Western Mass Theatre News August 7, 2025

Your source for theatre events in Western Massachusetts.

Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser August 7 - 27, 2025 This week:  the final show of Chester's summer season opens tonight! Also, this Sunday, you can catch a development workshop of a brand new musical: The Room Between by Frank Newton. See the listings below for many more details and upcoming perfomance.  The next issue will include events from August 14 - September 3. 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 MIFA Victory Theatre presents Play With Time August 23 and 24 at Tanglewood 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 Chester Theatre Company MR. JOY By Daniel Koa Beaty Directed by Vernice Miller AUGUST 7 – 17 What happened to Mr. Joy?  A Harlem community takes stock when a Chinese immigrant’s shoe repair shop mysteriously doesn’t open one morning, causing an array of customers to realize what the shop owner has meant in their lives. In a tour-de-force performance, one actor plays all of Mr. Joy’s customers, from the bubbly eleven-year- old Clarissa to the sincere and savvy Bessie, leader of the “Gansta Grannies.” From them we learn about the profound impact the shop owner had on each of their lives, and the invisible ties that bind us all. Tickets and More Information Shakespeare & Company August Wilson's The Piano Lesson through 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 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 Join Play Incubation Collective for our second Development Workshop of 2025: The Room Between (a musical) by Frank Newton Synopsis: Synopsis: Life is constantly changing. Every month brings new technology, new leaders, new winners and new losers. Moments of climax and innovation claim most story lines. “The Room Between” is about all the other times that we all share. The times that are not particularly special, but inescapable and universal to all who live life. These times transcend economics, social and racial standards. These moments happen quietly, behind doors, in the rooms between us all. Dramaturgy by Talya Kingston. Program Coordination by Madison VanDeurzen. Featuring Kyle Boatwright, Trevin Bond, Michael Garcia, Ava Godbolt, Rachel F. Hirsch, Jaydin Maldonado, Sunny Nordberg, and Craig Pinder. With stage directions read by Erin Fitzgerald. Tickets are $10, with subsidized tickets available. Registration is now open!  Doors open at 2:30. Shakespeare & Company The Taming of The Shrew August 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM August 24 70 Kemble St, Lenox MA 01240 Step into the world of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, with its timeless themes of identity, gender roles, and the clash of wills. Meet the fiery and fiercely independent Katherine, whose spirited nature meets its match in the cunning Petruchio as they embark on a hilarious and clever exploration of love, power, and transformation.   The Taming of the Shrew offers a compelling – if not at times zany – look at relationships, and social norms, making it a must-see for anyone who loves classic comedy with a bit of bite. Tickets and More Info Shakespeare & Company Circus & The Bard August 21, 2025 at 2:30 PM August 31 70 Kemble St, Lenox MA 01240 For the kids and the kids in all of us, Shakespeare & Company and Spirit of Circus present an intersection of brilliant, professional circus acts with Shakespeare’s characters. The alchemy of the stunning visual effects of circus and the Bard’s text is an apt and whimsical introduction to both, and when you see them together, something special takes place!  This show is presented in collaboration with Spirit of Circus. Tickets and more information. MIFA Victory Theatre presents Play With Time Aug 23 at 2:00 PM Aug 24 at 7:00 PM Tanglewood Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA Presented by Tanglewood (TLI) in collaboration with MIFA Victory Theatre and the Ensemble for the Romantic Century This groundbreaking music theater piece by Eric Henry Sanders reconfigures a fascinating conversation between legendary composer Philip Glass and visual artist Fredericka Foster. A lyrical duet between two living artists exploring time, memory, and the creative process. The performance integrates the music of Glass, performed live on piano and percussion. Tickets: $40 General Admission Starring John Hellweg as Philip Rosalba Rolón as Fredericka Music performed by: Albert Cano Smit, Pianist Shiqi Zhong, Percussionist Directed by: Donald T. Sanders Music Director: Eve Wolf Design: Vanessa James Lighting Design: Beverly Emmons   Shakespeare & Company Plays In Process: The Shallows August 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM 70 Kemble St, Lenox MA 01240 Experience a play in its early stages when possibilities are endless! Returning for its fourth year, Plays in Process offers a glimpse into the inner workings of play creation as new works are readied for the stage. Many Plays in Process titles have gone on to become fully realized productions; this season, The Victim by Lawrence Goodman - presented as a reading last year - makes its World Premiere.  The Shallows by Jim Frangione, a sequel to his award-winning Flight of the Monarch, presented last season. Directed by Judy Braha. Tickets and More Information Shakespeare & Company Plays In Process: Free and Equal August  27, 2025 at 7:00 PM 70 Kemble St, Lenox MA 01240 Experience a play in its early stages when possibilities are endless! Returning for its fourth year, Plays in Process offers a glimpse into the inner workings of play creation as new works are readied for the stage. Many Plays in Process titles have gone on to become fully realized productions; this season, The Victim by Lawrence Goodman - presented as a reading last year - makes its World Premiere.  Free and Equal by Kaia Calhoun, directed by Kaia Calhoun and Tina Packer. Tickets and More Information   AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES CAST & CREW CALL: 'the night we rode' 'the night we rode' is an intimate reimagining of the night Teddy Pendergrass and Tenika Watson got into a car accident that would potentially alter Teddy’s life as a performer forever. While on the way home from a nightclub in Philly, Teddy and Tenika talk about politics, fantasy and what life means for both of them.  I am seeking cast members and crew to help bring this story to life. If you or someone you know would like to participate in this artistic journey, visit havemerci.net/tnwr to learn more! havemerci.net/tnwr Crew-  1 Lighting tech  1 Sound tech  1 Stage Manager  1 set designer  Cast-  MIK Teddy's friend and bodyguard, Deep brown skin, 35  L.T. Teddy's friend, deep brown skin,33  TEDDY Teddy Pendergrass,  TENIKA The lady of the night. A stunning, statuesque woman with ladylike, dainty mannerisms, early 30s  YVETTE Teddy's girlfriend, lightskinned, petite, early 30s Submissions Open Submission Opportunities for PIC PIPS and Development Workshops for the 2026 season are open through September 1. 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 Open Submission Opportunities for PIC PIPS and Development Workshops for the 2026 season are open through September 1.  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. ACTORS SOUGHT FOR “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” Valley Players will hold auditions for their December production of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play on September 2 and 4 at the Bangs Community Center in Amherst. The play is adapted by Joe Landry from the classic 1946 holiday film and set in a late 1940s radio station, featuring live foley effects and actors playing multiple parts. Valley Players seeks five or six actors, any gender and across ages, who will perform up to ten roles each. During the show, actors read from the “radio” script, so there is no need to be off-book, but a prime requirement to be cast is the ability to convincingly perform multiple character voices. Auditions slots must be reserved at valleyplayers.org. No preparation is required: all auditioners will read from excerpts from the script. Call-backs will be held on September 5. Valley Players’ production of It’s a Wonderful Life is directed by Chris Rohmann and produced by Matteo Pangallo, with sound effects by Chip Roughton, stage management by Jason Fregeau, and costumes by Chloe Roy. The show goes up Fridays and Saturdays, December 12–20, as a dinner-theater event at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Sunderland and half of net ticket sales will be donated to the Springfield-based affordable housing nonprofit Way Finders. Rehearsals will be on weekday evenings in November at the Bangs Community Center. Valley Players is an all-volunteer 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. Valley Players uses community theater to help build community, donating half of net ticket proceeds to other nonprofits and charities serving the Valley and beyond. All contributions to Valley Players 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. Amherst Community Theater Auditions for the Wizard of Oz 9/12: 6 pm-9:15 pm, 9/13: 10 am-6:45 pm, 9/14: 10 am-6:45 pm. Callbacks 9/15 6-9 pm Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut St, Amherst, MA 01002. Amherst Community Theater is pleased to announce auditions for The Wizard of Oz, directed by Stephanie Flinker with Musical Direction by Cindy Naughton and Choreography by Mary Ann Holmes. This multigenerational production features singing, dancing and acting for the whole cast. In addition to the traditional characters, there will be many featured roles for all ages in both Munchkinland and Oz: Harmonic Trees, Dancing Crows, Performing Poppies and more. You might even land a role as a flying monkey! Tappers are encouraged to come and share their skills.  Auditions will take place September 12-14 at the Amherst Regional Middle School, callbacks September 15. Nine performances in January 2025 at Bowker Auditorium, UMass. Children age 7 (and having entered grade 2) through adults are encouraged to audition! For an audition appointment and more information, including character descriptions and audition music, please visit amherstacts.org/auditions or contact producer@amherstacts.org. https://amherstacts.org/auditions/ 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. 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. 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