Melissa Leo Joins Reading of SAFE SPACE at Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced the additional casting of Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo in the reading of a new drama, Safe Space, by Alan Fox at The Clark Art Institute on Thursday, June 8 at 7pm in the auditorium. Artistic Director Mandy Greenfield will provide a sneak peek of the upcoming WTF 2017 season.

In addition to winning the 2011 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her tour de force performance in The Fighter, Leo also received a Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for the same performance, and has garnered Oscar and SAG Award nominations for her leading role in the 2008 film Frozen River. Leo is a seasoned film and television star, recognized most recently for her award-nominated performance as Lady Bird Johnson in the HBO movie "All The Way" as well as her Primetime Emmy Award-winning guest performance on FX's "Louie."

Safe Space tells the tale of Marcus Wood (André Holland), a passionate professor facing a complicated accusation from a student. The university's president (Leo) intervenes, and campus-wide protests erupt. With the university's reputation hanging in the balance, professor, president, and student must weigh identity politics, ethics, and core beliefs as they negotiate a way forward.

While this pre-season event is sold out, names may still be added to the present waitlist. Visit clarkart.edu or wtfestival.org for more information.

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.