Western Mass Theatre News July 24, 2025

Your source for theatre events in Western Massachusetts.

Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser July 24 - August 13, 2025 Would you or your theatre company be interested in attending a community-wide open audition if one was offered? Send me an email to let me know if that's something you might be interested in!  The next issue will include events from July 31 - August 20. 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 Silverthorne Theater Company presents The Comeuppance July 24-27 at Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College Tickets and More Information JaDuke Theater presents auditions for Noises Off July 30 & 31 at Ja'Duke in Turners Falls More Information Torch Song July 25-August 3 at Northampton Center for the Arts 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 Silverthorne Theater Company The Comeuppance 7/24, 7/25, 7/26 @ 7:30 PM; 7/27 @ 2:00 PM Emily Dickinson Hall, Hampshire College, 893 West St, Amherst, MA Silverthorne Theater Company presents the final production of our 2025 season, The Comeuppance. Join us at our summer home on the Hampshire College campus for this electrifying comedy, directed by Cordelia Winter Dwyer.  From the mind of 2025 Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins comes a hilarious, piercing meditation on impermanence, nostalgia, and isolation. Fueled by jungle juice and pot, five former high school classmates, the self-declared Multi-Ethnic Reject Group, swap memories and confront past resentments at an unforgettable porch pre-game to their 20th high school reunion. Get your tickets now at comeuppance.eventbrite.com and join us for The Comeuppance!  Starring Sandra Blaney*, Kyle Boatwright, Gabriel CiFuentes, Tahmie Der, and Donovan Stanfield, with designs by Lara Dubin (lighting), Matt Whiton (scenic), Hanh Rioux (costumes), and Sean Buenaventura (sound). comeuppance.eventbrite.com This production is made possible by the generous support of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the Mass Cultural Council and the Amherst Cultural Council, Pelham Cultural Council, Hadley Cultural Council, and South Hadley Cultural Council, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. The Wedding Jester Jul 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM 7/26 at 7:30 pm and 7/27 at 3 pm CitySpace in Easthampton It is 1970, and director Norman Jewison is in a little village in Croatia to make his film of the hit Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof. One of his extras, a stand-up comedian, has wrangled a meeting with the director by promising to fix some serious errors in the script. But he wants something in return from the director... Tickets here. Shakespeare & Company August Wilson's The Piano Lesson July 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM August 24 70 Kemble St, Lenox MA 01240 Set against the backdrop of 1936 Pittsburgh during the Great Depression, August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning The Piano Lesson explores the lives of the Charles family, and vividly portrays an enduring conflict between siblings.  The family piano at the heart of the argument is an heirloom intricately carved by an enslaved ancestor. Determined sharecropper Boy Willie is eager to sell the piano to purchase land on which his ancestors endured hardship, while his sister Berniece fiercely maintains that the piano is where their heritage lies.  A testament to the complexities of family, history, and legacy, 2025 Elliot Norton Award-winning The Piano Lesson is an explosive and incisive inquiry into the struggle between what we owe to our past and how we build our future. Tickets and more information Sliding-scale tickets now available for Harvey Fierstein's TORCH SONG at the Northampton Center for the Arts, July 25-August 3rd. Produced by an independent collective of mostly queer + trans artists, Torch Song is a hilarious, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story that follows the journey of Arnold Beckoff, a New York City drag queen, as he navigates love, identity, and the meaning of family. An unexpected visit from his overbearing mother throws things in to disarray, forcing Arnold, and the audience, to consider the nuances of chosen and biological family, and what it looks like to heal— hilariously!  Please reach out to torchsongrevival@gmail.com with any questions or access needs. Hope to see you at the show!  LOCATION: Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley; Flex Space TICKET INFORMATION: Sliding scale tickets with a free option. 15-20% of proceeds from the show will be donated to groups supporting LGBTQ+ communities. Tickets are available now, or click on the date you want below!  