Designers Wilson Chin, Tracey Christensen and More Join Hartford Stage's ABUNDANCE Creative Team

Hartford Stage, under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts, today announced the full cast and creative team of Abundance by Beth Henley, directed by Jenn Thompson, on stage from April 4 through April 28.

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Crimes of the Heart comes a breathtaking tall tale. Wickedly funny and deeply touching, Abundance follows the adventures of Bess and Macon, two mail-order brides, on their twenty-five year journey across the American frontier and revels in their lifelong friendship - a bond strong enough to withstand a kidnapping, outrageous catastrophes - and even husbands.

The cast of Abundance will include Monique Vukovic (Buddy Cop 2, Atlantic Theater Company and Housebreaking, Cherry Lane Theatre) as Bess, Brenda Withers (Cyrano, Folger Theatre and The Tempest, The Pearl Theatre Company) as Macon, Kevin Kelly (Henry V, Two River Theater Company and Richard III, The Public Theater) as William, James Knight (Measure for Measure, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and Alive and Well, The Old Globe) as Jack and John Leonard Thompson (The Pitmen Painters in Palm Beach and Crime and Punishment, Center Stage) as Elmore.

Director Jenn Thompson serves as Co-Artistic Director at The Actors Company Theater in New York, where her credits include Lost in Yonkers (2012 Drama Desk nomination for Best Revival of a Play) and Tennessee Williams' The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (The New York Times "Top Ten for Theatre 2008"). She served as Producing Director for several seasons at Connecticut's River Rep at the Ivoryton Playhouse.

The creative team features set design by Wilson Chin (The Philadelphia Story, Pioneer Theatre Company); costume design by Tracey Christensen (Broadway's Souvenir); lighting design by Philip Rosenberg (Julius Caesar, Chicago Shakespeare Theater); sound design by Toby Alyga (Ringmaster, Frigid Festival New York); and production stage manager Lloyd Davis.

Playwright Beth Henley, most famous for her dark comedies about modern Southern women, won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for a Tony Award for Crimes of the Heart. She was also nominated for a 1987 Academy Award for her screenplay adaptation of the same play. A Mississippi native, often considered a writer of the Southern Gothic genre, her other plays include The Miss Firecracker Contest, Am I Blue, The Lucky Spot and The Wake of Jamey Foster. Henley's other screenplays include Miss Firecracker (adaptation of her play), Nobody's Fool, and the cult favorite True Stories, a collaboration with David Byrne and The Talking Heads. The Miss Firecracker Contest is scheduled for a revival on Broadway this year. Her latest play, The Jacksonian, played last year at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Assisting production support forAbundance by Webster Bank and The Saunders Foundation.

The production runs April 4 through April 28. Evening performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Matinee performances are Sundays, and select Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. Tickets for all shows start at $26.50. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more and for students (recommended for ages 14 and older). For a more specific schedule of performances or to buy tickets for Abundance, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

Library Talks take place at 7 p.m. March 19 at Prosser Library, One Tunxis Avenue, Bloomfield, and at 7:30 p.m. March 28 at the West Hartford Public Library, 20 S. Main Street, West Hartford. Senior Dramaturg ElizaBeth Williamson gives community talks on each show in the season, at the Bloomfield and West Hartford Public Libraries.

Dinner + Design takes place at 6 p.m. April 10. Properties Manager Todd Kulik from the Props Department shares what it takes to create the theatrical worlds of our season. Learn more about the magic that happens backstage while enjoying a pre-show dinner. (Dinner at 6 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. curtain.) Tickets are $21 (performance not included) and can be purchased at www.hartfordstage.org.

The Producer's Table takes place at 5:45 p.m. April 18. Managing Director Mike Stotts hosts a pre-show dinner, where he gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a play. (Tour at 5:45 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. curtain.) Tickets are $21 (performance not included) and can be purchased at www.hartfordstage.org.

LGBT Night Out takes place at 6:15 p.m. April 11. Pre-show nosh and complimentary wine (plus drink specials at the bar) for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patrons. FREE.

AfterWords Discussions take place April 16, 17, 23, and 24. Join members of the cast and our Artistic staff for a free discussion, immediately following select 7:30 p.m. Tuesday performances or 2 p.m. Wednesday matinees. FREE.

Sunday Afternoon Discussion takes place April 14. Enjoy a lecture from artists and scholars connected with the production immediately following the 2 p.m. matinee. FREE.

Hartford Stage, since its founding in 1963, has been known for innovative revivals of classics and the development of important new works, including 65 World or American premieres. Recent work includes Quiara Alegria Hudes'Water by the Spoonful, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Horton Foote'sThe Orphans' Home Cyclewhich had a celebrated run at the Signature Theatre in New York during the 2009-2010 season; a landmark production of Harper Lee'sTo Kill a Mockingbird;the premieres of Michael Kramer'sDivine Rivalry;and Daniel Beaty'sResurrection (later retitledThrough the Night,which had a successful run off-Broadway during the 2010-11 season). In 1998 the theatre launched an unprecedented ten-year retrospective of Tennessee Williams, which included the premiere of three plays. Other new work includes the premieres of Eve Ensler'sNecessary Targets, Edward Albee'sAt Home at the Zoo,Matthew Barber'sEnchanted April(which transferred to Broadway), Matthew Lombardo'sTea at Five, and many others. The theatre has earned numerous distinguished honors, including a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Margo Jones Award, OBIE awards, New York Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. In 2005 Hartford Stage was awarded The Hartford Courant's Tapestry Award recognizing its outstanding work in diversity, and in 2008 it was awarded the Bank of America Neighborhood Builder's Award recognizing its excellence in building community in Greater Hartford. Hartford Stage is currently under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts.

To post a comment, you must register and login.