Brooksher, Emery and Gill Are Sick, Opening at Berkshire Theatre Fest Aug. 22

By Adam Hetrick
22 Aug 2009

Sick star Lisa Emery
Sick star Lisa Emery
Photo by Jaime Davidson

Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn directs Zayd Dohrn's Sick, which officially opens at the Berkshire Theatre Festival Aug. 22.

Rebecca Brooksher, Lisa Emery, Michel Gill, Greg Keller and Ryan Spahn inhabit the black comedy that began performances Aug. 18 and runs through Sept. 6.

Sick, according to BTF notes, "is the story of the Krebs family who live in a home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This home has been turned into a veritable 'clean room' to provide safe haven to the children of the Krebs family, both of whom suffer appear to suffer from severe allergies. But despite Mrs. Krebs' attempts to protect her family with scrubbers, masks, and isolation, the delicate balance is brought to the breaking point when her husband's academic career brings a stranger into their safe house."

The creative team includes R. Michael Miller (scenic design), Wade Laboissonniere (costume design), Dan Kotlowitz (lighting design) and J Hagenbuckle (composer sound design).

Dohrn's plays also include Haymarket and Permanent Whole Life.

Auburn earned the 2001 Tony and Pulitzer Prize for his play Proof, which also earned a Best Actress Tony Award for its star Mary Louise Parker. The play was later adapted into a 2005 film of the same title starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Auburn made his film directorial debut with his screenplay for "The Girl in the Park" and also penned the screenplay for "The Lake House."

For tickets call the BTF box office at (413) 298-5576 or visit BerkshireTheatreFestival.