Theater at Monmouth Sets 'Power, Passion & Privilege' Season

This summer, Theater at Monmouth encourages you to "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none" (All's Well That Ends Well). Through classic Shakespearean thrillers, contemporary romances, and fantastical flights of fantasy, the plays of the Power, Passion & Privilege Season explore liberty, justice, and equality.

The season features two Maine Premiers: Lolita Chakrabarti's Red Velvet imagines the experience of Ira Aldridge, the first black man to portray Othello, as the abolition of slavery is fought in the London streets, and Rick Elice's Peter and the Starcatcher a swashbuckling prequel to J.M Barrie's Peter Pan revealing the magic that launched a scrappy orphan into the infamous "Boy Who Never Grew Up." TAM's five mainstage productions will be directed by women and were selected to engage audiences in a dialogue on the dynamics of gender, race, leadership, and society.

Producing Artistic Director, Dawn McAndrews, selected the line-up of plays in response to world events. "Working in the theatre, we do not have the flexibility to address current events in the same way as the media; we don't have the luxury of a 24-hour news cycle response. Our coming season is planned more than a year in advance, reflecting or examining social issues that directly affect our community. I find it fascinating how a play written more than 400 years ago, or 20 years ago, or five years ago, can still speak to our modern perceptions and concerns. The really good places not only entertain but, hopefully, teach us something about ourselves."

Each summer audiences from across Maine and 36 states come to the Lakes Region to enjoy the natural beauty of Central Maine and the grandeur of Historic Cumston Hall, the home of Theater at Monmouth. A remarkable 117-year-old Victorian Opera House, Cumston Hall includes a 250-seat, jewel-box theatre with exceptional acoustics and original murals painted by Harry Cochrane. Allen Adams of The Maine Edge says, "TAM mounts consistently excellent programming in a beautiful space. It's well worth the trip." The area is filled with everything from outdoor activities, great food, historical locales, as well as world-class arts and culture. As the only professional theatre in Maine dedicated to Shakespeare and the classics, TAM is a critical contributor to the cultural life of the state.

Three Days of Rain by Richard Greenberg and directed by Kate Bergstrom opens on July 1 and runs through August 18. "Greenburg's play doesn't shy away from the less glamorous sides of filial Intimacy or friendship," Bergstrom says of Three Days of Rain, "nor does it lose the ephemeral romance that is human beings bonding together to form a home. This is a thrilling and difficult balance to find."

Next up is Molière's The Learned Ladies directed by Sally Wood, running July 6 - August 20. Wood invites you to take part in the "ridiculous, midsummer madness" that is The Learned Ladies.

Shakespeare's Macbeth, directed by Dawn McAndrews runs July 13 - August 18. "Ultimately the play is not simply about ambition or evil but the lust to have more than you ever imagined, and the will to achieve it," says McAndrews of Macbeth. "This very human desire is surely something we have seen in our world, our leaders, and, undoubtedly, in ourselves."

Following the production of the Bard's classic tragedy comes another: Othello, running July 20 - August 19, directed by Catherine Weidner. "The whole world is in Othello," says Weidner. "Shakespeare's story leaves us thinking hard about assimilation, status, gender, and race in profound human ways."

Lolita Chakrabarti's Red Velvet directed by Jennifer Nelson runs July 27 - August 17. "As a theatre worker, an African American and a lover of history, I was thrilled to be invited to mount this play," says Nelson. "I hope it will resonate for you as a very late, long overdue tribute to a man who never gave up his mission to create beauty for audiences around the world."

TAM's Family Show, opening June 24 and running through August 17, Ruth Stiles Gannet's classic My Father's Dragon. "In its simplest form," says Director Adam P. Blais, "[This show] is the story of a child who sets out on a journey to right a philosophical injustice. The child makes no note of physical and cultural differences but rather sees the world through a lens of equality and harmony.

Bob Keyes of the Portland Press Herald says TAM is known around the country for the quality of its productions. "[TAM] remains one of the very few theaters in all of America that produces a summer season in repertory," Keyes said. "Each week brings a new opening, with resident actors shifting roles from one show to the next, sometimes in a matter of hours and never more than a matter of days."

Hiring the best regional and national talent, placing significant emphasis on Shakespeare's text, emphasizing the unique nature of the venue, and a strong commitment to community has ensured that audiences experience Shakespeare and other classical plays at their best. Scott Moreau of Broadway World writes, "It is almost hard to single out the cast. The cast is unbelievably strong and works together as a wonderfully cohesive ensemble. Almost more than the way they inhabit their character's strengths and peccadillos, the cast's most important accomplishment is the grasp they have on Shakespeare's language."

TAM Season Passes offer up to 25% off the single ticket price and exclusive benefits such as priority seating and free ticket exchanges. Gold, Flex, General, or Senior Passes are available for purchase, so whether you want a ticket for each show or five tickets to one show, there's an option for you. Single tickets for the Summer Repertory and Fall Show are $32 for adults, $28 for senior citizens, and $20 for students (18 and under). My Father's Dragon Family Show tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children. Groups of 10 or more can enjoy TAM shows at up to a 22% discount. Groups may also schedule pre or post show discussions with tours of historic Cumston Hall. Contact the Box Office for more information and to book your group's event.

Opening Nights are Educator Nights. Educators receive 20% off the single ticket price with a photo ID at the Box Office.

Under 30 Rush Tickets: For patrons under 30, twenty $10 Rush Tickets are available at each performance in the season. Sign up by contacting the Box Office, either by emailing boxoffice@theateratmonmouth.org or calling 207.933.999 the morning of the performance. Tickets will be released to the first 20 people on the list ten minutes before curtain.

For more information on TAM's upcoming season, or to purchase tickets, subscriptions, or arrange a group visit please visit our website, www.theateratmonmouth.org, or call the box office at 207.933.9999. Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TAMonmouth, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/TAMonmouth, and check us out on Instagram, Flickr, and YouTube.

Theater at Monmouth, founded in 1970, was named the Shakespearean Theater of Maine by the State Legislature in 1975. The theatre's mission is to present innovative approaches to Shakespeare and other classic plays through professional productions that enrich the lives of people throughout Maine. Since its founding, TAM has produced expertly crafted, engaging productions in its three-month Summer Repertory Season entertaining audiences from 36 states and through Education Tours annually reaching more than 15,000 students statewide.