Western Mass Theatre News March 13, 2025

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Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser March 13-April 2, 2025 This week: Unfinished Women closes tonight at UMass, Catch Me If You Can at Unity House Players, On Golden Pond at Easthampton Theater Company, Not in Charge at Happier Valley Comedy, and the Very Hungry Caterpillar at the FAC.  The next issue will include events from March 20 - April 9. 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 Easthampton Theatre Company presents On Golden Pond March 15-23 at Williston Theater in Easthampton Tickets and More Information Serious Play Theater Ensemble presents Physical Actor Training Workshop March 29 and 30 in Eastworks Email to Register World and Eye presents Bite Size Blends March 22 at 7:00 PM at CitySpace Easthampton Tickets and More Information Holy Smokes Theatre presents auditions for Dandy in the Underworld March 13 and 16 at CitySpace in Easthampton No appointment needed, email with questions. 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 AUGUST WILSON’S FENCES ONSTAGE AT MAJESTIC THEATER MARCH 13 – APRIL 6  West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present Fences, the Tony Award and 1987 Pulitzer Prize Winning Drama by August Wilson onstage February 27 through April 6. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the play focuses on Troy, a 53-year-old working class head of the household who struggles with providing for his family.  He lives with his wife, Rose, and his teenage son, Cory.  In his younger days, Troy was an excellent baseball player and even played in the Negro Leagues, but that was before the color barrier in Major League Baseball had been broken.  Fences explores the evolving challenge of a family attempting to build a safe home in the racially stratified 1950s suburban America. The play will be directed by Michael Ofori.  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.  Amari O’Connor is stage manager, Calypso Michelet is scenic designer, and Dan Rist is lighting designer.  Costume design is by Dawn McKay and Alan Schneider is technical director. The cast includes Dominic Carter (Troy), Martinez Napoleon (Gabriel), Greg Alexander (Jim), Kyle Boatwright (Rose), Silk Johnson (Lyons), Mike Daniel (Cory), and Louise Coly/Malayah Charland (Raynelle). According to Eaton, “Fences is a great, classic story in the way is provides a snapshot of the struggles faced in keeping a family together through everyday challenges.  August Wilson was a remarkable American playwright who wrote about his lived experience.  Fences is set in Pittsburgh, and Wilson channeled his understanding of growing up and living in that particular community to tell a compelling story.  His plays are character-driven, and he creates incredibly interesting characters who draw an audience in.” 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 Unfinished Women Cry in No Man's Land While a Bird Dies in a Gilded CageBy Aishah Rahman Directed by Judyie Al-Bilali March 13 at 7:30 p.m. The Curtain Theater $5 students, seniors, Card to Culture, $17 general admissionContent advisory: Racial slurs, discussions of sexual activity and assault, discussions and depictions of drug and alcohol use and death. Recommended for children age 15 and up.Tickets on sale through the Fine Arts Center Box Office (413-545-2511 and online), as well as at the door on the night of the show (subject to availability). To make our shows more affordable, we offer Card to Culture pricing for qualifying patrons. There's past, present, and future wrapped up in our production of Aishah Rahman's Unfinished Women Cry in No Man's Land While a Bird Dies in a Gilded Cage, which opens in the Curtain Theater on March 7.  In dual story lines, virtuoso saxophonist Charlie Parker contemplates his life as he dies, while a group of young unwed mothers wrestle with their sense of the future and the fates of their children. Music suffuses the atmosphere as the breath of life in these parallel stories where pleasure, pain, heartbreak, and desire comingle. Aishah Rahman’s text provides the blueprint for Theatrical Jazz, an approach to theater-making that centers Black aesthetics and creativity. This play was co-produced in the department with New WORLD Theater in 1987 as a part of a conference celebrating Black Theater. Director and Professor Judyie Al-Bilali's early training was in Theatrical Jazz and she brings this form to a new generation of theater students — who, in turn, are looking ahead to how they'll make their mark on theater.   "It helps us to look backwards to that earlier performance and to support Black theater now. This production affirms our commitment to the ongoing legacy of Black theater on our campus," said the play's dramaturg, Dr. Priscilla Maria Page. The play was originally proposed for the season by Professor Gilbert McCauley, who planned to direct. McCauley, also an accomplished actor, has since stepped into the titular role of Charlie Parker, with Al-Bilali taking on directing duties. The three faculty members are frequent collaborators; they participated in the first national conference on Theatrical Jazz at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where Page was a key organizer. Theatrical Jazz practitioners follow tenets that include a focus on breath, deep listening, presence, virtuosity, community, the holding of simultaneous truths and being in one's body — all important values for moving through life as well as art. Both for the theater-makers and the audience, Page said, our presentation of this play is "beautiful and necessary." Unfinished Women is presented in the Curtain Theater, an intimate space, so make your reservation now before performances sell out! Unity House Players Catch Me If You Can 3/14 7:30PM, 3/15 7:30PM, 3/16 2PM Unity Based on the hit film and the incredible true story, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. Featuring a swinging score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray).  Director: Robert H. Clark, III  Music Director: Elisabeth Weber Tickets  Unity House Players provides theatrical shows, Arts Education, and outreach including plays, concerts, musicals, improv, and more. Their summer show will be HADESTOWN-Teen Edition. Tickets Are Now On Sale for Easthampton Theater Company's March Production of On Golden Pond. Performed at Williston Theater, Easthampton, MA March 15-23. Directed by Jason Rose-Langston (Director, Torch Song) Produced by Michael O. Budnick (Producing Director, God of Carnage) On Golden Pond is a masterpiece of emotional depth, wit, and tenderness. In this production, we’re not only bringing this timeless story to the stage — we’re honoring its exploration of universal themes that are more relevant today than ever. Audiences will experience both light-hearted humor and poignancy while characters confront aging, bridge generational divides, and find home, family and love along the way. On Golden Pond may be best known from the Academy Award-winning 1981 cinematic version. But the 1979 Broadway Tony and Golden Globe nominated play is arguably funnier and more emotionally engaging. Live on stage, On Golden Pond is an experience that will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever grappled with love, loss, or the complexities of familial bonds. It is also one of only a handful of popular theater pieces to feature the life-long love affair of a senior couple. Set against the serene backdrop of a tranquil lake in New England, the story of Norman and Ethel Thayer, an elderly couple returning to their annual summer home, is a stirring meditation on life's inevitable changes.  Easthampton Theater’s On Golden Pond brings a fresh emotional intensity to a play that has captured hearts for decades. This production proves that the themes of family, aging, and reconciliation are more timeless and relatable than ever. Plus, this play reminds us that families, whether related or blended, are made up of all-too-fallible humans who can be quirky and funny. Ernest Thompson is a master of subtle humor and mood shifts.” The cast features outstanding regional talent, including veteran actor and former Ashfield theater director William Spademan as Norman Thayer, Jr. His portrayal of the sharp-tongued but endearing patriarch promises to be both hilarious and deeply moving. Joining him is the talented and amiable Patricia Perlman as Ethel, Norman’s warm-hearted and loving wife, whose unwavering optimism provides a comforting counterbalance to Norman’s gruff exterior. The cast also includes Kim Gaughan as Chelsea, the Thayers’ adult daughter, who is navigating her own complex relationship with her aging parents. Travis Maider plays Chelsea’s love interest Bill, and Jaxon Reddy plays his 13-year old son Billy. Patricia, Travis and Jaxon may be familiar to ETC audiences from 2024’s The Man Who Came to Dinner. Shelton Windham rounds out the cast as Charlie, Golden Pond’s resident mailman and childhood friend of Chelsea.  The beautiful Williston Theater and the innovative set design and lighting add to the immersive experience, enveloping the audience in a peaceful, nostalgic atmosphere. On Golden Pond offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on the beauty of life’s quiet moments and the importance of connection. This is a unique theatrical event that will leave audiences laughing and reflecting long after the final curtain falls. Performance Schedule: March 15th, 21st and 22nd at 7:30PM, March 16th, 23rd at 2PM  Tickets, more information about the company and production announcements are available HERE or via our website at easthamptontheater.com. You can also visit our facebook page at the link below: facebook.com/easthamptontheatercompany Not In Charge: Improv Comedy Inspired By True Stories Saturday, March 15 @7pm 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. Tickets and more info. UMass Fine Arts Center The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Mar 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM UMass Bromery Center for the Arts, Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall For a decade, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has been enchanting audiences worldwide, bringing Eric Carle’s beloved classics to life. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller and based on the works of renowned illustrator and author Eric Carle, who made a home in Northampton for more than thirty years, this acclaimed production features a menagerie of over 75 magical puppets, including the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, audiences will enjoy three other stories: search the night with The Very Lonely Firefly, travel the world with 10 Little Rubber Ducks, and explore and share with Brown Bear, Brown Bear. These cherished tales brought to life by a captivating cast of storytellers, enchanting original music, and breathtaking puppetry, educate and celebrate the power of creativity. This performance delights generations of Eric Carle readers — children, parents, and grandparents — who get to create lasting memories together experiencing what is often a child’s first theatrical experience. It’s truly one VERY magical hour.  Join us in our big glass lobby before the performance to visit the Pop-Up Bookshop from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art!  Presented by the UMass Fine Arts Center with sponsor support from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, El Sol Latino and Florence Bank. Tickets and More Info. Tickets for school and homeschool groups are still available to the Fine Arts Center's Global Arts Performances for Schools showing of this performance on Monday, March 17 at 10am! (Concessions and the bookshop will not be available at the Monday performance.) Please visit this link to register your education group: tinyurl.com/GlobalArtsRegistrationForm The Performance Project First Generation Ensemble Mother Tongue March 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM Easthampton High School Auditorium, 70 Williston Ave, Easthampton 01027 On Thursday March 20th at 6:30pm, Easthampton Public Schools is hosting the performance Mother Tongue at Easthampton High School. Mother Tongue, created by the Performance Project’s First Generation Ensemble, is a powerful and extremely relevant performance, especially in light of recent national and global events. The performance is free. Mother Tongue is an original multilingual physical theater performance created by the Performance Project’s First Generation Ensemble. The piece highlights local and global social justice issues, and is inspired by the lived experiences of Ensemble members, their families, and communities. The Ensemble originates from Congo/Tanzania, Bhutan/Nepal, South Sudan/Darfur, Puerto Rico, Holyoke, and Springfield, MA. The 90 minute performance weaves together movement, music, dance, theater, and stories in Arabic, Swahili, Nepali, Spanish, and English and incorporates themes of language, culture, identity, diaspora, hypermasculinity, transphobia, racism, education, the school to prison pipeline, personal liberation and revolution. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. Following the performance, the ensemble will offer a 20 minute post-show conversation with the audience, inviting reflection on the themes of Mother Tongue. Tickets: free, donations accepted at the door. More Info The development of Mother Tongue was supported by the Mass Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and Mass Humanities. The performance, graciously hosted by Easthampton Public Schools, is also supported by the Easthampton Cultural Council. Silverthorne Theater Company the birds the birds the birds Mar 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM Holyoke Media, 1 Court Plaza, Holyoke, MA Join us for our first Theater Thursday reading of the 2025 season: Harley Erdman’s new musical, the birds the birds the birds, with music by Gregory Boover. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, with music dramaturgy & direction by Kyle Boatwright, and starring Tahmie Der, Hia Ghosh, Aaron Mancaniello, and Sam Samuels, the reading will take place at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 at Holyoke Media.  