TheatreWorks Announces 2008-09 Season

 TheaterWorks, downtown Hartford's home for the hottest contemporary plays, announces their 2008-2009 Season.  The laugh-filled lineup includes five works that were recent hits on and Off-Broadway.  Subscriptions to the company's 23rd season are on sale now for only $123 and are available by calling (860) 527-7838.  TheaterWorks is located at 233 Pearl Street in downtown Hartford and can be visited on the web at www.theaterworkshartford.org.

TheaterWorks 2008-2009 Season

The Seafarer by Conor McPherson
November 7 through December 21, 2008
It's Christmas Eve and four Irish blokes converge in a dingy Dublin basement for what they hope will be a festive evening of whiskey and poker.  When a mysterious stranger arrives, the stakes of the game are raised frighteningly high. The big question – is this holiday visitor a Santa or a Satan?  A fiercely funny spiked Christmas punch from Conor McPherson, Ireland's hottest contemporary playwright.  "The Seafarer may be just the pick-me-up play of the season!" –The New York Times

Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck
January 23 through March 8, 2009
Enter the dark and dangerous world of…stamp collecting! Two sisters are locked in a battle of wills over their recently deceased mother's book of stamps.  Jackie wants to sell them, while Mary has a strong sentimental attachment to what might be a priceless treasure.  Things turn treacherous when three shifty collectors show up willing to do anything to claim the rare find as their own.   "Filled with stunning scenes of high humor and drama." – Variety

Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl
April 3 through May 10, 2009
A woman in a café finds that the man with the ringing cellphone next to her is "out of minutes," so to speak.  When Jean answers his phone, she gets swept up into the complicated personal life of the late owner.  Reveling in the intrigue and adventure, mousy Jean opens a Pandora's Box of fantastic twists and fabulous turns in this magical comedy.  "One of those very useful theatrical wake-up calls that most of the things we get upset about are absurd wastes of our limited time." – Chicago Tribune

Wonder of the World by David Lindsay-Abaire
June 5 through July 19, 2009
Something wild, wacky and wonderful from the writer of Rabbit Hole, Kimberly Akimbo and Shrek – The Musical!  Bubbly Cass discovers the dirty secret hiding in her husband's sweater drawer. So, she does what anyone would do.  She makes a list of the things she hasn't accomplished in life, packs her bags and heads to the Honeymoon Capital of the World in search of adventure, romance, and a big wig.  This nutty ride over Niagara Falls is a barrel full of laughs!  "A wonderful, daffy, surreal extravaganza.  Wonder of the World is a hilarious confection." – The Hollywood Reporter

Speech & Debate  by Stephen Karam
August 14 through September 27, 2009
What do a high school debate team, predators in cyberspace, and a musical version of The Crucible have in common?  Answer:  three teenagers who are all wrestling with sex, lies and YouTube videos.  When a scandalicious story breaks in Salem, Oregon, a modern witch hunt starts that has everyone buzzing from the classroom to the chatroom.  Stephen Karam's contemporary comedy was New York's underground hit of the season! "Flat-out funny…Stephen Karam has an outstanding ear for how young people talk."—Associated Press.

TheaterWorks receives season support from Aetna with additional support provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.  Production support has been provided by United Technologies, Lincoln Financial Foundation, The Hartford, Bank of America, and the Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation.

For more information about TheaterWorks, visit www.theaterworkshartford.org.