I’m so excited with the upcoming slate of theatre that I get to be involved in!  Not only do we have 3 more great shows coming up at Williamston Theatre for this season, but next month we hold auditions for Season Eleven, and now we can talk about the shows we have lined up for that!   And I LOVE ALL these shows coming up!

So, we’re in rehearsals right now for The Decade Dance by Joe Zettelmaier, which is a really funny, really thoughtful exploration of life, love, politics and race in 1970’s America.  We just had the first read-through earlier this week, and I’m absolutely stoked about the show.

After that we have Chapatti, by Christian O’Reilly.  This is a beautiful, charming, intelligent and theatrical love story that delves into the question of life, and love, after people have started to give up hope on either.

Wrapping up Season 10 is a hilarious and really warm comedy by Annie Martin called Summer Retreat. The show explores the relationship between a group of women from college through middle-age and how, as we grow, so does our love for our friends – even if we’re not all headed in the same direction.

THEN comes Season Eleven at Williamston Theatre!

First: Pulp, by Joseph Zettelmaier.  I’m directing this one, and I can’t wait.  It’s a noir/genre/detective/thriller/mystery comedy, and it’s a blast!  And it’s a world premiere, and part of a Rolling World Premiere with the National New Play Network (of which Williamston Theatre is a member).

Second: The Nerd, by Larry Shue.  An absolutely hilarious show, not nearly old enough to be called a chestnut… but is it old enough to be called a classic?  Either way, it’s a popular piece that is well known for a reason: It’s hysterical.  This will be our MSU collaboration show, and it’s a perfect showcase for our excellent partnership with Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre.

Third: Another world premiere, this one by Christy Hall.  A Painted Window is a beautiful exploration of sisterhood, and aging, and wanting to be appreciated and understood and connected to the world. It asks the question “When it’s all over… when all we have left are the memories… will we want a do-over?”

In our fourth slot I’m directing a show I’ve been excited about doing for a while:  1984, by George Orwell.  This adaptation, by Michael Gene Sullivan, explores some of the most prescient aspects of Orwell’s classic story, and some of the most socially relevant, in a terrifically theatrical way. What happens to people when their humanity is forcibly stripped away, when being different is a crime, and when people are afraid to think anything but what they’ve been told to think?  Can compassion and empathy exist in that world? Can love?

Fifth is a Michigan premiere, a terrific play that was at the Stratford festival a few years ago called Taking Shakespeare by John Murrell.  A charming, funny, poignant story where what seems to be a simple clash between people from different generations turns into an exploration of life, and the power of storytelling and taking chances.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand our final slot of Season Eleven is still TBA.  We’re waiting to cross the t’s and dot the i’s on the rights, but I’ll let you know when it’s announced!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I’ll also be directing at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre next season!  I’m excited to be working with Kitty Dubin on the world premiere of her new play Rights Of Passage!

So, when you add all that stuff together, and throw in the exciting Dark Nights in Billtown festival coming up in May (where we’re exploring several excellent Protest Theatre pieces), I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of so many great pieces of theatre.

So – what about YOU?  What upcoming things in your life are YOU looking forward to?!