Western Mass Theatre News November 28, 2024

Your source for theatre events in Western Massachusetts.

Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser November 28 - December 18, 2024 Happy Thanksgiving! Whether or not you're consuming turkey today, I hope you can find a little time to be grateful for the good things that have happened in your life this year. Take some time to think about what good you'd like to put into the world for next year.  I am grateful to all of you for opening and reading these newsletters and for supporting local theatre! I'm approaching the 500th newsletter and it's nice to think about the many successful shows that have happened over the nearly 10 years I've been doing this.  The next issue will include events from December 5 - 25. Submit upcoming events via the link below or by emailing me before Tuesday at midnight. Any questions, comments or feedback? Email me at westernmasstheatre@gmail.com Submit Your Theatre Event Starlight's Youth Theatre presents Spring Musicals Beginning January 18, 2025 Learn More and Sign Up Here Arena Civic Theatre presents A Christmas Carol  December 13-22 at Hawks & Reed  Tickets and More Information Pauline Productions presents To Serve the Hive December 14 at Ashfield Congregational Church Tickets and More Information YOUR EVENT HERE $5 per week for your poster and ticket link in top billing! Email me to reserve your dates. Click to Access: Western Mass Theatre Personnel Spreadsheet PERFORMANCES MAJESTIC THEATER PRESENTS A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN  NOVEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 1 West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present A Moon for the Misbegotten, Eugene O’Neill’s final and most personal play, onstage October 24 through December 1.  Set on a dilapidated Connecticut farm, the play focuses on Josie, a woman commanding and tough outside, sensuous and sensitive inside and Jamie Tyrone, a dissipated former actor with an astonishing capacity for alcohol. Josie’s father, Phil Hogan, a tenant farmer, suspects that Jamie intends to sell the farm to a hated neighbor and sets a plan in motion to bring Jamie and Josie together. This American classic play is a requiem about being able to love and be loved with a unique blend of comedy, tragedy, autobiography and imagination. The play will be directed by James Warwick.  Danny Eaton is producing director, and Sue Dziura is associate producing director.  Stephen Petit is production stage manager, and the associate production manager is Aurora Ferraro.  Chelsie Nectow is the stage manager, Greg Trochlil is the scenic designer, and the lighting designer is James MacNamara.  Costume design is by Dawn McKay and Alan Schneider is technical director. The cast includes Sue Dziura (Josie Hogan), J. T. Waite (Phil Hogan), Jay Sefton (James Tyrone, Jr.), Mike Hogan (Caleb Chew) and Tom Dahl (T. Stedman Harder).  Understudies include Tom Dahl, Myka Plunkett and Max Weinberg. Tickets to the show range from $35-$38 and can be purchased in person at the box office or by calling (413) 747-7797.  Box office hours are Monday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Doors to the theater will open one hour before the start of a show, which is also when the café opens.  For more information, visit www.majestictheater.com Join Play Incubation Collective for our final PIPS of the year *PIC PIPS 8: Jigsaw Harbor by Peter Kennedy On a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, the residents of Jigsaw Harbor are familiar with love, loss, and death. Duke DeProspero is going blind and suffering from Charles Bonnet syndrome, a disease that fills his remaining vision with phantoms. His daughter, Mira, and future son-in-law, Cal, struggle with their relationship after Cal returns home from Afghanistan, facially disfigured and broken. Skye, a Tina Turner impersonator performing aboard the Proud Mary ferry twice daily on weekdays, realizes that his legs aren't what they used to be. And a serial arsonist that is plaguing the community may signal the return of something even more malevolent resurfacing from the island's past. Featuring K Adler, Raye Birk, Scott Braidman, Gabriel CiFuentes, Judith Fine, Seana Lamothe, Love, and Rebecca Schrader, with Stage Directions by Alexander Blaustein, Dramatury by Avi Klipfel, and Cast Coordination by Madison VanDeurzen As always, this event is free to attend. Please use the downstairs doors, nearest to the courtyard. Outside doors will be open at 7:15 and will be locked at 7:45 so please arrive promptly. *In 2024, PIC will be holding a free, monthly PIC PIPS (Plays In Progress Series) at the Workroom (33 Hawley St, Northampton) featuring readings of new work in front of an audience Facebook Event More Information STCC College Theatre Workshop "This Random World: A Myth of Serendipity" Dec 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM December 6 & 7 @ 7:00PM Springfield Technical Community College, One Armory Square, Springfield, MA STCC College Theatre Workshop production of "This Random World" by Steven Dietz. Performance Venue: Scibelli Theater, Building 2 Admission is free. Donations gratefully accepted. “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2024” COMING TO MAJESTIC THEATER DECEMBER 5-22 West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present its annual seasonal variety show, “Home for The Holidays,” December 5-22.   