2023

COMING SOON:

WOMEN’S SOLO THEATRE FESTIVAL

presented by Pauline Productions in association with KoFest

April 28, 29, and 30
in the BLUE ROOM at CITYSPACE at the Old Town Hall
43 Main St in Easthampton.
Save the dates! Tickets and more information coming soon!

2022 FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES

In the summer of 2022, we held our 31st and final summer season.  We offered 2 productions (one indoor and one outdoor), a 6-day intensive workshop, plus a story slam & celebration of over 3 decades of compelling theater.

FLUSHING (Make Room for Someone Else)

FLUSHING (Make Room for Someone Else)

SANDGLASS THEATER & PARRIS-BAILEY ARTS

July 22 & 23, 2022, Fri. & Sat at 8 p.m. | Sun. July 24 at 4 p.m. in the Mainstage Theater in Emily Dickinson Hall on the Hampshire College campus.
Conceived and Written by Linda Parris-Bailey and Eric Bass, with original songs by Linda Parris-Bailey and Eric Bass. Performed by Linda Parris-Bailey, Eric Bass and Kirk Murphy. Directed by Kathie deNobriga. Puppets by Ines Zeller Bass.
It begins at the Brink, where two theater directors are passing the leadership of their ensembles to the next generation. This moment sparks a reflection on what it means to retire and what it might mean to inherit. For those stepping down, what do we leave and who do we become? And for those stepping up, how do we take what is given and make it our own? A story told with puppets, with songs, and with a . . .
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KoFest Story Slam & Celebration 2022

KoFest Story Slam & Celebration 2022

KoFest STORY SLAM & CELEBRATION

Sun., July 24 at 8 pm. ONE NIGHT ONLY You’ve heard of poetry slams – competitive poetry events. This is one is for first person, true stories – told live and without notes, 5 minutes or less — and on the theme of “STEPPING UP/STEPPING BACK” A benefit to keep Ko going strong, this event typically sells out, so reservations are highly recommended, and if you've got a story to tell . . .
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Actor Bob Martin as Ezell

EZELL: Ballad of a Land Man

CLEAR CREEK CREATIVE

July 29 & 30 at 6:15 pm arrival; July 31 at 10:15 am arrival. Rain Cancellation Date: Sunday at 6:15 pm
Join us outdoors at Hampshire College Farm Center for this environmental, cultural and spiritual parable of domination & resilience that explores the complexities of climate change, indigenous erasure, and environmental extraction (fracking) — and is based on the artists’ lived experience in their rural Appalachian community. This immersive experience features a contemplative walk through the woods to the performance site with live music, the play, a return walk and a post-show dialogue with the artists and a panel of local experts . . .
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EARLIER IN 2022

Piti Theater's Jonathan Mirin in a still from Canary in a Gold Mine

CANARY IN A GOLD MINE

Now available directly from Piti Theatre. Visit ptco.org/canary .

PITI THEATRE COMPANY

Written and performed by Jonathan Mirin
First seen ONLINE in 2022: Feb 11 & 12 at 7:30pm; Feb 13 at 3:00pm, and then on-demand through May 1, 2022
Captions Available in English and French.
With a partner sickened by electro-hypersensitivity (a.k.a. “microwave sickness”) Mirin has become part of a landmark suit against the FCC. During the pandemic he’s felt compelled to transform what could be an earnest public health lecture into a fun and compelling dive into the opposing forces of corporate profit vs. public safety. Created for the web, Mirin's eco-justice adventure is like theatre…but flatter!
...
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2022 WORKSHOP 
for adults

FIRST PERSON: Crafting Your Story for Performance

FIRST PERSON: Crafting Your Story for Performance

SOLD OUT!

with GERARD STROPNICKY,
Co-Founder, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
July 18-23, 2022
Why do some stories – some performances – spark your imagination, set fire to your soul, and leave you transformed, while others just sit there? Is it the content, or the telling? The framing, or the style? Can story be employed to bring laughter, or tears, or understanding, or lasting social change, or ...
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TICKETING AT KO

Ko’s workshops and performances are offered at three different pricing levels: PATRON, STANDARD and DISCOUNT.

We are a proud participant of the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector.

Though the program does not subsidize arts presenters, its goal is to broaden accessibility to cultural programming by advocating for lower ticket prices for people with EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cards.

Most arts organizations require that you show your card at the door, but but we do not. Ko recognizes that not all people needing a discounted price are enrolled in these programs, and that one’s financial situation can change in a heartbeat. Therefore, we invite those in need to avail themselves of our DISCOUNT level tickets. And if you are able to help us provide this access to those in need, please consider purchasing your ticket at the PATRON level.

See the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.

JOIN OUR LIST

KEEP KO STRONG

LAND ACKNOLWEDGEMENT

We wish to acknowledge that Ko Festival headquarters and most of our live offerings come to you from the homeland of the Nipmuc and Pocumtuck tribal peoples. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land.

SEASON SPONSORS & PROGRAM ADS

We are now seeking sponsors and co-sponsors for the our upcoming online offerings We'd also like to give a shout to the local businesses that have taken Ko Festival Program Ads in previous seasons. Many of them are open. We urge you to patronize them. Click here to see who they are.

FUNDERS

The Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

NEFA logo - white lowercase letters on black

Ko Theater Works, Inc. is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts through the New England Arts Resilience Fund, part of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, an initiative of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with major funding from the federal CARES Act from the National Endowment for the Arts.

net-logoKO Theater Works is proud to be a member of THE NETWORK OF ENSEMBLE THEATRES: Artists Creating Theatre. Artists Creating a Community. Artists Creating a Movement.

2022 INTERNSHIPS

We are not currently offering any internships.