Western Mass Theatre News November 20, 2025

Your source for theatre events in Western Massachusetts.

͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Western Mass Theatre Newsletter View this email in your browser November 20 - December 10, 2025 This weekend: Open Play on Saturday afternoon, Beaury at GCC, Improv through the ages - a fundraiser for Scarlet Sock,  Next to Normal, Antigone, or The Last Living Gun at the colleges… and much more! If you click to view this email in a browser, you’ll see even more upcoming shows, auditions, and more. The next issue will include events from November 27 - December 17. 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 Open Play! Every other Saturday 1:00-3:00 PM at Northampton Karate More Information Here Greenfield Community College presents Beauty November 13-16 and 20-23 at the Sloan Theater, GCC Tickets and More Information Scarlet Sock Foundation presents Improv through the ages November 21 at Northampton High School Tickets at the Door, Email for More Information Westfield Theatre Group presents Winter Lights: Ten Plays, Five Visions December 5, 6, 12, 13 at Westfield Woman's Club, 28 Court St, Westfield 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 Greenfield Community College Theater Department BEAUTY by Roddy Barnes, Directed by Tom Geha November 20, 21, 22 @ 7pm and Nov 23 @ 2pm Sloan Theater at GCC Beauty A Dark Comedy Christmas Tale by Roddy Barnes directed by Tom Geha Part of our Missouri Playwrights Series, a dark comedy Christmas tale, written exclusively for GCC Theater. The play unfolds in Tarkio, Missouri a couple days before Christmas at Pleasant Pastures, a long-term care facility for the elderly and younger adults who need assisted living. You don't want to miss this one! Get your tickets early, as seating is limited and we tend to sellout. Thank you! gccfor.me/beauty Admission: General $15 Students/Seniors $5 Tickets: gccfor.me/beauty -or- cash at the door MAJESTIC THEATER PRESENTS STEEL MAGNOLIAS NOVEMBER 20 - 30 West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present the second production of its 28th season when Steel Magnolias takes the stage October 23 through November 30.  The Majestic Theater is located at 131 Elm Street in West Springfield, MA. Steel Magnolias, written by Robert Harling, blends humor with moments of emotional depth.  Set in a small southern beauty salon, the play showcases a group of strong-willed women who navigate life’s challenges with sharp humor and unfiltered honesty.  From snappy one-liners to playful gossip, the women’s interactions are full of comedic moments, with characters using laughter as a coping mechanism in the face of life’s toughest trials.  The 1987 play inspired a hit 1989 film that starred Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts. The Majestic Theater’s Producing Director Sue Dziura will direct the play.  Alexandra O’Halloran is stage manager, and Michael Garcia is assistant stage manager.  Scenic designer is Juliana Von Haubrich and Dawn McKay is costume designer. Dan Rist is lighting designer, and Marcus Kearns is production manager. The cast includes Maconnia Chesser (Clairee), Cate Damon (M’Lynn), Kait Rankins (Annelle), Angela Dias (Ouiser), Elaine Hom (Truvy), and Raya Malcolm (Shelby).  Understudies include Myka Plunkett, Rachel Lamarre and Laurie Nickerson. Tickets to the show range from $35-$38 and can be purchased in person at the box office, by calling (413) 747-7797, or online at https://www.majestictheater.com/steel-magnolias.  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 UMass Department of Theater NEXT TO NORMAL Nov. 20, 21, 22 at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. The Rand Theater There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in — Leonard Cohen How do you hold onto reality amidst a whirlwind? Diana’s ordinary home-maker life of managing family dynamics and school lunches quickly disintegrates amid the twin challenges of bipolar disorder and grief. Meanwhile, her family members do their best to keep up under the strain of their own individual struggles. Nov. 14-22, UMass Theater presents Next to Normal, a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical with music by Tom Kitt and book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey, that looks at the ripple effects of mental illness, stress, grief, secrets, and tremendous love. Tickets are on sale now for this poignant story, set to a driving rock score. Director Kyle Boatwright, an MFA student at UMass and a frequent performer and director with several regional theater companies, says she was drawn to the way this piece "explores the love at the heart of everything." "This is the story of a woman who struggles to balance the life she’s chosen with honoring her truest self—all while working to understand the effects her illness has on herself and on those she loves," Boatwright says, adding, "Nobody's reality is quite right in this family, until they're all brave enough to face a certain darkness and earnestly move toward a light." Joining Boatwright