DATES AND TIMES Friday July 25 @8pm Saturday July 26 @8pm Sunday July 27 @2pm (Matinee) Thursday July 31 @8pm Friday August 1 @8pm Saturday August 2  @2pm (matinee) Saturday August 2 @8pm Sunday August 3 @2pm (matinee) Website Instagram LAVA Center The Comedy Project Review Jul 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM LAVA Center, 324 Main Street, Greenfield Friday July 25, The Comedy Project Revue returns to LAVA with all new sets:  Stories from Master Storytellers Marian Kelner and Berte Isser  Bad Dad Jokes from Shannon (not a dad) Chabot  Kendra Corrie  Andrea CK  Paul Bennett  Kate Lewis  Hosted by Andrea CK and produced by Christine Benvenuto and Andrea CK. https://thelavacenter.org/events/the-comedy-project-revue/ Scripted/ Unscripted  Saturday, July 26th @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! April's Scripted actors are Stephanie Carlson, Linda Tardiff, and Moe McElligott! April's Unscripted actors are Laura Patrick, Maddy Benjamin, and Pam Victor! This the the last Scripted/Unscripted show of the run! Next month, we'll be debuting a new show on the 4th Saturday of the month, so don't miss this weekend! Special Summer ticket offer for Western Mass Theatre News readers! Enter code "westernmasstheatre" for 50% off your ticket purchase! https://www.happiervalley.com/scripted-unscripted.html A new monthly queer open mic night, Smack Dab, to begin at The LAVA Center in August WHAT: Smack Dab Queer Open Mic WHEN: First Friday of the month starting August 1; September it will be held on Thursday, July 18; sign-up at 6:30 p.m. and performances start at 7 p..m WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield Facebook event The LAVA Center is excited to announce a new monthly queer open mic night, Smack Dab, hosted by Jules and Avery. Smack Dab Queer Open Mic is a free 18+ LGBTQIA community open mic in Greenfield, MA with the slogan “All genders, all the time.” Your hosts are Jules and Avery. Join us every first Friday of the month starting August 1. (September it will be held on Thursday, July 17.) Sign-up at 6:30 p.m. and performances start at 7 p.m. Smack Dab Queer Open Mic is modeled after the now defunct Smack Dab in San Francisco, founded in 2003 by Kirk Read and Larry-bob Roberts at Magnet, the gay men’s health clinic in the Castro. If you’d like to perform at the open mic, please come sign up and bring five to seven minutes of whatever you want to share: stories, poems, a song, dance, your art or, perhaps you’d simply like to join us as audience? We’re the friendliest open mic you’ll find, but we pay attention to time. Questions? Contact Jules and Avery at smackdabqueeropenmic@gmail.com. Springfield Community Theater of MA Annie August 2-3, 1:30 pm 52 Sumner Avenue, Springfield, MA Springfield Community Theater of MA presents its first annual family musical, Annie! This 50 member cast brings outstanding dancing and singing and the message we all need ...that there is always hope. 52summer.com We are always looking for passionate, fun, talented people who love theater and want to see it flourish in Springfield! Bring the family! Experience the joy! eMail: SCTofMA for how you can be a part of our new community! The Understudies: An Improvised Musical Saturday, August 2nd @ 7pm 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! Special Summer ticket offer for Western Mass Theatre News readers! Enter code "westernmasstheatre" for 50% off your ticket purchase! Offer for online ticket purchases only. https://www.happiervalley.com/understudies.html   Additional Updates from the New England New Play Alliance:    Great Barrington Public Theater presents Madame Mozart, the Lacrimosa written by Anne Undeland now-July 27  The McConnell Theater Great Barrington, MA directed by Judy Braha Constanze Mozart, wife of the great composer, struggles mightily in the wake of his too-early death in 1791. She must not only feed her children but survive her own grief and secure her husband's musical legacy by completing his masterwork, the Requiem in D Minor. With the odds against her, the perennially underestimated Constanze digs deep to find a way to prevail and triumph. Tickets: $35-52.00 Williamstown Theatre Festival presents The Gig: After Moise and the World of Reason conceived and directed by Will Davis July 17-Aug 3 The Rink North Adams, MA "A distinguished failed writer at thirty has suspended the climax as if it were a sentence that he had the audacity not to complete." This is Tennessee Williams live on an ice rink - a wholly original, site-specific performance about making a plan and leaving the world of reason. Conceived by Director/Choreographer Will Davis (Men on Boats, Colossal) with Ice Choreographer Douglas Webster and featuring special choreography by U. S. Ice Dancing champions and two-time Olympic medalists, Maia & Alex Shibutani. Tickets: $50. Williamstown Theatre Festival presents Spirit of the People by Jeremy O. Harris July 17-Aug 3 MainStage Theatre Williamstown, MA In “one of the most hotly anticipated events in theatre” (GQ), visionary playwright Jeremy O. Harris returns with his first world premiere after his record-breaking Slave Play. Tickets: $35-130. Berkshire Theatre Group presents Out of Character written and performed by Ari'el Stachel now-July 26 The Unicorn Theatre Stockbridge, MA directed by Tony Taccone Hailed as both funny and deeply affecting, Out of Character is a riveting journey of self-discovery that explores identity, mental health, and acceptance with raw honesty and humor. Through heartfelt storytelling Ari'el Stachel invites audiences to witness his struggles and triumphs, ultimately celebrating the beauty of embracing who we really are. Tickets: $75-$90. Barrington Stage Company presents fuzzy: A new musical written by Jeff Talbott music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke now-July 27  St. Germain Stage Pittsfield, MA directed by Ellie Herman A teeny tiny musical about the great big things in life. Fuzzy is a furry little puppet who has come home to take care of his ailing mother. What