Broadway 'Motel' Austin Pendleton to Helm FIDDLER for New Rep's 2016-17 Season

Featuring seven productions, New Rep's 2016-2017 season includes REGULAR SINGING, the fourth and final play in Richard Nelson's APPLE FAMILY series, presented in collaboration with Stoneham Theatre; Good, CP Taylor's historical, political drama; FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, a revival of the Tony award-winning musical, featuring Jeremiah Kissel as Tevye and directed by original Broadway cast member Austin Pendleton; THURGOOD, a one-man play featuring Johnny Lee Davenport as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; BRECHT ON BRECHT a play with music based on the collective works of Bertolt Brecht; GOLDA'S BALCONY, a one-woman play featuring Bobbie Steinbach as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir; and THE GIFT HORSE, a sharp comedy by nationally-acclaimed local playwright Lydia R. Diamond in a Boston-area premiere.

"As we embark on another exciting season at New Repertory Theatre, we contemplate a line from William Shakespeare's The Tempest: 'What's past is prologue, what to come in yours and my discharge'," explains Artistic Director Jim Petosa. "To that end, we've chosen shows that connect our past with our present, examining events and people that have the power to transcend, harmonizing with our mission to present plays that speak powerfully to the essential ideas of our time."

"New Rep is delighted for the opportunity to work with so many amazing members of our theatre community next season and to welcome back many New Rep favorites to our stages," says Managing Director Harriet Sheets. "We're particularly excited to welcome back Austin Pendleton, who was last seen at New Rep in Quills, Waiting for Godot, King Lear. He will helm a much-anticipated production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF this fall that will feature Jeremiah Kissel as Tevye and a large cast of Boston-area favorites."

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NEW REPERTORY THEATRE'S 2016-2017 SEASON:

REGULAR SINGING
by Richard Nelson Charles Mosesian Theater
Directed by Weylin Symes
Featuring Joel Colodner, Laura Latrielle, Karen MacDonald, Paul Melendy, Bill Mootos, and Sarah Newhouse
Presented in association with Stoneham Theatre

SEP 3-25/2016

PRESS OPENING: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 AT 7:30PM

AN AMERICAN FAMILY STORY

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, the Apple family gathers to celebrate the life of an ailing relative: talking, eating, laughing, and singing. This slice-of-life snapshot shows how our family histories can intersect with the history of our country. Featuring the same cast of Boston-area favorites that audiences have adored in the first three Apple Family plays, REGULAR SINGING is the triumphant conclusion to Richard Nelson's American epic.

GOOD
by CP Taylor
Directed by Jim Petosa
Featuring Michael Kaye and Tim Spears

OCT 8-30/2016
Charles Mosesian Theater

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, OCTOBER 10 AT 7:30PM

A HARROWING POLITICAL DRAMA

How does a good man turn toward the unthinkable? In 1930s Germany, Professor John Halder, played by Michael Kaye (Broken Glass, Amadeus), writes a novel about compassionate euthanasia, drawing the attention of the Nazi Party. Despite his own misgivings and the pleadings of his Jewish friend Maurice, John is tempted by the changing world around him. In this expressionistic play with music, CP Taylor poses questions that remain all too familiar in today's political landscape.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl Charles Mosesian Theater Book by Joseph Stein Music by Jerry Bock Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince
Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins
Directed by Austin Pendleton Featuring Jeremiah Kissel

DEC 2-24/2016

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, DECEMBER 5 AT 7:30PM

A MUSICAL MASTERPIECE

A spirited revival of the beloved musical, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF features Jeremiah Kissel (Broken Glass, The King of Second Avenue, Imagining Madoff) as Tevye, leading a cast of Boston-area favorites in this Tony Award- winning play. Rendered with striking intimacy and simplicity by Tony-nominated director Austin Pendleton, who originated the role of Motel the Tailor on Broadway, this energetic production puts the classic story's fierce heart at the center of the audience experience with its timeless warmth, humor, and honesty.

THURGOOD
by George Stevens, Jr.
Featuring Johnny Lee Davenport

JAN 7-FEB 5/2017
Black Box Theater

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, JANUARY 9 AT 7:30PM

Part of New Rep's Prophetic Portraits Series: Exploring History at the Level of the Individual

Featuring Johnny Lee Davenport (The Whipping Man) as Justice THURGOOD Marshall, the first African-American to sit on the Supreme Court, THURGOOD spans Marshall's impressive career as a lawyer, arguing such landmark cases as Brown v. Board of Education. Presented during the final month of the Obama Administration, THURGOOD is a tribute to Marshall's enduring legacy.