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 2024” 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 several veteran Majestic performers, including Kait Rankins, Caelie Flanagan, Tully Russell, Brad Shepard, plus a special appearance by Santa Claus.  Stephen Petit is directing the show, and Aurora Ferraro is assistant director.  Daniel Rist is lighting designer, and Mitch Chakour is musical director. Tickets are $30 & $28 for adults, and $15 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).  Tickets can also be purchased online here. The Majestic is also selling its popular holiday gift packages which consist of gift certificates (redeemable for tickets and café purchases), café gift cards, and a gift item packaged in with the certificates, and they will be available during the holiday season. For additional information, visit www.majestictheater.com. What: Home for the Holigays! When: Dec. 6 & 7 at  7:30pm Where: Shea Theatre, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376 Tickets: $20 at: https://sheatheater.org/ Eggtooth Productions presents the annual Mr. Drag holiday show, It's Home for the Holigays! In this annual holiday variety show filled with song, dance and story, the Drag Family offers their unique and hilarious take on A Christmas Carol. Mr Drag is performed by award winning Broadway makeup artist, Joe Dulude II. His wayward sister, DD Drag is played by Myka Plunkett of Northampton. Ellsbeth, the messy gothic maid, is played by Emily Pritchard of Amherst. Jinnifer, Mr. Drag's smart speaker who may be a little too smart for her own good, is played by Linda Tardif of Turners Falls.  The Chaplinesque character of Karl is played by Kat Adler from Greenfield. Quince Cordial who mixes things up is performed by Broadway dancer, Lori Holmes Clark of Deerfield. And as a special drag guest, Marina Goldman of Montague plays her inimitable self. This is the eighth year that Eggtooth has offered this family friendly alternative to the usual holiday entertainment and they have been thrilled to see audiences grow to capacity over the years.  Said Dulude, "Mr Drag came about eight years ago at The Holiday Spectacular at the Shea Theatre under the direction of Linda McInerney who asked me what my dream was. After decades of creating makeup for Broadway performers, that dream was to be onstage myself. I will admit that at that time I was a scared, out of practice performer but pushed through and went onstage to sing "Rainbow Connection". That drag character evolved into Mr Drag, a martini sipping drag queen who is, of course, immortal. And in immortal fashion he offers many delightful stories of his escapades with famous and infamous characters throughout history, fashion, television, and, of course, scandal. Audiences have responded so warmly. But the joy that Mr Drag brings the community pales in comparison to the joy he brings me. He opened me up, made me more comfortable with who I am and made us all laugh. We all need the joy and silliness of the Drag Family, now more than ever. Never could I have imagined the warmth and love that I have been shown doing these shows. It's the reason I keep doing it. I do it for audiences. I do it for me. I do it for rebellion against all those who would silence our beauty, love and happiness." Home for the Holigays! Dec. 6 & 7, 7:30pm, Shea Theatre, Turners Falls. Tickets $20. The show runs around 90 minutes with no intermission. Eggtooth proudly participates in the Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture that  provides EBT, WIC, and  ConnectorCare cardholders free or steeply discounted admission to a variety of arts, humanities, and science organizations across the Commonwealth.  