Vermont Stage Company Announces Their 2010-2011 Season

Okay, it's official, fall has arrived! And fall means theatre season, and that means things are really getting rolling here at Vermont Stage! 

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Presented October 6-24, 2010

What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains.
- Tennessee Williams

We open our season with a classic of the American theatre, The Glass Menagerie, a play that holds special significance both for me, as it was the first college show I acted in, and for the company, since it was Vermont Stage's inaugural production back in 1994. Williams' autobiographical memory piece is filled with indelible characters, gorgeous poetry, and unexpected humor, all in service of a haunting, heartbreaking story of a mother's fierce love and a brother's undying loyalty.

Supporting Sponsor: Westaff

Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist adapted by Neil Bartlett

Presented January 24 - February 13, 2011

If, then, you are a pessimist, in reading this story, forgo for a little the pleasures of pessimism. Dream for one mad moment that the grass is green. Unlearn that sinister learning that you think so clear; deny that deadly knowledge that you think you know. Surrender the very flower of your culture; give up the very jewel of your pride; abandon hopelessness, all ye who enter here.
-G.K. Chesterton on Dickens

In January, I'm thrilled to present the Vermont premiere of a new adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. When I first read the script I was immediately engaged by the theatrical possibilities of the piece: 12 actors playing dozens of roles, creating a highly stylized yet dangerously real world which young Oliver must somehow survive. And who better to realize those possibilities than my friend Jason Jacobs, the director who brought us the amazing Opus last season?

Presenting Sponsor: Physician's Computer Company

Underneath the Lintel by Glen Berger

Presented March 9 - 20, 2011

Our man will find a way, this I know, mark my words, to behold this hash of a creation, to take this muck and holy mess of a life, and winnow out and revel in every bit of beauty and worth that's in it, so long as he's in it, so there.
- The Librarian

In March, we'll present one of my favorite plays from my time here at Vermont Stage, Underneath the Lintel. Returning to the role of a Dutch librarian who discovers a book 123 years overdue will be a special treat for me. I've always loved the mysterious and even mystical aspects of this quirky tale, and the final image of the Librarian leaving his old life in pursuit of new adventures seems curiously apt.

Presenting Sponsor: Vermont Design Works
Supporting Sponsor: Kelliher Samets Volk

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney

Presented April 20 - May 8, 2011

Hey! Hey, hey! Hey!
-Sylvia

We close the season with the return of one of the most requested plays in my ten years with the company. Sylvia seems to have struck a chord with our audience, and it's easy to see why. The show is laugh-till-it-hurts funny, and anyone who has a dog (or knows one personally) feels like they're getting some uncannily accurate insight into the canine mind. Then there's Kathryn Blume as the eponymous pup. She has said it was the role she was born to play, and I feel most fortunate to direct her and the rest of the talented cast in my final VSC production.

Presenting Sponsor: AARP
Supporting Sponsor: Cope & Associates, Inc.

Winter Tales
by Mark Nash

Presented December 8 - 12, 2010

Warm Cider. Fresh cookies. Friends and family gathered together to share stories and songs celebrating the holiday season and winter in Vermont. Join us in the cozy setting of FlynnSpace as we bring a little light to the dark days of December. Celebrated local singers Patti Casey and Pete Sutherland join your favorite Vermont Stage actors to share a delightful blend of new tunes and tales full of joy, humor, and warmth - just the right recipe to put you in the holiday spirit.

Presenting Sponsor: Redstone
Supporting Sponsor: Creative Habitat

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