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News: https://berkshireonstage.wordpress.com/2019/05/17/silverthorne-theater-company-co-founder-lucinda-kidder-to-retire-end-of-2019-season/
https://www.recorder.com/Silverthorne-Theater-co-founder-retiring-25691611
Press Center
Releases:
5/30/19 “Dear Galileo” Next Up in Silverthorne Theater New Play Reading Series
5/14/19 Silverthorne Theater Presents “The Fantasticks”
5/28/19 Silverthorne Theater Company Announces “Short & Sweet Festival of New (tiny) Plays” for Spring 2020
Materials below are intended for use by the media. For further information about any of the listed events, please contact Lucinda Kidder.
RELEASE DATE: 5/30/19
“DEAR GALILEO” NEXT UP IN SILVERTHORNE THEATER NEW PLAY READING SERIES
Playwright Claire Willett
Greenfield, MA – The fourth play in Silverthorne’s New Play Reading series is DEAR GALILEO, by Claire Willett. It will be read at 7 pm on Thursday, June 13 in the Franklin County Coop meeting space at 170 Main Street., Greenfield. The reading is free and open to the public.
Dear Galileo follows three women in three different times as they wrestle with their identity, the conflict between science and religion, and what it means to be their fathers’ daughters. As the three stories move toward their point of convergence, the destinies of each become inextricably bound with the others, linked through time by love, family, grief, the search for identity and the wonder of the stars.
Willett quotes Father Raymond Carey at the top of her script: “All creation is connected. We are stardust. Literally. Do you know why your blood is red? Iron. Which is one of the same molecules that makes up the matter of space. Jesus’ blood was red as well. Jesus also was made of stardust.” She also includes a quote from Galileo Galilei: “Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.”
Directed by Rebecca Daniels, the cast of 8 readers shifts back and forth within three different time periods. and locations. In 2006 in Arizona we have Jasper Willows (a famous astrophysicist and author read by Chris Devine; Cassie Willows (Jasper’s daughter, a welding artist read by Schuyler Evans); and Gabriel Vaughan (a Jesuit astrophysicist, Jasper’s assistant read by John Haag. The Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (read by Nick Simms and his daughter Celeste (read by Val Vaille) appear in 1641 Italy. Finally, in 2017 Robert Snow (read by Dan Jarvis) is a research fellow at a creationist think tank where he is joined by his precocious 10-year-old daughter Haley (read by Vivienne Potee.).
An integral part of Silverthorne Theater Company’s mission is to promote the development of new work, especially by Western Massachusetts and New England playwrights. In 2018, we staged the world premieres of three new works, two of which were from such writers.
In 2019 we offer Theater Thursdays, a series of free rehearsed readings of new or new to us plays, followed by audience discussions. The purpose of the readings is to give a platform for new work to be heard, and when possible, to be able to give playwrights direct audience feedback. It also gives Silverthorne a look at plays that we might consider fully producing in future seasons. These will be held in different locations in the region. Complete information for each reading may be found at https://silverthornetheater.org.
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Release Date: 5/14/19 SILVERTHORNE THEATER PRESENTS “THE FANTASTICKS” – LONGEST RUNNING MUSICAL EVER
Rehearsal photo: l to r Larry Picard (El Gallo), Jasmine Goodspeed (Luisa), Andy zane (Matt) Photo credit: Ellen Blanchette
Greenfield, MA –Silverthorne Theater Company presents The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in Broadway history, as the second production of STC’s 2019 Season. The show plays June 20 – 29 in The Perch at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield.
The run kicks off with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County Opening Night Benefit on June 20 with all tickets priced at $30, proceeds to benefit the charitable organization. Patrons will enjoy a special Pre-Show Reception at 7 pm in the theater, followed by the performance at 7:30 pm.
Dates for the production are June 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at 7:30 pm. The Sunday matinee on June 23 begins at 2 pm. Tickets for opening night, June 20, are all $30; otherwise tickets for Thursday or Sunday are $20 general admission, $18 student/senior (65+). Tickets for Friday and Saturday night shows are $25 general admission, $20 student/senior (65+.)
The Fantasticks tells the gentle story of falling in – and out of – love and the perils of wishes realized. It features lovers, pirates, bandits, and turnips, as well as a memorable score with such classic tunes as “Try to Remember and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.” Join us in recalling that love is possible and dreams do come true.
