Download a PDF of the Program
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BRILLIANT CLASSIC COMEDY TARTUFFEBY TRANSLATED BY MOLIÈRE RANJIT BOLT DIRECTED BY PETER DUBOIS AVENUENOV.10-DEC.10 OF THE ARTS HUNTINGTON AVENUE THEATRE CONTENTS NOVEMBER–DECEMBER2017 7 THE PROGRAM 10 COMEDY FROM CHAOS: TARTUFFE IN CONTEXT PLUS: 04 Backstage by Olivia J. Kiers and Natasha Bonfield 10 Nile Hawver 14 About the Company 34 Patron Services 35 Emergency Exits 39 Guide to Local Theatre 44 Boston Dining Guide 46 Dining Out: Top of the Hub theatrebill STAFF President/Publisher: Tim Montgomery Publishing services are provided by Theatrebill, a pub- lication of New Venture Media Group LLC, publisher of Art Director: Scott Roberto Panorama: The Official Guide to Boston, 560 Harrison Assistant Art Director: Laura Jarvis Ave., Suite 412, Boston, MA 02118, 857-366-8131. Editorial Assistant: Olivia J. Kiers FIRE NOTICE: The exit indicated by a red light and Vice President Publishing: Rita A. Fucillo sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest Vice President Advertising: Jacolyn Ann Firestone route to the street. In the event of fire or other emer- Senior Account Executive: Annie Farrell gencies do not run—WALK TO THAT EXIT. Chief Operating Officer: Tyler J. Montgomery To advertise in Theatrebill, call 857-366-8131 or Business Manager: Melissa J. O’Reilly e-mail [email protected]. Before you power off your Play a leading phone and enjoy the show, role in the fi ght please take a few seconds to help save a life. Make a gift to against cancer support Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. Dana-Farber.org/Lead Corinne, 17, a patient in Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 3 AGCYE187891_Playbill_Ad.indd 1 10/18/17 4:25 PM BACKSTAGE BEHIND THE SCENES IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL THEATRE BY OLIVIA J. KIERS AND NATASHA BONFIELD DYNAMIC DUO: The Huntington Theatre Company recently announced MJ Halberstadt (above left) and Brenda Withers as Huntington Playwriting Fellows for 2017–2019. Huntington’s New Playwriting Around My Finger, which was produced by Fellows Have the Write Stuff Portland Stage last spring. “Brenda and MJ are In September, Huntington Theatre Company both natural fits for the fellows program,” said announced two Huntington Playwriting Huntington’s director of new work, Charles Fellows for 2017–2019, MJ Halberstadt and Haugland. “Brenda’s tremendous gift for creat- Brenda Withers. During the two-year term, ing surprising and emotional arcs for actors and each fellow receives an honorarium, partici- MJ’s sharp eye for mixing humor and cultural pates in writers’ collective meetings, attends critique make each of their plays so compelling. Huntington productions and events, and ben- I am excited to welcome them both into this efits from access to the Huntington’s artistic community of artists.” Visit huntingtontheatre.org staff and resources. Program alumni continue for more information. to have access to even more developmental opportunities, including the Breaking Ground New Head of Guerilla Opera Festival of New Work. Announced Both playwrights have already assembled Guerilla Opera, the contemporary opera com- impressive resumes. Halberstadt, a found- pany and Ensemble-in-Residence at Boston ing member of Boston’s Bridge Repertory Conservatory at Berklee, hired award-winning Theater, received the 2016 Elliot Norton photographer and television producer Clive Award for Outstanding New Script for The Grainger as its new executive manager in Launch Prize, and Withers—who co-wrote September. Previously, the public face of the Matt & Ben with TV’s Mindy Kaling—won company was general manager and co-founding the 2015 Portland Stage Clauder Prize and artist Aliana de la Guardia, who steered Guerilla Theatre Communications Group’s Edgerton Opera through its first 10 seasons, producing no Foundation New Play Award in 2016 for String fewer than 14 world premiere operas. 4 TARTUFFE BACKSTAGE(continued) Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Brecht wrote in the Grainger worked for BBC Television in London 1930s while in exile, for 10 years before relocating to Boston, where the play—directed he has lived for the past two decades. Grainger by CSC found- has extensive stage management experience, hav- ing artistic director ing worked with the Boston Early Music Festival, Steven Maler—viv- Boston Baroque, Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, and idly portrays what Wheelock Family Theatre. “I have been impressed life was like in REACHING FOR THE by Guerilla Opera’s adventurous mission, its artistic German house- STARS: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company integrity and the opportunities it offers to challenge holds during the rise artistic director Steven both artists and audiences,” Grainger said. “I am of the Nazi state. Maler (left) takes the helm honored to