New Yorker Cartoonist Roz Chast to Speak at New Repertory Theatre This Spring

New Repertory Theatre presents the special Spotlight Symposium: "Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? An Evening with Cartoonist Roz Chast," Monday, April 11, 2016 at 7:30pm in the Charles Mosesian Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA. Tickets are $50 for reserved admission. Special VIP tickets available for $100 which includes a private reception with Ms. Chast beginning at 6pm at our restaurant partner Branch Line.

This special Spotlight Symposium will feature Ms. Chast speaking about her memoir as it relates to the theme of our National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere production of Steve Yockey's BLACKBERRY WINTER, premiering March 26-April 17, 2016.

Following the talk, local non-profit More Than Words will host a book signing with Ms. Chast, with copies of her books available for purchase.

"New Rep is pleased to host celebrated cartoonist and humorist Roz Chast for this special Spotlight Symposium," says Artistic Director, Jim Petosa. "The wit and humor found in her latest collection is the perfect antidote to the sometimes harsh realities of aging, and will prove to be an excellent companion to this year's National New Play Network world premiere, Blackberry Winter. We hope New Rep audiences will join us for both as we continue our season-long exploration of identity."

Cartoonist Roz Chast is a brilliant interpreter of the everyday. Her cartoons depict neuroses, hilarity, angst, and domesticity and are loaded with words, objects, and patterns. More than 1000 of them have been printed in The New Yorker since 1978. Her newest book for adults is Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?, which chronicles her relationship with her aging parents as they shift from independence to dependence. Using handwritten text, drawings, photographs, and her keen eye for the foibles that make us human, Chast addresses the realities of what it is to get old in America today -- and what it is to have aging parents -- with tenderness and candor, and a good dose of her characteristic wit.

New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. For over 30 years, New Rep has been a leader of self- produced theatre in greater Boston, producing contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat Charles Mosesian Theater and the 90-seat Black Box Theater. Annually, New Rep serves over 40,000 patrons, including 2,000 season subscribers. In addition to its mainstage productions, New Rep produces Next Voices, a program dedicated to developing new plays with four playwrights through three staged readings and one world premiere production. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, Page To Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series.

New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the essential ideas of our time. Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of excellence, New Rep expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audience. New Rep presents world premieres, contemporary and classic works in several intimate settings. We are committed to education and outreach, including special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and providing access to underserved audiences. New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.