Shakespeare & Company to Bring GOLDA'S BALCONY To Boston This February

Following its sold-out run in the Berkshires this summer, Shakespeare & Company will present a limited run of Golda's Balcony by William Gibson in Boston, February 23 through March 10 at the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at the Emerson Paramount Center.

Annette Miller returns to portray Golda Meir - a role she originated in 2002 at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass., earning the Elliot Norton Award and an IRNE (Independent Reviewers of New England) Award for Outstanding Actor in a Solo Performance. The production's original director, Daniel Gidron, also returns.

Golda's Balcony is the true story of Meir - Russian immigrant, American school teacher, and the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. The play begins on the eve of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, with Meir confronting her choices and reflecting on the formation of the state.

"We're thrilled to be bringing this powerfully resonant story to Boston after it struck so many chords and hearts this summer at Shakespeare & Company," said Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. "To have this history embodied in Annette Miller's searing performance makes it all the more impactful - 50 years on, the immediacy of Meir's story is striking."

Following its world premiere at Shakespeare & Company, the production went on to become the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history. Its revival in the Berkshires during the 2023 season was met with critical acclaim; The Boston Globe called Miller's performance "a potent reminder of the power of an individual's commitment to a cause, and an actor's commitment to her art.

"Time has only strengthened her understanding of this woman - her weaknesses as well as her strengths."

Both 2 p.m. matinees and 7 p.m. performances will be staged Wednesday through Sunday at the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at the Emerson Paramount Center. All shows are general admission and tickets are $75; a $25 rush ticket option for patrons under 40 will be offered, in-person only, one hour before each performance. $5 EBT Card-to-Culture tickets are also available.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://emersontheatres.org/Online/default.asp, or call (617) 824-8400.

Annette Miller (Golda Meir)

Annette Miller has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in Boston, Regional Theaters, and Film and Television. She has been a leading actor at Shakespeare & Company for 25 seasons. She was acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as Best Actor of the 2020 season in regional theater for her performance as Gladys Green in The Waverly Gallery. She received the 2018 Berkshire Theater Critics Association Award For Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Katherine in Mothers and Sons. She received the Carbonell Best Actor Award nomination for her portrayal of Vi in August Osage County and the Elliot Norton Best Actor Nomination for her role as Martha Mitchell in Martha Mitchell Calling. Other favorite roles include Maria Callas in Master Class, Madam Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard, Vera in 4,000 Miles, Diana Vreeland in Full Gallop, Duchess of York in Richard III, and Maria in Twelfth Night.

Annette's film credits include: Mrs. Tanken in Don't Look Up with Leonardo DiCaprio, You Will Not Play Wagner (featuring Annette, which has been successfully seen at the New Plaza Cinema in NY and the Miami, Sarasota, Boca, Chicago and Vancouver Jewish film Festivals and this June at the prestigious Berkshire International Film Festival.), Company Men, Autumn Heart, The Imported Bride Groom, The Next Karate Kid, The Eye Has to Travel (documentary on Diana Vreeland), and See How She Runs. On TV, Annette had a recurring role in As The World Turns and Ryan's Hope. Other awards include Gann Academy Award for Excellence in the Arts, Boston Jewish Film Festival Award, Zev Cohen Leadership Award, and the Excellency in the Performing Arts Award from the Boston Children's Theater. Annette studied with Stella Adler and holds a BA and MFA from Brandeis University. She is currently an Affiliate Scholar at Brandeis University's Women's Studies Research Center where she wrote and continues to perform Now is Our Time: a Theatrical Collage on the Pleasures and Perils of our Third Chapter for organizations and colleges.

Daniel Gidron

S&Co: Directed Golda's Balcony (Lenox and Boston), Master Class, Full Gallop, Sotto Voce. He was born in Israel, earned Fulbright and Wien Scholarships, and received his MFA from Brandeis University. Daniel has taught at Tel Aviv University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Brandeis. He currently teaches at UMass Boston. In Israel, he has directed for Habimah National Theatre, Haifa Municipal Theatre, Al Midan Arab Theatre in Israel (Accidental Death of an Anarchist), and Beersheva Municipal Theatre (Beauty Queen of Leenane). Directing credits in the USA include Peterborough Players, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Gloucester Stage, Merrimack Repertory, Opera Boston, New Repertory Theatre, and Nora Theatre Company, where he served as Associate Director for more than 20 years. Recent productions include Groundswell, Or, The Chosen (Lyric Stage), Hysteria, Photograph 51, The How and the Why, Absurd Person Singular, and Insignificance (Nora). His production of Arabian Nights (a co-production of Nora and Underground Railway Theater) won the 2012 IRNE award for Best Direction and was revived for five seasons.

About Shakespeare & Company

Shakespeare & Company was founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Company offers performance, education, and actor-training opportunities year-round, and attracts more than 40,000 patrons annually with a core of more than 150 artists.

Photo credit: Nile Scott Studios

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