Many of you have been tracking the play selection process this year; it was easy to do, as the committee updated prospective directors regularly and welcomed input from the general membership. Thanks to the efforts of Play Selection Chair, Mickey Lund and the Artistic Team, the slate is announced! Here is the list of plays you can look forward to next season:
Sherlock’s Last Case by Charles Marowitz
September 4 – 26, 2015
The play centers on a death threat against Sherlock Holmes by the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Oddly enough, however, Holmes is warned of the plot by Moriarty's daughter, to whom Holmes (who turns out to be quite a ladies' man) is strongly attracted. In sorting all this out the play mixes humor and suspense in equal amounts, leading to a stunning final twist that will surely catch audiences by complete and breath-stopping surprise.
Side Man by Warren Leight
October 9 – 24, 2015
Winner of the 1999 Tony Award for Best Play. "Side Man...is...a tender, deeply personal memory play about the turmoil in the family of a jazz musician as his career crumbles at the dawn of the age of rock-and-roll...It's a gentle reminder of bygone days, when a new play by Tennessee Williams or William Inge would stir up the public and fill seats for months.”
*Mornings at Seven by Paul Osborn
November 20 – Sunday, December 13, 2015
Aaronetta and Ida Gibbs have lived next door to each other most of their lives and along with Esther, all of the Gibb sisters are an open book to each. Husbands not included. Into the fray comes Myrtle Brown, perpetually engaged to Ida's son Homer. But Homer can't seem to pop the question. Taking matters into her own hands, Myrtle finally gets a proposal by compelling Homer to fly the nest. Sort of. "An absolute charmer... Four sisters, Chekhov would have smiled. So will you, and laugh out loud, too.”
Venus In Fur by David Ives
January 8 – 22, 2016
Thomas, a beleaguered playwright/director, is desperate to find an actress to play Vanda, the female lead in his adaptation of the classic sadomasochistic tale Venus in Fur. Into his empty audition room walks a vulgar and equally desperate actress—oddly enough, named Vanda. "Ives has crafted a modern take on a classic tale, skillfully twisting his plot and characters in a fast-paced journey into one man's entrapment by a clever, vengeful female."
Boeing Boeing translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans from the French farce by Marc Camoletti
Feb. 19 – March 12, 2016
This 1960's French farce adapted for the English-speaking stage features self-styled Parisian lothario Bernard, who has Italian, German, and American fiancees, each beautiful airline hostesses with frequent "layovers". He keeps "one up, one down and one pending" until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris and Bernard's apartment at the same time. "This latest edition of a play named for an aircraft soars right out of its time zone and into some unpolluted stratosphere of classic physical comedy. Propelled by the same gusty spirit that animated Commedia dell'Arte and the silent films of Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd, {this} may be earthy, but it's seldom earthbound." - The New York Times
The Secret Garden (musical) by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon
April 8 – May 7, 2016
This enchanting classic of children's literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11 year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the "Dreamers", spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.
Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire
June 3 – June 25, 2016
Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month's paycheck covers last month’s bills, and where Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling who's made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh new start. But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings? Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out. With his signature humorous glow, Lindsay-Abaire explores the struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakeable hopes that come with having next to nothing in America.
*Director Play Package. Rick Wade, Director
For more information about how CP is launching the season and the search for directors, keep your eyes peeled for updates! And look for more details about the shows soon.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to thank the members of the Play Selection Committee and the Artistic Team for all the hard work that has gone into crafting this terrific slate: Shannon Benil, Nathan Bowen, Ty Cobb, Jim Gallagher, Brenda Mack, Sarah Wade, executive producers Jennifer Dustin, Marguerite Jahns and Carol Youmans, Artistic Team members Lois Evans, Mike Gilles, Andy McLendon, Gwen Morton, all guided by committee chair Mickey Lund. Thank you all for the tremendous contribution to our next season!
