Williamstown Theatre Festival’s, new artistic director Mandy Greenfield has announced the theatre’s 2015 season. The Tony Award-winning summer theatre, which is mounting its 61st season, has been responsible for sending many shows to Broadway, including the new Kander, Ebb and McNally musical The Visit, starring Chita Rivera, which will open this April.
Main Stage
As usual, the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s season includes a combination of new works and some classics. The season, which begins June 30 and ends Aug. 23, includes the world premiere of Off the Main Road (June 30-July 19) by William Inge. She play will be directed by Evan Cabnet and will star Kyra Sedgwick. Sedgwick is both a Golden Globe and Emmy winner. Another world premiere will follow the Inge play. The play, written by Dominique Morisseau, is entitled Paradise Blue (July 22-Aug. 2). Paradise Blue will be directed Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Santiago-Hudson, who is an actor, director, and playwright, won the Tony for his performance in Seven Guitars. The main stage will bow with a reimagined production of the Eugene O’Neill classic A Moon for the Misbegotten (Aug. 5-23). It will star Audra McDonald, winner of six Tonys, and Tony Award nominee Will Swenson.
The Nikos Stage
Less than a week after the first opening on the main stage, the Williamstown Theatre Festival offers the world premiere of Daniel Goldfarb’s Legacy (July 1-12) on the Nikos Stage. The show features Jessica Hecht and Eric Bogosian. Also occupying the Nikos Stage boards is the American premiere of Kinship (July 15-25) by Carey Perloff’s. Jo Bonney directs and Cynthia Nixon, who is a Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner, stars. Next up is another world premiere; this time of the musical Unknown Soldier (July 30-Aug. 9), which offers music and lyrics by Michael Friedman and book and lyrics by Daniel Goldstein. Trip Cullman directs the new show. The Nikos Stage season ends with the American premiere of various British works, including a one-hander by Michaela Coel entitled Chewing Gum Dreams and An Intervention (Aug. 12–23) by Mike Bartlett.
Greenfield Excited about Season
New A.D Greenfield said in a statement, “I am beyond excited for the upcoming summer at WTF – I am grateful to each artist who has committed to make bold, innovative work at the Festival this year” She also observed, “I imagine that the theater we’ll create, together with the devoted staff and the Non-Equity and Apprentice Companies, will engage and satisfy audiences hungry for artistic adventure, meaning, and fun.”
Greenfield announced the theatre’s season at it annual gala last night. Rebecca Naomi Jones, Katie Finneran and Martin Short were some of the stars who performed at the gala.