From A Distance: 2020 (corona)vision(s)

FROM A DISTANCE: 2020 (corona)vision(s)

18 short views of COVID-19 by The LAVA Center Playwrights Lab
Nina Gross • Karen Miller • Vanessa Query • Marlon Carey • Jan Maher

Read all about us! Cast, Playwrights, and Directors bios:

Kyra Anderson (Northampton, MA) is a painter and life coach who is happy to be finding her way back to theatre after a many decade hiatus.

Jane Barish (Ashfield, MA) is an active member of the theatre community in the Pioneer Valley. She wishes everyone good health and hopes we can meet these challenging times with kindness, grace and strength.

Anna Baskowski (Gill, MA) is a former Freshman in high school who has participated in many musicals and plays throughout the years, such as Phantom of the Opera, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Wizard of Oz.

Sara Becker (West Chesterfield, MA) is a theater student who attends Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Public Charter School. She prides herself as a storyteller through her many creative endeavors which include voiceover, acting, writing, directing and singing. Enjoy the show!

Amanda Bowman (Hawley, MA) is a theater artist from Southern California who has called Massachusetts home for the last 6 years. She graduated from Boston Conservatory one year ago and has worked and trained with several Western Massachusetts theaters such as: Shakespeare and Co., Barrington Stage, and Double Edge Theater.

Adelaide Carey (Providence, RI) is a 13 year old actor. She goes to Founders Academy (the middle school for Beacon Charter High School for the Arts) and is an 8th grader. She wishes that distance learning is over.

Marlon “Inphynit” Carey (Providence, RI) is a Poet Educator Artist Communicator Entertainer. He has taught Poetry and Creative Writing workshops in schools for several years in the New England Area and was named “Best Hip Hop Poet” by the Cambridge Poetry Awards two years in a row, designated as Boston Cantab Lounge’s “Grand Slam Champion” and the Lizard Lounge Boston’s “King.”

Shannon Chabot (Greenfield, MA), is a Special Education Teacher, all around kind human, favorite Uncle, and teller of truly bad jokes.

Rocco Tyler Desgres (Northampton, MA) is a graduate of Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School and is extremely excited to be working on his first project with the LAVA center. He has appeared as an actor at Six Flags New England, The Majestic Theater, and The Academy of Music and is the front man of the synth rock band Moving Day.

Emma’s Revolution (Bay Area, CA) is the award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries and Sando O, whose songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger, and covered by Holly Near. Emma’s Revolution brings their uprising of truth and hope to concerts, festivals, conferences and justice events.

Nina Gross (Greenfield, MA) is a teacher, poet, and musician. When she is not worrying about fixing the world, she enjoys dancing and improvising her way through life.

Sarah Gruber (Cohasset, MA) is a graduate of Smith College (BA Theatre and Sociology ’19) and current student at Temple University (MA Musical Theatre ’20). Some favorite credits include: West Side Story (New Bedford Festival Theatre), The Moors (Smith College), and Cabaret (Mt. Holyoke College).

Ken Hebert (Holyoke, MA) is retired. He writes and produces his own music which can be heard on Spotify.

Kate Hebert (Holyoke, MA) is a retired English teacher. She last performed in To Kill a Mockingbird at Ja’Duke Center for the Performing Arts.

Ann Horn (Amherst, MA) has had many past lives in the theater over the years, and is delighted to be part of this very special project.

Ray Horn (Amherst, MA) is an information technology expert who is happy for the opportunity to act out in the time of Covid-19.

Torie Jock (Ware, MA) has been performing since age one, starting with dancing, then adding acting and singing a few years later. Torie is currently working on several acting projects as well as her third album of original music.

Jan Maher (Greenfield, MA) is a director, novelist, and playwright. She is a co-coordinator (along with Vanessa Query and Lucinda Kidder) of The LAVA Center.

Karen Shapiro Miller (Greenfield, MA) writes science and science fiction. Her work has appeared in a variety of places, including NASA’s Science@NASA website, Northeast Magazine and the Montague Reporter.

Vanessa Query (Greenfield, MA) is a director, writer, performer, and organizer. She has written and directed several short films and has performed and produced sketch comedy, circus sideshow, and collaborative multimedia performance.

Kimberly Salditt-Poulin (Amherst, MA) has done her last few shows with Silverthorne in Greenfield. She is thrilled that fantastic playwrights like Jan, Marlon, Vanessa, Nina, and Karen are helping to keep the Arts alive in our Happy Valley.