Photo credit: Matthew Cavanaugh Smith College Theatre Department  Studio Productions  December 6 and 7 at 7:30 PM  Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre  The Smith College Department of Theatre presents student directed One Acts featuring Al Takes a Bride by Gary Sunshine, directed by Livie Johnston, and Authorial Intent by Itamar Moses, directed by Rachel Knell. Free tickets at smitharts.ludus.com. Happier Valley Comedy The Understudies Improvised Musical Dec 7, 2024 at 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, December 7th at 7pm HVC Theater, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA Tickets and More Information Valley Players Bard in the Bar: The Winter's Tale Dec 13, 2024 at 7:00 PM The Brewery at Four Star Farms (508 Pine Meadow Road, Northfield MA) The Valley Players will hold its second “Bard in the Bar” gathering on Friday, December 13 at 7:00pm at The Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield. This time the event will feature an impromptu reading of The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s tragicomic masterpiece of jealousy and love, tyranny and rebellion, shipwrecks and magical statues, ballad-singing and hungry bears.  “Bard in the Bar” is an all-volunteer, script-in-hand, drink-in-hand reading of a Shakespeare play to benefit a local charity or nonprofit. Admission is free and no reservations are required but donations are encouraged. Half of donations raised will go to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to support its mission to end hunger in the community. The other half of donations will go to support the Valley Players’ mission to produce nimble, meaningful, and accessible community theater for the Connecticut River Valley region of Massachusetts.  During the show, guests can enjoy Four Star’s celebrated offerings of custom beers, cider, and wine, as well as a selection of non-alcoholic beers, kombucha, soda, and mocktails. Outside food is welcome. www.valleyplayers.org Anyone who would like to sign up for a randomly distributed role in the reading can email info@valleyplayers.org. There are 24 speaking parts, available on a first-response, first-served basis. Casting will be gender blind.  More information, including how to make a donation in support of “Bard in the Bar” or to join the Valley Players contact list, is available at www.valleyplayers.org. Arena Civic Theatre Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol - December in Greenfield MA Show Dates & Times: - Friday, December 13th & Saturday, December 14th at 7 PM; Sunday, December 15th at 2 PM - Friday, December 20th & Saturday, December 21st at 7 PM; Sunday, December 22nd at 2 PM Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center, The Perch 4th Floor (289 Main St, Greenfield, MA) Arena Civic Theatre presents Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, directed by Erika and Jesse Clark. Join us at The Perch, Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center (289 Main St, Greenfield, MA) for this heartwarming tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption and transformation. This family-friendly production captures the essence of the holiday season, with ghosts, goodwill, and plenty of Christmas cheer!  Tickets Pauline Productions Presents To Serve the Hive by Julia Byrne, a play performed by Theater Between Addresses Sat Dec 14 at 2pm at First Congregational Church of Ashfield.  One Show Only. The world is no longer plentiful, and the hive is growing restless. How do the bees survive starvation? How does a vain, aging queen accept the need for a successor? How far can a subservient go outside her bounds? To Serve The Hive is a queer political thriller and a climate crisis drama set in a beehive.  All the characters are bees. The play runs 80 minutes and will be followed by a discussion.  This is a hybrid production with lights, costumes, and sound design with some sections script-in-hand.     This show was performed in Northampton for a two week run last March and audiences were impressed by the prescience of the material and its relevance to current events. Jeannine Haas,  Artistic Director of Pauline Productions who plays the role of "Queen Bee," proposed bringing it it to Ashfield as part of the First Congregational Church's initiative—*Young Voices: Listening to Our Youth. With the exception of Haas, the cast is composed of young adults under the age of of 26, written by Julia Byrne, a 27 year old, and directed by Ezekiel Baskin, Artistic Director of Theater Between Addresses.  It is suitable for teens and adults (some stage violence and adult references and themes). TICKETS:  Free (donate by cash or check at door) Reserve in advance: info@Paulinelive.com leave your name and number of tickets WHERE:  First Congregational Church of Ashfield, 429 Main St., Ashfield MA. WHEN:  Sat Dec 14 at 2pm  MORE INFO:  www.paulinelive.com Directed by Ezekiel Baskin, Sound Design: Wynn MacKenzie, Costumes: Julia Whalen Actors: Jeannine Haas, Hia Ghosh, Sophia Defayette, Cesca Hansen-DiBello, Aracelli Sierra   *To Serve the Hive is part of the Young Voices: Listening to Our Youth  initiative at the First Congregational Church in Ashfield. This two year project is funded by the church’s Mission and Social Justice Committee, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, and the Fred W. Wells Trust, UW-Protestant Churches, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee. Jeannine Haas of Pauline Production is hosting the play.   