Valley Players present a music-, magic-, and dancing-filled production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", going up as a picnic-theater performance on the beautiful rolling lawn at Black Birch Vineyard (108 Straits Road in Hatfield), June 11, 12, 19, and 20 at 6:30pm and June 21 at 5:30pm, with half of net ticket sales being donated to the Center for New Americans to support immigrant and refugee families in the Valley. Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can scale starting at $15 and can be booked at valleyplayers.org.

Guests can bring a meal to enjoy during the show or can grab an artisanal pizza from The Vintner's Slice food truck, as well as choose from a selection of fine wines and other drinks (including non-alcoholic options) from Black Birch Vineyard.

With Renaissance costuming, music, and dance, Valley Players' production is set in 1611, when "The Tempest" was performed before King James. But, notes Franks, the play transcends its historical moment. "In our production, there is something for everyone," she says, "young love requited, old men vindicated, frolicking fools, and goddesses dancing. The audience can relax in a bucolic setting with a picnic and wine and imagine being at London's open-air Globe playhouse as our players bring to life Shakespeare's beautiful words and vision at sunset in the Vineyard."

“Part of Valley Players’ mission is to build community through community theater,” notes Pangallo, which is why the group donates half of net ticket revenue from each show to another Valley nonprofit with a mission that aligns with the story or themes of the play.

"The Tempest shows that the power of compassion and being welcoming is greater even than any magical power," Pangallo explains, "and that what makes us human is our capacity for empathy." Because of this, and because the play centers on cultural contact, the plight of the stranger, and the power of language, Valley Players decided to use this production to support the Center for New Americans. "It was a natural fit," Pangallo says, "and given the context of our own historical moment, we felt it important to support the crucial work being done by CNA."

The Center for New Americans has been welcoming and serving immigrants in western Massachusetts for nearly thirty-five years by providing free classes in English, instruction in digital literacy, civics, and employment searching, and low-cost immigration legal services.

Valley Players is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich the quality of life in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts by producing nimble, meaningful, and accessible community theater that helps build community. More information about Valley Players, including how to donate, become a business sponsor, sign up for auditions, or join the email list, is at valleyplayers.org.