Western Mass Theatre Newsletter |
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| | | There is so much great theatre this summer! Go see a show at Silverthorne, Chester, Shakespeare & Company, Mount Holyoke Summer Theatre, or check out one of the other one-off productions: Unreconciled at the Academy of Music, The Birth/Death Project at local libraries, or come visit me up at Historic Deerfield this summer working with Plays in Place!
The next issue will include events from July 16 - August 5. 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
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| Real Live Theatre presents The Birth/Death Project Saturday, July 11: 1pm at Holyoke Public Library and 4pm at Forbes Library More Information |
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Shakespeare & Company Presents: Fireflies by Matthew Barber, Directed by Daniela Varon July 9 - 19 at 2 pm and 7 pm at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre Fri, Sat, Tue, Wed, Thurs at 7pm, Sun at 2pm 70 Kemble St. Lenox, MA 01240
From the author of Enchanted April, Retired schoolteacher Eleanor Bannister lives alone in tiny Groverdell, Texas, settled into her routines and secure in her standing as the town’s most respected woman. When a hole in her roof brings Abel Brown—a charming, smooth-talking drifter—onto her doorstep, he offers to repair the house and quietly begins to upend her carefully ordered life. As an unexpected late-life romance flickers to life, gossip spreads and doubts surface. Can Abel be trusted, or is he not quite who he seems? Either way, the whole town is watching.
Tickets are $30-$88 and on sale now at shakespeare.org, or by calling the Box Office at (413) 637-3353.
https://ci.ovationtix.com/403/production/1264346 |
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| | | Mount Holyoke College Summer Theatre
"Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express"
Thursday, July 9th, 7:30pm Friday, July 10th, 7:30pm Saturday, July 11th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Kendall Sports & Dance Complex's Studio Theatre (6 Dunlap Pl. South Hadley)
Mount Holyoke College Summer Theatre proudly presents “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, playing June 30th-July 11th in the Studio Theatre of Kendall Sports & Dance Complex.
Join us for the inaugural season of Summer Theatre as we embark on a thrilling journey aboard the legendary Orient Express. When a passenger is found murdered in his locked compartment, famed detective Hercule Poirot must unravel a web of secrets, lies, and hidden motives before the killer strikes again. Filled with suspense, glamour, and unforgettable twists, this Agatha Christie classic will keep audiences guessing until the very end.
This production is directed by Noah Ilya-Alexis Tuleja with Set Design by Alina Tschumakow, Costume Design by Jensen Glick, Lighting Design by Sam Skynner, Sound Design by Gillian Tomlinson.
Tickets: $15 General Admission | $25 Season Pass For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit mhcsummertheatre.ludus.com or contact us at MHCSummerTheatres@MtHolyoke.edu. |
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FANNIE (THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER)
By Cheryl L. West
Directed by Gilbert McCauley
July 9-12, 2026
Filled with music, humor and spirituality, this is the impassioned story of American civil rights activist and hero, Fannie Lou Hamer, from her beginnings as the daughter of a sharecropper, to co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, to her historic speech at the 1964 Democratic Convention and beyond.
CLICK HERE FOR FANNIE TICKETS |
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JaDuke Theater
Finding Nemo
Jul 9, 2027 at 6:00 PM
7/10@6pm, 7/11@6pm, 7/11@2pm, 7/17@6pm, 7/18@6pm, 7/19@2pm
JaDuke Theater - 110 Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls Ma 01376
Finding Nemo follows Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo. When Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic odyssey across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.
https://eventtickets2u.com/jaduke-theater
More information at: www.jaduketheater.com Fun for the whole family! |
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Springfield Community Theater of MA
Cast of Aladdin Dual Language Announced
Jul 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Saturday, July 11, 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm / Sunday, July 12, 2:30 pm
52Sumner - Performing Arts Ventures
ALADDIN CAST ANNOUNCED! The magic has begun! Springfield Community Theater and 52Sumner are thrilled to announce the cast of Disney's Aladdin Dual Language Edition—an exciting new musical adventure that blends English and Spanish storytelling, music, dance, and culture in a way that audiences throughout Greater Springfield have never experienced before.
Selected from a highly competitive audition process, 26 talented performers from the Pioneer Valley and Northwest Connecticut will bring the wonders of Agrabah to life this July.
