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

You are here: Home / 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

What if you’re afraid you’ve just inadvertently exposed your own sister to coronavirus? From Marlon Carey’s “A Close Call” with Shannon Chabot and Kimberly Salditt-Poulin
The kids have been sent home and you’re expected to teach them. Now what? From “I Don’t Want To” by Vanessa Query, with Marlon and Adelaide Carey.
A Zoom meeting to organize. Are you in our out? Featuring Amanda Bowman with Anna Baskowski, Rick Malone, Nina Gross, and Jane Barish in “Free Press,” by Nina Gross.
Vanessa Query’s short play “Ventilating” looks inside the mind of a shopper who would rather be breathing freely.
Teenagers argue their differences and express their friendship as they strum their guitars. From “To Mask or Not To Mask,” written by Jan Maher, with Torie Jock Rocco Degres.
Marlon Carey performs his own short play, “Bobskair Ubad.” A television personality has plenty to warn us about.
Ray and Ann Horn discuss good pay versus remembering one’s values in “Plans,” written by Jan Maher.
Jane Barish has a talk with Mother in the monologue “Mother” by Nina Gross.
How do you date in Phase One? Written by Jan Maher, with Rocco Degres and Sarah Gruber.
Watch the program on YouTube.

In this YouTube playlist, each play is a separate video. At the end of each play, the next will start automatically.

Watch the original Facebook livestream (program starts around 14:00)- with Q&A at the end.

IN THE WOODS
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Rick Malone & Kyra Anderson

ALONE
written by Karen Miller
directed by Jan Maher
starring Sarah Gruber & Amanda Bowman

I DON’T WANT TO
written and directed by Vanessa Query
starring Adelaide Carey & Marlon Carey

MOTHER
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Jane Barish

TUXEDO
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Kimberly Salditt-Poulin & Rick Malone

PLANETARY
written by Karen Miller
directed by Jan Maher
starring Torie Jock & Shannon Chabot

E PROG
written and directed by Jan Maher
directed by Jan Maher
starring Adelaide Carey & Sara Becker

HALCYON
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Anna Baskowski & Kyra Anderson

RESISTANCE
written and directed by Jan Maher
starring Ann Horn & Ray Horn

A CLOSE CALL
written and directed by Marlon Carey
starring Shannon Chabot & Kimberly Salditt-Poulin

THE BOBSKAIR UBAD SHOW
written by, directed by, and starring
Marlon Carey

FREE PRESS
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Amanda Bowman
with Anna Baskowski, Nina Gross, Rick Malone, & Jane Barish

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Kate Hebert & Ken Hebert

PHASE ONE
written and directed by Jan Maher
starring Sarah Gruber & Rocco Tyler Desgres

VENTILATING
written and directed by Vanessa Query
starring Kimberly Salditt-Poulin
with Shannon Chabot & Rocco Tyler Desgres

TO MASK OR NOT TO MASK
written and directed by Jan Maher
starring Torie Jock & Rocco Tyler Desgres

SHOOT ME
written by Nina Gross
directed by Jan Maher
starring Jane Barish

PLANS
written and directed by Jan Maher
starring Ray Horn & Ann Horn

PHOTO CREDITS
“Alone” – Amanda Bowman and Painted Lady Antiques
“Tuxedo” – Creative Commons
“Planetary” – Creative Commons and Karen Miller
“Bring Out Your Dead” – Creative Commons
“Phase One” – Creative Commons
“Shoot Me” – Creative Commons
“Plans” – Jan Maher

THANKS
Lucinda Kidder • Doug Selwyn • Rocco Tyler Desgres • Linda McInerny • Nina Gross • Kate Hebert • Karen White • Ann and Ray Horn

SPECIAL THANKS
Emma’s Revolution

Texting teens plan to cover their tracks. Sara Becker and Adelaide Carey in “E PROG,” written by Jan Maher.
From the very short play “Resistance,” by Jan Maher.
Just getting to know someone in the midst of a pandemic… Rick Malone and Kyra Anderson perform “In the Woods,” a flash play by Nina Gross.
Form a bubble, or stay alone? What to do during a pandemic lockdown. From “Alone” by Karen Miller. Featuring Amanda Bowman and Sarah Gruber.
Persephone consults Hera, her virtual therapist. “Halcyon,” by Nina Gross, featuring Anna Baskowski and Kyra Anderson.
Kate and Ken Hebert in “Bring Out Your Dead” by Nina Gross consider how to make a living in a pandemic-governed somewhat near future.
The good news is we may eventually get to Mars! Shannon Chabot and Torie Jock as Charlie and Jital in “Planetary,” by Karen Miller.
Jane Barish opines on mask wearing in “Shoot Me” by Nina Gross.
What’s the best formal dinner attire during a pandemic lockdown? Kimberly Salditt-Poulin and Rick Malone in Tuxedo, by Nina Gross.
Thrilled that Emma’s Revolution will make a guest appearance bookending this virtual playfest with their perfectly matched song “From a (Social) Distance.”

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.

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The LAVA Center is a community arts space, arts incubator, and black box theater in downtown Greenfield, MA. We are focused on making The LAVA Center a space where all artists, including marginalized communities and individuals, can have their voices heard.

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  • now open: LAVA Cafe
  • current art: No Somos Máquinas
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