work with the company as it enters Since Theatre in the for his company’s staged reading of Fear and Misery its second decade and seeks to grow and develop, Rough performances in the Third Reich, starring bringing more exciting repertoire to the city and limit costumes and Tony Shalhoub (center) region.” Go to guerillaopera.org for more information. stage sets, this pro- and Brooke Adams (right). duction truly shines Stars Shine at CSC’s a spotlight on the text and the actors’ interpreta- Theatre in the Rough tion of it. The company certainly aims to impress On November 13 at Babson College in with its choice of actors: Fear and Misery in the Wellesley, Commonwealth Shakespeare Third Reich features big names Tony Shalhoub Company (CSC) mounts a special staged read- (“Monk”) and Brooke Adams (Invasion of the ing of Bertolt Brecht’s Fear and Misery in the Body Snatchers), who also performed in CSC’s Third Reichfor its Theatre in the Rough series. 2014 presentation of Samuel Beckett’s Happy An amalgamation of 16 interconnected vignettes Days. For tickets, visit commshakes.org. WHAT’S ON STAGE in November Our picks for the hottest plays and musicals on local stages this month THE COLOR PURPLE JULIUS CAESAR SHUBERT THEATRE ACTORS’ SHAKESPEARE PROJECT November 21–December 3 November 15–December 17 Winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, this This production puts a twist on Shakespeare’s famed politi- production arrives straight from Broadway. Follow Celie’s cal tragedy, taking place in a futuristic parallel universe and journey of self-discovery in a story as heart-warming as it performed by an all-female cast. Boston favorite Marianna is heart-wrenching. Refer to listing, page 39. Bassham (Constellations) stars as Marc Antony. Refer to listing, page 41. THE 39 STEPS MOONBOX PRODUCTIONS ELF THE MUSICAL November 17–December 9 WANG THEATRE IRNE Award-winning November 28–December 10 director Allison Olivia Based on the beloved 2003 Choat leads this madcap film, the touring Broadway comedy based on the production of this family- beloved Hitchcock film. friendly musical promises Four actors play 150 festive fun, with former characters in a hilarious “Cheers” star George Wendt tale of murder, spies, (pictured) reprising his role and absurd mystery. as Santa. Refer to listing, Refer to listing, page 42. page 39. Joan Marcus HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY 5 S RT TON TRE E A G TH TIN F THEAANYUE O N HUN VE MP A SOUTH END CO & A draft rendering of the proposed second floor lobby of the Huntington Avenue Theatre East Wing - Second Floor “Boston’s Living Room” Huntington Theatre Company HUNTINGTON PLANS ON EXPANSIVE NEW PUBLICBruner/Cott Architects SPACE FOR HUNTINGTON AVENUE THEATRE September 2017 Welcome to the Huntington Avenue Theatre, now solely controlled by the Huntington Theatre Company, where we will produce world-class theatre and present other great companies for generations to come. The Huntington Theatre Company the new second floor lobby will feature is embarking on extensive plans to comfortable seating areas that will be renovate and expand our beautiful open to the public throughout the day, a theatre, increasing the services we bar and pub food, and a flexible space for provide to audiences, artists, and the additional programming such as intimate Greater Boston community. concerts and presentations. And of course, we’ll have plenty of new restrooms! Our commercial development partners QMG Huntington LLC plan to construct a Huntington Artistic Director Peter residential apartment building next door DuBois refers to our new expansive to the theatre, which will include space lobby space as “Boston’s living room,” for a restaurant and retail, as well as a saying that these new spaces will make new two-story entrance and a 14,000 the refurbished Huntington Avenue square foot public lobby space for the Theatre a true gathering space for Huntington Avenue Theatre. artists, audiences, and the community we serve. “When the Huntington built The proposed new entrance to the theatre the Calderwood Pavilion in the South will lead to our ticketing services office, as End, it quickly became the heart of the well as a café open to patrons, artists, and neighborhood, and we now have the the community all day long. As depicted incredible opportunity to repeat that above in a preliminary interior rendering, success on the Avenue of the Arts.” For the latest news and information about the Huntington Avenue Theatre, please visit huntingtontheatre.org/FAQ. 6 TARTUFFE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY AVENUE OF THE ARTS & SOUTH END PETER DUBOIS AlexanderScenic Dodge Design NORMA JEAN CALDERWOOD TARTUFFE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Translated by Ranjit Bolt Directed by Peter DuBois MICHAEL MASO by MANAGING DIRECTOR Costume Design Molière Anita Yavich Choreographer Daniel Pelzig Flying Flyingby