Happier Valley Comedy 2nd Saturdays Presents Flip the Script Dec 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley Flip The Script We invite a local playwright to bring an unfinished script to the show; an original work that's never seen the stage. Then we read the character descriptions, cast the show, and launch into its first ever performance. Once we run out of lines, we drop the scripts and improvise the rest of the play while the playwright watches in delight (or horror!) Inspired by The Script Tease Project created by Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus. December's show will feature an unfinished play by Stephanie Carlson! Featuring experienced improvisers Mandy Anderson, Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman, Moe McElligott, Laura Patrick, Pam Victor, and Kate Zak, with frequent special guests joining the fun! NEXT SHOW: Saturday, December 14th at 7pm Happier Valley Comedy Theater 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley Tickets are available online and at the door for $15 Tickets and More Information Another Musical Theater Karaoke Night!!! Join us in Easthampton Saturday, December 14th at New City Brewery, located in the back of the Mill buildings across from bandshell park. There will be yummy food available, along with New City's popular libations. Holiday songs are encouraged but not required! You can find more info and sign up for a slot in advance at easthamptontheater.com, or on site starting at 7PM, or just come for the food, drink, company and your listening pleasure!!! $10 suggested door donation, all proceeds go to ETC for shows and educations programs. The LAVA Center announces Climate Change Theater 2024: “In It Together” WHAT: Climate Change Theater 2024: “In It Together” WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2 p.m. (masks required) and 5 p.m. (masks optional) WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield https://thelavacenter.org/events/climate-change-theater-in-it-together/  https://www.facebook.com/events/586195260555522/  The LAVA Center presents a mixed-media program of short videos and play readings selected from the past six years of plays presented by LAVA on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Masks are required at the 2 p.m. performance and optional at the 5 p.m. performance. In conjunction with our current Humanities Gallery display, JJ White’s “World on Fire” — which lifts up the work of climate activist Greta Thunberg — The LAVA Center will reprise eight short plays in video and staged readings. These plays were produced in local venues and online from 2018–2023. The plays come from Climate Change Theatre Action, a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings as well as from LAVA’s locally produced climate change theater initiatives. In addition to videos from LAVA’s 2020 online short play festival, which will open the program, six plays will be re-staged by directors Tracy Grammer and Jan Maher. The production will combine video and live readings, ranging from human protagonists to frogs, polar bears, and Steller sea lions, to natural elements of the ocean and icebergs — representing a fraction of the 140 short climate-themed plays LAVA has brought to Greenfield-area audiences. The playwrights whose work will be shared are as diverse as the play topics and characters, hailing from Ireland, Rhode Island, Canada, New York City, Jordan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. the playwrights and their plays: Elaine Ávila (“The Rookery,” 2019) is an American and Canadian playwright, a co-founder of Climate Change Theatre Action, and a Fulbright Scholar to the Azores, Portugal for 2019. Her plays tell untold stories of women, workers, the Portuguese, and climate change. Favorite Best New Play Awards: Disquiet International Literary Program in Lisbon, Victoria Critics Circle, Panama City’s Festival de los Cocos. She is distinguished as a descendentes notáveis (Notable Descendant) for her theater work by the Government of the Azores, Portugal. Nic Billon (“The Polar Bears,” 2023) writes for theater, television and film. His work has been produced around the world and garnered many awards, including a Governor-General’s Award for Drama, a Canadian Screen Award and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award. Philip Braithwaite (“Ice Flow,” 2019) is a playwright and lecturer. His plays have been produced in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the