BRECHT ON BRECHT
by Bertolt Brecht
Arranged by George Tabori from various translations
Directed by Jim Petosa

FEB 4-MAR 5/2017
Black Box Theater

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 AT 7:30PM

Part of New Rep's Prophetic Portraits Series: Exploring History at the Level of the Individual

Brecht on Brecht celebrates one of the 20th century's greatest dramatists in a stunning revue of his life's work. Featuring songs and scenes from Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, and Bertolt Brecht's most famous collaborations, as well as first-hand accounts from Brecht himself, Brecht on Brecht explores the political and social issues he faced as an artist fleeing Nazism and his eventual exile in America.

GOLDA'S BALCONY
by William Gibson
Directed by Judy Braha Featuring Bobbie Steinbach

MAR 25-APR 16/2017
Charles Mosesian Theater

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, MARCH 27 AT 7:30PM

Part of New Rep's Prophetic Portraits Series: Exploring History at the Level of the Individual

Featuring Bobbie Steinbach (Collected Stories, The Clean House), GOLDA'S BALCONY follows Golda Meir from her humble beginnings as a Wisconsin school teacher to her meteoric rise through Israel's early political system, becoming one of the world's first elected female heads of state and one of the most influential women in Jewish history.

THE GIFT HORSE
by Lydia R. Diamond
Directed by Jim Petosa

APR 22-MAY 14/2017
Charles Mosesian Theater

PRESS OPENING: MONDAY, APRIL 24 AT 7:30PM

A SHARP COMEDY FROM THE AUTHOR OF STICK FLY AND SMART PEOPLE

A humorous and introspective Boston-area premiere, THE GIFT HORSE follows Ruth, a successful teacher and artist, whose quick and easy wit masks a painful childhood. With the support of her best friend Ernesto and therapist Brian she finally confronts her tumultuous past in a play infused with nationally-acclaimed playwright Lydia R. Diamond's distinctive voice.

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New Repertory Theatre is the award-winning, professional theatre company in residence at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA. For over 30 years, New Rep has been a leader of self-produced theatre in greater Boston, producing contemporary and classic dramas, comedies, and musicals in both the 340-seat Charles Mosesian Theater and the 90-seat Black Box Theater. Annually, New Rep serves over 40,000 patrons, including 2,000 season subscribers. In addition to its mainstage productions, New Rep produces Next Voices, a program dedicated to developing new plays through staged readings and world premiere productions. Under its Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs (LEAP), New Rep also produces its Classic Repertory Company, Page To Stage, Insider Experiences, and Spotlight Symposium Series.

New Repertory Theatre produces plays that speak powerfully to the essential ideas of our time. Through the passion and electricity of live theater performed to the highest standards of excellence, New Rep expands and challenges the human spirit of both artists and audience. New Rep presents world premieres, contemporary and classic works in several intimate settings. We are committed to education and outreach, including special dedication to the creation of innovative in-school programming and providing access to underserved audiences. New Rep is an active advocate for the arts and a major voice in the national dialogue defining the role of theater in our culture.

Jim Petosa (Artistic Director) joined New Repertory Theatre as an award-winning theater artist, educator, and leader in 2012. He has served as Director of the School of Theatre, College of Fine Arts, at Boston University since 2002, and Artistic Director of Maryland's Olney Theatre Center for the Arts and its National Players educational touring company (1994-2012). While at BU, he established the Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP), the professional production extension of the BU School of Theatre, in 2008. Throughout the Northeast, Petosa has directed for numerous institutions, including The Testament of Mary, Broken Glass, Assassins, On the Verge, The Elephant Man (IRNE Nomination), Amadeus, Three Viewings, The Last Five Years, and Opus at New Rep. In Boston, his work was nominated for two IRNE awards for A Question of Mercy (BCAP). He has served as one of three artistic leaders for the Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) since 1987. In Maryland, his work earned over 25 Helen Hayes Award nominations as well as the award for outstanding direction of a musical for Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well... His production of Look! We Have Come Through! was nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play, and he earned the Montgomery County Executive's Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Award for Outstanding Artist/Scholar. A member of Actors' Equity Association, Mr. Petosa has served on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for StageSource. Originally from New Jersey, he was educated at The Catholic University of America and resides in Quincy.

Harriet Sheets (Managing Director) joined New Repertory Theatre in 2000, bringing with her experience in human resources, union contracts and negotiations, budgeting and cash-flow management, as well as marketing, development, and special events. During her tenure, Ms. Sheets has successfully managed the theatre's increasing operational budget, and moved the company from Newton Highlands to Watertown's Arsenal Center for the Arts. Prior to New Rep, she was the General Manager at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, where she worked for nine years. Ms. Sheets began as an Actors' Equity Association Stage Manager, working at North Shore Music Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Opera Company of Boston and others. Originally from Arizona, she holds a BFA from Arizona State University and resides in Methuen.

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