Long, Daly Join Casts Of Upcoming Williamstown Theatre Fest Productions

Artistic Director Nicholas Martin has announced the casting for the next two productions of the Williamstown Theatre Festival's 2010 Season: Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare (The House of Blue Leaves, Landscape of the Body) playing the Main Stage July 14 - 25, and the world premiere of Samuel J. and K. by Mat Smart (The 13th of Paris, The Hopper Collection) on the Nikos Stage July 7 - 18.

On the Main Stage, Anne Kauffman (This Wide Night, The Thugs) directs John Guare's sensational masterwork of interconnected worlds, Six Degrees of Separation. One evening can alter the course of many lives. Into a Manhattan couple's nightly discussions of art deals and dinner reservations, a charismatic stranger arrives with stories of a famous father and promises of walk-on roles in Cats: The Movie. Could he possibly be for real? This Olivier Award winner and Pulitzer finalist stirs the pot of privilege with often hilarious and ultimately heart-breaking results.

The cast features Clea Alsip (NYU MFA), Lauren Blumenfeld (Sailor Man), Candy Buckley (Bernarda Alba), Michael Bradley Cohen (Flight 18), Margaret Colin ( "Gossip Girl"), Tim Daly ("Private Practice"), Ned Eisenberg (Awake and Sing), Ato Essandoh (Streamers, Blood Diamond), Julian Gamble (The Seagull, "Third Watch"), Daniel Hartley (A Flea in Her Ear), Lucas Kavner (Mine), Ben Mehl (NYU MFA), Tom Nelis (Enron), James Joseph O'Neil (Present Laughter), Dominic Spillane (Classic Kitchen Timer), and Ariel Woodiwiss (Somewhere in Between).

The design team for Six Degrees includes scenic design by Antje Ellermann, costume design by Miranda Hoffman, lighting design by David Weiner and sound design by Fitz Patton. The production stage manager is David Sugarman.

On the Nikos Stage, Festival Artistic Associate Justin Waldman (What is the Cause of Thunder?, The Atheist) directs the world premiere production of Mat Smart's Samuel J. and K., after a successful reading as part of the Festival's Fridays@3 reading series last summer. Samuel J. surprises his adopted brother, Samuel K., with a trip back to his birth country of Cameroon for college graduation-but Samuel K. has no desire to face a place and a past that abandoned him. This hard-charging play challenges the traditional definitions of family and asks if a place we've only imagined can become home overnight.

The cast features Justin Long (He's Just Not That Into You) and Owiso Odera (Romeo and Juliet).

The design team for Samuel J. and K. includes scenic design by Adam Stockhausen, costume design by Nicole Jescinth Smith, lighting design by Marcus Doshi and sound design by Bart Fasbender. The production stage manager is Michael Rico Cohen.

Casting for the remainder of Williamstown's 2010 season, including Our Town, Fifth of July, After the Revolution and The Last Goodbye, will be announced shortly.

TICKETS
Tickets for the 2010 Williamstown Theatre Festival season can be purchased online at www.wtfestival.org and by phone at (413) 597-3400 or in person at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance, 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.

Williamstown Theatre Festival
For over half a century, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, recipient of the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, has brought America's best established and emerging theatre artists to the Berkshires for a vibrant summer festival celebrating the greatest classic and new works in the theatrical canon. This season, our 56th, is presented in the glorious ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance on the beautiful campus of Williams College, our generous hosts. In addition to our acclaimed productions, the Festival is home to unmatched training and professional development programs for the next generation of actors, writers, directors, designers, and managers. We are proud of our rich history and are committed to creating an environment where both experienced and developing artists can practice and refine their craft in collaboration with a loyal and sophisticated audience.

Williamstown Theatre Festival
2010 SEASON SUMMARY

MAIN STAGE

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
Book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart
Music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Jessica Stone
Choreography by Denis Jones
June 30 - July 11

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
By John Guare
Directed by Anne Kauffman
July 14 - 25

OUR TOWN
By Thornton Wilder
Directed by Nicholas Martin
July 28 - August 8

FIFTH OF JULY
By Lanford Wilson
Directed by Terry Kinney
August 11 - 22

NIKOS STAGE

IT'S JEWDY'S SHOW: MY LIFE AS A SITCOM
By Judy Gold and Kate Moira Ryan
Original music by Judy Gold
Lyrics by Kate Moira Ryan and Judy Gold
Additional material Eric Kornfeld and Bob Smith
Directed by Amanda Charlton
June 23 - July 4

SAMUEL J. AND K.
By Mat Smart
Directed by Justin Waldman
July 7 - 18

AFTER THE REVOLUTION
By Amy Herzog
Directed by Carolyn Cantor
July 21 - August 1

THE LAST GOODBYE
A Musical Adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Conceived and Adapted by Michael Kimmel
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Buckley
Directed by Michael Kimmel
Orchestrations, Music Direction and Arrangements by Kris Kukul
Choreography by Sonya Tayeh
August 5 - 20

www.wtfestival.org

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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