Western Mass Theatre News December 19, 2024

Your source for theatre events in Western Massachusetts.

Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser December 19, 2024 - January 8, 2025 It's a good week to check the newsletter for upcoming auditions, opportunities, and classes! Make sure you scroll all the way to the end of click to view the newsletter in a browser. As a reminder, you can also see the newsletter at at westernmasstheatre.com.  The next issue will include events from December 26 - January 15. 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 Arena Civic Theatre presents A Christmas Carol  December 13-22 at Hawks & Reed  Tickets and More Information Easthampton Theater Company - Auditions for Guys and Dolls January 5 and 6 in Easthampton More Information Amherst Community Theater presents Disney's Newsies January 16-19 & 23-26 at Bowker Auditorium, UMass Amherst 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 Phantom Sheep Players LaughCrafters Holiday Show Dec 19, 2024 at 7:30 PM Unity House Players, 245 Porter Lake Dr, Springfield, MA Annual free show featuring Improv and sketch comedy to celebrate and satirize the season. Facebook event. “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2024” COMING TO MAJESTIC THEATER DECEMBER 19-22 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. Arena Civic Theatre Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol - December in Greenfield MA Show Dates & Times: - 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 JaDuke Theater Disney's Beauty and the Beast Dec 20 at 7:00 PM Dec 21 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM Dec 22 at 2:00 PM JaDuke Theater, 110 Industrial Boulevard, Turners Falls, MA 01376 The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. Tickets and More Information Happier Valley Comedy Presents Not In Charage Dec 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM The 3rd Saturday of every month at 7pm Happier Valley Comedy, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley Don't miss this talented group of friends in an improvised show inspired by true stories from the cast! Not In Charge is Mandy Anderson, Maddy Benjamin, Sally Ekus, Julie Waggoner, Jim Young, and Kate Zak. NEXT SHOW: Saturday, December 21st at 7pm Happier Valley Comedy Theater 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE AND AT THE DOOR FOR $15 More information. Happier Valley Comedy The Understudies Improvised Musical Jan 4, 2025 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, January 4th at 7pm HVC Theater, 1 Mill Valley Rd, Hadley, MA Tickets and More Information MAJESTIC THEATER PRESENTS INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP JANUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 16 West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present Incident at Our lady of Perpetual Help, a comedy by Katie Forgette, onstage January 9 through February 16. Set in 1973, this play is a wild and tender comedy that focuses on the cash strapped O’Shea family. 19-year-old Linda O’Shea, the narrator of the story, tells the story of a family crisis of biblical proportions when a simple conversation between her and her younger sister, about the birds and the bees, was overheard by the parish priest. It was the most turbulent day in her life, and just might turn into a parish-wide scandal—if only her family would quit interrupting. The play will be directed by Rand Foerster.  Danny Eaton is producing director, and Sue Dziura is associate producing director and stage manager.  Stephen Petit is production stage manager, and the associate production manager is Aurora Ferraro.  Matt Whiton is the scenic designer, and the lighting designer is Daniel Rist.  Costume design is by Dawn McKay and Alan Schneider is technical director. The cast includes Sandra Blaney (Jo O’Shea), Cate Damon (Terri Carmichael), Jenna Burns (Linda O’Shea), John Baker (Mike/Lovett/Betty), Maggie Hamel (Becky O’Shea), and understudies include Christine Voytko (Terri and Jo), Julia Solecki (Linda), and Mark Dean (Mike/Lovett/Betty). 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 Amherst Community Theater Disney's Newsies 1/16 at 7:30 PM 1/17 - 7:30 pm, 1/18 - 1:00 pm, 1/19 - 1:00 pm, 1/23 - 7:30 pm, 1/24 - 7:30 pm, 1/25 - 1:00 AND 7:30 pm, 1/26 - 1:00 pm Bowker Auditorium, UMass Amherst Join Amherst Community Theater for an electrifying production of Disney’s Newsies, the Tony Award®-winning musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and book by Harvey Fierstein. Inspired by the 1899 newsboys’ strike, this rousing tale of resilience, justice, and community is more relevant than ever in today’s fight for workers’ rights and equality. Our spirited, inclusive production features a dynamic cast of all-gendered newsies, reimagining the story’s heart with dynamic choreography and show-stopping music. Nine performances running January 16–19 and January 24–26, 2025. Questions? Email producer@amherstacts.org. Tickets: amherstacts.org/buy-tickets. https://amherstacts.org/buy-tickets/ AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Announcing Auditions for Guys and Dolls! Auditions Are January 5th and 6th in Easthampton for our June production of Guys and Dolls. Auditions are by appointment only, so make sure you sign up! Callbacks will be January 13th. Rehearsals begin in late March and the production goes up in late June. More info is available on our website easthamptontheater.com The Interim Production Manager is responsible for managing the operations of the Production Services department of the Fine Arts Center at UMass Amherst through June 30, 2025.  