on the creative team for this show is musical director Ben Kaplan '24, who returns to UMass Theater after working with various professional companies. Choreographer Holly Curran, meanwhile, is a former member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, bringing her classical training to the genre-bending rock score of the musical. Reserve your tickets now to join us in the Rand for this beautiful, powerful musical! purchase.arts.umass.edu/EventAvailability?EventId=11601 MHC's Department of Film Media Theater "Antigone" at Rooke Theater, Nov. 20-23 November 20, 21, 22 at 7:30 PM November 23 at 2:30 Rooke Theater The Mount Holyoke College Department of Film Media Theater proudly presents Sophocles’s “Antigone” adapted by Timberlake Winterbaker, produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.  In the aftermath of Thebes’ civil war, King Creon declares one brother a hero, the other a traitor, forbidding the burial of the latter under penalty of death. Antigone defies him, determined to honor her brother in God’s name. Their clash drives the tragedy toward its devastating end. This adaptation reexamines the story not as hero versus villain, but as a collision of absolutes: two leaders, both right and both wrong, locked in a battle where vengeance only breeds vengeance. The result is a searing exploration of power, pride, and the price of refusing to yield—a lesson as urgent today as in ancient times.  “‘Antigone’ lives wherever power collides with conscience. Timberlake Wertenbaker’s translation elucidates Sophocles’s brilliant poetry and raises age-old universal questions. Who do we align with? What’s our duty to kin and state? What ethics underpin those duties? Every generation meets these questions anew. In our production, ‘Antigone’ rises from the soil of ancestral memory; grief transforms into song and movement. I am really thrilled to be working with such a dedicated and gracious company of performers whose sweat and breath continue to fuel an exciting and edifying process.” - Director, Michael Ofori  This production is directed by Michael Ofori. Set Design and Costume Design by Jensen Glick, Lighting Design and Sound Design by Sam Skynner. Performance Dates and Times:  Thursday, November 20th, 7:30 pm  Friday, November 21st, 7:30 pm  Saturday, November 22nd, 7:30 pm  Sunday, November 23rd, 2:30 pm Tickets: $10 General Admission | $5 Students and Senior Citizens  For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit mhc.ludus.com or contact us at PerformingArts@MtHolyoke.edu mhc.ludus.com Join us for a performance of Borderline Visible by the German-British artist Ant Hampton / Time Based Editions, which will be held at  Amherst College on Nov 20. This is a novel approach to book-based art, where pages become the stage for a performance that wrestles with issues of public and personal memory, voluntary travel and forced migration. With support from across the Five Colleges, we are thrilled to be able to present the East Coast premiere of this unique event. Tickets are free but space is limited. Please reserve here. Borderline Visible (collective experience) by Ant Hampton /Time Based Editions Urgent and rolling, this 80-minute experience, fueled with music by Oren Ambarchi and Perila, pieces together value and meaning from the very human ruins of aspiration, history, and language, as it shifts back and forth along a journeyed path between Lausanne (Switzerland) and Izmir(Turkey). Time Based Editions separates the audio and visual into two separate elements and holds them together in the present of a book. Collectively, we dive into a here-and-now of the page: printed photography brought alive by a soundscape that both guides and surrounds us. Ant Hampton’s careful, at times miraculous, process of reconnection gradually lights up a constellation: voices and earthquakes, Sephardic diasporas, forced movement, breakdowns and dementia, swifts and swallows, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, and a unique insight into atrocities at the eastern edge of Europe being funded from its center. Ant Hampton (1975, CH) is a British-German performance maker and writer. His work since 1999 has often involved guiding people through unrehearsed situations and interactive relations, using automated devices. Many of his “Autoteatro” works continue to tour internationally in over 80 language versions, some of them without anyone needing to travel – a paradoxical outcome for an art committed to liveness and presence which in turn informed his 2021 advocacy and research project ShowingWithoutGoing.live – an Atlas. Together with David Bergé, he co-founded Time Based Editions in 2023. anthampton.com Project supported by the Anthropocene Lab at UMass, UMass English Department, the Kinney Center at UMass, UMass Commonwealth Honors College, Smith College Theatre Department, Amherst College Theater & Dance Department, and Five Colleges, Inc. Holyoke Community College Theater The Last Living Gun Thursday, November 20 at 7:30pm, Friday November 21st 7:30pm (ASL), Saturday November 22nd 2:00pm and 7:30pm Leslie Phillips Theater [Fine and Performing Arts Building] 303 Homestead Ave. Holyoke MA 01040 Holyoke Community College Theater will present The Last Living Gun, by Ryan Stevens. Directed by Cordelia Winter Dwyer In the far future, guns (and all metal) are a thing of the past...mostly. A courier rides across the country to hunt a rumor of the last gun in the world, and finds worlds of chaos, memory, and history along the way. A Wild Western/vaudeville/post-post-apocalypse about trauma, survival, storytelling, and the pain of change. All Tickets $10 General Admission Appropriate for ages 13+ Follow us at facebook.com/hcctheater Email mwhiton@hcc.edu for more info https://hcctheater.ludus.com/index.php The 3rd Annual Improv Through the Ages is back!  