Blithe Spirit, Janney, Foster, Etc. Set for Williamstown

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced that Blithe Spirit will be presented on the Main Stage.  In addition, Allison Janney, James Naughton, Hunter Foster, William Ivey Long and Kaitlin Hopkins are among the artists at the Festival this season.

Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward, directed by Maria Mileaf, will play on the Main Stage July 18-29.  "While researching background information for a new book, author Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth light-heartedly arrange for the eccentric local mystic, Madame Arcati, to hold a séance.  The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira is summoned from beyond the grave to rally all the powers of heaven and hell to darken Charles and Ruth's lives," state press materials. 

Allison Janney ("The West Wing," Tony Award-nominee for A View from the Bridge, upcoming Hairspray film) will play Constance Tuckerman in The Autumn Garden by Lillian Hellman, directed by David Jones.  

James Naughton will appear in a benefit concert on July 30.  Naughton, is a star and director of many celebrated Festival productions, Tony Award winning actor (for Chicago and City of Angels), Broadway director and cabaret favorite.  Naughton and his band will perform an evening of Broadway classics and standards.  Following the concert, there will be a tribute to Ira Lapidus, who recently completed 11 years as President of the Festival's Board of Trustees.  After the tribute, there will be a reception in the lobby.   The proceeds of this event benefit the Festival's Commissioned Work Fund which supports the creation of new work receiving its premiere at the Festival.   "An Evening with James Naughton" is Monday, July 30 on the Nikos Stage.    

Hunter Foster (Urinetown, The Producers, Tony-nominee for Little Shop of Horrors) will play Jack in the world premiere of Party Come Here, book by Daniel Goldfarb, music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum, directed by Christopher Ashley.  Kaitlin Hopkins (Noises Off, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Bat Boy) will play Liberty in the show.  Party Come Here runs July 25 to August 5.

William Ivey Long will design costumes for Herringbone, starring B.D. Wong, book by Tom Cone, music by Skip Kennon, lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, directed by Roger Rees.  Long has designed costumes for 54 Broadway productions and has won the Tony Award for Costume Design on five occasions, for Hairspray, The Producers, Crazy for You, Lend Me a Tenor and Nine. His film design credits include The Producers.  He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2006. Herringbone plays on the Center Stage June 14 to 24. 

Because of schedule changes, dates for the following productions have changed: The Autumn Garden, Party Come Here and Crimes of the Heart. With these changes, the schedule is: 

Herringbone, June 14 - 24, Center Stage
Dissonance, July 27- July 8, Nikos Stage
The Front Page, July 4 - 15, Main Stage
Villa America, July 11 - 22, Nikos Stage
Blithe Spirit, July 18 - 29, Main Stage
Party Come Here, July 25 - Aug. 5, Nikos Stage
The Corn is Green, Aug. 1 - 12, Main Stage
The Physicists, Aug. 7 - 18, Center Stage
Crimes of the Heart, Aug. 8 - 29, Nikos Stage
The Autumn Garden, Aug. 15 - 26, Main Stage

Tickets are available by mail in April, online at http://www.wtfestival.org/ June 1 and at the box office and by phone June 4.   The box office phone is 413.597.3400.

Photo of Allison Janney by Ben Strothmann