McCarter Theatre just revealed a 2017-2018 season that includes the world premiere of Tony Award-winner Christopher Durang’s “Turning Off the Morning News”; a revival of Regina Taylor’s gospel musical “Crowns” that had its world premiere here 15 years ago; a rare staging of Sam Shepard’s “Simpatico” in collaboration with Chicago’s A Red Orchid Theatre, a recipient of this year’s MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions; Marie Jones’ Irish comedy “Stones in His Pocket” with two actors playing 15 plus characters. The musical biography “A Night With Janis Joplin,” written and directed by Randy Johnson, fills out the schedule.
McCarter Artistic Director Emily Mann, also a multi-award-winning director and playwright, helms the show. Durang’s play, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2013 It’s world premiere was in 2012 at McCarter. Durang is a Jersey boy, born in Montclair and raised in Berkeley Heights.
Visit Christopher Durang’s website
“We want our audiences to not only have a great night out, but to open themselves to new perspectives,” Mann said. “McCarter is committed to serving as a place where artists and audiences alike can gather to celebrate, to discuss, and to share experiences together.”
SEASON DETAILS A Red Orchid Theatre’s SIMPATICOBy Sam Shepard
Directed by Dado
Sept. 8 – Oct. 8, 2017
Buried secrets, blackmail, and false identities race onto the stage in Simpatico, a tragicomedy about the slippery netherworld of thoroughbred racing from Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Sam Shepard. McCarter is collaborating with Chicago’s multi-award winning A Red Orchid Theatre. Starring Tony and two-time Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon (“Boardwalk Empire,” “Nocturnal Animals,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”, will be joined by ensemble actors int he show directed by Dado.
Written and directed by Randy Johnson
Oct. 10 – 29, 2017
Janis Joplin exploded on the music scene in 1967 and became a queen of rock n’ roll almost overnight.
Her unmistakable voice, laced with raw emotion and southern comfort, was inspired by the greatest
Blues singers from Aretha Franklin to Bessie Smith. Fueled by a live band and psychedelic performances
of her unforgettable songs including “Piece of my Heart,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Cry Baby,”
“A Night With Janis Joplin” is a powerful celebration of the women who made the music that changed history.
Visit Randy Johnson’s website
STONES IN HIS POCKETSBy Marie Jones
Directed by Lindsay Posner
January 12 – February 11, 2018
A couple of small town Irishmen hope to hit it big when hired as extras for an epic American movie filming in their
scenic County Kerry village. Nominated for three Tony Awards and winner of the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, two actors portray a cast of 15 colorful characters in this timely revival about the haves and have-nots,
pitting harsh reality against fairy tale Hollywood endings.
Written and directed by Regina Taylor
Adapted by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry
March 13 – April 1, 2018
Regina Taylor
Adapted from the best-selling book by the same title, Crowns weaves together faith, fashion and fortitude (with a
generous dose of “hattitude”) into an inspirational musical celebration of African-American women and their church
hats. Regina Taylor returns to reintroduce the next generation to this unforgettable and joyous gospel musical which
will lift up the heart, open the mind, and touch the souls of all who experience its magic.
TURNING OFF THE MORNING NEWS
A World Premiere, McCarter Commission
by Christopher Durang
Directed by Emily Mann
May 4 – June 3, 2018
Emily Mann and Christopher Durang at the 2013 Tony Awards (Photo by Shevett Studio)
From the Tony Award-winning playwright who brought us” Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”; Christopher Durang
returns to McCarter with his newest play and latest cast of eccentric characters. Timely and outrageous, this black comedy
exposes the mayhem of contemporary family life in a time of alternative facts, non-stop streaming news, and social media saturation.
ALSO ON THE MAIN STAGE
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by David Thompson
Directed by Adam Immerwahr
December 5 – 31, 2017
Using David Thompson’s masterful adaptation, McCarter Theatre Center continues its annual holiday tradition. Using beloved carols
original music, professional actors and ensemble members from the greater Princeton community immerse audiences in a Dickensian environment.
TICKET AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Subscription packages for the season are available now by calling McCarter Theatre Center at (609) 258-5050, online at www.mccarter.org, or in person at the McCarter Theatre Ticket Office, 91 University Place in Princeton. Individual tickets go on sale on July 31, 2017.
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