The Williamstown Theatre Festival will present two world premieres next
week.
Lucy and the Conquest, by Cusi Cram, directed by Suzanne Agins,
opens the Nikos Stage for the season and plays July 12-23.
Demon Dreams (Oni No Yume) is the Free Theatre
production, playing July 11 - 16 on the Main Stage.
Lucy and the Conquest "is the uproarious story of a pampered actress'
search for refuge amidst the fantastic ruins of a conquered people....it's about a woman's wild journey of self-discovery and reconnection with
her family in South America," state press notes.
The play originated while Cusi Cram (
Landlocked, The End of It All, Twenty Shadows) was
an Act I company member at the Festival. She wrote the initial concept
and performed it on the lawn. The completed play has been workshopped
at The Juilliard School, The O'Neill Playwrights Conference (2001) and
read at last year's Festival.
Jeanine Serralles (Off-Broadway:
Antigone Project, Hold Please) leads the cast as Lucy. Also starring are Julian Acosta
(Off-Broadway:
Massacre (Sing to Your Children)) as The Gringo, Vanessa Aspillaga (Broadway:
Anna and the Tropics) as Lila, Bernard White (Film:
American Dreamz and
The
Matrix Revolutions, TV: "JAG") as Juan Ricardo Santiago, and
Socorro Santiago
(Broadway
: The Bacchae) as Pacha Santiago.
Costume Design is by Jennifer Caprio, lighting design is
by Charles Foster, and sound design is by Robert Kaplowitz.
Williamstown Theatre Festival will present the premiere of
Demon Dreams
(Oni No Yume) as its 20th Free Theatre Production. The book and lyrics
are by Tommy Smith (
Air Conditioning, The Tale). Music is by Michael McQuilken (
Nickel and Dimes, Blue Orange). It is directed by
Amanda Charlton and plays on the Main Stage July 11 - 16.
"A rollicking musical fantasy,
Demon Dreams fuses traditional Japanese
storytelling with high-octane hip-hop to tell the tale of three lonely
demons who must decide the fate of humankind."
Demon Dreams stars members of the Festival's Non-Equity Company and Apprentices.
Costume design is by Emily Rebholz, lighting design is by Paul Toben, and sound design is by David Thomas.
Lucy and the Conquest plays July 12-23 on the Nikos stage.
Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00, Saturdays at 8:30 ,
with matinees Thursdays at 3:00, Saturdays at 4:00, and Sundays at
2:00. Tickets are $33 and $35 (depending on the performance) and are
available by phone at 413.597.3400, at the Festival Box Office and at
wtfestival.org.
Free Theatre plays Tuesday, July 11 through Sunday, July 16 at 11am
and Wednesday, July 12 at 11pm on the Main Stage. Tickets are free,
but should be reserved by calling 413.597.3400 .
Williamstown Theatre Festival performances are held at The '62 Center for Theatre and Dance of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
