mystical, void-like world of Everybody are Set Designer Alina Tschumakow ’26, Lighting Designer Via Sussman ’26, faculty Costume Designer Kiki Smith with Sound Design by Zoey Zilber ’25 and Props by Tamarin Camp ’25. The show is stage managed by Elie Berman ’25. Stauffer hopes the 90-minute play serves as an invitation for the audience to examine the very human tendency to cling to what is known in order to avoid the discomfort, reckoning, and change of the unknown. “Everybody reminds us to be open to the powerful bridge love creates to help us navigate the journey of life.”
Tickets are free for Smith Students by emailing boxoffice@smith.edu. Tickets are $5-10 online at https://smitharts.ludus.com. Audiences should know that this play contains strong language and mature content. For more information including a complete content warning contact boxoffice@smith.edu.
New “Open Stage” series to take place at The LAVA Center
every 4th Thursday starting April 25, 6:30 p.m. signup and 7 p.m. showtime
The LAVA Center is proud to present a new performance series, the Open Stage, which will take place every fourth Thursday evening starting April 25. Signups will start at 6:30 p.m. and the show will start at 7 p.m.
An open stage is similar to an open mic, but more inclusive to all types of the performing arts. Artists are encouraged to sign up to perform theater, dance, music, literature, spoken word, magic, puppetry, circus, sideshow, comedy, improv — any form of art or entertainment that can be staged, in any stage of development.
The Open Stage will have rotating hosts: local artists Nisse Greenberg, Nina Gross, Ezra Prior and Vanessa Query.
Signup starts at 6:30, show starts at 7. There will be a five-minute limit for each act. Artists can plug into our sound system if they’d like audio to backup your act; plugin using 1/8″ mic jack input, please bring adapter if needed. Questions? Email info@thelavacenter.org.
There is an optional $5 suggested donation ($1 Card to Culture) for this show.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG TO CLOSE OUT MAJESTIC’S 26th SEASON APRIL 25 – JUNE 2
The Play That Goes Wrong, a contemporary farce by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer, will be onstage at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater April 18 through June 2.
The comedy takes place on opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s latest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, and things begin to spiral out of control. An exasperated detective, a corpse who can’t play dead, an unconscious leading lady and other embattled and eccentric characters must overcome technical issues, forgotten lines and unreliable scenery in order to make it to the final curtain call. The Play That Goes Wrong has been described as “part Monty Python, part Marx Brothers, part Sherlock Holmes, and all mayhem.” The show has played to sold out audiences all over the world, and will be the final production of the Majestic Theater’s 26th season. Its new season will debut in September.
Cast members include Jack Grigoli (Chris), Scott Renzoni (Max), Shaun O’Keefe (Robert), Elizabeth Pietrangelo (Sandra), Josh Karam (Dennis), Mariko Iwasa (Annie), Liv Cunha (Trevor) and Weston Pytel (Jonathan). Danny Eaton is producing director of the play, and Sue Dziura is associate producing director. Stephen Petit is the director and production manager for the show. Associate production manager is Aurora Ferraro, and stage manager is Hope Rose Kelly. Dan Rist is lighting designer, and costumer designer is Dawn McKay.
Tickets are now available for The Play that Goes Wrong, and range from $31 - $37. They are available either in-person at the box office or by calling (413) 747-7797. Box office hours are Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, and Saturday 10am-1pm. The wearing of face masks in the theater is optional.
Music, magic, love, and dragonsUMass Theater's Twelfth Night will take you on an enchanted journey
The Rand Theater, Bromery Center for the Arts
April 26 & 27, May 2, 3 & 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Matinee May 4 at 2 p.m.
When Shakespeare’s Viola lands on the shores of Illyria, she discovers a topsy-turvy world of rebellious revelry and swirling magic, enabling fever-pitch romantic passions and unlikely lovestruck pairings, while family bonds are restored.