This includes day-to-day operations, scheduling, and finalizing staff assignments for Fine Arts Center performance facilities.  Essential Functions Finalizes the assignment and scheduling of, and manages, technical staff. Coordinates interdepartmental production meetings. Maintains and coordinates venue and production schedules with box office, front of house, technical staff, and other departments. Assists Associate Director of Operations with implementing building maintenance and security operations for the Fine Arts Center performing arts facilities and outdoor events. Supports the production staff and work crew in the execution of normal maintenance, repairs, and improvements to the Fine Arts Center theatrical stage equipment in compliance with safety standards. Supervises provision of technical support for outdoor and/or off-campus and virtual sites and the scheduling of production services shops (audio, lighting, and carpentry) in the set-up, run and strike for all Fine Arts Center shows, events and rentals. Prepares and administers budget for production services, including processing invoices through Arts Vision and Sales Force, tracking expenses and revenues, and working with the business office to compensate production staff, reconcile facility rentals and complete end of year reporting. Assists with the purchasing process for production services including budget allocation, maintenance vendor quote requests for rentals and purchases, purchase order requisitions, and timely tracking of payables and receivables. Assists the Associate Directors of Operations and Production in the coordination of the production calendar. Maintains personnel and timekeeping records for five full time staff and a large pool of part-time students and over-hires for production services. Monitors and reviews the weekly timesheets submitted by production services staff and crew for accuracy. More information and application here. OPEN AUDITIONS FOR VALLEY PLAYERS’ PRODUCTION OF “LOVE LETTERS” The Valley Players will hold auditions for their February production of A. R. Gurney’s award-winning play Love Letters on January 6 and 7, 7pm-9pm, at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. Ten-minute audition slots must be booked in advance at valleyplayers.org. No preparation or prior experience is necessary to try out and all auditioners will read sides from the script. As with all Valley Players productions, this is a volunteer opportunity. Even though Love Letters is written with just two characters, this production could cast up to eight actors depending on turn-out at auditions. There are no age or gender requirements to be cast. Love Letters goes up February 7 & 8 and 13 & 14 at Black Birch Vineyard in North Hatfield, with tickets on a pay-what-you-can scale. During the performance, attendees will be able to enjoy light bites and fine wine from Black Birch. Half of net ticket proceeds from Love Letters will be donated to River Valley Counseling Center, a nonprofit community-based mental health agency that has been serving the Valley for over 70 years. Simple by design but moving in effect, the play takes the form of two characters sharing the letters they have written each other from kindergarten through their golden years, relating their struggles and triumphs, dreams and fears, and setbacks and second chances. Over the course of the evening, the often complicated, deeply touching, always messy story of their evolving love unfolds against the backdrop of the tumultuous events of the mid- to late-twentieth century. Beloved by actors and audiences alike, Gurney’s classic play has featured some of the biggest names of stage and screen of the past 40 years, including Kathleen Turner, William Hurt, Christopher Reeve, Christopher Walken, Frances Sternhagen, Stockard Channing, Jane Curtin, Robert Vaughan, Mia Farrow, Carol Burnett, Alan Alda, Candice Bergen, Anjelica Huston, Martin Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Brooke Shields, Charlton Heston, Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Liza Minnelli, Desi Arnaz, Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels, Bernadette Peters, Elizabeth Taylor, James Earl Jones, Sam