Merrimack Repertory Theatre to Present GASLIGHT, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and More in 2023-24 Season
Additional productions include Dishwater Dreams, The Porch on Windy Hill, and Spritus/Virgil's Dance.
By: Blair Ingenthron May. 02, 2023
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) has announced its 2023-2024 Season of five plays, celebrating the company's 45th Anniversary Season bringing the best new plays and musicals from national artists to Lowell and the entire Merrimack Valley region.
The 2023-24 Season includes the world premiere of Gaslight by Steven Dietz (produced in partnership with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company), the second iteration A Christmas Carol featuring Karen MacDonald as Charles Dickens/Ebenezer Scrooge, Dishwasher Dreams written and performed by Alaudin Ullah and directed by Chay Yew, The Porch on Windy Hill co-written by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David M. Lutken, and MRT Commission and world premiere Spiritus/Virgil's Dance written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith, directed by Neel Keller.
"As MRT turns 45, it's exciting to share stories that engage, inspire, and reflect our community," said Sale. "We are incredibly grateful to our donors who make it possible for us to create award-winning professional theater in Lowell and support a broad array of outreach programs for the community. We're proud to be an economic engine in the area and an irresistible home for artists. We are thrilled to share these stories with our community."
Kate Reid, President of the Board of Trustees, said, "The MRT Board of Trustees is delighted with the five plays selected for MRT's 2023-2024 Season. We are honored to present the 45th Anniversary Season, and are confident that MRT will flourish under the leadership and direction of our Executive Artistic Director Courtney Sale which will pave the way for another 45 years of stimulating, inspiring, and professional live theatre here in Lowell. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is an important influence and driver in the Greater Merrimack Valley region, and it serves as an anchor and cultural cornerstone in downtown Lowell."
The announcement was made by Sale at a public event at the company's Nancy L. Donahue Theatre in Lowell on Monday May, 1 2023.
Information on the new season is at mrt.org.
MRT 2023-2024 Season
GASLIGHT
Based on the play by Patrick Hamilton
A new version for the stage by Steven Dietz
Directed by Courtney Sale
Produced in partnership with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
October 18-November 5, 2023
A psychological thriller adapted by Steven Dietz based on 1939 play by Patrick Hamilton and the 1944 Ingrid Bergman film. Gaslight thrillingly delves into the horrors of psychological abuse, where the truth is fickle for characters and audience alike. With undertones of Sherlock Holmes and film noir, it's a story replete with mystery, double-crosses, and at its core a statement on the injustice and impact of abuse. Steven Dietz's Gaslight is the first stage adaptation of the 1944 to receive permission from the Hamilton Estate.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Written and directed by Courtney Sale
Featuring Karen MacDonald as Charles Dickens/Ebenezer Scrooge
November 29-December 24, 2023
Back by popular demand! Experience Charles Dickens' timeless story of redemption with new songs, scenes, and surprises. With a nod to Dickens' time in Lowell and featuring the extraordinary talent of local young artists, A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to capture the spirit of the season and make memories for the future.
DISHWASHER DREAMS
Written and performed by Alaudin Ullah
Directed by Chay Yew
February 28-March 17, 2024
From Bangladesh to New York City, from graffiti crews to baseball games, courageous honesty to emotive humor, Dishwasher Dreams explores the complicated realities of dreams we make for ourselves. When Alaudin sets out to become a film actor in Los Angeles, his Bangladeshi family can't understand. Driven by laugh out loud writing and accompanied by tablas percussion, Ullah's edifying and dynamic tour-de-force explores the humor and complexity of the American Dream through a deeply personal story.
THE PORCH ON WINDY HILL
Written by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David M. Lutken
Conceived and directed by Sherry Stregack Lutken
April 3-21, 2024
A bi-racial Korean classical violinist, Mira, and her music history grad-student boyfriend, Beck, escape months of Covid-isolation to the mountains of North Carolina. Their journey takes a surprising turn when they meet Edgar, and Mira faces a flood of memory, pain, hope, and discovery that follows. A moving, modern American play about family- with enough music for a real 'hoot 'n' holler' as the cast- Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David Lutken perform a dozen traditional and bluegrass gems. The quintessentially American melodies running through The Porch on Windy Hill illuminate a young woman's complex, contemporary tale of healing.
SPIRITUS/VIRGIL'S DANCE
Written and performed by Dael Orlandersmith
Directed by Neel Keller
May 8-26, 2024
In this exploration of the realities of death through the eyes of a watchful and troubled individual, we meet Virgil- a kid who used to hang out in cemeteries with friends. As an adult, Virgil wonders: what does it mean to live a fulfilled life? Spiritus/Virgil's Dance is an extraordinary meditation on finding purpose in the midst of the ordinariness of daily life.
MRT 2023-2024 Tickets
Subscriptions for the 2023-2024 Season are available now through the MRT Box Office. Subscribers to a five play package receive a discount off single ticket prices until June 15 and are guaranteed the same seats throughout the season. Flex and custom packages are also available. All subscribers are entitled to the full slate of benefits that includes free even exchanges, and discounts on additional tickets. A full list of benefits can be found at www.mrt.org/subscribe.
Single tickets for the 2023-2024 Season go on sale August 1, 2023.
About Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) has been Merrimack Valley's professional theatre company since 1979 and is an integral part of Lowell's identity as the cultural heart of the region. MRT's mission is to share theatrical stories of human understanding that reflect and engage our community. A five-show season runs through May in the intimate 279-seat Nancy L. Donahue Theatre. The company is known as a leader in producing new plays, especially world and regional premieres. MRT is one of 72 theatres nationwide (one of three in Massachusetts) with membership in LORT (the League of Resident Theatres).
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