Marin Hinkle, who starred in Jonathan Marc Sherman's Wonderful Time at New York's WPA Theatre a few seasons back, will appear in Sherman's latest, Evolution (July 29-Aug. 9), on the Nikos second stage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. The comedy is about a Harvard student who knows nothing about popular culture yet becomes a hot property in Hollywood.
Matt McGrath (A Fair Country) plays the student. Justin Kirk (Old Wicked Songs), Tony nominee Dylan Baker (La Bete) and Sam Breslin Wright are also in the cast. Hinkle's numerous recent credits in NY include A Dybbuk and A Thousand Clowns.
Designing the show are Alexander Dodge (set), Marisa Timperman (costumes) and Stephen Allen Brady (lighting). Nicholas Martin, who staged the Roundabout Theatre's current You Never Can Tell, directs.
Also currently at Williamstown, Jayne Atkinson plays Lizzie Curry, the spinster at the center of N. Richard Nash's comedy/drama The Rainmaker July 22-Aug. 2. Chris Meloni plays Starbuck, the handsome stranger who drifts into town and changes her life. Later made into the Jones/Schmidt musical 110 in the Shade, Rainmaker tells of a town hit by drought -- and bowled over by a handsome conman. David Aaron Baker co-stars as Lizzie's brother, Jim.
Scott Ellis, who recently reaped plaudits for Broadway's 1776 revival, will stage The Rainmaker, which has special significance for the theatre: it was staged by founding artistic director Nikos Psacharopoulos the very first season at Williamstown (1955). *
These are just the latest productions in the star-studded Williamstown 1998 summer season. Coming soon, Dana Ivey will play the famous role of Mrs. Malaprop in Roger Rees' mainstage production of Sheridan's The Rivals (Aug. 5-16). Also in the impressive cast is Edward Herrmann as Sir Anthony Absolute, Tom Bloom as Lucius O'Trigger, and Kate Burton as Julia Melville. Other roles are filled by John Ellison Conlee, Denis Holmes, Rich Holmes, Deirdre Lovejoy, Mark McKinney, Sandra Shipley, and Jake Weber.
Meanwhile, Michele Shay will lead the chorus in Carey Perloff's mainstage production of Euripides' Hecuba (Aug. 19-20) starring Olympia Dukakis.
The final slot in the Nikos Stage season is filled by David Rabe's Corner (Aug. 12-23), about how a man's free sex life gets him into trouble. The drama is directed by Scott Ellis and featuring Victor Argo and Bruce MacVittie.
Williamstown Festival tickets are sold at the box office or by calling (413) 597-3400. WTF's 24-hour information line is (413) 597-3399.
-- By Robert Viagas
and Robert Simonson
and David Lefkowitz
