Every day is opening night.

O&M Co.
Rick Miramontez / Molly Barnett
212.695.7400
rick@oandmco.com / molly@oandmco.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL CASTING
FOR 2014 SEASON

ANNA CHLUMSKY, JASON DANIELEY,
DOUGLAS SILLS, JEFFREY DEMUNN, THE SKIVVIES
AND MORE JOIN THE LINE-UP

FRIDAYS@3 READINGS AND
L. ARNOLD WEISSBERGER AWARD FOR PLAYWRITING
ALSO ANNOUNCED

BOX OFFICE OPENS TOMORROW AT 10 AM!

Williamstown, MA (June 2, 2014) – Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced additional casting on both the Main Stage and Nikos Stage as well as special events for the 2014 Season. On the Main Stage: Diana DiMarzio, Rick Holmes, and Timothy Shew join the WTF Resident Company, appearing in both June Moon and The Visit.  Rachel Napoleon and Jason Bowen also join the cast of June Moon, playing July 2–13, while Jason Danieley (replacing the previously announced Howard McGillin), Christopher Newcomer, Tom Nelis, and Aaron Ramey join Chita Rivera, Roger Rees, and company in Kander and Ebb’s The Visit (July 31–August 17).  Also on the Main Stage, Emmy Award-nominee Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”) and Tony Award-nominee Douglas Sills make their Festival debuts in Living on Love (July 16–July 26).  On the Nikos Stage, the cast of A Great Wilderness (July 9–20) will include Mia Barron, Jeffrey DeMunn (“The Walking Dead”), Mia Dillon, Kevin Geer, and Tasha Lawrence, while Christopher Abbott (“Girls”) joins Chris Pine in Fool for Love (July 24–August 2).  Due to scheduling conflicts, Lauren Ambrose will no longer be part of the Fool for Love company.

Critically acclaimed music duo The Skivvies, just featured in People Magazine as “The Most Playful Performers,” will also join the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s slate of programming, performing in the Center Stage on July 27th and 28th at 7:30 PM.

It was also announced today that Rachel Bonds’ Five Mile Lake is the recipient of the 2013 L. Arnold Weissberger Award for Playwriting, receiving a $10,000 grant and a reading produced by WTF as part of their popular Fridays@3 reading series, as well as publication by Samuel French, Inc.

For more information about all Williamstown Theatre Festival productions and special events, see below.

The Skivvies | July 27 and 28 on the Center Stage at 7:30 PM

Less is definitely more at the sexiest, sassiest show of the summer! Sizzling musical comedy duo Lauren Molina (Ten Cents a Dance at WTF) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up)—AKA The Skivvies—turn the heat way, way up as they perform stripped down mashups of pop songs and show tunes…in their underwear. The Wall Street Journal calls these wildly popular undie-rockstars “smart, sophisticated…ingenious” and Out Magazine declares that they’ve “managed to carve out a niche that we never knew existed: Part Weird Al parody and part sexy burlesque…an unusual explosion of satire and sultry.” Surprise musical guests will take the stage—and take it off—alongside the red-hot duo. VIP tickets get you seats down front and access to an exclusive party after the show.

Fridays@3 Reading Series | July 11–August 15 on the Nikos Stage at 3PM

The Festival’s weekly reading series offers playwrights and audiences alike the chance to hear new works by America’s leading playwrights read by WTF company actors. Plays selected for Fridays@3 are frequently under consideration for a future production on WTF’s Nikos Stage. Recent Fridays@3 playwrights include Christopher Durang, Katori Hall, Donald Margulies, Dominique Morisseau, and Craig Wright. Fridays@3 is supported by the Dramatists Guild Fund.  This season’s Friday@3 Series schedule is as follows:

An Intervention | July 11, 2014
By Mike Bartlett

They were good friends, maybe even best friends, until a whole lot of booze, a new girlfriend, and a far-off war drove a massive wedge between them. Maybe it’s time to call it quits? An Intervention, penned by Mike Bartlett, author of the Olivier Award-winning Cock, is a mischievous and humorous drama that puts friendship and citizenship under a magnifying glass.

The Squeaky Wheel | July 18, 2014
By Jonathan Marc Sherman
Directed by David Bar Katz

Curtis’ life has just been turned upside down: In the last twenty-four hours he’s lost his job, his long-time girlfriend has kicked him to the curb, and it’s his birthday. The dude feels like he’s hit rock bottom. But after an unexpectedly life-changing tête–à–tête with Mary Cumtrary, the porn star from his adolescent wet dreams, Curtis endeavors to find a way forward by recalibrating his life and his relationship with his oldest friend. Festival alum Jonathan Marc Sherman’s hilarious and insightful The Squeaky Wheel is about friendship, sexuality, and growing up.

