“I am thrilled to be able to offer Boston this fantastic mix of shows” said Daigneault in announcing his new season line-up. “First, it is an honor to be presenting the World Premiere of a new comedy written by Kurt Vonnegut and assembled by award-winning playwright Nicky Silver. KURT VONNEGUT’S MAKE UP YOUR MIND is a zany, whimsical, and sardonic romp about our culture’s problem with indecisiveness, chock full of absurd observations and bizarre points of view that are pure Vonnegut.”

“I also look forward to producing the New England premieres of two of the most celebrated plays in recent memory — TRIBES and THE WHALE – as well as the regional premieres of two of the most talked-about musicals of our day — CARRIE and THE COLOR PURPLE.”

“All in all, it will be an incredibly bold, diverse, and entertaining season” he concluded.

Daigneault confirmed that he will take the reins on the THE COLOR PURPLE, with M. Bevin O’Gara directing TRIBES and David R. Gammons helming THE WHALE. Cliff Fannin Baker, the founder and former artistic director of Arkansas Repertory Theatre, will join SpeakEasy to direct KURT VONNEGUT’S MAKE UP YOUR MIND. At press time, a director had not been set for CARRIE.

For more information on SpeakEasy’s 23rd Season or to subscribe, the public can call the SpeakEasy Administrative Office at 617-482-3279 or go online to #.www.speakeasy stage.com.
Subscriptions are available in 4 or 5-play packages, and 4, 5, and 6-ticket Flex Passes.

Groups of 10 or more can place orders now by calling Jim Torres at 617-482-3279.

Single tickets for all shows will go on sale in August.

Robert McLean, Christine Stulik, and Matt Kahler in “The Pirates of Penzance“. Photo by Evgenia Eliseeva

CAMBRIDGE — I have a feeling the boys would approve.
No one has ever turned inspired silliness into high art better than the duo of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, who turned cleverer-than-clever lyrics and pleasant melodies into operettas that charmed audiences in the Victorian era of the late 19th Century and continue to do so today.
When it comes to inspired silliness, this time the Chicago-based theater troupe The Hypocrites have gone them a bit better with their adaptation of “The Pirates of Penzance,” now being presented by the American Repertory Theatre at the Loeb Drama Center through June 2.
This production was first presented at the Oberon, the ART’s second stage, last year as part of the Emerging America Festival, and caught fire, making the decision to bring them back for a mainstage engagement fairly easy.
When you first enter the Loeb, you will feel as if you have wandered into a combination picnic, beach party, and karaoke-type sing-along. The patrons are encouraged to purchase cocktails as part of the experience, and many do.
Before the show, beach balls are everywhere, and The Hypocrites are warming up the crowd with their own versions of rock standards such as the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B.” The male cast members are wearing sneakers and athletic shorts and it’s bathing suits, tutus and whatever for the ladies.
“Pirates” was adapted by The Hypocrites’ artistic director, Sean Graney, and Kevin O’Donnell, while the musical arrangements by O’Donnell and the cast are pretty much Jimmy Buffett meets Gilbert & Sullivan.
The musical accompaniment is also provided by the players as they stroll about, with an eclectic assortment of instruments — guitars, banjo, ukeleles, accordion and clarinet were spotted, in no particular order.
The Hypocrites do get it when it comes to the G&S humor, including Zeke Sultes as Frederic, the nobleman turned pirate turned nobleman, and Rob McLean as the Pirate King. We know this because Rob wears a hat that says “King.”
Christine Stulik is a hoot as the duplicitous Ruth, who has pulled the wool over the eyes of the clueless Frederic. Not all that hard to do, actually.
The plot, of course, has to do with the pirates being very ineffective since, most of them having been orphaned during childhood, they won’t attack other orphans. Suddenly, it seems the entire British merchant marine is populated by orphans. What’s the odds of that?
Mastering the intricate wordplay that Gilbert & Sullivan are famous for is tricky business, indeed, but Matt Kahler is not only the very model of a modern major general, he has truly mastered the tongue-twisting “Major General’s Song,” one of the highlights of any production of “Pirates.”
It all wraps up in a neatly-packaged 80 minutes, and no animals or patrons were harmed during this production.
It is finally spring, and the mood is light. Even lighter is this merry band of “pirates,” out to have a good time and take you along with them.
The Loeb Drama Center presents The Hypocrites’ production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” Libretto by W.WS. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. Adapted by Sean Graney and Kevin O’Donnell. Directed by Sean Graney. www.amrep.org.

Diego Klock-Perez as Usnavi (center) in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of IN THE HEIGHTS, extended now thru June 16 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End. Tix/Info: 617-933-8600 or http://www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo.

 BOSTON — If you were able to harness all the energy in the theater, it would light the city of Boston for a week.
As it is, the roof in the Roberts Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion of the Boston Center for the Arts is being raised five days a week with the Speakeasy Stage Company‘s production of the Tony Award-winning musical “In The Heights.”
The energy and enthusiasm of youth melded with more seasoned actors is the recipe for success. Students from the Boston Conservatory — also known as the development league for Broadway — man some key roles in the show, which takes place over three days around the July 4 holiday a close-knit Latino neighborhood in the Washington Heights neighborhood in Manhattan, in the northernmost reaches of the borough.
Much of the show is based on the memories of composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, with a book by Quera Alegria Hudes,
In an interview, Miranda said he was a fan of musicals growing up. He was especially inspired when he saw “Rent,” and there are faint echoes of Jonathan Larsen’s masterpiece in his work — even in the African-American character of Benny in his show. “rent” also had an African-American character named Benny.

Santina Umbach and Jared Dixon share a moment on the fire escape in a scene from the SpeakEasy Stage Company production of IN THE HEIGHTS, Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo.

There are eclectic and engaging characters all around Miranda’s neighborhood.
Usnavi (Diego Klock-Perez) reluctantly runs a bodega that he inherited from his parents, who died when he was very young, but it also holds him prisoner because it limits his ability to move around and perhaps someday return to his native Dominican Republic.
He speaks in a freestyle rap — “the poet laureate of 183rd Street” — and dreams of being with the glamorous Vanessa (Alessandra Valea), who works at Daniela’s hair salon but longs to escape the barrio and her alcoholic mother.
Usnavi also looks out for his younger cousin Sonny (Jorge Barranco), a young, brash, funny but still insecure boy who looks up to his cousin.
Abuela Claudia (Carolyn Saxon) is everyone’s grandmother in the barrio and she helped raise Usnavi after the death of his parents. She comes into a windfall that has the potential to changes the lives of several people in the barrio.
Speakeasy Artistic Director Paul Daigneault, who directed this production, teamed with local director/choreographer Larry Sousa to create a show that is constantly in motion with a variety of Latin rhythms.
The show’s central character Nina Rosario (Santina Umbach) has won a scholarship to Stanford, and she has carried with her on the plane to California the hopes and dreams of the entire neighborhood.
But now she has returned home after leaving school, and father Kevin (Tony Castellanos), who operates a struggling car service, is upset at both her leaving school without telling her parents and her continuing relationship with Benny (Jared Dixon), who works for her father and whose dream is to open his own business some day.
As Nina, Santina projects sweetness and innocence of a young girl used to doing the right thing, as well as the strength and independence to chart her own course in life.
Sweet-voiced Anthony Alfaro is the Piragua Guy, the shaved-ice entrepreneur constantly trying to stay one step ahead of Mr. Softy.
Miranda’s score has a distinct salsa flavor, but Miranda has shown the requisite touch with the ballads such as Nina‘s “Everything I Know.”
“In The Heights” is a family musical at heart. Family is important, and the characters care about each other and their neighborhood, their dreams, and each other’s dreams.
Nicholas James Connell as emerged as one of the finest young music directors in the area.  He is comfortable with different genres and styles, and he and his crew keep beat the beat going all the way to the end — and then some.
With its dancing, singing and heartfelt portrayals, “In The Heights” hits the heights.
The Speakeasy Stage Company production of the musical “In The Heights.” Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Allegria Hudes. Directed by Paul Daigneault. Choreography by Larry Sousa. At the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts through June 16. http://www.speakeasystage.com

Zachary Eisenstat, John Ambrosino, and Phil Tayler in “On The Town.” Photo by Mark S. Howard.

BOSTON — Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos has always found a way to fit large-scale musicals such as “1776,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Follies” into his intimate theater atop the YWCA on Clarendon Street
A year ago, “Avenue Q” was breaking box office records at the Lyric Stage Company, eventually reaping a passel of awards.
Now comes the Lyric’s annual “spring musical” and you wonder what just how many huge production numbers and assorted choreographic miracles Veloudos and co-conspirator (and choreographer) Ilyse Robbins can shoehorn into the theater.
The short answer: quite a few. The Lyric Stage’s production of the musical “On The Town” brims with energy and enthusiasm, fine singing and dancing, and clever and effective staging.
The music, of course, is by the incomparable Leonard Bernstein, the lyrics and book by the team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on Jerome Robbins and Bernstein’s ballet “Fancy Free.”
It is wartime New York City — 1944 — and three sailors have 24 hours leave in the city, and they aim to make the most of them. They all have big plans, those plans are derailed when Gabey (John Ambrosino) is smitten after seeing a picture of the reigning Miss Turnstiles, Ivy Smith (Lauren Gemelli) and sets off on a mission to find her and meet her.
Ozzie (Phil Tayler) and Gabey (Zachary Eisenstadt) join in the hunt, an the trio are off and running across a pastiche of NYC iconic landmarks.
But while looking for Ivy, Chip gets sidetracked, involved with a very welcoming cab driver named Hildy (Michele A. DeLuca) and Ozzie takes up with an anthropologist at the Museum of Natural History named Claire de Loon (Aimee Doherty), who is game for adventure despite being engaged to Judge Pitkin W. Bridgework (J.T. Turner). Turner steals several scenes as the much-put-upon older man with two simple words — “I understand” — always spoken at a time he shouldn’t, as Claire and the boys lead Pitkin on a merry chase around the city.
There are nice comic turns by Sarah deLima as Madam Maude P. Dilly, Ivy’s long-suffering mentor, and Robbins as Lucy Schmeeler, Hildy’s sniffling roommate who also gets involved with the boys.
“New York, New York” is an instantly recognizable production number and gets the show off to a rousing start — keep those feet out of the aisles or you might trip someone — and Ambrosino as Gabey has a voice born to sing such beautiful ballads as “Lonely Town” and “Lucky to be Me.”
Eisenstadt contributes athletic, acrobatic dancing as Ozzie and Tayler (Chip) is a fine comic actor who has enjoyed a series of recent successes.
As with several of his shows — most notably “Nicholas Nickleby” — Veloudos has made “On The Town” a Full Employment Act for local talent, cutting no corners along the way.
Robbins, a nonpareil choreographer who also did the musical staging, has also been winning plaudits as a director, and she and Veloudos together are a formidable team.
The production values are up to the Lyric’s exacting standards. Johnathan Goldberg’s music direction is full and lively, giving full body to Bernstein’s work, and Janie Howland’s scenic design is clever and effective, whether it’s suggesting the subway or a NYC nightclub. Scott Clyve’s lighting and Seaghan McKay’s projections add to the overall effect.
There are some nice added touches, including a huge cut-out of Eisenstadt, Ambrosino and Tayler in the lobby, meant to resemble the iconic poster of the movie version of “On The Town,“ that featured Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin.
The days are longer, and the sun is out. Spring is in the air, and there is a spring in the step of every dancer who’s “On The Town.”
The Lyric Stage Company of Boston production of the musical “On The Town.” Music by Leonard Bernstein, book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, based on an idea by Jerome Robbins. Directed by Spiro Veloudos, choreography and musical staging by Ilyse Robbins. Through June 8 at the Lyric Stage Company, 140 Clarendon St., Boston. http://www.lyricstage.com.

Stacy Fischer (Mama) & Nael Nacer (Dad) in Lisa Loomer’s
DISTRACTED, directed by Wesley Savick, performing through June 2 at
Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. Photo: A.R. Sinclair Photography.

CAMBRIDGE — It’s not funny, but the way it is presented is.
The medical condition Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) — or, as it is now more commonly known now, Attention Hyperactive Deficit Disorder (AHDD) — is at the center of Lisa Loomer’s 2007 comedy “Distracted,” now being presented through June 2 at the Central Square Theatre in a co-production between the Underground Railway Theatre and the Catalyst Collabrorative@MIT, the theatrical partnership that has shown great promise in recent years.
“Distracted” is one of the better shows of the 2012-13 theater season, combining Loomer’s engaging, funny writing and the efforts of an excellent cast. It is an incisive, provocative look at a society in which we are all somewhat distracted, and what happens when that distraction reaches troublesome levels — and affects relationships.
As “Distracted” opens, Mama (Stacy Fischer) is meditating at a frenzied pace — talk about a mixed metaphor — to get finished before son Jesse wakes up and begins his day.
Alec Shiman is one of two actors playing Jesse, and you won’t see Shiman until the final moments, but you will hear him. Boy, will you hear him. He will demand, cajole, plead — and swear.
At a tender age, he is a master of obscenities, much to the dismay of his teacher, Mrs. Holly (Michelle Dowd), who advises Mama to get professional help because Jesse’s behavior — she labels it ADD — has left him with no friends and is leading to problems in school.
Fischer as Mama becomes a pinball, careening from one medical professional to another, encountering neighbors who are “distracted” in their own way, as well as dealing with a husband (Nael Nacer) who is very reluctant to acknowledge any problems with his son — “Can’t a boy be a boy?” — and who, himself, may also suffer from AHDD, and who may feel that his wife’s concerns are also a reflection on him.
In any family, the problems of the child are visited on the parents, and when a child is suffering, so are the parents — and their relationship.
The possible causes for Jesse’s condition — environmental toxins, food additives — are brought into the conversation.
The decisions are dizzying and many. Whether to try drugs, homeopathic therapy or behavior modification? What are the side effects of the drugs? What about the statistics that show kids afflicted have difficulties in school, a multitude of problems outside of school, and that 60 percent suffer from other maladies besides ADD?
Then there’s the troubled babysitter Natalie (Katie Ellinoff) who’s “cutting” herself, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, forcing Fischer to wonder if she’s putting her child at risk by even allowing her to babysit him.
There are a host of excellent performances supporting Fischer, including Nacer, the recent winner of an IRNE Award for “Our Town,” the oft-brilliant Steven Barkimer, appearing with script in hand (“Do you think I could remember my lines without Ritalin? I have to remember four parts.”); URT Artistic Director Debra Wise as a sympathetic physician and Kerry Dowling and April Pressel as well-meaning but clueless neighbors.
The modern but somewhat sterile set by Sara Brown sets the action in the middle of the theater, and the production benefits greatly from the lighting and projections of Bozkurt “Bozzy” Karasu and David Remedios’ sound, all of which combine to give us a clear picture of the various ways we are all distracted.
There are many laughs mixed in with the pain and tears, and at the end there is hope, but there is one moment that will especially stay with you if your child has this type of problem, when the parents heartbreakingly plead “I want a normal child.”
We don’t know if they will ever get their wish. Or, given the state of our media-driven, “distracted” society, what “normal” actually is anymore.
The Underground Railway Theatre and Catalyst Collaborative@MIT production of Lisa Loomer’s “Distracted.” Directed by Wesley Savick. At the Central Square Theatre, Massachusetts Avenue, through June 2. Centralsquaretheater.org

Todd Licea, Charlie Kevin, and Will LeBow in MRT’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Photo: Meaghan Moore

LOWELL — There will be blood shed — maybe not literally but figuratively — when jobs and a Cadillac are the prizes in a cruel competition among 1984 Chicago real estate salesmen in David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Glengarry Glen Ross,” now through May 19 at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
Yes, there are prizes to be had in the sales race, but the losers will get the unkindest cut of all — the bottom two salesman will be let go.
So there is blood in the water as the competition nears its end. Shelley Levene (Will LeBow) — a salesman once so efficient and deadly he was nicknamed “The Machine” — is not even “on the board” in the race — he hasn’t closed a deal — and is now a desperate man willing to do anything to get his hands on the “hot leads,” the names and addresses of likely customers for the low-end real estate the company is selling.
He wheedles and cajoles Williamson (David Adkins), the sales manager trusted to distribute the leads to those he thinks deserves them.
But Shelley is in a self-admitted “cold streak,” with clients pulling out of deals and other assorted bad luck, hasn’t closed a deal in a while, and he’s forced to beg and plead with Williamson, who cooly rebuffs Levene at first and then arranges a deal that will line his own pockets at Levene’s expense.
But Levene’s not the only one who wants those leads, and is willing to do almost anything to get them. Moss (Charlie Kevin) and Aaronow (Jim Ortlieb), two other salesman who are being left in the dust in the sales race by the hot shot Roma (Todd Licea), are unhappy and with their situation in life, and are scheming to feather or even make a deal with the competition. Aaronow in particular is a lost soul.
“Glengarry”
Mamet’s pointed, profane dialogue makes his characters so real they seem to jump off the stage at you. As Mamet has noted and exploited, people — especially when they get excited — tend to speak in short bursts and sentence fragments instead of complete sentences, interrupting each other, arguing, never quite completing a thought.
While LeBow et al are just fine, the performance of the evening is Todd Licca’s as Roma, a handsome salesman with true grace and cunning, able to turn a simple “chance” encounter at a Chinese restaurant into a sales call, and then springing the trap like a human Venus Fly Trap.
In the second act, you can’t take your eyes off Licea as Roma tries to reel back in a client named Jim Lingk (Jeremiah Wiggins) as he attempts to desperately wriggle off the hook.
Levene helps out in playing a happy client but Williamson’s entrance and inopportune slip of the tongue helps Lingk slip away.
“You didn’t know the shot!” Levene screams at Williamson.
The second act appears to be a chance for redemption for Levene — “I got my balls back,” he exults at one point — but Joel Colodner as a dogged police detective will enter the scene to investigate the break-in that was hinted at in the first act. It will all play out, and there will be no happy ending — not even for the so-called “winners” such as Roma.
Bill Clarke’s set includes a first-act Chinese restaurant and a chaotic , burglarized office in the second act — an office so chaotic that it reminded me greatly of a newspaper office that I worked in for almost 30 years.
Director Charles Towers expertly orchestrates his talented ensemble, and the result is a most satisfying coda to MRT’s 2013-14 season.
The Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Directed by Charles Towers At the Nancy Donahue Theatre through May 19. http://www.mrt.org

BOSTON — Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Free Shakespeare On The Common is one of Greater Boston’s most beloved traditions.
For their 18th annual season, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is excited to present the comedy “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” from July 6 – 28, 2013.
Directed by the company’s Artistic Director Steven Maler, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” tells the tale of two friends who leave their hometown of Verona to find their happy fortunes in Milan. Instead, they find temptation, trickery, and trouble as they vie for favor with the high-society Duke… and his debutante daughter. All are drawn into a web of disguise and secrecy where the last thing anyone wants is for the truth to surface – least of all the dog. Inspired by Rat Pack-era Vegas – the glamour, the hedonism, and the morning after agonies – the production brings new meaning to the line “what happens in Milan, stays in Milan.”
The performance schedule is July 6 at 8pm; July 7 at 7pm; July 8-12 at 8pm; July 14-15 at 8:30pm; July 17 at 8:30pm; July 18 at 1pm; July 21 at 7pm; July 23-26 at 8pm; July 27 at 2pm & 8pm; and July 28 at 7pm. Free and open to the public.
For reserved lawn chairs and to learn more go online at http://www.commshakes.org. (According to Maler, “For Two Gentlemen of Verona. we have assembled a stellar design team. Beowulf Boritt returns to CSC to design the set. His recent credits Broadway credits include Chaplin and the Paul Rudd/Michael Shannon play Grace, and If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet starring Jake Gyllenhaal at New York’s Roundabout Theater Company. Eric Southern (lighting) and Nancy Leary (costumes), whose exquisite work on ‘The Last Will’ were universally praised, return to CSC this summer. And longtime collaborator J Hagenbuckle returns to design sound.”
Beowulf Boritt designed A Midsummer Night’s Dream for CSC in 2007. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Tony Nomination), Chaplin, Grace, Rock Of Ages, Sondheim On Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , LoveMusik, The Two And Only. Off- Broadway: More than 50 shows including The Last Five Years, Toxic Avenger, If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet, Miss Julie, at Roundabout, Public, MTC, 2nd Stage, Vineyard, MCC, Primary Stages, New Group, Pearl, American Place, and Keen Company. Other Designs: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Ballet) Paradise Found (London), Reel to Real (Beijing) and two editions of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He also received a 2007 OBIE Award.
J Hagenbuckle (Sound Designer) is a freelance sound designer and composer. He was in residence for ten seasons with CSC from 1999 through 2008 and has worked with Steve Maler on many other theater projects. He designed sound for Jackie: An American Life on Broadway, for numerous Off Broadway and NYC theaters, regional theaters including twelve years with TheaterWorks Hartford and seven years with The Berkshire Theater Festival. He has worked with many Boston theater companies as well. J is the first sound designer to receive an NEA/TCG Designer Grant, the first sound designer to receive an Elliott Norton Award and the first person to receive an MFA in Sound Design from Brandeis University.
Eric Southern is a New York based lighting and set designer. Most recently his work on The Secret Agent (Sam Helfrich director) was seen at the Avignon Opera House and as part of the Armel International Opera Festival in Szeged Hungary. Other recent credits include Die Fledermaus with director Dorothy Danner at Virginia Opera, Coriolanus, and Robert Brustein’s The Last Will with director Steve Maler, Bruja and The Other Place with director Loretta Greco at the Magic Theater, Cymbeline and Venus in Fur at Portland Center Stage, The Last 5 Years with director Leah Gardiner at Crossroads Theater, The History of Kisses with director David Cale at Kansas City Rep, a fully staged version of Handel’s Messiah with director Sam Helfrich at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming projects include Good Television at the Atlantic Stage 2, and a new evening length dance piece with Susan Marshall Dance Company that will premier at BAM, UCLA, and The Kennedy Center.
Nancy Leary (Costume Designer) has a theatrical career that spans two decades. She had designed costumes for Pittsburgh Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Juillard Opera, and Boston Musica Viva. Nancy has also designed costumes for the regional premier of Permanent Collection which won an Elliot Norton Award and Into The Woods which produced an acclaimed IRNE award for Costume Design, both shows produced by New Repertory Theatre. Other design credits include; Shakespeare Theatre New Jersey, Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., Weston Playhouse, Actor’s Shakespeare Project, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, North Shore Music Theatre, ART Institute, Chamber Repertory Theatre, Boston Theatre Works, and Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Current projects include A Magic Flute for Boston Lyric Opera and Ariadne auf Neoxis for Virginia Opera. Nancy also teaches in the Production and Design Department at Boston University School of Theatre.

Diane Paulus

The season lineup is as follows:
• “All the Way” – by Robert Schenkkan, (author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Kentucky Cycle), directed by Bill Rauch (Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival); begins performances in September 2013 at the Loeb Drama Center
• “The Heart of Robin Hood” – by David Farr (Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company), directed by Gisli Örn Gardarsson (co-adapter, director, and lead actor of Metamorphosis, Vestuport and Lyric Hammersmith Theatres); begins performances in December 2013 at the Loeb Drama Center
• The Light Princess – a family show for the holidays with book by Lila Rose Kaplan; music and lyrics by Mike Pettry; directed by Allegra Libonati; begins performances in December 2013
• Witness Uganda – a world premiere musical by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews, directed by Diane Paulus; begins performances in February 2014 at the Loeb Drama Center
• The Shape She Makes – conceived by Susan Misner and Jonathan Bernstein, choreographed by Susan Misner; written and directed by Jonathan Bernstein; begins performances in April 2014 at OBERON
• The Tempest – adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller (of Penn & Teller) from Shakespeare’s play; magic by Teller; music by Tom Waits; begins performances in May 2014 at the Loeb Drama Center
“Each season we look for pieces that will catalyze engagement with our community,” stated Diane Paulus. “It is particularly exciting to be able to produce work that represents a wide range of styles and form, featuring the most exciting performers and creative visionaries in the field. The power of this season is the range of work that takes us from Shakespeare, interpreted by one of the greatest magicians of our time, to a brilliant new play that deals with American politics, a dance piece that challenges the conventions of traditional storytelling, a re-envisioning of an English legend that moves the focus from the hero to the heroine, to a new musical that takes on the complicated nature of American aid work in Africa.”
Paulus continued, “I am thrilled to have the A.R.T. present this diverse spectrum of projects that so powerfully reflect our core mission of expanding the boundaries of theater.”
For further information call 617-547-8300 or visit americanrepertorytheater.org