Sharing the role of the unforgettable Genie are Manuel Morales and J. David Martinez. Our heroes Aladdin will be portrayed by Julius Davila and Jamar Bailey. Princess Jazmin will be brought to life by Sevil Usmanova and Yesenia Santiago. Joining them as Abu are the energetic and acrobatic Savanna Rosario and Mya Hurst. Family talent takes center stage as Parris Nichols portrays the villainous Jafar while his daughter, Arianna Nichols, plays his wisecracking sidekick, Iago. In featured roles are Kathryn White as Sultana, Asia Schaeffer as Razu, Captain of the Royal Guards, and Grayson Davidson as Rajah, Jazmin's loyal tiger companion. Helping weave together the entire bilingual storytelling are our influencers, the Royal Translators: Nora Muhs, Meghan White, Mira Duplessis, and Carly Atkinson. Singing, acting and dancing throughout are Sirius Steinmann as the Baker, Jazmine Derderian and Denise Toledo as outraged Citizens, and our young performers Aaron Duplessis who will animate the Magic Carpet along with the charming Court Dancers: Clara Derderian, Haleigh Galloway, Kharis Luke, Damiany Bastar and Diana Toledo.
"This production is about much more than a magic lamp. It's about bringing people together through storytelling. Whether audience members speak English, Spanish, or both, they will experience the joy, excitement, and connection that theater can create."
Performances: Friday, July 10 • 6:30 PM Saturday, July 11 • 2:30 PM & 6:30 PM Sunday, July 12 • 2:30 PM 52 Sumner Avenue, Springfield, MA Tickets on sale now: 52Sumner.com Join us for one of the most innovative and exciting family productions of the summer!
#AladdinDualLanguage #SpringfieldCommunityTheater #52Sumner #SpringfieldMA #BilingualTheater #FamilyTheater #PioneerValleyArts #LiveTheater #YouthTheater #CommunityTheater #DisneyAladdin |
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Plays in Place and Historic Deerfield present the premiere of: A STAKE IN THE GROUND: 1774 by Talya Kingston, Valyn Lyric Turner & Patrick Gabridge directed by Brianna Sloane
In the summer of 1774, seeds of revolution begin to germinate in Deerfield when a Liberty Pole
is brought to town. The characters in three new one-act plays explore the political divisions,
tangled family relations, and the complexities of enslavement from all sides. Join this vibrant,
immersive examination of the historical split that will define America.
featuring: Yar Petrov, Mario Longo-Imbimbo, Lena Vani, Rae Janeil, Marcus Neverson, Tracy Grammer, & Noah Braunstein. Understudies: Maizy Broderick Scarpa, Destini Stewart, Richmond Wills & Harrison Wright. Costume Design by Brittney Belz. Stage Management by Nikki Beck & Madison VanDuerzen.
July 10 - Aug 16 (Fri & Sat at 6:30pm, Sun at 2:30pm) Tickets and more information: www.historic-deerfield.org/events/a-stake-in-the-ground-1774/ |
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| | | RLT presents Work-in-Progress Sharings of The Birth/Death Project
Info & Tickets URL: www.reallivetheatre.net/birth-death-project
Saturday July 11: 1pm at Holyoke Public Library & 4pm at Forbes Library in Northampton
The only thing all humans share is that we are all born and we all die. Yet we often feel disconnected, lonely, or isolated in our journeys through these experiences.
Real Live Theatre's Birth/Death Project seeks to change that, one story at a time, weaving our truths together.
This work-in-progress offers a performance collage inspired by the real stories local folks have shared with our project which have been woven together to share with all of you. Joy, grief, wonder, fear, amazement, mess, glory, hilarity, pain, connection. Join us in remembering what it feels like to be truly human together.
The 1pm sharing at Holyoke Public Library is inside their accessible building, in the Community Room. KN95 masks will be available for anyone who wants one (and are fully optional at this sharing).
The 4pm sharing at Forbes Library in Northampton is outside on the lawn at the Hess Stage. Very limited chairs available on-site, so please bring blankets, chairs, etc., and of course you're welcome to picnic as well. Rain back-up is inside their accessible building in the Coolidge Museum.
All sharings are FREE (donations accepted).
