Jayne Atkinson, Micah Stock and More Join Williamstown Theatre Festival Lineup; 2017 Commissions Announced!

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced additional casting for the 2017 summer season. Two-time Tony Award-nominee Jayne Atkinson and Cote de Pablo will appear in Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House; Tony Award-nominee Micah Stock will appear in Jason Kim's The Model American and Halley Feiffer's Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow; Christopher Livingston, LeRoy McClain and Joniece Abbott-Pratt will perform in Harrison David Rivers' Where Storms are Born; and Rebecca Henderson will perform in Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow.

Greenfield also announced today the recipient of the 2017 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award, the commissioned artists under the 2017 New Play Commissioning Program, the 2017 Playwright-in-Residence, and the recipients of the newly established James Giddens Musical Theatre Commission. They are as follows: Heather Raffo is the recipient of the 2017 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award and The Jay Harris Commission for her play Noura. The artists under the 2017 New Play Commissioning Program are: Nathan Alan Davis, Meghan Kennedy, Justin Levine, Bess Wohl and Big Dance Theatre. Additionally, Michael R. Jackson will serve as the Festival's 2017 Playwright-in-Residence. Finally, Marsha Norman and Zoe Sarnak are the recipients of the James Giddens Musical Theatre Commission, established to honor WTF Trustee James Giddens, who was honored at Monday night's Gala in NYC.

Williamstown Theatre Festival administers the L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award on behalf of the Anna L. Weissberger Foundation. Championed for the Festival in 1998 by late Trustee Jay Harris, the award honors noted theatrical attorney and avid theatre supporter L. Arnold Weissberger, and it is designed to recognize excellence in playwriting. The recipient of the award receives $10,000 for the winning play, a reading at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and optional publication by Samuel French. The 2017 finalist judges were Oliver Butler, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, David Eppel, Boo Killebrew, and Joe Tracz.

Williamstown Theatre Festival is currently accepting submissions for the 2018 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award. Nominations are solicited by invitation only.

The New Play Commissioning Program, launched in 2015, commissions and develops three to five projects annually from playwrights, composers, and collaborative devisers from across the career spectrum. Each commission also includes a writing residency at Williamstown Theatre Festival. The 2017 New Play Commissions are graciously supported by Andrew Martin-Weber.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival Playwright-in-Residence works and lives at the Festival for the duration of the summer. They contribute not only by writing plays that will be seen in the Festival's reading series and potentially on the Festival stages, but also by creating program dramaturgy for playbills and moderating post-show talkbacks.

As previously announced, the 2017 season, begins on the Main Stage with a production of a new play by Jen Silverman, The Roommate, (June 27 - July 16) directed by Mike Donahue and featuring Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner S. Epatha Merkerson (WTF Debut) and Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Jane Kaczmarek (4th season at WTF); continues with Sarah Ruhl's 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist comedy The Clean House (July 19 - July 29), starring Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht (10th season at WTF) and directed by Rebecca Taichman; and closes with a new musical A Legendary Romance (August 3 - August 20), with music and lyrics by Geoff Morrow and book by Timothy Prager and directed by Lonny Price.

The Nikos Stage season kicks off June 28 with the world premiere of Jason Kim's play The Model American (June 28 - July 9), directed by Danny Sharron and featuring Laila Robins; and also includes the world premiere of Where Storms Are Born (July 12 - July 23) by Harrison David Rivers, directed by Tony Award nominee Liesl Tommy, and starring Outer Critics Circle Award nominee Myra Lucretia Taylor (10th season at WTF); the world premiere play Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow (July 26 - August 6) by Halley Feiffer and directed by Obie Award winner and Drama Desk nominee Trip Cullman; and closes out the summer with Actually (August 9 - August 20) by Anna Ziegler, a co-world premiere with Geffen Playhouse, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. All four of this season's Nikos Stage productions have been commissioned by or developed at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Ticket Bundles are now available at www.wtfestival.org. Single tickets for the 2017 Williamstown Theatre Festival season will be available in April through the WTF website and by mail order using WTF's season brochure (call 413-597-3400 to join the mailing list). The WTF Box Office will open in June at which point tickets may be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.

Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America's finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires, engaging a loyal audience of both residents and summer visitors. Each WTF season is designed to present unique opportunities for artists and audience alike, revisiting classic plays with innovative productions, developing and nurturing bold new plays and musicals, and offering a rich array of accompanying cultural events including Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. With offices in both Williamstown and New York City, WTF creates vibrant work that feeds the wider theatrical landscape. The artists and productions shaped at the Festival each summer often go on to reach diverse audiences nationally and internationally. WTF is also home to of the nation's top training and professional development programs for new generations of aspiring theatre artists and administrators. WTF was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement in 2011.

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2017 SEASON SUMMARY:

Main Stage

A NEW PLAY

The Roommate | June 27-July 16
by Jen Silverman
Directed by Mike Donahue
with S. Epatha Merkerson and Jane Kaczmarek

A New Production of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize Finalist

The Clean House |July 19-July 29
by Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
with Jayne Atkinson, Jessica Hecht, Priscilla Lopez and Cote de Pablo

A NEW MUSICAL
A Legendary Romance | August 3 - August 20
A New Musical
book by Timothy Prager
music and lyrics by Geoff Morrow
Directed by Lonny Price

Nikos Stage

WORLD PREMIERE

The Model American | June 28 - July 9
by Jason Kim
Directed by Danny Sharron

with Laila Robins and Micah Stock

WORLD PREMIERE
Where Storms Are Born | July 12 - July 23
by Harrison David Rivers
Directed by Liesl Tommy
with Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Christopher Livingston, LeRoy McClain, and Myra Lucretia Taylor

WORLD PREMIERE
Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow | July 26-August 6
by Halley Feiffer
Directed by Trip Cullman

with Rebecca Henderson and Micah Stock

WORLD PREMIERE
Actually | August 9 - August 20
Co-world premiere with Geffen Playhouse, Randall Arney - Artistic Director
by Anna Ziegler
Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz