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The 2013/14 Writers' Theatre Season will feature:
The Midwest Premiere of
THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON
By PigPen Theatre Co.
Directed by Associate Artistic Director Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.
September 3 – November 10, 2013
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
“A journey into the frontiers of undiluted imagination.”
– New York Magazine
Writers’ Theatre invites you to dive headlong into a theatrical fable that celebrates the power of imagination. The Old Man and the Old Moon creates an epic new mythology, centered on a man whose job is to collect spilled light to refill the leaking moon. When his wife unexpectedly leaves home in pursuit of much-needed adventure, he abandons his post to follow her, throwing the world into chaos as he searches for his lost love, his fading memory and, ultimately, himself.
A blend of resonant storytelling, spirited indie-folk music and inventive puppetry creates a theatrical experience that will win you over with its wit, style and depth of emotion, and send you home inspired by an act of pure creation.
Writers’ Theatre is thrilled to collaborate with the young men of PigPen Theatre Co., who bring the story of The Old Man and the Old Moon to such brilliant, vibrant life that its New York production earned a coveted spot on multiple “Best of the Year” lists.
The Old Man and the Old Moon was developed in part at New Writers. New Plays. at Vineyard Arts Project: Ashley Melone, Founder and Artistic Director.
The Old Man and the Old Moon features music from the debut album, "Bremen."
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The Midwest Premiere of
PORT AUTHORITY
By Conor McPherson
Directed by William Brown
October 29, 2013 – February 16, 2014
Performed at 664 Vernon Ave.
“Words are sharp, shiny hooks [for] Conor McPherson. They attract and snag the attention.”
– The New York Times
It is possible to miss something that you never had… Acclaimed playwright Conor McPherson (The Seafarer, Shining City, Dublin Carol) drives this point home in a series of interconnected monologues that explore the heart and soul of three generations of Irishmen.
A young man escapes his parents’ house to share digs with two alcohol-soaked friends and a mesmerizing young woman; a middle-aged laborer lands a dream job that he’s not remotely qualified for; and a widower receives a mysterious package that touches a hidden part of his memory.
The lightly interlocking stories of these three men at three different stages of life weave together a tale that is both spirited and moving in its portrait of ordinary lives.
Directed by Writers’ Theatre favorite William Brown (A Little Night Music, Heartbreak House), Port Authority will leave you reveling in the rough lyricism of its language and moved by the poignancy of its stories of lost love, big dreams and the consequences of even our smallest choices.
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HEDDA GABLER
By Henrik Ibsen
Translation by Nicholas Rudall
Directed by Kimberly Senior
Featuring Kate Fry
January 7 – March 16, 2014
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Fresh on the heels of last season’s critically-acclaimed production of Hamlet—one of the most nuanced men in dramatic literature—comes one of the most complex and fascinating female characters: Hedda Gabler.
Equal parts idealistic heroine and callous antagonist; victim of circumstance and master manipulator, Hedda finds herself trapped by society in a world that does not fit her. To survive, she sets in motion an array of schemes, sowing seeds of calculated destruction in an attempt to make an impact on her husband, friends and lovers. The result is a journey of impulse and emotion that is both achingly desperate and wildly passionate.
Actor Kate Fry and Director Kimberly Senior, collaborators on last season’s hit drama, The Letters, bring their shared passion to this master work, offering you the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most extraordinary and seductive characters in the dramatic canon.
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The American Premiere of
THE DANCE OF DEATH
By August Strindberg
In a new version by Conor McPherson
Directed by Henry Wishcamper
April 1 – July 20, 2014
Performed at 664 Vernon Ave.
“The jokes seem to whizz around like venomous arrows at the rate of one a minute.”
- The Arts Desk
August Strindberg’s masterpiece tells the deliciously venomous story of a crumbling marriage—laced with black comedy and biting humor.
As their 25th anniversary approaches, military captain Edgar and his wife, Alice, face off in a fierce battle of wills. Their sparring proves both harrowing and hilarious, amplified by the voice of celebrated playwright Conor McPherson (The Seafarer, Shining City, Dublin Carol). His adaptation brings lyricism and ferocity to the story of the tyrannical captain and his manipulative wife, and the “innocent” Kurt who stumbles into their midst and quickly finds himself ensnared in the couple’s wicked game.
In the intimate confines of the Writers’ bookstore space, this Dance will leave you gasping at every barbed word and sly seduction.
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The World Premiere of
DAYS LIKE TODAY
Inspired by the plays of Charles L. Mee
Music and Lyrics by Alan Schmuckler | Book by Laura Eason
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Musical Direction by Doug Peck | Choreographed by Tommy Rapley
May 6 – July 13, 2014
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Experience the excitement of a brand new musical coming to life!
Lovely, hopeful Tessa has vowed that she is through with love—despite the best efforts and conflicting advice of her parents (and their respective lovers). After all, it’s never easy to move on before you’ve had time to heal. But when a handsome young stranger arrives, Tessa must decide whether the idea of love might still be one worth fighting for.
With soaring melodies and lyrics that are by turns witty, wry and heartbreakingly poignant, Days Like Today explores what it takes to sustain a relationship in a world where love sometimes seems impossible—and how the first step in finding happiness might be getting out of your own way.
Artistic Director Michael Halberstam guides this thrilling new work of musical theatre by composer/lyricist Alan Schmuckler (We Three Lizas, The Emperor’s New Clothes, How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?) and playwright Laura Eason (Sex with Strangers, Ethan Frome, Around the World in 80 Days).
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