2022
We’re moving! Citing Covid, for the 3rd year in a row, Amherst College Summer Programs has declined to host the Ko Festival of Performance. But, ever nimble, we’ve found a new home. Still in Amherst, Massachusetts, we’re moving down the road to Hampshire College!
In this, our final summer season, we’ll be offering 2 productions (one indoor and one outdoor) plus a Story Slam & Celebration of over 3 decades of compelling theater. Join us!
PERFORMANCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
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 THIS SEASON
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
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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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
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 ...Read More
KEEP KO STRONG
FUNDERS
The Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Amherst and Pelham Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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.
Also funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.
2022 MEDIA SPONSOR
KO 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.
LET’S GET SOCIAL