9/22/08: A reading of The Pork Chop Wars, a new play by Laurie Carlos. Time TBA, The Curtain Theater, UMass Amherst.
9/24-26/08: sash & trim, a new work in development by Djola Branner, co-founder of Pomo Afro Homos, with creative collaboration and support from seminal theater artist Laurie Carlos; co-presented with New WORLD Theater. In this workshop presentation, Branner creates a collage of theater, dance and music to depict real and imagined events in the biographical tale of a man he seems to have barely known. A father's dreams of success as a singer-songwriter sharply contrasts with the relationships that crumble around him. $15, $8 seniors/low income, $5 students; 8 p.m., The Curtain Theater, UMass Amherst.
10/15/08: "Crisis in Somalia" Community Forum associated with the Walaalo! Project, co-sponsored by New WORLD Theater, the Center for Popular Economics, Western Mass. American Friends Service Committee and other organizations, with the generous support of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. Dialog with local and national scholars and Somali community leaders to reach a deeper understanding of Somali history, current events and the political roots of the ongoing refugee crisis and enjoy informal performances of Somali songs, poetry and music. Free; 6-8 p.m., Lean on Me Family Center, 94-98 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA.
10/ 16-19/08: The Wilson and Alva Show! by Zack Shepard and Nick Chandler, produced by Cameron Vokey, directed by Kyle Kramer-Zamcheck. There is no stage for this production. This is a show where you, the audience, are thrown into a world that folds in and out of the space, wrapping around you and affecting all of your senses. Characters are not only played by actors but also by light and sound. This exploration of the limits of performance will leave you joyous and energized. $5 general, $3 students; 8 p.m., Main Stage Theater, Hampshire College.
10/23-25/08: Tartuffe directed by Michael Birtwistle. Connie Congdon's new translation of Moliere's classic skewers hypocrisy in its many forms, bringing to the stage a rousing collection of comic types as well as one of dramatic literature's vilest but most memorable con men. Free, reservations recommended, 542-2277; 8 p.m., Kirby Theater, Amherst College.
10/23-25/08: The Wilson and Alva Show! by Zack Shepard and Nick Chandler, produced by Cameron Vokey, directed by Kyle Kramer-Zamcheck. See 10/16-19/08 listing. $5 general, $3 students; 8 p.m., Main Stage Theater, Hampshire College.
10/23-26/08: 5 short comedies from Time Flies by David Ives, directed by Roger Babb. $5 general, $3 students/seniors, 538-2406; 10/23-25/08, 8 p.m. and 10/26/08, 2 p.m., Rooke Theatre, Mount Holyoke College.
10/24/08: New Play Reading Series. For this special Family Weekend Event, the Smith College-based series kicks off with two short plays, Respect for the Electric Field of Horses by Lisa Meyers (SC '11) and An Experiment in Forgiveness by Jane Jones (SC '09). Meyers' play explores the fragile beginnings of new love while Jones' play asks, "Is forgiveness necessary or even possible?" The writers will direct each other's play and Meyers' play will be fully produced in the spring as part of Smith Theatre's new Festival of One-Act Plays. Visit www.smith.edu/smitharts for more details about the plays and the series. Free; 8 p.m., Hallie Flanagan Studio Theatre, Smith College.
10/29-31/08: The Golden Lotus by Wang Yansong and Liu Chun with lyrics by Wang Yansong, directed by Wang Yansong, translated by Josh Steinberg and Nan Zhang with contributions from Nora Mally (SC '10] and Ellen Morf (SC '09J). The Golden Lotus is based on a classic Chinese novel, Jin Ping Mei, which was written during the late Ming Dynasty. The book, declared pornographic and banned for centuries, was secretly read by many educated elite Chinese. The play reinterprets many of the book's familiar stock characters, including Golden Lotus, the beautiful, cold, scheming adulteress; Ping'er, the pure, calm, loving wife; and Wu Song, the upright, unflappable, heroic tiger slayer. While exploring sexual politics and gender roles in traditional Chinese society, Mr. Wang's play is also an allegory of human corruption whose characters grapple with love and seduction, loyalty and treachery, ambition and revenge and ghostly intervention. Please note that Mr. Yansong will be here to direct the premiere of his new play. Visit www.smith.edu/smitharts for more details. $8 general, $5 students/seniors, 585-ARTS; 8 p.m., Theatre 14, Smith College.
10/30-31/08: The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek by Naomi Wallace. In a small American town in the 1930s, sensitive Dalton and tough-girl Pace find a shared purpose while preparing for a dangerous race against the train that crosses the town's railroad bridge each night. Moving between past and present and the worlds of youth and adulthood, a portrait of two young people striving for something better in their dusty lives is revealed. Unusual friendships, fierce loyalty and unconventional love infuse this play as survival hangs in the balance. $12 general, $6 students/seniors; 8 p.m., The Curtain Theater, UMass Amherst. |
