This post was originally published on Playbill - News
Written by: Molly Higgins
Rachel Bloom’s Death, Let Me Do My Show, Sara Porkalob’s Dragon Mama, More in Williamstown Theatre Festival Summer Season. The upcoming season marks the festival’s return to fully staged productions.
Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF) has announced the lineup for its 2024 summer season. This summer marks the festival’s return to fully staged productions, after a stripped-down 2023 season focused on readings and cabarets.
The season will kick off with WTF IS NEXT, a weekend of activities and events held August 1-4 to preview the festival’s future. Guests will be immersed in Massachusetts’ Berkshires as they participate in activities, curated dining experiences, late-night programming, and more. Details about specific artists, events, and tickets will be announced at a later date.
The first fully staged production of the summer will be Sara Porkalob (1776)’s Dragon Mama, Part II of The Dragon Cycle, with direction by Andrew Russell. The production will run July 2-14 at the company’s Center Stage. In Dragon Mama, Porkalob brings the complexities of their mother Maria’s upbringing and queer identity to light, backed by a collection of 90s R&B hits.
Beginning July 5, the Main Stage will house Emmy and Golden Globe winner Rachel Bloom‘s solo comedy, Death, Let Me Do My Show. The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star and co-creator’s solo show, which is “NOT about the ever-present spectre of death,” recently played an Off-Broadway encore run, which completed in January 2024. Directed by Seth Barrish, the production will run through July 14.
MASS MoCA will collaborate with WTF on The Plastic Bag Store, described as “a tragicomic ode to the foreverness of plastic.” The new work is created, written, designed, and directed by Robin Frohardt, and features music by Freddi Price. Performances will run May 9-September 2 at MASS MoCA, with Pomegranate Arts producing.
WTF’s cabaret series, featuring a mix of cabaret-style tables and traditional seating for performances by festival artists, will also return to the Festival Stage. The series is curated by Asmeret Ghebremichael, with music direction by Joel Waggoner, and Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald advising.
Details on additional programming, including the Fridays@3 new play series, Artists-in-Residence, and workshop performances will be announced at a later date.
Tickets for the season will go on sale later this spring. Visit WTFestival.org for more information.
Rachel Bloom
Rebecca J. Michelson
