Dixon, King, Avers, Etc. Set for BSC's Black Comedy

Barrington Stage Company will present Peter Shaffer's farce Black Comedy. Directed by Lou Jacob, Black Comedy will play for a three-week run at Barrington Stage (30 Union Street) from July 19 through August 4.  The official press opening is Sunday, July 22 at 5pm.
 
The play is "a witty comedy from the Tony Award-winning playwright of Amadeus, Equus, The Royal Hunt of the Sun and Lettice and Lovage. In Black Comedy, disaster strikes when aspiring artist Brindsley Miller tries to impress his fiance's father while desperately and hilariously dealing with a power failure and the ensuing confusion among his invited—and uninvited—guests," state press materials.
 
"To create this hilarious scenario, Shaffer uses a 600-year-old convention of Chinese theatre in which total darkness is represented by bright stage light and normal light is represented onstage by total darkness. In the world of Black Comedy, dark is light, light is dark, and the complications, mix-ups, and laughs are non-stop!"
 
Heading the cast of eccentrics are Brian Avers (Lieutenant of Inishmore) as Brindsley Miller, Nell Mooney (PS 122's Gorilla Man) as Carol Melkett, Beth Dixon (Roundabout's Major Barbara) as Miss Furnival, Gerry Bamman (American premiere of Bartleby the Scrivener; BSC's Black Sheep) as Colonel Melkett, Mark H. Dold (Off-Broadway Tall Grass; BSC's Cyrano, Earnest and Ring Round the Moon) as Harold Gorringe, Gordon Stanley (recently seen as 'Doc' in BSC's West Side Story) as Schuppanzigh, Ginifer King (recent B'way revival of Gypsy, BSC's Ring Round the Moon and Mame) as Clea.
 
Barrington Stage Company's production is designed by Karl Eigsti (sets), Ilona Somogyi (costumes), Scott Pinkney (lighting) and Daniel A. Little (sound). 
 
Director Lou Jacob makes his BSC directing debut with Black Comedy.  Recent Off-Broadway productions include the world premiere of Sam Shepard's The God Of Hell, starring Tim Roth, Randy Quaid, J. Smith-Cameron and Frank Wood; Coyote On A Fence; Dickens' Hard Times (Drama Desk Nom. Best Director); Ernie Joselovitz's Vilna's Got A Golem; Victoria Stewart's Live Girls at Urban Stages; three seasons with The Summer Play Festival (Arielle Tepper, producer). He was Resident Director at New Dramatists and an original New York Theatre Workshop 'Usual Suspect.'
 
Barrington Stage is located at 30 Union Street in Pittsfield.  Black Comedy performances are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 pm, Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm, Fridays at 2 pm, Sundays at 5 pm.  Please note there is an added Wednesday matinee at 2 pm on Aug. 1.  Tickets are priced from $34 to $54. Preview tickets for July 19 and 20 are $20 (orchestra) $15 (mezzanine). Tickets are available over the phone by calling 413-236-8888 (South County 413-528-8888), online at www.barringtonstageco.org or in person at the box office located at 30 Union Street in downtown Pittsfield. Student and Senior (60+) discounted tickets available one hour before performance. Group discounts available for 15 or more and may be purchased by calling (413) 499-5446 x117. BSC is a fully-accessible theater.
 
Visit www.barringtonstageco.org for more on Barrington Stage Company.