UMass Theater professor Milan Dragicevich's adventurous production of Twelfth Night braids Shakespeare’s Elizabethan spirit and style with contemporary playful pop-arty sensibilities, infused with the live music of Grammy-nominated Tim Eriksen (Cordelia’s Dad band, Cold Mountain soundtrack) and choreography of Antonia Araya Budnik. Tickets are on sale now for our production, which opens on April 26 in the Rand Theater. Twelfth Night marks the second collaboration between Dragicevich as a director and Eriksen as music director/composer. They previously worked together on the New England premiere and international tour of Dragicevich's Refugee (2016-18). Twelfth Night is Shakespeare at his comedic peak, weaving a plot of mistaken identities and misunderstandings. Twins Viola and Sebastian get separated and think each other are dead. Viola decides to solve this problem by dressing as her brother. Soon, she's working for Count Orsino, with whom she falls in love, while helping him court Olivia — who falls for Viola instead. It's all set against the backdrop of Illyria, a wondrous land of festive, unabashed revelry which surely resonated with Shakespeare's boisterous London audiences, perhaps the greatest playgoing public in Western history.
In our own century, come join us for a “12th Night” revival of spirit and comedic hope (‘comedy’ being the language of hope) and prepare for a fantastical journey into Illyria!
Get your tickets now! This event is part of the UMass Amherst 2024 Spring Arts Festival. Learn more about the festival on the website.
*** Recommended for audiences age 12 and up; some raucous humor and gags.
***
Tickets:
$17 — general admission
$5 — for students, youth, and senior patrons, as well as Card to Culture patrons Tickets on sale through the UMass Fine Arts Center Box Office (call 1-800-999-UMAS or visit the box office website) as well as at the door on the night of the show.
The UMass Department of Theater is pleased to participate in the Card to Culture program. For details, please visit our Card to Culture page.
Arena Civic Theatre present 12 Angry Jurors
Dive into the gripping world of justice and deliberation with Arena Civic Theatre’s production of “12 Angry Jurors”! Directed by David Peck, this stage adaptation of Reginald Rose’s classic promises an intense exploration of justice, prejudice, and human empathy.
Performance Dates:
April 26th, 27th, & May 3rd at 7:30 PM
April 28th, May 4th, & May 5th at 2:30 PM
Location:
Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St, Greenfield, MA 01301.
Happier Valley Comedy
The Happier Valley Championship Show
Apr 27, 2024 7:00 PM
The 4th Saturday of every month at 7pm
Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley
"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" meets The Super Bowl! Two funny teams face off in this fast-paced short form improv comedy show. Games are inspired by audience suggestions and participation and even scored by an audience panel of judges to see who can win the ultimate prize: YOUR LAUGHTER! (And some old trophies we found in someone's attic.) Our player roster includes Hillary Bucs, Chris "Tina" Cronin, Katharine Daube, Ben May, David Milgrim, Chris Mirabal, Dave Ruderman, Holly Ruderman, and Ivy Weiskopf. Our next show: Saturday, April 27th at 7pm Happier Valley Comedy Theater 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND AT THE DOOR FOR $15
Sunderland Public Library
Sunderland Short Stories
Apr 29, 2024 at 6:30 PM
20 School Street, Sunderland, MA 01375
Join us in celebrating Earth Day with two dramatic readings by talented, local actors Kermit Dunkelberg and Myka Plunkett. Stories by T. C. Boyle and Rachel Carson on Earth-Day-related themes. The event is free and open to the public. Not to be missed!
STCC College Workshop Production
At the Wedding, by Bryna Turner
Scibelli Theater
Springfield Technical Community College
One Armory Square
Springfield, MA 01105
May 2 @ 11:00AM May 3@ 7:00PM May 4 @ 7:00PM.
Admission: Free (Donations gratefully accepted.)
Is there any place better for drama than a wedding?
As Gillian Russo of the “New York Theatre Guide” wrote about the play: “...you're unwittingly put at the kid's table, from which you get to watch 70 minutes of enjoyable…wisecracking and wisdom-sharing about the unbreakable bond between love and pain.”
Starlight's Youth Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof
May 3, 2024 at 7:00 PM
May 4th 1pm and 7pm
The Academy of Music
Starlight’s Youth Theatre is excited to present the musical, Fiddler on the Roof May 3rd and 4th 2024 at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Fiddler on the Roof, touches audiences worldwide with its humor, warmth, and honesty. With iconic and beloved songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," Fiddler on the Roof is the perfect mix of audience-pleasing humor and heart. Set in a pre-revolutionary Russian village in the home of Tevye, a husband and father striving to uphold his family’s religious and cultural traditions. Artistic Director, Cyn Strycharz, and Music Director, Dan Mashia, lead a group of talented local youth in this exciting production.
