By Mark G. Auerbach
Williamstown Theatre Festival’s 2020 Season To Go Online
Williamstown Theatre Festival and Audible announced that the 2020 Williamstown Theatre Festival summer season will be produced on Audible, the world’s largest producer and provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks.
Forged during and in response to a fraught moment in history, this unprecedented collaboration between two industry leaders preserves the Festival season in a different format, provides continued work for the artists involved in the Festival season, and produces a body of work that will be made available for global Audible listeners to enjoy and experience. It also marks the first time that a theatrical season of work will be produced on Audible.
Further information about the 2020 Williamstown Theatre Festival Season on Audible, including casting and audio release dates will be announced at a later date. For more information about Williamstown Theatre Festival, please visit www.wtfestival.org. For more information about Audible, please visit www.audible.com.
COVID19-Related Changes
The Boston Pops has cancelled its spring season in Boston, which would have celebrated Keith Lockhart’s 25th anniversary season. According to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, this is the first Pops season cancelled since 1890. A decision regarding the Tanglewood season will be made before mid-May. For details: www.tanglewood.org.
The Bushnell has rescheduled the Tony-Award winning musical, The Band’s Visit, to January 20-24,2021. For a list of cancelled, postponed, and rescheduled events at The Bushnelll: https://bushnell.org/showstatus
The Chester Theatre Company has cancelled the first three plays of its 2020 season, and a decision on the final production, Nia Vardalos’ Tiny Beautiful Things, will be made by July 1. Chester will begin programming online content and events. For details: www.chestertheatre.org.
The Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Nutmeg Summer Season has been cancelled. For details: www.crt.uconn.edu.
The Dorset Theatre Festival will suspend their previously announced 43rd Season, which was scheduled to begin June 25, 2020. The theatre is working on creating digital programming. For details: https://dorsettheatrefestival.org/
DAVID LUTKEN
Resources for Arts Events: Live and Online
Berkshire Bright Focus. Curated by Berkshire Theatre Critics Association’s J. Peter Bergman.. http://berkshirebrightfocus.com/
Berkshire Onstage. News and reviews of area performances. On hiatus at present. https://berkshireonstage.wordpress.com/
BroadwayStars. A site which recaps arts news internationally. Westfield News’ ArtsBeat is often included. https://www.broadwaystars.com/
BroadwayWorld. National and international news. They have a Boston and Connecticut section. https://www.broadwayworld.com/
In The Spotlight. A local site which covers professional, academic, and community theatre in WMass and No.CT. http://www.inthespotlightinc.org/
Pioneer Valley Theatre News: A local site which covers professional, academic, and community theatre in WMass and No.CT. http://www.pioneervalleytheatre.com/
Playbill. The national producer of program books, with news about Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, and regional theatres. https://www.playbill.com/index.php
ShowRiz. The writings of Frank Rizzo, the Connecticut-based writer for Variety, Connecticut Magazine, and a host of other publications. He’s one of the best theatre writers around. https://showriz.com/
Of Note:
The Mass Cultural Council announced funding opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Relief Fund for individual artists, dispensing $1,000 grants. Application deadline is April 22. For details: https://massculturalcouncil.org/artists-art/covid-19-relief-fund-for-individuals/ The Gaming Mitigation Fund supports non-profit and municipal performing arts centers. Application deadline is April 17. For details: https://massculturalcouncil.org/organizations/gaming-mitigation/
Robert R. Lehan, director, playwright, teacher, and actor took his final bow in Westfield on March 31, 2020. During the 1960s he worked at the famed Provincetown Playhouse, and taught theatre in the Westfield State University English Department, for almost 30 years. Bob was a published playwright with Pioneer Drama Service and a member of the Director’s and Playwright’s Guilds.
BARBARA ALDRICH
Barbara Aldrich, longtime manager of the UMass Fine Arts Center, took her final bow on April 2, 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/gazettenet/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-a-aldrich&pid=195865271&fhid=15492
Molly Merrihew, longtime publicist at Shakespeare & Company, is the new managing director of WAM Theatre.
Keep in Mind…
MELIA BENSUSSEN
Hartford Stage presents Scene and Heard Live, every Wednesday at 5PM on ZOOM. Artistic Director Melia Bensussen hosts. Her guests in recent weeks have included playwright Martin Zimmerman, director Rachel Alderman, and former Artistic Directors Darko Tresnjak, Michael Wilson, and Mark Lamos. I watched a portion of the conversation with Martin Zimmerman, and really enjoyed his insights. This Wednesday, Ms. Bensussen discusses O’Neill’s Ah Wilderness with special guests. For details: www.hartfordstage.org.
RICH ORLOFF
Days of Possibilities, Rich Orloff’s play that recalls the Kent State shootings of 1970, when student protestors were confronted by the National Guard. Greenfield’s Silverthorne Theatre will present an online reading of the script on May 4. For details: www.silverthornetheatre.org.
JENN HARRIS
TheaterWorks has two ongoing weekly online events. On Wednesdays at 7:30PM live on Facebook (TheaterWorks Hartford) and Instagram (@twhartford.org), LIVING ROOM showcases musicians. April 15: David Lutken, star of TheaterWorks’ Woody Sez and Goodspeed’s The Will Rogers Follies. On April 22: Hartford-based drummer Dwayne Keith, and on April 29, John Cardoza, from TheaterWorks’ production of Next to Normal. On Thursdays, Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero hosts Get Sauced from his kitchen (live at 5PM on Instagram). On April 16, Jenn Harris from Christmas on The Rocks cooks up some kitchen comedy with Rob. I attended an episode of Get Sauced with actor Jamison Stern and loved this program. For further details: www.twhartford.org.
Learn at Home with Berkshire Theatre Group offers live weekly online classes and talks for people of all ages, presented by BTG artists and alumni. The activities happen on BTG’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/berkshiretheatregroup/) and BTG’s website. To receive a weekly schedule: https://www.berkshiretheatregroup.org/join-our-mailing-list/
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat Radio for 89.5fm/WSKB, and is a contributor to Pioneer Valley Radio.
