'The Writings of Henry James' Symposium at Westport 10/14

Westport Country Playhouse will present a Sunday Symposium on "The Writings of Henry James," following the October 14 at 3PM matinee performance of The Turn of the Screw, a thriller adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James, directed by Loy Arcenas.

Guest speakers will be Jeffrey Hatcher, playwright, Michelle Loris, professor and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Sacred Heart University, and George Monteiro, professor at Brown University and former president of The Henry James Society.

The Playhouse Sunday Symposium program, free and open to the public, provides the audience with guest speakers' in-depth insights and observations about the production followed by an interactive dialogue.  Tazewell Thompson, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, will moderate the Sunday Symposium.

Jeffrey Hatcher is fast becoming one of the most frequently produced playwrights in the US. He adapted his acclaimed stage play Compleat Female Stage Beauty for the screen. He wrote the screenplay Casanova for director Lasse Hallstrom, as well as screenplays for directors Steven Shainberg (Secretary) and Kim Pierce (Boys Don't Cry). He has also written for the Peter Falk TV series "Columbo" and E! Entertainment Television.  His many award-winning original plays have been performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally across the US and abroad. They include Three Viewings, Scotland Road, Neddy, Korczak's Children, A Picasso, Mercy of a Storm, Work Song (with Eric Simonson), and Lucky Duck (with Bill Russell and Henry Kreiger). Hatcher wrote the book for the Broadway musical Never Gonna Dance, based on the Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers film "Swingtime," and co-authored with Mitch Albom the stage version of the bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie. He has won grants and awards from the NEA, TCG, Lila-Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Barrymore Award and others.

The Turn of the Screw a provocative tale of suspense and horror, runs from October 11 through October 27.  The play is about a young governess who tends to the children of a mysterious man.  Her predecessor and the valet are both dead, but as she soon finds out, they are far from gone.

Tickets for the Sunday, October 14 at 3PM performance of The Turn of the Screw start at $35 and include admission to the Symposium.  Students and educators are eligible for 50% discounts.  Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price.

For more information about subscribing or to receive a brochure, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Information about the 2007 season and the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org.