Happier Valley Comedy
The Understudies Improvised Musical
May 4, 2024 7:00 PM
The 1st Saturday of every month
Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley
It's the opening night of a brand new musical! Unfortunately, the show was never written or rehearsed. This is the moment we've been training for. Be part of the fun as the determined Understudies create an entire musical from scratch, with a little help from the audience. The Understudies are Scott Braidman, Kelsey Flynn, Paul McNeil, Mosie Senn-McNally, and Maile Shoul. With music by the amazing Jeff Kimball! NEXT SHOW: Saturday, May 4th at 7pm HVC Theater, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA
Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School
"Saint Joan"
May 10 and 11 at
7:00 PM
PVPA 15 Mulligan Drive, South Hadley, MA 01075
Saint Joan is a play about the historical figure Joan of Arc (a religious woman who fought for France in the 1400s and was burnt at the stake) written by George Bernard Shaw. The play has been adapted for a modern audience by director and playwright Jasmine Goodspeed. This production will take place in modern times, using the historical background to highlight the ongoing issues of our current era and politics. Joan’s passion has served as inspiration for hundreds of years. Passion and justice, however, can become a threat to those in positions of power. This play examines how the act of empowerment can turn from threat to a death sentence, and eventual martyrdom. Come, rally with us as we live the story of Saint Joan. May 10-11, 7:00, at PVPA.
www.pvpa.org
Tickets available online and at the door as follows: General - $10 Military/Seniors - $7 Alumni - $5 Students - $3
AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES
ACTOR NEEDED. 35-55. MY MAMA AND THE FULL SCALE INVASION. AUGUST 22,23,24,25. Workroom Theatre, Northampton Center for the Arts. STIPEND. The play -- A STORY OF UKRAINE IN WAR. SPINDRIFT THEATRE. Robert Freedman - rpf1012@comcast.net
Call for auditions for On the Boards ’24, a festival of new plays by local playwrights
WHEN: Auditions: Sunday, Apr. 28 and Monday, Apr. 29. Performances: the weekends of June 15, June 22, June 29, July 13, July 20 and July 27
The LAVA Center announces auditions for On the Boards ’24, a festival of new plays by local playwrights.
We seek a wide diversity of actors to perform in readings in a variety of plays.
Honoraria offered! No memorization! Experience welcome but not necessary! No preparation required for audition.
Auditions will be held in person at The LAVA Center on Sunday, Apr. 28 and Monday, Apr. 29. Performances will take place at The LAVA Center on the weekends of June 15, June 22, June 29, July 13, July 20 and July 27.
CitySpace's Pay It Forward application for 2024 is now LIVE! Are you a performer or do you represent an arts organization in Hampden, Hampshire, or Franklin counties? Here's your chance to apply!
Pay It Forward is focused on under-resourced artists/orgs offering FREE access to CitySpace's Blue Room, a dynamic 100-seat performance venue nestled in the historic Old Town Hall of Easthampton, MA. BIPOC artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Whether you're rehearsing or performing, this space is yours to explore and create magic! Recipients will plug into CitySpace's venue calendar from July to December 2024. Plus, dive deep into peer-learning cohorts and access valuable resources to sharpen your craft, forge new connections, and ignite your creativity! As a Pay It Forward recipient, you'll also receive a stipend AND proceeds from ticket sales.
Don't miss out on this opportunity! Get the details and apply at cityspaceeasthampton.org/pif by May 6, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Smith College Department of Theatre
The Department of Theatre at Smith College invites applications for a one-year post MFA/Doctoral fellowship in sound design, with a possible extension for a second year, to begin July 1, 2024. The successful candidate will teach a class in sound design in the first semester. In the second semester, a course relating to sound design or production will be taught. In addition, this person will be engaged in design for one or more mainstage productions and provide mentorship to student sound designers.
An M.F.A. in Sound Design or a related field is expected by the time of the appointment, and should have been earned no earlier than 2020. The candidate must have professional sound design experience and preferably prior teaching experience as well. Additional skills might include other areas of design training, expertise, or experience- especially projection, video, or lighting design. Candidates from groups underrepresented in theatre are encouraged to apply.
