MTC's 2008-09 Lineup Includes Works by Greenberg, Nottage, Whitby, Shanley & Krieger
To Be or Not to Be by Nick Whitby
As announced on April 15, this world premiere adaptation of the 1942 film comedy will begin previews on September 11 and open on October 2 at the Biltmore Theatre, directed by Casey Nicholaw The Drowsy Chaperone. To Be or Not to Be takes place in 1939 Warsaw at the Polski Theatre, where Joseph and Maria Tura are about to open yet another smash with their theatrical troupe. As the German invasion gets underway, the theater is closed by the censors, forcing the troupe to face desperate times. But when a handsome young bomber pilot enlists their help to catch a spy, what is a group of actors to do?
The American Plan by Richard Greenberg
MTC will give a Broadway mounting to a play the company first produced in 1990 at its Stage II in a production starring Joan Copeland, Rebecca Miller, Tate Donovan and Eric Stoltz. Previews for David Grindley's production at the Biltmore Theatre will begin on January 2, 2009, with opening night set for January 22. Set in the Catskill Mountains in the early 1960s, The American Plan centers on Lily and her mother, Eva, who are spending the summer across the lake from a bustling hotel. When a handsome young stranger enters their world, the emotionally fragile Lily finds herself falling in love. But once her imperious mother learns of their relationship, lies are exposed, alliances are forged and Lily's one chance to escape her mother's control may be lost. In addition to its original production of The American Plan, MTC has presented the New York premieres of Greenberg's The Violet Hour, Eastern Standard and Three Days of Rain.
Romantic Poetry by John Patrick Shanley and Henry Krieger
This new musical written and directed by Shanley Doubt, Moonstruck, with music by Krieger Dreamgirls, will begin previews at City Center Stage I on October 1 and open October 28. Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Judy of Westchester is being wooed by Arthur, a dishwasher poet of no particular address, while her husband is out of town. And Lily of SoHo is climbing Wally of Little Italy's fire escape with amorous erotic intent. The result: Romantic Poetry.
Ruined by Lynn Nottage
The latest work by the author of Intimate Apparel will begin previews at City Center Stage I on January 21, 2009, and will open February 10, directed by Kate Whoriskey. Set in a small mining town in Democratic Republic of Congo, the play follows Mama Nadi, a shrewd businesswoman in a land torn apart by civil war. But many questions arise: Is she protecting or profiting by the women she shelters? How far will she go to survive? Can a price be placed on a human life? A co-production with the Goodman Theatre, Ruined will be presented in Chicago in the fall before coming to MTC.
A third Biltmore Theatre production and two productions at New York City Center Stage II will be announced at a later date.