Five Mile Lake | July 25, 2014
2013 L. Arnold Weissberger Award Winner
By Rachel Bonds
Directed by Emily Mann

Never having strayed from his quaint Pennsylvania hometown, Jamie enjoys a tranquil life fixing up his grandfather’s old lake house and pining after his troubled coworker at the local bakery. But when his estranged brother Rufus returns unexpectedly one bleak winter weekend with his girlfriend in tow, Jamie’s peaceful existence is suddenly anything but. Rachel Bonds’ Five Mile Lake is a tender look at young people yearning to make the right choices—and facing those choices they’ve already made—as they enter adulthood in a rapidly changing world.

All the Roads Home | August 1, 2014
By Jen Silverman
Directed by Jackson Gay

Madeleine wanted to be a dancer, her daughter, Max, wanted to be a cowboy, and Max’s daughter, Nix, has no idea what she wants, but knows it has to be enough for all of them. Three generations of headstrong women choose which dreams to sacrifice and when to keep fighting in Yale Drama Series winner Jen Silverman’s funny and poignant All the Roads Home.

Behold My Heart | August 8, 2014
A joint presentation by WTF and the Williamstown Film Festival
By Joshua Leonard & Rebecca Lowman
Directed by Steve Lawson

When 16-year-old Marcus’ father abruptly exits the scene and his mother falls apart, Marcus stomachs his own grief to become the man of the house. His girlfriend, pals, and neighbors all help in their ways, but ultimately the only people who can find a way forward are mother and son. Behold My Heart, a screenplay by Joshua Leonard of The Blair Witch Project fame and Rebecca Lowman, will shoot in California this fall.

Bright Half Life | August 15, 2014
By Tanya Barfield

Erika and Vicky are hurled through 25 years of love and heartbreak in a collection of the moments that make up a life. Bright Half Life, written by celebrated playwright Tanya Barfield, author of last season’s critically acclaimed Off-Broadway hit The Call, collides an ever-shifting present with fragments of the past to create a stunning and kaleidoscopic love story.

More Information About The L. Arnold Weissberger Award For Playwriting

               The Williamstown Theatre Festival administers the L. Arnold Weissberger Award for Playwriting on behalf of the Anna L. Weissberger Foundation. Championed for the Festival in 1998 by late Trustee Jay Harris, the award honors noted theatrical attorney and avid theatre supporter L. Arnold Weissberger who passed away in 1981, and is designed to recognize excellence in playwriting. The recipient of the award receives a $10,000 grant, and the winning script receives a reading produced by Williamstown Theatre Festival, as part of the Fridays@3 reading series, as well as optional publication by Samuel French, Inc. Each year, invitations are sent out to theatres, agents, and playwriting programs across the country requesting script nominations. Finalists are then chosen by the Festival and read blindly by a select panel of industry judges. The 2013 panel of judges was composed of Richard Dresser, Jill BC Du Boff, Patricia McGregor, and Leigh Silverman.

               Rachel Bonds’ Five Mile Lake is the recipient of the 2013 L. Arnold Weissberger Award for Playwriting. Bonds’ plays have been developed or produced by South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, The McCarter Theatre, Roundabout Underground, Atlantic Theater Company, Ars Nova, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Arden, Studio Theatre, and New York Stage & Film, among others. Bonds is a graduate of Brown University.

BOX OFFICE & TICKETS

Tickets for all Williamstown Theatre Festival productions can be purchased beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 3rd, online at wtfestival.org, by phone at 413-597-3400, or in person at the ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL

Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America’s finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires, engaging a loyal audience of both residents and summer visitors. Each WTF season is designed to present unique opportunities for artists and audience alike, revisiting classic plays with innovative productions, developing and nurturing bold new plays and musicals, and offering a rich array of accompanying cultural events including Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. While best known for its acclaimed productions, WTF is also home to one of the nation’s top training and professional development programs for new generations of aspiring theatre artists and administrators. Now in its 60th Season, WTF was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement in 2011.

#####

www.wtfestival.org
www.oandmco.com

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
2014 SEASON SUMMARY

MAIN STAGE

June Moon
July 2–July 13, 2014
By Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman
Directed by Jessica Stone

With Jason Bowen, Nate Corddry, Diana DiMarzio, Holley Fain, Christopher Fitzgerald, Rick Holmes, Kate MacCluggage, Rachel Napoleon, Timothy Shew, David Turner

Earnest and gullible young lyricist Fred Stevens boards a train in Schenectady bound for the Big Apple, determined to make a name for himself in the thriving Tin Pan Alley scene. However, the life he’s imagined is rife with seductive distractions—namely dames—that threaten to derail his dream of penning the next big ditty. Both bitterly funny and deliciously literate, legendary humorists Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman celebrate and skewer the perishable pop of yesteryear.  Director Jessica Stone, whose WTF productions of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Last of the Red Hot Lovers left audiences convulsed with laughter, brings her special brand of glee back to the Festival stage.