As set forth in our mission and values, Smith College is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff and faculty. The College will not discriminate in employment on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by law. Smith College is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination.
Application Instructions
Submit application at http://apply.interfolio.com/143975 , with a cover letter, curriculum vitae, diversity/inclusion statement regarding teaching, a link to your portfolio with examples of recent work, and contact information for three confidential references. Finalists will be asked for additional materials. Review of applications will begin on May 1, 2024 and continue until filled.
The Academy of Music Theatre seeks a classroom/rehearsal assistant for youth Summer Musical Theatre Workshops. Applicants should be at least 16 years of age with an interest and experience in working with young kids in an artistic environment. Experience in theatre arts is not necessary, but applicants should at least be comfortable with youth social skills and behavior management to engage with and help children both as a group and individually to support safety, inclusion, and productivity in activities that are led by the theater instructors.
The Summer Musical Theatre Workshops are 1 or 2 weeks for young artists of any and all experience levels to practice their skills in Musical Theatre. Students will learn songs and dances to 4-7 numbers (depending on the workshop) that are performed in a showcase at the end of the session. Students also participate in theatre games and exercises throughout the week to further engage them with creativity and social collaboration in the performing arts.
All workshops take place at the Academy of Music Theatre at 274 Main Street in Northampton, MA 01060.
Activities will take place on the main stage in the Academy of Music, or outside at the neighboring Pulaski Park.
Financial Compensation
$15 - $20 an hour depending on experience.
Responsibilities / Previous Experience
Experience in engagement and behavior management of young children ages 6-11 in large group settings.
Create a social connection with the kids participating in the workshop by interacting with them during transitions and social periods like lunch, establishing an environment of warmth and inclusion for all.
Assist theater instructors as needed to maintain safety and productivity in the rehearsal space.
For example, being able to step aside and help an individual who is currently in need while the instructor keeps the rest of the group focused on learning a dance.
Redirecting individuals to engage with the group
Keeping a larger group of kids engaged while the instructor is working with an individual or small group.
Supporting behavior management of the large group as a whole as led by the instructor.
8:45 am Students arrive at the theatre and settle in.
9:00 am Physical and vocal warm-ups/exercises to get our bodies and minds awake and ready for the day.
10:30 am Singing and dance technical training, & learning a musical theatre song & dance.
12:00 pm Lunch (brought from home).
12:45 pm Art & Design for Theatre.
1:15 pm Acting / Theatre Games.
2:00 pm “Run Show” (review the songs and dances for everything learned to that point in time).
2:45 pm Doors open for pick up, parents pick up at the front door of Academy by 3:00 pm.
Calling all Valley actors!
Help us raise the curtain on the Valley Players.
On Sunday, April 28, 12pm-3pm, the Valley Players will hold its first Sceneathon—an evening of local theater and local dining in downtown Amherst. The Sceneathon is the inaugural fundraising event for the Valley Players and an opportunity to showcase some of the tremendous acting talent here in the Valley.
Any and all actors are welcome to sign-up to be a part of the show and to stage a scene or speech from a play of their choice. To sign up, email info@valleyplayers.org with:
1.) the names of the people who will be performing and everyone’s contact info;
2.) the play, act and scene from which the scene/speech comes;
3.) the approximate run-time of the scene/speech (no more than 10 minutes).
100% of proceeds from the event will go to support the programming and mission of the Valley Players, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Connecticut River Valley region of Massachusetts by producing high-quality community theater and related arts, education, and cultural programming.
(Performers at the Sceneathon eat for free, but guests are welcome to purchase tickets at www.valleyplayers.org. Ticket sales close on April 21.)
Shakespeare & Company's theaters, studio spaces, and lobbies at its 33-acre campus in the Berkshires are available now for a wide range of rental opportunities this summer and fall.
Ideal for meetings, weddings and celebrations, workshops and seminars, and other uses, Shakespeare & Company's rental spaces include indoor and outdoor theaters; lobbies with full bars and outdoor seating options, and theatrical studios featuring spacious layouts; lighting grids; sound-deadening panels, and sprung floors ideal for activities like dance and yoga.