Director Carmela Lanza-Weil first worked with Silverthorne as director of the world premiere of Aidan’s Gift, winner of STC’s 2016 New Play Competition. She has an extensive background in professional theater as a director and actor. Music Director Ted Trobaugh was MD for Silverthorne’s premiere production of the original musical Tar2f! in the spring of 2018.
The cast includes Larry Picard (Northampton) as El Gallo; Jasmine Goodspeed (Florence) as Luisa; and Andy Zane (Northampton) as Matt. Stephanie Carlson* (Easthampton) plays Hucklebee, while Autumn Tustin (Northampton) is Bellamy. John Reese* (Greenfield) and David Cavallin (West Springfield) play Henry (The Old Actor) and Mortimer respectively. Madeline Bolles Oldenberg (Colrain) rounds out the cast as The Mute. (*Members of Actors Equity Association)
Sharon Weyer (Northfield) will stage manage the production; Hannah Trobaugh designs the sets. John Iverson (Bernardston), Tech Director and Fight Choreographer, handles set construction, sound and lighting design. Costume design is by Jazmine Carroll of Keene, NH, and choreoraphy by Molly Fletcher Lynch. . Rebecca Daniels is producer for the show.
The Upper Pioneer Valley’s only small professional company, Silverthorne enjoys its status as resident company at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield’s Cultural District.
Ticket and reservation information may be found on Silverthorne’s web site: https://silverthornetheater.org Tickets for all shows are currently available at Eventbrite.com (type in the name Fantasticks), or by calling 413-768-7514. Patrons can use credit cards at the door or over the phone.
Silverthorne Theater Company was founded in 2013 and mounted its first season in the summer of 2014. From the start, STC has paid its actors and technicians and is committed to contributing as much as possible to the cultural economy of the Upper Pioneer Valley. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization and are members of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Greenfield Business Association, and the Northfield Area Tourism and Business Association. We partner with local restaurants and businesses, and reach out to the towns and organizations in our area with performances, classes, ticket donations and publicity. For information on the history of Silverthorne, go to https://silverthornetheater.org
Release date: 5/28/19 SILVERTHORNE THEATER COMPANY ANNOUNCES “SHORT & SWEET FESTIVAL OF NEW (tiny) PLAYS” FOR SPRING OF 2020
Silverthorne Theatre Company of Greenfield, MA, announces its Short & Sweet Festival of New (tiny) Plays, to be held in spring 2020, and invites submissions of original, unpublished works for the stage, in any style, with:
- No more than 20 minutes’ playing time
- No more than four actors (reasonable doubling okay)
- Simple production values
Scripts selected for the Festival will be given full, low-tech productions. We will pay a small royalty. This is not a workshop opportunity. Submissions must be finished scripts, not works-in-progress.
Submission protocol:
- Electronically, in PDF format.
- The filename should be the title of the play (or a reasonable abbreviation).
- Include a title page and character descriptions.
- Number the pages.
Submissions that do not meet these and the criteria above will not be considered.
Playwrights are welcome to submit more than one script to the Festival, as long as they meet the guidelines.
Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2019
Send pdf files to Rebecca Daniels, STC Literary Manager: [email protected]
SILVERTHORNE THEATER PRESENTS SPECIAL PROGRAM SERIES –
“FACING CLOSED DOORS: EXPLORING THE ROOTS OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC EXCLUSION THROUGH THEATER
For Immediate Release
DATE: September 8, 2019
CONTACT: Lucinda Kidder [email protected] 413-768-7514
Series Images attached
#1 Facing Closed Doors title image
#2 Diary of Anne Frank title image
#3 MassHumanities Logo
Playwright, Director photos attached
#1 Betty Shamieh, playwright (photo furnished by playwright)
#2 Ryan Little Eagle Pierce, director (photo credit unknown)
Greenfield, MA – Silverthorne Theater Company’s final production of the 2019 season is Goodrich and Hachett’s timeless play The Diary of Anne Frank. Anne’s voice, in her search for identity as the child of an oppressed minority in dangerous times, is iconic. Yet the play’s popularity as a highly recognized and therefore representative Holocaust story may divert attention from other historical and more recent horrific genocides.
Why this series? The institutionalization of oppressive practices by dominant social groups and the consequent threat to cultural identity of minorities is the thread running through this project. In particular, we raise questions specific to the influence of such practices on youth. Can contemporary young people from demonized populations succeed in developing a healthy sense of their own cultural identity in today’s climate of fear and intolerance? How can literature and the arts represent their struggles and validate their right to claim their unique heritage.
