Happy Holidays! I hope you are enjoying some end of the year down time and resting for a busy 2026 full of art. Don’t forget to send a little end of year donation to your favorite theatre company!
Here’s a little holiday penguin friend (drawn by Madison VanDeurzen)!
The next issue will include events from January 1 - 21. 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
The LAVA Center is thrilled to announce the play reading recordings of The Time is Now: Climate Change Theatre Action are available to view online. The recordings encompass the play readings from the three-day festival which took place during the festival weekend of October 24–26. Produced in collaboration with the international organization Climate Change Theatre Action, the recordings show nine plays selected from their 2025 The Time is Now collection.The recordings show the plays from each performance date which featured three of the plays and centers around one of three themes: resilience, urgency and hope.
THE TIME IS NOW FOR RESILIENCE: “Science is Dead!” by David Geary, “Consultation” by Dylan Van Den Berg and “We’re Running Out of Chairs” by Kirby Vicente were directed by Ash Goverman and performed by Kendra Corrie, Barbara Friend, Holly Sroka and Clara Witty.
THE TIME IS NOW FOR URGENCY: “Space Cat” by Lewis Hetherington, “Appreciation” by Katie Pearl and “Six Polar Bears Fell Out of the Sky This Morning” by Alister Emerson were directed by Kiersten Samalis and performed by Kendra Corrie, Barbara Friend, Priscilla Mollard, Lisa Ranghelli and Holly Sroka.
THE TIME IS NOW FOR HOPE: “A Letter From the Ocean” by Caridad Svich, “The Mermaid” by Nikhil Katara, and “All Its Tainted Glory” by Georgina HL Escobar were directed by Penney Hulten and performed by Guy Fiero, Trouble Mandeson, Priscilla Mollard, Holly Sroka and Charmaine Sutton.
This year’s festival marks the tenth anniversary of Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) and its final festival under the current model. A response to the distressing environmental and political events happening all over the world, The Time Is Now is both a call to action and a reminder to stay connected to the present moment, an ultimatum and the promise of a new beginning. Launched in 2015, Climate Change Theatre Action has been a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings. Every other year, 50 professional playwrights, representing all inhabited continents as well as several cultures and Indigenous nations, have been commissioned to write five-minute plays about an aspect of the climate crisis based on a prompt.
The nine plays presented at LAVA this year are chosen from CCTA’s 2025 database of 50 plays: 40 selected by CCTA from earlier years and 10 commissioned for 2025.
LAVA has partnered with CCTA since 2018, and has presented plays from every set except the initial pilot project in 2015. Greening Greenfield has funded each of the programs, as well as a program of short plays from three countries and four states produced online during the 2021 Covid shutdown of live theater.
The online recordings will be available to view by donation through March 31, giving audiences a look back at the festival from October, and also for new audiences to enjoy watching the play readings. Views are available via a sliding scale for each recording between $5–15, or $1 for Card to Culture. Anyone may make an additional donation to support LAVA’s fall giving campaign.
This program is made possible by funding from Greening Greenfield.
MAJESTIC THEATER UNLEASHES THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
JANUARY 8 – FEBRUARY 15
West Springfield’s Majestic Theater will present The Hound of the Baskervilles January 8 through February 15. Written by Stephen Canny and John Nicholson, the play is a fast-paced, hilarious parody of Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.
The plot involves legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companion, Dr. Watson’s, investigation into the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who is believed to have been killed by a supernatural hound. The comedy features three actors who play multiple roles, with plenty of physical comedy, slapstick and quick costume changes, while bringing the eerie plot to life in a high-energy romp that both spoofs and celebrates the iconic detective story.
Gina Kaufmann will direct the play. Hope Rose Kelly is stage manager, and production assistants are Elie Berman and Michael Garcia. Dawn McKay is costume designer and Dan Rist is lighting designer. Scenic designer is Dana Weintraub, and Ryan Hickey is sound designer.
The cast includes Jack Grigoli (Sir Henry, et al), Jay Sefton (Watson, et al), and Abuzar Farrukh (Holmes, et al). Understudies include Tom Dahl and Gabriel CiFuentes.
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/hound-of-the-baskervilles. 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
AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES
Unity House Players THE PROM Auditions
Jan 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM Jan 10, 2026 at 1:00 PM Unity House Players, 245 Porter Lake Dr, Springfield, MA
Auditions for UHP's spring musical- THE PROM.
Show goes up April 2026.
Director: Eric Boucher
Music Director: Graham Christian
Choreographer: Karen Anne McMahon
Producer: Elisabeth Weber
Open Call Auditions for Unity House Players' spring musical Friday January 9th 2026 6PM & Saturday January 10th 1PM
Please prepare 16-32 bars (or approx. 1 minute) of a song in the style of the show.
An accompanist will not be provided. Please bring a track on an aux cable compatible device or be prepared to sing acapella.
Also please prepare a short 1 minute comic monologue that showcases your style and a strong character.
Please expect to stay to learn a short movement combination (dance call later that day).
You are encouraged to bring your theatrical resume, but not required.
A photo and/or video may be taken at auditions.
