Barrington Stage Presents MORMONS, MOTHERS AND MONSTERS

Barrington Stage Company, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and TriStan Wilson, Managing Director, announced today the complete Stage 2 season- the Musical Theatre Lab premiere of Mormons, Mothers and Monsters, two cabarets Surviving the Avalanche and Hell Raisers, and the Berkshire premiere of Chaim Potok's My Name is Asher Lev-as well as the previously announced productions of Zero Hour and Going to St. Ives.

Barrington Stage Company's Musical Theatre Lab, under the mentorship of Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist William Finn, kicks off its sixth season with its eighth world premiere musical - Mormons, Mothers and Monsters, a quirky musical comedy with music by Will Aronson and book and lyrics by Sam Salmond. A boy and his Mormon mother smile their way through three shattering divorces. As he grows, the boy hides under his bed-sheets, prays fervently and tries to figure out just who is responsible for his miserable little life. Mormons, Mothers and Monsters runs on Stage 2 from July 14 through 31 with performances Tuesday-Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 4 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 3pm. There will be two weekday matinee performances: Thursday, July 21 and Thursday, July 28 at 3pm. Tickets are $15-$39. Press Opening is Wednesday, July 20 at 7:30pm. Mormons, Mothers and Monsters is sponsored in part by Elayne Bernstein and Sol Schwartz and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Will Aronson (Music) is no stranger to the Musical Theatre Lab having written the score for My Scary Girl and music for Mary Testa's Sleepless Variations. Aronson has had two musicals presented at NYMF - My Scary Girl and The Trouble with Doug. He is currently the musical arranger for the new William Finn/James Lapine musical, Little Miss Sunshine. Sam Salmond (Book and Lyrics) is finishing his Master's degree at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Mormons, Mothers and Monsters marks his first full-length musical to be produced. Sam has contributed songs to BSC's Songs By Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don't Know, But Should and The Big V-Day Cabaret.

Barrington Stage will present the Berkshire premiere of My Name is Asher Lev from August 18 through September 4 (Press Opening Sunday, August 21 at 3pm). Based on the acclaimed novel by Chaim Potok and adapted and directed by Aaron Posner, My Name is Asher Lev is a fascinating coming-of-age story that seamlessly explores art, family, religion, and loyalty. Posner's adaptation follows the journey of a young Jewish painter torn between his Hasidic upbringing and a desperate need to fulfill his artistic genius. This stirring adaptation of Chaim Potok's modern classic presents a triumphant vision of what it means to be an artist. Performances of My Name is Asher Lev are Tuesday-Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Additional matinee performances on Thursday, August 25 and Thursday, September 1 at 3pm. Tickets are $15-$39.

Asher Lev adaptor/director Aaron Posner is a playwright, director, teacher and former artistic director whose work has been seen at major regional theatres across the country including Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Seattle Rep, and many more. His adaptations of Chaim Potok's novels The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev have been produced at more than 50 regional theatres, as well as internationally. He has won Barrymore Awards and Helen Hayes Awards for both playwrighting and directing.

Vadim Feichtner, musical director of the BSC productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, The Memory Show, and this season's Mormons, Mothers and Monsters, is also a ridiculously talented composer. Together with lyricist Jeremy Desmon, they are two of the funniest and freshest songwriting teams working today. Their musical cabaret called Surviving the Avalanche proves no climb is easy-- love, sex, career, family holidays in Kansas -- but one thing is clear: when life keeps throwing rocks at you, the best thing to do is sing. Barrington Stage's Musical Theatre Lab will present four outstanding vocalists as they take on an exhilarating deluge of songs in Surviving the Avalanche at Stage 2 from June 10 through 12. Matt Castle is Music Director. Performances times are Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $15 on Friday/Sunday and $20 on Saturday. Surviving the Avalanche is a production of the Musical Theatre Lab which is sponsored in part by Elayne Bernstein and Sol Schwartz and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Rabble-rousing songwriter Joe Iconis makes his BSC debut with Hell Raisers - A Night of Songs by Joe Iconis from August 11 through 13 at BSC Stage 2, 36 Linden Street. An Edward Kleban and Jonathan Larson Award-winner, Joe Iconis has sold out performances at Ars Nova, Laurie Beechman Theater, Le Poisson Rouge, and Joe's Pub. Join Iconis and his merry band of musical theater punks for an explosive night of high-octane show tunes. Quirky portraits of normal people, outcasts, vagabonds, suburbanites, weirdos, fat kids, and porn stars are set to hummable music that pulses with the energy and excitement of a barroom brawl. Grab a drink, gather round the old piano and sing along to songs with a rock and roll spirit and an old-fashioned heart. Performances times are Thursday and Friday at 8pm, and Saturday at 8pm and 10pm. Tickets are $15 Thursday/Friday and $20 on Saturday. Hell Raisers is a production of the Musical Theatre Lab which is sponsored in part by Elayne Bernstein and Sol Schwartz and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Single tickets for all performances for Barrington Stage Company's 2011 season are on sale now.
NEW this year - ALL seats to Stage 2 performances are now reserved; no longer general admission seating. BSC Stage 2 is located at 36 Linden Street in Pittsfield.

BSC's 2011 Stage 2 Season will kick off with the Off-Broadway hit Zero Hour starring Drama Desk Award-winner Jim Brochu from May18 through June 5 (Press Opening Saturday, May 21 at 8pm), followed by Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives, directed by Tyler Marchant (BSC's A Picasso and Freud's Last Session), with performances from June 22 through July 10 (Press Opening Sunday, June 26 at 7:30pm).

Ticket information
Single tickets ($15-$60) are on sale now.
Mainstage FlexPasses are available for $105-$138. Stage 2 Passes are available for $81-$124. A Musical Theatre Lovers Pass to all three musicals on the Mainstage and Stage 2 is available for $130. Special rates, benefits and packages are available for groups of 15 or more on the Mainstage and groups of 10 or more on Stage 2. For more information contact Kate Ivey, Box Office & Group Services Manager, at 413-236-8888 or visit barringtonstageco.org/tickets/groups.php.

About Barrington Stage Company
Barrington Stage Company, a professional award-winning Equity theatre located in the heart of the Berkshires, in Pittsfield, MA, was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. Barrington Stage's mission is three-fold: to present top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to find fresh, bold ways to bringing new audiences into the theatre-especially young people. Barrington Stage garnered national attention in 2004 when it workshopped, and premiered William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin's musical hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which later transferred to Broadway's Circle-in-the-Square Theatre where it won two Tony Awards and played more than 1,000 performances. In 2009/2010 Barrington Stage produced the world premiere of Mark St. Germain's Freud's Last Session, which later moved Off-Broadway to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, where it resumed performances on January 14, 2011. For more information, log on to www.barringtonstageco.org.

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