Summer in the Berkshires with the Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces 54th Season
Nicholas Martin Takes Over as Artistic Director for 2008 Season
By: Charles Giuliano - Feb 16, 2008
Nicholas Martin joined the Huntington Theatre Company in 2000 where his final production "She Loves Me," a musical by Joe Masteroff, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, with a five day turn around will move to Williamstown Theatre Festival for a run from June 28 through July 13. It will be Martin's 15th production for WTF and his first as artistic director. In another instance of exchange, and an indicator of possible future collaborations between the Boston and Berkshire based theatre companies, there will be another crossover. Last summer, in one of the WTF season's highlights, Martin directed Kate Burton in a remake of a classic Bette Davis role in the film "The Corn Is Green" which will be seen at the Huntington next season.
A one person play "The Atheist" by Ronan Noone, starring Campbell Scott, opened the Huntington season last September at the Wilberly Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts. That production, directed by Justin Waldman, will launch the season for WTF's Nikos Stage from June 25 through July 6.
In a review of "The Atheist" in its Huntington production BFA theatre critic, Mark Favermann, wrote that "Venal, malicious, greedy, avaricious, profane, voyeuristic, exhibitionistic, fraudulent, self-involved, angry, narcissistic, exploitive, devious, perverted, self-important, self-serving, surreptitious, conniving, delusional, untrustworthy and even larcenous are all descriptive of the main character, Augustine Early, played more than a bit eccentrically by Campbell Scott. This description is true of the other individual characters that he describes in great and at times amusing detail. This is a play about description."
During his time at the Huntington, Martin brought high standards of artistic excellence to Boston theatre. It was always provocative to compare and contrast the Huntington with the Cambridge based, post modern, American Repertory Theatre. Compared to its far out, edgy productions such as its current deconstruction of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" the Huntington seemed rather mainstream with well crafted but comparatively straight theatre. The typical approach of ART deconstructs the Bard in a twist of Marc Antony's funeral oration "I come to bury Caesar not to praise him." Indeed. May Caesar's ghost rest in peace but not bloody likely at ART.
Berkshire theatre in general could use both more of Martin's consistency and standards of excellence and a good dash, now and then, of ART's avant-garde razzle dazzle. Berkshire theatre seems far too obsequious to the taste of its superannuated audiences.
The unfortunate tenure of Martin's predecessor as artistic director, Roger Rees, attempted to conflate the extremes of the old chestnuts and the cutting edge. He tried hard. He really, really did, but ultimately proved to be a more effective actor, rather wonderful in "The Physicists," but all over the map as an artistic director. The reviews, which in a post season meeting, he informed me he "never reads" were terrible for the first season, somewhat better for the second season, and getting closer last year. "What bad reviews" was his response when questioned about them?
It is generally viewed that it will be Martin's task to get WTF back on track. There was a glorious time when WTF was viewed as one of the great regional theatre companies with a strong and passionate audience. We saw only glimpses of that last year. There has been discussion that a part of that included the transition to the newly constructed theatre and raised expectations. In addition to the Main Stage and Nikos last year there were also black box productions with spells where there were three productions up simultaneously. Martin plans to cut back to two stages with alternating two week runs.
The sensibility of Rees was that of an actor working with other actors. There was an emphasis on workshops and readings; a mandate for education and master classes. It provided great opportunities for actors, directors and writers but it didn't mesh into something that filled seats and thrilled audiences. While there was risk taking and adventure it didn't all pan out. In another miscalculation the experimentation was focused on Nikos and black box productions. The main stage selections were overly conservative and stiff like "The Front Page" or the rather dated feel of "Crimes of the Heart" while Lillian Hellman's "The Autumn Garden" and Martin's "The Corn is Green" (largely through the charisma of Kate Burton) were more balanced and satisfying.
