Williamstown Theatre Festival Kicks Off 71st Season with CAMINO REAL, NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES, and More

Williamstown Theatre Festival just launched its 71st season (W71) on Thursday, July 17, with a dynamic lineup of world premieres, theatrical revivals, music, comedy, and dance. This summer’s program is led by the Festival’s inaugural Creative Collective and Managing Directors Raphael Picciarelli (Strategy & Transformation) and Kit Ingui (Operations & Advancement).

Opening weekend productions include Camino Real, Spirit of the People, Not About Nightingales, The Gig: After Moises and the World of Reason, Vanessa, The Things Around Us, Many Happy Returns, and more. The Festival runs through Sunday, August 3, and takes place in Williamstown and North Adams, Massachusetts.

W71 introduces a collaborative leadership model under the Festival’s first-ever Creative Collective: Tony Award nominee Jeremy O. Harris, model and Library Science co-founder Kaia Gerber, producer Alex Stoclet, choreographer Christopher Rudd, and Gerber’s Library Science co-founder Alyssa Reeder. This year’s multidisciplinary programming centers on the influence and complexity of playwright Tennessee Williams, asking urgent questions about legacy, authorship, and storytelling.

Festival Highlights

CAMINO REAL
MainStage, July 19–August 3
Directed by Dustin Wills, this revival of Tennessee Williams’ surrealist play stars Pamela Anderson as Marguerite and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Kilroy, alongside April Matthis, Bruce McKenzie, Whitney Peak, and more. Featuring live music by Dan Schlosberg.

SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE
MainStage, July 17–August 1
A world premiere from Jeremy O. Harris, directed by Katina Medina Mora and featuring Ato Blankson-Wood, Amber Heard, James Cusati-Moyer, and Brandon Flynn.

NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES
NikosStage, July 17–August 3
Tennessee Williams’ early prison drama gets a bold revival directed by Robert O’Hara, with Chris Messina, William Jackson Harper, Elizabeth Lail, and Brian Geraghty.

THE GIG: AFTER MOISE AND THE WORLD OF REASON
Skating Rink, July 18–August 2
A site-specific production on ice conceived by Will Davis, based on Williams’ late novel. Features choreography by Douglas Webster and Rohene Ward.

VANESSA
The Annex, July 17–August 3
Heartbeat Opera reimagines Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer-winning opera with direction by R.B. Schlather and a new arrangement by Dan Schlosberg.

THE THINGS AROUND US
The Annex, July 17–August 1
A solo musical from Ahamefule J. Oluo blending personal storytelling with looped trumpet, clarinet, and drums.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
The Annex, July 18–August 3
Choreographed and written by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri, this dance-theater piece explores memory and identity with humor and poignancy.

Late at The Annex

Fridays & Saturdays at 11 PM, The Annex (245 State Rd, North Adams)
This new late-night series brings together comics, musicians, and performers in an intimate cabaret setting.

• Friday, July 18: MESS hosts Sydnee Washington and Marie Faustin

• Saturday, July 19: Julio Torres (Problemista), Spike Einbinder, River L. Ramirez

• Friday, July 25: Jensen McRae

• Friday, August 1: Rostam (Grammy nominee, Vampire Weekend) with string quartet

• Saturday, August 2: Delta Rae in concert, workshopping new musical The Ninth Woman

New Play Reading Series

• White Girls Gang by Rianna Simons
  July 29, 7 PM at Clark Art Institute
  Directed by Gus Heagerty and featuring Kaia Gerber

• Worms by Gracie Gardner
  July 31, 1:30 PM at ’62 Center MainStage
  Directed by Dustin Wills and featuring Susan Sarandon and Kate Walsh

Ticketing Information

Weekend Passes and Single Tickets

• Weekend Passes guarantee access to 8 core projects with add-on options

• Available now at wtfestival.org

Single Tickets Available For:

• Core productions: Camino Real, Spirit of the People, Not About Nightingales, The Gig, Vanessa, The Things Around Us, and Many Happy Returns

• Late at The Annex performances

• The Cabaret benefit concert

• Readings from the New Play Reading Series

Venue Locations

• MainStage & NikosStage – ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance, 1000 Main Street, Williamstown

• The Annex – 245 State Road, North Adams

• Skating Rink – 1267 South Church Street, North Adams

• Clark Art Institute – 225 South Street, Williamstown

About Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival is a premiere American summer theater, known for launching bold new work and revitalizing classic plays. More than 75 productions have transferred from WTF to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and film/TV. W71 continues the Festival’s tradition of experimentation, collaboration, and theatrical excellence.