Wintertime, the latest work by Charles L. Mee (First Love, Big Love), will spend the fall in New Haven, Connecticut at the Long Wharf Theatre. In a co-production with San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse, who will host the world premiere comedy in August, Wintertime will play the Long Wharf mainstage Oct. 2-Nov. 3.
Spending the some time holed up his girlfriend Ariel is the perfect way to spend the season, thinks Wintertime's hero Jonathan. In fact, the time is finally right for him to propose. Well, that is until his parents and their lovers show up and start a family fued.
Wintertime joins a season that already included the world premiere of Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater's rock musical Spring Awakening, a new double-bill by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies entitled Two Days and David Ives' fresh Polish Joke
Spring Awakening (Jan. 15-Feb. 16, 2003) is a musical retelling of Wedekind's expressionist work about teenagers, tyrannical parents, sex and violence. Michael Mayer (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Side Man) will direct at the Long Wharf, then repeating his duties Off-Broadway when the show makes its expected transfer to the Roundabout Theatre's new 46th Street theatre space in spring 2003.
"It's dark," Mayer told Playbill On-Line Feb 6. "It's Wedekind. It's a very literal adaptation about those three kids, and coming of age sexually. It's like a cautionary tale about what happens to your kids if you don't talk to them about sex. The music is very haunting. It's pop. It's not sung-through. It jumps between Germany in the 19th century and the United States now, it's really stylistic." Spring Awakening has over 20 songs, performed live by a rock 'n' roll band. lyrics and libretto are by Steven Sater with music by pop star Sheik ("Barely Breathing"), and was developed at the Sundance Theatre in Utah. It also received a workshop at the Roundabout Theatre Company in late 2000.
Young Jaisu Sadlowski, the hero of Ives' Polish Joke is desperate to escape the ancestry that leaves him the butt of ethnic heritage's cruellest jokes. He changes his name and moves away from home, but he still discovers that you can never run away from who you really are. Polish Joke premiered in the summer of 2001 at Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre.
John Rando directs the comedy, playing March 5-April 6, 2003. He has helmed past Ives works including Mere Mortals Off-Broadway, All in the Timing and the world premiere of Lives of the Saints . Rando is currently represented on Broadway with Urinetown.
Stephen Wadsworth adaptation of Triumph of Love (April 30-June 1, 2003) joins Jane Alexander in a trimmed-down version of Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra, directed by Gordon Edelstein (Nov. 19-Dec. 22), the world premiere of Steven Drukman's Going Native (Oct. 23-Dec. 1), Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Lackawanna Blues (Feb. 5-March 16, 2003) and a new double-bill by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies entitled Two Days, to be directed by Lisa Peterson (April 2-May 11, 2003).
Subscriptions are $93-$345. For reservations, call (203) 787-4282. The Long Wharf Theatre is on the web at http://www.longwharf.org.
— By Christine Ehren
