Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces Special Events and Additional Programming
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Rick Miramontez / Molly Barnett / Mathew Troillett
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES
SPECIAL EVENTS and ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING
FOR 2015 SEASON
ADDITIONS INCLUDE:
AN EVENING OF STAND-UP WITH LEWIS BLACK
ONE-NIGHT-ONLY CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF THE LION
PROLIFIC COMEDIAN DARRELL HAMMOND
MUSICAL COMEDY DUO THE SKIVVIES
CELEBRATATED BABY WANTS CANDY IMPROV TROUPE
AND MORE!
Williamstown, MA (May 1, 2015) – Williamstown Theatre Festival (Mandy Greenfield, Artistic Director) has added many exciting special events to their 2015 Season line-up. In addition to the Main Stage and Nikos Stage productions, the 61st season will also include: Paradise Lew (July 13), an evening of stand-up with Williamstown veteran Lewis Black; straight from its hit Off-Broadway run, a one-night-only concert performance of Benjamin Scheuer’s The Lion (July 19); the return of the stripped down musical comedy duo The Skivvies (July 26 & 27); The Darrell Hammond Project (August 10), with “Saturday Night Live” impersonation icon Darrell Hammond; for the first time ever at Williamstown, one of the most-celebrated musical improv shows in the world, Baby Wants Candy (August 20 – 22); as well as this summer’s Free Theatre production, Song for a Future Generation (July 15 – 18 & 21 – 24).
As previously announced, WTF’s Main Stage Season will include William Inge’s Off the Main Road directed by Evan Cabnet and featuring Kyra Sedgwick in her Festival debut (June 30 – July 19); the world premiere of the 2012 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award-winner Paradise Blue by Dominique Morisseau; directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (July 22 – August 2), and six-time Tony® Award-winner Audra McDonald and Tony® Award-nominee Will Swenson in Nobel laureate Eugene O’Neill’s masterpiece: A Moon for the Misbegotten, directed by Gordon Edelstein (August 5 – August 23).
The Nikos Stage season kicks off on July 1st with the world premiere of Legacy by Daniel Goldfarb and directed by Oliver Butler (July 1 – July 12); continues with the American premiere of Kinship by Carey Perloff and directed by Jo Bonney (July 15 – July 25); the world premiere of the new musical Unknown Soldier with Book & Lyrics by Daniel Goldstein, Music & Lyrics by Michael Friedman, and directed by Trip Cullman (July 30 – August 9); and concludes with the doubleheader of two American premieres of British plays Chewing Gum Dreams, written and performed by Michaela Coel, and An Intervention by Mike Bartlett and directed by Lila Neugebauer with a rotating cast (August 12 – 23).
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING & SPECIAL EVENTS
Paradise Lew | July 13 at 7:30 PM
An evening of stand-up with Lewis Black
Main Stage; $250/$125/$65/$45
From his standing-room-only Broadway runs to his 19 seasons on “The Daily Show,” Grammy Award-winning king of rant Lewis Black returns to Williamstown—the little corner of the Berkshires that he loves (and hates) with every fiber of his being—for a one-night-only performance of his signature dyspeptic brand of stand-up. Absolutely nothing’s off limits for this century’s foremost purveyor of righteous indignation. Act fast—this event always sells out.
$250 tickets include a post-performance reception with Lewis and other Festival artists. All proceeds from
the performance will support the Festival’s professional development programs.
The Lion in Concert | July 19 at 7:30 PM
By Benjamin Scheuer
Nikos Stage; $80/$60/$40
For one night only, WTF brings a concert version of singer-songwriter and composer Benjamin Scheuer’s irresistible and deeply moving The Lion to the Nikos Stage straight from its much-lauded run Off-Broadway. Originally developed and produced by WTF Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield, The Lion inspires and disarms with Scheuer’s raw and emotional depth. “A naturally appealing performer with an ingratiating soft touch” (The New York Times), Scheuer leads you on a rock ’n’ roll journey from boyhood to manhood, through pain and healing, to discover the redemptive power of music.
$80 tickets include a post-performance reception with Benjamin and other Festival artists. All proceeds from the performance will support the Festival’s new play commissioning program.
The Skivvies | July 26 & 27 at 7:30 PM
The Sanctuary at 777 Main Street; $80/$40
Back for a second summer by popular demand! 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 mash-ups 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.”
$80 tickets get you seats down front and access to an exclusive party after the show.
