Weston Playhouse Announces 2018 Season

Vermont's award-winning Weston Playhouse Theatre Company unveils a blockbuster 2018 line-up, the largest in the theatre's history. The season includes three productions on the company's Main Stage at the historic Weston Playhouse and four productions at its stunning new Second Stage, Weston Playhouse at Walker Farm, plus pre-theatre dining, post-show Cabaret, and periodic special events.

The Main Stage series kicks off with Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Our Town. Last seen at the Playhouse in 1973 with the late Sam Lloyd, Sr. as the all-knowing Stage Manager, the new production will feature his brother, film and TV actor Christopher Lloyd, in that pivotal role. Sponsored by Manchester Designer Outlets and directed by Steve Stettler, performances run June 21 to July 7.

Next up on the Main Stage is American's most iconic musical, West Side Story. Star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria fight to keep their forbidden love alive in a powerful retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set on New York's West Side. Weston's production celebrates the centennial of author Arthur Laurents, composer Leonard Bernstein, and director/choreographer Jerome Robbins, and is directed by Tim Fort with Robbins' original choreography recreated by Felicity Stiverson. Performances run July 12 through August 4.

Four lively weeks of high-energy, rock-and-roll nostalgia wrap the Main Stage roster with Broadway's recent phenom, Million Dollar Quartet. A triple threat cast recreates the most famous jam session in American musical history and performs hits like "Hound Dog," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Walk the Line," bringing Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis to life onstage. Sponsored by Casella and directed by Michael Berresse, performances run August 9 to September 2.

the company's Second Stage at Weston Playhouse at Walker Farm opens with Weston's 2018 Young Company of talented undergrads in a musical for young families. Based on L.M. Montgomery's beloved novel, Anne of Green Gables is a one-hour musical by Broadway veterans Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford. The spirited show follows orphan Anne Shirley as she discovers the true meaning of family, friendship, and home. Directed by Tim Fort and Piper Goodeve, Anne of Green Gables plays at family-friendly times and prices from June 13 to June 30.

2015's groundbreaking musical Fun Home follows on the Second Stage at Walker Farm. Based on Vermont author/cartoonist Alison Bechdel's best-selling graphic memoir, this five-time Tony Award winner brings us into Alison's world as she grows and grapples with her dysfunctional family, her sexuality, and her father's secrets. Directed by Malcolm Ewen and starring Weston favorites Susan Haefner and David Bonanno, performances run July 5 to July 28.

Continuing a trend of hot new titles at Walker, Weston presents the Vermont Premiere of the Broadway hit, A Doll's House Part 2. Nominated for eight Tony Awards, Lucas Hnath's comedy picks up where Ibsen's famed 19th-century drama, A Doll's House, concludes. Mary B. Robinson (Weston's All My Sons and Copenhagen) directs, with performances from August 2 to August 26.

Extending the theatre season into Vermont's fabulous fall foliage, Weston proudly presents August Wilson's Pulitzer and Tony-nominated Two Trains Running. The seventh in Wilson's ten-part series chronicling the African-American experience, Wilson's play is Weston's fourth annual American Masters production. Directed by Reginald L. Douglas and sponsored by The Vermont Country Store, performances run September 27 to October 21, including daytime school matinees.

To round out your experience, pre-theatre cocktails and farm to table fare are available at the café on the lower level of the Playhouse. Plus, Weston's legendary Cabaret serves up a zany hour-long music and comedy revue, featuring Young Company and Equity actors, after each of the three Main Stage shows.

Individual tickets are available online at westonplayhouse.org or by phone through the Box Office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM until 3 PM: (802) 824-5288. Seasons Subscriptions are available in two exciting packages with preferred pricing and special perks. Email boxoffice@westonplayhouse.org for details!

Photo Credit: Hubert Schriebl.