begins as a reluctant reunion becomes a touching tangle of the complex ties that bind us. fuzzy is a big-hearted bittersweet comedy about stories themselves--why we tell them, how we tell them, and what they mean to us. Tickets: $35-70 Flip the Script Saturday, August 9th @7pm 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!) Featuring experienced improvisers Mandy Anderson, Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman, Moe McElligott, Laura Patrick, Pam Victor, and Kate Zak. Our playwright for August is Christine Benvenuto! Special Summer ticket offer for Western Mass Theatre News readers! Enter code "westernmasstheatre" for 50% off your ticket purchase! Offer for online ticket purchases only. https://www.happiervalley.com/2nd-saturdays.html AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES AUDITIONS JULY 27 AND 30 FOR REVIVAL OF ISMENE The LAVA Center announces auditions for Jan Maher’s play Ismene, funded in part by Greenfield Local Cultural Council. If you’ve never heard of Ismene before, you are not alone. She is the forgotten sister of Antigone of Greek tragedy fame. For millennia she has wandered the earth wondering why, unlike everyone else in her family, she persists, restless and unresolved. Set in a small park in the present, Ismene is still looking for her own resolution. Enter Martha, a shy woman with a journal and an ear for listening. In some sense, Ismene is Everywoman, witness to history, missing from the history books. The play was originally produced and performed in Seattle, WA, where it won “Best of Week Four” at New City Theater’s Directors’ Festival, and was featured in Seattle Public Theater’s Back by Populist Demand series. The Seattle Weekly characterized it as “probing, sensitive, and accessible.... rife with lyricism and unexpected humor.” Ken Freehill, Actors Equity Association, said, ”I was thrilled to have been part of the audience.... It’s a brilliant script and I was very moved by the production.” This revival production will bring three performances to The LAVA Center in September. “I’ve wanted to do a full production of Ismene ever since we opened The LAVA Center, said Maher. “Because the set is simple — a park bench — and the cast just two, we can actually fit it into our stage area at LAVA. Funding from GLCC was the kickstart I needed to finally put it on the calendar! And because I’ve seen so many talented actresses perform in staged readings at LAVA over the past several years, I’m excited to be able to think about casting it from Western Mass.” Auditions will be held at The LAVA Center on Sunday, July 27, 4–6 p.m. and Wednesday, July 30, 5–7 p.m. For more information, or to sign up to audition, go to http://bit.ly/4lBph1h  The playwright is available for interviews. For more information, contact jan@localaccess.org. JaDuke Theater Auditions Noises Off Jul 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM 7/31/25 6-9pm Ja'Duke Performing Arts Center, Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls MA Auditions for "Noises Off." Show dates are October 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th. https://www.jadukeshows.com/auditions This is a non-equity show. All roles are available. See a breakdown of roles at the link provided and reserve an audition spot on the 30th or 31st. Please prepare a brief monologue. Genre not important and memorization is not required. You may also be asked to read a side from the show. Rehearsals will be limited to three weeknights per week until we get closer to show dates. Tentatively Tue-Thurs, 6-8:30pm. Please email any questions to nick@whai.com. Submissions Opening Soon! Submission Opportunities for PIC PIPS and Development Workshops for the 2026 season will be opening July 14th. What is PIC PIPS?  PIPS stands for Plays In Progress Series. Plays that have been selected as part of PIPS receive a single developmental worksession with actors and a dramaturg, followed by a public reading of their piece and developmental conversation with the audience. PIC assembles the cast and assigns a dramaturg from our roster of artists. The playwright and a dramaturg work together to develop questions to share with audience after the reading as part of the developmental conversation, and in this way the audience serves as a sounding board for further development of the piece. PIC also provides extensive notes from this conversation so that they playwright can focus on engaging with the audience and hearing the feedback. This program is reserved for scripts in a variety of developmental stages. ​What types of pieces are a good fit for PIC PIPS?   Plays that have a full and complete draft. The draft could be in its first or final draft, or anywhere in between but, regardless of stage, the playwright would benefit from seeing how it sits with an audience. A play written a while ago that would benefit from a new/modern audience. A full draft the playwright has had for awhile and would benefit from hearing it one last time before sending it off into the world for potential production. Submit here. Submissions Opening Soon! Submission Opportunities for PIC PIPS and Development Workshops for the 2026 season will be opening July 14th. What is the Development Workshop? The 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 a minimum of 8 hours of developmental work sessions with actors and other support artists over multiple days, culminating in a reading and developmental discussion with an audience. As with PIPS, PIC provides extensive notes from the discussion. ​What types of pieces are a good fit for the Development Workshop?   