Produced by Ellen Morbyrne, Lena Vani, Rachel Hall
Devised by Dorian Gregory, Trenda Loftin, Ellen Morbyrne, Seth Olsen, Lauren Ostberg, Em Rawls, Jordan Reed, Lena Vani; inspired by interviews with folks across the Valley
Directed by Ellen Morbyrne
Performed by Dorian Gregory, Trenda Loftin, Seth Olsen, Lauren Ostberg, Em Rawls
The 2026 phase of this project is supported in part by grants from the Conway, Hadley, Holyoke, and Shelburne Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. |
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Flip the Script Saturday, July 11th @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.
This month's playwright is Jeremy Geragotelis.
https://www.happiervalley.com/2nd-saturdays.html |
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CitySpace Presents: The Van Gogh Shogh
Blue Room at CitySpace: 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA 01027
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 7:30pm
In The Van Gogh Shogh Donna Oblongata invites audiences to step into a frame of barely controlled chaos alongside the maestro himself, now recast as a bewildered food courier who has stumbled into his own immersive afterlife.
One part sip ‘n’ paint, one part karaoke and one-part Sotheby’s, The Van Gogh Shogh is a deranged and subversive solo trip through the great painter’s legacy with four protegees plucked from the audience to reproduce one of his most famous works under his tutelage, live on stage. Exploring the value of art and the meaning of success, accompanied by a 1980s power ballad, the Van Gogh Shogh is a wildly original theatrical experience that combines comedy, audience participation, and some smart commentary amplified by the subversively inventive twist at the end.
Donna Oblongata is an award-winning performer, writer and social practice artist whose work has been called "brimming with compassion and monstrously funny" (Play on Milwaukee). She's a recipient of the 2025 Leeway Transformation Award and the 2024 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Creative Research Award. She has also been supported by residencies at MacDowell, the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, the Studios of Key West, and a Visiting Artist Fellowship at College of the Atlantic. Her work has been seen in theaters, music venues, squats, basements, galleries, and community spaces around the world for over 20 years. Her immersive installation Privy Privy (a collaboration with Patrick Costello) debuted at Cannonball in 2023 and went on to SXSW, Miami Art Week, and 601 ArtSpace in New York. The piece was called "weird and wonderful" by The Art Newspaper and named one of the Best Immersive Experiences of SXSW 2025 by No Proscenium and "one of Miami Art Week's most memorable exhibits" by OutSFL. In 2024, her protest art in support of Gaza was acquired by the Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. Most recently, she her solo clown show, The Van Gogh Shogh, ran in London and Amsterdam, where it earned critical acclaim, being called “A fascinating and uproariously good time…side-splittingly funny” by Adventures in Theatreland. This summer, the show will be presented for a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. |
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MAJESTIC CHILDREN’S THEATER:
THE LIGHTNING THIEF
July 13, 14, 15, 26, 27, 28, 29
[Recommended for ages 7+] Adapted from the bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief is a high-energy, rock-infused musical that brings Greek mythology to thrilling life for young audiences. When Percy Jackson discovers he’s the son of a Greek god, he’s swept into an epic adventure filled with monsters, heroes, and unforgettable music. With humor, heart, and plenty of action, the story explores friendship, courage, and what it means to embrace who you are. Already beloved by kids, teens, and parents alike, this exciting theatrical journey is a dynamic, engaging experience for audiences of all ages.
BUY TICKETS ($12.00) |
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Silverthorne Theater Company presents Deep Blue Sound by Abe Koogler
directed by Ezekiel Baskin
JULY 16 - 26
Where did those whales go? Nine actors play multiple characters in this joyful exploration of interwoven friendships, passions and losses -- an uplifting Our Town for our time.
Get Your Deep Blue Sound Tickets Here
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Shakespeare & Company and Spirit of the Circus Presents: Circus & The Bard: The Next Chapter.
July 16-26 at 11:30 and 2:30pm
70 Kemble St. Lenox, MA 01240
Circus & the Bard: The Next Chapter bounces back July 16–26 at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm at the Tina Packer Playhouse!
Co-created by Allyn Burrows, Robin Eldridge, and Pedro Reis, Co-directed by Allyn Burrows and Pedro Reis
Shakespeare & Company and Spirit of the Circus reunite for a playful mash-up of jaw-dropping circus acts paired with Shakespeare’s beloved characters. When high-flying feats meet the Bard’s words, sparks fly, laughs abound, and something truly magical happens.