The primary mandate for Martin will be to set a new base, providing stability and continuity for WTF. Perhaps some of the audience which departed under Rees will be willing to come back and give it another try. Based on his great success with the Huntington it would be correct to anticipate solid, mainstream theatre. It is pleasing to see that a production of the daunting Chekhov play "Three Sisters" by Michael Greif has been scheduled for July 16 to 27 on the Main Stage. This is his third Chekhov production for WTF. Overall Greif has eight productions for WTF. We much enjoyed Martin's staging of "The Cherry Orchard" for the Huntington with Kate Burton.
Once this season has passed, and presuming that his contract is extended, it will be interesting to report on how Martin continues to reshape WTF. Will he revive some of the many August Wilson productions such as his final play "Radio Golf" which went from the Huntington to Broadway? Or, as Bette Davis would say, "Fasten your seat belts its going to be a bumpy evening."
What follows is the press release from WTF with all of the details for the coming season.
Nicholas Martin will kick off the WTF Main Stage season with his Huntington Theatre Company production of the Joe Masteroff/Sheldon Harnick /Jerry Bock musical, She Loves Me, running from June 28-July 13. This much-beloved romantic musical comedy is Martin's 15th WTF production. She Loves Me tells the story of two lovesick, anonymous pen pals who work together during the day, totally unaware that they are writing to each other at night. She Loves Me is based on Parfumerie, the play that also inspired the Jimmy Stewart classic The Shop Around the Corner, and the popular Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film You've Got Mail.
Next on the Main Stage will be Three Sisters (July 16-27), Paul Schmidt's translation of Anton Chekhov's classic tale of the decay of the privileged class in Russia, which marks Michael Greif's third staging of Chekhov at WTF (following lauded productions of The Seagull in 1994 and The Cherry Orchard in 2004). Greif, returning to WTF for the eighth time, is currently represented on Broadway by the iconic, long-running musical, Rent, and Off-Broadway by the new musical, Next to Normal.
Tony Award-winner John Rando will direct A Flea in Her Ear, a new version of George Feydeau's farce by David Ives ( July 30-August 10). Hailed as one of the greatest farces ever written, this 1907 classic tells the outrageously comedic tale of a suspicious wife's attempts to confirm her husband's infidelities. Ives is currently represented on Broadway by his adaptation of Mark Twain's long-lost comedy, Is He Dead?
David Storey's play, Home (August 13-24) directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Joseph Hardy (represented Off-Broadway by the new drama Grace), concludes the Main Stage season. In Home, a hilarious and heartbreaking play, four friends meet in a park to converse about life's events only to slowly reveal the reality of their strange circumstances. The cast will include Richard Easton, Dana Ivey and Paxton Whitehead.
On the Nikos Stage, Campbell Scott will appear in a production of The Atheist by Ronan Noone, directed by WTF Artistic Associate Justin Waldman (June 25-July 6). This tour-de-force solo play follows the rise and fall of ethics-challenged journalist Augustine Early, who will do anything to get the story. Noone, a Boston Magazine Top Young Playwright, has had productions of his work in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London.
Harriet Jacobs (July 9-20), by Lydia Diamond is an unflinching look at the realities of American slavery, chronicling Jacobs' tumultuous path to freedom. Buoyed by the music and spirituals of her people and the escape she finds in her writing, Harriet perseveres with an unyielding hope for a life beyond. Based on Jacobs' autobiography, Harriet Jacobs is a touching portrait of the strength of hope and the expanse of the imagination.
In the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's The Understudy (July 23-August 3) directed by Scott Ellis, a long lost Kafka play is a hit on Broadway, but the real action is happening backstage. The understudy is more than he's supposed to be, the star wants to be more than he is, and the stage manager, (Tony Award-winner Julie White), just can't take any more. The Understudy – Ellis' eighth WTF production - is Ms. Rebeck's hilarious look at the people for whom the play is the thing.
Two additional Nikos Stage productions, as well as additional performers and full creative teams for the 2008 WTF Season will be announced at a later date. For further information and ticket sales click on the link below.