"I am thrilled to raise the curtain on a landmark season in Actors Theatre's history with a lineup of plays that I hope invigorates and excites audiences and that exemplifies the very best that theatre in America can be today," said Waters in a statement. "From the comedic perfection of a group of actors staging a play in Michael Frayn's Noises Off to the delicate portrayal of humankind in Thornton Wilder's beloved classic Our Town, each of the plays represents a celebration of what is fundamentally at the heart of our 50th season: theatre and community."

Actors Theatre's 2013-14 Brown-Forman Series will kick off Sept. 3 with Noises Off, the classic backstage comedy directed by associate artistic director Meredith McDonough. Performances will continue through Sept. 22.

Following Noises Off will be the Louisville premiere of Hall's The Mountaintop Oct. 8-27. The Mountaintop, according to ATL, "explores a pivotal moment in American history through a fictional chance encounter between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a mysterious hotel maid on the eve of King’s assassination in 1968. This powerful and moving play has garnered praise worldwide since its premiere in London where it won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Play."

Actors Theatre producing director Jon Jory will direct his own "rollicking adaptation" of Henry Fielding's classic novel Tom Jones Nov. 12-Dec. 8. The work is described as "a story filled with scandal, sword fighting and the bewildering power of love."

In 2014 the theatre will present Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, featuring Chicago-based theatre troupe The Hypocrites, Jan. 7-Feb. 4; and Thornton Wilder's Our Town, helmed by artistic director Waters, Jan. 21-Feb. 9. In addition to the Brown-Forman Series lineup, Actors Theatre will present Fifth Third Bank's Dracula (Sept. 13-Oct. 31, 2013) and Fifth Third Bank's A Christmas Carol (Nov. 26-Dec. 23, 2013), and the 50th anniversary season will culminate in the Humana Festival of New American Plays Feb. 26-April 6. Celebrating its 38th year, the Festival will present brand-new work by the American theatre's most talented writers.

Now approaching its 50th Anniversary season, Actors Theatre's programming includes a broad range of classical and contemporary work, presenting more than 500 performances each season. The company performs annually to nearly 200,000 people and is the recipient of a special Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement, the James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, and the Margo Jones Award for the Encouragement of New Plays.

Actors Theatre's box office is located at 316 West Main Street in Louisville, KY. For more information, call (502) 584-1205 or visit ActorsTheatre.org.