Tickets are $35 for adults, $22 for ages 13-22, and $15 for ages 3-12. Tickets are on sale now at shakespeare.org, or by calling the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 Join us on Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday, July 23, for relaxed, sensory-friendly performances.
What is a Sensory-Friendly Performance? Sensory-friendly performances are adapted to be less overwhelming and to welcome individuals with a range of sensory needs, including people who are neurodivergent; those with cognitive, social, or physical challenges; first-time theatergoers, and others. These performances offer pre-show materials such as story synopses and “what to expect” guides, along with reduced-intensity lighting and sound, dimmed house lights, and clear theater maps. Performances are relaxed; audience members are free to come and go, and total quiet is not expected. These shows are open to all patrons.
https://ci.ovationtix.com/403/production/1262276
This show is presented in collaboration with Spirit of the Circus |
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Mount Holyoke College Summer Theatre
"The 39 Steps"
Performance Dates and Times: Friday, July 17th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm Saturday, July 18th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm Sunday, July 19th, 2:00pm Wednesday, July 22nd, 7:30pm Thursday, July 23rd, 7:30pm Friday, July 24th, 7:30pm Saturday, July 25th, 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Kendall Sports & Dance Complex's Studio Theatre (6 Dunlap Pl. South Hadley)
Mount Holyoke College Summer Theatre proudly presents “The 39 Steps” adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel of John Buchanen from the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, playing July 17th-July 25th in the Studio Theatre of Kendall Sports & Dance Complex.
Our first season closes with a fast-paced comedy thriller packed with spies, mystery, and nonstop laughs. When ordinary man Richard Hannay becomes entangled in an international espionage plot, he is swept into a whirlwind adventure across Britain. Featuring a handful of actors playing dozens of characters, The 39 Steps is a wildly inventive theatrical experience that combines Hitchcock suspense with hilarious physical comedy.
This production is directed by Mochael Ofori with Set Design by Alina Tschumakow, Costume Design by Jensen Glick, Lighting Design by Sam Skynner, Sound Design by Kirk Longhofer.
Tickets: $15 General Admission | $25 Season Pass For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit mhcsummertheatre.ludus.com or contact us at MHCSummerTheatres@MtHolyoke.edu. |
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Jarice Hanson in "Frances Perkins: A Woman's Work"
July 17, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Dickenson Memorial Library,115 Main Street, Northfield, MA
Frances Perkins was the first female Secretary of Labor and first woman to be a Cabinet member--a position she held for 12 years. During that time she established Social Security, the 40 hour work week, the WPA, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (to name a few of her achievements). As one audience member said: "I always thought these things were done by a bunch of men wearing ties. I didn't know they were all due to one woman wearing pearls." To learn what Massachusetts native Frances Perkins did to bring the country out of the Depression, through the "New Deal Era" and WWII, don't miss this solo show--and bring any questions you'd like to ask of "Frances!"
The event is free to the public |
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Not In Charge: Improv Comedy Inspired By True Stories Saturday, July 18th @7pm Don't miss this talented group of friends in an improvised show inspired by true stories from the cast! Not In Charge is Mandy Anderson, Maddy Benjamin, Sally Ekus, Micaela Foster, Derek Luthi, Allison Reding, Julie Waggoner, Jim Young, and Kate Zak.
https://www.happiervalley.com/notincharge.html |
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MAJESTIC CHILDREN’S THEATER:
DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!
July 19, 20, 21, 22
[Recommended for ages 3+] Based on the beloved book by Mo Willems, this fast, funny musical invites young audiences to take charge as a very persistent Pigeon tries everything to convince us to let him drive the bus. With catchy songs, playful humor, and lots of audience participation, this energetic production celebrates the joy of saying “no,” making good choices, and using your voice. Packed with laughs for kids and clever moments for grown-ups, this high-spirited show is loved by audiences of all ages and makes for a joyful, memorable summer theater experience for the whole family.
