Further Casting Announced for Williamstown Theatre Fest, Plus Reading Series, Playwrights in Residency and More

Williamstown Theatre Festival announced today additional casting for the 2019 season as well as details about additional programming, commissions, and fellowships.

Joining the previously announced Main Stage and Nikos Stage casts are: Helen Hayes Award winner and Tony and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee Jamey Sheridan ("Homeland", A Moon for the Misbegotten at WTF) in Grand Horizons, May Calamawy ("Ramy") in Selling Kabul, Tom Pecinka (The Member of the Weddingat WTF) in Ghosts, and Jeorge Watson ("Luke Cage") in A Human Being, of a Sort.

The 2019 Season Sneak Peek & Reading will take place at 7pm on Thursday, June 6 at The Clark Auditorium and will feature a preview of the summer season as well as a reading of Mona Pirnot's new play Private, directed by Maya Davis.

Fridays@3, a weekly new play reading series that offers the public the opportunity to hear new plays read by members of the Festival company, will once again take place at The Clark Auditorium. The 2019 Fridays@3 readings will include For Nina by Robert Emmet Lunney, directed by Dylan Baker (July 12); The Room Where I Was Held by David Zax, directed by Danny Sharron (July 19); Chonburi International Hotel & Butterfly Club by Shakina Nayfack, directed by Laura Savia (July 26); Female Troubles music by Curtis Moore, lyrics by Amanda Green, book by Jennifer Crittenden & Gabrielle Allan, original concept by Amanda Green & Curtis Moore, and directed by Scott Ellis (please note that this reading will take place on the Nikos Stage at the '62 Center on Aug 2); Cinched/Strapped by Selina Fillinger(Aug 9); and In The Canyon by Calamity West (Aug 16). Reservations for the Season Sneak Peek & Reading and Fridays@3 are required, and availability is limited. Reservations can be made online now at wtfestival.org. Tickets to the Season Sneak Peek are free; tickets to the Fridays@3 readings are $5 each. One additional reading on July 5th as well as casting for Fridays@3 will be released at a later date.

COMMUNITY WORKS, WTF's initiative that brings together local residents and professional theatre artists to make plays for and about the Berkshires, will culminate this summer in a free, family-friendly world premiere play, Summer's Soldier, by Boo Killebrew, music by Heather Christian, lyrics by Lucy Thurber, and directed byJenna Worsham, from August 11-14 on the Main Stage. The play will feature more than 60 Berkshire area residents on stage alongside Festival actors. Seating is general admission, and tickets are free and available now online at wtfestival.org.

Several artists have received commissions or fellowships or will be in residency at the Festival in 2019. Selina Fillinger is the recipient of the 2019 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award and Jay Harris Commission for her play Cinched/Strapped. Artists commissioned in 2019 under the Andrew Martin-Weber New Play and Musical Commissioning Program include Jocelyn Bioh, Abby Rosebrock, and Cody Owen Stine. The 2019 Playwright-in-Residence is Mona Pirnot.

The recipient of the 2019 Bill Foeller Directing Fellowship is Katie Lindsay, who will direct a workshop production of Orlando, a play by Sarah Ruhl, in the Directing Studio on July 15-16. The recipient of the 2019 Boris Sagal Directing Fellowship is Jason McDowell-Green, who will direct a workshop production of Soft, a new play by Donja R. Love, in the Directing Studio on August 12-13. The recipient of the 2019 J. Michael Friedman Fellowship is Maya Davis, who will direct two workshop productions in the Directing Studio during the Festival season. Additional information about Fellowship Projects will be released at a later date. Donors receive advance access to tickets for Fellowship Projects. Remaining tickets become available one week prior to performances. Reservations are required, and there is limited availability.

Photo Credit Lily Lim