Epic Theatre Company Announces Extraordinary Eighth Season

Epic Theatre Company is announcing its biggest season ever. The incredible eighth season is made up of twelve unique and breathtaking titles, including a partnership with the Academy Players that will bring two musicals to Epic's audience for the very first time. The Power of the Truth is the message of the season, and it completes a three-year trajectory exploring how the political affects the personal, and what personal conviction means to individuals today.

"Every year at Epic, we challenge ourselves to create a more innovative and intriguing season than the year before it," says Epic Artistic Director Kevin Broccoli, "And this time around, I think we've really created a roster of plays and-for the first time-musicals that speak to what it is we do best here at the theater: Tell big stories in bold ways."

The season kicks off in September with Anna Deveare-Smith's Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities. Broccoli says "This will be our third production by someone I truly believe to be an American genius. Let Me Down Easy and House Arrest are two gems in Epic's history, and I look forward to exploring one of Deveare-Smith's earlier works that speaks to the kind of conflict and community unrest that so much of the country is still grappling with today."

Following the season opener will be two world premieres-Aaron Blanck's Trick or Treat-quel and Broccoli's F***ing Artists. Blanck's show is a sequel to last year's bawdy and brilliant A Christmas to Forget and F***ing Artists is a wild comedy inspired by absurdist metatheater.

Just in time for the holidays, Epic will be presenting a limited run of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever featuring the timeless story of the Herdman clan and the havoc they wreak on their hometown Christmas play. True to Epic's style, what starts out with calamity ends with kindness in a story for the whole family.

The new year begins with two modern masterpieces-Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams and John Pielmeier's Agnes of God. "One of the things that's so exciting to me about putting together an Epic season is figuring out which classics we want to take another look at. These two plays are gripping and gorgeous, and I can't wait to see them brought to life in a way that only Epic can."

In March, Epic will present Jen Silverman's dark comedy The Moors which has the spirit of Jane Eyre and the soul of David Lynch. Then in April, the world premiere of I Can Speak will make its debut-a powerful look at sexual assault based on real interviews and testimonials.

The season finishes with two unforgettable ensemble pieces--Moisés Kaufman's The Laramie Project and Robert Schenkkan's Tony-Award winning All the Way.

The highlight of the season is a collaboration with the Academy Players on two magnificent musicals-an adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie and Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party.

"Academy has become our home away from home," says Broccoli, "And when we saw an opportunity to work with them creatively on these two musicals, we jumped at the chance. They're Academy productions with an Epic flair, and we couldn't be more excited about it. The Wild Party has been on my bucket list for a long, long time, and Carrie was a Broadway flop that's recently been rediscovered and found to be a diamond in the rough-something that really sings when you strip it down to great music and great storytelling. It's been everywhere from off-Broadway to Riverdale, and now it's coming to Rhode Island for the very first time."

A smashing line-up of shows featuring three world premieres, four Rhode Island premieres, two musicals, a holiday comedy, and some special events that are sure to have everybody talking.

"Eight is a very important number to us," says Broccoli, "And this upcoming season also happens to be a very important year for the country. We wanted shows that would entertain, but also engage and evoke a reaction. It's going to be a hell of a ride, so buckle up."

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