On Friday, November 21st, the Scarlet Sock Foundation will present an evening of fun, delight, and spontaneity at Northampton High School.    The Scarlet Sock Foundation supports underrepresented populations by administering small grants to community organizations, schools and theater companies. Our hope is to increase exposure and access to social justice theater for children, young adults and emerging theater artists.  Our efforts aim to increase the number of people from underrepresented populations involved in community-based theater by partnering with and providing funds for programming such as theater classes, the development of new plays, ticket purchases, pre/post show lessons, talkback opportunities, and other educational materials. We have funded social justice theater projects in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin and Berkshire counties. To learn more, please visit Scarletsock.org    Improv Through the Ages will feature Heidi Haas’s theater students, the Ookie-Wookies (grades 1st-4th) and the Pickle Heads (grades 5th-8th) and the Northampton High School troupe, Funktionlust! Adult improvisers will perform as well.    Funktionlust, now in its 20th year, is the only improv group at NHS. They have entertained their audiences at Northampton’s First Night, Happier Valley Comedy, Click Workspace and with their fellow students at NHS! They are psyched to be on stage with all the other improvisers!   The show is family friendly. Tickets are available at the door and the cost is suggested at $5 for students and $15 for adults. As it’s a fundraiser, audience members are encouraged to give what they can to support the Scarlet Sock Foundation’s mission.    For More Information: Contact Heidi Haas at Heidi@scarletsock.org CitySpace the night we rode Nov 21 at 7:00 PM Nov 22 at 7:00 PM Blue Room at CitySpace: 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA 01027 the night we rode A staged-reading of an original play by Mercedes Loving-Manley “the night we rode,” Written and Directed by Mercedes Loving-Manley, is an intimate look at the night Teddy Pendergrass and Tenika Watson got into a car accident that would alter Teddy’s life as a performer forever. After the performance, there will be a community Q&A/talkback. The show will run November 21 and November 22. Get the details at cityspaceeasthampton.org https://www.cityspaceeasthampton.org/all-events/#/events/158559 The Greenhouse: Growing New Talent Every Saturday November 22nd @ 5pm A limited run of up-and-coming improv teams in a WEEKLY show! Enjoy eight straight weeks of fresh, organic improv from two fan favorite teams: The Silver Lining & Oops, All Animals! The Silver Lining will treat you to silliness, connection, philosophizing, and in all likelihood at least one character named Miranda. Cauldron-stirring is not out of the question. Kristen Brookes, Hillary Bucs, Lynn Curry, Katharine Daube, Karin Perlman, and Kim Sherman. Oops, All Animals is a comedic menagerie that will have you cackling, roaring, maybe even braying, with laughter. The flock for this run includes Micaela Foster, Alyssa Diamond, Allison Reding, Derek Luthi, Quinn Darrow, and Ben Freed. Tickets and More Information Do-Si-Do: Three Improvised Duos! Saturday, November 22nd @7pm A limited run on the 4th Saturday of the month! Bacon & Eggs... Peanut butter & Jelly... Pam & Scott... Some things are just better together! Experience some of the greatest pairs in history with Do-Si-Do! Each show will feature three fantastic two-person improv shows, followed by all six performers coming together to mix it up and play with everything they created in the first part of the evening. Hosted by the long-running duo We Made A Thing with Happier Valley Comedy's Founder and Artistic Director Pam Victor and Scott Braidman, this month featuring  Maddy Benjamin and Gabriel CiFuentes, and Mandy Anderson and Sally Ekus. https://www.happiervalley.com/do-si-do.html Join PIC for the public reading of our third and final Development Workshop of 2025: A PLAY WHERE NOTHING HAPPENS, written by Maizy Broderick Scarpa. ​ Dramaturgy by Ezekiel Baskin and Brianna Sloane. Program Coordination by Nikki Beck. Featuring Milo Bezark, Sophia Defayette, Caleb Koval, and Anna Morrissey. Stage directions by Brianna Sloane. ​ What is a Development Workshop? ​ ​Development Workshops are 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. This is reserved for scripts in a variety of developmental stages. 