Every Brilliant Thing

New England Premiere

Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe

August 2 – August 13
W 8pm, Th 2pm & 8pm, F 2pm, Sa 8pm, Su 2pm

When a boy’s mother attempts suicide, he starts a list of everything that’s brilliant in the world to convince her to stay: things with stripes, ice cream, Christopher Walken’s hair. CTC favorite Joel Ripka leads the audience on an engaging journey of a son’s gift to his mother, to himself, and to the audience. A theatre experience—a life experience—to never forget. The Guardian calls it “Heart-wrenching, hilarious…possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see.” This one-man show will be directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer.

Sponsored by Rhonda and Carl Steeg.

wamc2017

 

Folk

American Premiere

Written by Tom Wells

August 17 – August 27
W 8pm, Th 2pm & 8pm, F 2pm, Sa 8pm, Su 2pm

For Winnie, a Guinness-hoisting nun, and Stephen, a shy maintenance worker, Friday nights are for playing and singing. Until sixteen-year-old Kayleigh lobs a brick through Winnie’s window. These three band together into the unlikeliest of folk trios, and an equally unexpected family. Michele Tauber (last seen in Pride@Prejudice) returns in the role of Winnie. CTC is proud to present the American Premiere of Folk under the direction of James Warwick, staging his eighth production with the company.

Sponsored by Jessica and Fred Olefson.

Railroad Bill

Abe, a retread literary agent, is trying to teach Jessie, his African-American protege, the finer ethical points of making a killing. Samantha enters the picture with a hot commodity — the recently discovered journal of  legendary train robber Railroad Bill, the black Robin Hood. An hysterical bidding war ensues, one that brings out the worst in a cast of bumbling, scurrilous characters, none of whom is what they seem. A rapid-fire farce in the Mamet tradition, about Commerce and its perennial sidekick – Greed.

 

A Body of Water

Moss and Avis, a middle aged couple wake up one morning in a beautiful summer house overlooking a body of water. There’s only one problem — they can’t remember who they are. A young woman arrives and information begins to flood in. Only, much of it seems totally contradictory. Blessing, lays out a strange and thrilling journey into the nature of identity and its relationship to memory. A fascinating, sometimes chilling, existential, comic romance from one of America’s foremost playwrights.

 

Molly Sweeney

Widely recognized as Ireland’s greatest living playwright, Friel brings his unique brand of eloquence and warmth to three characters in search of a clear vision. There’s Molly, blind since early infancy, who undergoes an operation to restore her sight. There’s Frank, her husband, a dreamer and crusader who encourages her to take the risk. And finally, there’s Dr. Rice, trying to recapture the brilliance that once made him an internationally famous surgeon. Their stories interweave, each informed by its own “blindness”, until we arrive at an unexpected and touching conclusion.

Last Train to Nibroc

Christmas 1940, a soldier and a schoolteacher meet on a train somewhere between Los Angeles and Chicago, setting in motion a course of events neither can foresee. Arlene Hutton’s award winning comedy tracks May and Raleigh’s romance through years of missed connections. This funny, touching portrait of two people searching for happiness was nominated by the New York Drama League as Best Play of 1999 and was a smash hit at CTC in 2001.

See Rock City

June 1944. Raleigh and May have just returned from their honeymoon, and must navigate a tricky strait that includes in-laws from very different backgrounds, the hardships of World War II in rural Kentucky, the demands of their diverging livelihoods, and even the possibility that their future might not be together. In addition to sharing the plight of men like Raleigh whose ailments prevented service to their country, Hutton explores the difficulties facing May and millions of women who joined the work force only to be denied their jobs once the men return from overseas.

Gulf View Drive

Part 3 of the Nibroc Trillogy

1953. May and Raleigh have moved to Florida, where family pressures and the turbulence of events in their community threaten the dream of a quiet life together. Their house seems to shrink as relatives arrive, one by one, sharing surprising revelations that bring the nascent civil rights movement right to May and Raleigh’s door. Challenged to the very core of their beliefs,  they must consider unconventional solutions in order to find peace in a changing world.

Love Song

Beane is a social liability – an innocent, but literal-minded observer of life. His sister and her husband love Beane, but their get-togethers have hilariously disastrous outcomes. Following a burglary in Beane’s apartment, they are surprised to find Beane transformed — he’s blissfully happy – and in love for the first time. In their scramble to unravel the mystery of the new woman in Beane’s life, they are surprised to find the dormant fires in their marriage rekindled. A touching comic romance wrapped in an offbeat rhapsody to the power of love.

Dov and Ali

Dov is a Jewish high school English teacher. Ali is a Pakistani Muslim in Dov’s class. When Ali comes for extra help on THE LORD OF THE FLIES a complex relationship is born. Dov’s culture has taught him to question everything, Ali’s culture — to accept everything his father espouses. But, it’s the women in their lives who will pay the price for Dov and Ali’s failure to cross the cultural divide. A fearless play that tackles powerful world issues from an intimate, human perspective.

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