A variety of dates and venues are still available from May through October, including:
Any Theater, Studio, Lobby, or Outdoor Spaces
Sunday, May 19
Sunday, May 26 (Memorial Day weekend)
The Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Jane Iredale Lobby, and Theatrical Studios
Sunday, May 12 (Mothers’ Day): All spaces are available
Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7: Lobby and/or theatrical studios
Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14: Lobby and/or theatrical studios
Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21: Lobby and/or theatrical studios
Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28: Lobby and/or theatrical studios
The Tina Packer Playhouse and Lobby (Josie's Place)
Sunday, June 2: outdoors and/or inside the Tina Packer Playhouse
Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend): outdoors and/or inside the Tina Packer Playhouse
Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8: outdoors and/or inside the Tina Packer Playhouse
Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept, 22: outdoors and/or inside the Tina Packer Playhouse
Any weekend in October: outdoors and/or inside the Tina Packer Playhouse
Indoor theater spaces include the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, seating approximately 200, and the Tina Packer Playhouse, seating about 400. Both spaces offer amenities such as lighting and sound control booths, and backstage areas. Both the Tina Packer Playhouse lobby (Josie’s Place) and the Jane Iredale Lobby at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre include full, licensed bars and outdoor seating options such as cafe and picnic tables.
Outdoor theater spaces include the Rose Footprint Theatre, seating approximately 250; the Roman Garden Theatre, seating about 225, and the Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre, seating about 450. All theaters are accessible via paved parking lots.
Additional facilities include the costume shop, equipped with sewing machines and wardrobe facilities, and production facilities including scene and prop shops and an armory. Accommodations are available on-site that cater to various group sizes, providing dormitory-style rooms and apartments with amenities.
Photo Caption: Shakespeare & Company's theatrical studio spaces at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre are one of several rental options this summer and fall.
Key Areas of Focus for the Managing Director, Operations & Advancement (MD)
Given the momentum of this moment at WTF, the following areas of focus will be at the forefront of the work the Managing Director will embark on:
Advancing change by galvanizing a variety of constituents. This MD will enter a community eager and poised for change. With a deeply committed board, staff, alumni network, and community of patrons, the Festival will need this leader to appreciate various points of view and inspire each circle to take steps forward into a new chapter for the organization.
Translating vision and strategy into an organizational action plan. With an understanding and embrace of strategic risk-taking and entrepreneurial ventures, the MD will be both an optimist and realist as they transform visionary ideas into tactical steps.
Building a vibrant festival destination in Williamstown. With the goal of augmenting the traditional theater-going experience with additional events and immersive experiences, the entire WTF team will be trying out new ideas, engaging artists differently, and experimenting with platforms to build an intensified festival atmosphere in the years to come. The MD will draw on their own artistic management, event, or producing experience to bolster these efforts.
Stewarding the needs and goals of the anti-oppression and anti-bias work to which the organization is thoroughly committed. While the Festival is well underway in its process to build a culture of anti-racism and anti-oppression within its operations and community, the MD will play a leading role in continuing that work, along with the Board and their co-Managing Director. As a team, they will ensure that as the organization evolves, the commitment to care of team members, the surrounding land, and the Williamstown community is a standard operating principle.
Champion of relationship building. This is a moment for the Festival to activate new partnerships, strengthen internal and external relationships, and foster greater trust within the larger theatrical and cultural field. This new MD will have a unique opportunity, given the tremendous history of WTF, to leverage greater support and create a welcoming atmosphere for a new generation of creators and arts enthusiasts.
Cultivating a sustainable work environment through clear communication and calm solution-oriented processes. As chief administrator of the organization, this MD will oversee each area of the organization’s work in a slightly different way, but will be called upon to set clear goals and provide accountability, with a sure-footed approach to leadership in a fast-paced festival environment.
Job Description
Position Summary
The Managing Director, Operations & Advancement is responsible for the overall business, administrative, and operational management of the organization in Williamstown, MA, and in the additional team office in New York City. The position will require substantial work in Williamstown throughout the year; therefore, WTF is prioritizing candidates who are prepared to reside in the Williamstown area (see the compensation section below regarding housing). That said, employees residing in other areas of the northeast are welcome to apply, provided they are prepared to travel frequently to Williamstown. Additional travel will be expected periodically.
