Follow Us On Twitter
Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announced the company's 18th season, which includes Tom Stoppard's comedic masterpiece Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, directed by Michael Halberstam; Noel Coward's musical revue, Oh Coward! to be performed in Writers' most intimate venue; The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood, directed by Ron OJ Parson; and Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer.
"Classic Stoppard, the best of Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams at the peak of his achievement and a contemporary American play which delivers a highly unconventional message in the folds of a most conventional story are the driving forces behind the 2009/10 Season," said Artistic Director Michael Halberstam. "I am exhilarated to welcome David Cromer back to Writers' Theatre. It will be his fifth production with us and certainly one of his most exciting projects to date. Ron OJ Parson brings the power of his emerging directorial prowess to Glencoe. Jim Corti, who is a veteran musical champion both in Chicago and New York, will helm the effervescent Coward revue in the bookstore. This is a season that celebrates the sophistication, breadth and diversity of our artistic landscape here in Chicago."
Writers' Theatre performs in two performance spaces in Glencoe - its 50-seat venue at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Ave, and its 108-seat theatre at 325 Tudor Court in the Woman's Library Club. Subscriptions and Memberships are available at the Box Office, 376 Park Avenue, Glencoe, 847-242-6000 and www.writerstheatre.org.
THE 2009/10 WRITERS' THEATRE SEASON IS:
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Halberstam
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Run dates: September 29 - December 6, 2009
Hamlet, Shakespeare's greatest drama, is retold from the perspective of his schoolmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in Tom Stoppard's comedic masterpiece. Equal parts Laurel and Hardy, Waiting for Godot and classic Shakespeare, Stoppard's scintillating wit, far-reaching imagination and astonishing skill with words traces the journey of these fascinating characters as they struggle to avoid the inevitability of the Bard's tragic conclusion.
Oh Coward!
Words and Music by Noel Coward
Devised by Roderick Cook
Directed by Jim Corti
Performed at 664 Vernon Avenue
Run dates: November 17, 2009 - March 21, 2010
You're invited to a marvelous party! Weaving together songs and literary delights, Oh Coward! celebrates one of the theater's greatest entertainers, Noel Coward. His effervescent music and charming quips combine for an unforgettable evening of the most memorable tunes of the 20th century.
The Old Settler
By John Henry Redwood
Directed by Ron OJ Parson
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Run dates: February 2 - March 28, 2010
It's Harlem in the Spring of 1943. Elizabeth and Quilly, sisters of a certain age, are quietly nursing their loneliness and healing from heartache when their lives together change abruptly. Husband Witherspoon, a handsome young border, moves to New York from the country in search of his fiancee, and ends up finding love in the most unlikely of places. Told with heartwarming sincerity, humor and a touch of poetry, The Old Settler paints a poignant picture of two women testing the bonds of family and finding the strength and forgiveness only family can offer.
A Streetcar Named Desire
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by David Cromer
Performed at 325 Tudor Court
Run dates: May 4 - July 11, 2010
One of Chicago's foremost directors takes on one of the country's greatest plays. After staging last season's nationally acclaimed production of Picnic, David Cromer returns to Writers' Theatre. Hailed a "genius" by The Wall Street Journal and fresh from his Broadway debut, Cromer directs Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning drama, A Streetcar Named Desire.
Blanche DuBois, an aging southern belle, arrives unexpectedly on the doorstep of her sister Stella and her explosive brother-in-law Stanley. Over the course of one hot and steamy New Orleans summer, Blanche's fragile façade slowly crumbles, wreaking havoc on Stella and Stanley's already turbulent relationship. Embodying the turmoil and drama of a changing nation, A Streetcar Named Desire strips Williams' tortured characters of their illusions, leaving a wake of destruction in their path.
Writers' Theatre season ticket packages provide a convenient theatergoing experience to accommodate busy lives. The Writers' Theatre Membership is $185 and provides ultimate flexibility. The Subscription is $200 and offers patrons a preset schedule with the guarantee of the same seat for all of their originally scheduled performances.
For more information visit www.writerstheatre.org.