TACT Announces 2012-2013 Season: LOVERS and HAPPY BIRTHDAY

TACT/The Actors Company Theatre (Scott Alan Evans, Cynthia Harris and Jenn Thompson, Co-Artistic Directors) today announced its 2012-2013 season and its 20th Anniversary. On the heels of its first ever Drama Desk nomination, the critically-acclaimed company dedicated to presenting neglected or rarely produced plays of literary merit will offer two very different plays in two very distinct styles: Lovers, a darkly poetic comedy by Brian Friel, and Anita Loos’ Happy Birthday, a brash American comedy from the golden age of Broadway. Both productions will take place at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street) at Theatre Row.

In a statement, Scott Alan Evans, the Co-Artistic Director of TACT, said “For this milestone year we’re thrilled to be presenting two works that epitomize our mission ‘to a T.’ Both plays are by extraordinary writers and both have been inexplicably absent from the New York stage for decades. It’s going to be a great way to celebrate our 20th!”

TACT will open the 2012-2013 season with Lovers, by Brian Friel (Dancing at Lughnasa, Translations), directed by TACT Company Member Drew Barr. This beautiful and intimate work is filled with Friel’s characteristic poetic lilt and devilish humor. Friel has been hailed as the “Irish Chekhov” and is considered to be one of the greatest living English language playwrights. Written in 1968 and first presented in the U.S. at Lincoln Center in a production that featured Art Carney, Lovers is set in contemporary Ireland and tells the tales of two very different couples, both at the beginning of their romantic journeys together, yet each from very different perspectives and with very different outcomes. Performances are September 18 – October 20, 2012, with an official opening night set for Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

Lovers will feature scenic design by Brett Banakis, lighting design by TACT Company Member Mary Louise Geiger, costume design by Kim Krum Sorenson, and sound design by Daniel Kluger.

TACT will continue its 2012-2013 season with Happy Birthday, by Anita Loos, directed by TACT Co-Artistic Director Scott Alan Evans. Loos wrote Happy Birthday for her friend Helen Hayes, who was “fed up with hoop skirts and wigs” and wanted to do something contemporary. Hayes loved the script and brought it to Richard Rodgers, who was looking for something to produce. Rodgers brought on Oscar Hammerstein II and wrote an original song for the production. Hayes received the first-ever Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1947 for Happy Birthday and the production ran for 563 performances. Performances are March 12 – April 13, 2013, with an official opening night set for Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Casting for both productions and the creative team for Happy Birthday will be announced at a later date.

Lovers and Happy Birthday will both play the following performance schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 - $59.25 and will be available by visiting www.telecharge.com or calling (212) 239-6200. Tickets will also be available at the Theatre Row box office (410 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues) between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily.

To learn about the benefits of TACT membership, please visit www.tactnyc.org or call (212) 645-8228.