The role includes leadership and oversight in the areas of festival operations (including production), fundraising and board relations, budgeting and financial management, HR, and hiring of key senior staff. Along with the Managing Director, Strategy & Transformation, this individual will manage external partnerships, artist engagement, and strategic planning to deliver the organization into its next chapter of achievement.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Shakespeare & Company Hosts Tuning Your Instrument in Lenox, Mass. this April
The two-day workshop will focus on voice and movement practices for artists at all levels
Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training presents Tuning Your Instrument, a two-day workshop focused on voice and movement practices on Thursday, April 18, and Friday, April 19 at its Lenox, Mass. campus.
Led by Shakespeare & Company’s Director of Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay and Faculty Member Ariel Bock, Tuning Your Instrument is open to artists at all experience levels and offers a focused exploration of Linklater Voice and Pure Movement practices to improve vocal and physical expression.
The workshop is designed for anyone interested in performance-based voice and bodywork, and can also serve as a complement to the 2024 Lenox Weekend Intensive, held April 19 through 21.
“An actor’s instrument is their body, voice, and imagination," said Bandopadhyay, "and that instrument needs to be flexible, open, and responsive - this workshop is a way to develop practices that do just that.”
Tuning Your Instrument will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day; tuition is $200 USD. Discounted tuition of $150 will be offered to participants also registered for the Lenox Weekend Intensive.
For more information or to apply, visit shakespeare.org, or call (413) 637-1199, ext. 114.
Shakespeare & Company's free Behind the Curtain lecture series resumes on Saturday, April 6, led by Shakespeare scholar Ann Berman.
Featuring directors, cast, and design team members as guests, Berman examines various themes surrounding both the Shakespeare and contemporary productions slated for Season 2024 through talks designed to be accessible, engaging, and interactive.
Berman holds a Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College, London, and explores topics ranging from historical parallels in Shakespeare’s plays to the effect costumes, scenic design, lighting, and more can have on audience response to a performance.
This season will include seven Behind the Curtain lectures held from April through August; Spring talks will be held in the Jane Iredale Lobby at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, while Summer sessions will be held outdoors at the tented Rose Footprint Theatre in the Rose Meadow.
Behind the Curtain lectures for the 2024 Season include:
Saturday, June 22 – Shakespeare & Music with Artistic Director Allyn Burrows
All Behind the Curtain lectures are free, but tickets are required. For more information, visit shakespeare.org or call the Box Office at (413) 637-3353.
WAM Theatre Launches BIPOC Production Apprenticeship Program as Sabine Denise Jacques joins WAM as BIPOC Advocate
WAM Theatre launches a BIPOC Production Apprenticeship Program as part of its 15th Anniversary Season. The paid opportunity is designed to provide career development opportunities from college to the field for women-identifying and non-binary theatre artists from historically marginalized groups.
Two emerging women and/or non-binary theatre artists(designers, stage managers, directors, or dramaturgs) of the Global Majority (artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, African, Asian American Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Latin American) will be paired with professional mentors for WAM Theatre’s Fall 2024 production of Galileo’s Daughter written by Jessica Dickey and directed by Reena Dutt at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theater at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA.
Following the successful completion of the apprenticeship program in 2024, apprentices will be offered production roles in WAM’s 2025 season. Then, in 2026, they will be offered the chance to mentor a new cohort of apprentices as part of an on-going launch pad into the performing arts industry. The cohorts will be empowered with professional credits, portfolios, and relationships in the Berkshires and beyond.
The BIPOC Apprenticeship Program is modeled after a successful pilot program at WAM Theatre in 2020, when five BIPOC women and non-binary emerging theatre artists apprenticed seasoned professionals in WAM’s production of ROE. Due to the Covid-19 closures in the early pandemic this production moved online, but WAM kept the commitment to the apprentices whose work was featured in our first digital production. This pilot program was so successful that two of the apprentices went on to year-round positions at WAM, three were given full production positions in subsequent WAM seasons, and all are currently working in the theatre industry.
“We’re thrilled to take this next step in creating spaces for women centered leadership development in theatre production,” said Managing Director, Molly Merrihew. “During the 2020 pilot of this process we discovered longer-engagement and multi-year access was fundamental to creating successful pipelines into the professional theatre. We are now thrilled to be in a position to formalize this process, creating more paid opportunities for women and non-binary artists entering the field. We are dedicated to making the program more accessible to our next generation of visionary theatre professionals, and creating transparent pathways into sustainable professional theatre work.”
