CHESTER -- Chester Theatre Company will present its 22nd season, "CLASSIC STORIES/ CONTEMPORARY VOICES", from July 6th though August 28th 2011, featuring contemporary American plays adapted from or inspired by classic works of world literature. Single tickets and Season Subscriptions are available online at www.ChesterTheatre.org and by phone at 1-800-595-4TIX.
"I'm really excited about the concept behind this year's slate of plays," said CTC Artistic Director Byam Stevens, "the classics continue to inspire the writers of today, so we're presenting a season of classic works re-imagined by contemporary American playwrights. Our audience will get something familiar -- masterpieces by Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Henry James, Christopher Marlowe -- and something new -- exciting, fresh renderings from today's best writers."
"This ambitious season," says CTC Board Chair Cipora Brown Feiner, "is made possible by a remarkable second half to 2010 - the record-breaking last two weeks of The Nibroc Trilogy combined with the generosity of our friends and donors allowed us to finish the year with an operating surplus, no mean feat in these economic times. We look forward to continuing the trend in 2011!"
The season opens on July 6th with the East Coast Premiere of pride@prejudice, Jane Austen's classic novel with added material adapted, edited and compiled by Daniel Elihu Kramer. Five actors play over thirty roles in this witty, new version which celebrates Austen's timeless romance as it is known and loved, but also adds other voices - bloggers, commentators, scholars, even Jane Austen herself. Kramer's deconstruction of one of the world's most popular love stories not only delivers all the delightful twists and turns of the novel's plot, it looks at our love affair with reading and, in particular, this extraordinary book. The Columbus Dispatch raved about the premiere of pride@prejudice: "I can't think of another work in my 24-plus years as a critic that has displayed so much promise... playful yet respectful, inventive, often inspired, Kramer's delightful adaptation works on many levels... such a graceful and witty condensation seems destined to be celebrated across the country." The production, to be directed by CTC newcomer Ron Bashford, will run July 6-17.
The New England Premiere of Fyodor Dostoyesvsky's Crime and Punishment, in a new adaptation by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, offers a complete change of pace. In a thrilling new version of one of the most famous murder mysteries ever written, Raskolnikov re-enacts the events that drove him first to a horrible crime and then to a search for redemption. This Joseph Jefferson award-winning adaptation is simultaneously an electrifying journey into the mind of a killer, a cat-and-mouse detective story and a tale of overpowering love for a fallen woman. The New York Times proclaimed: "In a feat that rivals the construction of the Hoover Dam, Crime and Punishment has been distilled into a taut 90-minute play... remarkably absorbing." The Chicago Sun-Times agreed: "Stunningly lean, taut and emotionally searing." CTC veteran Sheila Siragusa will direct the production that runs July 20-31.
When a young governess is dispatched to a remote house in the country, little does she know of her predecessor's tragic fate. And if she did, little would she imagine that the ghost of Miss Jessel now haunts the premises. Jeffrey Hatcher, one of America's most admired contemporary playwrights, has taken The Turn of the Screw, Henry James' provocative tale of suspense, horror and repressed sexuality and added a turn of his own. His two actor adaptation employs a spellbinding coup-de theatre - all the denizens of Bly House who interact with the young governess are played by one actor, thereby asking the audience to decide whether the ghosts are real or the product of her fevered imagination. The New York Times marveled at "A dazzling act of imagination," adding, "Mr. Hatcher has pushed James' clever turn to its furthest degree." Daniel Elihu Kramer will direct this compelling psychological thriller that redefines what it means to be haunted. The production runs August 3-14.
The season comes to a close with Wittenberg (A Tragical-Comical-Historical in Two Acts) by David Davalos. Set in 1517 at the University of Wittenberg, Davalos' clever, hip and ambitious comedy provides the back-story to Shakespeare's Hamlet, Marlowe's Dr. Faustus and even the Protestant Reformation. The play opens with Hamlet's return from a summer of study in Poland, where he's been exposed to Copernicus' revolutionary scientific theory. The result? Now he's struggling with his faith and his tennis game. He turns to two Wittenberg professors for guidance: John Faustus (philosophy) and Martin Luther (theology). Their battle for Hamlet's soul wittily resurrects the never-ending conflict between Reason and Faith. Davalos' dazzling wordplay, deep humor and light handling of serious concepts will delight Tom Stoppard fans. The Washington Post praised Wittenberg as "A cocktail of brainy allusions, absurdist plot twists and sly wordplay." Directed by Byam Stevens, the production will run from August 17-28.
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ABOUT CHESTER THEATRE COMPANY
Chester Theatre Company, a professional theatre company located in the foothills of the Berkshires, produces 4-5 plays each summer and fall, performed by top-flight actors, directors and designers from across the country. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Byam Stevens, CTC has earned a reputation for producing the best in contemporary theatre, with CTC productions consistently winning top honors with area critics. CTC productions have also gone on to Off Broadway engagements and regional, national, and international tours. [More About CTC]
CTC performances are supported, in part, by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Local Cultural Councils of Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell, Westfield, and Worthington.
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