2007/08 season announced, to include a world premiere by Evan Smith, The Turn of the Screw, As You Like It and The Lion in Winter

Glencoe, IL—Writers’ Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma are delighted to announce the company’s sixteenth season, which includes the world premiere of The Savannah Disputation by Evan Smith, author of Writers’ Theatre’s hit production of The Uneasy Chair, directed by Michael Halberstam; The Turn of the Screw adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James, directed by Jessica Thebus; Shakespeare’s As You Like It directed by William Brown; and James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter, directed by Rick Snyder.  Writers’ Theatre performs in two performance spaces in Glencoe – its original 50-seat venue at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave, and its 108-seat theatre at 325 Tudor Court in the Woman’s Library Club.  

“The word and the artist are still at the forefront of our mission and I believe that this season exemplifies our commitment to both.  A world premiere, a Shakespearean comedy, a fresh approach to a chestnut and an adaptation of a masterpiece all line up to reveal a classic Writers’ Theatre season,” comments Artistic Director Michael Halberstam.  “I am particularly delighted to welcome back William Brown and Rick Snyder, introduce the considerable talents of Jessica Thebus to our audience and, most of all, to share this dramatic wealth with the remarkable Kate Lipuma who comes to partner with me in bringing Writers' Theatre into a whole new chapter of creativity."

Executive Director Kate Lipuma adds, “All of us here at Writers’ are invigorated to present such a strong season while commissioning some of today’s most exciting writers – including Brett Neveu, Chay Yew, Josh Schmidt and Jan Tranen – for the creation of new works.  Coupled with the New York premiere of Writers’ Theatre’s recent hit, Crime and Punishment, the 2007/08 season should be one of the most exquisite yet.  I can’t think of a better, more exciting welcome to the theatre than this.”

THE 2007/08 WRITERS’ THEATRE SEASON IS:

The world premiere of
The Savannah Disputation
By Evan Smith
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Featuring Linda Kimbrough and Suzanne Lang
Performance Venue: 325 Tudor Court

Previews:  September 18-25, 2007
Regular Run:  September 26, 2007-November 25, 2007
Press Opening: September 26, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.

This world premiere script comes to Writers' Theatre from the playwright of The Uneasy Chair.  The story revolves around two sisters who forget all about southern charm when a young door-to-door evangelist comes proselytizing.  Smith, known for his wildly eclectic and thematic writing, employs his trademark sharpness of wit and draws a compelling portrait of the conflicts between dogma, faith and the wildly variant interpretations of biblical texts depending upon the point of view of the reader.

The Turn of the Screw
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James
Directed by Jessica Thebus
Performance Venue: 664 Vernon Avenue

Previews: November 13-27, 2007
Regular Run: November 28, 2007-March 30, 2008
Press Opening: November 28, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.

Part ghost story and part psychological thriller, this classic tale concerns a governess hired by a wealthy recluse to look after his orphaned niece and nephew.  The seemingly innocent children gradually reveal a series of terrifying secrets.  Henry James’ novel has been adapted by Hatcher with minimal setting and relying instead upon the word and the artist.  Ideally suited for the intimacy of the bookstore, this spine-tingling script places the weight of its dramatic success upon the perfect fusion of stagecraft and the far reaches of the imagination.

As You Like It
By William Shakespeare
Directed by William Brown
Featuring Tracey Arnold
Performance Venue: 325 Tudor Court

Previews: February 5-12, 2008
Regular Run: February 13, 2008-April 13, 2008
Press opening: February 13, 2008, at 7:30 p.m.

“All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players..."  Shakespeare's wildly beautiful romp through the Forest of Arden brings to life some of the most romantic scenes ever to be scribed for the stage, while throwing in a dynamic twist of gender politics.  In order to test the veracity of Orlando's love for her, Rosalind disguises herself as a man and attempts to convince him that his love is merely an illusion.  A duke and his merry men in exile, the melancholy Jacques, a love sick shepherd and the shepherdess who spurns him all swirl around the potential lovers, shaping the evening into this most perfect of comedies.

The Lion in Winter
By James Goldman
Directed by Rick Snyder
Featuring Shannon Cochran
Performance Venue: 325 Tudor Court

Previews: May 27, 2008–June 3, 2008
Regular Run: June 4, 2008–August 3, 2008
Press opening: June 4, 2008, at 7:30 p.m.

It is Christmas in England, 1183, and the aging monarch, Henry II, brings his wife, Queen Eleanor, out of exile in order to discuss his plans for succession.  Also present are his three sons, including future Kings of England John (famous for the Magna Carta) and Richard the Lionheart (leader of the crusades).  Themes of mortality, romance, power and politics all collide with wonderfully dramatic consequences.  Goldman scribes fiction from the circumstances of the past, crafting a wholly modern telling of deliciously historic times.  Director Rick Snyder brings touches of gritty authenticity to this classic drama.

The 12th Annual
A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
Adapted & Performed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Performance Venue: 325 Tudor Court

December 19 and 20, 2007, at 8:00 p.m.
December 22 and 23, 2007, at 2:00 p.m.

The 12th annual dramatic one-man version of the greatest ghost story ever written has become a North Shore holiday tradition.  Single tickets for A Christmas Carol are $30 and can be added on to a four-play subscription package.     


TICKET INFORMATION:
Subscriptions are currently available for the 2007/08 Season, and can be purchased by calling the Writers’ Theatre Box Office at 847-242-6000.  Subscriptions to the four-play season range in price from $154-$232.  Additional information is available at www.writerstheatre.org.

The performance schedule is Tuesdays and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. (select Wednesdays only); Thursday and Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Single ticket prices for subscription series productions are $38-$40 for preview performances; $45 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances; $40 for Wednesday matinees; $50 for Friday and Sunday matinee performances, and $58 for Saturday matinee and evening performances.  

Single tickets will be available for purchase on the following dates:
The Savannah Disputation        August 17, 2007
The Turn of the Screw             October 12, 2007
As You Like It                         January 4, 2008
The Lion in Winter                   April 25, 2008
 

SPECIAL SERIES:
Wine Series
Before the show, participants will explore wines from the world of the play complemented by savory hors d’oeuvres.  Wine tastings begin at 7:00 p.m. and are available with select Thursday evening performances.  Price (including subscription tickets): $230

Pre-Show Lecture
Writers’ Theatre guest artists will guide patrons through the inner-workings of each production.  By providing details that enhance the Writers’ Theatre experience, each lecture will increase audience appreciation for the production to follow.  The pre-show lectures begin at 5:00 p.m. and are offered at no additional cost with select Sunday evening performances.

Post-Show Discussions
Writers’ Theatre artistic staff and cast members will host lively post-show discussions.  Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions about the process, the characters and the production.  Post-show discussions are offered at no additional cost and are available with select Tuesday and Wednesday evening performances.

Dinner Theatre
As an add-on to any subscription package, each Writers’ Theatre visit can be enhanced by having dinner before or after the show at four of the North Shore’s finest restaurants.  Each meal will include an appetizer, entrée, dessert and a glass of wine.  The package includes one meal at each of the participating restaurants, DiPescara, Lincolnshire Gourmet, Mirani’s and Morton’s Steakhouse.  Price: $175 (Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays); $200 (Fridays and Saturdays).    


WRITERS’ THEATRE IN NEW YORK WITH CRIME AND PUNISHMENT:
By Fyodor Dostoevsky
Adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Featuring Scott Parkinson
November 1–December 9, 2007 at 59E59 Theaters, 59 E. 59th Street

A poor student commits a brutal murder in order to prove a theory.  Relentlessly pursued by a wily policeman, he seeks refuge with his only confidant who is a young woman forced into prostitution by desperate circumstances.  Slowly, his theory begins to crumble and he must choose whether or not to face the horror of his crime.  One of the greatest psychological studies in literature has been adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus into an award-winning, 85-minute adaptation for three actors.  Scott Parkinson, fresh from a run in the triumphant The Coast of Utopia trilogy at the Lincoln Center, reprises his brilliant performance as Dostoevsky's tortured Raskolnikov.


FAMILY PROGRAMMING:
Continuing their collaborative relationship formed during The Puppetmaster of Lodz, Director Jimmy McDermott and puppet artist Michael Montenegro will join forces again to create a new family programming series which will enjoy a limited run on Saturdays in spring 2008. The piece will be an original work and will have appeal for the entire family.  The creative team is very enthusiastic to stage a production that parents can enjoy as much as their children and that will derive its inspiration from the magical combination of words and artistry.


COMMISSIONS FOR NEW WORKS:
To further its commitment to the creation of new works, Writers’ Theatre announces commissions for the following projects:

Josh Schmidt (music) and Jan Tranen (lyrics) are collaborating with Artistic Director Michael Halberstam on a yet-to-be-titled musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida.  The piece is currently scheduled for workshops in the 2007/08 season and will premiere in the 2008/09 season.  Soaring from his  success with The Adding Machine at Next Theatre, Josh Schmidt will continue his longtime association with Writers’ as a sound designer and composer (The Puppetmaster of Lodz, Othello, The Duchess of Malfi, The Chosen, The Subject Was Roses, The Doctor’s Dilemma and Rough Crossing, among others) by collaborating with lyricist Jan Tranen.  Halberstam returns to Candida in this new musical production after directing successful productions of Shaw’s comedy at Writers’ Theatre and, most recently, at The Jean Cocteau Repertory in New York.

Chicago playwright Brett Neveu will be writing a yet-to-be-titled piece for Writers’ Theatre.  The play is in its early stages, and will result in workshops over the next two seasons as part of the play development initiative.  Neveu’s collaboration with Writers’ Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Halberstam comes on the heels of Neveu’s successful productions in Chicago at American Theatre Company, TimeLine Theatre Company and A Red Orchid, where he is an ensemble member.  Neveu has been commissioned by Steppenwolf, The Goodman, TimeLine and now Writers’ Theatre.  He is the recipient of the League of Chicago Theatre’s first emerging Artist Award and currently teaches writing at Northwestern University.  

Chay Yew, an award-winning director and playwright, has been commissioned to write a play for Writers’ Theatre to be developed in workshops over the next two seasons.  Yew’s plays include Porcelain, A Language of Their Own, Red, A Beautiful Country, Wonderland, Question 27 Question 28 and A Distant Shore.  His work has been produced at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Manhattan Theatre Club, Wilma Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, LaJolla Playhouse, Intiman, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Singapore Repertory Theatre and TheatreWorks Singapore, among others.  He is under commission from Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alliance Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre/Theatreworks Singapore and Writers’ Theatre.  An alumnus of New Dramatists, he currently sits on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group and on the executive Board of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.