The success of the BIPOC Apprenticeship Program would not be possible without Sabine Denise Jacques who accepted the role of BIPOC Advocate in early 2024. Jacques will apply her expertise in social justice facilitation and multicultural theater at the intersections of culture and accountability to ensure WAM continues to be a community that is welcoming, centers the safety of artists/designers/staff, and empowering for BIPOC apprentices, mentors, and artists. The BIPOC Advocate role was originated by Trenda Loftin in 2020 and has since played an important role in advancing WAM’s commitment to anti-racist practices.
"I am so pleased to be working with WAM Theatre in this endeavor to proactively create an anti-racist environment where black artists and designers can thrive and not merely survive, says Sabine Denise Jacques, “Creating an intentional space and initiative for BIPOC artists and designers to come together in predominantly white spaces says I see you, I value your time and presence, and you belong here. It’s beautiful to be a part of a theater community that is taking the steps necessary to be proactive in their efforts to create spaces of belonging, and interrogate our own processes that are rooted in white supremacy characteristics. "
Jacques is a Massachusetts-based actor, facilitator, educator, and theater practitioner working at the intersections of theater, education and dialogue. Jacques arrived at WAM following eight years in Western Massachusetts where she completed her B.A. in African American Studies, M.ED in International Education, a certificate in Multicultural Theater along with social justice facilitation training from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
WAM is honored to have the opportunity to forge mentorships and community with these emerging theater artists as they launch their careers. We thank the Brabson Family Foundation, who have made this program possible.
For more information and to submit your resume or recommendations for consideration, please contact Associate Artistic Director, Talya Kingston: talya@wamtheatre.com
MAJESTIC THEATER ANNOUNCES YOUTH THEATER WORKSHOP FOR SUMMER 2024
Two-Week Workshop Enrolling Children in Grades 5-8 for Theater Education Program
The Majestic Theater has announced its new Majestic Youth Theater Workshop, for children entering grades 5-8 next fall, set for June-July 2024. Sue Dziura, associate producing director at the Majestic will lead the theater education program in which participants will get a part, rehearse a play and perform the show in a period of two weeks.
The workshop is designed for both beginners and more seasoned actors who want to hone the necessary skills to communicate effectively onstage. Guided by Dziura and a staff of experienced theater professionals, the program will utilize theater games, improv, voice for the actor, movement work, scene study and ensemble-building exercises to develop each young actor’s toolkit.
The two-week program will culminate in two performances of “Snowderella” by Nate Eppler. Every participant gets a role, or multiple roles, to allow young actors to learn and grow as performers on the Majestic Theater stage. Participants will begin to learn:
· What skills are needed to be an actor and how to develop those skills
· How to audition, have stage presence, vocal projection and physical comedy skills
· The joy of working as an ensemble
· How to perform live in front of their friends and families
The workshop will take play Monday through Friday, June 24 through July 5 (not including July 4) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the cost to participate will be $380. The performances of “Snowderella” will take place Friday, July 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 6 at 2:00 p.m. All performance tickets will be $10.
Participants must submit an application to be part of the program. Applications are available at the Majestic Theater box office or online at majestictheater.com
Registration is open now for Riotous Youth, Shakespeare & Company’s summer theater program for children and teenagers, slated to run from Monday, July 1 to Friday, August 16.
These one-, two-, and three-week sessions are tailored to different age groups, introducing participants ages seven to 17 to the language, stories, characters, and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays through imaginative and playful methods. Exercises and games incorporating voice, movement, and acting enable participants to explore Shakespeare’s text emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Participants then create a performance piece based on their experience of the play, which they share with family, friends, and Company members on the final day of each session.
2024 summer sessions include:
One-week session
Julius Caesar: August 12 – 16
For Ages: 7 – 12
Tuition: $425
Two-week sessions
Twelfth Night: July 1 – 12 (sessions A and B are waitlist only)
Henry V: July 15 – 26 (session D: limited spots available)
Love's Labor’s Lost: July 29 – August 9 (sessions G and H: limited spots available)
For Ages: 7 – 15
Tuition: $825
Three-week sessions
Riotous Company
For Ages: 14 – 17
Tuition: $1075
All sessions are held at the Shakespeare & Company campus at 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, Mass., and limited financial aid is available. Visit shakespeare.org/education to learn more and apply. For more information, contact Education Residency and Riotous Youth Programs Manager Caitlin Kraft at ckraft@shakespeare.org or (413) 637-1199 ext. 132.
