Publish Date: Dec 17, 2015
(Salinas, Calif.) - Continuing its long tradition of presenting dynamic, diverse theatre, The Western Stage announces a vibrant new six-show season for 2016. Starting next May and running through November, the company’s 42nd Season features an eclectic mix of dramas, comedies and musicals, representing writers from Luis Valdez to the Gershwins to Stephen King.
The season begins with Arthur Miller’s classic A View from the Bridge (Studio Theater, May 28-June 19). This powerful 1955 drama has enjoyed renewed popularity in recent years, providing audiences with a pathway to engage in discussions about such modern issues as immigration and sexual identity through the lens of history. The play centers on the tragic story of Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman living in Brooklyn with his wife and her cousin. When they welcome into their home two brothers who have come to America for work, the atmosphere grows increasingly tense. Over time, Eddie’s paranoia about one of the brothers’ sexuality—and his interest in his wife’s cousin—leads to a series of explosive confrontations.
Next, The Western Stage jumps over to the Mainstage Theater for a rock show that will appeal to new, young audiences looking for a little blood and gore in their musical theatre. Carrie: The Musical (Mainstage Theater, July 16-Aug. 6) forges an unusual link between the bestselling horror novel by Stephen King and the art of the Broadway musical. Largely true to the book, this musical version recounts the story of Carrie, an abused young girl living with an oppressively religious mother. When the bullies at school take their sadistic pranks one step too far, Carrie turns her telekinetic powers on them. The musical features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, with lyrics by Dean Pitchford and music by Michael Gore.
Another work by the contemporary theatre icon Luis Valdez (Zoot Suit, Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution, and many others) comes to The Western Stage next fall. Bandido! (Mainstage Theater, Sept. 10-Oct. 1) explores the life of Tiburcio Vasquez, one of the Central Coast’s most notorious—though now almost forgotten—19th century rebels. Through the use of story and music, Valdez deconstructs our stereotypes of the bandido, showing how forces from outside continually push and pull at this almost Hamlet-like character.
Next up is John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation (Studio Theater, Sept. 23-Oct. 9), which draws on the true 1980s story of a con artist in Manhattan. In the play, the young man pretends to be the son of legendary film actor Sidney Poitier to convince a wealthy art dealer and his wife to let him stay the night at their high-rise apartment. His ruse comes to an end when he is discovered in bed the next morning with a young hustler. If “every person is a new door, opening up into other worlds,” as the play states, then this tragi-comedy stands as a bridge to understanding some of humanity’s most basic desires: for money, fame, and human connection.
In Caryl Churchill’s postmodern comedy Cloud Nine (Studio Theater, Oct. 29-Nov. 19), issues of gender and sexual identity are explored by humorously juxtaposing a group of characters as they behave in Colonial Africa during the Victorian era with how they behave in 1970s London. Sexual repression and sexuality, patriarchy, gender, and colonialism are all explored in this clever, subversive, political, and playful tour-de-force.
Finally, The Western Stage welcomes the holiday season with the whimsical Nice Work if You Can Get It (Mainstage Theater, Nov. 12-Dec. 10). Drawing on classic music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin and combining them with a new book by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro, this romantic comedy about a 1920s bootlegger who falls in love with a rich playboy on the eve of his wedding manages to be both contemporary and nostalgic. The show features such memorable songs as “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off,” and “I’ve Got a Crush on You.”
Patrons are invited to join The Western Stage in discovering new worlds, new characters and new insights by purchasing an Advance Notice Season Pass before December 31, 2015 at a cost of $93 a season ticket, saving 40% off regular-season ticket prices. Contact The Western Stage’s box office at 831-755-6816 for more information, or order online at http://westernstage.com/2016seasoninvite
Hartnell Community College District – Celebrating 95 years!
The Hartnell CCD serves over 16,000 students annually through its main campus in Salinas, the Alisal Campus in East Salinas, the King City Education Center, and various outreach learning centers throughout the Salinas Valley. Hartnell College, a Hispanic Serving Institution, provides workforce training, basic skills courses, and prepares students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Hartnell College is recognized for its innovative public and private partnerships that support world class STEM education, career technical education, fine and performing arts, humanities, and athletics. We are proud to be the winners of the Innovation Award for CSin3 – a Computer Science degree in three years. We are growing leaders through opportunity, engagement, and achievement. For more about Hartnell CCD, visit www.hartnell.edu.
###