Silverthorne’s program offerings explore these questions through other young voices sand in other times. The series includes the rehearsed readings of two plays, a reading and discussion group, and post-performance discussions following its production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Most are free and open to the public. The series is made possible by a generous grant from MassHumanities.
DETAILS of SERIES PROGRAMS
- Other Diaries Reading and Discussion group
Free Registration required Limited seating
Register by September 30 413-768-7514 or [email protected]
Thursdays, October 3 or 10 7-9 pm
170 Main Street Meeting Space, 170 Main St, Greenfield
The reading and discussion group, “Other Diaries”, will read two hitherto unpublished diaries written by other young Holocaust victims. Participants will also read selections from “The Gaza Monologues”, unpublished writing by Palestinian teens during the Second Intifada.
Discussion Leaders
Ted Thornton, Middle East history scholar, retired NMH History instructor
Bernard Baker, Holocaust history scholar, retired Deerfield Academy History Dept Chair
- Veritas by Betty Shamieh A Rehearsed Reading and Discussion
Directed by Ryan “Little Eagle” Pierce
Free and open to public. No reservations needed
Sunday, October 13 3 pm- 6 pm Old White Church, Deerfield
VERITAS is based on the history of four Indigenous young men trained at Harvard as Christian ministers in mid-1600s New England. Each in his own way experiences the conflict between their traditional values and the pressures of colonial Christian religious fervor. Characters include such historical figures as Metacom (King Philip) and Rev. Charles Chauncy, president of Harvard College.
When not physically subduing Indigenous peoples, Europeans systematically undermined their culture, removing children from families, banning native language and behavior in service of a society that continues to treat them as inferior. The young natives in Veritas suffered physical and emotional damage in their quest to adapt to European demands.
Discussion leaders:
Ryan Pierce, director and founder of The Eagle Project, New York, a theater dedicated to the development and staging of the works of Native American playwrights
Betty Shamieh, playwright, author of fifteen plays. Her off-Broadway premieres include The Black Eyed and Roar. Roar was selected as a New York Times Critics Pick and is currently being taught at universities throughout the United States. In 2016, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for Drama and Performance Arts
- An Echo of Laughter by Betty Shamieh A rehearsed reading and discussion
Performed by the playwright
Free and open to public. No reservations needed
Saturday, October 12 3 pm Bing Arts Center 716 Sumner Ave, Springfield
Sunday, October 13 7:30 pm 170 Main St Meeting Space 170 Main St, Greenfield
In An Echo of Laughter, a Palestinian teacher has used Anne Frank’s diary as a text in her English class but questions its value for her students in reading about what would be regarded as an enemy’s experience.
Generations of radicalized young people in Gaza hope only for life after death. How can the teacher in An Echo of Laughter expect of her students that reading Anne Frank’s diary, which asks for sympathy for the fate of the now-oppressing Jews, can possibly counteract the hardening of the walls preventing empathy on both sides?
Discussion leaders:
Betty Shamieh
Ted Thornton* *October 13 reading only
- The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Directed by Keith Langsdale
October 17 Pre-show introduction 7 pm
October 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 7:30 pm; October 20 2:00 pm Post-performance guided discussions
Silverthorne’s fully staged production of this timeless play about family and resilience in times of intolerance and oppression as a group of Jews hide for years in a sealed-off attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during WWII.
Discussion leaders
Ted Thornton, Mid-East scholar
Bernard Baker, Holocaust scholar
Keith Langsdale, director
All performances at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center, 289 Main St, Greenfield
Ticket and reservation information may be found on Silverthorne’s web site: https://silverthornetheater.org Tickets for performances of The Diary of Anne Frank are currently available at Eventbrite.com (type in the name The Diary of Anne Frank), or by calling 413-768-7514. Patrons can use credit cards at the door or over the phone.
About Silverthorne Theater Company
The Upper Pioneer Valley’s only small professional company, Silverthorne enjoys its status as resident company at the Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield’s Cultural District.
Silverthorne Theater Company was founded in 2014 and mounted its first season that summer. From the start, STC has paid its actors and technicians and is committed to contributing as much as possible to the cultural economy of the Upper Pioneer Valley. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization and are members of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Greenfield Business Association, and the Northfield Area Tourism and Business Association. We partner with local restaurants and businesses, and reach out to the towns and organizations in our area with performances, classes, ticket donations and publicity. For information on the history of Silverthorne, go to https://silverthornetheater.org