Tickets are free, but space is limited, so reserve your tickets now at https://tinyurl.com/STCBirds. Silverthorne welcomes donations for this event so that we can continue making our work accessible to all. https://tinyurl.com/STCBirds Starlight's Youth Theatre Frozen Jr Mar 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM Amherst Middle School Starlight's Youth Theatre students in grades 1-6 will be performing the musical Frozen Jr. Based on the hit Broadway musical and blockbuster Disney film, the show features iconic songs like “Let It Go” and “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?” Attending youth theatre productions is an easy and fun way to support your local community, as well as a good opportunity to introduce your young child to the world of theatre. Tickets $8 at the Door World and Eye Arts Center Bite Size Blends Mar 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM The Blue Room at City Space- 43 Main St. Easthampton, MA. 01027 Bite Size Blends gathers performing artists who speak truth to power. Artists have long been the philosophers and truth tellers of their time. Listen to poignant personal and social commentaries on justice told through story, physical theater, satirical clown, and poetry by accomplished performers. Included are: Magdalena Gomez, Amy Dawn Kotel, Jean Minuchin and The Performance Projects' First Generation Ensemble. https://wande.betterworld.org/events/bite-size-blends-2025 For more Information www.worldandeye.com/shows Scripted/ Unscripted  Saturday, March 22 @7pm One scripted actor sticking to their lines... One improviser with no idea what scene they're in... One unique, messy, beautifully wild ride! Experience the fan-favorite mashup of theater and improv comedy, Scripted/Unscripted! Inspired by the original show Gravid Water, which ran at the UCB Theatre in NYC. Featuring a rotating cast of experienced improvisers and talented local actors! March's Scripted actors are Stephanie Carlson, Michael Charland-Tait, Gabriel CiFuentes, and Cate Damon! March's Unscripted actors are Scott Braidman, Laura Patrick, Pam Victor, and Julie Waggoner! Tickets and more info. Join PIC for the public reading of our first Development Workshop* of 2025: IN CLINIC by Julio Nogueira Varella. ​Dramaturgy by Meena Cunniffe with cast coordination by Sarah Marcus and Wynn Mackenzie. Featuring Gabriel Cifuentes, Pedro Eiras, Shaun Lamory, Sherine Levy, Aracelli Sierra,  Aaron Mancaniello, and Patricia Mew.   The reading begins at 7:30pm. Doors will open at 7:00pm. Please enter the 33 Hawley Building via the downstairs courtyard. The reading will take place in The Workroom. Development Workshop readings are $10 to attend, but no one is turned away from lack of funds. If the ticket price is out of reach for you, please select the subsidized ticket option. If you are able to contribute to our subsidized ticket fund, there will be an opportunity to do so at time of registration. Reserve your ticket now by any form of payment. Cash or check only at the door. *What is Development Workshop? ​Development Workshop is reserved for pieces that have a first full draft and could use an intensive period of writing and hearing the work out loud with actors. This opportunity provides developmental worksessions with actors and other support artists over the course of a number of consecutive days, culminating in a reading and developmental discussion with an audience. Register to Attend Tickets are now on sale for Leonora, la maga y la maestra at the Farm. This performance is conceived and directed by DE Founder and Vision Strategist Stacy Klein. Inspired by the visual art, writings and life of British-born Mexican artist Leonora Carrington and her mentorship of a long line of male artists, this surreal performance unfolds an encounter between Leonora and Adán (everyman) and portrays the magic, mystery, and humanity found in Carrington’s work.   "a peek into an expansive world -- a hallucinatory symbol-heavy tour of Carrington's fervid mind" -New York Times, Critic's Pick Buy tickets here K and E Theater Group Presents the Tony Award Winning Spring Awakening at Northampton Center for the Arts, March 28-30 & April 3-5, 2025 K and E Theater Group invites audiences to experience the electrifying, Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, opening in at the end of this month at the Northampton Center for the Arts. Running March 28-30 and April 3-5, 2025, this groundbreaking production explores the exhilaration, heartbreak, and rebellion of youth in a way that is as relevant today as it was when it first premiered on Broadway in 2006. Based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening features a hauntingly beautiful Tony Award-winning score by Duncan Sheik and a powerful book and lyrics by Steven Sater. The musical follows a group of teenagers in late 19th-century Germany as they navigate the challenges of coming of age in a rigid, repressive society. With its gripping storytelling and high-energy rock music, the show remains a deeply moving and thought-provoking theatrical experience. K and E Theater Group's production of Spring Awakening features Shealyn Berube as Thea, Michael DeVito as Melchior, Nikki Gorts as Adult Women, Kaihla A. Laurent as Martha, Kerrie Maguire as Ilse, Nicco Palazzi as Georg, Emma Rucci as Anna, Andre Ruiz as Ernst, Carina Savoie as Wendla, Tiernan Michael Shea as Hanschen, David Wallace as Adult Men, Chris Webber as Moritz, and Dante Woods as Otto. Eddie Zitka serves as director and choreographer. The band is led by musical director Devi Badea.   