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. ​ ​Synopsis: "A Play Where Nothing Happens” is a story of rural teenagers coming of age in quiet but intense ways. Maura and Anna’s last summer before college utterly lacks the iconic adventures promised in films and novels. Instead, they daydream, sneak into movies with their friend Pete, and try (unsuccessfully) to “make a thing happen.” In the process, Maura forms an unexpected bond with Anna’s college-dropout cousin, and all four of them––Anna, Maura, cousin Jack, and Pete–––must contend with the difference between what they think they want and what they actually do. ​ The reading begins at 7:30pm. Doors will open 7:00pm. No entry after 7:45pm. Please enter the 33 Hawley Building via the downstairs courtyard. The reading will take place in The Workroom. Wilbraham United Players 5 Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Holiday Musical 11/28/25, 11/29/25, 12/5/25, 12/6/25 at 7:30pm; 11/30/25 and 12/7/25 at 2:30pm Wilbraham United Church Fellowship Hall at 500 Main St., Wilbraham, MA In Five Golden Rings: A Greeting Card Channel Holiday Musical, Holly, a business exec from “the big city” gets snowed in at a quaint Vermont B&B for Christmas and begins to fall for its non-threateningly rugged owner. The issue: it’s the very B&B her company is supposed to take over! Everything you want (and expect) in a cable-TV Christmas movie, from flannel shirts to flirtatious snowball fights to overt product-placement, mixed with fun songs and a lot of holiday cheer! https://www.wilbrahamunitedplayers.org/buy-tickets Comedy Project Open Mic at LAVA the day after Thanksgiving WHAT: Comedy Project Open Mic WHEN: Friday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield https://thelavacenter.org/events/comedy-project-open-mic/ https://www.facebook.com/events/1783737222287020/ Bloated, burping and bored the day after Thanksgiving? Come on down to the Comedy Project Open Mic at The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., on Friday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m. We'll have a few special guests and a bunch of brave souls getting up there for their shot at the Big Time. You can put your name in the hat for a 1- to 5-minute set. Or you can just come and enjoy other peoples' jokes and stories. A donation of $1–5 is suggested to benefit LAVA's fall appeal. The LAVA Center is a community arts space in Greenfield, MA whose mission is to create opportunities and build inclusive community in and through the arts and humanities. We are focused on making The LAVA Center a space where all artists, including marginalized communities and individuals, can have their voices heard. The LAVA Center is located at 324 Main St., in downtown Greenfield, MA. https://thelavacenter.org MAJESTIC THEATER WELCOMES AUDIENCES HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS  DECEMBER 4-21 Home for the Holidays will return to West Springfield’s Majestic Theater December 4-21.  The Majestic Theater is located at 131 Elm Street in West Springfield, MA. The family-friendly show, featuring Pioneer Valley-based performers, has become a tradition at the theater for the past several years.  Similar in style to nostalgic holiday specials of years past headlined by Andy Williams and Perry Como, “Home for The Holidays 2025” 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 singer/songwriter Madison Curbelo, a 2024 semifinalist on NBC’s The Voice television program, along with several veteran Majestic performers including Michael Garcia, Christine Greene, Steven Sands, Kait Rankins, Lori Efford, plus a special appearance by Santa Claus.  Kyle Langlois is music director for the show, and other musicians include Jacob Nichols, Cliff Schofer and Don Rovero.  Myka Plunkett is directing Home for the Holidays, and Jackie Purcell is stage manager.  Daniel Rist is lighting designer, and Kyle Langlois 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 cards (redeemable for tickets and café purchases), and a gift item.  They will be available during the holiday season. For additional information, visit www.majestictheater.com. What: The Nightmare Before Dragmas When: Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 at 7:30pm Where: the Shea Theatre, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA How much: Tickets: $20 online, $25 at the door. Children under 13, free https://sheatheater.org/ Eggtooth Productions presents the 9th annual holiday show featuring Mr. Drag called The Nightmare Before Dragmas inspired by the Tim Burton classic film on Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 at 7:30pm at the Shea Theatre, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. Tickets: $20 online, $25 at the door. Children under 13, free. https://sheatheater.org/ Mr Drag (aka Joe Dulude II) will host the event featuring local talent for an evening of song, dance, and story loosely inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas but with Eggtooth’s signature Valley twist. The event is a family friendly (maybe a touch PG13 for some), mildly funky, non-denominational take on the holidays. Eggtooth invites you to celebrate the holidays in a highly traditional non-traditional way. Said Mr. Drag about his newest show, "Well hello Dragnatics! It’s time for another year, another holiday, another show! Yes, the Drag Sisters are back and this year they have decided to take their show/party on tour! Don’t worry, you can still enjoy it from the comfort of the Shea Theatre. They don’t have that big of a budget. So grab a cocktail and join the Drag Family as they find themselves stuck in a quaint little town celebrating the holiday of Dragmas. Will Mr find the love of his life? Will DD finally be able to get her one woman shows to run longer than one show? Will Kat actually show up for the show this year? Whether you’re a Mister Sister, a Messy Kat or a Sighs Queen you are sure to enjoy this romp through the ridiculous and inexplicable and maybe, just maybe you’ll find the spirit of Dragmas has been inside of you all along. That’s what Tennessee Williams used to say." Westfield Theatre Group Winter Lights: Ten Plays, Five Visions 12/5, 12/6, 12/12, 12/13 at 7:30pm; 12/6, 2/13 at 2:00pm Westfield Woman's Club, 28 Court St, Westfield, MA A collection of ten, 10-minute plays crafted and directed with the vision of five directors: Molly Clark, Anin Derouin, Meaghan Farrell, Kelly Galanis, and Krista Tetreault. From comedy to drama, these shows bring a wide array of entertainment sure to delight! Shows include adult language and themes. westfieldtheatregroup.com Total runtime approximately 90-100 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission. Musical Theater Karaoke Night - Winter Themed Join us as a "vocal stylist" or in the audience for our Winter-themed Karaoke funraiser at New City Brewery December 5th, 118 Pleasant Street in Easthampton! We had a blast at last's events with dozens of singers and lots of fun conversation and good cheer. All levels of abilities are encouraged - this is for fun we are a very friendly and encouraging group. Winter-themed songs are encouraged, but not absolutely required - you can sign your favorites. Food and drink is available for purchase, and there is only a $10 cover (singer or not - no additional charge to sing songs.) You can sign up in advance at our sign-up genius link here: All ages welcome, under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. If you sign up in advance we will try to have a video karoke version ready for you when you arrive. We may also take walk-in sign-ups at the door, space permitting. See you there! Sign up link: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0949ABAD28A1FAC16-59716423-winter Easthampton Theater Company http://easthamptontheater.com The Performance Project Mother Tongue by First Generation Ensemble December 5 and 6 at 7:30 PM Hampshire College Emily Dickinson Hall, 893 West St Amherst, MA “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. This is the last performance for a while as ensemble members work on new material. More Info Tickets at the door, $15-$20 The Red Skies Music Ensemble presents  Rhythm & Rails  Northampton and the Iron Horse  A Social History in Tales and Tunes  Saturday December 6 at 2:30 pm (doors open 2 pm) Forbes Library, Northampton Join us for the premiere of Rhythm & Rails, a multi-media performance featuring railroad-themed tunes that explore the complex history and impact of railroads on the lives, livelihood, landscape and culture of Northampton and the region from the 19th century until the present.   Drawing on research in local archives, and in collaboration with Jim Armenti and Jerry Bryant on music selections, writer/director Trudy Williams has created a show that weaves together a blend of narrative, live music, theatrical vignettes, and projected archival images from the collections of Forbes Library, Historic Northampton and other local institutions.   Tunes are drawn from American roots, folk, ragtime, blues, jazz, pop, and rock, and will be performed by some of the area’s most talented musicians. The cast includes Jim Armenti, Jerry Bryant, Joe Blumenthal, Tracy Grammer, Rose Jackson, Cindy Naughton, Mark Roberts, Dan Scott, Tom Scott, Adrienne Wade, Rebecca Weiss, with Bill Cutler and Shirly Van Kanin, as well as special appearance by Maryliz Maldanado and Will Messier from the Corn Stalk Fiddle Choir directed by Cindy Naughton. Many of the songs are toe-tapping, others expressive and poignant. Some are familiar, others rarely heard today. This timely program coincides with the East-West railway initiative, the renewed interest in rail travel to and from Northampton, and the Mass Central Rail Trail.   