★ Announcing Chester Theatre Company’s 35th Season! ★

★ Please note the addition of Friday matinee shows! ★

In just a few short months, we’ll open the doors of the Town Hall Theatre for the summer. After Jeff Borak of the Berkshire Eagle named our 2023 staging of Circle Mirror Transformation as the year’s best production, we’re proud and excited to present a season that includes two (yes, two!) world premieres. Our second season as Co-Producing Artistic Directors has something for everyone—mystery, heart, comedy, romance—a bold and refreshing selection of plays that make good on our commitment to delivering the best contemporary work in a range of theatrical styles.

Warmly,

James and Tara

The Thin Place

Written by Lucas Hnath

Directed by Gabrielle Farrah

June 20–30   

Everyone who ever died is still here, just in a different part of here. Linda can communicate with them. And if you believe, she can make you hear them, too—in the thin place, the fragile boundary between our world and the other one. With acuity and relentless curiosity, Lucas Hnath’s play transforms the theater into an intimate séance, crafting an unnerving testament to the power of the mind, which has a mind of its own.

Starring Tara Franklin | Lighting design by Lara Dubin, CTC Resident Designer | Sound design by James McNamara  

Unreconciled (World Premiere)

Written by Jay Sefton and Mark Basquill

Directed by James Barry

July 4–14 

Unreconciled is the true story of an adolescent actor cast as Jesus in a play directed by a pedophile priest. The play chronicles a survivor’s journey as he confronts his past and discovers the courage to use his voice and redefine what reconciliation means. Jay Sefton’s virtuosic solo performance is an unflinching quest for justice, brimming with heart, humor, and compassion.

Performed by Jay Sefton | Scenery and projections design by Tony nominee Nick Hussong | Lighting design by James McNamara 

It Goes Without Saying

Written and performed by Bill Bowers

July 17-18

Spend an hour with Broadway veteran and world-famous mime BILL BOWERS as he shares unbelievable true stories in this award-winning autobiographical tour de force. It Goes Without Saying takes the audience on a scenic tour of Bill’s life so far; from growing up gay in the wilds of Montana, to his outrageous jobs as a performer, to the whirlwind of Broadway and studying with Marcel Marceau.

Bill Bowers (Broadway: The Lion King, The Scarlet Pimpernel) returns to Chester after having played Terry in last season’s The Making of a Great Moment, a production that transferred to Off-Broadway’s Urban Stages.

Will Sacrifice (World Premiere)

Written by Julie McKee

Directed by Keira Naughton

July 25–August 4 

Bridget’s fraught marriage to Nigel, a cramped NYC apartment, and her stagnant career convince her to search for a country escape in the post 9/11 real estate gold rush in the Catskills. Armed with a limited budget and plenty of nervous enthusiasm, she enlists the aid of Mr. Sunshine to help her realize her dream. A comedy.

Keira Naughton returns for her fourth season, having directed past CTC productions Curve of Departure, Title & Deed, and To The Moon & Back | Lighting design by Lara Dubin  

Big Big Sky

Written by Tom Wells

Directed by James Warwick

August 8–18

Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Angie and Lauren are closing up the café for another winter; the birds have gone south and taken the tourists with them. The last visitor is Lauren’s dad, Dennis, stopping by for his pasty and beans. But there’s another arrival—one that’s unforeseen and life-changing for them all. Big Big Sky is a beautifully tender play by Tom Wells, who was originally from Kilnsea. The play explores nature’s influence on love, friendship, and family—the belief that anyone who’s lost can be found, even in the remotest of places.

Starring James Barry | James Warwick’s award-winning direction has graced many local stages, including recent productions of Lunar Eclipse, The Children, and Mothers & Sons at Shakespeare & Company and Off-Peak with Barrington Public Theatre.

Complete casting and additional production information will be announced at a later date. 

In addition to the four mainstage productions, CTC will be offering a special midseason event that will be produced entirely by Chester’s college interns, giving them a unique experience to add to their resumes.