Joe Brancato will direct the drama that "explores the lingering legacy of the Holocaust as an aging survivor is forced to confront the shattering secrets of her long buried past — secrets that have kept her emotionally distant from her middle aged son and only child." Performances play through Oct. 28 at the Abingdon's home at the June Havoc Theatre.
Staff changes are expected this season at Abingdon. After 14 seasons of developing and producing new plays by American playwrights, Abingdon's founding member Pamela Paul is stepping down as artistic director but will remain a strong presence in her new role as play development advisor and serve on Abingdon's board of directors.
Abingdon co-founder Jan Buttram will continue as artistic director. Samuel J. Bellinger will continue as managing director, and Kim T. Sharp will continue as associate artistic director and literary manager.
Recent staff additions include Douglas DeVita as director of marketing and James Holland as business and box-office manager.
The Abingdon's 2007-08 season will also include:
Cry Havoc by Tom Coash, directed by Kim T. Sharp. "In this tender and shocking play, set in present day Cairo, a British expatriate writer and his male Egyptian lover are forced to examine the fine line between conviction and obsession as they confront a repressive government and their own identities." Oct. 20-Nov. 11, Dorothy Strelsin Theatre.Rum & Coke by Carmen Peláez, directed by Carl Andress. "Pain is funny in this bracing one-woman show, as Camila plunges headlong into her family history during a trip to Havana via Miami. A ferociously comic look at life seen through a Cuban lens, this is a journey that is both multi-media event and hilariously poignant memoir." Feb. 1-March 2, 2008, June Havoc Theatre.Another Vermeer by Bruce J. Robinson. "Does art help one deal with the void at the center of life, or does it cause it? That is the question at the core of this fact-based drama, as accomplished Dutch painter Han Van Meegeren must prove that he has forged the Vermeer he sold to Goering during WWII or face the death penalty for treason." March 29-April 20, 2008, Dorothy Strelsin Theatre. For more information about Abingdon Theatre Company and its upcoming season of new American plays, visit www.abingdontheatre.org.
