Western Massachusetts

Every summer, Hampshire County in Western Massachusetts becomes home to some of the most original and stunning theater. Productions range from the professional, award-winning selections of New Century Theatre in Northampton, to the wildcard original works by experimental theater champions Ko Festival of Performance in Amherst. AND, there's even a little Shakespeare under the stars by Hampshire Shakespeare Company.

Northampton has been home to professional theater company New Century Theatre for 23 years. This year’s season features something for everyone, with its blend of comedies and plays with heart.  “Everyone prefers something different. Some people only love comedies and some like just dramas. Some prefer plays that have both and make you think about lofty issues like our place in the universe,” says NCT producing director Sam Rush. “I like to please the greatest number of people so I am excited that this summer’s lineup tries to offer something for all tastes and, with luck, might be a season that will offer a comedy that the drama folks will love and vice-versa.”

The season is already underway, but a few productions remain. Performances run Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in Theatre 14 at the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts on Smith College's campus. And don't miss NCT's Dinner and a Play deal this year.

GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire
Directed by Sam Rush • Through July 20
Set in the ninety-nine percent world of South Boston, Margie Walsh’s paycheck won’t even cover last month’s bills. Laid off from her minimum wage job and facing eviction, she decides that an old fling from Southie, who has made it to the one percent, just might be the fresh start she’s been looking for. What transpires is an entertaining, humorous and authentic conversation about class, race and have-not America. Pulitzer Prize-winning author, David Lindsay-Abaire has fashioned a rare, poignant and laugh-till-it-hurts portrait of good people just trying to get by.

GOD OF CARNAGE by Yasmina Reza
Directed by Ed Golden • July 25 through August 3
In the aftermath of a playground brawl between their sons, two sets of well-meaning parents meet to calmly resolve the incident. What begins with the best of intentions quickly shatters the veneer of all civilized discourse, devolving into a hilarious train-wreck of an evening – complete with finger pointing accusations, hysterical bickering and a multi-round grudge match. You really won’t want to be left out of this viciously funny production that the New York Times described as a blend between THE HONEYMOONERS and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF.

If contemporary original works are your stage preference, the Ko Festival of Performance is for you. Each year Ko curates on a theme that will entertain, provoke and inspire its audiences. This year, Ko tackles the theme of COURAGE. After every show, the audience is invited for a discussion with the artists they just experienced, breaking down the fourth wall of theater. All performances take place in the Holden Theater at Amherst College.

fo n’ ale by The Performance Project’s First Generation Ensemble
(Springfield, MA) • July 19-21, Fri. & Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m.
fo n’ ale (which means “we must go” in Haitian Creole) is a visual poem, a waking dreamscape in which past, present, and future are interchangeable. Seven young people, from Springfield, but originally from Nepal, Haiti, Burundi/Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Ethiopia and the U.S. are on a journey.  They’ve left their homelands but find themselves traveling the same path, all embodying the melancholy of leaving. Peak moments crystalize experience and become a source of power – carrying them, with courage, into the future.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY MOLESTER: A Journey of Faith by Michael Mack (Cambridge, MA) • July 26-28 Fri. & Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m.
Like many Catholic boys in the 1960s, Michael Mack wanted to be a priest. That dream ended at age 11 when his pastor invited him to the rectory to “help with a project.” In the decades that followed, Mack wrestled with disturbing questions about sexuality and spirituality, and imagined one day meeting his abuser for a conversation. In 2008 he had that chance. Mack is one of only four playwrights to receive the 2013 Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Fellowship in Dramatic Writing.

KoFest STORY SLAM & PARTY • July 28 at 8 p.m. ONE NIGHT ONLY!
You’ve heard of poetry slams – competitive poetry events? Well we’ve got one for first person, true stories – told live & without notes. Stories will be 5 minutes or under & must somehow relate to our season themes of “COURAGE.” A huge hit in previous seasons and at Northampton’s A.P.E. Gallery this spring; this event might be your opportunity to take your place on the Ko Festival stage alongside KoFest artists & staff. 

MEDITATIONS FROM A GARDEN SEAT by Judy Dworin Performance Project (Hartford, CT) • August 2-4 Fri. & Sat, at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m.
A stunning dance/theater hybrid on the healing power of gardens, stemming from an essay by emancipationist and social critic Harriet Beecher Stowe + material by contemporary women in or just out of prison.

Beginning at the end of July, you can enjoy the Bard in a beauitful meadow under the stars in Hampshire County. Hampshire Shakespeare Company is a community-based organization that’s been around since 1989, presenting Shakespeare, developing new plays by regional playwrights, presenting theater to new audiences in non-traditional locations, as well as providing training opportunities for actors of all ages through workshops and other events.

This year the company presents MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (July 31 to August 11) and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield  (August 14 to 25). All performances take place outdoors starting at 7 p.m. at The Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies at UMass Amherst. Pack a picnic and your penchant for poetry and prose.