CLYDE'S, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, and More Set For The Syracuse Stage 50th Anniversary Season

Syracuse Stage Artistic Director Robert Hupp and Managing Director Jill Anderson have announced the organization's 50th anniversary season. The 2023/2024 six-production season runs Sept. 13, 2023, to May 19, 2024, and features What the Constitution Means to Me, Thunder Knocking on The Door, A Christmas Carol, Clyde's and Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. A musical will close out the season and be announced shortly.

"Our 50th season was curated with open doors and access for all in mind," explains Hupp, "It's about getting back to enjoying the joy and beauty and the sense of community that only live theatre can provide. There's something about having the same, yet vastly different experience as a person sitting two rows away from you that has always intrigued me, and we're hoping our audiences, both regulars and new patrons, are ready to laugh, to cry, to reflect and to just have fun, when they join us at Syracuse Stage for our 50th anniversary season."

First up at Stage is What the Constitution Means to Me, written by Heidi Schreck and directed by Syracuse Stage Associate Artistic Director Melissa Crespo, running from Sept. 13 through Oct. 1.

Schreck's boundary-breaking show traces the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Hilarious, hopeful and honest, this Tony and Pulitzer nominated play exposes baked-in biases and omissions, while also breathing in new life, and imagining how American lives will be impacted for generations to come. The Seattle Times says, "Every American should see this play!"

Up next, from Oct.18 through Nov. 5, is Thunder Knocking on The Door, written by Keith Glover, with Music by Keb' Mo', Anderson Edwards and Keith Glover.

This intoxicating blues musical is filled with humor, affection and the extraordinary music of three-time Grammy Award winner Keb' Mo'. In a small Alabama town, a mysterious blues guitar-player arrives at the door of the multi-generation Dupree family, and what starts as a deal with the devil turns into a love story for the ages. Thunder delivers real heart and soul. The LA Times calls Thunder, "A charming fable about magic and music that casts its own spell."

The holiday season brings a tried-and-true family favorite to Syracuse, the greatest ghost story ever told, Charles Dickens' beloved, A Christmas Carol. Adapted by Richard Hellesen and David deBerry with music orchestration by Gregg Coffin, Melissa Rain Anderson will direct the production at Syracuse Stage which runs Nov. 24 through Dec. 31. A Christmas Carol also features the awe-inspiring 2 Ring Circus and is co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama.

A Christmas Carol shines a light on the power of kindness and love in this uplifting tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his journey to redemption. As the weather turns cold, audiences will warm their hearts along with the memorable cast and the lush and joyous Candlelight Carol. Share the magic of the season with the people you love!

A Christmas Carol is "A beautiful, timeless message of generosity's triumph over greed." according to the Chicago Tribune.

Written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Chip Miller, Clyde's is the fourth offering in the 2023/2024 season at Syracuse Stage, running from Jan. 31 through Feb. 18. It is co-produced with Portland Center Stage.

This masterful and delicious new 'dramedy' from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nottage (Ruined, Intimate Apparel, Sweat), has it all-wit, heart, snappy dialogue and big surprises. Creating the perfect sandwich is the quest of the formerly incarcerated staff at Clyde's truck stop. Deeply felt, quirky and urgent, Clyde's serves up a masterful play that reminds us, sometimes a hero is more than just a sandwich.

In naming it the best new play of 2021, Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal called Clyde's, "A serious comedy, at once raucously funny and deeply moving."

From the undisputed queen of crime comes the Ken Ludwig adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express from March 12 through April 7.

Directed by Stage Artistic Director Robert Hupp, the fan-favorite whodunnit is sure to please. Wherever famed detective Hercule Poirot goes, murder is never far behind. On his journey home from Istanbul to London on the luxurious Orient Express, an avalanche stops the train in its tracks and Poirot must interrogate the parade of passengers, solve the murder and save the reputation of the famous train before the killer strikes again. Broadway World calls Murder, "Glamourous and enthralling from the beginning to the end."

Closing out the 50th Anniversary season is a soon-to-be-announced musical that will run from May 1 through 19.

All evening performances begin at 7:30pm while all matinee performances begin at 2pm. Tickets for all shows start at $25 with discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org, by calling 315.443.3275 or by visiting the Syracuse Stage Box Office at 820 East Genesee Street.

Syracuse Stage also offers a variety of performances designed to create access for all and enhance the theatre-going experience. Pay-What-You-Will performances are on Sept. 13, Oct. 18, Nov. 24, Jan. 31 and March 13 respectively; Prologue conversations, three pre-show discussions that take place one-hour before curtain, take place Sept. 17, 23 and 28 for Constitution; Oct. 22, 28 and Nov. 2 for Thunder; Dec. 3, 9 and 14 for Christmas Carol; Feb. 4, 10 and 15 for Clyde's; and March 17, 23 and 28 for Murder.

The Post-show Talkbacks will take place on Sept. 17, Oct. 29, Dec. 3, Feb. 11 and March 17 after the 7:30 performance. Open-captioned performances are scheduled for Sept. 20 and 30 and Oct. 1 for Constitution; Oct. 25 and Nov. 4 and 5 for Thunder; December 6, 16 and 17 for Christmas Carol; February 7, 17 and 18 for Clyde's, and March 20, 30 and 31 for Murder, with Audio-described performances on Sept. 30, Nov. 4, Dec. 16, Feb. 17 and March 30; American Sign Language translation is offered at performances on Sept. 23, Oct. 28, Dec. 9, Feb. 10 and March 23; and pre-show Happy Hour events take place on Sept. 21, Oct. 26, Dec. 7, Feb. 8 and March 21. New for the 2023/2024 season, Syracuse Stage will offer Sensory Friendly performances for all six productions, all of which will be on Tuesday evenings -- except for A Christmas Carol which is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 30. Enhanced programming performances for the sixth production will be announced soon.

In addition to the six mainstage productions, Syracuse Stage offers three unique models with its education and community engagement programming. The 2023 Children's Tour for students in grades K - 5 will feature Red Riding Hood by Allison Gregory and directed by Katherine McGerr, a zany and fast-paced adaptation of the beloved fairy tale, running Sept. 26 through Nov. 16. Spring 2024 brings Backstory: Commanding Space by Stephanie Leary and directed by Joann Yarrow, a story about a persistent and intelligent woman whose desire to succeed in science and technology proved stronger than the prejudice that would have denied her, for grades 5 and up. Also in the spring is the popular Stage program, Theatre for the Very Young: Push, Pull, Together, Apart created by Kate Laissle with Carmen Martinez and Matthew Warne, directed by Kate Laissle, a 30-minute non-verbal performance involving interactive sounds, props, and storytelling for children ages one to five years old.

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