HAY FEVER, FENCES Set For Seattle Rep's 2009-2010 Season

Season tickets are now on sale for the Seattle Rep 2009-10 season, which features an exciting collaboration with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Noël Coward's comedy Hay Fever, a 25th anniversary celebration of August Wilson' beloved Fences, and more.

"This season is really about relationships for us," said Producing Artistic Director Jerry Manning. "Building on the relationships we have with the great artists in this community and developing new partnerships. In this troubling economy, we looked for ways to support our fellow arts organizations by joining together on a number of exciting projects. We both get the benefit of partnership, and Seattle Rep subscribers get access to an even wider array of productions."

One such partnership will bring to Seattle the world-premiere production of Equivocation, a play by Bill Cain, which will open at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and then travel to Seattle Rep under the direction of OSF artistic director Bill Rauch.

"This season also gives us an opportunity to show off what we do best-provide an incredible range of styles and perspectives. In the Leo K. we have something like An Iliad, a brand-new work developed right here, starring Broadway actor Denis O'Hare. And in the Bagley you can see David Mamet's real-estate drama Glengarry Glen Ross or August Wilson at his best with Fences," Manning said.

Other shows in the theatre's season include the British comedy Hay Fever, directed by Warner Shook; Opus, a "behind-the-music" look at a string quartet; and a new comedy about high school misfits on the debate team called Speech and Debate.

Seattle Rep's other confirmed collaboration is with Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Across America on the recent Broadway hit August: Osage County (winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play). The show will play at The Paramount, but will be part of some Seattle Rep subscriptions.

Hay Fever
By Noël Coward, directed by Warner Shook
October 2-25, 2009
In the Bagley Wright Theatre

Judith may have retired from the stage years ago, but drama follows her wherever she goes. So when she, her husband, and two children discover that they've all invited dates to their country house for the same "quiet weekend," it's clear the holiday will be anything but peaceful. And little do their guests realize, everything is a game in the bohemian Bliss family-including love. Directed by Warner Shook (You Can't Take It With You) and filled with Noël Coward's sparkling quips and charm, Hay Fever is a thoroughly delightful treat from one of the masters of British comedy.

August: Osage County
By Tracy Letts, directed by Anna D. Shapiro
October 27-November 1, 2009
At the Paramount Theatre

Seattle Rep partners with Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway Across America for this special bonus show-part of your subscription, playing at The Paramount! Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, August: Osage County tells the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead when the alcoholic patriarch disappears. The New York Times cheers, "August: Osage County is flat-out, without qualification, the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years."

Opus
By Michael Hollinger
October 30-December 6, 2009
In the Leo K. Theatre

In front of an audience they're pitch perfect, but behind the scenes of the Lazara string quartet, things aren't quite so adagio. Tapped to play at the White House after in-fighting broke them up, the group reunites-with a new member, a promising young student. As they prepare for the gig of their lives, tempers flare, relationships crumble and new ones bloom. Opus is a passionate, music-filled glimpse into the fascinating world of professional classical musicians.

Equivocation
By Bill Cain, directed by Bill Rauch
November 18-December 13, 2009
In the Bagley Wright Theatre

Seattle Rep and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival bring you this exciting new play direct from Ashland. In Equivocation, the Prime Minister to King James commissions William Shakespeare to write a play about a thwarted attempt to kill the king. But when Will and his band of actors discover the government's version is neither true nor interesting, they must choose between losing their artistic integrity or losing their heads. Bill Cain's contemporary writing is brilliantly woven with threads of King Lear and Macbeth.

Speech and Debate
By Stephen Karam
January 15-February 21, 2010
In the Leo K. Theatre

An aspiring teen journalist, an awkward wannabe popstar, and the openly gay new kid in town all have secrets. But when their squeaky clean small-town high school refuses to acknowledge the messy parts of being a teenager, this ragtag bunch of misfits starts an after school Speech and Debate team to expose a possible pedophile-and sparks more debate than their high school ever bargained for. Tackling issues of politics, homosexuality, and self-expression, young playwright Stephen Karam has written a completely modern, hilarious and heartbreaking look at the struggles of being a teen today.

Glengarry Glen Ross
By David Mamet
February 5-28, 2010
In the Bagley Wright Theatre

In David Mamet's cutthroat world of real estate all that matters is the sale. In the midst of a high stakes sales competition, a group of tough-talking Chicago agents will do anything to close a deal and stay in the game-blackmail, bribery or even burglary. With Mamet's rapid-fire dialogue and finely crafted humor, Glengarry Glen Ross is a gripping comedy-drama that showcases taut, intense acting.

Fences
By August Wilson, directed by Timothy Bond
March 26-April 18, 2010
In the Bagley Wright Theatre

One of August Wilson's most beloved plays, Fences is the story of Troy Maxton, a garbage collector who has long abandoned his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. As the 1950s come to a close in Philadelphia and black athletes begin to achieve the type of fame Troy still secretly longs for, Troy's son pushes his father to let him play football. The Pulitzer- and-Tony-winning Fences is August Wilson at his best: a challenge of the American dream through a poetic, powerful, and deeply personal story.

An Iliad
Created by Denis O'Hare and Lisa Peterson, directed by Lisa Peterson
April 9-May 16, 2010
In the Leo K. Theatre
Tony Award-winning actor Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out on Broadway) stars in this new take on one of history's most famous and exciting tales. Pulling stories from The Iliad- Homer's sweeping fable of gods, goddesses and the Trojan War-O'Hare takes the audience on an unforgettable trip. Acclaimed actor O'Hare played Lucky in Waiting for Godot at Seattle Rep (1997) and recently appeared on screen in Milk and Changeling.

 

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