BUY TICKETS ($12.00) |
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Great Barrington Public Theater
iBoss
Jul 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM
7/24 at 7:30pm, 7/25 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm (opening night), 7/26 at 2:00pm, 7/29 at 7:30pm, 7/30 at 7:30pm, 7/31 at 300pm and 7:30pm, 8/6 at 7:30pm, 8/7 at 7:30pm, 8/8 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, 8/9 at 2:00pm
The Great Hall at Saint James Place 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA
In a not so distant future, the rapidly accelerating intelligence of AI systems has created "Lisa." Powered by AI, she wields enormous power. Shockingly, Lisa displays an emergent property of AI — sentience.
And from this newly sentient being something else emerges: an emotional agenda. As Job Johnson begins his first in-person evaluation, it's clear this isn’t going to be just another day at the office.
https://greatbarringtonpublictheater.thundertix.com/events/261549 |
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PREMIERE
AMCHITKA
A New Play by Mark St. Germain
Directed by Julianne Boyd
July 24-August 8
In a monitoring station at Amchitka, a volcanic island 170 miles off the coast of Alaska used for underground nuclear testing in the 1960s, three scientists find themselves cut off from the outside world as an event seems to be underway. But what? A new philosophical thriller by Mark St. Germain, author of Magdalene and Freud’s Last Session.
CLICK HERE FOR AMCHITKA TICKETS |
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Unreconciled Project presents
Unreconciled with Bessel van der Kolk and Licia Sky
Jul 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Academy of Music
Galvanizing audiences nationally and internationally, UNRECONCILED is a solo tour de force of daring to stand up to an institution that wants nothing more than silence.
Thirteen-year-old Jay Sefton dreamed of being an actor and was cast as Jesus in a school play directed by the parish priest — later defrocked and named in a grand jury report for sexual abuse of minors.
Told with unflinching honesty and surprising humor, Sefton exposes the wider system that denies justice to survivors, taking audiences on a magic carpet ride through love and bewilderment in a whiskey-drenched, sports-crazed suburb of 1980s Philadelphia, where daily life is punctuated by church bells.
UNRECONCILED is the winner of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association Award for Best New Play and Best Solo Performance.
https://aomtheatre.com/aom_event/unreconciled/
The show will be followed by a discussion on healing trauma through theatre with Bessel van der Kolk (bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score and foremost expert on trauma) and Licia Sky, (co-founder of the Trauma Research Foundation). |
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| | AUDITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES |
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Barrington Stage Overhire:
I am looking for carpenters, electricians, audio hands, and general stage hands for the following ($19/hour):
Estate Sale: Load Out/ Changeover to DGQ: 7/25-7/26
Chorus Line: Tech Work Notes: 7/11-15 Changeover to Noises Off: 8/8- 8/13
DGQ: Hang/Load In: 7/25-7/30 Tech Work Notes: 7/31-8/5
Noises Off: Tech work notes- 8/14-8/19 Changeover to Eisenhower: 9/6-7
Contact: productionmgmt@barringtonstageco.org |
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Majestic Theater
2026-27 Season Auditions
Majestic Theater & Baldwin Studios
Auditions for Majestic Theater's 2026-27 season
https://www.majestictheater.com/auditions
Location: Majestic Theater
131 Elm Street, West Springfield MA
NON-EQUITY AUDITIONSSaturday, July 11 • 10:00am–4:00pm & 6:00pm-9:00pm
Sunday, July 12 • 10:00am–4:00pm Sunday, July 19 • 12:00pm–6:00pm
All information is on the website. Thank you for the incredible interest in auditions! The first round of Non-Equity appointments filled within a few hours of being posted. We've added another audition date and will continue to explore opportunities to open additional slots if possible. While we can't guarantee more availability, we'll do our best to accommodate as many artists as we can.
