Shea Presents: Dear Mister Ward, A Staged Reading

Saturday, July 23, 2022, 8:00 pm until 10:00 pm
World premiere staged reading from the book Dear Mister Ward by local author Evan H Gregg

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The Shea Theater Presents the world premiere staged reading from the book Dear Mister Ward by local author Evan H Gregg.

Dear Mister Ward is a collection of letters sent to the complaints department of the Montgomery Ward catalog by customers living in the Midwestern states between 1932 and 1942.

The letters were saved by the author’s grandma Verna Gregg when she worked as a correspondent in the St Paul, Minnesota catalog office and were rediscovered by the author during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.

Local performers will bring these hilarious, weird, and occasionally heartbreaking letters to life on stage. Touching on topics such as fashion, relationships, loneliness, technology, debt, and toilet paper the letters provide a unique and relatable glimpse into the lives of rural Midwesterners during the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II.

The reading will be preceded by a video introduction featuring clips of an audio interview with Verna Gregg from 1981, a brief history of Montgomery Ward and info about some of the letter writers. After the performance audience members will be invited to pick a letter from a hat to read aloud.

Tickets are $10 or $25 with a copy of the book and are available at https://dearmisterward.com/events

The author will be available to sign books after the show or you can order a pre-signed copy on the website.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors and Underwriters

Australis Aquaculture • Artisan Beverage Cooperative • Benjamin Company • Berkshire Brewing Company • Cohn and Company Real Estate Agency • Community Credit • Common Capital • Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts • Connecticut River Internists • Dean's Beans • Easthampton Savings Bank • FirstLight GDF Suezna • Gill Tavern • Goff Media • Great Falls Harvest • Green River Festival • Greenfield Community College • Greenfield Cooperative Bank • Greenfield Savings Bank • Loot • Massachusetts Cultural Council • Montague Bookmill Montague WebWorks • Northeast Solar • People's Pint • Rainmaker Consulting • The Rendezvous • Solar Store of Greenfield • Stobierski and Connor • Told Video • True North Transit • Turn It Up

Exciting News for A Happening IV: Leviathan

Cloudgaze and Eggtooth Productions are thrilled to announce that we have received a generous grant from the Markham-Nathan Fund for Social Justice to support our 2024 Immersive Arts Festival, “A Happening IV: Leviathan.”

This festival will transform the Shea Theater into an exploration of theme, hosting installations, music, theatrical performances, and movement pieces, featuring the collective contributions of over 30 local artists. Audiences will experience otherworldly environments and narratives inspired by folklore, fairy tales, horror motifs, American literature, and the mythos of the Old Testament, all of which delve into the central question guiding the festival: "What does it mean to encounter something greater than yourself and to be consumed by it?" Through this theme, we explore how a community reemerges and imagines itself after destruction and transformation.

With the support of the Markham-Nathan Fund, we are excited to create an event that complicates perspectives and fosters meaningful dialogue. We are grateful for this partnership and for the work of the Markham-Nathan Fund for Social Justice.

Thanks to the Mass Cultural Council for their vital support this year.We'd also like to thank the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for their support in the form of a Flexible Funding grant. We couldn't do this work without you!