The Shea Theater offers TWO two week sessions of summer theater with Atticus and Enzo Belmonte for children ages 8-12.
Each day of the program will be dedicated to creating and rehearsing the immersive theater performance, as well as learning and participating in various acting games and workshops.
The cost is $650 per session with a limit of 20 children in each section. This fee includes snacks but not lunch. To register: sheatheaterartscenter@gmail.com
DATES:
July 8-19, 2024 and
July 22-August 2, 2024
Monday - Friday
Program runs 9 AM to 3 PM. Performance of the immersive play will take place on the second Friday at 10 am at the Shea on 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA.
In this program, the performers will rehearse and perform in an immersive theater show based on a fairytale, a Shakespeare play, or a myth. This immersive approach encourages imagination, collaboration, and creativity while teaching acting and movement techniques in a nurturing and holistic environment.
A check may be made to:
Shea Theater
PO Box 773
Turners Falls, MA 01376
Deposit of $100 is required at registration with remainder due by June 15, 2024
Atticus Belmonte is a writer, director, actor, and theater major at Bard College. He is a founder of Patch Productions that he formed with his brothers and several friends taking his immersive theater pieces to the Shea where they have offered several productions.
Enzo Belmonte is 16 years old and grew up doing theater, specifically Shakespeare and immersive theater. He has a special skill set in technical theater and will create lights and sound for the show.
The medium of Immersive Theater is an innovative theater format allows audience members to wander wherever they wish within a play, finding characters and scenes at their own will in different rooms and spaces. No audience member has the same experience; they all will see different scenes in different locations, piecing together the story as they go.
Registration is now open!
Is your creative kiddo ready for a fun-filled summer of a creating their own fairy tale, channeling their inner wild creature, going on a magical musical adventure, and channeling their inner clown? Does your tween or teen feel that creative spark? Registration is now open for PIC Kids Summer with options to pay in full or a deposit only.
This year we are excited to have offerings for young artists ages 7-11 AND ages 11-15!
For younger artists (ages 7-11) will adventure through the creative process as they explore theater, movement, and music. Each week follows a different theme, and all weeks will culminate in a sharing of the young artists' original work on Fridays at 2:30.
JUL 22-26 Fairy Tale Mash Up!
JUL 29-AUG 2 Growl and Groove
AUG 5-9 Soundscapes and Sorcery
AUG 12-16 Theatrical Clown
9am-3pm each day
$325/week
Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, 130 Pine St, Florence
Older youth artists (ages 11-15) will explore all things ensemble, co-creating a brand new collaborative performance. Using theater games, writing exercises, improvisation, movement, songwriting, and art, participants will draw upon their dreams, original perspectives, and hopes for the future. All of this collaborative fun will culminating in a sharing at 4pm on Friday, August 16th.
Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training will host its 9-Day Intensive at its Lenox campus from Thursday, August 22 through Saturday, August 31.
Designed for mid-career actors, educators, directors, and others seeking professional and artistic development, the 9-Day Intensive is inspired by Shakespeare & Company’s Month-long Intensive. Director of Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay said the workshop offers participants an opportunity to immerse themselves in Shakespeare training and make connections with like-minded artists in a robust, accessible format.
“We regularly hear from artists in the mid-stages of their career that they wish they could attend our renowned Month-long Intensive in the winter, but their schedules simply do not permit them to do so,” said Bandyopadhyay. “For those out there who are juggling teaching, acting, directing, parenting responsibilities, and the like, the 9-Day Intensive is ideal.”
The daily schedule includes classes in Linklater Voice, Movement, monologue and scene work, and the format and tuition include admission to three Shakespeare & Company shows staged at the height of its 2024 performance season.
Tuition is $1,495 with partial scholarships available for BIPOC artists. Early payment, alumni, and union member discounts are also available. Limited on-campus housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information or to apply, visit shakespeare.org or call 413.637.1199, ext. 114.
