CHAUTAUQUA - Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC) is thrilled to announce its 29th season as the resident theater on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution - western New York's premier summer arts festival. The 2012 season includes the world premiere of CTC's inaugural commission (Kate Fodor's Fifty Ways), two great classics (The Philadelphia Story and As You Like It), the ever popular New Play Workshop series and a host of other special events and performances.
"It's a season packed with over 50 events in 56 days," says Artistic Director, Vivienne Benesch, "but more important, it's a notable demonstration of the breadth and depth of our company. Our 2012 programming embraces the power of theater - old, new and re-imagined - to provoke and move our hearts, minds and conscience."
The Philadelphia Story (June 30-July 8)
Kicking off the season will be Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story. Best known as the 1940 Hollywood blockbuster that made Katherine Hepburn a star, this bubbly and witty American comedy has all the ingredients for a great party: heart, humor and unparalleled style. The cast will include up and coming stars of tomorrow from CTC's exceptional conservatory and guest artists including Emmy award-winning actor Stuart Margolin ("The Rockford Files," CTC's Death of A Salesman) as Uncle Willie. CTC Associate Artistic Director Andrew Borba directs.
Fifty Ways (July 20-29)
Last winter, Chautauqua Theater Company was proud to award its first play commission to Chautauqua favorite Kate Fodor. One year later, CTC is pleased to announce the debut of Fifty Ways, its first world premiere production. Full of Fodor's signature intellect, biting humor and humanity, this insightful piece takes a scalpel to the damages we inflict on those to whom we are closest. Resident Director, Ethan McSweeny takes the helm with Michael Gaston (TV's "Unforgettable," "Jericho" ) and OBIE award-winning, CTC Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch (Going to St. Ives, Broadway's After The Fall) set to star. Two of Fodor's earlier plays, 100 Saints You Should Know and Rx, received workshops in CTC's New Play Workshop series and have recently gone on to highly successful Off-Broadway runs at Playwrights Horizons and Primary Stages respectively.
As You Like It (August 11-17)
Continuing a great tradition, the 2012 season will conclude with a rousing Shakespeare production. This year we take on the Bard's funniest and most frolicsome play, As You Like It, where love comes in all shapes, sizes and disguises. A treat for the whole family, director Jackson Gay (Off-Broadway's Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow, David Adjmi's 3C) makes her CTC debut with a cast that features CTC's nationally acclaimed conservatory of emerging actors.
New Play Workshops (July 12-14 and August 2-4)
Over the last eight years, Chautauqua's NPW series has gained incredible momentum and provided some exceptional voices in American Theater with an invaluable experience in the development of their work. Past seasons have hosted new plays by Zayd Dohrn, Kate Fodor, Rinne Groff, Molly Smith Metzler, Alex Lewin, Michael Mitnick, David Schulner, David Zellnik, and Anna Ziegler, among others. The two 2012 selections will be announced by May 1.
Single tickets and packages available now. To purchase, order by phone at 357-6250 Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Order online at www.ciweb.org 24 hours a day! For more information on our season visit us at www.ctcompany.org.
Now in it's 29th season, the Chautauqua Theater Company is the resident professional theater and Conservatory of the Chautauqua Institution. Internationally known actors, directors, designers and writers join 18 emerging artists drawn from the nation's top training programs to form a unique company that produces a vibrant summer of work in the historic Bratton Theater. Dedicated to the next generation of theater artists, the development of new work, first rate productions of modern and contemporary classics and fresh insight into Shakespeare's cannon, our "full service" company provides the best a year-round regional theater has to offer in the period of an eight week summer season. CTC welcomes Sarah Clare Corporandy as its new Managing Director for the 2012 season alongside Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch.
