COVEN-19, Or, Magicks for Unprecedented Times Free, open to the community Click the date to register for a performance of this live, online event:April 29 April 30  May 1 all at 7:30 p.m.   The springtime signifigance of May Day and Beltane is the creative jumping-off point for a new edition of COVEN-19, Or, Magicks for Unprecedented Times, running April 29, 30 and May 1 live online at UMass Theater as part of our Rights of Spring festival. COVEN-19, pun very much intended, is a community of artistic witches who are called upon to own their individual and collective power, make meaning out of utter chaos, and manifest tangible, seismic change.  As in October, the community will fuse witchcraft and theater into an online, immersive format that aims to heal some of the collective hurt and grief of the past year. However, this will be a different performance, as this spring’s ritual will be performed in honor of Beltane, or May Day. “For me personally, magic is a source of healing and introspection,” dramaturgy grad student and co-creator Maegan Clearwood says, and she originally proposed this project as a way “to be with other like-minded people and figure out how to make the world a better place.” In keeping with that ethos, this is a devised piece, meaning that rather than working from a script with a single leader, the company built the work by exploring questions and themes together. “It’s a really nice opportunity just for us to experiment with ways of making theatre that are egalitarian and collaborative,” says fellow grad student and co-creator Percival Hornak.  The time is ripe for magick-making! *** COVEN-19 is part of The Rights of Spring, a theater festival presented by the University of Massachusetts Department of Theater to rebuild connections with each other and celebrate what matters in life. As winter thaws out, there is no better time to safely gather and spark joy together. Events run from April 22nd to May 2nd and are free to the general public with performances in person and online.  This event is free. Visit the Fine Arts Center Box Office to claim your spot in the audience of this and other Rights of Spring Festival events.