Performances are: Friday, March 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 4:00 PM Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 8:00 PM Friday, April 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM   All performances are at Northampton Center for the Arts, located at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tickets are $27 and general admission.   *Spring Awakening contains mentions of abortion, verbal and sexual abuse, adult language, as well as depictions of suicide, partial nudity, and sexual content. This production is not recommended for audience members under the age of 13.   Tickets and performance information for Spring Awakening are available at www.KETG.org. NEGASS invites you to join us for a sing-through of  Iolanthe  Sunday, March 30, 2025, 2 PM  Wesley United Methodist Church  98 N. Maple St.  South Hadley, MA  with John Dreslin at the piano  Role requests can be emailed to elainebcrane@gmail.com by February 28, 2025.  Members of NEGASS in good standing will have first consideration of role assignments; popular roles may be shared with one singer per act.  (Please consider joining NEGASS if you love these kinds of events—https://www.negass.org/membership.html)  The audience is the chorus. Bring your own score, or borrow one from the NEGASS library.   AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Smith College New Play Reading Series looking for readers! Nuestra Corrido: A Villanueva Tale by Aria Acevedo Reading will be on March 27, 7:30 PM with 2-3 rehearsals beforehand.  If interested, reach out to Nikki Beck, Production Manager - ncbeck@smith.edu   Larissa/Lari: Second granddaughter, Celia’s oldest daughter, struggling to live up to her moms high standards and live her own life Mexicana/Indigena/Latina, woman, early-mid 20s Emilia: Eldest granddaughter struggling to find her place in her family. Soli’s daughter. Mexicana/Indigena/Latina, woman, mid-late 20s Andres: Eldest grandchild/grandson, filled with regret for not living up to his mom’s expectations and fed up with being the family joke Mexicano/Indigeno/Latino, man, late 20s Nev: youngest grandchild/grandson, senior in high school scared of what comes next and unsure where his life will take him or where he wants to go in life, living with immense pressure of undoing his cousins’ fuck ups Mexicano/Indigeno/Latino, man, late teens Yesena: youngest granddaughter who lives by her own rules Mexicana/Indigena/Latina, woman, late teens - early twenties MAJESTIC CHILDREN’S THEATER ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR TWO SUMMER SHOWS The Majestic Children’s Theater will be holding auditions for its summer shows at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater.  Teen actors between the ages of 14-19 are being sought for roles in the plays The Little Mermaid Jr. and Pollyanna.  Performances will take place in July 2025.  Auditions will be held at the theater at the following dates/times: * Saturday, March 15 from 12:00pm–5:00pm * Sunday, March 23 from 5:00pm–9:00pm  Auditions are by appointment only.  To schedule an audition time, please contact the Majestic Theater at (413) 747-7797. Holy Smokes Theatre Dandy in the Underworld March 13, 2025 at 6:30 PM and Sunday, March 16th 1:30-3:30pm The Blue Room, City Space, Easthampton Any adult welcome to audition for this erotic horror comedy about a queer writer who gets entwined with their muse. Is this celestial nymph from their subconscious or from beyond? No prep necessary. Needed performers, dancers, and production assistance. Original play premiere! Come join this theatre company's first production in the area. Silverthorne Theater Company Summer 2025 Auditions We are excited to invite you to our 2025 summer season auditions! Our summer 2025 season includes productions of The Amateurs, by Jordan Harrison, and The Comeuppance, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.  Auditions will take place on Friday, March 21st, from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, in Room 204, Dept. of Theater, Bromery Center for the Arts, UMass Amherst. Callbacks will take place Saturday, March 22nd, from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM at the same location.  If you would like to audition but aren't available for these times, or if you have any questions, please reach out to us at silverthornetheater@gmail.com.  