US. He is originally from New Zealand, but he is now living, writing and teaching in the UK. Kay Bullard (“Under the Weather,” 2020) is a Providence-based playwright whose short and one-act plays have been read and produced throughout the region. Her plays have been read and produced throughout New England and a few nationally as well. She is a founding mother of the Providence-based The Blue Cow Group, and was recipient of the first Richard Pacheco Playwrighting Award for her play JUNK at Theatre One's Slice of Life New Works Festival in Providence. Colette Cullen (“Everyone’s Sorry,” 2020) is a writer and director based in Dublin, Ireland. Her plays have been widely produced in Ireland and beyond. She has written for Irish public service broadcaster RTE’s flagship TV drama series FAIR CITY and written and directed a number of prize-winning short films.  Most recently, her play AND THEN was produced at the Newvember Plays Festival, Dublin, in November of 2024. Lana I. Nasser (“The Butterfly that Persisted,” 2019) is a storyteller, dreamer, barefoot dancer and beekeeper. An eco-feminist with a passion for mythologies and language, and a belief that peace is possible. Born in Jordan with Palestinian blood, she studied and lived across the US for many years, before planting herself in the south of the Netherlands for now.   Elyne Quan (“Pond Life,” 2018) is a writer, actor and director for theater, film and interactive media. Playwriting credits include Souvenirs of Home, Stray, Surface Tension, Lig & Bittle (co-written/co-performed with Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull), and Cuisine for CCTA 2015. She is a former President of the board of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. She holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University and a BA Honours degree in Drama from the University of Alberta. Caridad Svich (“A Letter from the Ocean,” 2019) received the 2012 OBIE for Lifetime Achievement. Her play RED BIKE is currently sustaining an NNPN Rolling World Premiere. She is editor of Stages ofResistance: Theatre and Politics in the Capitalocene (NoPassport Press, 2018). A talk-back following the presentation will focus on sharing news updates, action suggestions and personal priorities for taking action on climate change in the year ahead. This program is made possible by funding from Greening Greenfield and Mass Humanities. We are partially ADA compliant: Our entire facility (including accessible, gender-inclusive bathroom) is on the ground floor. We strive to make our programming and events accessible to the widest possible range of community members. To inquire about accessibility, email info@thelavacenter.org. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Easthampton High School Drama Club is looking for 2 resourceful and reliable people. Both positions carry stipends. Neither person would be working alone. Amy is directing the production and will be providing support, especially with student communication and navigating the resources we have at the school. Quinn Renehan is the EHS shop teacher and he is teaching Stagecraft during the school day so many things can be started or finished there. Contact Amy Pawlus at apawlus@epsd.us Technical Director  The technical director is responsible for making sure that all of the set, prop, costume, lighting and sound elements are in place for the rehearsal and performance process. The technical director coordinates with the EHS shop teacher and stage director on material needs, budget and building strategies to run the Saturday set construction sessions from 10-2 during Mar/April. They will need to create job lists for student and parent volunteers and oversee work on set, prop and costume building and organization. The technical director should be available to oversee the run of the performances and the breakdown and disposal of the set as well as return any rental or borrowed items. This position comes with a $2500 stipend and requires at least 100 hours of time. Musical Conductor The musical conductor is responsible for teaching the students all of the music for the musical. Rehearsals usually happen between 2-4 usually one or two days a week. The cast focuses on learning the group songs early in the rehearsal process and then rehearsals for music are shorter and more focused on solos as the process continues. There is no live orchestra for this production. The musical conductor must be comfortable with the digital playback software for both rehearsal and performance purposes and needs to be available for rehearsals and performances to work with and/or train the sound board operator. The musical conductor should help with assignment of wireless microphones and placement of monitors or other audio related equipment. This position comes with a $1700 stipend and requires at least 60 hours of time. A.P.E. (Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd) seeks a part-time Space-Use Coordinator and Artist Liaison for operations related to A.P.E.’s presence at 33 Hawley in Northampton, MA. This role will join A.P.E.’s staff alongside its two full-time co-directors, and primarily manage the use of A.P.E.’s spaces at 33 Hawley, in tandem with A.P.E.’s newly hired, part-time technical director. This one-year position will begin in January 2025, with possible renewal as an ongoing position. Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd (A.P.E.) is an artist-led, artist-centered 501(c)3 non-profit organization supporting contemporary artists working in all disciplines by stewarding the spaces in which they create, perform and exhibit their work. A.P.E is dedicated to fostering relationships, encounters, and exchanges that nourish the capacity for imagination. A.P.E. stewards spaces at 126 Main Street and at 33 Hawley in Northampton MA.  LEARN MORE Space-Use Coordinator and Artist Liaison key duties and responsibilities:  Coordinate space use in both the Workroom and Carole’s Dance Studio at 33 Hawley. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following Develop and implement systems for rentals/space use, including contracts, rental forms, payment procedures/tracking, timelines, and feedback/followup processes. Field questions from renters leading up to and during the rental period Coordinate with the Technical Director for communication of tech/production protocols and scheduling of orientations with renters. Coordinate scheduling with the Northampton Center For the Arts + attend weekly building scheduling meetings Keep website event calendar up-to-date Work closely with members of the Workroom Cooperative for scheduling of their programming Field rental inquiries Manage building access and key cards for renters Maintain close communication with A.P.E.’s co-directors and technical director, including attending a weekly production meeting Join all staff at 33 Hawley in general care of the building and grounds Staff Arts Night Out every second Friday of the month  In addition, the Artist Liaison will assist A.P.E.’s co-directors with the following: Vision into future possibilities of how the Workroom can further activate the mission of A.P.E. Develop access-centered rental / space use models Contribute to grant writing that subsidizes space for artists at 33 Hawley This position is 20 hrs per week, $32,000 annual salary. The position includes 4 weeks of vacation (2 determined by A.P.E. scheduling and 2 self-chosen), plus holidays.  Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, problem-solving capability, collaboration skills, commitment to A.P.E.’s mission, and strong time and project management skills. The candidate must be self-directed and able to work well within the ecosystem of 33 Hawley, in which A.P.E. works closely with the Northampton Center for the Arts and Northampton Open Media. Other qualifications include experience in at least one of the following: Production Management, Stage Management, Arts Management, Project Management in an Arts-related Field. Candidate must have working knowledge of Google Suite programs. Grant writing skills a plus. Preferred Skills: experience with personal artistic practice, as well as with DEI initiatives and frameworks. This is designed to be an in-person position, with some flexibility to shape one’s work schedule.  A.P.E. is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. How to Apply: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 references (names and contact information) to info@apearts.org, with the subject line “Space-Use Coordinator and Artist Liaison.” If you would like to arrange for submitting an application via video, audio recording, or other method, please contact Kathy Couch at kathycouch@apearts.org  Position open until filled. Priority given to applications received by Sunday, December 1st at 11:59pm. CASTING CALL Auditions for staged reading of The Surprizing Work of God, a folk-opera about Jonathan Edwards by Jeff Olmsted Jan 25, 26, 2025 Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, Florence, MA Auditions-Saturday Dec 1, 1:00-4:00 by appointment CASTING Jonathan Edwards (Tenor C3-A4 (mostly E3-E4) the one who preached “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God” in Northampton in 1742. From lyrical to declamatory. Sarah Edwards (Soprano A3-E-5), wife of Jonathan, she was a mystic, sought-after as an herbal healer, plus she ran the farm and they had eleven children. Range A4-E5. Leah (Alto G3-C5) Woman enslaved to the Edwards’ family. This character narrates, speaking directly to the audience. Requires actor to be