Please see the answers to our Frequently Asked Questions--https://netorg6788349-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/sue_majestictheater_com/IQCrCCPVXN5LRoKfZ8mKncVXASmqm2syCxkB6UrC_i6HKqw |
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Holy Smokes Theatre Company
Auditions for The Witch and The Fool
Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM
and Sunday, 7/19 from 3pm-5pm
The Sanctuarry, 295 Clemente Street, Holyoke, MA. 01040
No preparation necessary. Just bring an open mind, stay for the full two hours, plan for fun! Seeking actors, dancers, production crew to bring to life an original play about misogyny, feminism, religion, magic, reproductive rights, air borne viruses, and queerness! |
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Summer Youth Theater Programs
Easthampton Theater Company is running 2 weeks each of Summer Nights youth theater programs in Springfield and Easthampton, MA! Open by application only until full, and provided at no cost to teens entering grades 7-12. We are also offering scholarships to attend Williston's new theater day camp program in Easthampton! Please go to easthamptontheater.com for more info and to apply, and direct any questions to info@easthamptontheater.com |
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Molly Brennan to host monthly workshop on making masked theatre at LAVA
WHAT: Making Masked Theatre: workshops to develop performance in a respirator with Molly Brennan WHEN: 2nd Fridays of the month (except August); starting Friday, July 10, 6–8 p.m. WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield https://www.facebook.com/events/2038348256766307/
Molly Brennan, Equity Actor and Teaching Artist hosts a 2 hour workshop once a month to invite performance artists, playwrights, singers, poets, drag performers, clowns, actors and everyone who loves to be onstage to:
• Devise new work • Workshop ongoing projects • Develop vocal and physical techniques to perform in a respirator • Beginners welcome!
Why mask required? As we find ourselves in a world where for most of us, medical care is unaffordable, air quality is poor, and there is a growing population of Long Covid survivors and other folks who need or choose to be cautious about airborne pathogens, many in the performance community have been left behind because of the choice to wear respirator masks.
Who is Molly Brennan? Molly Brennan enjoyed a 30 year career as a professional stage actor in Chicago, but the Covid pandemic changed her path, and she had to find other ways to make a living. She and her wife moved to Massachusetts in the fall of 2025, and Molly has slowly been returning to her art, as a teacher, playwright, director and performer. She wears an N95 respirator to do these things, and has found a small community of others who do the same. As a regular and a member of the booking committee of Last Ditch Bar, she observes 5 days a week of mask-required events. Her play “After the Whales Spoke” was featured at the LAVA Center’s On the Boards New Play Festival, and her cast was entirely Disabled actors or actors who are not yet disabled, but wear respirators to protect themselves and their community. The reading was performed to a full house of masked audience members, as well as folks watching from home on the live stream.
Molly is thrilled to offer her decades of experience teaching Acting, Clown, Improvisation and Devising New Works as well as her experience in disability access, in a mask-required environment. There are barriers in creating this work, and she is excited to explore vocal, physical, and access tool making techniques to make masked performance a normal and celebrated form.
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
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Academy of Music Theatre
Academy Youth Productions Summer Musical Theatre Workshops
July 13-24, 9am-3pm; July 27-31, 9am-3pm; August 3-14, 9am-3pm
Academy of Music Theatre
There are still spots available for the Academy of Music's summer musical theatre workshops for kids! All workshops run 9am-3pm, Monday through Friday (no weekends), at the Academy of Music.
Second Act! is a two-week session for ages 10-12, July 13-24.
Second Act! EXPRESS is a one-week session for ages 10-12, July 27-31.
Encore! is a two-week session for ages 13-16, August 3-14.
https://aomtheatre.com/workshops/ |
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| | | Play Incubation Collective Summer Program Theatrical Toolkit July 27-31 9am-3pm Rising 2nd-5th graders Instructors: Tracy Einstein and Richie Barshay Theater lovers unite! In this one-week workshop, you’ll get to build your skills as a performer and join a supportive community of creative kids. Through theater games, movement and scene improvisations, songwriting and prop and set design, you’ll explore key elements of performance and ensemble building. The work will culminate in an end-of-week sharing where you’ll get to showcase your theatrical toolkit! |
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| | | Play Incubation Collective Summer Program |
Playmaking Journey August 3-14
9am-3pm Rising 2nd-5th graders Instructor: Brianna Sloane This fun-filled two-week workshop will guide participants through all of the elements of theatrical storytelling as you get to create your own original play. The first week will be spent building our ensemble and exploring theater, improv, and movement games in order to generate stories, dialogue, and characters. Inspired by all of that idea generation, the director will create a script for the second week and participants will experience all aspects of the rehearsal process culminating in a short performance on Fri Aug 14th. Through it all, there will be lots of space for collaboration, imaginative play, learning new skills, and making new friends!. |
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| | | Play Incubation Collective Summer Program |
Improvise & Devise August 3-7 9am-3pm Rising 6th-9th Graders Instructor: Anna Fox Enjoy making things up on the spot, working as a team, and creating your own performances? Whether you’re new to improv or very experienced, this session welcomes all skill levels and will provide plenty of opportunities for growth We will spend the mornings each day playing comedy improv games, and then apply those skills and concepts to our afternoon sessions, working as an ensemble to create (devise) our own original performance. The exciting part of improv is that it’s all made up, so while the games have structures and rules, we won’t know what will happen until we’re all in the room exploring together. So let's take risks, laugh and figure it out as we go! |
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The Joy & Ease of Improv One-Week Intensive Aug 10th-13th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Happier Valley Comedy's Founder and Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers this four-day intensive for adults who want to try something fun, rewarding, and, quite possibly, mind-expanding. You'll learn a gentle, easeful approach to improv comedy in a positive, patient, and accepting atmosphere that will get you up on your feet and out of your head. Through improv exercises, games, and scenework, you'll practice the vital improvisation skills of paying attention acutely, accepting other people's ideas, redefining and disempowering failure, staying in the moment, quieting your critical voice to amplify your authentic voice, inviting more joy and ease into your work, and much more.