More information and sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/STCAuditions25 ACTORS AND PRODUCTION TEAM SOUGHT FOR “A WALK IN THE WOODS” The Valley Players seek two actors and four production team members for its production of Lee Blessing’s celebrated play A Walk in the Woods. Auditions (March 24 & 26) and rehearsals will be at the Bangs Community Center (70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst MA) and the show will go up weekends June 20-29 at the First Church in Amherst. Half of net ticket sales from this production will be donated to the Amherst-based Peace Development Fund. Praised by New York Magazine as “a minor miracle,” by Time as “a work of passion and power,” and by Drama-Logue as both “a marvelous piece of theater” and “a great treatise on the nature of mankind,” A Walk in the Woods takes place in the 1980s and follows the evolution of the personal and professional relationship between two nuclear disarmament negotiators—a Russian and an American—who meet at a bench in the woods outside Geneva over the course of a year. Blessing’s drama is a witty, moving, tightly scripted exploration of conflict and coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy, and the critical role that reaching out and building personal relationships plays on the path to peace. Auditions slots must be booked in advance through www.valleyplayers.org. No preparation or prior performance experience is required. All auditioners will read from excerpts from the script. No specific prior experience or commitment to Valley Players is required to audition or be cast. Valley Players is seeking one person (any gender) age 30s-50s and one person (any gender) age 50s-70s and able to perform a Russian accent. For the production team, the Valley Players is seeking a stage manager, house manager, lighting designer, and costume designer. More information about these positions is available at valleyplayers.org. Individuals interested in serving in one of these roles should email info@valleyplayers.org with a brief description or resume indicating their relevant experience.  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 visit valleyplayers.org. LAVA is now accepting submissions for plays and directors for our annual new play fest WHAT: On the Boards: New Play Fest call for plays and directors WHEN: Deadline is March 31; fest will take place in June WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield https://thelavacenter.org/on-the-boards/  The LAVA Center is excited to announce a call for submissions for plays and directors for its annual new play fest, “On the Boards.” The deadline for both play submissions and director applications is March 31. For play submissions: All Massachusetts-based playwrights are welcome to submit a new or in-development play to be directed and read on a weekend in June! This is a great opportunity to try out a new work on an audience and gather feedback. These readings offer a unique focus on a play’s script, as they will be free of any technical elements (no props, costumes, sounds, or lighting). Playwrights can submit one play each. Submitted plays can be any length. Selected plays will be paired by us with a director who will coordinate a reading on a Friday and Saturday in June. Submission requirements: Plays need to be new or developmental works, as the purpose of this festival is to present new plays as readings to an audience in order to receive feedback in a facilitated talkback session. The playwright needs to be a current resident of Massachusetts (a requirement of our funding). For director applications: Bring a new play to life as a part of our On The Boards new play festival! Selected directors will work with a playwright to interpret, cast, and rehearse a reading on a weekend in June. All experience levels are welcome! In addition to working with a playwright and actors on a new play, the director will facilitate a talkback session with the audience to gather feedback for the playwright. Expectations: Directors must be available for a directors meeting on Monday, April 14, 6-8pm; auditions on Friday & Saturday, May 2 & 3; and at least one weekend in June. In addition, you’ll have a meeting with your playwright between April 15 and May 2 and two rehearsals in May. Playwrights, directors, and cast will receive modest honoraria to be determined. Deadline for submissions: Monday, March 31. Questions? Email info@thelavacenter.org. For more information or to apply, visit https://thelavacenter.org/on-the-boards/  Holyoke Community College Theater Director Position Holyoke Community College Theater seeks a director for its fall 2025 production. Auditions September 10th and 11th, Closing performance November 22rd. Title will be selected in consultation with the director. Fee $3000. Rehearsals tbd, primarily weekday afternoons. Local applicants only. HCC cannot provide travel or housing. Send resume and cover letter to mwhiton@hcc.edu WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Shakespeare & Company Announces New Online Spring Workshop Voice & Text: Language through Sound and Movement Begins March 18 Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training has announced a new online workshop: Voice & Text: Language through Sound and Movement based on the sound and movement work created by Kristin Linklater.  