Elliott, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Sally Field, and Tony Shalhoub. The Valley Players is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit group with a mission to enrich the quality of life in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts by producing nimble, meaningful, and accessible community theater. All contributions are tax-deductible and go fully to support the organization’s mission and programming. Anyone who wants to donate or become a business sponsor, or find more information about the group, can do so at valleyplayers.org. Valley Light Opera Call for Stage Director Call for director: The Valley Light Opera will be presenting H.M.S. Pinafore in November, 2025. VLO is seeking nominations and applications for artistic/stage director for our 50th annual production, Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, to be performed November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16, 2025, at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton. Stage Director Description: The stage director creates the overall artistic concept of the show. The SD works closely with the musical director as well as the set and costume designers, the choreographer and technical director to carry out the concept. The stage director also rehearses principals and chorus in dialogue, acting, blocking, and dancing. An honorarium of $1,000 will be paid at the completion of the performances.  For those interested in applying as stage director, proposals should be submitted by January 15th, 2025. Proposals can be submitted to VLO president Kathy Blaisdell at: kathy.blaisdell222@gmail.com and must include the following:  · Letter of interest and artistic concept (no more than 3 pages)  · Theater or music resume  · References  Nominations are also encouraged and may be submitted to the same email address. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, starting immediately. Finalists may be invited to make a presentation to the VLO Board after January 15. A description of the stage version of H.M.S. Pinafore can be found at: https://www.gsarchive.net/pinafore/html/index.html The Valley Light Opera is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization based in Amherst, MA. Each year for over 50 years the VLO has produced fully-staged, orchestrated and lavishly costumed productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and other musical theater works. Rehearsals are typically in Hadley or Amherst, and performances at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Applicants who are unfamiliar with VLO are encouraged to explore our website at vlo.org.  Questions? Please email VLO president Kathy Blaisdell, at kathy.blaisdell222@gmail.com. ETHEL the BARN Actors Needed: ART AS RESISTANCE: A celebration of MLK birthday as an antidote to Inauguration Day Jan 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM ETHEL the BARN As a birthday present to MLK In response to the incoming administration ETHEL the BARN in Southampton is gathering concerned artists and audience for a reading of THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL. There will be 1 rehearsal followed by the event. We are determined to respond to these difficult times by promoting creative activity as a form of resistance. If you would like to read or just want to attend in solidarity please RSVP: perlsteinj@protonmail.com Call for Submissions: The Policy Playhouse 2025 Arts Festival About The Policy Playhouse The Policy Playhouse is a new arts initiative that seeks to bridge the gap between policymakers and the people they serve. We aim to use the power of art to spark meaningful conversations around critical social and political issues. In March 2025, we’ll host our first arts festival in Northampton, Massachusetts, where local artists and playwrights will present original works that tackle pressing local policy issues. These works will be performed by community members for both the public and local politicians, fostering dialogue and action. Submission Guidelines We’re currently seeking playwrights and interdisciplinary artists to submit their play scripts or creative projects for consideration. Your work should address a local policy issue in the Pioneer Valley, but you’re welcome to choose the issue you feel most passionate about. Some suggested topics include: Education: Budget cuts and staff layoffs in Northampton schools (Contact Support Our Schools SOS for more info) Housing: The housing crisis and gentrification in the Pioneer Valley (Contact Springfield No One Leaves for more info) Immigration: ICE’s recent involvement in the area and Northampton/Amherst’s stance on supporting migrants We accept both original works and adaptations (e.g., Shakespearean plays that are in the public domain). Plays can be any length or format. Submission Process Completed Scripts: Submit your finalized play manuscript through the provided link. Proposals: If your idea is still in development, you can submit a proposal to collaborate with us in bringing it to life. Submission Deadline: January 20, 2025. We also welcome interest forms for those who want to contribute to the festival in a more low-commitment role, such as performance, tech, or volunteering. Interest forms can be submitted on a rolling basis via our website. How to Submit Submit your play script or proposal here. Submit an interest form for performance, tech, or volunteering here. For questions or more information, visit our website or email us at thepolicyplayhouse@gmail.com. We encourage submissions from anyone in the Pioneer Valley, including school students and staff! Thank you for helping us create a space for art that inspires action and fosters dialogue. MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL - UPCOMING GRANTS Grant Opportunities Operating Grants for Organizations OPENS: February 2025 / DEADLINE: April 2025 Who can apply: Organizations Unrestricted general operating grants for Massachusetts-based, nonprofit cultural organizations with year-round operations offering public programming in the arts, humanities, or sciences. Grants start at $6,000. Creative Experiences OPENS: March 2025 / DEADLINE: April 2025 Who can apply: Organizations NEW: Grants to organizations (including schools) to fund festivals, projects, residencies, and other cultural activities in the arts, humanities, and sciences. This program combines Festivals & Projects and Creative Projects for Schools into one program. 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. PIC is thrilled to offer our first series of in-person classes for adults. Join the incredibly funny and talented Gabriel Levey this winter and spring for one or both of these fantastic offerings! The Fun of Failure and Acting as Play go great as a pair! Separately, each class costs $275 for a total of $550. Sign up for both now through January 13th and receive a $30 discount. Registration opens Monday, December 16th at 9:00am! The Fun of Failure Tuesdays, 6-9pm: January 14-March 11 *no class on  February 25th Soften your brain, relinquish the pressure of living in an adult body, let loose and come PLAY! As we investigate the comic, tragic and poetic world of the Clown, participants will also be able to explore what it might be like to live in an undiminished body – maybe for the very first time. Whatever happens, it’s going to be fun, like a lot of fun, maybe too much and then a little more.   Acting as Play Tuesdays, 6-9pm:  March 25- May 20 *no class on April 22nd In this 8-week class, participants will be provided with a safe, brave space to:  Embrace the precarious pleasure of not needing to know what’s coming next  Find fun in whatever given circumstances the character has no choice but to endure And so much more! Acting as Play is a wholly unique approach to text and scene work, centering imagination, play and vulnerability as the foundation of all performance. Over the course of the class, all participants will have the opportunity to work on a monologue and/or a scene, depending on their interests. Learn More about both classes 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. Youth Theatre Barrington Stage Company Berkshire Theatre Group Chester Theatre Company CitySpace Completely Ridiculous Productions Drama Studio Double Edge Theatre Easthampton Theater Company Eggtooth Productions Exit 7 Players Ghost Light Theater Great Barrington Public Theater Greenfield Community College's Theater Department Hampshire Shakespeare Company Happier Valley Comedy Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center Human Agenda Theater 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 Plays In Place Real Live Theatre Serious Play Theatre Ensemble Shakespeare & Company  Shakespeare Stage Shea Theater Arts Center Silverthorne Theater Smith College Department of Theatre South Hadley Players Spindrift Theatre St. Michael's Players Starlight's Youth Theatre, Inc. Theater Between Addresses Theatre Guild of Hampden TheatreTruck UMass Department of Theater UMass Theatre Guild Unity House Players Valley Light Opera Valley Players WAM Theatre Ware Community Theatre Westfield Theatre Group Wilbraham United Players Williamstown Theatre Festival World and Eye Want to know even more about events in Western Massachusetts and beyond, including reviews, interviews, and previews? In the Spotlight, Inc. Berkshire on Stage Stagestruck ArtsBeat TV/Radio and News Column Local Theater Critic Max Hartshorne Copyright © 2024 Western Mass Theatre, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive the Western Mass Theatre Newsletter. This newsletter is published weekly on Thursdays and all information about upcoming performances and auditions is reader submitted. The newsletter is limited to information about theatre in Western Massachusetts. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences