This summer Gloucester Stage plans to celebrate the memory of two great voices of American theatre, Arthur Miller and Wendy Wasserstein, to pay tribute to world renowned playwright Samuel Becket on the 100th anniversary of his birthday and to stage two world premieres: Gloucester Stage Artistic Director and internationally-acclaimed playwright Israel Horovitz’s latest work and up and coming new playwright and composer Barry Wyner’s world premiere musical. Following the summer season Gloucester will extend performances through the fall and holiday season with special programming geared to young people and families.
GLOUCESTER STAGE 2006
SUMMER PLAYPASS SEASON
June 15-July 2
The Heidi Chronicles
by Wendy Wasserstein
Gloucester Stage presents The Heidi Chronicles in memory of playwright Wendy Wasserstein. This humorous journey to the idealism of the 1960’s, the feminism of the 1970’s and the materialism of the 1980’s has received numerous awards including The Pulitzer Prize, The Tony Award and The New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The performance schedule is Thursday, June 15 through Saturday, June 17 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, June 21 through Saturday, June 24 and Wednesday, June 28 through Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m.; Saturday matinees on June 17, June 24 and July 1 at 3 p.m. and Sunday performances on June 18, June 25 and July 2 at 5 p.m.
July 6’July 16
Happy Days
by Samuel Beckett, featuring Nancy E. Carroll
In honor of the 100th Anniversary of Samuel Beckett’s birthday, Gloucester Stage presents a limited engagement of two weeks only of acclaimed Boston actress Nancy E. Carroll in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days. Rockport resident Nancy E. Carroll appeared at Gloucester Stage in last season’s hit production of My Old Lady, the Elliot Norton Award winning Collected Stories, Spinning Into Butter and First Love. The performance schedule for Happy Days is Thursday, July 6 through Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, July 12 through Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m.; Saturday matinees on July 8 and July 15 at 3 p.m. & Sunday performances on July 9 and July 16 at 5 p.m.
July 20’August 6
The Price
by Arthur Miller, featuring Sol Frieder
Gloucester Stage presents The Price as a tribute to late playwright Arthur Miller. This smart and moving work features Broadway, television and film star Sol Frieder as Solomon. The performance schedule is Thursday, July 20 through Saturday, July 22 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, July 26 through Saturday, July 29 and Wednesday, August 2 through Saturday, August 5 at 8 p.m.; a Wednesday matinee on July 26 at 3 p.m.; Saturday matinees on July 22, July 29 and August 5 at 3 p.m. and Sunday performances on July 23 and August 6 at 5 p.m.
August 10-August 27
The Secret of Mme. Bonnard’s Bath
by Israel Horovitz
World Premiere
A museum guard realizes, to his horror, that an old man is actually adding fresh paint to a Pierre Bonnard painting. The guard grapples with the old man, screaming, “You fool! That is a Pierre Bonnard!” To which the old man replies, “I am Pierre Bonnard, and I’ve had a fresh idea about my painting.” So begins Israel Horovitz’s stylish, inventive drama about the French symbolist painter Pierre Bonnard, and the mystery of why Bonnard created hundreds of images of his wife in the bath. Three actors play 20 roles in this grandly romantic, often shocking biography of the artist. The performance schedule for Israel Horovitz’s world premiere is Thursday, August 10 through Saturday, August 12 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, August 16 through Saturday, August 19 and Wednesday August 23 through Saturday, August 26 at 8 p.m.; Saturday matinees on August 12, August 19 and August 26 at 3 p.m. and Sunday performances on August 13, August 20 and August 27 at 5 p.m.
August 31-September 17
Calvin Berger
by Barry Wyner
World Premiere
Winner of the 2005 Jerry Bock Award, this witty and hip new musical resets the tale of Cyrano de Bergerac in an American high school. The insecure hero, Calvin Berger, communicates with his dream girl through a handsome classmate. The final production of the Summer playpass season, this new musical was written by a fresh voice in American theatre, Barry Wyner, who is a native of Peabody, Massachusetts. The performances are August 31 through September 17 on Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. on September 2, September 9 and September 16 and Sunday performances at 5 p.m. on September 3, September 10 September 17.
FALL EVENT
September 21-October 8
The Diary of Anne Frank
by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett, adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Experience the inspirational power of the notes of one young girl in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland in Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of this remarkable story. The Diary of Anne Frank performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. on September 21 through September 23, September 28 through September 30 and October 5 through October 7; Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. on September 23, September 30 and October 7 and Sunday matinees at 5 p.m. on September 24, October 1 and October 8.
HOLIDAY SEASON EVENT
November 30-December 17
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Alan Bennett
Gloucester Stage presents this delightful children’s classic as a holiday season treat for children and adults. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. on November 30 through December 2, December 7 through December 9 and December 14 through December 16; Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. on December 2, December 9 and December 16; and Sunday matinees at 5 p.m. on December 3, December 10 and December 17.
For further information and to purchase tickets, call the Gloucester Stage Box Office at 978-281-4433 or visit www.gloucesterstage.org