Playhouse On Park Announces its 2018-2019 Season

Select guests arrived to Playhouse on Park for an exclusive event recently announcing Season Ten at the non-profit professional theater that was founded by Executive Director Tracy Flater and Co-Artistic Directors Sean Harris and Darlene Zoller.

"It's amazing to us that there are all of these other theaters that you could spend your nights with, and the fact that you're here tonight means a ton, so thank you," remarked Harris, who joined Flater and Zoller on the Playhouse stage via Skype. Regarding Season Ten, Harris remarked: "We think about our space, and these shows that we're passionate about...each show becomes a communal, immersive experience."

Season Ten opens with Rick Elice's PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (music by Wayne Barker), a wildly theatrical, hilarious and innovative retelling of the century-old legend Peter Pan. From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER playfully explores the depths of greed and despair and the bonds of friendship duty and love. Winner of 5 Tony Awards, a dozen brilliant actors play more than 100 unforgettable characters using their enormous talent, ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination. Playhouse co-founder and co-artistic director Sean Harris is slated to direct this show, running September 12-October 14, 2018.

Running October 31-November 18, 2018 is Dale Wasserman's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. Ezra Barnes (The Diary of Anne Frank) will direct this boisterous, ribald and ultimately shattering story of a mental hospital's inhabitants. When a brash new inmate arrives, the rigid program of the ward, which is headed by the tyrannical Nurse Ratched, is thrown up for grabs. In a world where sanity means conformity, and following the rules is the only way to survive, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST is a powerful exploration of both the beauty and the danger of being an original. This Tony-award winning adaptation by Dale Wasserman pays homage to the original storytelling of the classic novel by Ken Kesey, while adding a chilling, poignant edge that captivates and enthralls audiences.

MURDER FOR TWO will run January 16th - February 3rd, 2019 and will certainly counter those New England winter doldrums with its blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery! The twist in this zany story is that one actor investigates the crime, and the other plays all of the suspects. And they BOTH play piano! This madcap mystery (book and music by Joe Kinosian; book and lyrics by Kellen Blair) is a 90-minute whodunit loaded with killer laughs. Hartt School Alumni Kyle Metzger to direct. Four badass women lose their heads in Lauren Gunderson's THE REVOLUTIONISTS, an irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world. Running February 20-March 10, 2019.

Gleaned from the imagination of Co-Artistic Director Darlene Zoller, stop/time dance theater returns with another original show complete with dancing, singing and music, running from March 27th - April 7th, 2019. In their 16th season, stop/time will be sharing their take on classic and current movies which is sure to be an audience pleaser.

MY NAME IS ASHER LEV runs April 24th - May 12th, 2019. This award-winning play by Aaron Posner, based on the best-selling novel by Chaim Potok (the same writers of Playhouse on Park's sold-out hit, THE CHOSEN) tells the story of Asher Lev, a young Jewish painter torn between his Hassidic upbringing and his desperate need to fulfill his artistic promise. When his artistic genius threatens to destroy his relationship with his parents and community, young Asher realizes he must make a difficult choice between art and faith. This stirring adaptation of a modern classic presents a heartbreaking and triumphant vision of what it means to be an artist.

The Playhouse co-artistic directors, Sean Harris and Darlene Zoller (Cabaret, Hair, A Chorus Line), are lined up to direct The Scottsboro Boys, by John Kander, Fred Ebb and David Thompson (Chicago, Cabaret). The Scottsboro Boys has been hailed as one of the most visionary pieces ever to grace the Broadway stage. Nominated for a staggering twelve Tony Awards, THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS will have you tapping your toes and hollering for justice as the tables are turned on one of the most infamous events in American history: nine African-American men accused of a crime they did not commit. With its brilliant stew of performance styles and piercing new songs, it is truly a triumph of the American Musical Theatre.

Current subscribers may now renew their Mainstage Series Subscriptions. New subscriptions are also available for purchase. Individual tickets go on sale June 13. Contact the Box Office at 860-523-5900 x10 or visit www.playhouseonpark.org for more information. Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT 06119.

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