Led by Designated Linklater Voice teacher Ariel Bock, this workshop will be held over four Tuesdays in March and April, offering actors, performers, and language enthusiasts an opportunity to unlock the power of sound and movement in language, poetry, and theater. Each session will explore text from a range of sources, including haiku, classic works by Shakespeare, and more in a supportive, playful atmosphere. Participants will explore the connection between thought, sound, and feeling through activities, including a Linklater warmup designed to build resonance and awareness within the body. Voice & Text will be held Tuesdays, March 18 and 25, and April 1 and 8, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm ET via Zoom. Tuition is $275, with alumni and union discounts available. Student and BIPOC artist tuition is $235. This workshop is open to all, though some familiarity with Linklater voice work is recommended. For more information and to register, please visit shakespeare.org or email About Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training at training@shakespeare.org. Free Workshop Intro to the Joy & Ease of Improv For BIPOC Students Saturday, March 22nd 10:30am-12:30pm Free! This beginner workshop is  designed especially for improv newbies, improv-curious, and anyone who wants to step outside their comfort zone in a space of supportive bravery and laughter. Happier Valley Comedy's founder and president Pam Victor and HVC teacher Fabienne Boisson lead you through a gentle, easeful, and mindful introduction to improv comedy in a positive and accepting atmosphere where failure is impossible. Our main focus is to have as much joy and ease as humanly possible in two hours. (The person who has the most fun wins!) No previous improv experience expected! This workshop is open to anyone who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color, including Asian-American and Pacific Islander https://www.happiervalley.com/intro-to-improv-for-bipoc.html 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! This class costs $275   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! Serious Play Theatre Ensemble  MARCH WEEKEND WORKSHOP INTENSIVE Physical Actor Training & Ensemble Building Saturday & Sunday March 29 & 30  (11am -3:30pm) Studio #233, Eastworks, 116 Pleasant St, Easthampton Open to actors 18 yrs. & up With Serious Play Teaching Artists: Michael Pray, Steph Reyes, Marcus Neverson & Director Sheryl Stoodley Work with Serious Play in an ensemble setting, incorporating the basic physical acting exercises of Tadashi Suzuki combined with various training exercises from the movement vocabularies of Laban, Siti Company/ Anne Bogart, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brooke, Remy Charlip, Jaques LeCoq and 30 years of Serious Play’s physical theatre-making process. Stylize and sculpt your strengths as a performer and a creator. Develop the vital skill of whole-body listening and responding on stage, and join in an exciting, imaginative group collaborative process. Register Now Tuition for Serious Play’s March Weekend Workshop: $200. Please email seriousplaytheatre@gmail.com & request a Registration Form. More information at 413-588-7439.    Support for this Serious Play Workshop comes in part from the Community Foundation of Western MA & ValleyCreates. Theater enthusiasts are invited to go Behind the Curtain this spring and summer, through Shakespeare & Company’s series of discussions led by Shakespeare scholar Ann Berman. Held on select Saturdays throughout the spring and summer at the Shakespeare & Company campus, these free public talks offer audiences insight into the creative process of Season 2025’s productions, featuring directors, cast, and design team members as they explore themes, artistic choices, and behind-the-scenes stories. Behind the Curtain talks begin on Saturday, March 8, and continue through Saturday, August 16: April 5, 10:30 a.m. – The Taming of the Shrew with directors Tina Packer and Allyn Burrows (Jane Iredale Lobby, Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre) May 3, 10:30 a.m. – Romeo & Juliet with directors Jonathan Epstein and Kevin G. Coleman (Jane Iredale Lobby, Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre) June 21, 10:30 a.m. – The Victim with director Daniel Gidron (Rose Footprint Theatre, outdoors) July 5, 10:30 a.m. – Romeo & Juliet with directors Jonathan Epstein and Kevin G. Coleman (Rose Footprint Theatre, outdoors) July 19, 10:30 a.m. – The Piano Lesson with director Chris Edwards (Rose Footprint Theatre, outdoors) August 2, 10:30 a.m. – The Taming of the Shrew with directors Tina Packer and Allyn Burrows (Rose Footprint Theatre, outdoors) August 16, 10:30 a.m. – Mother Play with director Ariel Bock (Rose Footprint Theatre, outdoors) For more information and to reserve free tickets, visit shakespeare.org/talks-tours, or call the Box Office at 413.637.3353. Photo Caption: Ann Berman, far right, leads a series of free Behind the Curtain talks in the spring and summer at Shakespeare & Company. Pictured are director Dalia Ashurina (far left) and playwright/cast member Awni Abdi-Bahri of Three Tall Persian Women, which debuted at Shakespeare & Company last year. Photo by Eran Zelixon. 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. About Ann Berman Ann Berman holds a Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from King’s College, London, through a program that partnered with Shakespeare’s Globe. She also holds a Master’s of Education in Special Education from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY Binghamton. Before relocating to Berkshire County, she served as a longtime volunteer with the Actors’ Shakespeare Project in Boston. She taught Shakespeare’s plays at the Life-long Learning at Regis College program (LLARC), in tandem with what play ASP was performing at the time. Now a resident of Lee, Mass., Berman is also an active member of The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI). The Shea Theater is delighted to offer their second annual Immersive Summer Theater Program for Kids ages 8-12! *July 7-18 session 1 *July 21- August 1 session 2 *9-3 Monday-Friday *Performance at 2 pm second Friday  *Two week attendance not required to participate  *Cost is $450 with some scholarships available Registration opens at sheatheater.org on February 10. Questions? Please reach out to sheatheaterartscenter@gmail.com Testimonial from last summer:  My child loved the Immersive Theater Camp at the Shea! The theater games were super fun and they loved all aspects of rehearsal and performance for Alice In Wonderland. Atticus and Enzo manage to be both clear and fun Directors, and are doing a wonderful job nurturing the next generation of immersive theater enthusiasts. It was a big highlight of the summer! 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 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. The medium of Immersive Theater is an innovative theater format that 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. And if being onstage is not for your child, there is lots of backstage creativity  to be invented, too. SESSION ONE-We will perform a theatrical version of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, rewritten by Atticus Belmonte and incorporating themes and elements from various versions of the Oz story. SESSION TWO-We will perform Cinderella, primarily inspired by the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel and collaging imagery from other versions and fairytales.  Atticus Belmonte is a 20 year old writer, director, actor, and theater major at Bard College. He is a founder of Patch Productions that he formed with his siblings and several friends taking his immersive theater pieces to the Shea where they have offered several productions. Enzo Belmonte is 17 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. Registration is now open! Is your creative kiddo ready for a fun-filled summer of channeling their inner wild creature, creating their own fairy tale, and discovering their inner clown? Does your tween or teen enjoy making things up on the spot, working as a team, and creating their own performances? Registration is now open for PIC Kids Summer with options for rising 2nd-9th graders. Younger artists (rising 2nd-5th graders) will adventure through the creative process as they explore theater, movement, visual art, and more. 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. Keep scrolling for detailed descriptions of each week. JUL 21-25        Growl and Groove JUL 28-AUG 1  Fairy Tale Mashup! AUG 4-8          Theatrical Clown 1 AUG 11-15       Theatrical Clown 2 9am-3pm each day  $350/week Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, 130 Pine St, Florence   Older youth artists (rising 6th-9th graders) will spend each morning playing comedy improv games, and then apply those skills and concepts to the afternoon sessions, working as an ensemble to create (devise) their own original performance. With improv you never know what's going to happen, so these creative kids will be taking risks, laughing, and figure it out as they go! All of this collaborative fun will culminate in a sharing at 2:30pm on the Friday of each session. AUG 4-8       Improvise and Devise 1 AUG 11-15 Improvise and Devise 2​ 9:00am-3:00pm each day  $350/week Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity, 130 Pine St, Florence ​ Learn more and register! 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 © 2025 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