Please be familiar with the show, schedules, character information, and requirements (available on our website). All genders and ethnicities are encouraged to audition.
Call for director: The VLO presents Fiddler on the Roof, (November, 2026)
Valley Light Opera is seeking nominations and applications for stage director for our 51st annual production, Bock, Harnick, and Stein’s "Fiddler on the Roof", to be performed November 5-8, 2026, at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
Stage Director Description: The stage director (SD) creates the overall artistic concept of the show. The SD works closely with the musical director as well as the set and costume designers, the choreographer and technical director to carry out the concept. The stage director also rehearses principals and chorus in dialogue, acting, blocking, and dancing.
An honorarium of $1,000 will be paid at the completion of the performances.
For those interested in applying as stage director, proposals should be submitted by January 10th, 2026. Proposals should be submitted to VLO president Kathy Blaisdell at: kathy.blaisdell222@gmail.com and must include the following:
· Letter of interest and artistic concept (no more than 3 pages)
· Theater or music resume
· References Nominations are also encouraged and may be submitted to the same email address.
Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, starting immediately. Finalists may be invited to make a presentation to the VLO Board after January 10th. An electronic perusal copy may be requested by emailing kathy.blaisdell222@gmail.com.
The Valley Light Opera is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization based in Amherst, MA. Each year for over 50 years the VLO has produced fully-staged, orchestrated and lavishly costumed productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and other musical theater works. Rehearsals are typically in Hadley or Amherst, and performances at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Applicants who are unfamiliar with VLO are encouraged to explore our website at vlo.org.
Questions? Please email VLO president Kathy Blaisdell, at kathy.blaisdell222@gmail.com.
APPLAUSE Auditions Book by Betty Comden & Adolph Green Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Lee Adams.
Male and Female Leads and Ensemble auditions by appointment only Sunday, January 25th and Tuesday, January 27th
Easthampton Theater Company is excited to announce auditions in January for the musical Applause, book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics by Lee Adams. We are seeking talented and dedicated actors of a wide range of ages. All roles are available; none are precast. We strongly encourage actors of all races, ethnicities, and gender identities to audition. Applause is based on the 1950 film All About Eve and the short story on which the movie is based, Mary Orr's "The Wisdom of Eve". The story centers on aging star Margo Channing, who innocently takes a fledgling actress under her wing, unaware that the ruthless Eve is plotting to steal her career and possibly her man. The original 1970 Broadway production was nominated for ten Tony Awards and ultimately won four: the overall production won the Tony Award for Best Musical, Lauren Bacall won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and Ron Field won both the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Choreography.
The show is directed by Manuel Morales and produced by Eva Husson-Stockhamer. Our music director is Evan Kos and our choreographer is Brianna Husson-Stockhamer. Several roles in this production are open to actors of any gender identity. We encourage all performers to audition for the roles that resonate with them. We are conducting auditions by appointment only Sunday, January 25th and Tuesday, January 27th at the Easthampton Congregational Church. Performances will be held at the Williston Theater in Easthampton and are on June 5th* (invited dress,) 7th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. The readthrough will take place in early March 2025. Rehearsals will start in earnest at the middle of March. All actors will not be called for every rehearsal. However, all actors are required to be available every day during production week, which will start on Monday, June 1st.
...for more audition information, audition form and sign-up link.
If you experience any issues accessing the audition materials (including music, PDF files, or other resources), or if you require any assistance or accommodations to participate in the audition process, please contact us at info@easthamptontheater.com. We are happy to help ensure an accessible and inclusive experience for all participants.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
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
Clown I Class
1-4pm Saturday January 10th - February 28th Northampton Karate, 320 Riverside Dr Florence MA
Over the course of this 8-week intro to clown class we will investigate a series of games and exercises built to help relinquish our need to get things right, bring our bodies and imaginations to life, and reignite our appetites for pleasure and play - all in service of making people laugh!
To be clear - this not a class in which you learn how to juggle, make a balloon animal, put on some oversized shoes and head off to the big top. NO! This is a class in which you will have the opportunity to step away from your adult responsibilities and play like a kid again, to reclaim your unbridled curiosity and virtuosic delight, and to fall in love with everything that makes you YOU. Simply put, this is not a class about being funny - it’s a class about being human.
Jan 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM Wednesdays until March 11 (7 total) The Foundry, West Stockbridge MA
Spontaneous Combustion
2 Months of Improv with Tom Truss
Wednesdays 7PM-9PM (TIME SLOT FULL) *
WEDNESDAYS 3:30PM-5:30PM (AVAILABLE)*
January 28-March 11
If you’re craving connection, want to push a boundary, or are just ready to play- these improv classes are just for you. In this series of seven classes, followed by an optional performance, we’ll focus on building characters, creating stories, and saying yes to ideas and impulses. Tom Truss is a master teacher and facilitator with over 40 years experience leading groups in art making, and theater and dance improvisation. With an MFA in acting and an MFA in choreography he draws on these forms to create whimsical, heart centered and thought provoking work and classes.
CLASS TOTAL- $170 for all 7 Classes
Includes participation in Just Add Water event on March 13!
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