2012 Mark Taper Forum Season Announced: CLYBOURNE PARK, WAITING FOR GODOT & More

Four of today's most powerful plays, plus a world premiere musical and a timeless Beckett play have been scheduled for Center Theatre Group's 2012 season at the Mark Taper Forum, it was announced today by CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

The Taper's 45th season at the Los Angeles Music Center will open with Bruce Norris' 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning "Clybourne Park;" and continue with "Waiting for Godot" featuring two of Samuel Beckett's finest interpreters, Alan Mandell and Barry McGovern; a brand-new chamber musical set in California, "Los Otros," by award-winning Ellen Fitzhugh and Michael John LaChiusa; John Logan's 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Play "Red" featuring Alfred Molina; David Mamet's timely and hilarious spoof of presidential elections, "November"; and Jon Robin Baitz's fierce and funny family drama, "Other Desert Cities."

"This is a big season with big themes and big performances," said Ritchie. "We have the top tier of American theatre artists writing about living, creating art and even politicking in America. And then that towering figure in drama, Beckett, brings us into the cosmos of the whole human race with questions about one's place and time on earth.

"I fell in love with Bruce Norris' ‘Clybourne Park' early on. His original, almost cheeky look at race in America revolves around Lorraine Hansberry's ‘A Raisin in the Sun,' and as previously announced, we are presenting the acclaimed Ebony Repertory Theatre production of the classic drama at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. These productions will richly complement each other."
"John Logan's ‘Red' had me on my feet cheering,'" said Ritchie, "and I am so glad that Alfred Molina will be re-creating the role of the artist Mark Rothko for us. In his hands, it is an unforgettable master class.

"There is also the chance to see ‘Waiting for Godot' with two fantastic actors who have Beckett in their blood: Alan Mandell, a beloved Los Angeles actor who worked directly with Beckett numerous times, and Barry McGovern, who lives in Beckett's hometown of Dublin, and is considered one of the leading Beckett performers."

"Distinctly Californian stories are told in ‘Los Otros' and ‘Other Desert Cities,'" Ritchie continued. "‘Los Otros' is a beautiful, two-character musical with an interesting and moving perspective on the Mexican immigrant experience. CTG commissioned Michael John LaChiusa and Ellen Fitzhugh to create ‘Los Otros' and it has been gratifying to watch its progress. It now proudly represents CTG's New Play Production Program on the Taper stage.

"With ‘Other Desert Cities' we welcome Jon Robin Baitz back to CTG. His Los Angeles roots are keenly observed in this invigorating and revelatory story of a rich, well-connected family spending the Christmas holidays in Palm Springs.

"David Mamet also returns to us in 2012. David is known for his incendiary plays about power politics, gender politics and racial politics.  In ‘November' he looks at plain old politics, but nothing is ever plain in a Mamet play.  I guarantee you'll never look at poultry or politicians in the same way again.

"With the caliber of these playwrights and theatre artists, including directors such as Michael Grandage ("Red"), Joe Mantello ("Other Desert Cities"), Graciela Daniele ("Los Otros"), Pam MacKinnon ("Clybourne Park"), and Michael Arabian ("Waiting for Godot"), the Taper's 45th season is in great hands. It should be an amazing year."