Lili Taylor, Tyne Daly, Susie Essman to Play Williamstown This Summer

Susie Essman

(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.) – Six Feet Under’s Lili Taylor, Cagney and Lacey’s Tyne Daly, and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman are among a host of Williamstown Theatre Festival veterans and talented newcomers who will be straddling the boards at the ’62 Center in Williamstown this summer, along with Becky Ann Baker, Marylouise Burke, Brandon Victor Dixon, Alison Fraser, Heather Lind, Amy Spanger, and Jeremy Strong, during the festival’s 58th Season, its second under the command of artistic director Jenny Gersten.

As previously announced, the complete 2012 Williamstown Theatre Festival season runs from June 26 – August 19, 2012, and includes Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a preview production of the new musical Far From Heaven, based on the film of the same name, and a new translation of Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Country on the Main Stage, plus Lucy Boyle’s The Blue Deep, Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Bernard Pomerance’s The Elephant Man, and Katori Hall’s WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! on the Nikos Stage. The season will also include a special workshop production of David Byrne’s Here Lies Love, which will play at nearby MASS MoCA.

The season’s first Main Stage production, the David Hyde Pierce-directed production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest (playing June 26 – July 14, 2012), will feature Drama Desk Award-winner Marylouise Burke (Fuddy Meers), Louis Cancelmi (former WTF Act I Member), Sean Cullen, Emmy and Tony Award-winner Tyne Daly (Cagney and Lacey, Gypsy), Glenn Fitzgerald, Paul McGrane, Amy Spanger and Henry Stram (WTF’s R Shomon).

Lili Taylor

The preview production of the new musical Far From Heaven (based on the 2002 movie), which plays the Main Stage from July 19 – 29, 2012, will feature a cast that includes JB Adams as ‘Morris Farnsworth’ (the same role he played in the film version), Nancy Anderson, Quincy Tyler Bernstine (WTF’s Tough Titty), Brandon Victor Dixon, Sarah Jane Everman, Alison Fraser, Chris Hoch, Mary Stout and Tony Yazbeck. They join previously announced four-time Tony Award-nominee Kelli O’Hara (currently starring on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It).

The final Main Stage show, a new translation of Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Country, will play from August 1 – 19, 2012 and will feature Louis Cancelmi, Jessica Collins, Sean Cullen, Kate Kearney-Patch, Paul McGrane, Jeremy Strong (former WTF Non-Equity Company) and Elisabeth Waterston (former WTF Non-Equity Company).

The Nikos Stage season begins with the World Premiere production of Lucy Boyle’s play The Blue Deep (June 27 – July 8, 2012), directed by Bob Balaban with a cast that includes Emmy Award-winner Blythe Danner (Showtime’s Huff), as previously announced. Danner will be joined by WTF veterans Becky Ann Baker (WTF’s Our Town), Jack Gilpin (WTF’s Design for Living), Boardwalk Empire regular Heather Lind (former WTF Non-Equity Company) and Finn Wittrock (Broadway’s Death of a Salesman).

In Neil Simon’s The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (July 11 – 22, 2012), Jessica Stone directs a cast that includes Tony Award nominee Brooks Ashmanskas (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me), Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), and Screen Actors Guild Award-winner Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under), both returning to WTF after having performed there last summer (in She Stoops to Conquer and A Doll’s House, respectively).

Tyne Daly

The Nikos Stage season closes with the World Premiere production of Katori Hall’s WHADDABLOODCLOT, from August 8 – 19, 2012.  The cast of WHADDABLOODCLOT will include Tina Benko, Aaron Costa Ganis, Bryan Tyree Henry, Greta Lee, Andres Muner, and Kathy Searle.

As previously announced, Williamstown Theatre Festival will present a workshop of Here Lies Love, a new theatrical event written by David Byrne with music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and directed by Alex Timbers.

The complete cast for Here Lies Love is: Renee Albulario, Carol Angeli, Joyelle Cabato, Joshua Dela Cruz, Debralee Daco, Evan D’Angeles. Jose Llana, Ruthie Ann Miles, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Conrad Ricamora, Janelle Velasquez, and Zach Villa.

Here Lies Love is a collaboration with WTF’s artistic neighbor, MASS MoCA, and The Public Theater in New York City. The Public will present the World Premiere of Here Lies Love in the spring of 2013. After a three week rehearsal residency at MASS MoCA, Here Lies Love will play five workshop performances over four days, from June 21-24, 2012, at the Hunter Center for the Performing Arts at MASS MoCA (87 Marshall Street, North Adams, MA).  Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA box office or by calling 413.662.2111.

Advance ticket orders for the 2012 Williamstown Theatre Festival season may be placed through the Festival’s website or by mail order using the season brochure (call 413-597-3400 to join the mailing list).  Advance ticket orders will be processed in late May.  At that time, ticket orders from Festival donors will be given priority and will be filled by descending donor level.  All other advance ticket orders received by May 25, 2012 will be filled in order of date received.

The Festival’s Nikos Stage is an intimate 173-seat venue that regularly sells out in advance from within the pool of Festival donors.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival Box Office will open on June 5th, 2012 at which point tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 413-597-3400, or in person at the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.

Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America’s finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires, engaging a loyal audience of both residents and summer visitors. Each WTF season is designed to present unique opportunities for artists and audience alike, revisiting classic plays with innovative productions, developing and nurturing bold new plays and musicals, and offering a rich array of accompanying cultural events including Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. While best known for our acclaimed productions, WTF is also home to one of the nation’s top training and professional development programs for new generations of aspiring theatre artists and administrators. Now under the leadership of Artistic Director Jenny Gersten, WTF was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement in 2011.  The Festival takes place on the idyllic New England campus of Williams College.

 

 

 

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