Living on Love
July 16–July 26, 2014
By Joe DiPietro and Garson Kanin
Based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin
Directed by Kathleen Marshall

With Anna Chlumsky, Renée Fleming, Blake Hammond, Justin Long, Scott Robertson, Douglas Sills

World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming takes the Festival stage as celebrated diva Rachel De Angelis.  When her husband, the fiery and egomaniacal Maestro Vito De Angelis, becomes enamored with the lovely young lady hired to ghostwrite his long-delayed autobiography, Rachel retaliates by hiring her very own—and very handsome—ghostwriter to chronicle her life as an opera star. As the young writers try to keep themselves out of the story while churning out chapters, the high-energy—and high-maintenance—power duet threatens to fall out of tune for good. A sparkling new comedy from two-time Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro, adapted from a work by the revered Garson Kanin and directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.

The Visit
July 31–August 17, 2014
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Choreographed by Graciela Daniele
Directed by John Doyle

With Jason Danieley, Matthew Deming, Diana DiMarzio, David Garrison, Rick Holmes, Judy Kuhn, Christopher Newcomer, Tom Nelis, Aaron Ramey, Roger Rees, Chita Rivera, Timothy Shew

In her Festival debut, Broadway legend Chita Rivera embodies Claire Zachanassian, the oft-widowed richest woman in the world, who returns to the hardship-stricken town of her birth. The locals pray that her wealth will bring them a new lease on life, but the carefully plotted renewal she offers carries a dreadful price. Sardonic and morally complex, The Visit asks: What can your heart afford? Featuring Festival favorite Roger Rees and helmed by Tony Award-winning director John Doyle, this incendiary musical is one of the last collaborations between the incomparable John Kander and Fred Ebb, with a book by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally and choreography by the legendary Graciela Daniele.

NIKOS STAGE

A Great Wilderness
July 9–July 20, 2014
By Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Eric Ting

With Mia Barron, Jeffrey DeMunn, Mia Dillon, Kevin Geer, Tasha Lawrence

After decades as the gentle-natured leader of a Christian retreat that endeavors to “cure” gay teens, Walt is packing up his life and preparing for a reluctant retirement. But when his final client quietly disappears into the remote Idaho wilderness, Walt discovers that his previously unwavering moral compass no longer points the way. With profound humanity and subtlety, Obie Award-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter navigates complex moral terrain, exploring the shifting motives and inconstant strength of our personal convictions.

Fool For Love
July 24–August 2, 2014
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Daniel Aukin

With Christopher Abbott, Chris Pine

Holed up in a seedy motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert, two former lovers unpack the deep secrets and dark desires of their tangled relationship, passionately tearing each other apart.  Beaten down by ill-fated love and a ruthless struggle for identity, can they ultimately live with, or without, each other?  Led by director Daniel Aukin, riveting young actor Chris Pine—returning for the first time to the stage where he launched his career—brings a raw sexy energy to Sam Shepard’s landmark myth of the new Wild West.

The Old Man and The Old Moon
August 6–17, 2014
By PigPen Theatre Co.
Directed by Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.

With Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi, Dan Weschler

The endlessly imaginative PigPen Theatre Co. comes to Williamstown with a luminously lo-fi spectacle that elevates traditional storytelling to high art.  Their fantastical, song-filled tale takes us to the end of the world when an old man abandons his duty of filling the moon with liquid light to search for his missing wife.  With a rollicking array of ever-changing characters, inventive theatrical effects, and an infectious contemporary folk sound, these seven young actor musicians transform the seemingly ordinary into sheer wonder.

FREE THEATRE

Robin Hood
July 16–19; July 22–25, 2014
FREE at Poker Flats Field at 7:30 PM
By Larry Blamire
Directed by Stella Powell-Jones

Dashing outlaw. Expert archer. Cunning wealth redistributor. Merry Man. The daring deeds of Robin Hood come alive in this fresh and funny adaptation of the traditional ballads and folklore. Brimming with spirited swordplay and tongue-in-cheek humor, it celebrates the well-known tale of Robin, Maid Marian, Little John, Friar Tuck, and the rest, while cleverly reinventing the myth.  The Williamstown woods are magically transformed into Sherwood Forest as sought-after director Stella Powell-Jones enlivens this legendary swashbuckling adventure on the outdoor Free Theatre stage. Bring the whole family and a picnic for a merry evening under the stars!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Just Call Me Nikos | July 7, 2014 at 7:30 PM
A Benefit Celebrating former Artistic Director Nikos Psacharopoulos
Main Stage

Late Night Cabaret Series | July 10–12; July 24–26; August 7–9, 2014 at 10:30 PM
Goodrich Hall

Living with Lewis | July 21, 2014 at 7:30 PM
An Evening of Stand-Up with Lewis Black
Main Stage

The Skivvies | July 27 & July 28, 2014 at 7:30 PM
Center Stage