Williamstown Theatre Festival Announces New Affordable-Tickets Pilot Program

As part of their commitment to reducing barriers to participation and access, Williamstown Theatre Festival has announce a new affordable-tickets pilot program for the 2022 Season: AccessTix.

Gersten said, "The Williamstown Theatre Festival staff has been thinking about all the ways we can reduce barriers to entry and participation for both our local community and a broader audience. Over the years, we've taken measures to be inclusive, but the AccessTix pilot program is our most ambitious program to date. As theaters across the country are building back, there is no better time to endeavor a more inclusive embrace."

During the 2022 Summer Season, a limited number of $30 AccessTix will be available for every Festival performance. While there are no restrictions on who can purchase AccessTix, the purpose of the program is to provide an entry-level price point for people who cannot otherwise afford to attend the Festival. Ticket buying data will be analyzed following the season to evaluate the program's success. Previously purchased tickets may not be exchanged for AccessTix. AccessTix quantities are limited, and availability may vary by production and performance. There is a limit of four AccessTix per performance per customer. AccessTix are available for sale online at www.wtfestival.org, over the phone at (413) 458-3253, and in-person at the Festival Box Office.

AccessTix is part of the Festival's comprehensive ticket accessibility program, which includes $20 tickets for Massachusetts EBT and ConnectorCare Card to Culture members, as well as $30 Adult and $20 Youth Student "Rush" tickets that can be purchased at the Box Office two hours prior to each performance (subject to availability). More information about these programs can be found at www.wtfestival.org.

The 2022 Festival Box Office is now open and tickets may be purchased online or by calling (413) 458-3253.

Beginning on July 8, The Berkshire Flyer will provide rail service from New York City to Pittsfield in the Berkshires each weekend through Labor Day weekend. Tickets can be purchased at www.amtrak.com/Berkshire-flyer.

For the 2022 Summer Season, WTF has announced their COVID protocols, effective until further notice. All guests must be fully vaccinated and boosted to enter the theater and must present digital or physical proof and photo identification upon entry. Children under 12 and people with a medical condition or closely held religious belief that prevents vaccination may show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test in lieu of proof of vaccination. All guests must wear a properly fitting mask when inside the theater. For updated policies and to plan your visit, please visit: www.wtfestival.org/covid-19-2022

If you have additional questions regarding your visit, please contact our Box Office at (413) 458-3253 or by email at tickets@wtfestival.org.

ABOUT THE SEASON

Nikos Stage

Man of God | Tuesday, July 5 - Friday, July 22

A Killer Comedy Thriller

By Anna Ouyang Moench
Directed by Maggie Burrows
with Shirley Chen, Emma Galbraith, Erin Rae Li, Albert Park, Ji-young Yoo

Scenic Design: Se Hyun Oh

Costume Design: Denitsa Bliznakova

Lighting Design: Lap Chi Chu

Original Music & Sound Design: Jonathan Snipes

Fight Director: thomas isao morinaka

Stage Manager: Lisa Ann Chernoff

Chaos ensues when four teenage girls on a mission trip to Bangkok discover a camera hidden by their pastor in their hotel bathroom. Do they leave it to God or take matters into their own hands? The pressure builds quickly in this suspenseful comedy that interrogates justice, privacy, religion, the patriarchy, and who you follow on Instagram. Juxtaposing girl power with teenage angst, the girls' different ideals emerge as they discover what it takes to fight back.

Man of God is presented in association with Geffen Playhouse.

Main Stage

Most Happy in Concert | Wednesday, July 13 - Sunday, July 31

Songs from Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella

Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Conceived & Directed by Daniel Fish

Choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
with Tina Fabrique, Erin Markey, Mallory Portnoy, Mary Testa

Music Arrangements by Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci

Vocal Arrangements by Nathan Koci and Daniel Fish

Orchestrations by Daniel Kluger
Scenic Design: Amy Rubin

Costume Design: Terese Wadden

Lighting Design: Stacey Derosier

Sound Design: Drew Levy

Music Director: Sean Forte

Associate Director: Mikhaela Mahony

Casting: Taylor Williams, CSA

The Main Stage bursts back to life with this evocative meditation on an American musical masterpiece from the director of the boldly reimagined Tony Award-winning revival of Oklahoma! Drawing on a broad range of musical genres and performed by a company of 20 actors and musicians, Most Happy in Concert invigorates the musical concert form, inviting audiences to consider anew Frank Loesser's exquisite score for The Most Happy Fella. Conceived and directed by Daniel Fish and with choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, this musical event provides thrilling and contemplative ways to experience and connect with this magnificent and lush score-a deep dive into love, desire, isolation, and connection.

Most Happy in Concert is presented in association with Fisher Center at Bard.

Nikos Stage

WORLD PREMIERE

we are continuous | Tuesday, August 2 - Sunday, August 14

A WTF Commission
By Harrison David Rivers

Directed by Tyler Thomas

Scenic Design: dots

Lighting Design: Amith Chandrashaker

Casting: The Telsey Office

Simon and his mother, Ora, have always been close. She's been his champion, his defender, and his friend. But when a life-changing secret comes to light, can their bond survive? 2020 WTF Foeller Fellow Tyler Thomas directs this exquisitely-wrought WTF-commissioned play by Harrison David Rivers (Where Storms Are Born) that explores how people can change and how love can evolve.

we are continuous is a Williamstown Theatre Festival Commission.

Main Stage - Special Event

Just For Us | Wednesday, August 3 - Saturday, August 6

Performed by Alex Edelman

Just For Us takes the audience through hilarious anecdotes from Alex Edelman's life - his Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language - but at its center is an astonishing and frighteningly relevant story. After a string of anti-Semitic abuse is directed at Edelman online, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City and comes face to face with the people behind the keyboards. The result is a hair-raising encounter that gives Just For Us its title and final, jaw-dropping twist.

Main Stage - Benefit Concert

Jimmy Naughton & Friends | Sunday, August 7

An afternoon of stories and songs

Join us for this exclusive benefit concert starring two-time Tony Award winner and legendary Festival actor and director James Naughton as he regales us with stories and songs, accompanied by surprise special guests! Known for his critically acclaimed award-winning performances in shows like Chicago and City of Angels, James has appeared in countless cabarets and more than 20 productions at the Festival, including The Rose Tattoo, The Crucible, and as director of The Price. Featuring songs from James' repertoire and anecdotes from his storied career, Jimmy Naughton & Friends is a one-time-only musical event you won't want to miss!

Proceeds from Jimmy Naughton & Friends will benefit Williamstown Theatre Festival.

ABOUT WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL

For seven decades, the Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought emerging and professional theatre artists together in the Berkshires to create a thrilling summer festival of diverse, world premiere plays and musicals, bold new revivals, and a rich array of accompanying cultural events.

Artists are drawn to Williamstown Theatre Festival to make great theater in an environment conducive to artistic risk-taking. Matthew Broderick, Audra McDonald, Dominique Morisseau, Mary-Louise Parker, Susan Stroman, Uma Thurman, and Blair Underwood are just a few of the luminous theater artists who have worked at the Festival. Many others, including Sterling K. Brown, Ty Burrell, Charlie Day, Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Chris Pine, and George C. Wolfe, began their careers at the Festival.

Productions and artists shaped at the Festival fill theaters in New York City and around the world. Recently, Williamstown Theatre Festival was represented on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally by The Sound Inside, Grand Horizons, The Rose Tattoo, The Visit, Fool for Love, The Elephant Man, Seared, Selling Kabul, Unknown Soldier, and Lempicka, to name just a few. Cost of Living, which was developed and premiered at Williamstown Theatre Festival, was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.