Black/AA identifying. Other roles blind cast. These roles are paid. We are also looking for (unpaid) chorus members, to play the congregation, in hell and in heaven. The music is tuneful, not difficult. Most rehearsal in January, singers at music stands, Jan 25-26 4 p.m. Email Jeff: surprizingwork@gmail.com. The Harlot Queens Auditions for 2025 Season Online through December 1, 2024 Seeking female/non-binary identifying singers/musicians: The Harlot Queens is a professional comedic musical group that travels around New England and beyond performing both traditional family-friendly and bawdy tavern-style songs at renaissance faires, festivals, and more. For our 2025 season we are looking to add a second guitar player, a percussionist, as well as a dynamic singer/actor. Compensation is based on availability and bookings. We highly value diversity, and encourage performers of color as well as members of the lgbtqia community to apply. For more information visit www.theharlotqueens.com  Click the link below to sign up. https://forms.gle/xEkE5jP47G6Y4rFz7 WORKSHOPS & CLASSES The Center for Actor Training at Shakespeare & Company will hold the 44th session of its Month-long Intensive for mid-career actors at its Lenox, Mass. campus from December 28, 2024, through January 19, 2025. For six days a week, morning to night, participants immerse themselves in voice, movement, text analysis, exploration of the actor/audience relationship, sonnet work, scene work, clown, stage fight, and in-depth discussions about the function of theater and the role of the actor in today’s world. Director of the Center for Actor Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay said the Intensive offers actor training that is both time-tested and innovative. “The January Month-long is a unique opportunity for actors to concentrate on their craft in a supportive and courageous community of artists,” she said. “Alumni of the Month-long routinely find that our training is transformative for their work and applies to contemporary and classical acting.” Complete applications are accepted on a rolling basis; arrival day is Friday, Dec. 27, and departure day Monday, Jan. 20. For more information – including regarding the topics covered during the Intensive – email training@shakespeare.org. Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training The aesthetic of Shakespeare & Company was devised by Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, Founding Director of Training Kristin Linklater, and a cadre of expert teachers. The Center for Actor Training’s approach is continually investigated, redefined, and reinvigorated, and welcomes actors, directors, writers, and teachers worldwide to work with the Company’s faculty.   About Shakespeare & Company Shakespeare & Company was founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Company offers performance, education, and actor-training opportunities year-round, and attracts more than 40,000 patrons annually with a core of more than 150 artists. Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. Sign up for Spring 2025 musicals Classes begin January 18, 2025 Mapleridge Community Center 659 Amherst Road, Sunderland, MA Aladdin Jr musical for grades 1-6 start January 18, 2025 every Saturday morning with performances at the Amherst Middle School auditorium March 22, 2025 Aladdin Jr. will be so much fun for the cast with expanded characters, new songs, and more thrills, this new adaptation of the beloved story will open up “a whole new world”. Class fee is $260, limited space, sign up at https://starlights-youth-theatre.org/register-portal/ Starlight classes are held at Mapleridge Community Ctr 659 Amherst Road, Sunderland, MA Financial Aid is available. No experience necessary.  Hello, Dolly! The musical for grades 7-12 , classes start January 18, 2025, every Saturday 11am with performances May 2 & 3, 2025 at The Academy of Music in Northampton. This Tony Award winner has some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. Songs such as “Hello, Dolly”, “Put on your Sunday clothes”, “Before the Parade marches by”, and “It only takes a moment”, Besides the lead and supporting lead roles this show has a very active ensemble that fill the show with song and dance. Class fee is $295 Auditions Dec 7th but everyone will have a role. Sign up at https://starlights-youth-theatre.org/register-portal/ Starlight meets at Mapleridge Community Ctr 659 Amherst Road, Sunderland, MA Financial Aid is available. No experience necessary. Register Here. Submit your workshop, class, audition, performance, or any other theatre opportunity here! Western Massachusetts Theatre Companies Academy of Music Theatre Amherst Community Theater Arena Civic Theatre A.C.T. 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