A full draft that needs an overhaul which could be achieved by having actors and other artists in the room. The necessary work could be on the entire script or specific sections. A play that was written a long time ago and needs an update for a modern audience. A script by a playwright interested in what actors’ perspectives will provide for the characters A script that needs further development of character arcs   Submissions are open to anyone within a one hour radius of Hampshire County Mass. Submit here. Valley Players seeks play submissions for Take Ten, a staged reading showcase of new plays celebrating the Valley’s rich and diverse local writing talent. Take Ten will feature five brand new 10-minute plays written by Valley playwrights, chosen by leaders of the Valley theater community, directed by five Valley directors, and featuring a cast of Valley actors. Half of net ticket sales from the staged reading evening in October will be donated to The Literacy Project to support their work serving education and literacy needs across western Massachusetts. Playwrights seeking to submit a play for consideration must live in Franklin, Hampshire, or Hampden County and only one submission per person will be considered. Plays must be no more than 10-12 pages, feature a cast of no more than three actors, and have not been performed, published, or received a public reading.  There is no entry fee and no limitation on the topic, style, or genre of the play. Playwrights whose work is chosen will receive a cash honorarium in addition to the staged reading. Additional rules and instructions are available at www.valleyplayers.org. Submissions must be received by email to info@valleyplayers.org no later than July 31, 2025. The mission of Valley Players is to enrich the quality of life in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts by producing nimble, meaningful, and accessible community theater. Valley Players is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit that relies on the contributions of donors and business sponsors. To donate or become a business sponsor, join Valley Players’ contact list, or find more information about the group, visit www.valleyplayers.org. Salmon Falls Climate Action Performances Oct 14, 2025 porches of Shelburne Falls and Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls We are looking for directors and actors for three performances in October/November of about 12 five-minute climate related plays in Shelburne Falls. They are moving, surprising, and, at times, funny. It's part of the Climate Change Theater Action. We can choose from 60 skits written by people from all over the world. shelburnejackieb@gmail.com WORKSHOPS & CLASSES 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: 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. Summer Theater Workshops August 4-8, 8:30am-4:30pm 33 Hawley Street, Northampton MA This is a one week process-focused theater workshop that is tailored to the group's interest and skills. Ages 7-12 will explore storytelling, group work, improvisation, how to stage a theater production, and building social-emotional skills. Ages 15-18 will focus on monologues, partnered scene work, and how to create a character. Both groups perform for family and friends at the end of the week. Ages 7-12 is full day and Ages 15-18 is half day. https://www.nohoarts.org/theatre-and-film Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training will host a 9-Day Intensive at its Lenox campus from Wednesday, August 20, through Friday, August 29.  Designed for mid-career actors, educators, directors, and others seeking professional and artistic development, the 9-Day Intensive is inspired by Shakespeare & Company’s Month-long Intensive. Director of Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay said the workshop offers participants an opportunity to immerse themselves in Shakespeare training and make connections with like-minded artists in a robust, accessible format.  “The 9-Day intensive is a unique opportunity for mid-career artists to enjoy a workshop which is both professional development and a replenishing creative retreat,” said Bandyopadhyay. “The training is balanced between focused studio time, theater-going, and building lasting connections.” The daily schedule includes classes in Linklater Voice, Movement and Dance, Monologue and Sonnet work, Structure of the Verse, and the Actor-Audience Relationship, and the format and tuition include admission to three Shakespeare & Company shows staged at the height of its 2025 performance season.  Tuition is $1,495 with partial scholarships available for BIPOC artists. Early payment, alumni, and union member discounts are also available. Limited on-campus housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis for an additional $400. For more information or to apply, visit shakespeare.org or call 413.637.1199, ext. 114. Photo Caption: Director of the Center for Actor Training Sheila Bandyopadhyay and Month-long Intensive alumnus Davis Brinker at Shakespeare & Company's campus in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training will host a 9-Day Intensive in August. 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