All Over Albany

Williamstown Theatre Festival 2018

The lineup of productions for this year's Williamstown Theatre Festival is out. And, as is always the case, the cast lists include some big names -- among them Matthew Broderick, Mary-Louise Parker, Steven Pasquale, Carmen Cusack, and Tavi Gevinson.

One of the interesting things about WTF in recent years is that it's become a venue to try out works -- either new or revived -- with an eye toward eventually moving them to New York. And this year's lineup include five new works, along with a revival of The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers.

Tickets are currently on sale as multi-show bundles. Reservations for single tickets start April 3.

Without further ado, here's the lineup...

All blurbage from WTF. There will be additional casting announcements, and along with other events, as summer approaches.

June 26-July 14: The Closet
by Douglas Carter Beane
directed by Mark Brokaw
"Martin O'Reilly ([Matthew] Broderick) is stuck in Scranton in a dead-end job, his marriage is over, and his son won't return his calls. His only friend is his eternally optimistic co-worker (Tony nominee Jessica Hecht), who can't bake enough muffins to stave off her romantic longings. When a stranger (Tony nominee Brooks Ashmanskas) sashays into their world, he drags Martin -- and everyone around him -- out of their respective closets."

July 19-August 1: Lempicka
books and lyrics by Carson Kreitzer / music by Matt Gould Carson
directed by Rachel Chavkin
Starring Carmen Cusack. "Fleeing the Russian revolution and leaving behind a world of opulence and wealth, aristocrat Tamara de Lempicka and her beloved husband Tadeusz are forced to make a new life. In the rising tide of fascism, Tamara takes to painting to survive, and when she meets the free-spirited Rafaela (Cusack), a prostitute on the fringes of Parisian society, she's torn between the life she cherishes with her husband and the passion, ambition, and possibility awoken in her by her new muse. Inspired by the life of the artist who transformed herself from penniless refugee to star of the art world when the world itself teetered on chaos, Lempicka looks at the beauty and danger of one painter pursuing it all."

June 27-July 8: The Sound Inside
by Adam Rapp
directed by David Cromer
"Bella Baird ([Mary-Louise] Parker) is an accomplished professor at an Ivy League university who prizes her solitude. But when she faces a challenge she cannot tackle alone, she allies herself with a brilliant and mysterious student. Intensely intimate and deeply moving, this haunting play probes the question of what one person can do for another."

July 11-July 22: Artney Jackson
by James Anthony Tyler
directed by Laura Savia
"Artney Jackson is a devoted mentor, a respected employee at the local cable company, and an enthusiastic teller of "dad jokes." After twenty-five years, he is finally up for promotion: he can almost taste the possibility of becoming a manager. Over the course of one week, Artney's decades-old routine is shattered when his son makes plans to move out of their home, the higher-ups test his resolve to lead, and co-workers show their true colors. Will Artney Jackson overcome the turmoil and rise up?"

July 25-August 4: Seared
by Theresa Rebeck
directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
"Chef Harry (Steven Pasquale) is a genius in the kitchen; his scallops are the "it" dish in Brooklyn. His business partner Mike wants to expand their restaurant, but Harry sees that as selling out. When a shrewd consultant is brought in to make the case for expansion, Harry boils over."

August 5-August 19: The Member of the Wedding
by Carson McCullers
directed by Lila Neugebauer
"On the eve of a family wedding in 1945, housekeeper Berenice Sadie Brown can't calm the nerves of her 12-year-old charge, Frankie (Tavi Gevinson). Berenice has raised Frankie and her cousin John Henry as though they are her own children. But as their companion, playfellow, and mother figure, Berenice is suddenly struggling to protect them from the harsh, racially motivated injustices lurking just outside their Southern home. This cherished American work explores the complicated reality of a thoughtful and hard-working woman caught between two worlds."

August 8-August 19: Dangerous House
by Jen Silverman
directed by Saheem Ali
"Noxolo is an aspiring footballer from Cape Town who moved to London for a fresh start. With the World Cup coming to South Africa and the mounting sense that her ex-lover is in peril, she is pulled back. Will Noxolo risk her safety to unravel the secrets of a life she swore to leave behind?"

images via WTF