In this four-day intensive, you'll get all of the core exercises from the regular weekly Improv 1 class plus time to practice key skills through games while fostering class cohesion over the course of four meetings from 6-9pm. After completing this four-day intensive, beginning improvisers will be eligible to take Improv 2. (Though some choose to take the 8-week Improv 1 for the full experience.) Experienced improvisers who have graduated from all core levels of another improv comedy school or have performed improv for more than one year may be eligible to move on to Improv 3 with permission from HVC leadership.
No experience necessary. Being funny is not required! Shy people and introverts are welcome. At Happier Valley Comedy, we believe everyone can improvise. (No joke.)
https://www.crowdwork.com/e/the-joy-ease-of-improv-one-week-intensive |
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Clown - One Day Workshop
Aug 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Northampton Karate, 320 Riverside Dr Florence MA
In this 4 hour workshop we will begin to explore the comic world of the clown. Through a series of movement exercises, improvised songs and group games we will bring our bodies and imaginations to life, and reignite our appetites for pleasure and play - all in service of uncovering our most authentic selves.
Register Here
Gabriel Levey is a teacher, actor, coach and theatre maker committed to the power of empathic vulnerability and unabashed play. He works across genres and venues, helping actors and audiences step into their full selves, and laugh until their stomachs ache.
A maker of theatrical comedy, Gabe's original work includes: Dwellicle 109 (IRT); Brainsongs, or the play about the dinosaur farm (Yale Cabaret); And now we do LINDBERGH’S FLIGHT by Bertolt Brecht (Yale Cabaret); The Most Beautiful Thing in the World (Yale Cabaret/Boston University/Cloud City); How to Help the Self When the Self Needs Help with Carol A. Jantsen (The Peoples Improv Theater); and most recently A Super Serious and Not at All Funny Reading of Stories I Wrote After Brain Surgery. Recent acting credits include Three Sisters (Two River Theater), Intimate Apparel, The Cake (Silverthorne Theater) and Pulling at the Roots (Plays in Place).
Gabe's passion for teaching and for developing fun and physical approaches to acting led him to co-found (along with Christopher Bayes and Annelise Lawson) The Pandemonium Studio, a studio for the study of Clown, Commedia, and Improvisation in New York City. In the fall of 2019, with a focus on just, inclusive, diverse, and anti-racist actor training, as well as the creation and production of new works of theatrical comedy, Gabe founded Completely Ridiculous Productions. During the pandemic, the company transformed into The Completely Ridiculous Conservatory, a six-week online acting program that, within its first year, welcomed over 100 students from all over the world.
He has also taught in traditional university settings such as NYU, Smith College, Amherst College and the Yale University Summer Program; high school settings such as The Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan, and The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School in Massachusetts; as well as renowned regional theaters such as The Alliance, Berkshire Theater Group and Northern Stage, and more nimble institutions such as the Pine Box in Florence, MA, and The Funny School of Good Acting in Brooklyn, NY.
Gabe received a BFA in Acting from Boston University, and an MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama. He is currently based in Western Massachusetts.
Recent press about Gabriel's neurodiversity and how it's embedded in his teaching and the world of the Clown. |
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| | | Western Massachusetts Theatre Companies |
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