Rhythm & Rails was created by Trudy Williams, Artistic Director of The Red Skies Music Ensemble, co-founded with George Boziwick to bring American public history to the stage. Partners and/or research resources for this show include Forbes Library, Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, Historic Northampton, as well as the American Antiquarian Society, Greenfield Historical Society, and Hadley Historical Society. The show is free. Reservations not required. Donations appreciated. www.theredskiesmusicensemble.com Join PIC for the public reading of our final reading of 2025: VASHTI SAYS NO, written by Talya Kingston. Sunday, December 7 at 7:30 PM 33 Hawley Street Workroom Dramaturgy by Avi Klipfel. Music advising by Alexander Sovronsky. Featuring Sandra Blaney, Anna Copeland, Rachel F. Hirsch, Sarah Marcus, Sam Samuels, and Linda Tardif. Stage directions by Richie Wills. What is the Incubation Workshop? Incubation Workshops are an abbreviated version of our Incubation Residency: an opportunity for a playwright to develop a brand new script over a series of months with a hands-on creative support team that may include actors, dramaturg, director, theatrical artistic advisors, fellow playwrights, and more. The multi-month development process culminates in a public presentation (reading) of the work in process and may include a dramaturgically-led discussion with the audience to further aid in the development of the play. Incubation 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. Synopsis: In "Vashti Says No" Queen Esther steps out of the Hebrew Bible to translate her story to our time. In doing so, she takes us into a world of privileged women who know their place.What happens when one of them decides to speak up for herself? or to raise her voice against injustice? In this high stakes story you risk banishment or death to become a heroine. The reading begins at 7:30pm. Doors will open 7:00pm. No entry after 7:45pm. Please enter the 33 Hawley Building via the downstairs courtyard. The reading will take place in The Workroom. Tickets on sale now. AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES Great Barrington Public Theater Marketing Manager Great Barrington, MA POSITION: Marketing Manager  REPORTS TO: Managing Director  STATUS: $30/hour (part-time in the off-season / full-time during the season)  START DATE: Mid-December 2025  About Great Barrington Public Theater  For seven seasons, Great Barrington Public Theater (GBPT) has been creating bold, original theater right here in the Berkshires. Our mission is to develop and produce new plays with a focus on playwrights and theater artists living in and nearby the Berkshires. GBPT’s productions spark conversation, curiosity, and connection—and we’re looking for a marketing-minded storyteller who wants to help us share that magic with the world. Each summer, we produce three fully staged productions in Great Barrington, MA. In the off season, we focus on our developmental program, Berkshire Voices, and host 4-5 developmental readings, all which are free to the public.  About the Role  As our Marketing Manager, you’ll be the voice and vibe behind GBPT. You’ll be part of a small, passionate team building something special in the Berkshires—a theater that supports artists, inspires audiences, and makes new work happen. You’ll have room to experiment, grow your skills, and see your ideas come to life. You’ll help shape how audiences discover us, how our stories are told online and in the community, and how our brand connects with people who love live theater (and those who just don’t know it yet!). This role is perfect for someone who is looking for the next step in their career and who is equal parts creative thinker, organized doer, and community connector—someone who loves making art feel accessible, exciting, and alive.  What You’ll Do  -Create and share engaging content that celebrates GBPT’s full productions, developmental readings and adjunct programming.  -In concert with the Managing Director, plan and execute marketing campaigns that drive ticket sales and buzz for each show.  -Keep our brand voice consistent, authentic, and mission-driven across everything we put out.  -Write press releases and announcements that get people talking.  -Coordinate with the press to make sure they are attending our shows.  -Manage GBPT’s social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)—from posts to stories to behind-the-scenes moments.  -Keep our website fresh and up to date with show info, news, and photos.  -Build and send newsletters that make people excited to see what’s next.  -Track what’s working—social engagement, email open rates, ticket conversions—and use that data to fine-tune our approach.  -Coordinate design projects like posters, programs, ads, and digital graphics  Who You Are  -A strong communicator who loves storytelling and the arts.  -Social media savvy with a good sense of voice, visuals, and what makes people stop scrolling.  -Organized, creative, and comfortable juggling multiple projects.  -Excited to collaborate with artists, designers, and community partners.  -One to two years of marketing, communications, or design—ideally in the arts or nonprofit world.  Compensation & Work Environment  This is a hybrid position based in the Berkshires, with a mix of remote and in-person work depending on the season and production schedule. We believe in flexibility—some weeks will be busier than others, and we trust our team to balance their time and meet deadlines in a way that works for them. The position pays $30 per hour. During the off-season, hours are part-time and flexible (15hrs/week September-April); during the production season, the role expands to full-time(40hrs/week May-August). GBPT offers a collaborative, creative work culture where everyone’s ideas are valued, and where your work directly contributes to the growth of new theater in our community. We are working to make this a year-round, full-time position in the near future. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If interested, please send a resume, a brief statement of interest and two work samples with the subject line Marketing Manager Application-[Your Name] to Serena Johnson at serena@greatbarringtonpublictheater.org. Actors: Come audition for multiple local theater companies and individual producers/directors all at once at PIC's Community-Wide Auditions on Fri and Sat Nov 21-22.  You will have the opportunity to introduce yourself, rehearse and present a cold reading scene, and engage in a brief group conversation about the scene. This is a great opportunity to get to know theater organizations and makers who are casting pieces in 2026 and beyond. There will be 4 time slots offered where up to 10 actors can attend at a time. Actors may only attend 1 time slot and must sign up in advance to attend. Sign up for a spot here! WHERE: The Workroom at 33 Hawley St, Northampton WHEN: Fri Nov 21 Time Slot 1: 4:00-5:00 pm Time Slot 2: 5:30-6:30 pm Sat Nov 22 Time Slot 3: 10:00-11:00 am Time Slot 4: 11:30 am -12:30pm *SIGN UP FOR ONE TIME SLOT ONLY* WHO'S IN THE ROOM: FROM THE PIC TEAM PIC Admin and Artistic Advisory Team which includes representatives from Plays In Place, Silverthorne Theater Company, and Theater Between Addresses, as well as PIC's 2026 Playwrights THEATER COMPANIES: Easthampton Theater Company, Ethel The Barn, Human Agenda Theater, and Take My Shot Productions FROM THE LARGER COMMUNITY- Playwrights, Independent Producers, and Directors: Mary Beth Brooker, Jill Franks, Collette Paro, and Wendy Woodson WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Open Play! November 22, December 6, December 20 1:00-3:00 PM Every other week Northampton Karate, 320 Riverside Dr Florence MA Seriously? Two hours to goof around and play with your friends? You betcha! Let’s gather together every other Saturday. Leave your worries at the door, play some simple, silly games and laugh until our bellies ache. Come play! Sign Up Here!  From the Heart Studios Voice Lessons & Audition Coaching Online Voice Lessons and Audition Coaching with Nicki Hi! I’m a licensed music teacher and actor with degrees in Musical Theatre and Theatre Education. With over five years of coaching experience, I help singers and performers of all levels gain confidence, refine technique, and shine—on stage or in the audition room. Each lesson is personalized to your goals in a fun, supportive environment. I combine formal training with real-world experience to guide you every step of the way. For more information visit: nickielledge.com This Year's Month-long Intensive for mid-career professionals launches December 27 Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training’s January Month-long Intensive is slated to run from December 27, 2025, through January 18, 2026, held at Shakespeare &Company’s campus in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Throughout the intensive, participants engage in voice, movement, dance, text analysis, exploration of the actor/audience relationship, sonnet work, scene work, clown, stage fight, and Master classes with Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, including in-depth discussions about the necessity of theater and the importance of the actor in today’s world. Senior Workshop Director Susan Dibble, who has served as a month-long intensive faculty member for all of its 45 sessions, said the intensive offers actor training that is timelessly applicable. “The January Intensive is a rigorous and rejuvenating program designed to activate a deep and powerful connection to the human experience, and to Shakespeare's language, in particular,” she said. “Theater artists will encounter multiple disciplines taught by a team of expert faculty, all of whom are committed to providing each participant with the opportunity for both personal attention and community. The breadth and the depth of this experience is readily applicable to both contemporary and classical material.” Complete applications are accepted on a rolling basis; arrival day is Friday, Dec. 27, and departure day is Monday, Jan. 19. For more information – including regarding the topics covered during the Intensive – email training@shakespeare.org. Photo Caption Training alums Oscar Quiroz & Sydney Endicott during the final scene-sharing of the 2025 January Intensive. Photo by Christina Lane 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