Williamstown Theatre Festival Season Announced: BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, Robert Sean Leonard in PYGMALION and More

Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced at a press conference in Williamstown today the roster of Main Stage and Nikos Stage productions for the 2013 Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) Season, the Festival's 59th season and third under Ms. Gersten's leadership.

The 2013 season runs from June 26 - August 18, with a Main Stage lineup that includes: the highly anticipated World Premiere of Bridges of Madison County, a new musical by Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman; a madcap revival of Animal Crackers; and a Nicholas Martin-directed production of George Bernard Shaw's classic Pygmalion. On the smaller Nikos Stage, audiences will see revivals of Tom Stoppard's Hapgood along with productions of Bess Wohl's American Hero (a World Premiere) and the new musical Johnny Baseball by Richard Dresser (book), Robert Reale (music) and Willie Reale (lyrics). The season will also see the return of many Williamstown veterans including Kate Burton (in Hapgood), and Robert Sean Leonard (in Pygmalion), plus first-time Festival directors Bartlett Sher, and Leigh Silverman.

"This is without question one of the most ambitious seasons in Williamstown Theatre Festival history - three musicals and a terrific lineup of plays, all of which engage different sensibilities, Gersten said in a statement. "I especially enjoyed putting together this season's slate because, ultimately, it embodies what makes the Williamstown Theatre Festival distinctive, providing artists with great opportunities, and allowing audiences to join us in our summertime joys and adventures."

Each year, WTF also presents a free outdoor production for family audiences at Poker Flats Fields. Gersten announced today that Dracula, written by Bram Stoker and adapted by Steve Lawson, will be the Free Theatre Production, running July 10 - 19, 2013.

The last Nikos Stage production and additional casting for all 2013 WTF shows will be announced at a later date.

For a complete listing, see below:

MAIN STAGE

June 26 - July 14, 2013
ANIMAL CRACKERS
Book by George S. Kaufman & Morrie Ryskind
Music and Lyrics by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby
Adapted and Directed by Henry Wishcamper

The intrepid African explorer, inveterate womanizer, and interminable jokester hobnobs with high society as the guest of honor at a swanky soiree. But when a priceless painting is pilfered, he and the guests are swept up in a screwball search for the thief. This new interpretation of the Marx Brothers' hit Broadway musical and classic film "overflows with mirthful melodies, dynamite dancing, and seriously silly slapstick."

July 17 - 27, 2013
PYGMALION
By George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Nicholas Martin
With Robert Sean Leonard

With all the parallels of a modern reality-show makeover, an impoverished flower seller is taken in hand by a linguistics professor who attempts to change her accent and pass her off as the epitome of English society. For a wager. Described as a "sharp satire on class and women's independence, Shaw's century-old masterpiece features Robert Sean Leonard as Henry Higgins in an uproarious, poignant, and unforgettable battle of wits between two of theatre's most iconic characters."

August 1 - 18, 2013
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
Book by Marsha Norman
Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Bartlett Sher
WORLD PREMIERE