Berkshire Theatre Festival Announces Adventurous 2009 Season
World Premiere of Red Remembers with David Garrison
By: Larry Murray - Dec 18, 2008
Berkshire Theatre Festival Artistic Director Kate Maguire announced the company's 2009 season, which will extend from May 21 through December 30 and be the longest-running season in the company's history. The company's 80th Anniversary season was notable for its many premieres and new interpretations of old favorites.
For the coming year, Ms. Maguire has assembled a diverse season of plays, ranging from one of the classic dramas of the stage to a black comedy by one of the hottest new playwrights in America Those of us in the Berkshires are fortunate to have the prospect of one of the most enjoyable, thought-provoking summers ever to look forward to this winter.
Maguire says about the season: "As we navigate through some truly challenging times, Berkshire Theatre Festival is committed to continuing our tradition of doing Theatre that Matters. We are reminded that the theatre fills an important role in our community, one in which it can entertain as well as confront the news of the day. This season represents a wonderful mix of plays that both deal with the issues we face, individually as well as a society, while also providing an entertaining respite from our daily grind. It is a pleasure and a privilege to present this season."
BTF also announced that it would be dedicating the 2009 season to the memory of William Gibson. Gibson was a noted playwright, best known for writing The Miracle Worker, based in Stockbridge, MA. He was also a former Artistic Director of Berkshire Theatre Festival, from 1966 to 1970, and was a long serving member of the Board of Trustees at the Festival. "His guiding hand and dedication to theatre continue to inspire the Festival's work to this very day and his support will be greatly missed," noted Maguire.
Here are the details of the coming season announced to date. Where directors and casts are know they are given, many of the specific details are yet to be announced.
Berkshire Theatre Festival Mainstage Productions 2009
Jun 19 - Jun 27
Broadway by the Year®
Created/Written/Hosted by Scott Siegel
Featuring an All-Star Cast Since 2002, this critically acclaimed cabaret series has become what Show Business Weekly deems, "Â…an invaluable and entertaining jewel in the cabaret crown of New York". For the first time ever, this amazing evening of show tunes from Broadway's glorious past is presented in the Berkshires.
Presented by special arrangement with The Town Hall in New York City.
Jun 30 - Jul 18
The Einstein Project
Written by Paul D'Andrea and Jon Klein
Directed by Eric Hill
The Einstein Project humanizes an immortal figure. Through conversations with his son, his wife, and his colleagues, Paul D'Andrea and Jon Klein present a vulnerable, fiendishly intelligent Albert Einstein trapped between his beliefs and his duty. A fascinating portrait of the man who, however reluctantly, ushered in the atomic age. Originally presented in the Unicorn Theatre, BTF Director Eric Hill turns to the Main Stage to re-invigorate this extraordinary production.
Jul 21 - Aug 08
The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Written by Neil Simon
Directed by Warner Shook
Mel and Edna Edison, a middle-aged couple living in New York, find their luck is quickly deteriorating during a terrible heat wave and a garbage strike. When Mel cracks under the pressure, his family intervenes in an attempt to nurse him back to his old self, with predictably unpredictable results. World renowned playwright Neil Simon presents a comical, and sometimes sad, look at the pressures placed upon a working class family that ripples with his trademark crisp dialogue and quirky, hysterically memorable characters
Aug 11 - Aug 29
Ghosts
Written by Henrik Ibsen
Directed by Anders Cato
A woman struggles to keep several terrible family secrets, the implication of which are only worsened by a puritanical Pastor, a lascivious son, and her own guilt-ridden, well hidden past. Full of dark symbols, Ghosts exemplifies Henrik Ibsen's uncanny ability to overturn Victorian social values by using them as the damning elements in his work. Now, BTF favorites Director Anders Cato and Dramaturg James Leverett present a brand new translation of this classic of the theatre.
Sep 04 - Sep 13
Peter Pan: The Musical
Based on the play by Sir. J. M. Barrie
Directed by E. Gray Simons III
The annual community musical, with a cast of children and adults drawn from the local Berkshire community
Head towards the "second star to the right" and re-discover this wonderful tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up. BTF is proud to once again stage a production cast completely from the Berkshire County community. Join the Darling children, the Lost Boys, and evil Captain Hook for an evening of music, merriment, and wonder. (Not part of the regular subscription series.)
Berkshire Theatre Festival Unicorn Stage
May 21 - Jul 04
Faith Healer
Written by Brian Friel
Directed by Eric Hill
Francis Hardy has an unusual job. He, his wife, Grace, and his loyal manager, Teddy, travel across the British Isles performing a series of almost vaudevillian faith healings. But like any professional, Hardy begins to worry about losing his talent, or whether or not he ever really had one. The strain is felt by his wife, observed by his manager, and so grips Francis that he becomes obsessed with curing the incurable, no matter the cost.
Jul 7 - Aug 15
Leonard Bernstein's
Candide
In the best of all possible decisions, the Berkshire Theatre Festival recently announced that its second Unicorn show will now be Leonard Bernstein's Candide.
Based on Voltaire's classic novella, Candide is the story of a young Candide's journey of self-discovery as he seeks to find his place in the world and "Make our Garden Grow". By turns funny and poignant, Candide has become a beloved show, delighting audiences the world over.
Candide replaces the originally scheduled The Wiz, whose authors rescinded rights for the BTF production because of plans for a New York City Encores presentation.
Aug 18 - Sep 06
Regional Premiere!
Sick
Written by Zayd Dohrn
A small home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan is the only safe haven for the children of the Krebs family. But despite Mrs. Krebs' attempts to protect her family with scrubbers, masks, and isolation, the delicate balance is brought to the breaking point when her husband's academic career brings a stranger into their safe house. In its Northeast Premiere, Sick seeps onto the stage as a terrifying family drama filled with dark comedy, mistrust, and shocking realism.
Sep 11 - Nov 01
World Premiere!
Red Remembers
Written by Andrew Guerdat
Directed by John Rando
With David Garrison (Married. . . With Children) as Red Barber. Well into retirement, Red Barber, the former announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees, invites the audience into an intimate, beautifully nostalgic story about his life, the history of baseball, and the core values of humanity in an ever changing world. The honor, loyalty, and perseverance of America and its favorite pastime are not lost upon Red, and he ensures they shall not be lost to us.
Dec 10 - Dec 30
A Christmas Carol
Written by Charles Dickens, Adapted by Eric Hill
Directed by Eric Hill and E. Gray Simons III
BTF's fourth annual production of the classic Dickens' tale. A holiday tradition that the whole family will love. (Not part of the subscription series.)
For further details and subscription information, visit their website. Or call their ticket office at (413) 298-5536 ext. 33 for more information.
Berkshire Theatre Festival