The Darrell Hammond Project | August 10 at 7:00 PM
Written and Performed by Darrell Hammond
Additional Material by Elizabeth Stein and Christopher Ashley
Directed by Christopher Ashley
Main Stage; $100/$65/$45
Best known for his strikingly spot-on impressions of a cavalcade of celebrities on “Saturday Night Live,” prolific comedian Darrell Hammond tells the story of the harrowing events that gave birth to his brilliant talent. Join Darrell on “the detective story of his own life” as he delves into the trauma and tenacity that made him a beloved entertainer. Full of raw emotion, humor, and plenty of the impressions that made him famous, The Darrell Hammond Project is the story of how a brilliant star rose from the darkest corners of human experience.
Baby Wants Candy | August 20 – 22 at 8:00 PM and August 21 at 11:00 PM
Center Stage; $20
WTF is thrilled to introduce its audiences to Baby Wants Candy, one of the best-known, longest-running, and most-celebrated improv shows in the world. Baby Wants Candy is a roller-coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and witty, jaw-dropping comedy. After the WTF Apprentice Company kicks off the evening with a little improv, the Baby Wants Candy cast will ask the audience for a suggestion of a musical that has never been performed before. What follows will be a “truly amazing!” (The New York Times) entertainment phenomenon.
FREE THEATER
Song for a Future Generation | July 15 – 18, 21 – 24 at 7:30 PM
By Joe Tracz; Directed by Lee Overtree
FREE at Poker Flats Field
A star in a far-off galaxy is about to burst, and three party-addled clones want you to join them for a dance-a-thon on their satellite to celebrate the upcoming explosive event. Bring the whole family and a picnic to Poker Flats for an intergalactic party under the stars! Lee Overtree, the brilliant mind behind Story Pirates and this season’s Off-Broadway hit Found, helms Joe Tracz’s lo-fi, sci-fi spectacle.
TICKETS AND SCHEDULE
Single tickets for the 2015 Williamstown Theatre Festival season are now available through the WTF website (www.wtfestival.org) and by mail order using WTF’s season brochure (call 413-597-3400 to join the mailing list). The WTF Box Office will open on June 2 at which point tickets may be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.
ABOUT WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
Every summer since 1955, the Festival has brought America’s finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires to produce unique experiences for artists and audiences alike. The Festival creates bold, innovative theatre, hosts dynamic development opportunities for new plays and musicals, and offers a rich array of accompanying cultural events such as Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, Comedy, and One-Night Concerts. With offices in both Williamstown and New York City, WTF creates vibrant work that feeds the wider theatrical landscape. The artists and productions shaped at the Festival each summer often go on to reach diverse audiences nationally and internationally. The Festival is currently represented by The Elephant Man, Living on Love, and The Visit on Broadway this season and Fool for Love next season, as well as Here Lies Love in London. 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. The Festival is a recipient of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award for Achievement.
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WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
2015 SEASON SUMMARY
MAIN STAGE
WORLD PREMIERE
Off the Main Road | June 30 – July 19
By William Inge; Directed by Evan Cabnet
With Becky Ann Baker, Aaron Costa Ganis, Howard W. Overshown, Estelle Parsons, Kyra Sedgwick, and Mary Wiseman
WORLD PREMIERE
Paradise Blue | July 22 – August 2
(2012 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award Winner)
By Dominique Morisseau; Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
With De’Adre Aziza, Andre Holland, Keith Randolph Smith, and Blair Underwood
A Moon for the Misbegotten| August 5 – August 23
By Eugene O’Neill; Directed by Gordon Edelstein
With Aaron Costa Ganis, Audra McDonald, Howard W. Overshown, and Will Swenson
NIKOS STAGE
WORLD PREMIERE
Legacy | July 1 – July 12
By Daniel Goldfarb; Directed by Oliver Butler
With Eric Bogosian, Halley Feiffer, Jessica Hecht, and Justin Long
AMERICAN PREMIERE
Kinship | July 15 – July 25
By Carey Perloff; Directed by Jo Bonney
With Penny Fuller, Chris Lowell, and Cynthia Nixon
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
Unknown Solider| July 30 – August 9
Book & Lyrics by Daniel Goldstein; Music & Lyrics by Michael Friedman
Directed by Trip Cullman
With David Greenspan, Derek Klena, Erik Lochtefeld, Estelle Parsons, and Lauren Worsham
DOUBLE HEADER of TWO AMERICAN PREMIERES of BRITISH PLAYWRIGHTS
August 12 – 23
Chewing Gum Dreams
Written and Performed by Michaela Coel
An Intervention
By Mike Bartlett; Directed by Lila Neugebauer
With a rotating cast
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