Town Hall Theatre Announces 76th Season 2020/21: GROWING UP

Town Hall Theatre Company has announced four compelling plays and musicals for its 76th 2020/21 Season, entitled GROWING UP.

Town Hall's 76TH Season opens with the West Coast premiere of Jordan Harrison's fantastical comedy, The Grown-Up; continues with Coney Island Christmas, a holiday charmer for all ages by Donald Margulies; followed by Horton Foote's moving classic The Trip to Bountiful; and closing with the spirited musical adventure Peter and the Starcatcher. Subscription package sales are now available.

"We certainly do place a lot of emotional baggage on a process we have no control over," says Artistic Director Susan E. Evans. "Aren't we "growing up" all our lives? This past year certainly is proving to be one that tests our mettle. Despite these unprecedented times, I am confident Town Hall Theatre will continue to strive and to thrive, growing up with each successive Season of plays."

Our 76th Season's shows are chock-full of imagination, wonderment and heart - a man hurtled through his own future, a young girl finding her special voice, a late-in-life journey to discover home, and a rollicking musical coming- of-age adventure about a boy becoming extraordinary. Fresh and funny, inspiring and thought-provoking, classics and debuts - join us to explore these dazzling stories and more at Town Hall Theatre!

Kicking off the 76th Season is a West Coast Premiere, The Grown-Up, by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Jordan Harrison. Ten-year-old Kai's grandfather spins a yarn about a magical crystal doorknob, and before he knows what's happening, he's spinning through time and space into his own future. Poignant, imaginative and quirky, The Grown-Up is a new play about treasuring life's every moment, as we hurtle forward towards the unknowable.

Directed by Matthew Travisano. Starts in September 2020.

Our holiday offering is a charmer, Coney Island Christmas by Donald Margulies, from Grace Paley's short story The Loudest Voice. Young Shirley Abramowitz lives in Depression-era Brooklyn with her immigrant Jewish parents. With her special loud voice, she was a standout as the Thanksgiving turkey, so naturally her teachers think she's perfect to be in the school's Nativity Pageant. The only problem is ... she's cast as Jesus! A heartwarming comedy for all ages and all faiths, destined to be a holiday classic.

Directed by Lynda Divito and former Town Hall Education Director Madison Gerringer. Starts December, 2020.

Horton Foote's classic The Trip to Bountiful arrives at Town Hall in February/March 2021, a tender and deeply moving play by one of the most celebrated American Playwrights of the 20th century. Crammed together in a two-bedroom Houston apartment with her middle-aged son and his bossy wife, Carrie Watts longs to get away. Homesick and determined, she sets out on a bus trip back to the small town of Bountiful, Texas, a place precious in her memories, one last time.

Directed by Town Hall Artistic Director Susan E. Evans. Starts February, 2021.

Closing out the Season is Peter and the Starcatcher, a Tony award-winning musical by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker, based on the best-selling novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Join us on a wildly imaginative and spirited sea-faring adventure, consort with pirates and villains, comrades and heroes! This playful musical prequel to J.M. Barrie's famous story, Peter and the Starcatcher turns on its head the story of the orphan boy who becomes the legendary Peter Pan.

Directed by Cindy Goldfield. Starts May, 2021.

This 76th Season THT continues In the Wings, our staged readings series of provocative pieces by emerging theatrical voices; and our third annual Playwrights' CageMatch, a competition for playwrights from far and wide that debuted in 2019 to huge success, where our audience takes part in the action by voting for its favorite play.

Town Hall offers a myriad of opportunities to engage, bringing our artists, audiences and community together:

· LIT UP AT TOWN HALL: A literary salon with curated local authors, lecturers, poets, musicians, and artists. Each salon focuses on a special theme expanding upon motifs from one of the four Main Stage productions. See show calendars for dates.

· COMMUNITY CRITICS: Community Critics from across generations selected from the Lamorinda community talk about Town Hall Theatre shows on social media.

· THEATRE CLUB NIGHTS: Stay after the show for a free talkback with the cast and director, plus complimentary glass of wine. See show calendars for dates.

· TOWN HALL THEATRE LOBBY: Come an hour before curtain, enjoy our full bar, live events and gather with friends.

Town Hall Education continues to provide the kind of exceptional training that the Lamorinda community has come to expect over the last 50+ years. Our process-based production classes serve pre-school through high school age students; the adult education program takes us into local schools with performances and workshops, and THEd's popular adult improv class Yes, And Wine, expands with a July 2021 Festival.

At Town Hall's Music & Comedy events, audiences enjoy crowd-pleasing bands and hilarious stand-up comedy in our intimate Town Hall venue. This 76th Season includes The Sun Kings, playing all the Beatles hits, and The Big Jangle, playing the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Stevie Nicks, and more.

Subscribers to Town Hall Theatre get substantial savings of up to 20% off our affordable prices, and enjoy free ticket exchange privileges, by phone or text messaging, missed performance insurance, as well as priority seating and free admission to select Town Hall events such as Lit Up, In the Wings, and Playwrights' CageMatch. THT's 4-play Full Season package guarantees tickets for the full slate of shows with prices ranging from $5; 4-show Main Season packages range from $72 to $120; 3-show Main Season packages range from $54 to $96; and single tickets range from $18 to $35. Because we know fitting theatre into a schedule can be tricky, we are bringing back 4/8/12 Flex Pass Packages redeemable at all 4 Main Stage performances and select Special Events. Additional subscription discounts are available for senior citizens and youth.

To post a comment, you must register and login.